580 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(02/05/18 5:00pm)
OnFebruary 15th, local four piece Tripping On Bricks will be playing New Brookland Tavern for a WXRY/WUSC co-hosted show. WXRY will be doing live coverage at the event, which is a showcase for USC student artists. This event will be a great opportunity to see some of Columbia’s best student talent!
Tripping On Bricks are USC students who started out as a cover band but have now moved into producing their own music. They are currently raising money to release an EP.
Before Tripping On Bricks there will be multiple student openers ranging from singer/songwriter to Hip Hop.
At 8 pm local hip hop artist Mark Carson will be performing. His song “Flair Walk” spawned a local dance craze.
Coming on at 8:20 is local hip hop artist PATx. He just released a new single called “Bars”.
Coming on at 8:40 is local rapper H3RO. He is a Columbia native and has released multiple mixtapes.
At 8:45 is local singer songwriter Brooks Herring. He is alternative/country and performs solely acoustic.
At 9:20 local singer/songwriter Sam MacPherson will be perfoming. His musical influences include the Beatles and John Mayer.
At 10:00 headliner Tripping On Bricks will be playing covers and new original music!
If you are interested in local music and want to help support USC students, this show will be a great Thursday night outing!
Doors open at 7 pm. $6 for 21+ $10 Under 21
10% discount for active military members and those in the Service Industry.
By Jonathan Furnell / DJ Pooh
(02/04/18 11:44pm)
I witnessed firsthand what it takes to oversee a successful diy music event. It began as a cold, empty room, and evolved into a vibrant stage, surrounded by a crowded dance floor. In the past, I’d had experience putting together events at house shows, but this was the first time that I helped turn an empty space into something unlike anything on this planet— ok, maybe that’s an overstatement, but The Space Hall in Columbia is a master at transforming space into diverse environments. The event was called “The Bassment”, and it was put together by Anissa Christine (aka Platonic Bae). This event has been her “brain baby” for months, organizing the booking, promotions, and overseeing the creative vision of the night. Without her, and the slept-on people at The Space Hall in Columbia, this event would have never happened. The show featured three DJs that frequently play electronic shows in Columbia, and boasted an array of mesmerizing lights and projections.
The first act of the night was the Soda City gem, Platonic Bae. After seeing her turn out Art Bar at the official Indie Grits after party last year, I knew that The Space Hall was in for a treat. The hip hop and house inspired set perfectly set the mood for the night. A meager handful of people grew into a jubilant gaggle packed into what was once a cold, and vacant room.
Following her success, Contour, vocalist in the Charleston band of the same title, began his set with songs that probably made everyone wonder why Netflix cancelled “The Get Down”. High energy disco anthems, hypnotic house beats, and hot latin tracks continued the trend of endless dancing for the night.
Finally, the 3rd act of the night, DJ Celcius is known for having funky sets that are reminiscent of family reunions, and the music that your parents play at home on days spent cleaning. Despite his appearance, every song in the mix contained enough spirit energy to compel line dancing at a 4th of July cookout. Even though I’d seen all of the artists that performed at others shows in Columbia, it was interesting to see the inception of the event for the night, and experience the show as a guest and producer.
[gallery size="medium" ids="3162,3164,3163"]
This was also my first time getting to see the behind the scenes action of Vj’ing, which believe it or not, a ton of work goes into. I won’t get into the technicalities of what makes the video projections work, or how the 6 giant LED lights that we hung from the ceiling pulls everything together, --mainly because I’d do a poor job explaining it, but because the intimacy of the space that was created, and the sense of community that events like this spreads is more interesting. A picture is worth 1000 words, so it shouldn’t take much to convince someone how being at a show like this feels. It was truly one of my favorite shows that i’ve been to in 2018, and hopefully, there will be many more at The Space Hall.
Photos and Write-up by Maquel Parks / DJ Corduroy
(02/04/18 8:59pm)
[separator top="40"]On a random Sunday evening, I was able to visit the The Space Hall in Columbia, an ethereal venue that's usually sci-fi themed, and got to see a place without any fancy lights, no origami hanging from the ceilings, and no bamboo-lined walls. I was able to view the space in its raw form without being decorated for an event. Today, Garnet and Black, USC’s student run magazine, used The Space Hall as a professional portrait studio. I was able to take a tour of the place, and chat with the Space Hall’s directors, Sean Shoppell and Richard Voltz.
What is space hall?
“The Space Hall of Columbia is a multi-purpose arts space located in the basement of Tapp's Arts Center. Our main focuses right now have been placed on live music events, while also developing a community dark room and photo lighting studio.”
