Year in Review: Our Favorite Albums of 2023—Staff Picks

Posted on by Vinyl Mag, Ethan Barrilleaux, Haley Gilbert, Buket Urgen and Adeboye Adeoye

From one fellow music lover to another, Vinyl Mag staff shares the albums they loved all year long. Take a look below to see what records made us feel, dance, and reflect in 2023. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite.

Adeboye Adeoye, Staff Writer

  1. McKinley Dixon, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?
  2. Sampha, Lahai
  3. Lord Apex, The Good Fight
  4. Kara Jackson, Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
  5. Leith Ross, To Learn
  6. Noname, Sundial
  7. Jordan Ward, FORWARD
  8. Khamari, A Brief Nirvana
  9. MARCO PLUS, JOINTS
  10. Jamila Woods, Water Made Us

The albums that stick with me most this year tell very personal stories. McKinley Dixon evoked the written works of master author Toni Morrison over jazzy instrumentation to tell the story of contemporary Black life and his place in it. The title track stands out to me because of how simple it can be with repetition yet how layered its lyrics and themes are. Seeing Sampha return to the stage and release a new solo album was a moment of profound joy for me. Now a father and husband, I can hear how the years have aged him for the better, how he worked to overcome pain and grief, and it gives me hope for a brighter future in my own life. On a similar note, Kara Jackson’s record is an especially poignant project. The former National Youth Poet Laureate is bringing a whole new generation’s ears to the Blues while personally using her music as a vessel to navigate a sea of grief. I hope 2024 is filled with stories as personal as these, but I also hope that I don’t limit my ears to a small subsection of the near-boundless collection of stories and perspectives that is modern music.

Ethan Barrilleaux, Staff Writer

  1. Westside Gunn, And Then You Pray For Me
  2. Travis Scott, Utopia
  3. Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist, Voir Dire
  4. Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan 
  5. Logic, College Park 
  6. Lil Yachty, Let’s Start Here.
  7. JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown, SCARING THE HOES
  8. Drake, For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition
  9. Larry June, The Alchemist, The Great Escape
  10. Tyler, The Creator, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale 

Reflecting on the music released this year, I am reminded that hip-hop is alive and well. However this year, I reached out of my comfort zone with records like Zach Bryan’s self-titled and Lil Yachty’s indie/psychedelic rock Let’s Start Here. Bryan gave me the best I could ask for in an introduction to country music, a soft record with insightful lyrics. And when I first heard about Yachty’s indie album, I was skeptical, but, the intro track “the BLACK seminole” immediately drew me into the great record. However, this year gave me plenty of new favorite hip-hop records too. We got a classic boombap-style record by Westside Gunn. This record was all I could ask for with its grimy drums over eerie instrumentals. The track “KITCHEN LIGHTS” is beautiful and it’s where we get what Griselda Records do best. Since July, Travis Scott’s Utopia has grown on me. The intro track “HYAENA” is already an iconic track during his live shows, and I still cannot stop listening to “MODERN JAM” and “TIL FURTHER NOTICE”. Earl Sweatshirt delivered on his brief yet beautifully produced record Voir Dire with The Alchemist, who had an incredible year. The Alchemist was also featured on Larry June’s The Great Escape and Drake’s For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition, where Drake went 6 for 6 on the additional tracks. It was an experimental yet gratifying year for hip-hop production largely thanks to The Alchemist and Conductor Williams. However, I cannot talk about experimental production without highlighting JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown’s SCARING THE HOES. Tracks like “Garbage Pale Kids” and “Lean Beef Patty” gave such unique productions that I keep coming back to them. Then there was Logic’s College Park, a highly anticipated album for me, and while it did not meet all my expectations, tracks like “Lightsabers” and “Village Slum” made it one of my favorites of the year. Lastly, we did not get an entirely new Tyler, The Creator project this year, but CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale contained enough notable and well-produced tracks such as “WHAT A DAY” and “HEAVEN TO ME” that I had to include it.  

Haley Gilbert, Staff Writer

  1. Liza Anne, Utopian
  2. Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
  3. Heffner, Super Bowl LXIX
  4. Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS
  5. Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan
  6. Boygenius, the record
  7. Indigo De Souza, All of This Will End
  8. Hozier, Unreal Unearth
  9. Gregory Alan Isakov, Appaloosa Bones
  10. Briston Maroney, Ultrapure

This year marked the end of my college career and the beginning of whatever happens next. Naturally, things did not play out in the way I had planned, but that does not mean that they did not play out in the way they were supposed to. During this in-between phase of life, I have found myself surrounded by lots of music, which tends to be a good sign about how things are going. While listening to Utopian by Liza Anne, I realized how special of a gift it is to be able to listen to them describe change as a beautiful and necessary thing while I am currently terrified at the prospect of restructuring my life; I was able to find comfort where I wasn’t necessarily expecting or looking for it. After finding myself at lots of shows in Athens this past year, there was no way Heffner’s Super Bowl LXIX was not going to make this list; their sound has become interwoven in many of the memories I made during my time in the Classic City. Between boygenius’s the record, Briston Maroney’s Ultrapure, Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Indigo De Souza’s All of This Will End, and Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS, there was no such thing as a boring car ride this year. The songs on these bodies of work were raw, powerful, and such an experience to listen to. On the late-afternoon-coffeehouse-playlist side of the spectrum, Zach Bryan, Hozier, and Gregory Alan Isakov served as my company on many of the days when I turned to music for a sense of peace and comfort with their respective releases Zach Bryan, Unreal Unearth, and Appaloosa Bones. Isakov’s Appaloosa Bones, an album with themes that largely focus on the importance of leaning on those around you for love and support during times of hardship and struggle, felt like a message I so desperately needed to hear, even if I was initially reluctant to accept it, and Zach Bryan’s self-titled album felt like an important step in his mission with Noah Kahan to assemble the Folk Avengers. As the end of the year is approaching, I genuinely do not know what is next for me, but the artists on this list have helped me not only come to terms with this fact but begin to embrace it. 

