bands
Rock n' roll, boy bands, jazz trios, and more; the greats, newbies, and forgotten icons who create our favorite groups.
The Importance of Song Lyrics
Lyrics are not poetry and lyricists are not poets. I say this not to denigrate lyrics as an art form. Quite the opposite. By insisting that the two are the same thing, we miss the vital point that high quality lyrics are valuable on their own merit. Worse, we give credence to the sub Sixth Form witterings of Jim Morrison, a man who was neither a competent poet nor lyricist.
By Sam Flintlock9 years ago in Beat
Twenty One Pilots on Christianity
Throughout today’s culture in America, there are numerous forms of media that portray different worldviews throughout their lyrics, videos, or other content that happens to be in one of the best positions in regards to influencing its audience. For example, the band Twenty One Pilots has many songs that are obvious in who they are trying to reach throughout their lyrics, and although they are not considered a “Christian band,” the majority of lyrics of their songs send positive messages primarily to those who are struggling with their personal mental health and personal problems they are fighting through. While it is clear that Twenty One Pilots’ main audience is of those who more than likely have worldviews related to nihilism as well as to those who are struggling in their walks with Christ, it is also very clear that their music is of a Christian worldview as they talk about their struggles in keeping their faith in the Lord as they themselves struggle with their mental health.
By Gianna Hermann9 years ago in Beat
Why Supporting Your Local Scene is Important
Recently in Ottawa, a popular venue had to close its doors. It was a sad day in the Ottawa music scene; the venue, Zaphod Beeblebrox, or Zaphod's for short, was popular among the indie scene and electronic scene. The reason that the venue closed was that it wasn't making enough money to pay staff and all its bills.
By Kyle Stumpo9 years ago in Beat
BTS- A Beginner's Guide to the K-Pop Boy Band Taking the World by Storm
If you watched the 2017 Billboard Music awards earlier this year you would have seen that the highlight of the evening was the Social Media award going to the K-Pop group, BTS. But who is BTS? BTS is a 7 member group based out of South Korea, that debuted in 2013 under the company BigHit. BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan (방탄소년단). Before this year the English translation of this name was "Bulletproof Boy Scouts". However, as of this year they released a new translation for their English audiences. The new name is "Beyond the Scene".
By Hayley Munoz9 years ago in Beat
Dry the River and Faith
Dry the River was a short lived band. I have yet to run into anyone who knows them, which is disappointing considering just how perfect their album "Shallow Bed" is. I discovered this album a few years ago, however, initially only ever listened to the acoustic version. Finally transitioned to the non-acoustic, and this album as a whole has changed my life.
By Cherith Brook9 years ago in Beat
Coming Up with a Band Name
Coming up with a good name for your band may seem like a daunting task but I'm here to tell you that it really isn't as bad as you think. There are many ways to come up with names for your band and I'm going to help you figure out which one works best for you!
By Kyle Stumpo9 years ago in Beat
Most Underrated Bands of the 90s
One thing that I'm thankful for, as a Millennial, was my ability to be alive during the 1990s. It was a glorious age —, especially for the arts. The 90s was a time when music was really at its pinnacle. You had amazing subcultures blossoming thanks to the creativity that the overall social climate encouraged.
By Skunk Uzeki9 years ago in Beat
Despise You/Coke Bust Split 7" Review
For those so far uninitiated, "powerviolence" is a hyper aggressive style of music taking its main cues from 80s hardcore punk, grindcore, and, oddly enough, certain styles of progressive rock. This means short songs at blinding speeds, blast beats, sludgy breakdowns and tempos that can shift on a dime. Half the fun of powerviolence, coming from an admitted superfan of the genre, is the twists and turns you get while listening to each 30 second burst of high-speed noise; you might think that you may be only getting two or three riffs per song with those kinds of lengths but in 30 seconds it's easy to get blindsided by a half a dozen different riffs that don't even share a similar tempo.
By Charles Spitzner9 years ago in Beat
Into the Slipstream: The Internet's Undiscovered Talent
With the popularity of platforms like Bandcamp and Soundcloud it's now literally easier than ever to throw your artistic talents out into the wolfish world of picky consumers and bask in the due adulation (or sulk in the corner if you suck or something and everybody calls you names). Combing through these sites opens up whole worlds of creativity previously inaccessible from your home a decade ago and, you know what, some of them definitely aren't getting the celebration that they deserve for putting themselves out there in the world. It's not easy wading through the creating process in the hopes of releasing something you can be truly proud of, but I bet a few worthy souls deserve more listens than they get.
By Charles Spitzner9 years ago in Beat
