Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Beat.
10 Lesser Know Winter/Christmas Songs
I freaking love Christmas carols. I can hardly restrain myself from singing them til November 1st and after December 25th. I like to think of myself as a bit of a Christmas music hipster, as I'm always on the hunt for new songs. So here are some Christmas/Winter songs I think are obscure if you still want that winter vibe, but get tired of the overplayed songs.
By Annie Nonimous8 years ago in Beat
Kendrick Lamar and Multiple Album Meanings
Yes, it is. But not in the way people may think and not in a way that makes it worth buying the album for a second time. Kendrick Lamar’s Damn. is a fantastic record with a range of both trunk-knocking hits such as “DNA.”, “HUMBLE.” and “ELEMENT.” and thought provoking and mind bending revelations such as “PRIDE.”, “FEAR.”, and “DUCKWORTH.”. The record starts out with the expository track “BLOOD.”, a mysterious and somewhat haunting track that tells the story of Kendrick coming across a blind woman who he attempts to help but ends the track by shooting him. The record continues with Kendrick reflecting back on everything that led him to lose his life. The old blind woman can be interpreted as Kendrick having a run-in with Lady Justice and her taking his life is the culmination of all the social and political injustice that Kendrick raps about often in his music. Damn. is a depressing album at times, as it can be quite evident that Kendrick has little to no hope left in him. The fire within him to fight against social injustice heard on “To Pimp a Butterfly” is seemingly replaced with a depressing realization that maybe these injustices are self-inflicted (especially apparent on the voicemail at the end of the song “FEAR.”) or unsolvable. Kendrick is defeated on this album. He has been beaten down and is left with a tangible feeling of despair. He has been looking for answers all this time and, after all of it, he is left thinking that maybe it’s his own fault. He is truly defeated by coming to the realization that he is the cause of his own torment and anguish.
By Justin Smith8 years ago in Beat
Returning to Manchester Arena
Manchester Arena opened its doors in 1995. It's been through a number of incarnations and to my knowledge had four different names as sponsors have come and gone. In the twenty plus years since its launch, the arena has been host to thousands of the superstar names in the entertainment industry.
By Richard Douglas8 years ago in Beat
Sweet December Day
In 2016, I was scheduled to open up for Leon Russell at the Tower Theater in Bend, Oregon in May. When a tour bus broke down, that show was postponed to December 7. When I realized this was the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, I felt compelled to write a song to commemorate this auspicious day, a "day that will live forever in infamy." Only since it happened 28 years before I was born, I knew next to nothing about it.
By Victor Johnson8 years ago in Beat
Laughs Weren't All You Were Getting Last Night!
There's nothing like amazing music to make a point. With a team of winners, there is nothing that can stop you. That is why I chose this song by "Nas & Puff Daddy- Hate Me Now" it gives off strength and confidence, which I felt last night. I had all my friends there to support my new album.
By Satin Doll8 years ago in Beat
Deconstructing the House Of God
I bought the King Diamond album, House Of God, the day it was released in 2000. I was the first one in the piddly town I lived in to buy it. It had a wild story, excellent guitar work, some wild album artwork painted by Thomas Holm (who painted classic Mercyful Fate and King Diamond album covers in the 80’s) and a few new King voices that were never heard before, or ever heard since. I’ve listened to the album a lot, but never really paid attention to hidden meanings the songs might hold. It wasn’t until recently that I was listening to it on Spotify that I realized at least three of the songs reflect how I felt during certain times in my life.
By Nick Falkner8 years ago in Beat
7 Worst Songs of 2017. Top Story - December 2017.
As 2017 quickly draws to a close, its time to toughen up and dissect the best and the worst of what the musical world had to offer these past 12 months. While the majority of people seemed to detest 2016 as a whole, the music we were gifted wasn't actually as bad as one would think. However some of the worst trends to saturate popular music in 2016 have only seemed to worsen, growing larger and more inescapable every year. It just seems that recently pop music has lost its "pop," leading to more and more mediocre instrumentals and lyrical themes to spread like generic wildfire. It is with this in mind where we shall begin to take a look at some of the worst songs to come out in 2017, however we shall first set some ground rules. First off, as with any musical or cultural commentary, this list is entirely subjective. I have my own theories and ideas as to what makes music "objectively" bad (as if there were such a thing), and these biases can be greater understood by reading some of the other works I've done on popular music. Second, this list won't be exploring the worst deep cut off of the album that your cousin's German neighbor put together using a 4-year old version of FL Studio in his basement, rather this list will be focusing on songs that are either by well known and successful bands or artists, or songs that were simply successful themselves. With this in mind, let us begin this list with:
By Matt Knight8 years ago in Beat
The Best Concert Experience
When you hear a band for the very first time it can be amazing and very emotional. I say emotional because sometimes a song let alone the band themselves can touch you like nothing else can. The words they sing, relate to your thoughts and relate to you as a person.
By Mandy Petit8 years ago in Beat
Daddy Stingray Returns with his Sweet Talkin' Symphony
Who knew that without Daddy Stingray the world we know would barely exist. All the more remarkable since his musical sting and songwriting only blesses us every 15,000 years. In the desolate interim, Daddy Stingray lives in a cave nestled beneath a volcano. But he does at least make frequent appearances as Dave Hoffman - father, husband and entertainment scene professional.
By Rich Monetti8 years ago in Beat
Review: Metro Boomin & Big Sean's 'Double or Nothing'
I'll admit it, this one took me by surprise. I wasn't necessarily shocked that Metro Boomin and Bug Sean would work together, but it was more so the fact that the album seemingly dropped out of nowhere. I was excited to hear what Metro had in store for us this time. After all, just a couple of months ago, he dropped his album Without Warning with21 Savage and Offset. Unlike Metro Boomin, this is Big Sean's latest addition to his growing discography since February's I Decided which featured chart-toppers like "Moves" and "Bounce Back." Becuase of all of this, I couldn't wait to listen to what the pair had in store.
By Kaya Sabir8 years ago in Beat
