Tag: music

Concert Review: Mumford & Sons

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On December 7th, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, Mumford & Sons performed for about two hours of sheer enjoyment. Even from their opening act (Maggie Rogers, a ridiculously talented emerging artist in the indie music scene reviewed by another DJ– read about her here!), I knew this was going to be an unforgettable experience.

Even though my love for this group has fluctuated over the years as they release each new album (it takes me a while to adjust to the changes in style), I’ve been a pretty big fan from the get-go. Honestly, my fondness for their usage of the banjo knows no bounds, and its absence in their later work hit me pretty hard. The titular album of this particular tour, Delta, also took a bit of getting used to. The banjo was still lacking, but the chill, sweeping orchestral nature of the tracks won me over.

They did a fantastic job of mixing high-energy jams with slower-tempo tunes, and the combination of their new music with fan favorites helped me understand why the mood of their newest album was made to feel so different. It’s calmer and flowing, and songs like “Picture You” and “The Wild” were a perfect fit among staples like “I Will Wait” and “Little Lion Man”. Regardless, the rhythm and soul behind each and every song was infectious, and any audience member could clearly see the group’s joy and energy throughout the entire performance. They were just enjoying themselves, and that made it all the better to watch. Even though I was up in the nosebleeds, I felt connected to the action below.

 

They gave it all they had and came across as so humble. The crowd around me was extremely responsive too, and we managed to make them laugh through some lyrics a couple of times. It kind of reminds you that they’re human, not just celebrities.

 

I was already a fan of the group before this concert, but I have an entirely new appreciation for all of the hard work that goes into their performances, and their genuine talent amazed me. Each band member played multiple instruments throughout the show, with lead singer Marcus Mumford actually playing the drums at one point while he was singing (an impressive feat).

 

 

I can’t stop listening to their albums now, and each song brings back the wonderful memories of that night. Everything sounds different, but in a good way, and I find myself smiling after almost every track. Seeing them perform these songs live has brought a new dimension to them that I hadn’t heard before.

 

But the best part? Getting to see someone absolutely shredding on a banjo.

 

By Nina Spoelker ’21

Album Review: Odyssey by The Accidentals

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Album Review: Odyssey by The Accidentals 

By Erica Wells 

 

The Accidental’s album, Odyssey was one of the heavy rotations featured artists last school year. I really enjoyed the couple of songs I heard in the station and played on my show, “Porch Culture” and explored more of The Accidental’s music afterwards.  The Accidentals are an American band formed in Traverse City, Michigan in 2012.  As a three-person band, their music is characterized as indie rock and indie folk.  While the band’s tune gives off folk vibes, there’s definitely an incorporation of pop and alternative accents, as well.  Odyssey is an alternative mix of slower and fast-paced songs that feels like very down-to earth and authentic music.  Some of the song highlights on the album are “Odyssey”, “Arizona Stars”, and “Crow’s Feet.”  “Odyssey” has a bit faster of a tempo, whereas the other two songs are slower, featuring strong instrumentals in the background.  “Crow’s Feet” is the longest song on the album clocking in at around six minutes, and has melodic tune.  It would be perfect for a deep scene in a romantic movie (my favorite!).  However, I have to say that “Arizona Stars” is the best song on the album, as it starts with some folk vibes that carry through the song, and features some real catchy lyrics.  Check out The Accidentals and their album Odyssey – you won’t regret it!

 

 

Thom Yorke – Suspiria

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Singer, producer, frontman of Radiohead Thom Yorke, exhibits his known vocal beauty while also revealing extraordinary compositional production on Suspiria (Music for the Luca Guadagnino Film).

