March 2016 – The SoCC Blog

Song of the Day – “I Wanna Boi” – PWR BTTM

30Mar

By Nelson KiesNo Comments

Music, Song of the Week(end), Uncategorized

Song of the Day – “I Wanna Boi” – PWR BTTM

Today’s Song of the Day is "I Wanna Boi” from the queer punk duo PWR BTTM. Liv Bruce and Ben Hopkins met at Bard College and spend their playing shows on the Bard campus. Their raw punk sound is reminiscent of something heard at a house party somewhere around CC. However it is their unconventional lyricism that works do break down norms of sexuality and music makes PWR BTTM worth a listen. If you love the song email ob8419@Bard.edu.

Song of the Day: Brian Eno – King’s Lead Hat

29Mar

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Song of the Week(end)

Song of the Day: Brian Eno – King’s Lead Hat

https://open.spotify.com/track/4kWkthAKzqYgI2tk0iHOqv Brian Eno is one of the most prolific, innovative, and influential musicians around. His first four solo records are all fantastic, he was a pioneer in the field of ambient music, and his collaborations with Robert Fripp, David Byrne and Cluster are excellent. From '73 - '83, Eno was killing it with each and every release. He even developed a way to help musicians break creative blocks, called Oblique Strategies. Now, you might think you've never listened to a song by Brian Eno. And you're probably wrong about that. Eno collaborated with David Bowie for his entire "Berlin Trilogy" (Low, "Heroes", and Lodger). He also produced three Talking Heads records: More Songs About Buildings and Food, Fear of Music, and Remain In Light, which are...

SONG OF THE DAY – Ben Aqua – “Don’t Play Dumb”

28Mar

By Suzanna McMurtryNo Comments

Advice for Life, Music, Song of the Week(end), Uncategorized

SONG OF THE DAY – Ben Aqua – “Don’t Play Dumb”

https://open.spotify.com/track/4y6aIgCaUbcgWciwUrVHmm DON'T lol don't we know this by now? SMART is cool! KIND is cool! DUMB on purpose is NOT cool. If u smart, listen to this song. It is from Ben Aqua, who has worked with PC Music (audio gold), DFA Records (unknown to me) and has his own "experimental electronic music and art label #FEELINGS". Despite the questionable but likely satirical naming of that label, I am often fond of this kind of music. Which surprises me. Isn't electronic music #MINDLESS? I'm starting to think not!! Imagine the landscape of this track in physical space with every beat and type of sound possessing a different line -- how complex and calculated! This being said, Ben Aqua and those that he might associate with (AG Cook of PC Music) are getting a lot of atte...

Song of the Day: A Tribe Called Quest – Check the Rhime

23Mar

By Mads EngelNo Comments

Song of the Week(end)

Song of the Day: A Tribe Called Quest – Check the Rhime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRkPfk5b4ZI In honor of the 5'3" phenom lost to the hip hop community, A Tribe Called Quest classic is an easy pick for this Song of the Day. Malik Taylor a.k.a. Phife Dawg passed away yesterday at the age of 45 due to complications from diabetes. Known for their funky production and clever verses, A Tribe Called Quest has been making waves in the world of hip hop for over three decades. 2016 will be remembered as a bittersweet year for the group, as Phife Dawg's key partner in rhyme, Q-Tip, was recently named the JFK Center for Performing Arts' first-ever Artistic Director for hip hop. Not only does the 1991 hit "Check the Rhime" showcase both Phife and Q-Tip's lyrical prowess, but the track features one of Phife Dawg's most iconic opening lines: "Now he...

SONG OF THE DAY: Neil Young – The Needle and the Damage Done

5Mar

By Suzanna McMurtryNo Comments

Music, Song of the Week(end), Uncategorized

SONG OF THE DAY: Neil Young – The Needle and the Damage Done

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0t0EW6z8a0 I don't think I'm alone when I say that the music of Neil Young has dotted many times in my life. When I was really little I used to hate his voice, not understanding how meaningful and personal that sound was for my parents. His music will always be so tied to the time it was made in whether it be about heroin in the 1970s or his current campaign against GMOs and monocropping. This song is in response to his grief over the loss of more than one close musician friend to the "needle". Neil seems to always have been able to translate intense personal tragedy into something beautiful, without compromising the inherent pain of the situation. This from Neil in a recording of "Live at Massey Hall 1971": "Ever since I left Canada, about five years ...

SONG OF THE DAY: Untitled 3 – Kendrick Lamar

4Mar

By David AndrewsNo Comments

Music, Song of the Week(end)

SONG OF THE DAY: Untitled 3 – Kendrick Lamar

Earlier this week, Top Dawg hinted that a new project would be dropping this week from an unnamed TDE artist. Last night, an album by the name "untitled" appeared on Kendrick Lamar's Spotify page. The album is a collection of some unreleased songs, and others that Kendrick had performed only live. Unitled 3 was debuted by Kendrick last year on the Colbert Report. The song is driven by an urgent and energetic beat that complements Kendrick's cadence well. In a sort of call and response style he spits 6-8 bars and is interrupted by a woman's voice: "what does the black man say?" "what does the white man say?" "what does the indian say?". Her questions are addressed by Kendrick, and he provides some answers, but more than that he gives the listener an enjoyable ride through a complex and ri...

Song of the Day: Night Moves – “Carl Sagan”

1Mar

By Mads EngelNo Comments

Song of the Week(end), Uncategorized

Song of the Day: Night Moves – “Carl Sagan”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYK4z67UQRg Whenever I see an artist from Minneapolis making waves on national music websites, I always feel a little swell of hometown. Even if I'm being a total bandwagoner who just discovered said artist through Pitchfork or Spotify, I'll make up for it by creating false memories of listening to their music before they got big. I might even convince myself that I've got mutual-mutual friends with the bassist, or that I saw them open for Of Montreal back in 2009. Something like that. That said, I can't exactly remember if Night Moves is a band that I first heard on my local NPR station or if I found them through a more mainstream source. In any case, I'm going to pretend that I'm a #dayone fan of this band because not only is their music a freak-...