Music Category

Posted On December 30, 2014By Anthony KozlowskiIn Music, Music Musings

The 20 Best Albums of 2014

Can it really be December already? It seems like just yesterday that I got that prophetic ping in my Facebook inbox from a former college buddy asking me to write for his new website. Twelve months, 1,000+ posts and a failed company trip to Vegas later and Writtalin is still chugging along on the internet hype machine. I don’t know what I expected from this first year, but the fact that we haven’t thrown in the towel yet is reason to celebrate, right? And what a year to call our first. ThroughRead More
Entering its fourth year in existence at the Denver Convention Center, Decadence NYE is embarking on what may be its best run yet. Last year’s lineup boasted some of the biggest names in dance music (Tiesto, Dada Life, and Above and Beyond to name a few), but the Decadence organizers have done it again. The 2014 lineup is star-studded and offers a variety of sounds for dance music fans. With festival-headlining names like Zedd and Kaskade, Grammy-nominated Disclosure, and Colorado favorites Bassnectar and Big Gigantic, Decadence 2014 is surely the EDMRead More

Posted On November 26, 2014By Liz MorseIn Music, Music Musings

10 Music Videos To Watch This Week

MTV might have taken the music out of television, but an accompanying visual to a song can enhance and express the artist’s vision. Here are ten music videos to watch this week:   1. Budapest – George Ezra Listen to the song before watching the video, and see if the real George Ezra looks like the George Ezra of your imagination.       2. I’m Not The Only One – Sam Smith Glee’s Dianna Agron and The Mindy Project’s Chris Messina star in this heartbreaking video from the balladeer.Read More

Posted On October 12, 2014By Anthony KozlowskiIn Artist Interviews, Music

Artist Insider: Big Data Gets Dangerous

It’s day two at the Sunset Strip Music Festival in the blistering heat of late September West Hollywood and the festivities are already in full swing.  Four blocks of the infamous strip have been cordoned off and filled with stages, stands, beer gardens and food trucks – a cross-section of the LA lifestyle in a walkabout.  The businesses that line the street are still open and flaunting festival discounts as well as water bottles at lower-than-festival prices (imagine that!).  And if you’ve had too much of the merciless California sun,Read More

Posted On October 8, 2014By Keegan Boisson-YatesIn Music, Music Musings

Andre 3000 for President

Andre 3000 for President. Ahem, ahem! Listen up! It’s been awhile since anyone shed some light on some of the celebrities leading the culture. Whether good or bad, the celebrities are the ones showing most of the population how to dress and how to dance and how to talk. They have the loudest voices and while many of them use it to compete in the “Who can be more outlandish for views?” competition; some of them actually use it to inspire deeper thinking or activate action. The list of celebritiesRead More

Posted On September 28, 2014By Erdi ErdemIn Music, Music Musings

10 Remixes You Need to Hear Right Now

Everyone knows that the music industry has changed in the internet age. From the way artists are discovered by labels through YouTube or Vine to the way little known music explodes over Spotify, music and the internet go together hand in hand. One of my favorite new developments, one that doesn’t get as much discussion as Spotify, is SoundCloud. SoundCloud has become the best place on the internet to share, discover and listen to remixes, covers and collaborations that don’t fall under one convenient artist. Think about it, how annoyingRead More

Posted On September 22, 2014By Erika SternIn Music, Music Musings

An Artist You Should Know: Ray LaMontagne

For those who only listen to  heavy metal/rap/hardcore stuff, I don’t know how much of this article you’ll want to read. For those who are versatile, keep reading. Ray LaMontagne, a 41 year-old folk singer/songwriter from New Hampshire has stolen my heart with just one song. I was in the car listening to Sirius Radio a few months ago when a soft, Iron & Wine type of voice came pouring through my speakers. The song is called “Shelter” and came off of his studio album “Trouble,” one of five heRead More

Posted On September 21, 2014By StaffIn Music, Music Musings

Rap Mantras You Need in Your Life Right Now

More than just YOLO, or fuck bitches, get money, here are some rap lines that I’m currently using as my personal mantras, and why you should too.   1. These hoes ain’t loyal (Chris Brown & Lil Wayne, “These Hoes Ain’t Loyal”)– Life isn’t fair, and a lot of the time people won’t treat you the way you treat them. That’s cause these hoes ain’t loyal. Please note, the term ho is not gender specific and both men and women (and non-binary people) can all have ho-ish tendencies. That’s why the sooner youRead More

