After his momentous debut in 2014 with Oxymoron, Schoolboy Q is back with Blank Face LP, a pièce de résistance for the gangsta rap genre. In some ways analogous to his first studio album with Top Dawg Entertainment, Schoolboy Q utilizes the album’s harmoniously disturbing beats to deliver his off-kilter style flow to give the… Read More
Fact: “The Dream is Over” is a direct quote from lead singer Stefan Babcock’s doctor. After Stefan basically destroyed his vocal chords due to the band’s insane touring schedule of about 250 shows a year, he was rewarded with this crushing diagnosis. But if the story sounds a little ridiculous or overly serious to you, you’re… Read More
My high school friends and I didn’t know what to expect when we watched the 1981 film Polyester, directed by John Waters. Waters is a master of gross, bizarre, dark comedy, typically taking aim at the depraved denizens of white, suburban, upper-class America. In this particular film, an unfortunate housewife named Francine Fishpaw (played by… Read More
After every half hour session of grilled bbq meat, cans of beer, and dripping pieces of fruit, all that’s left is the pie. For what it’s worth, the “old fashioned favorite,” is sweet, warm, comfortable, traditional and friggin’ delicious (one of the three things I can ever actually eat at a cookout). Apple, cherry, blueberry,… Read More
When I listen to an album the first time through, sound and overall aesthetic are the initial factors that determine how much I like it. This is especially true in the realm of gangster rap, known for the ad-libs and violent onomatopoeia. I still remember getting goose bumps when the beat dropped on Chief Keef’s… Read More
Brandi: On a subway ride, the icy grasp of rejection, isolation and unrequited affection crawls over skin and pulls at tear ducts. There are too many people around for this to be a problem. At the core I become warm, my heart races past my panting and feels like it’s skipping. With only five people… Read More
Yesterday was Kevin Barnes’ birthday. He is of Montreal, having written almost every song the band has released, and at this point the group is pretty much a Kevin solo project. 42 is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything, at least according to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and 42 is also… Read More
In honor of senior week and upcoming reunion festivities, here’s an interview with WRMC alumna Jiffy Johnson ’65. Jiffy was not only WRMC’s first woman General Manager, but also led the transition from carrier current to FM. Respect your WRMC elders and read up. WRMC: What was WRMC like when you got to Middlebury? Like what are… Read More
The summers of 2014 and 2015 could not have been more different for me. 2014 was the start of a new relationship, and 2015 was the difficult ending. Although the two summers were a year apart, and although they corresponded to two opposite emotional poles of my life, I associate both summers with many of… Read More
Arianna Reyes hosts Stay WOC, an R&B/Soul show, focusing on music made by women of color. Over spring break, I sat down with Arianna to talk about her show, underrepresentation, and guilty pleasures. WRMC: How would you describe your show? Arianna Reyes: I play music exclusively written, performed, created by women of color. And also… Read More
Tiny green buds and blades sprouting underneath thin veils of crisp white snow are a first sign of the transition to spring. Winter tends to linger, washing the skies with dreadful gray streaks and leaving traces of biting winds. All the while, there is a bright optimism that situates itself amongst it. In it’s transition… Read More
