A “fat possum” calls to mind an image of a rural southern town. It instills thoughts of 1960s jazz coffee houses, back porches, smoky bars, etc. The record corporation known as Fat Possum used to stand for these Mississippi attributes – until the blues died.

“Attempting to record the dirty blues before it dies out” was Matthew Johnson’s goal. The founder of the Fat Possum record label aimed to take southern blues artists that weren’t popularized or prominent and promote their name and sound. The label was full of unknown southern jazz and blues musicians with no potential of commercial success. They attempted to capture the blues of the middle 1900’s in a late 1900’s setting, which they did for a very slight amount of time. But now the jazz musicians on this label are either dying or dead.

So one would think that when the blues died, so would Fat Possum? Instead, Matthew Johnson thought otherwise. Fat Possum is undergoing a massive shift in sound, from a mainly black jazz perspective to a white indie sound. Now, the dead blues are rarely even promoted by Fat Possum. Instead their emphasis has been solely on indie, and today it leans towards progressive forms of independent rock.

It’s fair to say that Fat Possum displays many of the succeeding movements in the indie subculture; many unique sounds are represented. A majority of the companies’ bands are up-and-coming acts. Some notable examples:

The Black Keys have gone on to produce many Grammy nominated tracks and albums, with a large discography. Inspiration rooted heavily in blues, this is an obvious choice of analysis for Fat Possum; it makes sense to use the Black Keys as an instance of the blues to indie transformation. Yuck is a personal favorite of mine, with a late 90’s sound of Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. (who also happens to be on Fat Possum) with a homespun twist of synthetic programming and attention to detail. This London based band has only released one album (download it now), but their work has already garnered international acclaim.

Smith Westerns are also influenced by 90s rock in their album Dye It Blonde. They’ve been outspoken fans of T.Rex (also a part of Fat Possum), but have introduced youthful and psychedelic lyrics to a 90’s take. Wavves, a noise rock band who’s post-hardcore sound is assertive, yet unique, and reminds one of a garage band with some spare cash.

Youth Lagoon’s first debut album, Year of Hibernation, earned a BNM as a vintage home record indie album with exploratory lyrics, rhetorically and literally (most of the album is about voyage, exploration, and self discovery). Voyage is also the motivation of the surf-pop band, Tennis. This duo recorded their album based on experience and tribulations of their sailing expeditions. Cape Dory displays an upbeat talent of sentimental happiness and is cute, but contains hollow lyrics.

There isn’t really a similarity in sound within Fat Possum, but rather a unification in diversity, akin to other independent record companies. What “expired” a decade ago still influences the modern indie scene, which is apparent at Fat Possum. “Our guys never really fit in anywhere, including the label,” said Johnson. What the bands lack in “fitting in” they make up for in their sheer output of notoriously successful albums. Truly a success story in terms of adaptation to the times, Fat Possum should continue to consecutively release popular albums throughout indie’s history. And once indie dies out, they’ll probably move on to the next hip thing.

By Leo Zausen

I used be uncool. A few years ago I had tendencies to wear peach colored track suits with the bedazzled word JUICY sprawled across the ass. I used to dream of being a Lakers cheerleader. I had nights filled with turmoil of who deserved my love more, Justin or JC.

It was during this time I stumbled across Rolling Stone magazine in a doctor’s office. I flipped the pages open and there I saw her. Her DIY haircut was the result of a dull pair of scissors. She was adorned with crosses and leather jewelry. She was topless. This was the first pair of breasts I’ve ever seen besides my mother’s. She simply just stood there unaware that she was exposed and a handsome man happened to be standing next to her. Initially, I thought she was ugly. But in my young age I confused her authenticity with ugliness. She was real. She was rock n’roll to me.

From that day on, I have been a devote Patti Smith fan. Since that fateful day at the doctor’s, I have shed the track suits (the love for N’Sync still remains).

Her first album Horses is a classic and known as one of the greatest albums of all time. While listening to it you feel as though Smith is your much cooler older sister singing in your basement while you have your ear pressed to the door. The decades between when the album was recorded and the present moment are meaningless.. She is experimentally modern and each song varies stylistically. Yet, the common thread throughout each song is her passion. You hear Smith’s heavy breathing and slight shakiness in her voice. Her lack of precision is forgiven due to her emphasis on the music as a rejection of the ordinary.