[separator top="40"]
How did this idea form and who is responsible for the development of this space?
“It's a little difficult to pinpoint where the idea for this project started, but I do know that a huge influence came from all the house shows I went to or set up while I was still in college. House shows always gave me a sense of community and freedom that I'd have a hard time finding at a normal venue. There was a time when there were about 5 separate house show spots running in town which meant there was a show almost every day of every weekend. But that is were the true beauty of house shows are, they can't last forever.
Around the time that a couple of those house show spots started phasing out was when I went to live up in NYC to potentially drop out of college/ have an internship/pursue "the dream". It was a beautiful experience that helped me learn a lot about what it means to be a creative today. As important as it is to be creative and have talent, it is just as important to have time for practice and time to relax. For me while I was up there I was working the whole time trying to stay sort of not broke, any free time was spent on a train or in traffic. It made me appreciate what "free time" meant and that you don't have to move to a "name brand" city to "make it." If anything, you should only move to one of those places after you've "made it" or you have a ton of money or you're ready to really work your ass off. Added to that I'd never found anything that gave me that feeling of community that I'd had while I was here in Columbia.
With the hopes to actually finish college, have free time, and pursue creative endeavors more fully, I came back to Columbia. This was around the time that a few friends I'd worked with before decided we wanted to try and do something in Columbia. We took a record label idea and revived it as an arts collective, each of us bringing together our different strengths, ideas, and dreams of what we saw we could do to help the community. My goal from day one was a new arts space, something that could help refresh Columbia's artistic community. After almost exactly a year of trial and error with the collective, we decided to dissolve and focus on our personal goals. It was during our last event with the collective that I knew I really wanted to focus on starting up a new space and I just started thinking "Yeah Space Hall is a good name for something" but I had no idea what it would actually be.
For a few months I spent time looking around town for buildings that could be potential arts spaces but I realized I had no money and no plan to do anything with a space. That was when I began to think "What kind of artists could really use the help right now?" The first thing that came to mind was photographers. Columbia has such a incredible under the radar photography scene here, and there isn't much access to tools for them to use. There are no public dark rooms in South Carolina and any local photo studios are going to cost too much for artists trying to get their foot in the door [except for the really dope photo studio at the Richland County Library that is completely free to use, you should definitely check it out].
Through sheer luck of the stars aligning, my old photography professor Gordon was able to help with donations related to everything needed to start the dark room and lighting studio while at the same time Tapp's Art Center were looking to add a dark room to their building. Space Hall owes so much to both Tapp's and Gordon for making this a reality. Tapp's especially, has been the place that give me high hopes for the future of Columbia’s arts and culture. The sense of community with the people who work there really shows me how much potential this city has.”
[separator top="40"]
How would you describe this type of space to a prospective artist?
“Space Hall is best described as a raw space. Somewhere, that if you have enough time and effort, you could do close to anything you want in it.”
[separator top="40"]
What’s unique about space hall that sets it apart from other venues in Columbia?
“When it comes to our live events we do as much as we can to make it a unique experience each time. We make sure that when you come to see a live performance, you're not just coming to see the live act, you're there to really experience something new. With that, we also try to do all we can to give credit where it's due. There's so many moving parts of a live show that kind of go unrecognized on a public level. Everything from who sets up the sound system, to the photographer who takes pictures at the show. It's kind of like the show is a big cell and each different aspect plays an important role which makes it important to recognize them and their work.
For example, my brother Michael Shoppell [aka Grawix] is the most talented VJ artist in town, and if you've seen a show in the past two years, where there have been crazy visual projections, it's a very good chance that he there was standing in the back of the room making it look that cool the whole time. Chris Johnson is also another important collaborator with the Space Hall who's talent with sound equipment has truly been a blessing on the local music scene.
Another side of that is we want to teach people those same skills to help them learn how to do something related to live events. Zoe Hedquist, who is a talented photographer works with the Space Hall as the Dark Room Manager, has also been learning how to operate lights for live events. Basically, the more people who learn how to do these behind the scenes kind of things only helps build for better more unique shows in the future.”
[separator top="40"]
What type of art do you want to be included in this space?
“We want to try and do all that we can. Our strengths continue to be live music events, but we hope to have everything from galleries to film screening.”
[separator top="40"]
What events at space hall have been the most successful / how were they successful?
“There’s a lot of different ways to look at success, which is something this process has been teaching me. When I first started throwing shows and events a big concern for me and everyone else was numbers. Which is important but not the ultimate barometer for success. The main focus for us is to give people an experience that was fulfilling. Be it a time you danced all night, or something where you heard something that made you laugh, cry, or dream.