Buket Urgen, Editor-in-Chief

  1. Janelle Monáe, The Age of Pleasure
  2. Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS
  3. Victoria Monet, Jaguar II
  4. Troye Sivan, Something to Give Each Other
  5. boygenius, the record
  6. Hozier, Unreal Unearth
  7. Caroline Polacheck, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You
  8. Portugal. The Man, Chris Black Changed My Life
  9. Allison Russell, The Returner
  10. Olivia Dean, Messy

Honorable Mention: Amaarae, Fountain Baby

Per usual, my favorite records of the year lean female-artist-heavy. With a mission to throw myself into more music, this year, I made a point of listening to an album from beginning to end, and repeatedly, until it sank in. (I’ve always had a particularly bad habit of zoning out on listens one through three and not genuinely hearing a record until the fourth or fifth time.) I listened to 55 new albums that came out in 2023, which is much less than I would’ve liked. So, here are the albums that were in heavier rotation than the rest. Without a doubt, 2023 was a great year for sexy club bangers from Janelle Monáe’s and Amaarae’s Afrobeats-inspired progressive R&B to Victoria Monet’s more classic R&B and hip-hop influences to Troye Sivan’s electro-pop and house. Meanwhile, supergroup boygenius found massive success following their first full-length record, growing their cult-like following with an indie rock triumph. The record is a slow burn and I find myself finding something new to appreciate in each listen. Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS was a compelling instant classic, with Rodrigo’s edgy girlhood-core aesthetic brilliantly shining through to reach the repressed teen girl in all of us (or was that just me?). And in moments when I needed to let go and just be, I found myself returning to Caroline Polacheck’s Desire, I Want To Turn Into You or Allison Russell’s The Returner, both soothing in different ways for any rough sailing days in life. This year lacked the blockbuster records of the previous one (see: RENAISSANCE, Midnights, SOS), but it was instead defined by breakthrough moments for long underrated artists or the ones coming into their own with their second full-length project. For anyone out there trying, there was plenty of good music to be found in 2023.

Meet Bea Porges: Athens’ Jazzy Indie-Pop It-Girl

Posted on by Analiese Herrin

Indie-pop music has been an Athens staple among its many local bands, but one artist in particular has created her own twist on the genre. Bea Porges has been slowly building a reputation around the city since her transfer from Belmont to the University of Georgia. 

As women who dedicate themselves to a good tequila drink, we walked into a nearly empty Normal Bar and each ordered Chupacabra while chatting it up. 

Porges exudes an effortless cool girl energy with resilience and passion. Not only is she a Capricorn with an affinity for crying to sad songs in her car, but she also has had quite the journey writing and playing her own songs. 

“I’ve always just been really connected to music even when I was little,” said Porges. “Sad songs would play in the car on the radio and I would start crying.” 

Her path in music can be traced all the way back to age seven or eight when she went to a friend’s house. This friend pulled out a guitar and proceeded to teach her four chords. It was these four chords that jump-started her career. As soon as she went home, she asked her mom if she could play that old guitar that had been collecting dust in the basement. 

From that moment on, Porges dedicated herself to music, teaching herself everything she currently knows from YouTube videos and raw experimentation. 

“I’ve been songwriting for over a decade now,” said Porges. “Little angsty love songs about my little sixth-grade boyfriend.”

After playing guitar, she tried her hand at drums when she joined the band in elementary school. This evolved into a love of musical theater in high school, a perfect mixture of all of her creative talents. 

Porges decided to attend Belmont in Nashville, where she hoped to really make something out of her accumulated abilities. Here, she realized the Nashville scene was over-saturated with cliquey musicians who all pursued the same sound. This realization was paired with an end to a nasty relationship. The result took much of the joy out of writing and creating music. 

Much like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill 2, Porges fled to the mysterious land of Montana during the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic to reflect and write. Getting back to her roots, she wrote her now first song on the EP, “Bliss”.

“I can’t remember anything I was particularly thinking at the time and then a few months down the line I looked back at my life and was like ‘Oh this really fits this situation in my life,’” said Porges. 

The song explores the nature of her breakup and centering herself after what all creatives experience: an existential crisis. This was the beginning of her debut EP, Space & Time. One day, right as the vaccines for COVID-19 were being rolled out in May of 2021, an Atlanta-based band, Calico, asked Porges to open for them in her first public debut at one of their Atlanta shows. This was her push to really delve into her music career and find her sound. 

Porges transferred to UGA where she began performing live shows. Before she knew it, Porges was in the studio recording her original songs with Calico at Racket Records. Her song, “All Day Long” came out as a single in March 2023 and the full EP came out later this year. 

“It’s like songs kind of come to me wherever, whenever and however,” said Porges. “I never write a song the same way twice.”

What makes her songs so personable is the life experiences she has been through. Every experience is a lesson, whether it be negative or positive and that is what gives her music its soul. The resulting soft indie-pop and jazz-fueled sound have been inspired by Faye Webster, Madison Cunningham, and Phoebe Bridgers. 

 “I write songs that maybe aren’t as jazzy that lean more indie pop but I think my voice lends itself to being a more low-fi, jazzy feel,” said Porges. “Even if I’m not making this jazzy indie music, I don’t think that that quality will ever escape my music; I think it will always stick with me.”

Since she has cemented herself into the Athens music scene, Porges has surrounded herself with some of the few women who also have made names for themselves such as Hotel Fiction and Sam Smith of Recess Party. In a city filled with mostly male musicians, the talent of these women in music cannot be overstated or overlooked. Porges emphasized how important it has been for women to support each other in this realm, far from the cliques of Belmont. 

As far as her up-and-coming career, Athens can only expect her unique, witty, and dare I say, charming sound to spread in the coming years and even months. One thing is for sure, there is no end in sight for Bea Porges.

“I haven’t gotten everything I could get out of [Athens],” said Porges. “There’s still more here for me I think.”

The Asymptomatics Celebrate New Single ‘Two Possibilities’ With A Live Performance at Flicker Theatre and Bar

Posted on by Analiese Herrin

Athens has been home to critically acclaimed bands throughout the decades, marking the Classic City as not only home to the University of Georgia and its students but also a booming hub for artists and musicians alike. One such band is the funky, weird but strangely groovy The Asymptomatics. 