Perhaps the most appropriate song from “Horses” for our generation is “Free Money.” As a college student afflicted with money concerns, I appreciate this song much more now. Smith sings of how wonderful life would be if she had lots of money. Her desire for money is obvious and hungry. Her voice contains animalistic grunts when she harkens on all the things she could do with more money.

Yet, this song is not an homage to greed, but rather a commentary on poverty. Smith pinpoints the crux of being a working American, “See those dollar bills go swirling ‘round my bed/ I know they’re stolen but I don’t feel bad.” She sings of simply making her loved ones happy therefore she will do anything in order to see this goal achieved. She does not wish to be rich, but rather she wishes to live a comfortable life free of worry. She provides a human and artistic quality to money consumption and a real portrayal of the American dream, which is interesting and unexpected. Smith does not idealize the life of a starving artist, instead she sings for everyone working and how it is a fundamental human desire to be providers.

By Michelle Merica

They’re either the best, or they’re the worst. Either the greatest, or the most god-awful, horrid, pain-inducing noise ever put on record. Art-rock god Frank Zappa is on record as proclaiming that they’re “better than The Beatles”, while Kurt Cobain has listed their debut as his number 5 most influential record of all time.

The Shaggs, rock/pop/outsider band from the 60’s, are among the most controversial and hotly debated bands of all time, able to conjure up praises from some of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, while being (understandably) derided by nearly everyone else. Their brand of simple, idiosyncratic, barely organized ‘pop’ music recalls questions such as “What really is music?” “Is this intentional?” And, “Who are parents?”.

The idea of The Shaggs was born even before the birth of the members, sisters Dot, Helen, Betty, and Rachel Wiggin. Their father, Austin Wiggin Jr., claimed that his mother once received a palm reading in which her son would marry a blonde woman, and their children would form a well known musical group. Apparently a superstitious man, Austin took this tale as gospel, took his children out of school, and arranged for his daughters to begin receiving music lessons with the end goal of forming “The Shaggs”.

Despite the small fact that none of the girls had any interest in being in a band, at the beckoning of their father, they began playing concerts around their hometown of Freemont, New Hampshire, the town in which they would play the entirety of their shows. At the time, the sisters had nearly no idea how to play their respective instruments. The town reacted as expected, verbally abusing and berating The Shaggs onstage during multiple occasions. At this point, Austin decided that it was time for The Shaggs to record their debut album, having so much faith in it that he spent his own money to finance the recording sessions.

It is very possibly that nothing ever again recorded will sound quite like Philosophy of the World, The Shaggs’ 1969 first and only album. The blatant disregard for even the most basic musical tenants over the course of the albums’ thirty-two minutes is simply stunning. It is essentially devoid of anything which could be called a chorus. The guitars, already played in a manner of someone who has no understanding of Western music, are perpetually out of tune. Though one of the sisters apparently plays bass, it is nowhere to be found in the mix. Perhaps greatest (or worst) of all are the drums, which appear not to notice nor care which song the rest of the band is playing, doing whatever they wish, whenever they wish.

What may very well be the albums “finest” moments take place during the “classic” “My Pal Foot-Foot”, which both begins and ends with what can charitably described as a drum “solo.” Rounding out the instrumental side of The Shaggs is the vocals, which change note on each and every syllable throughout the album and were described by one Rolling Stone review as “sounding like lobotomized Von Trapp Family singers.”

What is sometimes lost within the vast mess of sound are the lyrics of Philosophy of the World. Song titles such as “Things I Wonder”, “Why Do I Feel?” and “Who are Parents?” (now you get the introduction), can only give way to lyrics which appear to be the inner monologue of a six-year-old girl, despite the fact that The Shaggs were all at least 18 by the time Philosophy of the World was recorded. “There are many things I wonder;There are many things I don’t; It seems as though the things I wonder most; Are the things I never find out,” they philosophize on “Things I Wonder”. The awkward and painfully sincere lyrics touch on a range of topics, including their cat running away, Halloween, fat people, and cars.

After their father’s death in 1975, The Shaggs dissolved. Though Philosophy of the World received little recognition at the time of original pressing, it has since been re-released and rediscovered by artists such as Frank Zappa, Nirvana, and NRBQ, creating new attention for the group. Despite their clear lack of any musical ability, The Shaggs were undoubtedly something to behold and have become an outsider classic. This may not be what The Shaggs wanted their music to be, but it is what it’s has become. And I love them for it.