Our most important and successful event to date has definitely got to be our “Venus Rising” show. Everything from the performers involved, and everyone who came out gave me that’s “oh shit this real” moment. The line-up featured three all female fronted R&B singers. Their experience that night, and what it felt to help these incredible artists have a chance to perform, doesn’t compare to anything else when it comes to success.
Another thing that added to that show’s success is in thanks to Lee Garrett, Space Hall’s Live Event Coordinator, who put together the most incredible collection of art for the show’s campaign. His attention to detail and his talent for original flyer art is a style of it it’s own”
[separator top="40"]
What’s to come for space hall? Are you excited for any future exhibitions/ shows?
“We have a lot of things lined up to come -- that it’s hard to say what’s most exciting, but for as of now, I know we are excited as hell that the dark room we’ve been working on is almost finished. Richard Voltz who is our Photo Programs Director, has been deep in the basement pretty much every day working on the dark room.
We will be having a big first Thursday opening on March first. So if you have any film you want to get developed soon send it out way.”
[separator top="40"]
If you guys could host any type of exhibition/ concert/ or gallery, what would your ideal show be?
“I’ve always wanted to make a VR drone system where you can pilot a drone in outer space like around the International space station or something . There’s also the idea of making 3D visual graphics shows. So maybe one of those things could happen soon.”
The Space Hall of Columbia is located in Studio 31 in the basement of Tapp's Art Center.
Interview and Photos by Maquel Parks // DJ Corduroy
(02/02/18 6:03pm)
George Miller, a.k.a. YouTube’s notorious Filthy Frank, is making more music. But this time not as Pink Guy, he has adopted a new alias by the name of Joji that introduces us to a side of him we’ve never seen before. As Pink Guy, he made rap music with an immature humor that originally appealed to fans of his YouTube channel. Now, Joji has taken the music scene by storm with his first EP, In Tongues. And after hearing it, all we can say is that we can’t wait to see what Joji does next.
In Tongues is a 6 track neo-soul/lo-fi R&B masterpiece, fully produced and written by Miller himself. Every song on the EP captures a certain sadness, with tracks like “Pills” about depression and heartache and “Demons” about self-loathing. The tone is set by piano and guitar riffs layered over lo-fi beats to form a mellow atmosphere to go with Joji’s vocals. The use of reverb with this creates a feeling as if you’re floating in water. This somber vibe has coined the phrase that many music platforms are referring to as “sadboy music”, in recognition of its relatability. In Tongues has been well recognized, reaching #58 on the US Billboard Top 20, and single from the album “Will He” reaching over 23 million plays on Spotify.
Joji currently has 344,000 followers on SoundCloud and around 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify. He has also released amazing music videos for “Will He”, “Demons”, and “Window”, that portray the emotions of his music both graphically and beautifully. The meaning of the music video for “Window” is lost due to the overwhelming use of visuals and editing. However, the fast pace of the video works surprisingly well with Joji’s low energy music, creating a unique contrast of styles. Since In Tongues, Joji has appeared on hip-hop/rap mega-collab, “18”, which also had a music video released recently. This song marked the return of “Harlem Shake” producer, Baauer, who appears alongside Rich Brian, Kris Wu, and Trippie Redd on the same track. In addition, Joji is featured on the song “Introvert”, off Rich Brian’s new album Amen.
Check out the music video for “Window,” as well as Joji’s SoundCloud and Spotify.
(02/02/18 4:41am)
Consider the Following:[separator top="20"]NYC based progressive metal/fusion band Consider The Source blend together technical guitar and bass riffs, intense rhythms, and a Middle Eastern tonal flair to create “Sci Fi Middle Eastern Fusion”. There’s really no way to describe the band in terms of genre. While they could technically be considered progressive metal, there are elements of Jazz, Rock, traditional Arabic music, and a host of other styles in their music which combine to make up an incredible listening experience. Formed in 2004, the band has three members who all wanted to create a new sound. The band has released 5 studio albums and 2 live albums and they’ve toured extensively in North America, the Middle East, and Europe.
Their music really is impossible to characterize. One second you’ll be hearing wailing Middle Eastern scales on the guitarist’s double necked fretless guitar (that’s right, double necked AND fretless) and then the next moment you will be hearing slap bass and funky drum licks that you can tap your foot and bob your head to. After some Middle Eastern fusion you can headbang to some technical progressive metal with a Middle Eastern flair. Consider The Source truly is one of a kind and will blow you away with their raw talent and originality.
