Interview with Rita Houston

Today, I had the privilege of interviewing Rita Houston, the program director for WFUV. WFUV is the music discovery station that runs out of Fordham's campus. It is broadcasts to the entire NYC metro area and is popular nationwide. Rita shapes the station's musical footprint. She is responsible for bringing new talent to the limelight.

Patrick: As the program director for WFUV, you have a serious passion for music. Where did this passion come from and which musicians or bands inspired it early on?

Rita: I've always been a big music fan and avid radio listener. Growing up here in the NYC area was a great foundation for music and radio. Listening to WNEW FM in the late 70's and early 80's was an inspiration for my career. And now working with my mentors from there like Dennis Elsas and previously Vin Scelsa and Meg Griffin is a dream come true. Bands like the Talking Heads, The Clash, and Elvis Costello inspired me early on.

P: What does your day look like as a program director?/What are your duties as program director?

R: My day is seldom quiet as I'm always listening to music, watching videos, talking on air, or brainstorming ideas with the staff here. A typical day starts at home checking socials and email and then at the radio station all day.
We do a lot of events and live broadcasts so I'm usually out several nights a week at shows and producing events. I host my own show, The Whole Wide World every Friday night so that's how I end my week.

P: What kinds of music do you love that don’t fit on WFUVs roots and rock formula?

R: I love Frank Sinatra and classic hip-hop.

P: When selecting songs to go on air, how do you balance what you want to hear with what you think the audience wants to hear?

R: We have solid data on who is listening to WFUV and everything we play is focused on that. However, we are always striving for a diverse, interesting mix of artists and that requires digging deep and taking chances.

P: How do you go about discovering new music amongst the avalanche of new releases?

R: I count on the programming team here - Russ, our Music Director, does a great job of keeping his ear to the ground and that helps us a lot.

P: After a long period of Being the dominant musical style in the US, rock has lost a lot of ground to genres like country and hip hop. What do you think the future holds in store for rock music?

R: I think the long tail will be the model moving forward and that leaves plenty of room for all kinds of music. The pop charts will dominate with country and hip-hop but the alternative scene will never go away.

P: Finally, What are some relatively unknown artists or albums you would recommend people listen to?

R: Caroline Rose, Tom Waits, and Bob Dylan.

A big thanks to Rita Houston for talking with me. It's eye-opening to have a conversation with someone so involved with the music I enjoy. Hopefully, everyone got a better idea about one person who brings today's rock music to the masses. 

The Needle Drop

Anthony Fantano is the reason I started to listen to music with a critical ear.  Fantano runs a website and a YouTube channel called The Needle Drop, where he reviews three to four albums a week and provides commentary on today's music scene. His prolific output has earned him the title "Internet's busiest music nerd" and over 1.5 million Youtube subscribers. 

Behold. 

At the bottom of every video description, Fantano writes, "Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?" This attitude is what allowed Fantano to become so successful. Instead of billing himself as an expert, Fantano bills himself as a guy with an opinion, just like you. He removes the "ivory tower" element from music criticism.

This attitude shows up in his camera work. Fantano's reviews consist of him talking straight into the camera. Using this technique, Fantano is able to provide the illusion of conversation. When watching a Needle Drop video, it often feels like you are sitting with your music literate friend. You feel like you're chatting about exciting new albums and Fantano is cracking jokes and being quirky. Reality TV shows like Jersey Shore use this same technique when they have the actors confess their private thoughts to audience members. 

May I suggest Spamthony Cramtano?

Fantano constantly interacts with his fans, which furthers the interactive, personal feeling his videos give viewers. Look at the picture above, where Fantano lets the web decide what he will say in his signature opening gag. Fantanto is the first internet literate music critic. He grew with the rise of memes. He has gained mass popularity on websites like 4chan and Reddit. Websites like 4chan are where many popular memes are created.  Through these memes, users have of course relentlessly made fun of Fantano, both maliciously and endearingly.  Despite their silly origins, these memes serve to brand Fantano into the collective memory of the internet, giving him permanence.

Pictured: Dead Meme (circa 2013)

Whatever you think of Fantano and his videos, it is clear to see he has tapped into some cultural paradigm that allows him to be so successful. As traditional music media like Rolling Stone loses credibility and readership, keep an eye on The Needle Drop. 

