Columns and Opinions

When I was about five my mother had a cassette tape she used to play in the car all the time. There was one particular song on this tape that we both used to sing, and to this day, I still remember the lyrics....

An intentionally amateurish garage band. Soulmates side by side, feeding off of each other’s dark, provocative energy. A sonorously tremorous voice layered over a minor-toned psychobilly melody. Macabre and ...

Though this year has been an absolute whirlwind of unexpected events, it has been an incredible year for music. From psychedelic music to rap to flamenco to rock, 2020 did not disappoint. With all of these new...

Warning: This article contains a few spoilers from Ramy Seasons 1 & 2 Well into the second season of Ramy, a series following an Egyptian-Muslim’s spiritual journey, we find Ramy’s sister Dena fall ...

On Thursday afternoons, the small cafe at 2430 Bancroft Way is normally filled with the sounds of a lively jazz trio, bustling crowds and its staff. Normally comprised of an upright bassist, drummer and pianis...

As I was scrolling through the #sufjanstevens tag on TikTok (as one naturally does), I clicked on a high-quality video in which user @boyjr.69 covers Sufjan Stevens' indie hit song “Mystery of Love” in the...

When I was five years old and I heard “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee for the very first time all I wanted to do was get up and dance for hours on end. For about three weeks my mom and I blasted that song day i...

The 90s were a great decade for dark lipsticks, greasy hair, and movies about hackers. While a lot of that should be left in the 90s (greasy hair, I’m looking at you), I’m definitely excited about one ...

Keep fighting! Black Lives Matter has gained so much traction these past few months, and the next step is remembering that movements require long term internalization into one’s way of living. Times are gett...

Rexx Life Raj, both as an individual and musician, is refreshing. He’s not interested in the fame, or the clout, or anything in between – he never has been. Instead, he believes what makes people gravitate...

If there’s anything that living in the age of COVID-19 has taught me, it’s that there really is no shortage of creativity in the human spirit. Look on any social media page and you’ll find people at home...

Black lives matter! Black songwriters, musicians, and artists are an integral part of American music history. Jazz, blues, and rock music were all founded by Black people, and all around the world, regardless ...

On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin asphyxiated — murdered — George Floyd, a 46-year old Black man, and in doing so, set the world ablaze. While there are few words I can use to descr...

50 years ago, the Beatles released Let It Be (1970), their last release after nearly a decade of leading one of the most innovative eras in music history. In this near- apocalyptic Year of Our Lord 2020, the r...

This semester, I enrolled in Music 128, a class centered around the study of musical improvisation. Although currently part of the Music department, it is a pilot class for the L&S ‘Big Ideas’ initiati...