 

 

Radiohead’s talent is difficult to analyze, mostly because it all comes in the same package. Even though Philip Selway doesn’t sing, does he ever add anything to Yorke’s lyrics? Because Yorke is always the one singing, does he help with any production work? What does Ed O’Brien do? Unless there are solo works by members of the band, any sense of individual talent in the band could go unrecognized. The Beatles are a pretty obvious example of this; only after they split up was it proven that George was a way better songwriter than Paul (it’s true and you know it). Jonny Greenwood, an accomplished composer and orchestral writer, has scored every Paul Thomas Anderson movie since There Will Be Blood, and was recently given an Oscar nomination for his score of Phantom Thread. Now, Yorke’s decided to showcase his own style in the direction of a horror classic for the upcoming reboot of Suspiria.

 

As a listening experience, Suspiria is best with big noise-cancelling headphones and all the lights off. It’s supposed to be for scary movies, which it easily accomplishes; Yorke understands the power of ambience and noise to illicit pressure and fear. But what really makes this record stand out from a standard score is its diversity in texture. “A Choir of One”, a 14-minute experience, is in the same album as the one-minute “The Inevitable Pull”, a dense synthetic track that sounds like something bad is happening in the basement and you know somebody’s gotta investigate it. Tracks like these two compose the soundtrack-like-elements of the double-album, and while they are enjoyable in their own right, what keeps me coming back are the Thom-like-elements that feature Yorke’s vocals. “Suspirium”, one of the lead singles to the album, is a piano ballad that has Yorke floating with that golden falsetto of his over the instrumentation. Suspiria, a movie about a dance academy being run by a witches coven, finds its place in Yorke’s lyricism, as he says on the track, “This is a waltz, thinking about our bodies, and what they mean, for our salvation.” Moments like these are similar to Radiohead’s most recent album, A Moon Shaped Pool, although without any drums, guitars or heavy electronics behind him, Yorke’s vocals remain isolated, exposed for everybody to be confused about the true meaning of them.

Until the newest version of Suspiria hits theaters or streaming services, the greatest effect of Yorke’s effort is impossible to analyze. But, as a standalone ambient double-album, Thom Yorke has shown his beautiful artistry beyond just his gorgeous voice. Layered synths, experimental ten-plus-minute tracks, and spotlight appearances of Yorke lyrically create a fully realized world of tension and elegance that seems to make up Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria.

 

Article written by Jackson Rhodes ’21

WDCV Legend: Davis Tracy

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Community Post: Interview with community DJ Davis Tracy   

When he was young, Davis Tracy yearned for a family TV, but he got a radio instead. This gift sparked a passion for radio that has lived on throughout his entire lifetime thus far. He would listen to a multitude of stations, from popular music to radio theater. This passion stuck with him throughout his schooling, time in the army, professional career, and to this day Davis spends two hours every Monday morning playing bluegrass CDs for his loyal listeners.

Davis started his show, Bluegrass @ Dickinson, in the 80s, when vinyl was still popular. Over time, Davis has switched to CDs, though he questions what he’ll do when those go out of style as well. Because of the popularity and age of his show, Davis has connected with many bluegrass artists and labels who send him bluegrass music. This way, Davis finds new voices, sounds, and twists on his favorite genre each week. This relationship also allows Davis to curate larger bluegrass events, such as Bluegrass on the Grass, a Carlisle community event that occurs every summer on the Dickinson campus. Inspired by the fun he found in playing with his own band, Country Bob and the BBQ Boys, and help from other bluegrass lovers, Davis introduced Carlisle to a bluegrass festival that is now one of the town’s most popular community events. Davis of course wanted to show people how lovable bluegrass is, but also had the intention of depicting Dickinson as an approachable and desirable place to visit. The town had other popular music festivals in the past, but they mostly focused on orchestral music, a genre that Davis believes to be less accessible. Bluegrass, on the other hand, is easy to dance along to, and brings joy to many listeners, and Davis himself.

Before Davis’s WDCV career started, he served as a United States Army Officer in the early 70s, and participated in many Outward Bound wilderness classes, in which he learned survival skills and the ability to get along and work with others who were different than him. Davis then went back to school and earned a Master’s and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. He worked at Dickinson College as a counselor in the Wellness Center for 29 years, and as a faculty advisor for WDCV for over 10 years, where he made many improvements for the station and the students involved. In 2010, Davis retired, and has since worked part time at Franco Psychological Associates in Carlisle in addition to continuing his WDCV radio show. He starts his day around 5 am every day, occasionally accompanied by his beautiful labradoodle, Freddie, who loves to snuggle up next to anyone he takes a liking to, which is most everyone.

