Author: kustradio

Syd – “Always Never Home”

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Released: September 7th, 2017

After releasing her debut solo album “Fin” early this year, Syd returns with more bass-heavy R&B songs about women on her new EP. Syd smoothly spits sensual lyrics over the duration of her trio of tracks. She introspectively explores relationships, often questioning their overall worth and her level of commitment.

Her EP begins with Moving Mountains where Syd reflects on the efforts she has taken to sustain her relationship when her evaluation of its value seems to come up short. The second track, Bad Dream/No Looking Back, takes a different approach and focuses on the avoidance of commitment and the physical side of relationships. Finally, Syd closes out her EP with a third track, On the Road, which exemplifies her rapping as she relays the often-lamented trials of tour life. While Syd’s new EP is short in length, she doesn’t miss any opportunity to open up about problems that so many find relatable.

Syd will be performing at The Cabooze in Minneapolis on November 7th.

 


Image Attribution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/goincase/8048748632/in/photostream/

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

Macklemore – “Gemini”

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By: Ryan Smith

Going solo after a long period of having someone else be a big part of your life can be tough- whether it’s a relationship, a best friend, or in this case, a musical collaborator. His first solo album since 2005, Macklemore has shown that with his solo return to the scene with “Gemini” that it’s good to go back to your roots sometimes- those roots being yourself. This isn’t to say that he’s completely alone- in fact, every song but “Ten Million” has a feature on it. But don’t let that deter you from listening to this piece of art. From the get go, Macklemore lets us know that he has returned, as the opening line to “Glorious” (ft Skylar Grey) says “You know I’m back, like I never left”- a feeling that we’ve longed for since his last solo work. The rest of the album dabbles into different vibes that change from song to song- the trap feel of “Willy Wonka”, along with the nicely delivered Offset feature, to the almost Future sounding “How to Play the Flute” featuring King Draino. But perhaps one of (if not the) most talked about song from the album is “Good Old Days”, the piano chord soul tugging song featuring Kesha, in yet another long awaited return from another well known and well liked name in the music industry. This album is not one that you want to miss out on- the different themes throughout the album that Macklemore discusses leave the listener with an urge to take a step back and really appreciate all that we have in life.

Volume III Release Party Videos

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Artist Interviews

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Hippo Campus – “landmark”

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By: Matthew Jadlowski

Hippo Campus’ debut album landmark is set to be released February 24. However, on Sunday, February 12, at The Electric Fetus in Minneapolis, the band had an in-store show and signing for the release of their album’s exclusive blue vinyl.

The record opens with the ethereal “sun veins.” The short song draws the listener into the newly developed sound of the band, and transitions into the familiar “way it goes.” Side A includes songs like “epitaph,” featuring vibrant synth sounds and vocal alterations, which seem to be influenced by Bon Iver while still maintaining the classic Hippo youthfulness as the song gains momentum; and “western kids,” which has the upbeat, fun summer feeling of past favorites like “Sophie So”, and a song structure that is also reflective of those on past EP, Bashful Creatures. The positive energy of this song seems to look to the band’s bright future by mentioning the love of their transition “from the ‘burbs to the streets.”

Side B of the vinyl opens with singer Jake Luppen’s smooth falsetto on “poems” which transitions into a beautiful instrumental and later adds a powerful vocal with heavy guitar. This dynamic song introduces the both more somber, and up-beat pop rock sound of Side B which includes already released tracks “monsoon” and “boyish.” The vibrant lyrics and steady drums of “vacation” tell a story of struggle and mystery of finding one’s self cloaked in a dreamlike, but positive sound. “interlude” then offers a pause in the album that includes deep drums as well as brass by DeCarlo Jackson, with an overall feel of freedom and passion that sounds much more like an old Edward Sharpe song. The album concludes with “buttercup” which has all the elements of any favorite Hippo song; upbeat and robust guitar riffs, a rhythm that can be danced to, and passionate lyrics and vocals which eventually lead up to a powerful yell of “I’ll be fine, I’m alright, it’s my body/gonna stick to my guns like you taught me.”

The album overall has a new and polished sound compared to past EPs. The lyrics are deeply poetic and the music is both nostalgic and hopeful for the future. Though the band has grown and matured a lot since Bashful and South, the songs are all authentically and distinctly Hippo Campus. landmark is available everywhere February 24. The band kicks off a spring tour in support of the album on February 15.

Glass Animals – “How to be a Human Being”

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By: Liz Legatt

If you haven’t engulfed yourself in the latest Glass Animals album yet, I recommend doing so ASAP. “How to be a Human Being” is the perfect blend of Alternative, Indie, and Hip Hop. Needless to say, I am obsessed and have been since day one… Which was back on August 26th, 2016. Four months later and I’m still listening just as much as I did the week of its release.

Glass Animals’ second full-length album grasps inspiration from the real-life interactions of lead-singer Dave Bayley, with fans during his travels across the world. The album features 11 banger tracks, each detailing the story of 11 different characters that Bayley has come across. Every character has their own personality; therefore every song has its own flavor. This genius idea creates a diverse album, drawing me back in and causing me to love it more with each listen. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve recommended “How to be a Human Being” to, but I can say that I have no plans to stop.

