Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Beat.
Chase the River
So if you read my article yesterday, you will know I am going down an interesting path in my life. Having turned 31 years old this year, I have decided to quit the rat race and chase my dream. That dream, normally the preserve of those younger than me, is to be a full time, independent musician.
By Stuart Lunn8 years ago in Beat
8EEZ Playlist: Tom Petty (R.I.P.)
"And I'm Free. Free Fallin'." Hello, one and all. First, an announcement. The 8EEZ Playlist will be no more after this. After much consideration, my buddy Calvin "Oates" Cherry have decided to drop the stylized, "8EEZ" moniker (though fun it was) and we're going to just call it "The 'List" from now on. This is so we can add and encompass artists and music genres in our lists from all decades: 7EEZ, 9EEZ, etc. We figured that the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, and yes, even the 10s, all deserve a shout.
By Carlos Gonzalez8 years ago in Beat
James Baldwin's Vision & Love of Hip-Hop
Since James Baldwin’s death, we have now entered a period of meta-understanding of the racism and the system built upon the massacre of the indigenous people of North America by European settlers. Furthermore, the use of human labour under conditions deemed slavery, provided the basis for expansion of the American Empire, lead to the induction of the “American Dream” lived by White-Americans in the 1950s. However, it was not until the 1960s that Black-Americans were deemed equal partners to their racially polarized counterparts through the Civil Rights act of 1964. Given these existing historical events, Baldwin suggests that instead of focusing on exterminating racism, rather, the identity of the African-American lies within their ability to gain freedom and reject the captivity imposed by the racism of the White American System, where hip-hop provides the avenue to freedom through education.
By Intelligent Movement8 years ago in Beat
Dear Chester: Thank You for Simply Existing
It's strange how you can mourn for someone you have never met, someone who does not even know that you exist. But then there's something called solidarity. Solidarity in knowing that your music was something that brought a whole community of people together. Solidarity in knowing that your voice and music will be engraved in our hearts for as long as we live. And solidarity in knowing that every broken heart will make sure that your memory outlives the many lives you saved.
By Shamita Sirsi8 years ago in Beat
Young, Awake, and Aware
“All the others are third class tickets, is that clear?” If you are unfamiliar with the 1965 minor hit from whence the lyric above is taken, The High Numbers—"I’m the Face," then shorn of its cultural context you will probably draw a blank as to the exact meaning of the word "ticket." But if you were to hear singer Roger Daltrey’s withering and sarcastic delivery of this line, then you would be left with no doubt whatsoever that it wasn’t a compliment. The epithet "ticket" was a derogatory term for the sheep-like followers in the "modernist" movement of the 1960s who would listen in awe to the "ace faces," who in turn were the self-appointed, aloof arbiters of the coolest and most crucial styles and sounds around; and it’s instructive to know also that the mildly inelegant term "modernist" itself would quickly be shortened to the far sleeker and flashier: "mod."
By Rahman the Writer8 years ago in Beat
The Empowerment of MUNA
MUNA is one of those rare bands, the ones that you didn't know you needed until you really listened to what they were really saying. Members Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson met while attending the University of Southern California in 2013 and by 2014 they had found their musical footing and released their first EP, More Perfect. Their tracks are reminiscent of 80s pop, featuring crisp drum sounds and vintage toned electric rhythm guitar parts. Gavin, the vocalist in the group, has a deep, somewhat accented singing voice with actual range, something that many indie singers lack.
By Austyn Castelli8 years ago in Beat
Euphoria Mourning: No, It's Not a Typo
Hello, and welcome back to Second Chances where I take another look at a maligned or forgotten piece of pop culture. For the longest time, I was behind the times when it came to my musical interests. When my classmates were part of the grunge revolution, I was still listening to classic rock. I didn't get caught up until I got to college in the late 90s. That was when I first learned of Chris Cornell.
By Adam Wallace8 years ago in Beat