By Richard Murphy

It’s finally October – my favorite month. Time for crisp autumn mornings, pumpkins, and perfect temperatures for wearing my pea coat, but no list of awesome month-related things is complete without the month’s upcoming shows. So here’s a look at some bands making a stop in D.C. in October. Is this a comprehensive list? No, of course it’s not. Rather some of the highlights like…

Dum Dum Girls stop at the Black Cat on Saturday night, October 22 to support their recently released sophomore record Only in Dreams. The album has gotten some solid reviews thus far, and I’m not just talking Pitchfork but the New York Times, too. That’s some serious exposure. I’ve never seen them live, but definitely looking forward to checking them out.

Deer Tick, my hometown heroes, headline 9:30 Club on Sunday the 16th. If I have to introduce them, you should stop reading this now and go get Born on Flag Day. Seriously.

Japanese metal may sound a little intimidating if you’re not a hardened headbanger, but Boris is incredibly eclectic and has something for everyone. They come to the Black Cat on Saturday, October 29 to play some new material from each of their three full-length albums released this year. I’ve had a chance to see Boris a few times, and I can say it’s LOUD but not your typical rock show. And drummer Atsuo always jumps into the crowd at the end of the set. Awesome.

The District’s own Beasts of No Nation play H Street’s Red Palace on Wednesday, October 26th. I got a chance to see them at Fort Reno this past summer, and they’re some standard, solid punk. If you like Darkest Hour – of whom Beasts features former members – then you’ll definitely enjoy Beast of No Nation.

Big D and The Kids Table come to the Rock N Roll Hotel, also on the 26th, with fellow Boston ska/punk band the Have Nots. Having seen and even played with both bands during my former life as a member of a high school ska/punk band, I can say it’ll be wicked entertaining. They’re both super fun and surely worth a good nostalgic time.

By Anthony DeLuise

WVAU’s Electric Factory, a show that rotates a heady mixture of the latest electronic and indie, will be hosting Willy Joy on this week’s episode, which airs Thursday, October 6th from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.

An American DJ at the core, originally heralding from Chi-town, Joy now lives and works in the nation’s capital, D.C. Joy, himself, relates his style to ‘pop sensibility’ with a dual love for facemelters. Along with giving us a live interview, Willy will be playing a few of his new tracks for us on the show. After listening to his Soundcloud on a crazy loop of repeats for the past week, we can’t wait to hear the new material.

Previously, Willy has worked alongside the acts of A-Trak, Kid Sister, and The Gaslight Anthem on tour. The dude is also planning to hit up U Street later that night where he will be opening for NYC DJ/Production-duo Designer Drugs. Tickets to see DD, Willy Joy, and Harry Ransom at U-Hall are free with RSVP, and you can easily RSVP by going to the UHall event page linked below.

Hear Willy’s interview on ‘Electric Factory,’ this Thursday 4-6PM EST on http://wvau.org.

illy Joy on Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/willyjoy

Designer Drugs, Willy Joy, and Harry Ransom @UHall (Event Page):
http://www.ustreetmusichall.com/2011/10/designer-drugs-4/

Electric Factory Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Electric-Factory-on-WVAU/129140907133810

By Louise Brask

In my last post I said that it would be pathetic if I didn’t catch my first live show before my next post, and I’m a woman of my word, so I checked out Wolfette at the pub in the Islington area of London, Monto Water Rats And to further the WVAU-relevancy of said gig, I went will fellow AUer-in-London and DJ Eric Lynch, former host of WVAU’s British Invasion.

With only about a 20 person crowd in easily the smallest venue I’ve ever been to, Wolfette worked the pub’s backroom-stage with her fiery, deep voice and fierce gold jeans, accompanied by her band.

My knowledge of Wolfette prior to the gig was minimal, as Eric only sent me a link to one of her videos when he asked me to go with him, but that didn’t stop me from dancing to her catchy electo-pop with a but of a harder, more alternative edge.

Only a short set of 7 songs, as Wolfette kicked off the string of acts for a night of live music at Monto’s, the British band created the edgy and sassy, but upbeat vibe to set the tone for the rest of the night.

The venue itself has a very similar atmosphere to my pub-crush the Lexington that I last posted about — rustic, uber hip, open and dark, but still welcoming, (I’m beginning to realize that “welcoming” is part of the vibe for almost all London pubs. Makes sense, no?), and also regularly hosts live music events.

The past two weekends I’ve been living the super glamourous lifestyle and jet-setting off to Paris and Munich for Oktoberfest, so time to catch another live show has been few and far between because I’ve also had to focus on the pesky “studying” part of the “study abroad” experience (what a downer). But I’m forcing myself to make another promise to y’all to check out another live act for my next post. Until then, Cheerio!

