MULE
The end of the year is an exciting time for music journalists, especially when it’s the end of the decade. 2019 is winding down, and every publication’s agenda is dominated by determining which albums will stand among the best of the 10s. SideTracked is doing the same. This list features my favorite album each year… Read more »
Author: Louie Sharp
SideTracked: Any reason to call it quits – DEATH STRANDING: Timefall
Hideo Kojima is among the most important video game personalities in the world, mostly due to his revolutionary “Metal Gear” series which features a near-indecipherable plot centered around beefy soldiers, giant robots and existential and political conspiracies. Imagine my surprise when I opened the soundtrack to his new game, “Death Stranding,” and saw that the… Read more »
SideTracked: Say with certainty – Reviewing Swans’ 15th album
leaving meaning. – Swans Released 10/25/2019 – Young God Records Genres: Experimental Rock/Gothic Country/Post-Rock/Avant-Folk The new Swans album is an hour and a half long meditation on existence. As the name suggests, “leaving meaning.” deals heavily with the absurd—from questioning our reality in “Annaline” to the dizzying dichotomies delivered on its title track. It’s also… Read more »
Arcade Magazine is coming back to campus
The recently resurrected Arcade Magazine will open submissions for its 13th issue on Nov. 1. Arcade is a literary publication operated by students and faculty in UCM’s school of English and Philosophy and allows creative writers and visual artists on campus to have their work published. Student editors also gain publishing experience. Previous Arcade contributor… Read more »
SideTracked: Definitely a departure – Kanye’s ninth LP
The culture is conflicted on Kanye’s newest project. The record has received a large amount of critical backlash, with Consequence of Sound giving the record an F, their second-lowest possible score. Their writer’s manual claims an album receiving this rating is “proof that there is no God”—funny, given this review is over Kanye’s first attempt… Read more »
SideTracked: Ethically sourced pop punk
Editor’s Note: This column will deal lightly with allegations of sexual misconduct. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. The idea you can love a song privately and then be ashamed of it in public is wild to me. Either something is good and you stand by it or it isn’t and you don’t. Despite this… Read more »
SideTracked: Rating Pitchfork’s ratings
We’re closing in on the end of the year, and the end of the decade. It’s the time of year when every entertainment publication is devoting all of their resources to tell their readers the best X things in the last Y years. I intend to do the same, but I’m holding out for a… Read more »
SideTracked: Making Biggie blush: Danny Brown’s raunchiest record
uknowhatimsayin¿ – Danny Brown Released 10/04/2019 – Warp Records Genres: Boom Bap/Abstract Hip Hop/”Stand Up Comedy Album” For years, Danny Brown has been one of the most unique voices in hip-hop, both figuratively and literally. His last record, 2016’s “Atrocity Exhibition,” is one of the premier projects not only of this decade, but of hip-hop… Read more »
SideTracked: Past, Present, Future – The Next Level of Pop Music
I’m a proud “poptimist.” There is a huge amount of artistic merit in the work so many pop artists put out, and depriving yourself of those releases because of a fairly meaningless label makes no sense. That being said, pop music is also the genre I’m most critical of. What I look for in my… Read more »
SideTracked: Elevating elevator music
The kitchen where I work is guilty of something I’ve seen many businesses do. The building features a sleek, modern minimalist design with a ‘20s Italian retro tinge. It’s very “trendy-six-years-ago,” but by Midwest standards it feels forward thinking. When you walk through the doors, though, they’re playing “The Joker” by Steve Miller Band. Regardless… Read more »
