Posts Tagged ‘music’
Electro-pop singer-songwriter Jake Gagne blends variety of sound in new EP
Many students associate experimental music with the depths of Brooklyn, but Jake Gagne, CC ’16, is bringing the avant-garde to Morningside Heights. Gagne released his debut EP, “Violent Moan,” at the end of May, a bristling set of electronic murmurings and lo-fi guitar jams that makes a welcome addition to Columbia’s diverse musical output.
In an interview with Spec Music Editor Noah Jackson, Gagne explains the driving forces behind the release, the struggles of being a student songwriter, and what lies in store for this exciting project.
Noah Jackson: The EP has a really layered, multifaceted sound. How did you actually make the music?
Jake Gagne: I made about half of the songs at Columbia, where I only had a MIDI keyboard and a laptop, and then I recorded some guitar parts at home, but the only way I could record them was the built-in mic on my MacBook, so the sound is really shitty. I’m a New Music DJ at WKCR, so through that I heard a lot of experimental music like musique concrète that incorporated a lot of non-traditional sounds, which inspired me to include samples of ambient and found sounds on the EP. For songs like “Down By The Train Tracks,” my ideas were best expressed through sounds that weren’t based in music, like samples of a moving train and its horns. New Music definitely helped me expand the palate of what I used to create. More »
Pandora for your studying pleasure
Now that it’s finals week, we are all sitting in our various study spaces listening to music to help us “study.” If you aren’t a music studying type, I have no idea how you got this far in life.
Here are some suggestions for great study playlists:
1. Pandora’s 90s Pop Radio: With songs like “Ironic,” “Mambo No. 5,” “Genie in a Bottle,” and all of the Parent Trap soundtrack, it will really boost your morale. When your favorite 90s classic comes on, it will most definitely make you feel better about the imminent doom known as finals. More »
All this weekend’s on-campus happenings
Get ready, everybody, because this weekend is the weekend for campus events.
Columbia Ballet Collaborative Spring Performances
Featuring professional and student choreography and dancers (including students who are former professional dancers), CBC’s spring performances will bring ballet to Miller Theatre on May 4 at 8 p.m. and May 5 at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $10 with a CUID and can be bought online or at the box office.
The 119th Annual Varsity Show
One of Columbia’s oldest traditions, this year’s student-directed, acted, scored, written, and choreographed Varsity Show will make you feel part of a tradition—and probably make you laugh. (In case you missed it, meet the cast and Creative Team behind V119.) More »
Seven tracks to get you in the summery mindset
The weather may be unseasonably chilly, and the horror of finals is just around the corner, but in a few short weeks, summer will officially be here. Until then, we can only dream of shorts, shades, and sun, so to tide us over, here are a few songs that evoke the warmth and wonder of the summer months.
1. “The Only Place” — Best Coast: What better way to begin than with an ode to one of the nation’s sunniest states? California has inspired countless artists, but Best Coast seems to most perfectly conjure up a land of constant fun and endless sunshine. “Why would you live anywhere else?” asks lead singer Bethany Cosentino. On a gray week like this one, it’s a question many of us are sure to be asking.
Weekend Nugget: Make the most of one of the last weekends in NYC
As the year winds down, A&E would like to introduce a weekly Spectrum series. We’ve compiled our Weekend Nugget, where you can get our recommendations and reviews for how to make the most of a weekend in the city—in a quick, digestible form.
Art editor Sarah Roth lets ’90s kids relive (arguably) some of the best years–the late ’80s and early ’90s—through the “I You We” exhibit at the Whitney Art Museum.
In the spirit of “I You We,” Brendan Donley tells us the best ways to unwind before finals, whether you want to be alone, to people-watch, or to spend time with a friend.
It’s also an exciting weekend for live performances. “Pippin” returns to Broadway, and Rebecca Pottash says it’s worth the trip. If you’re more of an opera lover, check out Spectator opera critic Chris Browner’s review of “Giulio Cesare in Egitto.” Plus, film fans can now see the adaptation of “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” at Lincoln Plaza Cinema.
If you’re looking for an excuse to go to Williamsburg, try the indie clothing store “Swords-Smith”, and explore the best DIY spots in the neighborhood, where you can hear great live music.
Lastly, two of our columns are wrapping up for the semester. David Ecker tells us why Twitter’s new #Music project is a bad idea, and Stefan and Chris are back for the very last installment of “Drunken Spectator.”
Music blog Hype Machine ambassadors talk trends and their top ten new songs
Many students regularly visit a preferred music blog, but Nicola Householder and Jocelyn Miyara, both BC ’15, take it one step further. As student ambassadors for the Hype Machine, a site that aggregates popular MP3s from across the blogosphere, these Barnard sophomores represent their favorite online music service on campus.
In an interview with Spectator Music Critic Noah Jackson, this dynamic duo tells us about their duties, discoveries, and the direction of pop as we know it.
Noah Jackson: How did you get recruited by Hype Machine?
Nicola Householder: I saw a little banner across the top of their website, because I use it a lot myself, and then I sent in an application to be an ambassador. They were looking for someone to promote the Hype Machine on campus, someone who was really interested in the website.
Jocelyn Miyara: I had a friend who mentioned what Householder was doing and I thought I wanted to do it too.
Nicola Householder: We didn’t know each other before. I guess you could say Hype Machine made us friends.
NJ: As college ambassadors, what do you do on a day-to-day basis?
Your guide to the Bacchanal artists, in song
This year’s Bacchanal artists are well-known on campus, but many are familiar with only their most played hits. (Let’s face it—it’s hard to build a set with only a few wildly popular songs.) The cheers when a song you know comes on, the excitement when you’re expecting that beat to drop—this familiarity comes only after a few listens.
So get out your tanktop and shades and get ready to wake up early voluntarily. Here are deeper cuts of the artists’ work than “Thrift Shop” and “Original Don Remix” to listen to before Saturday (the concert starts at 11!).
1. “Irish Celebration”—Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: This song uses one of my favorite tracks (Beirut’s second take of “Scenic World”) as part of its sick beat. One of the great things about Macklemore is that each of his songs contains a focused, unique story. This one is about his pride in his Irish roots. At his concert in New York, he took out a giant Irish flag for this song.
Get to know the Columbia Music Festival artists—one song at a time
Choruses work best when the crowd can sing along or at least recognize the tune. With the Columbia Music Festival coming up this week, here’s a playlist to get familiar with the artists you’ll be seeing.
1. Le1f – Wut: Le1f combines a fresh take on dance-rap music with his unique identity in a changing scene. If Jay-Z represented Brooklyn in his time, then Le1f is a good snapshot of Brooklyn today, especially in areas like Williamsburg. He’s boldly gay and unashamedly an avant-garde artist in a genre that isn’t known for many talents of either persuasion. “Wut” is a good example of what makes him so popular. Just check out the awesomeness of the video.
Le1f will perform on Lehman Lawn on Fri., April 12 at 5 p.m.
WBAR-B-Q festival to wrap up WBAR’S 20th year of broadcasting
The music doesn’t stop here: less than two weeks after the conclusion of Columbia Music Festival, the week of performances sponsored by numerous campus groups, WBAR will be hosing its 20th annual WBAR-B-Q.
The festival will take place on Lehman Lawn from 12-8 p.m. on Sat., April 27, and it is free and open to the public.
The performances celebrate the conclusion of WBAR’s 20th year of broadcasting and feature a diverse lineup, visible after the jump.