*RIYL (recommended if you like)
Library Manager’s Pick — Kyle Hooker ’24
Album: “Brandi Carlile” — Brandi Carlile
Genre: Folk Rock, Alt. Country
RIYL: Tori Amos, Sinead O’Connor, Indigo Girls
Blurb: This is Brandi Carlile’s self-titled, debut album from 2005 (I should probably listen to her more recent stuff as I quite like her older work). It has a comforting quality to it because I have it on CD back home, and my family used to listen to it quite often. It’s a strong album where every song is thoroughly enjoyable. Some of the songs are also rather emotionally intense and are suitable for when you’re in an emo sort of mood and need to get some feelings out.
Tech Director’s Pick — Dan Frazo ’23
Album: “Hippies” — Harlem
Genre: Alternative Punk, Smirky Garage Rock
RIYL: Dehd, Ty Segall, The King Khan and BBQ Show
Blurb: Harlem makes sloppy, grimey, stain-your-shirt punk music, but they do it on purpose. “Hippies” hits you right in the face with fast-paced, high-intensity licks and steady percussion, sketchily thrown together over angry vocals. The Austin-based three piece band hasn’t had much commercial success since the release of “Hippies” in 2010, but this album alone sets them up among some of the best in punk rock.
General Manager’s Pick — Maddie Van Beek ’22.5
Album: “to hell with it” — PinkPantheress
Genre: Bedroom pop
RIYL: Coco & ClairClair, Eyedress, Memo Boy, TV Girl
Blurb: 10 songs, under 20 minutes.
Programming Director’s Pick - Jose Morales ’22
Album: “Faces” – Mac Miller, posthumously
Genre: Hip-Hop, Rap
RIYL: Earl Sweatshirt, Freddie Gibbs, Isaiah Rashad
Blurb: “Faces” is a re-release of Mac Miller’s 2014 mixtape. It’s a pretty laid back album that reminds me of “Doris” by Earl Sweatshirt or “1999” from Joey Bada$$. It’s also stacked with 25 tracks running at an hour and half, but it’s a well-thought-out posthumous album that respects Mac Miller’s artistry and career. My picks from this album are “Polo Jeans,” “Thumbalina” and “Insomniak,” which is a more aggressive cut.
Music Director’s Pick — Chad Kim ’23.5
Album: “I hear a new world” – Joe Meek
Genre: Space Music, Experimental
RIYL: Silver Apples & The Caretaker
Blurb: You think you know space? You wanna go to space? Well, at least with this album, you can hear what it’s like out there. Meek describes this as an “Outer Space Music Fantasy”, and I couldn’t agree more. Partially released as an EP in 1960, this album fully realizes the power of modular synthesizers, and, along with fellow artist at the time, Silver Apples, established the early experimental genre through their intricate and unfamiliar sounds.
Music Director’s Pick — Natalie Penna ’24
Album: “Get Lonely” – The Mountain Goats
Genre: Sad Guy with an Acoustic Guitar
RIYL: Bright Eyes, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Decemberists
Blurb: The Mountain Goats recently went viral with their song “No Children,” and, while that song is great, this album deserves more attention than it gets. The music is stripped down, which makes the album kind of sad and lonely for the fall, but it is super introspective with well-written lyrics.
Concert Manager’s Pick — Luke Robins ’23
Album: “Live Forever” – Bartees Strange
Genre: Indie Rock, R&B, Rap
RIYL: Samia, Shamir, Tokyo Police Club
Blurb: This 2020 album does an incredible job combining hip-hop, punk, R&B and rap. Bartees has a wonderful range of talent both for songwriting and vocals, allowing him and his band to seamlessly flow between a diverse array of genres. Also, check out their NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