Quirky as ever, the progressive rock band Deerhoof rode into the 930 Club with a thunder on Saturday. Without a word to the crowd, they picked up their instruments, confidently assembled themselves in a line at the front of the stage, and began to play. The substantial crowd of thrill-seekers that had gathered to revel in the band’s celestial aura woke up gradually-they needed to be pulled from the state of indifference most people inhabit.

The adorably fun-sized singer and bassist Satomi Matsuzaki delivered the lyrics of the first song “Super Duper Rescue Heads” with a wide-eyed hypotonic gaze out into the crowd and hand gestures that accompanied the lyrics, only heightening the child-like tone of the song. Matsuzaki’s hypnotic gaze persisted throughout the entire hard-rocking set. It calmed the crowd at apex of chaos and challenged them at the zenith of ridiculousness.

Beneath the mirage of the composition there lurked a tide of improvisation that occasionally washed over the audience. Throughout the set the band played games with each other. As they all continued to play, one guitarist Ed Rodriguez scared Matsuzaki into hiding behind an amp while the other guitarist, John Dieterish, simply walked off stage, his riffs seeming to come from nowhere.

Halfway through the set drummer Greg Saunier stood up to say a few words. Obviously feeling awkward, he began to stutter out some incomprehensible words, and with the crowd’s help he managed to thank the opening bands. His awkward and uncomfortable demeanor lasted until the very end of his speech when he made a quick joke, laughed heartily, and sat back down at his drum set. Had he put on a character for the speech? Or was the awkwardness genuine? The mystery haunted the audience.

All of the songs came from Deerhoof’s latest album “Deerhoof vs. Evil.” In it, the band explores a more electronic sound and generally sounds more composed than in previous albums. Melodic lines weave in and out of the songs, almost seeming to combat each other and occasionally morphing into hard-rocking complex chord changes. For all the arrangement of the album, the band managed to control the transmutation of the recordings into performance with a refreshing vigor. The songs took back on the older Deerhoof sound without the workings of a studio but retained their sense of composition.

The band finished by playing over a short stop-action film. By this point the crowd was transfixed and stared at the projection like a cult might stare at their figurehead. After the band had left the stage and the audience began to break up a single woman remained standing in front of the stage. The tears she tried to hold back eventually broke and streamed down her face. What about this show had affected her so? Had it reminded her of a dead lover? Or were these tears of joy? Deerhoof’s music is powerful; let us hope they continue to use this power for good.

This fall, WVAU.ORG is featuring Show Spotlights to help spread the word about specific WVAU shows. Our inaugural Spotlight profiles Elaboration Collaboration, hosted by DJs Rob Kleiman and Kyle Calian. We talked to DJ Rob about live music, albums of the year, and Beer Pizza.

Name of show:
Our working title is “Elaboration Collaboration”

If I listen to your show, what can I expect to hear?
Our show will bring a mix of folk, electronic, hip-hop, oldies, bluesy rock, world music, and some good ol’ indie classics.

What makes your show special?
Originally I hosted Tricky Tracks, which always consisted of a musical medley. However, two hours of airtime can be a whole lot more fun with a co-host. I’ve joined forces with Kyle Calian; our show will feature comedy, drama, insights, rambling, and banter alongside a tasty mix of tunes, rhythms, and harmonies. We each have a different taste in music but it’s where we complement each other that makes out show unique and special.

What are your favorite genres to play, and why?

I enjoy playing a number of genres. I must say I’m a huge fan of the poppy side of Indie, but I also enjoy things that get you dancing like electronic music or the occasional reggae jam. I usually follow themes for my shows and I play things that reflect the theme or the mood I’m aiming to capture.

Name a few bands/artists regularly featured on your show:

Band of Horses, the Rolling Stones, Modest Mouse, the Beatles, the Talking Heads, the Black Keys, Givers

How do you discover new music?

When discovering new music I either find it by googling words like “totally rad”, through looking on music blogs, or, honestly, I just find out about new music through word of mouth. However, it’s my taste and intuition that I rely on to get a feel for if I actually like the song/ band/ cover

What’s the most recent concert you attended?
DC LUVS DILLA this concert honored J-Dilla, a hip-hop producer who died of Lupus disease.

What’s the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Radiohead @ NYC’s “All Points West Festival” ranks as the best concert I’ve ever seen.

