The Underground Sound of Emerson College
Few artists understand the relationship between youth and pop music as well as Troye Sivan. We grew up knowing him from his YouTube views, and now we know him from songs that live somewhere between the dance floor and the bedroom.
And so, at the stroke of 11:06, I and about 50 other Air-Heads are ushered into the belly of the beast and made to stand behind metal barricades that separate us from the beautiful people on Air Supply’s guest list. I’m in the middle, where tensions from the heat begin clashing with tensions from autograph seekers.
But by the end of the night my biggest takeaway was that, at age 70, Lydon proved that there’s nothing more punk than performing this long into his career—long after people have expected or perhaps wanted him to. Take Morrissey and Iggy Pop: iconic rock ‘n’ roll stars whose legacies follow in their every move. Rather than feed into fan nostalgia from the comfort of their own homes, Morrissey and Iggy Pop, like Lydon, honor the music by continuing to perform even when it’s clear age isn’t just a number (whether they have to perform shirtless is another question).
So Tonight That I Might See is an incredibly special album for a lot of reasons, but I love it because of its humanity. The band takes the audience through a range of emotions that are so vast and oftentimes painful, but does it so matter-of-factly. It understands that feeling is constant and that experience is fleeting, and it does not shy away from this fact when confronted with it. It reminds you to feel deeply, let it change you and to keep moving; it knows it’s the only thing you can do.
“Green Eyes” by Erykah Badu “Green Eyes” by Erykah Badu is one of my favorite songs by her. This 10 minute jazz and soul inspired song is about the different stages of emotions that come after a devastating heartbreak. Much like our emotions, this song has different sections and phases. We follow Erykah Badu through…
Shilly shally is reminiscent of Indie J-Pop legends such as Lamp, especially if you like the upbeat, vibrant instrumentals on Lamp’s For Lovers album. The star of shilly shally is the collection of quirky instrumentals, featured more heavily on tracks like “中華ランチ” (Swan Boat) that blends synthesizer smoothly into the upbeat vocals compared to tracks like “ゆうとむ” (Yutomu) which have a softer orchestral sound, pushing Satomoka’s vocals to the front.
But more than anything, Freaks and Geeks understands something many coming-of-age shows and movies forget today; that a song can make a show say things the characters, stories, and relationships can’t. It says and represents everything about what it means to be a teenager. And still, 27 years later, the music stays perfect and honest.
Tinashe has always cared about the integrity of the form of the album. Each Tinashe album is painstakingly sequenced, with dips in energy and emotion placed perfectly, taking the listener on a journey. It wasn’t until Popstar, though, that Tinashe completely nailed down her sound, effortlessly mixing the commercial with the experimental.
By Ronan Canzoniero Staff photographer Ronan Canzoniero covered Interpol and DIIV’s show at Roadrunner!