Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Beat.
Dear Chester: Thank You for Simply Existing
It's strange how you can mourn for someone you have never met, someone who does not even know that you exist. But then there's something called solidarity. Solidarity in knowing that your music was something that brought a whole community of people together. Solidarity in knowing that your voice and music will be engraved in our hearts for as long as we live. And solidarity in knowing that every broken heart will make sure that your memory outlives the many lives you saved.
By Shamita Sirsi8 years ago in Beat
Young, Awake, and Aware
“All the others are third class tickets, is that clear?” If you are unfamiliar with the 1965 minor hit from whence the lyric above is taken, The High Numbers—"I’m the Face," then shorn of its cultural context you will probably draw a blank as to the exact meaning of the word "ticket." But if you were to hear singer Roger Daltrey’s withering and sarcastic delivery of this line, then you would be left with no doubt whatsoever that it wasn’t a compliment. The epithet "ticket" was a derogatory term for the sheep-like followers in the "modernist" movement of the 1960s who would listen in awe to the "ace faces," who in turn were the self-appointed, aloof arbiters of the coolest and most crucial styles and sounds around; and it’s instructive to know also that the mildly inelegant term "modernist" itself would quickly be shortened to the far sleeker and flashier: "mod."
By Rahman the Writer8 years ago in Beat
The Empowerment of MUNA
MUNA is one of those rare bands, the ones that you didn't know you needed until you really listened to what they were really saying. Members Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson met while attending the University of Southern California in 2013 and by 2014 they had found their musical footing and released their first EP, More Perfect. Their tracks are reminiscent of 80s pop, featuring crisp drum sounds and vintage toned electric rhythm guitar parts. Gavin, the vocalist in the group, has a deep, somewhat accented singing voice with actual range, something that many indie singers lack.
By Austyn Castelli8 years ago in Beat
Euphoria Mourning: No, It's Not a Typo
Hello, and welcome back to Second Chances where I take another look at a maligned or forgotten piece of pop culture. For the longest time, I was behind the times when it came to my musical interests. When my classmates were part of the grunge revolution, I was still listening to classic rock. I didn't get caught up until I got to college in the late 90s. That was when I first learned of Chris Cornell.
By Adam Wallace8 years ago in Beat
Music Shaped My Mind for the Better
I listen to a variety of music. Pop to heavy metal, I’m into it. Though, I don’t enjoy every artist in every genre. Music speaks when words can’t. Music does save lives. 2010 Warped Tour. That day was the best day of the my life, my best friend took me. I got to feel the music. I got to hear the bands pour their hearts out in person. It’s life changing, really. Emarosa was the first band I ever watched, when Jonny Craig was in the band. The next band I watched live was Pierce The Veil, then Bring Me The Horizon.
By Samantha Londo8 years ago in Beat
I Am: A Predisposition
“I AM” is the most powerful force of intent there is. This energy propels humans into being and gives meaning to the human experience. “I AM” is perceived and described as the human ego. I will use examples using the biography of Bob Marley by Timothy White entitled Catch a Fire, which chronicles the effects environment has on the element of being human and how the ego reveals one's destiny, to form a compelling argument that ego is a predisposition and not just a product of a humans environment.
By Tambré Bryant8 years ago in Beat
7 Worst Rock Bands of the 2000's
I just like to hate things apparently. I must admit, sometimes its way more fun to tear something down than build another up. Hell, sometimes its even easier. However, this is precisely what I will be doing in a new string of works that will focus on 7 of the worst rock bands from a given decade. To begin, I will be taking a look at a decade that in hindsight, is immensely responsible for the enormous decline in relevancy that rock music has seen in pop culture over the last decade. The 2000's gave us many fascinating phenomena: George Bush, International war, Facebook, Zoey 101, good New Jersey Devils teams, but most importantly (in regards to rock music that is) it gave us a few very inescapable genres of music: Post-Grunge, Nu Metal and Pop Punk. While these genres didn't begin during the 2000's, they each reached mainstream relevancy during this decade. Like with any genre, some of the bands to come out of these scenes were descent, however most of them... well, sucked. And I mean REEEALLY sucked. Like, enough to almost kill an entire genre of music sucked. So without any further delay, let's begin looking at some of the absolute worst rock bands to emerge from this decade with:
By Matt Knight8 years ago in Beat