If you like progressive metal, jazz, or just want to hear awesome music then Consider The Source deserves a hard listen. You are definitely not going to hear anything else like this in Columbia or around the world.
Consider The Source will be playing Friday February 2nd at New Brookland Tavern.
$10 Advance / $12 Day Of Show
By Jonathan Furnell
(02/01/18 4:33pm)
- Rachel Minetti // DJ bread
January, for me, has consisted mostly of long drives - through the swamps of central Florida, along the mountains of north Georgia, and endless stop and go traffic on I-26. My third year at USC and I’ve finally gotten used to the seven and a half hour drive from Columbia to Tampa, Tampa to Columbia. Hours and hours of switching lanes, merging from highway to highway, sitting alone in my Volvo with the heat blasting. A month of transitory places, wrapping it up by settling in and falling back into routine. The music that has guided me through January has mostly been songs of recent discovery - some new releases, some that have been sitting in my music library for years, waiting to come to fruition when the moment was right.
Norah Jones has been a big mood this month, especially her work with Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi (specifically the track “Black,” in case you were wondering). N.E.R.D.’s new album has been on heavy rotation, Portishead made a reappearance in recent playlists, and some Au Revoir Simone remixes have popped back up because I like to pretend that it’s summer in Tampa year round. Here are some stand out tracks from my January timeline, starting warm and slow, moving to heavy and soft, then crisp and chilling. I hope you can feel the stagnancy of the air, the chill of the moment in these tracks as much as I did.
Seven’s Day - SALES
Sales LP, 2016
My friend Dylan introduced me to this band at the end of December, this LP traveling with me through the start of the year, still soaking in as the month wraps up, on the path to settling in throughout February. The duo consists of Lauren Morgan on guitar and vocals and Jordan Shih on guitar and programming. This song is smooth and hypnotic, like waking up past noon, unable to escape the haze until the early evening - a day gone by without taking account of reality.
La Ballade - Adrian Younge
Adrian Younge Presents Something About April II, 2016
I found Adrian Younge my first semester on WUSC back in the fall of 2015, this album one of the first to play on The Dough with DJ Bread. The songs have taken their time to sink in, mesh into my music library. The lyrics are in French, whimsical and light, floating along the brink of weightlessness.
All or Nothing - Au Revoir Simone
Still Night, Still Light, 2009
May of 2016 was defined by The Execution of All Things (2002) by Rilo Kiley, easily one of my favorite bands of all time, anything by Fiona Apple, and this album. I discovered Au Revoir Simone when Jenny Lewis paired up with Tennessee Thomas of The Like and Erika Forster of ARS to form a funky, 60s inspired band, Nice as F*ck, with a debut EP full of political statements and catchy hooks. While Still Night, Still Light is almost inseparable from that summer, this song came back to bask in the height of winter (keeping in mind that winter in Florida hardly reaches below 40 degrees). Quiet and stirring, this track is like tip-toeing across hardwood floors in the middle of the afternoon, “can’t you see that we’re in the middle of somewhere?"
Royal Stare - Grace Joyner
Maybe Sometimes - in C, 2016
Getting her start in Charleston as a harmony singer in various bands, Joyner released her first EP in 2014 and her debut LP in 2016. The song sounds slightly muted, it doesn’t bounce back from the walls, the sound is just pumped into the air, adding weight to the room, a humidity. The pop influences are subtle, the bass line jumpy yet smooth. There is something distant she is trying to reach for, some disconnect somewhere that can never align, like listening in from another room.
Free Room (feat. Appleby) - Ravyn Lenae
Moon Shoes EP, 2016
On the topic of standing on the cusp of knowing a person, the stage where there is not yet anything to owe. January, a bridge to somewhere else, forced to contemplate the free room. This song is a nice interlude piece, it sits on the surface, ending where it begins, beginning where it ends.
Captain Stupido - Thundercat
Drunk, 2017
An almost seamless transition from the last track, the bass line harmonizes with the constantly changing chord progressions. Stephen Bruner, the man behind Thundercat, manages to get a bass heavy song to feel light and airy, a song about the monotony of a string of slow days. The song gets peacefully frazzled throughout, addressing the weird, the search for a lost wallet.
Panic Drills - Sleigh Bells
Kid Kruschev, 2017
Sleigh Bells released this EP a little more than a year after their crushing Jessica Rabbit released last Fall. Tamer than some of the band’s other songs, “Panic Drills” is bursting at the seams, a song that just keeps building and building. The guitar shreds in true Sleigh Bells style, Alexis Krauss’ vocals absolutely piercing, desperate for something. A little more than halfway, the song cracks, braces itself, the vocals shatter through fog, “I’d like to find some other time.”