Planning to see any shows in DC this fall? If so, name a few:
WVAU’s Capitol Punishment!
Peter Bjorn and John
The Head and the Heart

What musician/band would you take out to dinner, and what would you eat:
I’d like to eat have Beer Pizza with the Black Keys, Sushi with the Gorillaz, and Burgers with Dr. Dog.

What’s your favorite venue in DC and why:
I like the Black Cat because they’ve always been nice to me there, it’s spacious, there’s a pool table, and once I interviewed Dante, the club’s owner, for class.

List your five “desert island” albums:
Fate- Dr. Dog
40 Licks- The Rolling Stones
Whitest Boy Alive- Whitest Boy Alive
Forrest Gump Soundtrack- Various Artists
Silent Alarm- Bloc Party

What’s your favorite album of 2011 so far?
Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues

Name your favorite thing about WVAU:

It’s a bastion of coolness. WVAU is American University’s hidden gem. But in all seriousness, it’s another way that AU students can follow their dreams and have their voices heard.

Check out DJ Rob’s mixtape!

My last music adventure was Labor Day Weekend, which took me to to Randalls Island in New York City for one of the most popular electro/dance festivals of the East coast, Electric Zoo, that left me yearning for a little bit more of live trance and minimal house. The festival sold out for the second year in a row, and the island was jammed with dancers and music lovers from all over. The main stage and three different smaller ones provided an amazing range of acts that made me feel like a kid in candy shop. As it was with many other festivals, the acts overlapped, so you had to be ready to sprint.

My favorite tent, the Sunday School Grove, had house playing all day long and was in my opinion the ultimate spot of Zoo. The crowd here was super engaged with all the kick-drum and experimental beats from artists like Gui Borratto and Dubfire. With live performances from contemporary artists like Nicolas Jaar, there was something for everyone. Here is the video of the layered live set of this 21 year old music genius. If you don’t know much about him, I highly recommend you check out his album Space is Only Noise, that showcases an array of experimental minimal beats.

Another performance that was pretty stellar was the one of New York’s disco duo Chromeo. Here is the video of his song Night by Night.

Twitter sensation, music producer, DJ and overall cool dude Diplo pleased the crowd with popular remixes of his project Major Lazer as well as dropped some Moombaton, and then surprised us all with Puerto Rican ghetto Princess Maluca Mala.

To close the night and thus my summer fest experiences, music legend and techno pioneer Richie Hawtin, moved the Sunday School Grove to utterly frenzy with a set that can only be described as foreplay before the best sex you’ll ever had. Yes, that’s a bold statement, but you had to be there to see the way he slowly dropped techno and built up the energy with heavier tech-house beats.

And that was a little a breakdown of my summer experiences. Here is a little shout out (sort of) that Diplo sent American University during this year’s Mad Decent Block Party in Philadelphia.

By Angela Varela

If Fugazi is for the bearded used-to-be punx, and Wu-Tang is for the children, then Wugazi is for the children of the bearded used-to-be punx. #logic

If there ever was a quintessential D.C. band, it was Fugazi. D.I.Y to the core and ever evolving in sound, Fugazi breached the gap between unpolished, angst-filled punk and art. If ever there was a band to lay the beats to a Wu-Tang Clan album, Fugazi would also be my – and assumedly many other’s – last thought. But, after a few lists to 13 Chambers, this summer’s hyped mashup album from Minneapolis musicians Cecil Otter and Swiss Any, Fugazi seemed like a perfect match.

When you think mashup records, Girl Talk and DJ Danger Mouse’s career-launching The Grey Album come to mind. Combining the work of two artists with contrasting styles is what mashups are all about – it makes them somewhat of a novelty, something not to be taken to seriously unless its good enough to take seriously. I think that’s what gave The Grey Album such relevance and staying power, but Wugazi? I was skeptical.
Not unlike Dangermouse’s pairing of the Beatles and Jay-Z, Wugazi and 13 Chambers is an ironic pairing – two bands with much overlay in recording and touring history – unlike the latter – but you’d never see them on the same concert bill.

Fugazi and Wu-Tang seem even further removed, at least ideologically, when you consider the differences between the Fab Four and Hova. Fugazi’s frontman Ian MacKaye is famous for his coining of the term straightedge. Method Man – his stage name, a reference to marijuana – and the rest of the Clan notably tout their love for life’s indulgences and (often) illegal activities. There could be stranger pairings, I guess. Someday there might be a Kanye West and Taylor Swift record. I’m making the prediction it’ll be titled Eighth Grade Dropout.

