Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Beat.

Five Songs You Need To Download ASAP!
Music is like a second language to me. It's very rare for me not to be wearing earphones and bobbing my head like a lunatic in public. If you're into very underground music or songs from famous artists that haven't made it to the top of the charts, keep reading!
By Dylan Thomas8 years ago in Beat
Silver Linings Playlist: Halloween
Hello, and welcome back to Silver Linings where I spotlight the best of the weird, maligned, and forgotten. Halloween is my favorite time of the year; I've said that before. Any excuse to indulge in the creepiest movies and games is fine by me. However, I do lament that my radio largely gets ignored during this time as there's very little in terms of music that fits the holiday. That stands in stark contrast to Christmas which sees everyone and their grandmothers putting out albums singing the same Christmas songs that have been sung for centuries.
By Adam Wallace8 years ago in Beat
How Nine Inch Nails Changed My Life
Music is perhaps one of the most powerful forces on the planet. I can guarantee that we have all had our fair share of moments where we heard a piece of music and felt like a song or album was meant for us. It might even feel at times that it was specifically written for us, and that our lives changed for the better (or worse) when we heard that one specific song.
By Jenika Enoch8 years ago in Beat
AKFG: Japan's Beloved Alt-Rock Aces
Starting from indie obscurity in the early 2000s, Asian Kung-Fu Generation (stylized as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION) quickly captured the hearts of the land of the rising sun with their passionate, energetic, and infectious sound. Taking cues from 90s alternative rock, AKFG's distorted, melodic power pop draws comparison to the likes of Weezer, Oasis, and many more. Over the years, AKFG has gained a huge fan base outside of Japan touring in Europe, South America, and recently for the first time North America. While their sound has steadily expanded over the years, a few things remain constant: powerful and energetic instrumentation, emotional and poetic lyricism, and simple, driven, captivating melodies.
By Sean Martin8 years ago in Beat
Under-appreciated Talent: Artists That Deserve Way More Recognition
As mainstream music becomes more and more uniform and predictable over time, it's not often that the chance is given to find great "under-the-radar" artists. Luckily, through searching high and low, I can safely say that I've found a few artists that are unique in their own right, and have captivated me from the moment I laid eyes (or should I say ears) on these bands/artists. If you haven't already, you should definitely, and I do mean definitely, give a listen.
By Nyla M.8 years ago in Beat
Vinyl Subscriptions 101
Whether or not you collect vinyl records, you've definitely seen the ads. Vinyl subscription services have really kicked off in the last year or two, with unboxing videos becoming a phenomenon all their own — if you're one of the many people who sent me death threats for starting the VNYL unboxing trend, I'm sorry.
By Paige Williams8 years ago in Beat
My Body Is A Cage by Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire had been one of the most admired indie-rock bands of the early 2000’s who toured alongside the band U2. They were rewarded a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album and performed their hit song “Wake Up” with a now-deceased David Bowie. Their second album Neon Bible, of early 2007, was first released in the UK and then in the US a day later on March 6th. It later became number two on the Billboard 200 chart and sold 92,000 copies its first week since the album’s debut. Their song “My Body is a Cage” inspired wonder and a sense of melancholy hysteria behind the many meanings and interpretations of the lyrics.
By Nathaniel Reidhead8 years ago in Beat
The Sweet
Have you heard of a song called "Ballroom Blitz" ? There is no need to answer because, of course you have. What about the hit from the trailers for the film
By Nathan Miller8 years ago in Beat
Gucci Mane — 'Mr. Davis' Album Review
Trap music pioneer, Gucci Mane, is back once again. This time, he has more to say about his post-prison life, the pain he feels over the deaths of fellow Atlanta rapers, and more casual stuntin'. He has aligned himself with big stars for Mr. Davis.
By Rap Disciple8 years ago in Beat
Change: Artist? Industry? Technology?
A post that could be divisive, but really, I’m just asking questions… Music is something that will always be developing and evolving, and thank goodness. That is something that I feel anyone can be grateful for. Don’t get me wrong, we can all appreciate the iconic sounds and songs of a specific decade or genre, but if we were all stuck in the same place, we would all get bored.
By Maddie Christy8 years ago in Beat
Kelela — 'Take Me Apart' Album Review
If Kelela was just a blip on your radar before, prepare yourself. She’s ready to become a full-fledged star. Her debut studio album projects a sound that’s so uncanny to the pop landscape that she’s sure to stand out. This is a track-by-track review of her latest album, Take Me Apart.
By Rap Disciple8 years ago in Beat
Need a Website?
I recently made the decision to invest in a professional website for my music business. As a singer songwriter and now performer, I needed a powerful means of distribution, enticing marketing, and a crisp display across desktop and mobile devices. Wix.com provided all of these things and more. Its drag and drop design was so intuitive that I was able to focus primarily on aesthetics as opposed to the technical logistics. There are other website design platforms that don't require coding such as Weebly, but Wix's music management is like no other. I get an eCommerce store built into my site, which is run through PayPal, so you get super smooth purchases and invoices for a reasonable fee of 3% plus $0.30 per transaction. By the way, I'm only paying $15/month for everything I’m about to talk about, and I still have all the rights to my songs.
By Jonathon Lombardi8 years ago in Beat