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WRSU sat down with the genre-bending Bryce Vine to chat about his upcoming album, influences, and traveling. You can check out the interview and more on Bryce below.
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Bryce Vine Interview with WRSU
Tagged bri born, Bryce Vine, east meets west, interview, Pop, WRSU
Phony Ppl’s “Mozaik” Album Review
Phony Ppl is a Brooklyn-based musical group comprised of Elbee Thrie (vocals), Elijah Rawk (lead guitar), Matt “Maffyuu” Byas (drums), Aja Grant (Keyboard), and Bari Bass (bass guitar). Their music is stylistically funky with heavy basslines and Dilla-like boom-bap snares and kicks overlayed by a unique mix of singing and rapping. Their closest comparison is probably The Internet, a Grammy-nominated soulful-funk band from southern California. I first heard of Phony Ppl through their 2015 track, “Why iii Love the Moon”, a little love ballad off their album Yesterday’s Tomorrow. With that song in mind, I had high expectations for mō’zā-ik, their most recent album released on September 28th, 2018.
Tagged Album Review, Hip Hop, Jason Levin, Phony Ppl, R&B
Kali Uchis Live at Terminal 5 Review
On October 13, I got the opportunity to see Kali Uchis perform at Terminal 5 in NYC for her In Your Dreams Tour, amongst midterm season and despite my sinus infection. Tragic I know, but definitely worth it.
Tagged Autumn Thomas, concert, Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Kali Uchis, Pop, R&B
Greta Van Fleet’s “Anthem of the Peaceful Army” Reuses Led Zeppelin’s Sound without the Rawness
The long awaited full-length debut album by Greta Van Fleet has finally arrived. Released on October 19th, 2018, Anthem of the Peaceful Army received negative reviews from rock critics. As a fan of their second EP From the Fires, I tried to ignore the noise, and I tried to listen to the album with open ears. Unfortunately, with a heavy heart, I want to say that all of the reviews are correct: Anthem of the Peaceful Army is a lackluster, overproduced 70’s throwback that lacks grit and creativity.
Just Keep Swimming: A Review of Mac Miller’s Final Album
I was watching a live-stream of the Mac Miller Celebration of Life concert being thrown by his closest friends in the industry, and I found myself disconnected. I can safely say it wasn’t the performances. From Travis Scott to Earl Sweatshirt to Schoolboy Q, the billing was a hip-hop heads wet-dream, and you can get a sense of the scale at which the music industry is mourning. Some will look to this concert for closure. A final farewell to a music juggernaut. But there was something about seeing Mac Miller’s face blown up on a screen as his lyrics rang back, referencing how he was “trying not to join the 27 club” from someone mixing his drugs with “the bullshit”.
Tagged Album Review, Hip Hop, Mac Miller, Seyi Aladejobi, Swimming
Quavos’ Debut Album “Quavo Huncho” is a Test of Wills to Endure
I’m going to be blunt with this album. Listening to “QUAVO HUNCHO” is a form of sonic and cognitive self-harm. In fact, listening to the album should be listed as “cruel and unusual” punishment and used to torture prisoners held on treason charges.
Tagged Album Review, Hip Hop, Jason Levin, Quavo, Quavo Huncho, Rap, Trap
The “Proper Dose” of The Story So Far
One of the most loved bands in the pop-punk music scene and the ultimate “sad boy” group has finally made their much-anticipated return with their new album Proper Dose. In the three years since the band released their self-titled album The Story So Far, the pop-punk music scene has been patiently waiting for their next project, since its announcement in April of 2017.
Tagged Bryan Csordos, emo, Proper Dose, punk rock, The Story So Far
Twenty One Pilots’ “Trench” Stays True to their Brand
Through cryptic messages and obscure letters, Twenty One Pilots have finally released their highly anticipated fifth studio album Trench. The Ohio duo consisting of singer-songwriter Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun (with the help of Mutemath’s Paul Meany), introduce a new dystopian world that revisits dark themes found in their previous works.
Tagged 21 Pilots, Album Review, Alternative Hip Hop, Electropop, pop rock, Selena Choy, Trench
Matangi/Maya/MIA Film Review
Matangi/Maya/MIA doesn’t follow the typical music documentary formula, but Maya Arulpragasam (MIA) is not your typical popstar. The daughter of a Tamil rebel leader in the Sri Lankan Civil War, Maya moved to England when she was nine years old as a refugee. Growing up in the UK, she struggled balancing her identities as a Sri Lankan and as a British citizen.
Tagged film, Margo Broderick, Matangi/Maya/MIA, MIA
Logic’s “YSIV” Mixtape Review
Logic’s fourth and final Young Sinatra mixtape is a 75-minute exploration into the mind of Sir Robert Bryson Hall. It delves into topics such as his absent crack-addicted father, the legacy he wants to leave behind and the cash he has made from rapping (a whopping $30 million!). This tape follows Logic’s incredibly successful 2017 album Everybody which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and the 2018 mixtape Bobby Tarantino II.
Tagged Album Review, Hip Hop, Jason Levin, Logic, Mixtape Review, Rap, YSIV
