CONCERTS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

Tame Impala at the Beacon Theater

There are lots of ways to pass time: Do your homework. Read a book. Watch something on Netflix. Go for a jog. Make art. We as humans are completely capable of doing all of these things in isolation. On the contrary, our lives are made more enjoyable when we are in good company.When I think of a best friend, I think of a person to whom I can tell anything. I think of someone I can text at any moment of any day, of someone whose attention I always have, undivided. I think of someone who I can be myself around, 24/7.

MUSIC: A MIGHTY UNIFIER

When I learned that this week’s theme was “Thinking Globally”, I found myself overwhelmed by all of the different possibilities. Then I thought, why not just write about my own ethnicity? I decided that I would ask my father, who immigrated to the United States from Japan, about the kind of music he listens to.

His favorite music is Japanese pop, because he has listened to it since he was six year old. He is soon to be 60, so he’s been bumping for more than 50 years (!!!). Even after living in the U.S. for quite a while now, the sound of J-pop continues to resonate with him. The lyrics of favorite songs hold deep meaning in his heart.

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA

There is nothing like good ole concert season. With autumn being here, it is so nice to be out and about. Music festivals can be a bit of a drag when it is nearly 90 degrees out and you are running low on water money. No one likes being in a crowd with extra sweaty people rubbing all over you and being dehydrated! So when it is closer to the end of the year when the weather is lightening up and you have a day full of music and food, it all becomes quite an experience. You get to feel the cool wind blowing, see the sun set with multiple colors laid throughout the sky, and get to hear your favorite band playing music in the background.

EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT IN THE END: WEEZER IS BACK

“I'm letting all of these feelings out even if it means I fail, ‘cause this is what I was meant to do and you can't put that on sale.”

These words, however simple they may seem, exemplify what I think it means to be a true artist. Although creativity can be something to monetarily gain from, it should first and foremost be valued as a communicative outlet. If you agree with me on that and have not yet heard of the band Weezer, I am shaking my head in disapproval and urging you to go listen to them right this instant.

MUSIC MIDTOWN

Nothing warms my heart quite like thousands of sweaty people dancing in the hot sun to their favorite bands does. Music festivals have become a staple in the cultures of all genres of music. Fresh off of the coattails of Music Midtown in Atlanta, I have had my annual dosage of outdoor jams. Midtown boasted a monstrous lineup with the likes of John Mayer, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, RUN DMC, Iggy Azalea, Banks, Twenty One Pilots, Fitz and the Tantrums, and Eminem, just to name a few. The beautiful end-of-summer weather that dawned Piedmont Park last weekend set the tone for the amazing weekend that lied before us. 

THE (ALMOST) FAMOUS FIVE: FIVE ARTISTS TO WATCH

2014 has been a big year for music of all genres, and it’s only going to get bigger as summer draws to a close. Due to the large amount of albums set for release and the highly anticipated Autumn/Winter tours, new artists will be exploding on to the scene left, right and centre. Here’s my guide to The Ones to Watch in the upcoming months.

SPOTLIGHT ARTIST: FALSE PUPPET