The Asymptomatics, or “the Asymps” as they are often called, is a band of nine members who have made “chaotic” the name of the game. Since its formation in 2019, the band has garnered a name for itself within the music community of Athens. After the release of three singles, they have now added one more to their list of original music. To celebrate the release of their brand new single, “Two Possibilities”, the Asymptomatics recruited a list of prominent local Athens bands to play at Flicker Theatre and Bar for a night of unforgiving energy and sound. 

Walking into Flicker is always a surreal experience, particularly on the evening of a gig. From the outside, bypassers can hear the beat of the featured band while they smoke a cigarette and drink a beer. Walking through the red curtains that lead to the venue portion of the establishment, stationed in the room next to the bar, I could see a sea of people bobbing their heads to the band, Neat Freak, which was followed by Late Notice and finally, Bog Bod. The celebrated feature of the night, The Asymps, performed last. Between bands, members handed out flyers with the single’s cover art designed by Hollis Midriff and they discussed their excitement to play their cleanest-sounding single live for the first time. 

The band’s set began as most of its sets do, with the lead singer Max Mahieu relentlessly jumping around the stage with the band, maintaining an aura of chaos that has defined the group’s career, particularly in the past year. 

The single itself possesses an eccentric guitar-solo build-up in the outro. Though their MO is full-fledged passion, this song was a pleasant departure as it boasted a more meaningful and slower vibe. “Two Possibilities” explores that little gray area in life by rejecting the idea of black-and-white decisions and outcomes. A simple song to describe how intensely unsimple this life can be, especially when young, as the band members are. 

“A lot of times it seems like there’s two possibilities but, you know, in reality, things are a lot deeper than that,” says Mahieu. “It’s not just decisions you make, it’s the decisions of the people around you and the ones you love that affect your life and affect their life.” Mahieu’s family is the inspiration behind the song, which was written by Mahieu and his mom, who is a musician herself.  

It’s both happy and sad which is reflected by the musicians as they played with electricity and passion, making the audience feel the underlying irony of “Two Possibilities”. Mastered by Jason NeSmith at Chase Park Transduction, “Two Possibilities” incorporates a classic guitar solo from the lead guitar that amplifies the emotional aspect of the song.

“We wanted to have this big rock section at the end that instrumentally captures the emotion and the vibes of the song that the lyrics start at the beginning,” said Mahieu. 

From there, the band immediately transitioned to play their classic, most-noteworthy hit “GTFO! (Gerald the Friendly Orangutan)” which was a lighthearted and silly conclusion to a great show.

Though the chaotic transformation of the Asymptomatics onstage is something that some would deem messy and unorganized, those with an ear for passion would comprehend that this gives the band its personality, hence its rising claim to fame within Athens. A funk outfit of shameless chaos and a force to behold. 

“Two Possibilities” is out now on all platforms, with the Asymptomatic’s first full album slated for spring. 

Vinyl Mag Presents: Georgia Theatre Rooftop

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

Now, presenting… Vinyl Mag Presents, a show series highlighting Athens’ diverse musical talent.

On Wednesday, October 8th, Vinyl Mag and Zero Mile held a jointly promoted show on the Georgia Theatre Rooftop as the first for the series. The charming and ever-exciting Handholder, Convince the Kid with their layered synth landscapes, and newcomers Roommate performed. With their help, we sold out the Georgia Theatre Rooftop, gathering music fans across Athens to celebrate each band and its music. All were fantastic, drawing in the crowd set after set. Special thanks go to Vinyl Mag contributor Jake Feinberg, for his effort in putting the lineup together and coordinating the show.

Roommate

Courtesy of Nicole Allario

At 8:10, four-piece band Roommate took the stage with a cover of Maroon 5‘s “Sunday Morning.” Incorporating the jazzy elements of the original arrangement, the band made use of a synth organ to put its own flavor into the song. The rest of the set was primarily covers, and members of the crowd were singing along the whole time. These songs included “Valerie,” popularized for Gen Z by Amy Winehouse, “All These Things I’ve Done” by The Killers, “Yellow” by Coldplay, and “Where Is My Mind?” by The Pixies.

They ended the set with an original unreleased song, repeating the lyrics “I’ve got the August blues.” By far the most cohesive song performed by them, the time put into practice was evident. Overall, they made a great impression on the crowd, really working to raise the energy on the rooftop even though it wasn’t near capacity yet.

Convince the Kid

Courtesy of Nicole Allario

In contrast to the previous act, the four-piece synth rock band Convince the Kid performed mostly original songs. They started exactly at 9:00 with a mostly instrumental and exceptionally “synthy” song. With a band like theirs, it feels like a disservice to attempt to capture their essence in words. Instrumentation oftentimes took precedence over lyrics as the nature of the music (and synths) oscillated between being spacey, surfy, chaotic, and subdued. The dynamic between the live drum set and the drum machine was critical to the band’s tension.

Near the end of the set, Charlie Enter, multi-instrumentalist and member of the band Sex Cell, came up to play the lead guitar riff on the band’s cover of Radiohead‘s “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi.” This was a highlight of the whole show, with the band keeping the original character of the song and the synths coming to the forefront at the latter part of the song. In terms of attendance, the crowd approached its peak at this time. I think it is especially fitting that this atmospheric collection of songs was played as the light faded completely from the sky into total darkness.

Handholder

Courtesy of Nicole Allario

While standing in the crowd before they came on, I heard several people and groups say “I’m here for Handholder.” Fortunately, my high expectations were quickly confirmed. Their set started with a polished boy band sound. The dynamic between the guitarist and the rhythm section was the driving force behind such a pleasant introduction to the band’s sound. The performance was soon elevated, however, as keyboardist Alex White brought out a soprano saxophone. He was shredding, particularly during intros and outros, and the crowd responded enthusiastically.

One of Handholder’s major strengths was balancing these drawn-out sax solos and riffs with the catchy and bouncy element present in several of their songs. This music concurrently served as easy listening for those at the back and something you could easily get lost in for those in the heart of the crowd. I was thoroughly impressed with the band’s consistent quality and songwriting ability, and am looking forward to hearing more of them soon.