Anyways, back to Wugazi….

13 Chambers has a number of standout tracks from beginning to end. “Sleep Rules Everything Around Me,” the record’s opening song and initial teaser track that surfaced on the Internet, is easy flowing mix of the Clan’s classic “C.R.E.A.M.” layered over the somewhat obscure Fugazi track “I’m So Tired,” a somber piano ballad from Instrument Soundtrack. This seems to be the formula for most of 13 Chambers’s musical pairings: Wu-Tang singles and “famous”-ish verses with low-key Fugazi instrumentals, many from Instrument Soundtrack or later records in their discography. “Nowhere to Wait,” is another notable song. RZA’s harsh vocals from the Gravediggaz’s 90s banga “Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide” blends really well with Fugazi’s classic “Waiting Room.”

This brings up another interesting part of the record: Otter and Andy’s use a wide variety of Wu-Tang lines, often from its member’s solo records and side projects. Why did no Minor Threat, or Evens, or Rites of Spring tracks make the cut? I guess Minor Tang just doesn’t sound as good as Wugazi.

So, what is MacKaye and the rest of Fugazi’s opinion on their pairing with Wu-Tang Clan? I don’t really know. As artists that have seemingly always supported one’s individual license for creativity in art, I think they’d support the effort, not necessarily the music. MacKaye has presented a contradicting view on hip-hop – calling it a descendent of punk rock, while also stating distate the more hardened hip-hopers that glorifying the gansta lifestyle. I’m guessing he’s probably not a Wu-Tang fan. Still, check out 13 Chambers. It’s a fun listen. Seriously.

By Anthony DeLuise

Later on in the summer I embarked on another journey across the US, this time to middle-of-nowhere Tennessee for what I thought would be the ultimate music experience, Bonnaroo.

If you are ready to be awakened by asphyxiating heat, consume at least half of spoon of dust per day, fight hippies to have some room in the ultra-packed crowds, all the while surrounded by poor sound quality, this was the perfect place for you! After almost dying of heat exhausting and semi-acclimating to the unbearable heat, I toughened it up and tried to enjoy the diverse lineup as much as I could.

After being perhaps the most hated individual at the This Tent (all of the stages were named after pronouns to make everything a little more confusing) for pushing my way up to the front, I enjoyed the performance of one of my favorite musicians of this year, Florence and the Machine. This British soul-pop goddess lived up to all my expectations with a flawless combination of theatrics and immaculate vocals. Unlike many pop artists who after touring for months start going through the motions, Florence gave her everything to the crowd. During the hour and half in a 95 degree tent, she made the audience forget the discomfort by getting everyone to sing along to song “You Got the Love,” and brought tears of joy during “Dog Days Are Over.” Her performance was without a doubt the highlight of that day. Here is the video I took:

Later on this musical pilgrimage, it was not difficult to embrace my inner gangster during Lil Wayne’s performance, which raised the bar for the following day (Eminem). His entrance was something from a sci-fi movie and for a second I thought I was being capture by the Martians. Wayne exhorted all that energy that he had probably stored during his time in prison, and drove the sweaty audience to ecstasy with his grimy swag during “A Milli”, “Welcome to the Hood” and as you could have guessed, the catchy “Lollipop.”

Wiz Kalifha was another act that made me feel the $300-some ticket was worthwhile. The Pittsburgh rapper known for his love for weed smoking and laugh, pleased and teased the immense crowd that gathered under a setting sun at the the What Stage. High as kite and hiding his glassy stare under Ray Bans, Wiz delivered a performance that moved from sexy to effervescent with popular song “The Thrill.” Overall, Bonnaroo was hot, dusty, and utterly worthwhile.

By Angela Varela

In September 2000, DJ Will Eastman held the first Bliss, a small indie/electropop dance night at the now-defunct Metro Cafe. In the eleven years since, Eastman has become an icon of DC live music, opening U Street Music Hall with DJ Jesse Tittsworth and expanding Bliss into a DC institution, now the largest and most progressive electronic dance party in the District.

This Saturday, September 24th , Eastman is celebrating the 11-year anniversary of Bliss with a six-hour DJ set. To help you celebrate this milestone with Bliss, WVAU is giving away a few tickets TOMORROW VIA TWITTER to the party. Stay tuned!