My favorite track off the album is without a doubt “The Other Side of Paradise”, which tells the story of a man who heads to California in search of fame, leaving behind his lover and resulting in him losing himself amidst the ambitions of Hollywood. The emotional build up as the woman he leaves behind repeats over and over, “I know you don’t but I still try, / my thunder shook him down, / that girl is gone but I still try, / I think it’s over now…” sends heart-wrenching goose bumps shooting down my spine without fail EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

I had the unforgettable opportunity to see this group at the Myth Nightclub back in October and can say that not only was I not disappointed by any aspect of the night, but also that this experience is now ranked in my top concerts. The amount of energy, combination of new and old music, and connectivity with the crowd made me feel as much a part of the performance as the band. My friends and I were able to reach front row for the encore, when Bayley personally grabbed our hands before heading offstage. The post-concert-depression I experienced was the worst I’ve had to date. I definitely have plans of seeing them again next time they roll through town and highly suggest you do the same!

Run the Jewels – “Run the Jewels 3”

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By: Sam Schultz

“I hope, I hope with the highest of hopes, that I never have to go back to the trap, and my days with dealing with dope” I hope you don’t have to either Killer Mike…because your music has me grooving more than the grooviest man that ever lived. This is the opening line in the intro track from RTJ3 titled ‘Down’. The slow build up this song brings is incredible. One of my personal favorites from the album, this song makes me feel like skydiving out of a plane, parachuting down to the love of my life and proposing. It leaves the listener with a thought like…holy sh*t, this album is about to be lit.

‘Legend Has It’ is this album’s head banger for sure. The beat is aggressive and the production is magnificent. Killer Mike and EL-P trade off verses and during the chorus a glorious “Wooooo” can be heard. Honestly it makes me feel like I just beat my elementary school arch rival in a game of 4 square.

Listen to to ‘Hey Kids’ because Killer Mike tears up the establishment and Danny Brown is featured.

‘Stay Gold’ is another aggressive song with an amazing electronic beat. The rap is pure and reminiscent of old school flavor. Stay gold everyone.

‘Don’t Get Captured’ is the rallying cry for those of us who want to keep the revolution going. Verses of White,corrupt politicians who want to shut down any possibility of change ring through the song. Keep fighting, just don’t get caught.

‘Thieves’ might be the most political and moving song on the album. It talks about the view society has about riots for social causes. All rioters being labeled as thugs, uneducated, and specifically in this song..”thieves,” this song spins that view and blames those looking on as the thieves. From police unjustly taking innocent lives to CNN reporters not understanding the implications of their words. This song shares the voices of the oppressed who continue to fight for their equality. Words from Martin Luther King make up the outro…”I think America must see, riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots, and the final analysis is a riot is the language of the unheard” Think about that White America…think about that.

‘Panther Like a Panther’ it’s freaking lit. The beat is insane so get ready to dance.

‘A Report to the Shareholders/Kill Your Masters’ is the last song of the album. It details Killer Mike’s frustrations with the injustices that continue to plague Black people and the group’s frustration as a whole with the events of recent times(seems to point to the past election season) One verse has Killer Mike relaying that when RTJ was started it was all fun and there wasn’t necessarily a purpose. At this point RTJ has a bigger purpose.

Run The Jewels brought an insane amount of energy to RTJ3. Throughout the album I was so hyped up that I felt like I could do anything I set my mind too. Seriously..it felt like I just downed 10 Red Bull’s. And I think that’s part of what RTJ is doing with this album. They want people to hear about our country’s issues, and injustices, and simple everyday life problems too! But they also want us to act on them and do something about it! This album is a party starter and political dialogue all in one and I absolutely love it. Each song’s beat transfers into the next so seamlessly that the whole album sounds like one continuous song. With Run The Jewels 3, the same energy from previous albums was brought, if not more, but deeper messages were brought too, which leaves me to say that RTJ3 is the best album yet from this dynamic duo. Do yourself a favor and listen to this album.

Hippo Campus – University of St. Thomas 10/01

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Hippo Campus at UST: A Modern-day Miracle
By: Elli Dubanoski

On October 1st, Hippo Campus graced UST with their presence. It would be beyond fair to say that my expectations were high, yet somehow Hippo Campus met them all. Their palpable high energy and catchy songs made the floor shake enough to cause concern. The whole crowd was immediately and continuously engaged, hanging on to every upbeat note that was played.

The entire concert, put together by STAR, was a perfect exemplification of UST values. Halfway through, a female student threw her bra onto the stage where Hippo Campus’ Nathan then put it on, before later draping it over his microphone for the remainder of the concert. The crowd of students responded with loud cheers when lead singer, Jake, introduced one of their new songs by saying, “It’s about alcohol.” Also, shout-out to the kid who crowd-surfed.

The band performed all their older hits and played plenty of new material before ultimately closing the night with their song “Violet”. Even when the band left the stage, students refused to disburse and continued yelling for an encore until the lights went out. Hippo Campus’ performance is easily one of the best things to happen to UST and will be difficult to top at next year’s Homecoming concert.

Photo credit: Grace Lomauro