Review: Cian Ducrot: ‘Victory’

Posted on by Buket Urgen

Cian Ducrot is a tried-and-true practitioner of the singer-songwriter genre. His lyrical approach is refined and polished against the same undertones as his predecessors, which are quite easy to pinpoint as soon as his debut album Victory comes through your headphones. It’s immediately reminiscent of Lewis Capaldi, Dermont Kennedy, and early Ed Sheeran. Of this, Ducrot is well aware. His perspective on comparisons shifting throughout his career from this good to this is bad to this is unavoidable—lo and behold, it is.

It is as much a triumph (pun intended) as it is a familial anthology. Ducrot’s strength on this album is the way he speaks of not just himself but of his people. It’s an early look at a singer-songwriter who isn’t just introspective but deftly extrospective. The title track is a crash course on his childhood as a child of separated parents with an unloving father. He teeters between a humorously deterministic tone (“got a note from my doctor, he said to not even bother / because when you’re messed up as a kid you’ll pass it on to your daughter”) and promising resignation (”learn to live by the glory of knowing it doesn’t hold me and choke me”).

Ducrot has been through a lot, but he “made it”, which is, of course, a vaguely over-optimistic phrase we use that could mean anything from “survived” to “achieved their dreams” to “became famous” as if progress is linear and one-dimensional. By most standards, Ducrot has achieved all of this (and he lets you know that). Hence, his debut album is called Victory. On the conclusive “Heaven”, Ducrot sings “Are we in heaven heaven heaven? / ‘cause I don’t feel pain / I guess that this is heaven, heaven, heaven”, aptly backed by a church choir. Throughout the record, one hears Ducrot’s pain and his redemption. He pays homage to Sheeran, who chose Ducrot as his opener, bragging ”Well, now you’ve got a kid, I’m with Ed on tour / in cities I’ve never been”, which is where Ducrot’s redemption is briefly tied to his newfound success as an artist.

However, “Hevean”, above all is an ode to his brother and their camaraderie, as “Step Dad” is an ode to his stepfather, “Mama” is an ode to his mother, and “Blame It On You” is a accusatory letter to, presumably, his biological father. Ducrot’s victory never belongs to solely him. He gracefully gives each family member their own moment on the record, emphasizing their togetherness and how it made them tougher (”You tore us apart, but we ended up stronger”). On “Step Dad”, Ducrot hails his stepfather for raising Ducrot and his family out of the pain and grief into a brighter future. Unsurprisingly, as noted in a press conference, Ducrot is most excited to perform “Mama” and “Step Dad” for the first time during his live tour, highlighting that above all else his family stands at the center of his work and his story.

Ducrot’s classical background is one of the strongest points of this record. He leans heavily into orchestral arrangements and choral ensembles, even releasing a new orchestra & choir version of several songs off his album. The sonic landscape is intricately designed where new pieces to explore emerge in each listen. On “Mama” Ducrot’s layered vocals add depth. On “Endless Nights”, a piano ballad intro transforms to an upbeat pop tune with a cello and piano, hints of Ducrot’s Irish heritage peeking through in the music as he reckons with heartbreak. On “Everyone Who Fall In Love”, where Ducrot considers the baggage previous relationships leave behind, the bass and guitar anchor the track and leave a haunting and aching aftertaste.

In Victory, Ducrot is an open book with a clear vision, which gives the album a more focused feel than his earlier mixtape and EP. His sentimentality sometimes borders on cliché, but his delivery and the overall production lead to a stunning final package. Despite not feeling like a good lyricist, Ducrot has a knack for tugging at heartstrings. Ducrot has even caught the attention of SZA, who tagged him to co-write a track for the (unseen) deluxe version of her highly successful SOS. He will spend the remainder of the year touring around the United States and Europe to support his debut album. Ducrot’s musicality leads to a refreshing take on a genre that can sometimes feel over-saturated. Victory is a deeply personal and intimate account of life, which also makes it a versatile and universal record.

You can listen to Victory here and catch Ducrot on tour here.

Show Review: All Time Low’s Atlanta Concert Brings Us Back to the 2000s for a Night

Posted on by Buket Urgen

My favorite ritual before going to a concert is listening to the artist on the way to the venue. It’s like pregaming for a night of music, with a dose of that same music. So, I drive toward Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy, singing along to All Time Low for the first time in a really long time. I didn’t know I was going to the show until 24 hours ago, but obviously, I could never turn down an invite to see a band that was a staple of my teenage playlists. What better place to be when you’re 23 with absolutely no clue of what to do next with your life? When you’re grieving the end of youthful aloofness that 23 doesn’t allow for? Pop punk is the natural answer, in all its angsty glory against the ails of suburban life and the isolation of late-stage capitalist U.S.A., now fused with the nostalgia of teenhood.

At the Roxy, members of the crowd are shrouded in flannel jackets, most of them donning facial piercings and colorfully dyed hair, a typical crowd for the genre. Later on, during the show, when Alex Gaskarth asks “Who’s been to an All Time Low show before?”, over half of the crowd will roar in affirmation. The remainder will be chastised by Gaskarth—”we’ve been a band for twenty fucking years.”

Gym Class Heroes, the final of the three opening acts, creates a unique buzz leading up to All Time Low’s set. I hear people behind me commenting that they haven’t heard a mention of GCH in 10 years. Even still, with just one full-length album that was released in 2011, GCH has enough hits to further fuel my nostalgia. They take us through a whirlwind consisting of “Stereo Hearts”, “Billionaire”, and “Ass Back Home”. The crowd sings along gleefully, for all intents and purposes, confirming my suspicions that for most of us, this show is a callback to our younger years.

When All Time Low band members finally trickle in, they wordlessly launch into their early hits, beginning with “Lost In Stereo” and “Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)” from 2009’s Nothing Personal, followed by “Six Feet Under The Stars” and “Poppin’ Champagne” from 2007’s So Wrong, It’s Right.

