Music

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ARTS

The Weeknd outdoes himself on '80s-influenced ‘After Hours’

By ALEX WHETHAM | Mar. 24, 2020

The Weeknd the world knew and loved four years ago is shifting his image yet again. In the nearly four years since his last full length record, “Starboy,” Abel Tesfaye has been relatively quiet. Aside from his 2018 EP “My Dear Melancholy,” the only other art-related project he involved himself in was the Safdie Brothers-directed thriller “Uncut Gems,” which starred Adam Sandler.

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ARTS

Forty-five years of progressive rock: An interview with Crack the Sky

By ALEX WHETHAM and JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Mar. 8, 2020

Crack the Sky is still able to rock the stage 45 years into its touring career.  The West Virginia-based progressive rock and art rock act has a career-spanning, rotating cast of 17 musicians and 18 studio albums, a catalog which sold out the Tralf Music Hall on Friday. While they never reached the heights of Prog-giants like Yes, Rush or King Crimson, they continue to satisfy their dedicated fanbase.

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ARTS

‘Mr. Brown can woo’

By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Mar. 8, 2020

Kane Brown, one of the biggest artists in country music, touched down at the KeyBank Center Saturday as he secured another accolade: his song “Homesick” had just hit No. 1 on country radio. The song, dedicated to members of the armed forces, is a country ballad at its finest.

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ARTS

2019 Fall Fest headliner Pop Smoke dies at 20

By ALEX WHETHAM | Feb. 19, 2020

Rapper Pop Smoke is dead at 20 after being shot in his Hollywood home early Wednesday morning and students are remembering his UB performance just five months ago. The death is being reported as a result of a home invasion. As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspects have not been apprehended.

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ARTS

‘Changes’ secures Justin Bieber’s status as an R&B star

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 16, 2020

Album: “Changes” Artist: Justin Bieber Released: Feb. 14, 2020 Genre: R&B(ieber) Label: Def Jam Rating: 9/10

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ARTS

‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ brings 50th anniversary tour to Shea’s

By ANASTASIA WILDS | Feb. 13, 2020

When “Jesus Christ Superstar” debuted in the ‘70s, it shocked audiences with its loud rock music, modern themes and non-traditional biblical interpretations. While rock is no longer the radical genre it once was, the latest U.S. tour has updated the revolutionary musical with aspects such as hip-hop choreography to help keep the show relatable for new generations.

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ARTS

Destroyer’s ‘Have We Met’ is confident, yet awkward synthpop

By ALEX WHETHAM | Feb. 2, 2020

Album: “Have We Met” Artist: Destroyer Label: Merge Release Date: Jan. 31 Rating: 6/10

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ARTS

The best and worst performances of the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards

By ALEX WHETHAM | Jan. 29, 2020

There was a shadow over the Grammy Awards this year. Whether this was due to the very recent passing of basketball legend Kobe Bryant or the various controversies surrounding the show, is not certain. Still, it is indisputable that the performances are one of the most anticipated parts of the Grammys, and that remained the case this year. The actual awards are never indicative of future success, but a particularly memorable performance –– good or bad –– can live on forever.

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ARTS

The grapevine

By ALEX WHETHAM | Jan. 20, 2020

With the pressure of a new semester on the horizon, sometimes the only way to relieve that added stress is to go to a concert. From metal to underground hip hop and even legends from the ‘80s, here is a list of some of the most anticipated upcoming shows in the Buffalo area.

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ARTS

Arts Desk 2019 album picks

By ALEX WHETHAM , JUSTIN WOODMANCY and ISABELLA FORTUNATO | Dec. 4, 2019

As 2019 comes to an end, it’s time to reflect on the year’s finest musical releases. The past 12 months have provided listeners with quality music. Pop and hip-hop continued their chart domination with notable releases from Lizzo, Ariana Grande and Tyler, the Creator, while rock and metal contributed with strong efforts from Blood Incantation, The Twilight Sad and Opeth.