Posted On September 18, 2014By Anthony KozlowskiIn Artist Interviews, Music

Artist Insider: Back to Basics with Cloud Cult

For every band living the rock and roll lifestyle – smashing guitars and raiding the mini bar a la Iggy Azalea – there is another that’s traded in the high life for an adult one.  And that philosophy doesn’t only apply to tucking in their shirts and adopting 401Ks.  Some have created an entire identity for themselves, completely autonomous as both artists and people.  It’s rare that an indie group is truly independent by these standards, but every once in a while one will peek through the rows of label-puppets.Read More

Posted On September 13, 2014By Anthony KozlowskiIn Music, Music Reviews

FIRST LISTEN: “Shut Up” and Listen to Walk the Moon

This past Wednesday marked a glorious occasion for fans of dance-along, paint-your-face indie pop.  Giddy, metro rock outfit Walk the Moon – still selling out shows on the back of their massively successful second album – released a taste of what’s next in the form of the whimsical dance floor track “Shut Up and Dance.” The Ohio foursome – comprised of members Nicholas Petricca, Kevin Ray, Sean Waugaman and Eli Maiman – have spent the summer supporting Panic! at the Disco on their Gospel Tour, but it appears that theyRead More

Posted On September 12, 2014By Taylor WilderIn Music, Shows

I Imagined the Perfect Weekend

In one of my classes yesterday, we were discussing a point in time where we felt infinite or a time when everything just felt right. I raised my hand and spoke. Over Labor Day weekend, I went to Imagine Music Festival in downtown Atlanta. I live in Atlanta, and this was my first music festival, so I didn’t quite know what to expect but I was so excited. Well that didn’t matter, because it was everything I imagined and more. The positive vibes, the beautiful people, the moving music, andRead More
Photo Credit: Brooks Reynolds

Posted On September 10, 2014By Anthony KozlowskiIn Music, Music Reviews

FIRST LISTEN: Canada’s Arkells Get “High”

Even those who frequent Pitchfork and BIRP might have a difficult time stumbling upon a certain quintet of upstarts from Hamilton, Ontario. Funny, considering that Arkells all the rage on the Canadian indie scene, amassing the Juno Awards (the Canadian Grammy) for New Group of the Year in 2010 and Group of the Year in 2012. A brief journey through their discography is all it takes to see why. Their debut album Jackson Square announced them as a loud, persistent force backed by a subtle Motown influence and a uniqueRead More

Posted On August 28, 2014By StaffIn Music, Music Musings

10 Rap Lyrics That Make me SMH

1. A$AP Ferg, Lac Lac: “A$AP, the vision’s so clear / I can see you haters from here / Can’t knock me outta my chair / My flow you won’t come near” Really I could have stopped at A$AP the vision’s so clear, because like wtf that sounds like a bad line from a fight song. “Harris Hall, the vision’s so clear.” And the rest doesn’t really warrant an analysis because it’s just lame. Straight-up lame.   2. Big K.R.I.T., “What You Know About It”: Suicide doors, Cobaine on ’em.Read More
Note: I write these events as they happened from my vantage point. My friend Johna can validate the Boulder part of my story as she was there to witness it all. I write this with no judgment of any parties involved and leave the facts up to reader interpretation.   It has taken me almost four months to figure out how to tell the story of my almost interview with the now somewhat infamous DJ duo, The Chainsmokers… I fought with myself about how to best relate the tale. But after allRead More

Posted On August 24, 2014By Rachel HarrisonIn Music, Music Musings

Songs to Boost Your Confidence

We all have those days when we don’t feel great about ourselves or are struggling through a rough time. Here’s a colorful playlist to give you the self-esteem boost you deserve!   All About That Bass, Meghan Trainor This body-positive anthem is all about embracing your curves. It’s a really wonderful message, not to mention a great pop song. Preach, Ms. Trainor, preach. Can’t wait to see what this up-and-comer does next!   Beautiful, Carole King There are no lyrics more empowering than, “You’re beautiful as you feel.” Carole King is aRead More