When they turn to some of their newer songs off their latest album, Tell Me I’m Alive, they kick it off with “Modern Love”, followed by the title track. All Time Low formed when its members met in high school in 2003. Now, 35 years old, the band acts as a time capsule for the era they emerged out of, with the same cheeky song lyrics (“I’m messy, I’m reckless / I fuck shit up for breakfast”), a healthy dose of disillusionment (”you’re obsessed with drugs and dating / modern love is too complicated”), and a lot of guitar.

Gaskarth in particular looks remarkably youthful, with a head of bleach blonde locks peaking out of a baseball cap, dressed in a white shirt that reads “SWANKIE SAYS CALM DOWN” from their own merch line. In between songs, mimicking their song “Stella”, he says “Will you take me home, Atlanta? Will you tuck me into bed and kiss my cheeks, Atlanta?”.

At the Sound of Letting Go Tour, pop-punk remains on the safe side of disobedience and defiance, the same way I felt listening to All Time Low as a teenager. The crowd is tame. After “Fake As Hell”, All Time Low’s latest single alongside Avril Lavigne, Gaskarth prods the audience to mosh after noticing what he called a “negotiation to mosh or not” happening in the midst of the crowd. During the next song “PMA”, which stands for ‘post-modern anxiety’, a mosh pit emerges in the center of the floor, but it doesn’t last more than a few minutes. All Time Low isn’t necessarily a show people go to and expect a mosh pit.

After three more songs, Gaskarth’s bandmates exit as he sits behind a piano for an intimate intro to “The Way You Miss Me”, which smoothly turns into a full band ensemble by the second verse. Disappearing and then returning to the stage with an acoustic guitar, Gaskarth plays the beginning notes to “Missing You”, a highlight from 2015’s Future Hearts album. It’s an easily relatable track that both promises hope and delivers a reality check with a scream-along bridge that goes “Grit your teeth, pull your hair / Paint the walls black and scream / ‘Fuck the world cause it’s my life / I’m gonna take it back’”.

Edging closer to the end of their two-hour set, Gaskarth says that we’re at the point in the show where he starts to feel “delirious” and “unhinged”, thanking the audience for “cheering on [his] unraveling”. After bantering back and forth with bandmate Jack Barakat and promising a swift return for another show in Atlanta, Gaskarth explains the meaning behind the name of their tour, which comes from the hope that fans can take whatever bullshit they’ve been hanging onto and let the fuck go. The audience claps and, like churchgoers responding with a chorus of amens, repeat to themselves “wooo yeah, let it go”. Naturally, they play “The Sound of Letting Go” next.

During another strategically placed piano intro, this time for “Calm Down”, a bashful Gaskarth gives a sheepish smile on the very zoomed-in camera pointing at his face. It’s a new track from their last album and (yet another) doomsday anthem that dwells on the infuriating feeling of losing your mind over worldly matters that others find immaterial; the refrain goes “Don’t tell me to calm down, tell me to calm down / It’s freaking me out that you’re not freaking out”. At this point, another mosh pit momentarily emerges and then fades back out.

Next, it’s time for the fan-voted song of the evening, wherein the band asks fans to vote for one of four songs via QR code before the show. With a cutesy egg-race video game animation up on the stage screen, the band discovers the song of the evening along with the fans. Tonight, it’s “Last Young Renegade”. Gaskarth jokingly says that this one’s been a fan-favorite so far on tour, which felt ironic to him considering the album had a mixed reception or in his words “everyone was like ‘what the fuck is this’.

Nearing the end of the main setlist, All Time Low digs deep into their discography with “Weightless”, a song I haven’t listened to in years, but still know exactly where every syllable falls when I hear it. Written by Gaskarth when he was 21, alongside songwriter Matt Squire, the song has grown in significance to me since I first heard it at (most probably) twelve years old. I could feel the words “I’m stuck in this fucking rut” and “I’m over getting older” leading into the hopeful exuberance of “Maybe it’s not my weekend / but it’s gonna be my year” with clarity and determination I haven’t felt in a long time.

With one last song (”Monsters”), All Time Low gives their fake goodbyes until it is time for the encore, which begins shortly after with “Sleepwalking”. Afterward, they bring forward a stool with a big red button in the center, prompting someone to come from backstage and press it, which will then activate the slot machine being projected onto the screen behind them. There are three song options and after a couple of spins, it lands on “Vegas” for the night, but the audience is far from fooled. A few stray voices shout “Dear Maria”, before the band dutifully launches into their most iconic track “Dear Maria, Count Me In”. Anyone attempting to leave at this point is getting dirty looks from the people they kindly ask to move aside. Most fans stay for the euphoric endnote of this delightfully 2000s nostalgia-fueled evening.

Atlanta Setlist:

“Lost In Stereo”

“Damned If I Do Ya(Damned If I Don’t)”

“Six Feet Under The Stars”

“Poppin’ Champagne”

“Modern Love” (with “Stella” snippet)

“Tell Me I’m Alive”

“Sleeping In”

“Heroes”

“Fake As Hell”

“PMA”

“New Religion”

“Favorite Place”

“Dark Side of Your Room”

“The Way You Miss Me”

“Missing You”

“The Sound of Letting Go”

“Calm Down”

“Last Young Renegade” (fan-voted song)

“Weightless”

“Monsters”

Encore:

“Sleepwalking”

“Dear Maria, Count Me In”

Photo of Quadeca

Artist to Watch: Quadeca

Posted on by Ethan Barrilleaux

Rapper, producer, singer-songwriter, and YouTuber Benjamin Lasky, professionally known as Quadeca, has quickly become one of my favorite artists due to his unique come-up story. Quadeca—or as fans call him, Quad—has crafted an enticing album that places you right in between life and death. His third studio album, I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You, changed the way I think about a concept album. It’s written from the perspective of a ghost in the afterlife, viewing his family living without him; the record is a truly emotional experience. I’d dare to say that I have moshed with Quad in between heaven and hell, as I saw him perform on his Quadeca | Quickly, Quickly tour in Purgatory at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.

"I never thought I would mosh with one of my favorite artists to a Death Grips-like track from an album about being a ghost in the afterlife."

Quad opened up the night with “knots”, accompanied by a full band. When Quad split the crowd in half preparing for the first mosh of the night, everyone chanting “I’m an open book in a closed casket” and “I don’t fade to black I cut to static”. These lines allude to the final minutes of the album being static, representing the fade into the afterlife.

