The year was 1979, and Fleetwood Mac was still taking in the massive success of their record Rumours, released in 1977. Their label, Warner Bros., was thrilled at the traction that Rumours gained and pushed for them to stick to that sound. But Tusk, the record that they released October 12th, 1979, sounded nothing like Rumours—in fact, it sounded nothing like what they had ever made before. To the total dismay of label executives, Tusk ended up being a complete commercial failure. Not only did it cost significantly more to make than Rumours did (at the time, it was the 

), it also generated far less revenue. But what made this album so commercially unsuccessful, and why did the band opt to go in a different direction from their biggest hit?

First and foremost, Tusk was an act of rebellion. Fleetwood Mac’s rising frontman, Lindsay Buckingham, wanted more than anything to create an album that subverted everyone’s expectations of the band. Buckingham had been experimenting in his home studio, increasingly inspired by the new post-punk sounds that emerged out of the late ‘70s. While the rest of the band wasn’t as committed to this new direction, they initially thought it couldn’t hurt to have Buckingham do his thing on Tusk. Mick Fleetwood, the band’s eccentric drummer and previous frontman, decided that it would need to be a double album, considering the high volume of output of the band’s three main songwriters: Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVie.

So Tusk, the band’s most experimental album up until that point, was born after ten grueling months in the studio. Those who were in the studio with the band at the time described the atmosphere as hostile (just as it was during the recording of Rumours), with Ken Calliat, the band’s producer, recalling 

. These studio sessions produced a whopping 20 songs, with the album lasting just under 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Once Tusk was released, it became clear that this experimentation wasn’t financially fruitful. The band became increasingly torn apart, with members pointing their fingers at Buckingham for “going too far” with his insistence on transforming Fleetwood Mac’s sound. Meanwhile, the press had conflicting takes on whether the record was a success or not. Some critics describe Tusk as

, while others consider it to be a groundbreaking and innovative record. Differences aside, both those who hated and loved Tusk could agree on one thing: it was weird. While it gained more attention and praise recently, its reputation of weirdness overshadows the creative ingenuity that I believe makes it one of the greatest rock records of all time.

John McVie, the band’s bassist, said that Tusk sounds like the work of 

 rather than a cohesive project by a well-established band. But it is precisely this quality that made fans of the album (myself included) love it so much. The entire record is a push and pull between Fleetwood Mac’s three songwriting powerhouses, and it's a fascinating quality to bear witness to. Each songwriter shines brightly and distinctly, even if it comes at the cost of a lack of unity. Buckingham’s bizarre experimentation is juxtaposed with Christine McVie’s signature love ballads and Stevie Nicks’s powerful, witchy tunes, which we first heard with the band’s self-titled record. The placement of the songs on the album is crucial: right after listeners recover from the rollercoasters that Buckingham takes us on, we find ourselves comforted by McVie’s soothing vocals or the familiarity of the dreamy, trance-like songs written and performed by Nicks. The songs’ placements are evidence that there is some cohesion in the chaos that is Tusk. Some critics of the album find the dramatic differences between the album’s opening track, “Over and Over” (which sounds like it could have been a Rumours B-side) and the subsequent fast-paced, punk-influenced track, “The Ledge,” to be quite jarring. However, I think the pairing of these two initial tracks excellently sets the stage for the rest of the record’s energy- a constant back-and-forth reflective of a turbulent time for the band.

Aside from the chaos, there is so much more to love about Tusk. It is an emotionally intense record, but not in the same way Rumours was. If the dominant emotion throughout Rumours was anger, then Tusk was a manifestation of the lingering bitterness and resentment in the aftermath of the storm. Additionally, Tusk features some of my all-time favorite Fleetwood Mac songs, such as “Sara,” a mystical, intriguing tune written by Nicks, “Storms,” a stripped-down breakup ballad also written by Nicks, “Brown Eyes,” my favorite songwriting from McVie, and “I Know I’m Not Wrong,” a punchy country jam (featuring some sick harmonica) written by Buckingham. And then of course, there is the eclectic titular track featuring a full marching band, per the request of Mick Fleetwood. The entire record is sonically interesting, and the credit cannot solely be given to Buckingham and his experimentation.