Gorillaz and Virtual Bands

Gorillaz just released a new album The Now Now. Below is the music video for "Humility", the album's lead single. The Now Now is fun. However, it lacks the creative daring of earlier Gorillaz classics like Demon Days and Plastic Beach. I recommend giving it a listen, but I also want to talk about the band Gorillaz itself.

Gorillaz is the brainchild of Damon Albarn, the lead singer from popular Britpop band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, a cartoonist. The two set out to create a totally unique musical in response to the formulaic pop music they felt dominated the charts. In order to retain complete creative control, they decided to make the band in a virtual world. The concept was not new. Bands like Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Archies were also fake bands that released real music. While these bands have put out successful records, Albarn and Hewitt set out to push the limits of what a "virtual band" could be.

Albarn and Hewlett created a complex backstory for the band, which consists of the fictional Russell, 2-D, Murdoc, and Noodle. This story is woven into the records and media the band produces and will continue into the foreseeable future. It features madcap twists and turns, involving exorcisms, Japanese supersoldiers, and islands made of garbage.

In the video above we can see the characteristic elements of a Gorillaz production. Most noticeable are the four animated members of Gorillaz. Apparently, they got Jack Black interested, because he provides a cameo. By using the medium of animation, the characters are able to be totally unreal, yet interact with the real world at the same time.

Gorillaz is a fantastic blend of everything. Their music bends genre and their visual aspect bends reality. If your ever in the mood for a totally unique musical experience, I suggest going through the Gorillaz catalog.

Hive Mind Stream of Consciousness Review

Today I listened to Hive Mind, the latest project from Neo-Soul group The Internet. Instead of a traditional review, I wrote down all my thoughts in a stream of consciousness style, sorting them by track. Hopefully, this experiment will illuminate what I listen for in music and my thought process. Postive thoughts are in blue, negative thoughts are in red, and general observations are in black.

1. Come Together
This is a super funky track, and it just started.
I don't know what the chorus is saying.
There is a spacey feeling to this song.
Nice flute.
This would make great background music nothing cuts through the mix.
Nothing sticks out. Maybe this is like a musical palate cleanser, getting my ears ready for some funky soul music.

2. Roll (Burbank Funk)
This drum track is super syncopated. 
This bass line is amazing.
Finally, I can a voice that cuts through the music. 
These synth stabs add a ton of atmosphere.
All night. All night. All night.

3. Come Over
The simple, heavy drumbeat contrasts poorly with the seductive vocals
The phrasing on this guitar solo is amazing. 
This spoken word outro is odd. I'm not a fan.

4. La Di Da
I like the clavinet sound.
This track was so bland it didn't inspire any thoughts.  

5. Stay the Night
This acoustic intro is lush and beautiful.

Vocals are soft but sensual. Catchy hook, the harmony sounds great.

6. Bravo
Tight lyrics. Suave lamentations on lost love, but very bitter. 
Similar instrumentals to the rest of the album.

7. Mood
This drumbeat is really interesting.
The rest is not.

8.Next Time/ Humble Pie
The hook is wordy and complicated, but it is relatable to any listener.
Incredible melody.
This song is more downbeat than the rest of the album, very chill.
Standout song. 

9. It Gets Better
The tempo is picking up again.
Mellow but still very funky.
I can't tell if this interlude is rap or spoken word.
Either way, I like it.

10. Look What U Started
I feel like I've heard this song three times on this album already. 

11. Wanna Be
These instrumentals are starting to bleed together.
The "Wanna Be" and "want to be" are a good play on words.

12. Beat Goes On.

Fat sounding synth bass line, which is amazing. 
Dissonant notes add a lot of character.
Great synth arpeggios give the song flair
This is the best song on the album. 

13. Hold On
Bleh. Boring and long.

Conclusion: The instrumentals are tight and funky, but the album fails to hold my attention. With only a couple standout tracks, this album works better as background music. 

Loner Review

On her album Loner, Caroline Rose gives her listeners a thoughtful examination of female sexuality, punctuated by sick synth riffs. Each track blazes with originality and energy. Caroline's satirical lyrics find humor in serious issues like mental illness and misogyny.  

However, I think Caroline's thoughts on sexuality are the most compelling part of this album.