Taking the show from a near-metal experimental hip-hop track into the entrancing “tell me a joke” is far from an easy feat as the track begins with soft ambient sounds. Yet, the booming moments hit just as hard as they did in “knots”. The live drums on this track were especially astonishing. During his set, Quad reminded us that these songs would never sound like this again, with the accompaniment of his live band and our voices meshing together.

Quad teased unreleased tracks with acoustic sets throughout the show. After performing what he said may be his hardest work yet, “born yesterday”, Quad took us back to his first studio album, Voice Memos. With the introspective “Man on My Left Shoulder” and the soul-sampled “These Days”, day-one fans got what they were hoping for.

Naturally, Quadeca performed his critically acclaimed “Sisyphus” off of his second studio album From Me To You. Quadeca’s high-pitched vocals at the beginning of the track pulled at our heartstrings before he started snappily rapping about the tough, never-ending climb of life.

Quadeca encored with his banger single “BEAMIN”. He fell into the crowd and moshed with his die-hard fans—I helped the man himself up off the ground as the night ended. I can easily say this was my favorite show I have attended to date. I never thought I would mosh with one of my favorite artists to a Death Grips-like track from an album about being a ghost in the afterlife.

When we thought Quadeca couldn’t get any more mysterious, he took to Twitter (now X) to tease his fans again. Changing his profile picture and banner to a wrinkled piece of blank white paper, Quadeca tweeted: “new era approaching”. Will the paper gradually get filled with sketches of his new concept album ideas? Or is this all to throw us off? Only time will tell.

Show Review: MisterWives & Bishop Briggs at the Tabernacle

Posted on by Buket Urgen

Last Saturday, MisterWives and Bishop Briggs brought their co-headlining Don’t Look Down Tour to Atlanta’s historic Tabernacle. The Tabernacle, originally founded as a church and later converted to a concert hall, was an appropriate choice for a show that felt like a musical baptism, cleansing us, the audience, of all our worldly problems and pledging ourselves to the religion of live music. Plus, they even brought their own Bishop! (Apologies for the corniness, but it was right there and I had to take it.)

The show started squarely at 7:30 with opener Raffaella, who praised both of the headlining women’s energetic stage presence, commenting on how they make it look easy, but she begs to differ. She was not overstating it.

After Raffaella’s peppy opening performance, MisterWives performed first. On a high-rise platform, about 4ft off the ground, in the middle of the stage, lead vocalist Mandy Lee began the performance with incredible gusto, rocking out to “Out Of Your Mind”. The platform was surrounded by screens that played visuals related to each song, adding an impressive technical touch.

After and energetic run through “Dagger”, and “Where Do We Go From Here?” which seamlessly transitioned into “Rock Bottom”, Lee takes a moment to speak and pledge that MisterWives is going to give their all to this performance, followed with “all that we ask in return is for you to feel whatever it is you need to feel”, promising that we’ll dance, cry, sing and laugh it out until we “leave here better than when [we] got here”.

In the floor section, it felt clear that audience members took her plea to heart and mirrored her energy. Lee recognized this and in a moment of vulnerability, paused to reflect before their next song, confessing that she’s been “battling a[n] anxiety attack” since the show began. At that moment, she looked truly overwhelmed by the audience’s response.

A little over halfway through the set, MisterWives performed “Ultraviolet”, a stripped and emotional confessional about insecurities. In an ode to the song’s music video and the album cover, Lee climbed back on top of the middle platform and sat on the edge with three arrows sticking out of her back. The delicate nature of the song and Lee’s existing anxiety surrounding the show pushed her slightly over the edge and she began to cry towards the end of the performance, which felt like real testament to her earlier statement about needing to feel whatever it is you need to feel.

Leading in to “SUPERBLOOM”, a triumphant, upbeat piece which repeats the refrain “I deserve congratulations ‘Cause I came out the other side” again and again, felt like emotional whiplash. After “Ultraviolet”, this one felt like a cathartic release, which (embarrassingly) left me tearful despite the joyous declaration. Perhaps because sometimes, the hardest part of believing something is to admit it to yourself.

Evidently, Briggs had her work cut out for her, following a performance like that. Mirroring MisterWives, Briggs began her performance atop the middle platform with her single “Art of Survival”, dedicated to her late sister, who passed away in 2021 from ovarian cancer. The screens below her featured the song’s music video.

Bishop Briggs performing “Art of Survival” at Atlanta’s the Tabernacle

Briggs came down from the platform, breathless and brimming with enthusiasm, repeatedly stating “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh”. One couldn’t deny her enthusiasm for being on stage and finally kicking off the tour. She segued into “High Horses”, where her electropop sound was in sharp contrast to the full-band pop-rock of MisterWives.

During “Baby”, Briggs led the chorus among an eager audience screaming and dancing to their heart’s content. During “Jekyll & Hyde”, a clever play on a classic literature trope, the screens projected various monsters, which for some reason briefly included Jack Skellington. This also heavily channeled the song’s accompanying music video.

Briggs is still a young artist with a handful of EPs and just two full-length albums. As a developing artist, she doesn’t have a cohesive image that I find myself being able to cling to. She’s raw, honest, and vulnerable, which are traits her fans admire the most, but her visuals feel scattered and disconnected.

Despite my skepticism, the fans absolutely adore her. The power she projects on stage holds a lifeline to audience members, who respect and identify with Briggs’ pains and joys. In the back of the room, I can see a group of friends in a circle, jumping up and down, singing every word.

During an acoustic performance of “Dream”, Briggs strips it back for a concert staple: the phone-light sway-along moment. After a few songs, she throws in a cover of “Take Me To Church”, admitting she’s a big fan of Hozier. It’s a crowdpleaser, the audience sings along loudly.

A few songs later, Briggs wraps up her set with her most successful single, “River”, which naturally, makes the audience ecstatic, putting a neat period at the end of an impressive night of music.