What makes good music? That question is far too complex and broad for my, or really anyone’s, simple mind. The question itself already sets one astray. Our conception of good is arguably subjective. And our ideas of musical quality are almost inarguably subjective. Therefore, if one pursues this question their answer will only be a reflection of their own taste, and that isn’t useful at all – except maybe to them.

However, generally speaking, one of the major differences between people is to what degree and in what form they want roughness in their music. This roughness takes many shapes ⎯ from dissonance to distortion ⎯ but in my experience the arguments people have over what is good or bad music comes down to a difference in degree of roughness.

Personally, I like my music to be like granite mountainsides more often then not: nice and scraggily but still possessing some form (examples can be found below). Others prefer their music to be like an unkempt bed: it has some rolls but is still generally soft to the touch. This may manifest itself in the form of Arcade Fire, The Beach Boys or Wagner. At the extremes are velvet and rock quarries (examples could include the new Fleet Foxes album or any mathcore, respectively). Obviously this isn’t the only element deciding what people like to listen to but it seems to be a key one.

This seems to raise the question: why is it people like roughness in their music? Traditionally, in the West, people’s conception of beauty has been relatively smooth. The Baroque periods in art and music exemplify this trend. Started around the 19th century, some artists began to move away from this smooth ascetic eventually leading to the works of Picasso, Henry Cowell, or later John Cage. These changes all came with new definitions of what beauty itself was. Before it may have been defined as what is good in the world by western standards: love, friendship, pastoral landscapes, and major thirds. Now, beauty may have been defined as what the world is with all of its hatred, apathy, loneliness, poverty, suffering, boredom, malnutrition, discarded dreams, death, unidentifiable shapes, and atonal clusters of sound.

Some may argue that artists have been dealing with these later issues since people began producing art. They are right. I’m probably wrong. However, I do feel that songs such as Mozart’s Requiem or Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony that dealt with these issues using traditionally beautiful musical structures are fictionalizations of the world rather than reflections of it. Not to say I don’t find them beautiful but it is a beauty of man’s mental structures rather than the beauty of the world itself.

Regardless of all that, the question still remains, why do most people like some degree of roughness in music? To this, I can only answer from personal experience. To me, smooth music just sounds phony. Perfect harmony is a figment of our imagination. Conflict and contradiction exists between myself, my environment, other people, and my self. Dissonance, harshness, distortion somehow reflect this conflict. Even if a song is trying to represent happiness or love or something like that it just sounds wrong if there is no conflict in it. Perfect consonance will never exist in the world and trying to seek it just seems ignorant. Any song worth its while will have some elements in it reflecting the beautiful dissonance that surrounds us.

I am far from finding any worthwhile answers to these questions. The reason that people like different degrees of roughness in their music cannot be boiled down to differences in definitions of beauty. The world would be far too easy to understand if it could. In the end people will listen to the music they want to listen to regardless of how they define beauty or view the world. However, I would encourage everyone to feel out the rougher music out there. You may just find that getting a few cuts and scrapes feels spectacular.

By Jesse Drucker

Interested in becoming a college radio DJ?

WVAU is hosting a general interest meeting TODAY, 7pm in the Butler Board Room (on the 6th floor of MGC). Show up, meet the Executive Board, and find out how to lend your voice and favorite music to the interwebz by joining the best club on campus.

Seriously, we are the best club on campus.

Labor Day came and went, and we shed what was left of our summer skin – and we also kissed goodbye all the summer music fests. Having no school is perhaps one of the most amazing parts of the summer, apart from it serving as the prime time for music festivals around the country, including Movement, Bonnaroo and Electric Zoo.

During Memorial Day Weekend this summer, I made a nine hour trip to a city that changed everything I knew about music. Many Americans don’t know much about this city, or have only heard about its car manufacturing, poverty and high rates of violence (Hello, 8 Mile). Yes, I am talking about Detroit.

Movement 2011, formally known as Detroit Music Festival, was a three-day music heaven for house and techno fans from all over the world. Considering the ever-growing commercialization of music festivals, Movement did an amazing job balancing big promoters such as Beatport, Red Bull and Paxhua with local commerce and artists. One of my favorite local stands was the Aptemal Detroit, a really cool clothing label that hand-silked screened original prints. Check out their gear at http://Aptemalclothing.com

The festival consisted of four main stages and held a capacity of about 30,000 people. In my life I have never witnessed people from so many places come together and take part in a “Movement” that originated in the early 90’s, electronic music. During the three days the drums and bass did not stop playing, even in the rain, from the well equipped stages that hosted the best sound systems I’ve ever heard. Among the most memorable acts was Matthew Hawtin’s three hour set that worked from minimalist vibes up to a more aggressive beat.