Black Icy Stare - Pnau vs. Elton John
Good Morning to the Night, 2012
The Australian duo (as of 2016, a trio) released an album of remixes of songs by Elton John. Working with John, Good Morning to the Night mashed up parts of various early Elton John songs and made entirely different songs out of them. “Black Icy Stare” consists of lyrics from “Cold Highway” and “Solar Prestige a Gammon.” Around 40 seconds in, a static pulls, rips, and releases - like driving too fast around a curve on Rainbow Road, watching yourself slowly glide off into the colorful stars, weightless, the road twinkling below, will you land?
Slowly (feat. Matosic) - Giraffage
Too Real, 2017
Ending the list with an energetic, just-rained feel. A song that meshes with the seasons, in the summer it will feel slow and steady, for now, sharp and short. I’ll see you in February.
[embed]https://open.spotify.com/user/wuscfm/playlist/3bJOSQWUToHdbsnb8Hvxr7?si=2Wh1DYWwSXaWO4fWaUD-4Q[/embed]
You can listen to this playlist and many more @RACHELMINETTI on Apple Music.
(01/31/18 1:15am)
Django Django has art-pop down to a science. Their previous two albums combined elements of 70’s pop and 2010's psych-pop almost algorithmically. The soaring synths, jangly guitars and meticulous harmonies pair perfectly to create happy-go-lucky indie music, evocative of the rolling style of The Stone Roses and the quirky bounce of avant-pop masters, Stereolab. In their third full-length album, Django Django turns to from science to philosophy – asking more questions without demanding answers.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Marble Skies is wiser than its predecessors – the band has come a long way from releasing tracks on Myspace, and a bit of change is inevitable when nearly all of the members have had children. Conceptually, the album contemplates the passing of time, asking questions like “Ever wonder why we're put here?” and “Was it the future that you saw?” The album doesn’t provide any answers, but rather emphasizes the importance of the questions. Musically, Marble Skies reflects the constant state of change that singer Vincent Neff sings about. No man steps in the same river twice, and no listener steps into the same sonic landscape twice on Marble Skies. The 40-minute album is always mutating, with each sound rolling over onto itself, making room for whatever may come next.
Marble Skies is the perfect follow up to Born Under Saturn. While Saturn painted pictures of grandiosity, Marble Skies simply observes the world around us, making it their best work yet.
By Jordan Smith
(01/23/18 8:03pm)
Interest meetings for our organization will be held at the following locations and times and should be attended by any USC student or alumni with an interest in involvement with WUSC and training.
Jan. 29th 7-8pm in RH Senate Chambers (3rd floor)
Jan. 30th 7-8pm in RH Senate Chambers (3rd floor)
Jan 31st 7-8pm in RH 201
Please message us on facebook with any additional questions.
(01/19/18 7:47pm)
So, you heard about this show. It’s a band you’ve never heard of put on by an organization you’ve never heard of but you’re new to the university and looking for something to do instead of your homework. The show is some experimental punk band at a grungy bar near downtown and you decide to really live the part. You throw on your roommates combat boots, the denim jacket you spent insane amounts of money on despite its second-hand nature, and your most contradictory “nerdy-cool” pair of glasses.
The Uber driver was chatty but you were too concerned with anticipation and slight paranoia at attending an event alone to care. You pull up to a small brick building with big windows flooded with posters and upcoming show announcements all beneath a sign that reads “New Brookland Tavern.” You pull open the heavy wooden door, pay the small cover and… hmm… it's smaller than you expected, but maybe that fits the vibe.
Passing a merchandise table crowded with college students, you walk into a more open area with a bar, pool table, and a small stage. It's nearing show time so you decide to claim some standing room as you see a man in a long dark robe begin to set up his act. In the corner of your eye, you see a fog machine and your anticipation grows.
The man announces himself as “Baggageklaim” and you listen as a low sound begins to swell. You stand entranced by the monastic low electronic tones of the first act and as the stage clears your curiosity floods. After a brief sound check, you see a three-person band called “Pray for Triangle Zero” fill the room with a haze from both their fog machine and their sound.
