Like School of Rock’s Dewey Finn once said, “It’s time to stick it to the man.” Although, music with a strong message as such doesn’t just mean songs like “American Idiot” or have to come from artists like John Lennon. There are an array of bands and artists who are thriving in every way right now. They’re doing great things for music and even greater things for their fans and the world around them, so it’s time to give those artists a bit more recognition when it comes to taking stands, spea...

When looking at school shootings, past and present, numbers are important. How many people were injured? How many bullets were shot? How old was the shooter (or shooters)? How old were the victims? We even ask ourselves how many days it has been since the last school shooting in this country.
Ten. The number of years it took my mother to get pregnant with her one and only child.
Twenty. The number of years since the Columbine High School Massacre: one of the worst and deadliest mass shootings...

Warning: Explicit content, listen at your own discretion. [Occasional foul language.]
SWMRS might only be on their second full length album, but that’s only because it’s their second under the name SWMRS. They’re not new to the music scene in the least and 3/4 of the current members started this band when they were 10 and 11 years old, right after they saw the movie School of Rock. Inspired by the passion and talent that those young kids had, they took it upon themselves to do the same. Now, ...

Many people find the mere thought of interviews daunting, because they’re often not as fun and casual as a conversation with a friend, but, at the same time, you don’t want them to be as strict and scripted as though you were blatantly reading lines
If you’re one of the millions of people who have searched “How to Ace an Interview,” then you know that there are over 122 million Google results. Yes, 122. Million. Lists upon lists accompanied by graphs, photos, and side commentary about how to ...

Coming in stronger and better than ever on their sophomore record was the goal of Oakland, California’s always evolving, yet still true to the core, beat-driven punk band, SWMRS. Their debut album, Drive North, saw the group make their mark back in 2016, but Berkeley’s on Fire takes everything good that Drive North had to offer and amplifies it like you wouldn’t believe.
Coming from a place of dedicated hard work and growth is only one reason as to why this record is as dynamic as it is. Its ...

You’ve probably heard of her, if not her music. The half-Greek, half-Welsh singer/songwriter has given the world a multitude of ‘bops,’ as the kids say these days since she hit the music scene with her band in 2009. They’re not wrong, though. Sure, Miss Marina Diamandis only really came to fruition as an alt-pop star with her band Marina and the Diamonds in 2012 (at least in the states), but that still has given you almost seven years to discover her music and fall madly in love with it.
If y...

A Jersey band through and through, Hunters Run— Matt Smentkowski, Jon Messick, Bryan Viegas, and Sean Cuddy of Long Branch, plus Mike LaFisca of Hamilton—have been putting out exceptional alternative rock music and putting on stellar live shows around the area for the past three years or so, and they’re only becoming more experienced with the music they make and the music of others as they go on. When they’re not working on their own band related passion projects, they’re working at Matchbox ...

If you have a weakness for harmonies and down to earth instrumentals, this New York-based six-piece is the band for you. In a way, the aptly named Upstate is a mix of Hanson, Dawes, and Lake Street Drive, making sure to nail each aspect of every song perfectly, but they are still careful to preserve the heart in all of it and are determined to not create something that isn’t fiercely passionate and distinctly them.
This record is the band’s first since shortening their name to Upstate from Up...

Trenton’s very own Mr. Tommy Grice would have been 90 years old on March 8th and although this community has been without his presence and his genius for almost a year and half, his musical expertise is still being felt through the hands, hearts, and talent of so many people both in and out of this diverse city.
Thomas Grice, brother to accomplish jazz trumpeter and composer, Gigi Grice, was a large part of the music scene himself as a saxophone player, before his brother convinced him to tak...

Within a span of three months, Weezer released two albums, embarked on a massive tour alongside the Pixies, got nominated for a Grammy Award, and had a Saturday Night Live skit written about them. You would think this was the height of their career, when it’s really just another peak for the award-winning and chart-topping alternative rock foursome. Weezer is one of the most recognized names in modern music, whether it be for their own hits such as “Beverly Hills” and “Feels like Summer,” or ...

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The ‘J’ in TCNJ stands for Jonas, right? Well, if it didn’t before, it does now. The reunion of the seminal Disney Channel band of brothers has spurred a newfound Jonas fever across campus, which is quite possibly stronger than it’s ever been.
Upon hearing about the reunion, the world seemed to explode with excitement. It’s been just about six years since the band announced its breakup. The Jonas Brothers were the first love, first boy-band obsession and first concert of many yo...

Recently, I had the chance to hop on the phone with the always personable and ever-sweet Awsten Knight from the Texas pop-punk band Waterparks. He was quick to start talking about how he was preparing for tour and how he was getting things together with his bandmates. He spoke to me kindly, with hints of hilarity mixed into the air of wisdom that surrounds him after working towards his musical dream over the last 10 years.
A year has passed since the release of Waterparks’ second album, Enter...

I distinctly remember getting a call from my mom on my blue flip phone in the sixth grade telling me that Davy Jones had passed away. I also remember being the only sixth-grader in 2012 to have known—or cared—who Davy Jones was.
Upon reading about Peter Tork’s passing yesterday morning, I felt like I was suddenly back in my middle school hallway, feeling despondent and alone, with nobody to truly mourn the death of a now 77-year-old musician from the late 1960s. I mean, what other college stu...

Growing up in a very musical household, I was fortunate enough to have been exposed to artists of all eras, genres, and calibers. Although, there was one band that truly never wavered when it came to the amount of times they were talked about, or the amount of times they got played on loop. That band, you ask, was—and still is—Cheap Trick. The Illinois-based rock band struck a chord, both figuratively and literally, in many people; one of them being my mom, of whom imparted her adoration for ...

The band Dawes keeps drawing listeners in from every corner of the world, and I am quite certain it’s because of their passion, their ability to maintain their creative status, and the fact that they never let themselves, their music, or their live shows get repetitive. Dawes is a very unique group. Their classic folk-rock sound with subtle pop undertones is solely theirs to run with, and they experiment with their style and delivery proudly. They’ve been the opening act for Bob Dylan, and th...