“Haiz” is fun but fluffy
Michael Wu, Staff Reporter
November 20, 2015
When Hailee Steinfeld announced her intention to release her first single, I was extremely skeptical. I had somehow convinced myself that there was no way someone who had so firmly established herself in one industry (she was nominated for an Oscar at 13) could possibly display any significant talent...
Ellie Goulding gets lost in “Delirium”
Alex Clarke, Staff Reporter
November 13, 2015
In “Delirium,” Ellie Goulding’s third album, Goulding follows the pop formula very well: catchy vocals + emotional lyrics + heavy beat with dance breaks. But no one who hears any song from this album will think it’s anyone but Ellie Goulding because of her distinctive icy vocals. Her voice can...
Nights re-releases album
Teddy Eisenberg, Staff Reporter
September 25, 2015
A shoegaze-rock fixture on the Cleveland music scene for years, Nights—comprised of vocalist Jenna Fournier, guitarist Frank Maraldo, drummer Chris Dalman and bassist Vincenzo Mauer—re-released their debut album “Whisper” on major record label Tragic Hero Records this week. Remixed by Jim Wirt,...
A sad girl on her honeymoon: Lana Del Rey releases new album
Michael Wu, Contributing Reporter
September 25, 2015
After firmly taking a place in the current culture thanks to a disastrous Saturday Night Live performance, in support of her first major album “Born to Die,” Lana Del Rey once again takes her spot as one of pop music’s strangest entities. She is, as she confirmed with last year’s unhurried “Ultraviolence,”...
Julia Holter branches out in new album
Charlie Topel, Staff Reporter
September 25, 2015
Julia Holter’s fourth album, “Have You In My Wilderness,” begins with orchestral lead single “Feel You.” Holter asks in the chorus: “Can I feel you? / Are you mythological?” and calls to mind the poetic beauty inherent in daily life. With this track setting the stage, “Have You In My...
Likenesses create perfect Cleveland dream-pop
Teddy Eisenberg, Staff Reporter
September 11, 2015
There’s nothing particularly new about the musical art form we know as rock ’n’ roll, but that doesn’t mean that the combination of vocalist backed by guitar, bass and drums can’t still be awe-inspiring. Such is the case with Cleveland’s own Likenesses, the ambient, dream-pop quartet which...
Miley and her drugz: A review of her newest album
Alex Clarke, Staff Reporter
September 11, 2015
Miley Cyrus dropped a free 23-song album on SoundCloud after her performance on the VMAs on Aug. 30. Her performance on the VMAs to “Dooo It!” and the music video for the song left many hesitant to hear the rest of album. Some responded that the song didn’t deserve such negative reactions, but...
Be afraid of Halsey on her new album “Badlands”
Michael Wu, Contributing Reporter
September 11, 2015
“God damn right, you should be scared of me,” bellows Halsey during “Control,” a track off her debut album, “Badlands,” creating a nearly perfect introduction for a blue-haired pop star in the making. In fewer than 10 words, Halsey has created a character that is so striking and imposing...
Kendrick Lamar unleashes artistic metamorphosis with “To Pimp A Butterfly”
Teddy Eisenberg, Staff Reporter
March 27, 2015
In many ways, Kendrick Lamar’s second masterwork, “To Pimp A Butterfly,” is the antithesis of the modern rap album. Clocking in at a sprawling hour and 19 minutes in length and featuring very few of the bravado-heavy singles we have come to know and often love in hip-hop (save the funky gem, “King...
Too weird to beat The Beatles
Anne Nickoloff, Arts & Entertainment Editor
October 31, 2014
It’s a wonder why The Flaming Lips felt the need to cover the entirety of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” award-winning, culture-changing shockwave of an album… but they did. Officially released on Oct. 28, “With a Little Help From My Fwends” is a little more than...
