In her debut album, Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? 23-year-old Smith alum Kara Jackson grapples with colossal concepts of love, death, and self-worth, delivered with delicate hands and an eternally powerful voice. The prior Youth Poet Laureate has incorporated her skillful penmanship into a new medium, her hard-hitting lyrics underscored by smooth acoustics and flourishing arrangements of guitar, piano, and banjo. Pitchfork awarded her “Best New Album” with a whopping overall score of 8.2, a testament to her impressive musical abilities.
Posts published in “Arts and Culture”
On April 22, a rainy Saturday evening, the concert of a lifetime was about to take place. Three
different groups were expected to perform that night: Siggy and the Futz, Father Koi, and Kilo
Kish. I truly had no idea what I was in for.
“Emulate,” Smith’s latest literary magazine, has undergone a series of instrumental changes over the past few years to become a prominent fixture of the school’s arts scene. Its evolution, and the grounds upon which it was necessitated, have brought into question both the role of literary magazines at Smith and where “Emulate”’s future lies.
Attending a two-hour concert for a band when you only know one of their songs could be a letdown. However, if that band is Houndmouth, you won't be disappointed. The American alternative rock band played a nineteen-song set at Northampton’s own Academy of Music on April 27, 2023. Though the theater only holds 800 concertgoers, Houndmouth brought the audience to their feet, and me to their Spotify “This Is Houndmouth” page.
On April 6, indie-pop band The Aces graced the John M. Greene stage as part of Smith’s annual Celebrations, an event dedicated as a response…
On Sunday night, April 16, The English Beat closed a warm spring weekend with a lively performance at Race Street Live in Holyoke, MA. Hailing all the way from Birmingham, England, frontman Dave Wakeling is the only original member left of what used to be known as The Beat, the iconic ska-soul-punk fusion band that defined the genre back in the 1980s. At 67 years old, Wakeling has been touring with a backup band of ska musicians in an effort to keep “the beat” alive and well. Holyoke was one among many stops on their current US tour.
It’s November of 2019 and indie pop artist Samia headlines WOZQ’s annual fall concert, with indie rock band Moxie opening. I am a first year with choppy bangs just getting involved with the radio station, excited to go to my first WOZQ concert. The indie rock band Moxie goes on at 8:00 p.m., to an energetic Davis Ballroom full of Smithies. Rei Kimura, on vocals and guitar, guides the crowd through their 30-minute jam-packed set, making sure to get everyone involved with Daniel Snyder’s rhythmic drumming by giving a clapping beat to follow. Leander Holzapfel’s riffs and Inky Cohen’s smooth bass capture the crowd, especially on ‘Blue Skies,’ their 2018 hit about naivety, which many Smithies sing along to, word for word. I walk away from this performance exhilarated, not only by how much this band rocks but especially by finding out that they are about my age.
On March 16, Irish singer and songwriter Hozier announced the release of his new EP, “Eat Your Young,” and his Unreal Unearth tour.
In a dimly lit basement, a stranger’s sweat seeps into my skin. My ears are beating from the indistinguishable rhythms of oppressively loud drum kits. Mosh pits merge and scatter around me as students headbang uncontrollably. This is the House Show, an essential component of the college music scene.
On March 4, the Office of Student Engagement hosted Alison Bechdel, a cartoonist best known for her comic strips “Dykes to Watch Out For” and for her graphic memoir “Fun Home,” at John M. Greene Hall for a keynote talk, moderated discussion and book signing.