Category Archive: Music

Margo Price: American(a) Made

The song starts with a ramble of familiar voices – what sounds like a medley of protesters, presidential ceremonies, and speeches. As the samples fade away, a soothing voice traces a folky melody over a raw acoustic progression. The twang of an electric guitar decorates the shape of the singer’s voice. A striking stanza follows a short instrumental break…

1987 and I didn't know it then

Reagan was selling weapons to the leaders of Iran

And it won't be the first time and, baby, it won't be the end

They were all American made

But I was just a child unaware of the effects

Raised on sports and Jesus and all the usual suspects

So tell me, Mr. Petty, what do you think will happen next

That's all American made.

-Margo Price

The song ends with a familiar overlap of speech samples. The powerful voice of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King stands out from the chatter: “All we say to America is, be true to what you said on paper.”

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Adult Leisure: The Weekend Ritual

The 2020 pandemic brought many unforeseen events from worldwide lockdowns to socially distanced lifestyles. Across the globe, an unfathomable new normal simultaneously transpired before all of our eyes. Some found themselves picking up new hobbies such as cooking or painting while others adopted entirely different identities they once deemed foreign or farfetched.

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Room 213: Apocalyptic, Rowdy, & Manic Garage Rock

I took out my phone to check the clock at least seven times. I triple-checked my notes and questions and waited patiently in a Music & Arts music store, where I typically work throughout the day. With a yellow Telecaster electric guitar resting on my thigh, I fiddled with some strings while I prepared for the band of the hour. 

At nearly 5 p.m., the three members of the local Atlanta neo-psych-garage rock band Room 213 entered the room. The lead singer and guitarist, Lachlan Tankersly, wore a cozy, black peacoat and leather cowboy boots. 

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Baby Keem: Bars in the Bloodline

When Kendrick Lamar told us, “I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA,” most of us assumed he was talking about Black people having rich African roots.  It served as an anthem for quite some time, and  a part of his Pulitzer Prize winning album - garnering high praise from the masses. 

But what if this was a deeper, double entendre? What if the hidden meaning wasn’t about our culture, but was a more personal connection with him and his family? Could that hook be referring to his relationship with his cousin Baby Keem?  

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Taylor Swift: “Midnights” Album Review

Date: Thursday, October 20, 2022

Time: 11:50 p.m. 

We waited patiently in bed beside each other — my fiancée and I. I made sure to check my phone for the time two or three times before the release. As soon as the clock struck 12, we hopped onto Spotify to listen to the new album, only to wait a few moments longer for the artist’s page to load; we were not the only ones waiting. In fact millions of listeners waited patiently by their devices. 

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