By the Time the main act of “Machin3Gir1” begins their setup you’re equally confused, scared, and excited. An almost hazardous looking drum kit is moved to the front rim of the stage and a man sets up a small laptop on a table in the floor space beneath it. He wraps a tight grip around a microphone, sends one look to the drummer (already sweating) and suddenly your ears are impaled by the sharp force of a harsh beat. Before you can adjust to the impact of sound the singer, creator, mastermind you later learn is Matt Stephenson, has crossed the room jumping, climbing, falling, and writhing on every conceivable surface. His movements are claimed by a ferocity that is only outmatched by the violence and precision of his accompanying drummer. Every time a song stops, the abrupt change in atmosphere tilts your balance slightly and you end up slumped against the wall to counteract your inner ear but also to escape the unpredictable acrobatics of the performer.
When the show reaches its end, you stare for a second, quickly forcing your face into a casual and effortlessly cool expression to suggest “yeah I’m cultured and watch stuff like that all the time.” You slowly walk back towards the entrance and hear an enthusiastic voice from the merchandise table ask how you liked the show and if you were interested in joining WUSC.
Written by Ellen Jones
(01/19/18 4:37pm)
WUSC has served the Columbia community for over 70 years. In that time, we have strived for originality and education. It is the goal of our organization to inspire curiosity and encourage passions for music within our student body and throughout the Midlands.
As a student organization, the leadership of WUSC is renewed every year which allows every executive staff the ability to make a mark and keeps our organization innovative and changeful. The current staff has worked tirelessly this semester to provide WUSC with a stronger professional presence within the community and in the eyes of our many distributors. Because we exist on donations, our relationships are vital. Over the past semester, we have worked to establish partnerships with local businesses and co-host our events to help ensure that they provide the most to our dedicated supporters. In the new year, we will continue to provide individuality in our programming, and we will keep working to bring new artists to Columbia to support our music scene as it has done so much to support us.
In addition to exploring and serving our local scene, WUSC is branching out this coming semester and sending a small team of DJs to document and experience the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas this March. Our team will be testing their skills in music journalism and will be able to familiarize themselves with live performance from an industry perspective.
We are also excited to announce that we now have an option for our donors to become recurring contributors. As a supporter, you can now give a small some on a more regular (for example monthly) basis. This new mode of accepting donation will allow us to make more accurate projections of future progress and help us target different areas of our organization that require development. More importantly, we hope that this will be an easier outlet for our community of listeners and alumni that keep us strong.
As Always, Thank you for your support and happy New Year from your WUSC family!
Written by Ellen Jones, Public Affairs Office
(12/05/17 1:08am)
Last week, Machine Girl, Baggage Klaim and Pray for Triangle Zero graced the New Brookland stage for one of the most energetic nights of experimental music we've ever seen. Thankfully, our photographer was there to document it.
Baggage Klaim
Pray for Triangle Zero
Machine Girl
Don't miss another WUSC event! Be sure to check our website and Facebook page for news about upcoming shows.
Photos by Christian Senf
Instagram: @christian_senf
(11/21/17 5:02pm)
Montreal based four-piece rock group Ought has been playing what has been unanimously described as post-punk revival since they formed in 2012. Their first two studio albums, "More Than Any Other Day" (2014) and "Sun Coming Down" (2015) were met with high critical praise, earning them a strong international audience. Front man Tim Darcy released a solo album earlier in 2017, and the group now turns towards a third album, "Room Inside the World," slated for early 2018.
The stage at The Royal American was an odd one for Ought, as the group struggled to find the best way to fit all five members and their gear (thanks to the addition of an additional touring band mate). Frontman Tim Darcy stood behind the bar looking a bit confused before hoisting himself onto the table, which stood as a makeshift stage. They had to sacrifice some equipment, somewhat limiting their set list for the night, but the band chose to embrace the situation rather than become stuck in it. As the middle act of the night, Ought’s set was a highlight of their previous two records, and a greatest hits of what makes this Montreal based group so extraordinary.
Darcy’s flippant vocals are the highlight of Ought’s music, his poignantly witty lyricism conveyed through unique vocal delivery. He swung around the stage, slinging his guitar and adjusting his microphone with theatrical restlessness. With Darcy channeling so much of David Byrne from his vocal style to his on-stage antics, comparisons with the Talking Heads are inevitable. However, it is unfair to paint Darcy as an imitator. His voice may be reminiscent, but it is distinctly his. As he carries himself through his always questioning lyrics of optimism and dread, he juggles his own brand of swagger and goofiness. Through songs such as "Habit" and "Sun Coming Down," he tackles subjects of addiction and emptiness, all the while pushing lights and dancing emotively.