"Soul No.5" is Caroline's confident assertion of her own sexuality. She yells, "I like to keep a loser freak in the sheets." This declaration shows her casual, glib attitude toward a topic many people still find taboo.  

On "Smile", Caroline uses a cacophony of distorted voices to explore how annoying it is for women to be told to smile constantly.  "Bikini" deals with the commodification of the female body. 

"Getting To Me" and "Animal" both explore romantic relationships. "Getting To Me" expresses a desperate longing for romance.  "Animal" exudes physicality. Caroline explores the lust she feels for an ex. Anger toward her ex's new partner consumer her thoughts until she loses reason and becomes "like an Animal."  

The cover art is fantastic and belies the humor present on this album. Caroline creates a visually striking red and white color scheme, reminiscent of the sharp and focused color schemes of early White Stripes albums. This draws the eye to the album and holds the viewer's attention. The font choice and framing of the shot remind me of a Wes Anderson film. Caroline's casual attire, the red sweatsuit, gives the album a casual visual aspect, which matches with the frank tone Caroline addresses serious issues with. Of course, the most striking feature of the cover is Caroline's mouth filled with a pack of cigarettes. It's comical, but it also hints at the dark, mordant humor of the lyrics. 

Conclusion: It rocks and it has something to say. Listen.  

Scorpion Review

Drake is at the top of pop stardom. A single from his latest album, called “In My Feelings” just knocked another from the same album from the Number one spot. He now has the most number one singles of any rapper.

While Drake might be a superstar, the album that spawned these singles is not so stellar. I’ll break down my thoughts in this review.

SCORPION- Drake

The Good

• The Production
• Bangers 
• Drake’s X Factor

The Bad

• Filler Tacks
• Separation of Rap and R & B

The Ugly

• Drake’s struggle with paternity 

There’s a lot to like on Scorpion.

The production on this album, like every Drake release, is top notch. He as a star team of producers behind him and the beats here range from simple and snappy to deep melodic and moody.

Scorpion has bangers too. “In My Feelings” is the platonic form of a Drake hit. Cheesy yet charming bars about women over an earworm hook make this an ideal pop rack track. “Emotionless” and “Nice for What” are two other standout tracks. 

There’s also Drake’s X Factor. Drake possesses this melodramatic charm that has allowed him to rise of the top of the rap game and break all of the conventions of the genre while doing so. Most of Drake’s music is spent musings on the trials of women and fame, but he has the charisma to make the most ridiculous bars sound cool. Take the following from “God’s Plan.”

She said, 'Do you love me?' / I tell her only partly / I only love my bed and my mama / I'm sorry

I would laugh if anyone said this to me in real life, but Drake makes it sound smoother than Shaft.

My biggest complaint, by far, is the album's excessive length. It is easy to contrast this album's length with the brevity of another recent album I enjoyed, Kids See Ghosts. Every track on Ghosts seems to have a meaning or try to break some new ground. On Scorpion, half of the tracks seem to be throwaways. These songs also make the album unfocused; I struggled to find a theme that made the album a cohesive whole.

Drake’s other misstep was separating the album into two halves, one focused on rap and the other focused on R&B. Drake reached his level of popularity by being one of the first artists to combine the two genres by himself. Separating the two takes away one of his biggest strengths.

The ugliest aspect of this album is how Drake handled his new public fatherhood. Pusha T, another prominent artist, recently revealed to the world that Drake had a child, a fact Drake himself had not made public. Drake uses childish lyrics to address the issue

Thankful for the women that I know / Can't go fifty-fifty with no ho / Every month, I'm supposed to pay her bills / And get her what she want / I still got like seven years of doin' what I want

Let's not forget that Drake isn’t a kid, even if he’s handling his paternity crisis like one of the baby daddies from teen mom. Drake has been massively popular since 2009. A man that’s been at the top of music for that long should have a little more sense

Final Verdict: Recommended with some reservations. Listen to the bangers.

Kids See Ghosts Review

Kid Cudi and Kayne West released a new album.

If you went to high school anytime from 2008 through 2014, these words are enough to send tingles down your spine.

