Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Beat.
Neck Deep: 'The Peace and the Panic' – Album Review
Pop punk is a strained genre and it has many acts under its umbrella. But, there’s always a shiny gem, a diamond in the rough pushing through for glory. That band is Neck Deep, an act raising hairs with their brand of loud, unapologetic, emotive, sneers. Led by vocalist Ben Barlow, they add a sense of intelligence to a scene which has somewhat faltered over the years. This stems from lacklustre releases and a bloated formula, sounds which imitate, and that’s not good for a genre that should be celebrated for its glittering past.
By Mark McConville8 years ago in Beat
Top 10 Sophisticated Indie Songs
'Indie' is an incredibly broad concept and contains many different niches. Sophisticated indie is in the spectrum of artists who are not so mainstream and harness their creativity in a way that imbues real emotion in their fans. Many on this list are talented in writing their own songs, playing multiple instruments, and kill it on vocals. They are the very soul of the indie movement.
By Emily Adams8 years ago in Beat
Review: Rob Markman's 'Write To Dream'
From covering rappers as editor and writer for platforms like Complex, VIBE, The Source, MTV, XXL, to currently holding down the position of Head of Artist Relations at Genius—Rob Markman has now embarked on a new venture. Last month he released his official debut album, Write To Dream, and it was a surprise to everyone. A pleasant surprise, that is.
By Sadé Sanchez8 years ago in Beat
What Makes JAY-Z's "The Story of O.J." Music Video So Important
"O.J. like, 'I'm not black, I'm O.J.!' ... okay." It is this single line in "The Story of O.J.," Jay-Z's track off of his new album 4:44 that drives home the message of the song... lyrically and visually.
By Bailey VanHouten8 years ago in Beat
Review of Tyler, The Creator's 'Flower Boy'
Tyler, the Creator has released his fourth studio album, FlowerBoy—the follow up to his 2013 CherryBomb. The 14-track album features the likes of Frank Ocean, Lil Wayne, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell, Estelle, Rex Orange County and more. On the production side, Tyler enlisted... well just himself. Yup, Tyler produced and wrote the entire album. Surprised? Not really, his name is "the Creator” and well he's always been the master mind behind his albums. The guy is a creative genius, you should expect this by now. What happens next is not much of a surprise either.
By Sadé Sanchez8 years ago in Beat
In a Summers Garden
I am a self-taught Composer/Musician, who has written many pieces of music over the years. Some can be described as New Age, a lot are very spiritual in nature, and I have also written some ballads. I cannot read or write music in notation form, which may seem unorthodox to some, but seems to work very well for me, as I feel I can concentrate all my efforts on just letting the music flow naturally through me into whatever instrument I am playing at the time. I generally hear music fully orchestrated in my head, and replicate what I hear 'track by track' using a now rather old (16 years) Yamaha PSR2000 keyboard, and then sometimes incorporate myself playing an acoustic instrument over the top.
By Kerri Powles8 years ago in Beat
8EEZ Playlist: The Pointer Sisters
Hello one and all. This third entry in my duelling playlist with my good buddy, Calvin Cherry (who earned the nickname Oates on account I have blond hair like Daryl Hall), is devoted to an artist or group from the Reagan/Bush era that saw the rise of Jazzercise, the Cabbage Patch Kids, Freddy Krueger and the Iran Contra affair.
By Carlos Gonzalez8 years ago in Beat
10 Alt-Rock Girl Anthems to Get You Through Your Day
Let's face it: There will always be days you wake up with little confidence, burn the toast, spill your coffee, and bang your knee getting out of the shower. We could all use a musical pick-me-up in these times, so here's a list of songs guaranteed to turn your bad hair day into a fearsome rocker coif so you can kick adversity's ass.
By Eden Roquelaire8 years ago in Beat
Dry The River - Shallow Bed
In 2009, Dry the River made their name through numerous festival performances and charity gigs. Although they were members of post-punk hard-core bands, their folky gospel sound is refreshing to the ear. Shallow Bed, their debut album released in 2012 is far from disappointing with a distinct depth across the album acquired by the effective layering of instruments.
By Maddie Christy8 years ago in Beat
Tom Petersson Explains Why Cheap Trick Has Staying Power
Cheap Trick is one of the few bands who never really stopped performing and recording over the past 40 years. Their songs are all written as a collaboration of the four band members: Tom Petersson, Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, and Daxx Nielson, Rick’s son, who replaces Bun E. Carlos.
By Marcia Frost8 years ago in Beat