Davis has always loved music and been invested in it.He played tenor guitar in high school just because no one else was playing it, but discovered his love for guitar at Lehigh University. Davis never did participate in college radio when he was attending Lehigh, but he met his “radio mentor,” Paul Campbell, while attending the University of Tennessee. From this experience, Davis learned to appreciate bluegrass more, as well as the importance of college radio. He finds that college students have a refreshing on-air presence that commercial radio voices don’t possess. Davis loves to hear the progression and growth of student DJs, whether that be their professionality on air or their music tastes that first developed in high school. This student connection is what Davis misses the most about advising WDCV, though he is grateful he still has the opportunity to share his music with his listeners, and enjoys listening to student and community DJ shows alike. Davis is loved here at WDCV because of how much he has done for the station, and how committed he still is!

 

 

Listen to Davis’s show, Bluegrass @ Dickinson, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, from 8 am to 10 am!

 

 

 

 

 

If you have any questions, email Julia Ormond at ormondj@dickinson.edu. Thanks for reading!

Spotlight on Lake Street Dive

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Last Tuesday night, July 11th, the attendees of the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg waited excitedly for 7:30 to finally roll around. The theater was packed; even those sitting in the farthest seats, like me, were surrounded by enthusiastic fans. Much of this excitement filling the theater flowed into the air when finally the lights dimmed and people walked onto the stage. Instruments were tuned, throats were cleared, and as the show lights lit the faces of the band Lawrence, the upbeat music began. 

Lawrence, a pop-jazz sibling duo from New York, set the scene for the bigger act to come. Gracie, the amazing vocalist with an extremely wide range, bopped around the stage, dancing with the saxophonists and trumpeter, while her brother wailed away on the keyboard. Though their sound compares similarly to pop music of today, their R&B and jazzy twist created an exciting and upbeat atmosphere that got the whole crowd cheering. Though they only played a couple of songs, their force and stage presence stuck with the audience, even once they were off the stage.

Lawrence brought the audience to their feet, but the band we were all waiting for, Lake Street Dive, drove us to dancing in the aisles. The moment Rachel Price and her three other insanely talented band members took the stage, the excitement in the Majestic Theater was through the roof. They sound like they belong at outdoor festivals, where the audience dances along, barefoot in the grass, to their rhythmic beats and relaxed tone. Even when playing their slower, more melodic tunes, the members of Lake Street Dive possessed a cheery, passionate aura that inspired others to continue their dancing and swaying. Last year, Lake Street Dive came out with a new album, Side Pony, and they played many tracks from it, such as “I Don’t Care About You,” “How Good It Feels,” “Call Off Your Dogs,” and of course the namesake, “Side Pony.” Sprinkled in throughout the set were some of their classics off their older album, such as “Bad Self Portraits,” “Seventeen,” and “Better Than,” and they ended the night with one of my favorites, “You Go Down Smooth.” Throughout the concert, audience members were bopping along to the music, and some more enthusiastic fans were swinging their arms around to their favorite songs. But it wasn’t until the second to last song, “Call Off Your Dogs,” that people started dancing in the aisles. Only a couple at first felt the urge to get up, but once an older gentleman stood up from the middle of the audience and motioned the rest of the crowd to join him did we all dance along to the upright bass, the jazzy guitar, and the incredible strength of Rachel’s voice. The audience demanded an encore, and the whole crowd sang along to “You Go Down Smooth.”

It was an incredible performance by both Lawrence and Lake Street Dive; there wasn’t a dull moment throughout both sets. Both bands will continue their tour throughout America, staying a couple more nights on the East Coast until they venture towards the mid-West. If you ever get the chance to see them, you should take it!                                              

If you are interested in hearing more from Lake Street Dive, check out this NPR Tiny Desk Concert! Also check out their website for more cool info!

