bands
Rock n' roll, boy bands, jazz trios, and more; the greats, newbies, and forgotten icons who create our favorite groups.
The Visual Culture of Album Covers
The importance of the visual image to the success of a boy band might be overlooked by the general population, but is certainly not underestimated by record labels and PR experts. It is easy to argue that the images produced are just as crucial (if not more) as the music to the overall success of the group. Boy bands like Backstreet Boys and N'Sync were successful in a time when the image of the group could be carefully controlled by marketing experts and PR representatives. Photo shoots and some paparazzi pictures were the main source of image proliferation. In 2010, the producers of X-Factor brought together five boys to create the group One Direction. The success of this group has been major, even during a time when the internet has made fans producers as much as they are consumers. Fan art and fan fiction has created a legacy for this group far out of the reach of their management's marketing experts. The visual images produced by the fans through things such as artwork and cell phone photos have been more influential among fans than any well-crafted photo shoot in a teen magazine. Four is One Direction's fourth studio album. Compared to the previous albums, the image appears less planned, or "constructed." Through affect, genre, and tension, the artists involved in the latest One Direction album cover attempted to recreate the fan created image in order to catch the attention, and cash, of the internet generation.
By Kendra Brea Cooper8 years ago in Beat
Nahko + Medicine for the People: Rock & Roll World Music for Your Heart
Nahko and Medicine for the People are a folk/world music collective that started in 2008. It has recently gone through a few changes in its line up but the head of the group and singer/songwriter Nahko Bear has been a vital part of the band.
By Ayisah Yusuf8 years ago in Beat
5 Artists Every Writer Should Listen To
So I decided to write this article after a period of writer’s block I went through. I tried all the normal things like going away from it, trying not to think about it, searching for real world inspiration but nothing was working. It was only when I was sitting down, making revisions to a screenplay and listening to a random music playlist on Spotify, that the inspiration came to me. I realised it was because of the music playing.
By Jack Lanham8 years ago in Beat
How Nine Inch Nails Changed My Life
Music is perhaps one of the most powerful forces on the planet. I can guarantee that we have all had our fair share of moments where we heard a piece of music and felt like a song or album was meant for us. It might even feel at times that it was specifically written for us, and that our lives changed for the better (or worse) when we heard that one specific song.
By Jenika Enoch8 years ago in Beat
AKFG: Japan's Beloved Alt-Rock Aces
Starting from indie obscurity in the early 2000s, Asian Kung-Fu Generation (stylized as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION) quickly captured the hearts of the land of the rising sun with their passionate, energetic, and infectious sound. Taking cues from 90s alternative rock, AKFG's distorted, melodic power pop draws comparison to the likes of Weezer, Oasis, and many more. Over the years, AKFG has gained a huge fan base outside of Japan touring in Europe, South America, and recently for the first time North America. While their sound has steadily expanded over the years, a few things remain constant: powerful and energetic instrumentation, emotional and poetic lyricism, and simple, driven, captivating melodies.
By Sean Martin8 years ago in Beat
Walk the Moon: Beyond "Shut Up and Dance"
At this point, everyone recognizes the guitar riff preceding the familiar lyrics, "Oh, don't you dare look back..." Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance" was released in late 2014 and became a smash hit for the group in the summer of 2015. The tune continues to get heavy play at parties, on the radio, and in people's personal lives. Little do people know, the band has a lot more music listed on its discography, and has been around for a lot longer than one summer. As the band prepares to release its third full studio album, here's what you need to know.
By Erin Goulding8 years ago in Beat
COIN: Your New Favorite Band
Initially formed in 2012, the band Coin (often stylized COIN) has grown to release 2 full albums and several singles. Since the release of their latest LP, the group has been selling out shows in medium-sized venues across America, and even spent some time playing in the UK. Considering the fact that their first real album came out in 2015, the band has experienced fairly rapid success. Where did they come from and where are they going? Here's a fan's perspective on it all.
By Erin Goulding8 years ago in Beat
10 Modern Heavy Metal Bands To Check Out
Heavy metal, its definition has changed over the years and the term's origin is disputed to this day. While the genre has evolved into a variety of different strains, its purest form remains a steadfast genre in the metal canon that keeps up and coexists with its extreme offspring. It is often said that metal will never die, while I'm inclined to believe that the following bands are more than happy to prove you right. Without further ado 10 Awesome, Epic, Face-Melting, Modern Heavy Metal Bands.
By Dustin Miller8 years ago in Beat
Musicians Who Hate Their Fans. Top Story - October 2017.
If you listen to music (if you don't, are you even human?), then you must have some favorite artists that you always jam out to. You become fond of their style in music genre and constantly stick to whatever they release into the wild. And all we do is sit there and praise the amazing music they create. But nothing is better than seeing your dearest artists performing your favorite songs live — Ed Sheeran on stage sounds exactly like his recorded music... Unreal.
By C.C. Curtis8 years ago in Beat
Why You Should Be Listening to The 1975
1. They’ve been together as a band for 15 years. If they’ve been together for that long, there’s absolutely no reason to worry about them breaking up anytime soon, which is a good thing! Just imagine how many albums they could release...
By Liz Shannon8 years ago in Beat