Although Darcy is the focal point, something about bassist Ben Stideworthy's performance seems so inherent to the show. Stideworthy plays with a matchless cool, serving as a backbone to the performance the same way his evocative hooks do on the band's records. He stood side by side with Darcy on the edge of the stage, the two contrasted in aesthetic and performance, yet perfect compliments to each other.
The short performance left audience members only wanting more, featuring a track from the upcoming record and eventually ending with the jovially grim “Beautiful Blue Sky.” The closing track built over seven minutes with audience members singing as Darcy smirked and danced along, pleasing fans and gaining the attention of those who had never heard their brand of post-punk revival.
(11/13/17 4:00pm)
Jennifer Waits is the co-founder, College Radio and Culture Editor, and Social Media Director of Radio Survivor, a blog that advocates for the importance of FM, AM, Short-Wave, HD and satellite radio. She is also the founder of Spinning Indie, a blog that is dedicated solely to College Radio. She has visited over 100 college radio stations, and has been a DJ since 1986.
In this interview, she tells us about the importance of College Radio in an increasingly complex media landscape, and explains why the future of radio is more optimistic than it may seem.
In your experience, what distinguishes college radio from other public radio stations?
College radio is pretty diverse, with many different types of stations; but in general, it's special because it provides opportunities to college students. At many college radio stations, students are completely in charge, running a radio station, training their peers, and creating programming.
How has the industry strengthened since you first went on air?
College radio is ever-changing, but differences in technology have meant that students have more ways to do radio than when I first started. Back then, it was mainly limited to licensed terrestrial radio (AM/FM), carrier current, cable, and very low power campus-only stations. In 2017, college radio stations still have AM, FM and cable, but also have opportunities to stream online, broadcast over LPFM, use HD radio channels, be heard over a few satellite radio stations, as well as through apps and streaming services. It's a multi-media world now and one of the things that excites me about college radio is its embrace of video in order to augment the formerly audio-only broadcasts.
What have been the biggest setbacks?
The main challenges of college radio are as old as college radio itself: funding and an ever-changing student population. Beyond that, there's the complex media landscape today, so some folks get the impression that radio is less relevant. In reality, radio is still one of the most consumed forms of media.
How has the demise of the College Music Journal affected college radio?
I don't get the impression that CMJ's troubles have had a major effect on college radio overall. It's unfortunate that CMJ is no longer doing its annual music marathons, as that was a rite of passage for many of us former college radio Music Directors. I have fond memories of traveling to New York City to attend CMJ and I saw some great panel discussions and amazing live music over the years. CMJ's college radio charts have been useful for many stations and when it started to become clear that CMJ was in trouble, a number of charting services appeared on the scene as alternatives.
Why is it important to keep college radio stations on air?
I believe that our airwaves should be full of a wide range of programming, including a breadth of non-commercial radio options, including high school, college, and community radio. Local radio is special and is increasingly lacking on the commercial side of the dial; which makes it even more important for college and community radio to step up and fill that void. Additionally, college radio stations can be voices for their campuses and places where students, faculty and administrators can share hyper-local stories, events, athletic competitions, concerts, and more.
How are college stations adapting to an increasingly difficult climate?
I'm not sure that it is an increasingly difficult climate. In fact, I've been inspired by the recent increase in low power FM (LPFM) radio stations, thanks to the Local Community Radio Act. College radio groups were among the recipients of new LPFM licenses, with more than 75 college radio stations obtaining construction permits following the 2013 application window. Additionally, online-only college radio stations are still being launched, which provides more evidence of the ongoing relevance of college radio in 2017.
What is lost what a station loses their signal?
Once a college radio station loses an FM or AM license, it's very unlikely that it will get one again. Audiences for terrestrial AM/FM radio are much larger than for streaming-only radio stations, mainly because the radio dial is finite and the internet is flooded with audio options. In recent years a few stations that have lost full power licenses have returned to the airwaves over LPFM, including Rice University's KTRU. Although students will say that they are most likely to tune in online, it's also the case that having an FM or AM signal is perceived by many as a sign of legitimacy, of "real" radio.
What should communities do to help support their local college radio station?
Listen, donate, evangelize. College radio stations should also ensure that they are staying relevant to their campus and community. I think it's important to document the good work that stations are doing and to share the positive impact of your college radio station with administrators. Invite them to tour the station, talk to them about why college radio is important to students, and make sure that they are on your side. Also, take pride in your station by telling your station's story, including its history. Preserve artifacts, digitize vintage audio and ephemera, and reach out to alumni to hear their stories.
What can students gain from getting involved in their campus radio station?