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ARTS

Five albums to reduce your stress

By ALEX WHETHAM and JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Nov. 23, 2019

It’s the end of the semester, final papers and projects are piling up and you’re ready to pull your hair out. Mental health is just as important as physical health, stress is never good and sometimes the best thing to do is just relax. Finding a way to relax is easier said than done, but music can easily help students destress before finals and is one of the most accessible stress-relieving tools. Thanks to the advent of streaming, music for stress relief is affordable, you can listen to it while you study and it won’t force you to break a sweat like a run would.

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ARTS

The six best albums of the 2010s you probably haven’t heard of

By ALEX WHETHAM | Nov. 20, 2019

There has never been a decade as hard to pin down musically as the 2010s.  Genres like trap and EDM took the mainstream world by storm as underground outsider genres like vaporwave (a genre consisting of already-existing ‘80s songs slowed down with reverb) challenged conventions of what music could be in the modern day.

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ARTS

UB alumni work to revive WRUB after no plans for station revival set

By ALEX WHETHAM and JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Nov. 14, 2019

In 1993, WRUB had over 100 students on staff. It had a radio signal that played everything from grunge to early hip-hop on airwaves throughout campus.

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ARTS

‘Center for the Trap:’ Gunna, DaBaby turn Fall Fest into Trap Fest

By ALEXANDRA MOYEN and BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Nov. 10, 2019

When UB built the Center for the Arts in 1994, Jonathan Kirk was three years old. He was just a baby.

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ARTS

‘Jesus is King’ finds Kanye West at his most unfinished

By ALEX WHETHAM | Oct. 30, 2019

Album: “Jesus is King” Artist: Kanye West Label: Def Jam Release Date: Oct. 25 Rating: 5/10

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ARTS

Guerilla Toss makes punk playful on ‘What Would the Odd Do?’

By ALEX WHETHAM | Oct. 27, 2019

Guerilla Toss has come a long way stylistically since its formation at the beginning of the decade.  The band’s breakout record on NNA Tapes, “Gay Disco,” saw the group playing a furious combination of danceable rhythms, shrill screams and heavy but textured guitars in 2013. 

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ARTS

Haunting Halloween music picks

By ALEX WHETHAM , JUSTIN WOODMANCY and ISABELLA FORTUNATO | Oct. 20, 2019

The Halloween season consists of cutesy costumes, silly jack-o-lanterns and enough candy to induce a sugar coma, but what makes this time of year so interesting and unique is its underlying theme of terror.  People get their kicks out of being scared s--tless and especially during Halloween. Why else would so many people come together every year to watch possession-infested films and visit haunted houses? Music around this time of year shouldn’t be any different, it should scare the hell out of you, too.

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ARTS

Fall Fest playlist: A quick guide to Young the Giant and Verzache

By ALEX WHETHAM | Oct. 9, 2019

The Fall Fest Concert Series continues Saturday with its “Indie-Rock Showcase,” the second show of the three-part series.  Rockers Young the Giant –– who headlined Spring Fest 2015 –– will headline the show as relaxed crooner Verzache opens the show. To get hyped up for fest, here’s a list of seven songs (three by Verzache and four by Young the Giant) to familiarize yourself with before heading to the Center for the Arts Saturday night.

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ARTS

DaBaby settles for average on 'KIRK'

By ALEX WHETHAM | Oct. 6, 2019

In a time when lyrical rappers rarely make the XXL Freshman list, DaBaby was a breath of fresh air. He made a name for himself spitting catchy and smart bars over trendy instrumentals on his 2019 debut record “Baby on Baby,” and through features on some of the biggest records of the year so far.

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FEATURES

HVNNIBVL takes LA

By AMAL ELHELW | Sep. 22, 2019

John Hannibal remembers when he was 12 years old and the other kids would be playing video games, while he was home learning how to produce music.  He wanted to do something "cool" and "different." Music was his avenue to do that.