As for Lawrence, here is their website and how to listen to them for free!

 

If you have any questions, email Julia Ormond at ormondj@dickinson.edu. Thanks for reading!

Bluegrass on the Grass Review

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Bluegrass on the Grass, a Carlisle summer tradition, took the Dickinson College Academic Quad by storm on Saturday, July 8th. Lasting 8 hours, the festival hosted five different bluegrass bands, hailing from Tennessee to West Virginia. Families, students, and devoted bluegrass fans from Carlisle and beyond alike showed up and gave their support for a festival that has been around for more than 20 years now. Festival-goers arrived as early as 8 am to claim the best spots on the Academic Quad, in the shade of course, and camped out there throughout the whole festival, proving just how loved this festival is! Children danced along to the quick fiddles, families enjoyed the crooning of their favorite bluegrass singers, hungry listeners appreciated the local food vendors, and Bluegrass on the Grass volunteers savored the support they felt from the festival lovers.

This tradition started many years ago by the infamous Davis Tracy. A retired Dickinson Counselor and faculty advisor for WDCV FM, Davis Tracy and other local bluegrass lovers hosted bluegrass concerts on Tracy’s farm back in the 90s. They wished to expand their barnyard concerts, invite other bluegrass musicians and listeners, and create a festival out of their love for bluegrass, and in 1996 Tracy and others created a reality out of this dream. Tracy and his band took the stage on the Dickinson campus for the first time in front of about 200 people, and since then the festival has grown to nearly 4,000 attendees and a multitude of bluegrass bands who have received high regard in the bluegrass world. There is no doubt that every summer, the town of Carlisle gleefully awaits this music festival.

                                            

The bands featured this year included some familiar faces, such as the Dismembered Tennesseans, but also comprised of new sounds, most notably from Mile Twelve, a relatively new band with a young, fiery sound. An astounding fiddler, Michael Cleveland, along with his band Flamekeeper, joined the line-up this year as well, and left the crowd in pure amazement of his incredible skill and musical ear. The music lasted from noon until 8 pm, interspersed with raffle contests, in which Bluegrass on the Grass merchandise and other impressive prizes were given to upwards of one hundred winners. Dennis Gotthard, a local vinyl collector, sold a multitude of vinyl to festival-goers, and impressed the crowd with his boxes and boxes of bluegrass vinyl for the true bluegrass fans. Bluegrass on the Grass was an immense success this year, attracting new faces both on stage and in the crowd. It was a lovely day filled with great music, and no doubt the town of Carlisle excitedly looks forward to next year’s event!

                        

For more information about this event, check out http://blogs.dickinson.edu/bluegrass/

 

If you have any questions, email Julia Ormond at ormondj@dickinson.edu. Thanks for reading!

Local(ish) Concert Calendar-Spring 2015

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Do you love live music? So do we.  We also love local music, free music, and under-represented  music so we have complied this handy calendar of shows that will get you through the semester.  Instead of only listing shows in the big cities, this list is comprised of a lot of shows you can scurry off to on a week night and still get back so you can make it to the 8:30am class tomorrow.  The farthest location is Baltimore but that’s an easy jaunt from Carlisle (1 1/2 hours or so).

FYI: Messiah College – SAB B-Sides Shows – FREE shows every other Wednesday in their Student Union- 20 min. drive from campus

02.08 All Ages Punk Show and Gallery Opening (Bands: What’s Wrong With Adam and Ido Me)- Metropolis Gallery– Mechanicsburg, PA-6-11pm
02.09 Jeffery Lewis – Diane Cluck – Rivers (from Carlisle)- Makespace – Harrisburg, PA 8pm – All Ages – $8
02.11 San Fermin – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM
02.12 The New Pornographers- Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD $35
02.16 Sons of an Illustrious Father – Ben & Joe – Makespace – Harrisburg, PA 8pm – $5 donation
02.19 Hot Mess – The Market Cross Pub-Carlisle, Pa-8pm

02.20 & 02.21 Millennium Music Conference Shows–Greater Harrisburg Area-2 Nights, 300 Acts & Artists-All showcases are open to the public, the majority are free, and most all genres of popular new music are represented.