For many of us, college radio was one of our most treasured experiences while in college. I've heard tales of people nearly flunking out of school because of their devotion to working at a college station. It can be one of those rare chances for students to be in charge, so it's a powerful learning experience. Students gain leadership and communication skills in addition to all of the radio station-specific benefits. For some, it's the place where they learn how to interact with the music industry (labels, venues, musicians, etc.), while for others it's a chance to manage a website, control a social media feed, do sports play-by-play, or learn audio and video editing. In an increasingly multi-media world, college radio stations are the perfect place to experiment and learn.
By Jordan Smith
(11/11/17 1:10am)
Hailing from Tokyo, experimental band Boris has touched on just about every subgenre in the last 25 years, with albums ranging from drone metal to shoegaze to J-pop, collaborating with the likes of Merzbow and Sunn O))). Their latest release, Dear, originally planned as a farewell, is an hour long experimental doom metal epic, and a reflection on their legacy.
With theatrical precision, the members of Boris one by one wandered onto the Motorco stage. The trio stood, each looming over their instruments in preparation for the night. Wata with an impersonal calculation stands, surveying her guitar. Takeshi towers over the audience, cloaked, with his double-necked guitar and bass, as drummer Atsuo surveyed the audience with a cooled anger.
As the band began, “Domination of Waiting Noise” immediately overcame the cramped room, leaving audience members blown back as the group was enveloped in fog and radial light. Beginning during the first, powerful chord and never once letting up, Boris played through the entirety of their latest record, Dear, without interruption. Each members has a distinct personality, which came through so strongly in their performances, commanding the crowd. Drummer Atsuo lead the performance, berating both the crowd and his band mates to always give more.
The performance of “The Power” saw band members Wata and Takeshi dueling with increasingly heavy riffs in response to one another, plowing through as the wall of Orange amps pressed the audience back, with intensity that only built from the call of Atsuo.
As the night drew near the conclusion, “Dystopia” began with a chillingly sweet accordion solo by a lonesome Wata, a highlighted sole figure on the darkened stage with smoke surrounding her as she was wrapped in neon lights, the cloaked silhouettes of Atsuo and Takeshi a distant thought. A sharp contrast to the heavy sounds of the night, her modulated accordion developed from flowing chords, into a dreamy metal ballad that lead to the end of the night.
The encore saw Boris concluding the night with “Farewell”, the dreamy intro to their celebrated record Pink, in a fitting conclusion to the night as the band looks back on the 25 year journey they’ve taken.
By Jackson Tucker
Photos by Christian Senf
Instagram: @christian_senf
(11/03/17 4:30am)
You know what your Russell House lunch needs? A dash of RAP BATTLE!!! While you are casually enjoying your lunch on the Russell house patio Friday the 10th, WUSC will be hosting a rap battle featuring rap artists sourced from the Columbia area to entertain you while you chew.
Where: USC Russel House Pavillion
When: Friday, November 10 at 11 AM - 2 PM EST
What: Barbarian Rap League Battle
Why: Because it's frickin' awesome
(11/03/17 4:28am)
Ready to test your melodic gifts beyond the forgiving accoustics of your shower? Then come check out WUSC's karaoke night at New Brookland Tavern. The night will feature a decades costume contest in honor of our 'retrovision' theme, so dont be afraid to commit to your true asthetic.
Where: New Brookland Tavern
When: Tuesday, November 7 at 8 PM - 11 PM EST
What: Karaoke
(11/03/17 4:27am)
Do you like pizza? Do you like supporting some kooky college kids in their quest to live out their radio dreams? Then the WUSC percent night at Mellow Mushroom is for you. Come grab a pie and mention WUSC with your bill on Monday night from 5 PM until closing to give WUSC a portion of the profits made from your meal!
(11/03/17 4:25am)
$10 Under 21 & $6 21+
WUSC's Fall Fundraiser week is coming in hot with our show at NBT. We're featuring bands from all over SC and going all through the night so come out and support your favorite radio station and some of SC's best bands.
Pierce Koichi
~Lo-Fi hazy acoustic / Trip Hop~
Pedro LDV
***Fun loving local jams***
Don Crescendo
☆* laptop space pop straight out of Charleston*☆
Smoke Detector
༶ૢColumbia Gritty Goodness༶ૢ
(11/03/17 4:18am)
On Oct. 14 Elf Power returned to Columbia for the Jam Room Festival, and our Music Director, Jordan Smith, had the opportunity to chat with vocalist Andrew Rieger.
(11/03/17 4:14am)
Last year, one of our DJs got the chance to sit down with Mike Kinsella of American Football and talk about their first new album in 17 years. Listen to the interview here!