Kill All Hippies 2
Jason Isbell – “Foxes in the Snow” Jason Isbell: What to say? No, seriously, what to say? He’s always existed to me as a blindspot: the artist that will “totally make you be into country, man, cuz he’s super different than every other songwriter in that scene.” What makes him so different? Maybe it’s his […]
Kill All Hippies
Q: What is “Kill All Hippies?” A: “Kill All Hippies” is a monthly album review column written by Me. It’s also a great song by Primal Scream. Q: Who Is “Me” A: Me is Mason Rowley, longtime Ink music contributor. Q: What are your qualifications? A: I have this column and you don’t. Q: So […]
How Arca and Queer Creators are Redefining Reggaeton
I can remember when I was around 6 years old listening to the biggest hits on HOT 99.5 on the drive to school. That was the extent of the music I listened to, except for in the evenings when I would do my homework on the dining room table. My father would cook carne asada […]
The Nature of “Charm” by Clairo
At the end of our staff meeting, some fellow Ink writers and I conversed about what our songs of the summer were. It was a conversation where notorious releases were mentioned and artists I’ve never heard about were introduced. As it became my turn and I attempted to share my love for “Charm,” one staff […]
Gleaming the Lewd: A Tour Guide to Our Sex Playlist
In the beginning, there was a simple flute. Created by a Neanderthal man and consisting of a singular cave bear thighbone that was drilled, hollowed, cleaned, and eventually blown through, it’s the oldest evidence we have of a musical instrument created by humanity. If there’s anything I’m sure about on this wonderful planet Earth, it […]
Tiny List
In 2008, Bob Boilen was at a Laura Gibson show in a crowded, noisy dive bar with his friend and producer, Stephen Thompson. He made a joke to the singer that the bar was too loud and that she should just come play at Bob’s desk instead. They laughed it off, but a few weeks […]
Splice
Sampling: In the best cases, it reworks a musical element in a creative way. In the worst cases, it’s a cheap gimmick meant to garner more streams. A great sample can effortlessly blend with the original content of a track, making for a novel creative work that pushes the boundaries of sonic expectation. A mediocre […]
‘Touch Tank’ and Societal Misogyny
The song “Touch Tank” was released by alternative artist Quinnie in 2023. The song describes the speaker’s experience of receiving oral sex from a man, while also falling deeper into love with him because of the unconditionally accepting and gentle nature of their relationship. The song details the sexual experiences the two have together through […]
Songs of Resistance
If you look up a list of “greatest protest songs,” nine times out of ten you’ll receive a list heavily reliant on the western popular canon, i.e. Dylan, Rage Against The Machine, and if you’re lucky, Public Enemy. These are all good, and all essential, but I think that sort of view can lead to […]
Wisp
Have you ever been listening to a band or artist and thought to yourself, “I wish I knew this guy sooner?” Your chance at redemption is now and the artist is promising! Natalie Wu, or Wisp, a 19-year-old hailing from San Francisco, is an independent shoegaze artist who has fans flocking to her like moths […]
Frost and Beef Stew
What does winter sound like? Is it best soundtracked by warm, cozy sonics that fit themselves snuggly into our ears like a child curled near a crackling fireplace? Or do angular, glacial sounds better match the cold and isolation the season often brings? Ink’s music writers have been reflecting on this dichotomy as VCU’s campus […]
Powders2Powders: Eartheater at The Underground Arts
Eartheater performed at The Underground Arts in Philadelphia, PA for her “Powders” album tour. On a foggy night at The Underground Arts in Philadelphia, down the stairs and around the corner, Eartheater fans congregate around the stage. The smoke dissipates suddenly as Concrete Husband approaches the mic. Thrashing and playing the flute like an electric […]