02.24 Helmet – Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA -$17
02.27 Rivers – Bosler Library – Carlisle, Pa – Free – 7pm
02.28 –Hail Mary Mallon (Aesop Rock & Rob Sonic)– Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD $20
02.18 PHOX & Field Report – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM – FREE
02.25 Banda Magda – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM – FREE
03.09 Stelth Ulvang – Flower Garden- Makespace – Harrisburg, PA 7:30pm – $8
03.11 Son Lux – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM – FREE
04.15 Alvvays – Messiah College Student Union – Grantham, PA 9PM – FREE
05.02 Amani Multicultural Festival – Carlisle, Pa – Free 10am-5pm – The festival will include two main stages & mini street stages.

 

A Very Tropical Interview w/ Thero

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By Aurora Wetherill, of LightsOn w/ Aurora, Thursdays@10pm.

So, Thero is amazing. “Who is Thero?” you might ask. Well, he’s the man. He’s producing some of the most innovative and invigorating tropical house music to date. He’s the man out-doing his heros. And you definitely haven’t heard of him yet.

You might also be wondering what tropical house music is. It’s house music characterized by synthetic bongos, steel drums, and flutes, and it floats somewhere around 110 beats per minute. It essentially makes you feel like you’re lying in the shade of a palm tree sharing a cool drink with the love of your life. If you don’t like it, you probably don’t like anything lovely and you probably don’t use your vacation days either.

Thero, which is the tropical house moniker of Connecticut-born TJ Sarda, has been twisting lesser songs into full on badass sax-infused low-BPM tropical bangers for about 6 months now, although he has been producing for three years. He says he really only found his sound this past Spring, and that he was heavily influenced by tropical house innovators Kygo and Klingande. He has no formal musical training, but he has an obvious comprehension and proficiency with his material. He began producing after he saw Avicii play at Red Rocks (in CO) back in 2011– he says something just clicked, and he knew he needed to make music.

So this guy is pretty young. He only graduated from Notre Dame University this past May, with a degree in entrepreneurship. He’s got a day job as an innovation consultant at a small firm, and says that music is just his “side hustle.” I asked him if he felt like he was about to get mega-famous, and he responded with great humility: “I’m just doin what I love and people dig it. What more could you ask for?”

We talked a little about the state of music these days, and how there’s really only money in live performance. He gives all of his music away for free on his Facebook and his Soundcloud, by the way. These days, people don’t just want to see their favorite artist perform; they want to see him blow their damn minds with insane lasers and confetti and champagne showers. I asked Thero if he was ready for it, to which he responded, “if people want to see me play, I’ll play. That’s how it’ll be.” Thero is going to do Thero and he doesn’t care if the world isn’t into it. But for reference, the world is totally into it. He’s got over 800,000 plays on Soundcloud.

Thero’s two all-time favorite bands are the Dave Matthews Band and Slightly Stoopid. I asked him if he would assess himself as a “bro” and he gave me a hard “maybe.” I think he would have been an IBNM major if he had attended Dickinson. His current jam is the sweet soul song, “Coming Home,” by Leon Bridges, and he says he’s been into Filous and Snbrn lately as well. He also mentioned that he’s a dog person, which he followed up with “sorry.” He’s definitely not sorry.

I’m personally a mega-fan of this guy, and when I nerd out to him, he always responds to my messages and sometimes he sends me his works in progress. The man knows how to build rapport. Thero gained a fan for life.

I asked Thero how he keeps it tropical on frosty days like today, and he gave me some truly wise words: “Just remember to smile. People get so caught up in life. Sometimes you just need to step back and appreciate everything.” Keep it tropical, folks.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, he’s got plans for a Spring ’15 tour. You can find out more and download all of his sweet tropical beats here:

Thero’s Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter.