Seeing duo extraordinaire Soul Clap perform in the middle of storm was unforgettable. These DJs were all about the crowd and warmed us up with their catchy electro soul beats and genre blurring remixes. Another face melting performance was NYC sweetheart Heartthrob, who left everyone wanting more of his pulsating minimal techno, while Ricardo Villalobos also challenged the audience’s eardrums with his ultra-layered techno.

Although not a huge fan of Dubstep, I can’t deny the music genius of Skrillex. This 20-year-old dude has the rare gift of driving crowds completely insane with his impressive ability to combine dirty bass with pop sounds (such La Roux), while keeping the energy levels up the roof.

Movement was packed with the typical crowd that these type of concerts draw, the only difference being that most of the furry boot wearers were 20-somethings, except everyone had a huge appreciation for music. The bathrooms, unlike most festivals, were super clean and the staff was friendly and helpful finding your way around the festival. Motor City showed me one of the most gratifying music experiences I’ve had in the United States, and dismantled a raw beauty hidden under the image of a ghost city. The $80-something ticket was worth every penny.

By Angela Varela

A little more than a week into my semester in London and I’ve had much time to explore, but regrettably, I have yet to catch a live show. (I did just buy a ticket to see GIVERS here in November. And it feels like only yesterday I wrote my “WVAU Loves…” post about the Louisiana quintet.)

I have become slightly obsessed with a pub conveniently close to my housing, called the Lexington, which I name-dropped in my introduction post. Inside the poster-lined windows promoting upcoming events is a rustic but classic decor, complete with bull skulls on the walls between windows covered by burgundy drapes. The ultra hip, yet totally welcoming vibe perfectly suits the whiskey lounge, which hosts DJs when live acts aren’t booked. The upstairs differs a bit from the main floor, is much darker and the DJ stationed there plays a bit more electronic and upbeat alternative jams, making the second floor perfectly suited for dancing like a fool. And anyone who might know me is very aware that I enjoy (hand) dancing like a fool. Thus, I declare the Lexington my pub-crush.

On another night of my pub crawling adventures, we stumbled upon a jazz and blues joint called ‘Round Midnight. Inside there’s almost always a band playing, you guessed it, jazz and blues. The crowd varies from the ineffably indie to middle aged dudes who just really enjoy their blues. The night I popped in, on the stage was a trio of middle aged dudes who just really enjoy playing the blues. And they sounded fantastic. The crowd was bopping to the beats and the atmosphere was just as bouncy. No one was there to impress anyone else, just there to hear some damn good music.

Outside of the pubs, the street performers around London are exceptionally talented. Walking through the Tube one afternoon, I had to stop and admire the classical violinist that was nonchalantly set up on the side of an underground walkway. Bands will bring their entire set up to the streets and play for hours, collecting a fair amount of change (which actually hold decent value, unlike in the U.S.) in their instrument cases. Just because they’re playing in the streets doesn’t mean they’re not suited for the stage.

In the upcoming two weeks before my next post is due, I promise you I will finally check out a live show. (Let’s be honest, if I don’t make it to at least one by then, that’s straight up pathetic.)

By Marissa Cetin

In today’s popular entertainment, the urge to create something more transformative from the rest, that transcends time and history, has become clear. It is perhaps hard for many of us find these higher ideas in today’s hype-ridden radio and bloggosphere.  How do we develop a critical view on the things we are listening to today?  Are we cutting through the noise and liking things for their true value? If so, what is it that we find valuable in the things we heard and see today?  These will be questions that I hope to explore with you on my weekly column, Shazam Wildcat.

In this biweekly column I hope to give you an insight on the music I’m currently listening to, music shows I constantly attend around the city and nation, analysis on upcoming albums, interviews, and music recommendations. Regardless of the different styles and genres I will explore on Shazam Wilcat, I would like to show you how many of these artists are sending a message beyond an entertainment and cultural context, translate it into bigger themes, and reflect on the messages they are trying to convey.

I hope we develop a relationship over the course of this semester, so voice your opinion and feedback on the comment section of this website, as well through other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.  That’s all for now. Stay tune to my bi-weekly show with Disco Dianna, Mondays from 8-10pm ( D’N'A ) and enjoy the surprises that’ll be bringing to the studios. Get to me!