It’s 1:45 pm at Coffee Lab & Roasters in Evanston, Illinois and the place is packed with students with espresso drinks, spread out with laptops studying for exams. The Berkeley B-Side wanted to find out what the typical Northwestern students listen to while studying at a coffee shop, and more importantly if Berkeley or Northwestern students have better taste in music. Here’s what we found.

Student: Peter
Song: “Shake” by The Head and the Heart

This track from the Head and the Heart’s album Let’s be Still is not good. Like most of the album and the Head and the Heart’s work, the lyrics are not profound and the band does not succeed in either of its two genres of Americana and pop, As they sing “Even if it was a Mistake, I can’t forget your face. Even if it was just a day, You won’t forget the one who’s making you shake”, I’m questioning Peter’s taste. In his defense, he said that he was only trying out a new study playlist. Rating: 5.5/10

Student: Jimmy

Song: “Day of the Lords” by Joy Division

On Day of the Lords, Ian Curtis, the lead vocalist, cries out in deep moans over the haunting guitar and bass melodies about “bodies obtained”, and “nights filled with bloodsport and pain”. As Curtis meditates on the perspective of a foot soldier in war, Stephen Morris bangs out a steady drum beat that accentuates the chorus asking “Where will it end?”. Not only is “Day of the Lords”, a solid track, the album Unknown Pleasures is a classic. If you’re looking to dive into Joy Division like Jeremy was, or simply want to immerse yourself in an emotional, apocalyptic universe, this is a good spot to start. Rating: 9/10

Student: Hope

Song: “In Your Atmosphere” by John Mayer

John Mayer is a good guitarist, even though he’ll never be able to replace Jerry as part of Dead and Company. On “In Your Atmosphere” Mayer’s solid acoustic strumming skills are featured beside his smooth voice. While all the basic elements are solid, this song falls short because of cheesy lyrics about how he will not go to LA since his lover is there and he wants to burn up in their atmosphere. Rating: 7/10        

Student: Henry

Song: “Don’t lie to me” by Slimmy B

This track is chalk full of boasts about how Slimmy B is a monster, gets pussy, and talks shit. It’s a fun track, but unfortunately there’s not much talent to back up the talk. (Sidenote: Slimmy B is a part of the Vallejo rap group SOB X RBE) Rating: 5.5/10

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXE1C–WezU” width=”1270″ height=”720″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GqgNebPm50[/su_youtube]

Student: Lexi

Song: “Across the universe” by Fiona Apple

After Slimmy B’s childish shenanigans, I was glad to hear Lexi was listening to this track, a Fiona Apple cover of the Beatles classic tune. The original cannot be beat, but Apple’s cover is a refreshing alternative take, like a variation of a show’s theme song. At times Apple seems to have less emotional energy in singing the uplifting lyrics, but it’s still a decent cover. Rating: 7.7/10

Student: Josh

Song: “Christmas in Bed” by Solomun  

This house mix by the Bosnian-German DJ Solomun contains quite a few funky tracks. There are a few dull spots, but bangers to compensate. As Josh said, it is good music to study to, and the mix is an hour long. Rating: 7.5

Student: Isabel

Song: “Cold blood” by Bruno Major

“Cold Blood” is a pop song about an agonizing relationship. Major sings in falsetto “In cold blood, I will eat you up. I’ll tell you that I love you while I lower you six feet into the ground.” Overall, there isn’t anything too remarkable here. This is like any generic love song. Rating: 6/10

Student: Casey

Song: “Swing Low” by The Kooks

“Swing Low” is annoying indie-pop, close to its worst. The band has a jumble of noises they repeat near the end of the song that is simply awful. All that redeems this song to a degree is that Luke Pritchard wrote the song for his football club, Crystal Palace. Lyrically, the song is a call for resilience. Rating: 6/10

Student: Morgan

Song: Beethoven’s 2nd Cello Sonatas Opus 5, no. 2

While Beethoven’s cello sonatas pale in comparison to his piano sonatas, or his famous symphonies, this is undoubtedly a good piece of music. The first movement (adagio) is decent, with beautiful moments, but the second movement is where it really picks up, with more excitement and drama. A flurry of keys and strings sweep back and forth as tension builds in the middle of this movement. The third movement ends the piece well, though the second movement is certainly the high point. While the music is wonderful, Morgan said it was for class, so it may not be the best judge of the musical taste of the typical Northwestern student. Rating: 8/10

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Student: Grace

Song: “King James” by Anderson .Paak

“King James” is the latest single from Anderson .Paak, released March 15, that touches on police brutality and shootings, xenophobia, and gentrification. I’ll start off by saying that it is a banger, with insightful lyrics, several layers of grooves, and a catchy chorus praising love and hardwork. King James refers to Lebron James, who .Paak lifts up as someone who has worked hard and “to create some equal opportunities” through various charities that work at community improvement. Rating: 9.3/10

Average Northwestern student rating: 7.15

 

To get the best idea of Berkeley students music taste, I hit up three popular coffee shops and asked students what they were listening to.  The variety was surprising, and the quality of music ran the gamut from difficult to listen to to straight-up bangers.

