WRSU - The Voice of Rutgers - Campus radio serving Rutgers, New Brunswick, and beyond

Blood Orange’s “Negro Swan” Album Review

Devonte Hynes, AKA, Blood Orange, is an artist I discovered several days ago. Not knowing what to expect I was blown away by how beautiful and well made his newest album, “Negro Swan” turned out to be. It is a sixteen track project with a run time of 49 minutes. Initially released on August 24th, 2018; “Negro Swan” is a euphoric and blissful experience that has a deep message. With instrumentalism being seamlessly impressive, vocals that are powerful and soothing, and lyricism that speaks for communities struggling to fit in; this album was a pleasant surprise that surpassed any expectations I had before listening.

Tagged Album Review, Blood Orange, Douglas Davies, Funk, Negro Swan, R&B |

“Raising Our Voice” May Be Yellowjackets’ Best Album of the last 10 Years

Jazz Fusion is an ever-evolving genre. With so many things to try, and so many people trying them, it’s not going away any time soon. The Yellowjackets have been a mainstay of jazz fusion since the late 70s, and with their latest release “Raising Our Voice”, they prove they are not going away anytime soon either.

Tagged Album Review, Jazz Fusion, Mica Finehart, Raising our Voice, Yellowjackets |

Armani White Interview with WRSU

Armani White, the Philly native artist, took the stage at the ultimate hometown show last month: Made in America Festival 2018. According to an interview with The Inquirer, White has been going to the festival since it began in 2012, as a fan, and finally had the chance to see things from a new perspective.
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Tagged Armani White, Hip Hop, interview, Made In America, music, Philly, Rap |

Pale Waves’ “My Mind Makes Noises” Shows a Painful Lack of Diversified Songwriting Ability

Every single year, a relatively unknown band hits the music scene and proceeds to take the scene and the radio by storm. Meet Pale Waves, a relatively new Indie Pop band from Manchester consisting of vocalist/guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie, drummer Ciara Doran, bassist Charlie Wood, and lead guitarist Hugo Silvani. In the last twelve months, the band has played sold out arena’s worldwide in support of the 1975, done numerous headlining tours, and racked up millions of streams online without even releasing a full length album (or more than two songs at the time, for that matter). With the release of debut My Mind Makes Noises, the band attempts to take their lofty ambitions and translate them into a full length album. Do they succeed?

Tagged Adam Uscilowicz, Album Review, Indie Pop, My Mind Makes Noises, Pale Waves, Synth pop |

“Superclean Vol. I” Sets High Expectations for The Marías

Los Angeles based band, The Marías, have introduced a fresh take on groovy indie music in their 2017 release Superclean Vol. I. The debut record consists of six easy-to-vibe-to songs filled with soothing vocals, sharp percussion, and the occasional leading bass. There is never a point on this record where synchronization is a problem. On their own bandcamp page, they describe their sound as “hypnotic”, which holds true through the entire record.

Tagged Album Review, Danielle Ciampaglia, Indie Rock, Superclean Vol. 1, The Marías |

Apple Music vs Spotify Tech Review

Each generation has been plagued with its own set of debates; chocolate or vanilla, cats or dogs, Yanny or Laurel… For music lovers everywhere, the most significant debate has to be Spotify or Apple Music. Of course, nowadays there are so many streaming services that it’s hard to keep track. Apple Music and Spotify however, are arguably the most popular. Let’s delve into what makes a music streaming service great.

Tagged Apple Music, Simran Banga, Spotify |

The Kook’s “Let’s Go Sunshine” Album Review

The Kooks are a English alternative band known for making upbeat, quirky songs that you can’t get out of your head. However, the same can be said for The Wombats, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, and many other artists that fit into the same niche genre. In many ways, the Kooks are like a more toned-down cousin of The Wombats without as much notoriety.

Tagged Album Review, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Let's Go Sunshine, The Kooks, Victoria Sharp |

IDLES Return with an Empathetic Punk Triumph on “Joy as an Act of Resistance”

On the track “Television”, front-man Joe Talbot nails into your head that “If someone talked to you the way you do to you, I’d put their teeth through. Love yourself!” IDLES’ second album, Joy as An Act of Resistance, is a forty-two minute post-Brexit adrenaline rush that consistently holds a sense of honesty and compassion.

Tagged A.J. Frigoletto, Album Review, IDLES, Joy as An Act of Resistance, punk rock |

Brockhampton’s “Iridescence” Displays the Darkest Recesses of the Group’s Mind

After ten tumultuous months and three cancelled projects, BROCKHAMPTON’s fifth studio album and first installment of their second trilogy, recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London, is packed with an unexpected array of sonic experimentation and deeper confessional lyricism that reaches beyond the safety of the three Saturation albums.

Tagged Album Review, Boy Band, Brockhampton, Hip Hop, Iridescence, Joe Caggiano, Rap |

Surf Rock is Dead Interview with WRSU

On September 20th, WRSU’s Shalom Obisie interviewed Chicago based dream pop act Surf Rock is Dead. The band discussed first impressions, the song writing process, and the future of SRID.

Tagged Dream Pop, Indie Pop, interview, Shalom Obisie, Surf Rock is Dead |

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