I had loved the album for years before I realized it was an allegory for Anne Frank. In The Aeroplane Under the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel is an album of lore in many ways. Jeff Mangum, lead signer and songwriter, wouldn’t even allow video recordings of performances to take place. Short, eclipsed footage has … Continue reading The Surreal Beauty of Neutral Milk Hotel →

Photo by Dominik Schneider on Unsplash I'm bummed out that mixtapes aren't a thing anymore. That we no longer exchange tangible, personalized music in tiny plastic packaging. My mom told me about growing up in the 80s and patiently waiting at the radio for her favorite songs to play. Once they did, she would pounce, pressing record so … Continue reading The Subtle Intimacy of Sharing a Playlist →

Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash If all had gone as planned, right now I would be packing up my car in preparation for driving to Minnesota for the first time in my life. Instead, I've made the executive call to stay here in Iowa, cozy in bed, recovering from an INTENSE week of student journalism. The gig … Continue reading The Case for Going to Concerts Alone →

Photo by Oscar Keys on Unsplash With the rise of "cancelation culture," many fans of canceled artists are left unsure how to proceed as listeners – or whether they should listen at all. I've been dwelling on this for months: on whether you really can separate art from the artist, or of whether it's moral to even attempt … Continue reading Why Music is Hard to Let Go Of →

Photo by Nikolas Noonan on Unsplash Listening to Tomberlin ensues a pseudo-ballet on a tipsy night. My untrained feet a pointed axis, dancing to the waltz of her songs. Sarah Beth “Tomberlin’s” stellar debut album At Weddings came to us in 2018. Her music is minimal, a voice accompanied by only her own guitar, piano and occasional strings. … Continue reading Tomberlin’s “Tornado” →

Photo by Linda Xu on Unsplash Twin Peaks’ sound has refined itself over the course of six albums in six years – a hefty sum for a group of young punks. What started as scattered garage rock, Twin Peaks now sounds like a hybrid of 60s jam bands and modern alternative. Their present sound is rooted in the … Continue reading “Lookout Low” Twin Peaks Review →

Songs by Carissa’s Wierd sound like a secret. They are the kind of band who would intentionally misspell the word “weird” in the name of their group. Singers Mat Brooke and Jenn Champion sing humble melodies in hushed tones, like a friend under the covers with you whispering, making you promise not to tell. Everything … Continue reading Revisiting Carissa’s Wierd →

By Hannah Nuss Pinegrove playing The Waiting Room in Omaha, Nebraska Pinegrove is the kind of band you would drive four hours to go see on a Tuesday night. And this week I did just that. An indie rock band hailing from Montclair, New Jersey, the last stop of Pinegrove’s latest tour was at The … Continue reading Reflecting on Pinegrove →

By Hannah Nuss (Sandy) Alex G forest - Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash (Sandy) Alex G – longtime figure of cult status now shining in the limelight – has teased four singles this Summer in light of his latest album, House of Sugar, dropping on September 13th. And I haven’t been able to stop listening.             Well-known … Continue reading What I Can’t Wait to see from (Sandy) Alex G: →