Logic College Park Album Cover

Review: Logic: ‘College Park’

Posted on by Ethan Barrilleaux

Maryland-based multi-platinum rapper Logic, AKA Bobby Hall, was not lying when he rapped “Egon’s finest, Peanuts after like I was Linus / Followed by that College Park next, that’s the lineup” on the final track of his previous album Vinyl Days. Sprinkled with various skits, College Park tells the story of the original Rattpack’s (Logic’s close squad and later, the name for his fans) trip to Washington D.C. as Logic prepares to perform a show. With features from the entire Rattpack (and more), College Park brings Logic back to his roots.

The album begins with guitar strumming and psychedelic vocals from Logic on the track “Cruisin’ Through the Universe” featuring RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. Logic’s vocals get both pitched up and down to indicate that this is a dream of Logic’s as he sleeps on longtime friend Big Lenbo’s couch. Logic wakes up and recalls his dream of being on a song with RZA. Lenny states “You know what would be really crazy? / If you got the whole Clan on a song one day” alluding to Logic’s “Wu Tang Forever” off his album YSIV. This track features every member of the Wu-Tang Clan except the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Logic’s producer 6ix is, of course, present throughout the entire album, and he does not let us down.

Next is “Wake Up” featuring Lucy Rose, the first single off College Park. While Rose does not have a chorus on the track as she did on the track “Innermission” off Logic’s sophomore album The Incredible True Story, she helps with the social commentary the track was made to create. Repeating lines “every day I wake up” displays Logic’s previous cyclical life of drugs and violence. Logic raps over punchy drums and a pulsing horn-like lead, stating “Dropped out of school then he picked up a spatula / ‘Cause he never had a good role model just a hood role model” displaying the importance of a proper education and environment to lead you through your adolescence.

The next single “Lightsabers” featuring C Dot Castro has the most grandiose production on the entire project. Elevated by the fun Star Wars-referenced title, Logic and Castro come out with a feel-good anthem. I particularly enjoy the several beat switches on the track. We are greeted with iconic “Logic” ad-lib and brassy trumpets as Logic raps simply “Today’s a good day”. After the first verse, the track introduces some light keys over which Logic lyrically highlights his love for producing. The message of this track is to not be creative not for fame or money, but for the love of the game. The third verse introduces more pulsing horns and vibrating synth leads. Recently released from prison, C Dot Castro, previously known as Shy Grey, finishes off the track rapping about his aspirations to make it in the industry one day. Since then, Castro and Logic have created a rap duo known as halfBREED and recently released their first EP, entitled 3P.

Still sprinkled with skits throughout, Logic does what we know him for best on the next three tracks. “Clone Wars III” exemplifies itself as a classic boom-bap beat produced by PoST and Logic himself. Logic reminds us that he is just one of us, a music and pop-culture nerd. The track “Redpill VII” is one of Logic’s most introspective in a while and is one of my personal favorite beats on the record. Beginning with an enchanting yet mysterious soundscape, Logic raps “the drugs all in they system got ‘em adamant they fine / but in they mind they know they not”. Logic is no stranger to struggling with or advocating for mental health, such as on his platinum-certified suicide prevention track “1-800-273-8255”. The track “Playwright” featuring Andy Hull can be summarized by one line “Logic known for tellin’ stories like a playwright”. The track is fun and light-hearted, nothing serious. Yet, the catchy chorus from Hull keeps me coming back. The track ends with a skit of Rattpack in the car, ready to head to Bobby’s show. Castro brings beat CDs, and then we go into “Gaithersburg Freestyle” feat. C Dot Castro, Big Lenbo, Fat Trel, and ADÉ.

Logic’s energy and delivery on the track keep me coming back to this freestyle. Plus, the seamless transition into the next track, “Insipio”, satisfies me every time. Logic released part of this track on his YouTube channel, featuring fun spinning visuals and agile spitting. Next, we get to the TikTok phenomenon “Self Medication” featuring Seth Macfarlane, Redman, and Statik Selektah. MacFarlane’s Sinatra-esque vocals are stellar. Logic and Redman put you in their shoes with their lyrics. I see why this track became a TikTok favorite.

“Shimmy”, featuring Joey Bada$$, is a tribute to Wu Tang’s late Ol’ Dirty Bastard. The track flies by, clocking in at just over two minutes. We get verses from Logic and Joey about overcoming their need for welfare benefits. 6ix and Soundtrakk lay down repetitive keys over simple hats. The production is straightforward, yet catchy, which is what 6ix does best. 

“Paradise II” was the third and final single from College Park. Featuring Norah Jones, we get melodic and swelling vocals in between Logic’s raps. Bobby drops some nerd and music references before Norah closes out the track, singing “Take me into paradise / Gotta keep our heads tonight / Even if it makes a fight / Take me into paradise”. This track is of course a sequel to the original “Paradise” off of Logic’s second studio album. Paradise II is a fun track, but I enjoy the first far more. This one ultimately feels like a filler.

Despite being a Logic fanboy, I must admit that things get a bit rough at this point in the album for me. Out of the next three tracks, the only one I really come back to is “Village Slum”, mostly due to the instrumental similar to Madlib’s “Road of the Lonely Ones”. “Come on Down” featuring Jordan Harris sounds a bit like a gym banger without any lyrical depth. We all know what the track “Highlife” is about, so I won’t waste anyone’s time explaining it here. 

Here we are, in the concluding few tracks of the album. Said to be the title track by fans, “38.9897 °N, 76.9378 °W” featuring C Dot Castro and Big Lenbo feels like another filler track. Nothing interesting is lyrically presented, but 6ix kills it with the simple yet catchy production once again. In the album’s story, Logic has now arrived at his show in D.C., accompanied by DJ Boss Player. Logic is nervous, but hype for the show. Then, we are introduced to the track “Ayo” featuring Bun B and Lil Keke. This is probably the most absurd turn in the project for me. I believe Logic could have placed another boom-bap-heavy freestyle-type track here, yet he just raps the word “ayo” over and over. I enjoyed the features, but again, nothing innovative here. 