I highly recommend his mix of “Comes and Goes,” by Greg Lasswell, and his mix of “Mrs. Cold,” by Kings of Convenience. 

Don’t forget to follow him on twitter! @TheroMusic

Follow Aurora @rortortle

 

Flying Lotus; You’re Dead! tour, Tower Theater, Phila. 10/13/14

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by Aurora Wetherill, of LightsOn w/ Aurora, Thursdays@10pm.

I have seen Flying Lotus, a.k.a. 31 year old Steven Ellison, perform live three times now. Everytime, he changes my life. This is not an exaggeration.

The venue is kind of weird; I’d never been to the Tower Theater before. It’s enormous, complete with two floors and rows on rows of some kind of semi-permanent folding theater chairs that you could disrupt irreparably with a misplaced step. The chairs ended up going largely unused once FlyLo came on, but provided a safe place to retreat to if an audience member got (understandably) overwhelmed.

Thundercat opened the show, wearing a big wolf pelt on his head playing a 6 string electric bass, putting on an incredible jam with one of the best synth/keyboard players I’ve ever seen. Thundercat is always spectacular, and a supreme warm up for what’s coming.

A FlyLo performance is neither all music or all show. He stands in between two screens, one in front of him, and one behind him. His visual team constructs the most impossibly mind-bending, beautiful displays and projects them through him. I have seen this particular performance twice. His most recent show incorporates a new element; the front screen is now cubically shaped, allowing for intimidating visuals centered on a spinal meridian in the middle of the stage. Most of the visuals were new, like in Sultan’s Request where the new front screen projected a lightning box around Mr. Lotus on each heavy beat. The visuals for Getting There (ft. Niki Randa) were the same as the last two sets, but they are incredible so there were no complaints. Galaxy In Jakobi, towards the end of the show, served to show the audience that Mr. Lotus is their God. No one took issue.

Unfortunately, neither Mr. Lotus nor Thundercat came out after the show, although not for lack of throngs waiting for them.

Follow @rortortle

ADDs of the Week for 10/22-10/23

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I know I haven’t been exactly on top of my ADDs game for a while. A lot of senior thesis work and staring out the window has been occupying my time. Not to mention my attempts to break this caffeine addiction. It’s a little disturbing. Anyway, we have a lot of really great ADDs this week which you will be hearing over the air for a while, especially the ones I’m about to tell you allllll about. Because they are awesome. Didn’t I already say that? Anyway, here are this weeks top ADDs:

Titus Andronicus — Local Business: The long anticipated and accidentally recently leaked new album from punk rock Americana superband Titus Andronicus is here! This album differs from their other two albums because it doesn’t follow a set concept or narrative, but it is just as violent and rawly awesome as their other work. The subjects covered in the album’s themes range from an eating disorder to quitting smoking to lots of other things so nihilistic I can’t even begin to describe them all. Listen and punch a wall simultaneously to get the full effect.

Recommended Tracks: Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape With The Flood Of Detritus, My Eating Disorder, In A Big City, (I Am The) Electric Man

RIYD: Andrew Jackson Jihad, Bomb the Music Industry!, Japandroids

Paul Banks — Banks: This is the front man of Interpol’s solo album, and let’s just say he works even better alone. A more simplified sound, Banks’s voice still adds a lot of the allure that has fans drawn to his band Interpol as well. There’s something a little 1970s about this album as well.

Recommended Tracks: The Base, Over My Shoulder, Young Again

RIYD: Turtle Giants, Interpol, Blonds

Chelsea Wolfe — Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs: Okay, this girl is like Lykke Li and Cat Power had a baby after listening to a lot of Grimes. Though the album is primarily acoustic, her voice and layering of harmonies make this album a lot richer. There is a lot of raw emotion juxtaposed with clean cut structure. This album is perfect for studying or pretending to be studying but actually just stressing out while staring up at the ceiling. Highly recommended.

Recommended Tracks: Sunstorm, Flatlands, Boyfriend

RIYD: Cat Power, Lykke Li, Tegan and Sara, EMA