Student:  Lucas      

Song: “Mad Rush” by Philip Glass

“Mad Rush” is a classic Philip Glass composition, with its repeating piano melodies and classic minimalism.  Despite the repetitive structure, the song is a heartfelt and emotionally resonant work that would be at home in any movie soundtrack.  Whether for studying or just for listening pleasure, this one is a winner. Rating 8/10

Student:  Marina     

Song:    “Carry Me” by Peighton

I could not find any information on the musical artist Peighton, and this single is the only piece of music that they have released.  The song is a somber, simple piano melody that repeats a couple times with little variation.  It feels authentic, albeit a little plain and repetitive for my taste. However, it is pretty calming and I’d imagine it be pretty great for studying.

Rating: 6/10

Student:  Helen       

Song:  “Younger” (Kygo Remix) by Seinabo Sey

Kygo transforms the single by Swedish singer Seinabo Sey into his signature tropical house music.  The song is uplifting, with empowering lyrics singing “There is a light to all this darkness” and “There’s a way to catch your dreams without falling asleep”.  If you’ve heard any Kygo song, you’ve pretty much heard this one too. Rating: 5/10

Student:  Jenine      

Song: “Jezebel” by Sade

A fantastic R&B ballad, “Jezebel” by Sade brings in jazzy saxophone and a .  Sade sings of a beautiful girl from a poor background who resorts to prostitution to make a living.  The song mourns her unfortunate situation while admiring her strength, and is slightly sappy. Nonetheless, the thoughtful lyrics and great vocal performance make this a respectable song.  Rating: 7/10

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swSytFVMHuU” width=”1270″ height=”720″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GqgNebPm50[/su_youtube]

Student:  Tiffany      

Song:  “My Girl” by The Temptations

Motown flair and pop are the hallmarks of this very popular track of their 1965 album, The Temptations Sing Smokey.  Sunny and singable, the song can’t be really knocked on its catchiness or likeability.  However, a relatively boring song structure and weak ending drag this one down a couple notches.  Rating: 7/10

Student:  Christine  

Song:  “Coffee and Unicorns”by Henyao

With increasing popular playlists filled to the brim with self described “lofi beats to study and chill to”, it’s no surprise that this appears on the list.  The song is full of basic, low key beats, a piano sample, and vinyl crackle that give it a warm and cozy feel. Other than that, there’s not much here. Rating: 5/10

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deqOizceN1I” width=”1270″ height=”720″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GqgNebPm50[/su_youtube]

Student:  Josh        

Song:  “Shiki No Uta” by Nujabes

Japanese producer and DJ Nujabes created this song for the anime Samurai Champloo, and it features the vocals of artist MINMI.  I really enjoy the groove of the song, with its subtle guitar line and jazzy saxophone embellishments.  The production is stellar and the variety of influences make this a very interesting listen. I’m sure it would be even more special if I watched the anime, but this song can easily stand on its own.  Rating: 8.5/10

Student:  Sophia    

Song:  “Get You (feat. Kali Uchis)” by Daniel Caesar

Daniel Caesar has done well on this song, showcasing incredible songwriting potential and impressive vocal ability.  The neo-soul and R&B vibes are well complemented by the smooth vocals of Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis, and the result is a thoughtful and well composed track.  A great choice, and an exciting new artist to boot. Rating: 8/10

Student:  Gavin       

Song:  “Slay” by YG

YG strays into the trap rap genre in this song with lackluster results.  “Slay” lacks the over the top antics that make most poor rap songs into hits, and any semblance of high quality musicality.  After hearing all the song had to offer in the first 30 seconds, I was less than impressed by the time it finished nearly five minutes later.  

Rating: 4/10

Student:  Jeanne    

Song:  “Hong Kong Garden” by Siouxsie and the Banshees

One of their more lighthearted songs, London punk outfit Siouxsie and the Banshees created a punk pop hit with this track off their 1978 debut The Scream.  Catchy without sacrificing the quality guitar riffs and art punk roots, this track is my favorite pick.  Nice taste Jeanne and thanks for reminding me of this absolute classic! Rating: 9/10

Average Berkeley student rating:  6.75

Our findings were surprising to both of us – the scores were fairly similar between the schools, and the music we listened was about 50/50 good and bad.  Initially, we expected Berkeley to blow Northwestern out of the water (I mean, cmon). It appears, however, that at schools as large as Berkeley or Northwestern, there’s bound to be a wide variety of music taste among the students. Maybe it’s just that Berkeley students just aren’t as cool as we thought. Of course, our small sample size of 10 certainly didn’t help.  Music taste is a tricky thing, especially when people never really delve into all the various genres and niches of music. Our only concrete finding from this study? More people in Berkeley should be reading The Berkeley B-Side. You fucking poor taste bastards (hot take y’all, hot take) need to get your shit together. And we’re here to help.

Article by Jack Austin and Everett Williams

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