Last but not least, “Lightyear” is the track I had been waiting for on this entire record. Produced by 6ix, PoST, Kal Banx, and Logic himself, the track contains several iconic beat switches and insanely enjoyable lyricism. Some of my favorite lyrics on the track are “Why you think I went pop? So my family could eat / But now that the fridge is full, it’s just a pen and this beat” and “I’m God-level, here to locust I’m so pissed like a P.O. / Rollie gold like C3PO, and I’m busting off like R2 / That’s COD-level”. We get introspective bars, alongside Call of Duty and Star Wars references—it’s purely awesome. Logic rapping over Kendrick Lamar’s “Rigamortus” came as a surprise to the entire Rattpack, and I could not wipe the smile off my face when I heard it.

“Lightyear” is interrupted by a skit, where the squad goes their separate ways and the only ones left are Logic and Big Lenbo. Lenbo tells Logic he’s going to make it big in the game someday, but Logic is hesitant. He states he wants to sing and play guitar, not putting himself into one box. Here, Logic shows us who he really is, singing “Now I’m here, Lightyears from where I was before”. Die-hard Rattpack members like me were shedding tears at this moment, proud of who Logic has become and what he will do in the future. While known for his snappy raps and witty punchlines, it only took a “Lightyear” for fans and the industry alike to respect and love Sir Robert Bryson Hall II.

Review: Recess Party: ‘Paid In Full’

Posted on by Adeboye Adeoye

Recess Party is the brainchild of four current and former University of Georgia students. Blending a wide range of indie, rock, and metal influences, the quartet has now released their debut album, Paid In Full, to the world. Keeping the energy always present at their live performances, this moody project is cohesive while still ensuring that every band member is spotlighted. Upon inquiry, bassist Sam Smith disclosed that “the whole album outside of ‘Foot’ is pretty much [frontman] Riley [Stillwagon]’s perspective and experiences.

The first track, “Foot”, begins with some light strumming and the lyrics “Give me all of you; there’s not much to see / Cause I’ll take everything, when everything’s meant for me” before the rest of the band comes in. Riley asserts that openness and vulnerability are nothing of significance and that a future with an unnamed subject of desire could be destiny. This is one of the strongest performances of instrumentation on the record. Drummer Meghan Stewart and lead guitarist Christian Pullen are especially vibrant with the last minute of the song being purely instrumental. Consistently building up to its peak, the song reaches its emotional and lyrical climax in the last verse:

Don’t you speak for yourself if you’re self-diagnosing?
Well, I promise I’ve got noth.ing worthy of solving
And I finished it once, aren’t my sins worth absolving?
Well, I know you well

Recess Party, Foot

Track three, “Different Bodies / Lights”, is brimming with energy. The raspy nature of Riley’s voice lends itself well to conveying a strong sense of distress. Speaking over the drums in the song, Meghan explains, “The constant busyness/motion of the groove is intended to create a feeling of barely restrained chaos within the song.” Lyrically, the relationship we are hearing about is toxic and incompatible. “Why can’t you spit it out; you wonder why I’ve grown so thin? / Can we just sound this out? Won’t you bless me with your wounds again?” These aren’t the words of someone whose relationship is uplifting them but rather someone who’s been left “suffocating” with “bloodshot eyes”.

“Happy Accidents” continues the through line of love hurting, and placing it fourth on the tracklist was a great decision. As we come to understand more about the nature of the relationship in question, Riley starts coming to terms with his own reality. He cries out to this woman in the chorus, “Unstable / Pick and choose again / Until you / You’re bound by emptiness.” The vocals are breathier and the track is more stripped back as the band builds up to the chorus. The almost three-minute instrumental outro is cinematic with excellent dynamics. The whole band, and most notably Christian, is really shredding here, so having heard it performed live several times, I can confidently say this is one of my favorites.

Track five, “Second Time” is the first to make use of an acoustic guitar. Here, Riley expresses ire towards his lover while still recognizing how much he doesn’t want to let go of what they have.

I don’t owe you; you don’t know my name
But our breaths are held in compromised exchange
I don’t owe you; you don’t know her name
Can you take a second look and maybe

Recess Party, Second Time

However, the words of this chorus soon change in both perspective and emotion.

You don’t owe me; please just say my name
While I’m gasping at each breach under your waves
You don’t owe me; you don’t feel the same
Just take a second look and maybe

Recess Party, Second Time

Yearning to be heard and for his feelings to be reciprocated, he begs to just be recognized; just maybe, his subject of desire will reconsider. The band stated that this song was originally named “Emo Song”, which would have been a clearly fitting title. There is a universal message in the song: unreciprocated love can push us to do things we’d be afraid of saying out loud.

The title track, “Paid In Full,” released as the album’s last single, is the best-written song on the album. The lead guitar and drum parts are rife with tension. Sam’s back-and-forth vocals with Riley on this track are essential. The lyrics “Are you sick? Know I tried / Paid in full. Empty tithe / Won’t you write this record ‘bout me now?” give us a firm answer as to what the song and album title means. Pining for love has left Riley with nothing but fatigue. Having given his full effort, or “paid it in full,” as a religious person offering tithes would, one might expect something in return. Sadly, that isn’t the case here.

Track eight, “Hypocrite,” was the first single the band released for this album, and you can read my review of it and their AthFest performance here.

“Range of Motions” closes out the album strongly. Vocally, it’s my favorite performance on the record, and bassist Sam really gets her opportunity to shine here. Understanding why things aren’t meant to be doesn’t usually stop us from pursuing those we desire, and that’s the story here too. With the context of all the previous songs, the lyrics “I swear I blocked your image out / In patterned, cyclic thinking / Now you’ve gone / I’ve gone” stick out the most. A greater understanding of his situation is the cause of great internal strife for Riley, and though he recognizes that fact, he can’t escape it.

The true highlight of this album for me, though, is the drumming. If the meaning of the song was unclear to me, I could focus on the drums and the meaning would become clearer. Likewise, Christian is almost always playing something that captivates me while Sam’s timing and chemistry with her bandmates make me envious. The album structure delivers a complete story, so I have to commend the band on the choices made regarding sequencing. These songs may well be a disconnected string of interactions with women, or they could be a collection of experiences between two people as I understood them to be. Regardless, they’re relatable, layered, and emblematic of the idea that love hurts.