Kid Cudi was able to connect to a generation of moody teenagers with classic albums like Man on the Moon and Man on the Moon II. These albums featured songs that bared Cudi’s raw emotions and darkest insecurities plain for the world to see. Cudi’s openness packaged with the slick production and guidance of Kayne West ensured the staying power of their music. Unfortunately, after a period of mental illness, Cudi’s music descended into mediocrity and with culminated with the 2015 atrocity Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven.

Now I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Kids See Ghosts proves the duos were and remain a force for making emotionally driven art and music.

Here are my three favorite things about the album.

1. Brevity. At only seven tracks and 23 minutes long it is easily digestible in one sitting. Like an effectively edited essay, Kids See Ghosts trims the excess away and delivers its message in a lean and punchy format. Themes of alienation, loneliness, despair, and triumph shine through the music. The typical generic rap trappings of wealth, sex, and meaningless violence are not present to water down the album's focused vision.

2. Emotional Immediacy. The duo is open about their struggles in life and they leave no trauma unrevealed. Lines like, “And nothing hurts anymore / I feel kind of free” remind me of "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd.

3. Raw Sound. This album is dissonant, which works well with the subject matter. Kid Cudi’s trademark off-key singing emphasizes the aforementioned emotions. The rough edges are intentional. Kayne is a notorious perfectionist, so for better or worse, every sound on this album is meticulously placed.

However, this album has weaknesses.

Some songs are aimless. Songs like “Free” and “Feel the Love” lack clear structure and direction. While this is may not be a negative for some people, I found myself lost amongst verse and chorus, wondering when the song was going to end. Without defined rising action and climax these songs became disorienting.

The album falls into the common trap of romanticizing mental illness. Cudi and Kayne are open about struggling with depression and Bipolar Disorder, respectively. However, instead of portraying these illnesses as the debilitating disorders they actually are, the duo seems to use them to feed into the “tortured artist” trope. 

Conclusion: This album is as flawed as the two men who made it. Give it a listen anyway.

Wide Awake Review

Damn, I like this album.

The band first caught my ear with their 2016 album Human Performance. The singles "Berlin Got Blurry" and "Dust" were constantly on my Spotify rotation last summer. "Dust’s" fat, droning guitar sounds and chanted vocals provide a hypnotic listen. The spaghetti western guitar licks and witty lyricism of "Berlin Got Blurry" make it one of the most unique rock songs of the decade. I consider it an instant classic.

Parquet Courts occupy a unique lyrical space on this Wide Awake, dangling between seriousness and silliness, walking the tightrope between those emotional extremes.

The album tackles pertinent topics such as income disparity, violence and our polarized political climate without devolving into preachy sloganeering. The perfect example of the silly/serious duality comes off Total Football, which contains the political commentary, “Collectivism and autonomy are not mutually exclusive”. They also say “Fuck Tom Brady” on the same track. While the first lyric may be perceived as shallow, the second example shows that this band is truly at the height of their intellectual prowess.

The band’s punk roots shine as strong as ever in Wide Awake’s sound. "Almost Had to Start a Fight/ In And Out of Patience" starts out as an amateurish sounding punk song, but halfway though kicks into gear, developing a groove strong enough to spawn a mosh pit.  

"Mardi Gras Beads" reminds me of Mac DeMarco. I hope you forgive the overused comparison. The hazy vocals and reverb-drenched insurgents are reminiscent of the popular indie rocker. The style works well in this song. What really stands out to me on this track is the solo. While not technically dazzling, the phrasing is magnificent and the interplay between the rhythm instruments and the lead guitar effectively sum up the emotions of the song without the need for words.

The band reaches out from their punk and indie roots on this album. They have been listening to funk, and it especially shows on cuts like Wide Awake. The track is so groovy it blurs the lines between dance music and rock. I would be hard-pressed to even call it rock music. Like funk and disco music, the song lays primarily on the multilayered percussion section and the baseline. The baseline is funky enough to make Bootsy Collins blush.

Further drawing comparisons to classic Funk music a la James Brown is the simple and repetitive lyricism. The vocals act as another instrument in the mix, adding vocal timbre instead of telling a story or expressing complex emotional statements. This, of course, is not a criticism, the lyrics are masterfully executed and more complex lyrics might serve to ruin the songs spotless groove.

Conclusion: Damn, I really like this album.