Tusk is not the only example of a rock band choosing to go the experimental route after the release of their most successful record. The Beatles did it with their self-titled record (“The White Album”) and Radiohead did it with Kid A. Yet Tusk is the only one that seems to go largely unrecognized in discussions about the legacy the band leaves behind. As a longtime fan of Fleetwood Mac (we’re talking since the single digits!), Tusk has crept all the way up to the top of my ranking of their records, and it amazes me that 45 years after its release most people just consider it to be a strange blip in their impressive discography. Tusk should be appreciated for more than what it means in relation to Fleetwood Mac’s hits. It is a record bursting with creative genius and a brave attempt at doing what music is all about—daring to find new ways to express oneself.
Listen to Tusk 

45 Years Later, Tusk is still the most overlooked Fleetwood Mac record

Indiana’s self-described “twee pop” band Wishy, composed of Nina (guitar and lead vocals), Kevin (guitar and lead vocals), Dimitri (guitar and vocals), Mitch (bass), and Connor (drums), are rising stars. They sat down with WRBB’s Grace Sawin to chat about their songwriting process, “woo” eras, the great state of Indiana, upcoming projects, and karaoke before their debut AfterHours performance.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Grace Sawin: You guys started off as solo artists, specifically Kevin and Nina. How was the process of collaborating? Were there any difficulties combining two distinct sounds or do you prefer that merge? Maybe it challenges you in new ways?

Nina: Kevin had asked me to form a twee pop band when I was in college. But I was living in Bloomington, Indiana, and he was in Muncie at the time. And it just never worked out that way—I moved away and then came back. I feel like we definitely each knew about the other's solo music projects, but I think we developed a respect for each other's sounds. And a big reason why when we started collaborating more was because we thought, “hey, I fuck with your music.”


Kevin: There's not a lot of compromise that happens when we're collaborating on songs, because we both just kind of fuck with the same idea.

Do you have respective songwriting processes and then come together?

Kevin: We mostly write separately, but I've been writing more collaboratively lately. Or, I kind of wrote the songs, and then we would jam it out with the band and figure out the structure of everything. And as far as with the band, some of the songs on the album are songs that we basically wrote together. For some songs, a big part of them was playing with the whole band to get a vibe for it.

But yeah, we usually just kind of write separately.

Nina. I think we're definitely making a point to actually write together more for the next record. There's been a couple songs where Kevin will do the music, I'll do the lyrics. Or we’ll just send each other demos back and forth sometimes.

So you weren’t necessarily clashing in that collaboration, your styles complement one another?

Kevin: Yeah, I don't know if we ever really clash. Maybe one day!

Kevin: No, we're all just really good friends, we just get along so well.

Connor: We're basically just the perfect band.

I want to talk a little bit about your debut album, “777.” Is the cover a reference to the angel number?

Kevin: It is. I mean, not like super specifically, but that's a big part of it. But also, you know, three sevens—you get three sevens in a row in a slot machine, it’s a lucky number.

Nina: Yeah, I feel like 777 is like the biggest angel number in terms of how universal it seems. I feel like ever since people have gotten into angel numbers, that’s definitely a trending thing now. I feel like I usually see 777 tattoos or shirts. A hat.

Connor: We would see it out in public everywhere.

Mitch: Now I take pictures of billboards, it’s weird.

Do you guys believe in angel numbers, or do you have any superstitions or any things you do that you believe brings you good luck?

Nina: I don't really have any superstitions, but sometimes it's fun to read about angel numbers or repeatedly see things in public and think, “oh, the universe is talking to me.”

Kevin: I feel like I'll have phases where I'm more superstitious or more in my “woo” era. I'll be like, “oh my God, my angels are literally talking to me right now.” And then other times I'll be like, “whatever.”

Kevin: It's fun to think about. At the end of the day, it's good to have your mindset focused on something positive. I think that's what it's all about in the end, anyway. Where do you focus your intention and your energy? I think we're pretty optimistic people.

When you're talking about these “woo” eras, do you feel like that seeps into your songwriting?

Kevin: Sometimes, I think so. I feel like every time I try to write something that has some spiritual element to it, it presents itself in anything I write, but I mostly like to write lyrics to have fun with it and not take it super seriously. It creeps in there sometimes, but I'm not always sure where.

Nina: It's fun to be very hyperbolic in songwriting; over exaggerated, I guess I should say. I feel like Kevin really leans into it with bratty 90s pop punk type vocals on some songs. I think it’s fun to be over the top.

A lot of the themes on that album revolve around really complicated feelings of love. Are those themes you typically gravitate towards?

Kevin: Yeah, I think just with the territory of the kind of music that this band does, it feels natural to write songs that are a little melancholy, but still indulgent and romantic; it feels like what the songs usually call for. Not that it's what occupies my mind 24/7, but it's sort of a fun, cathartic vibe to get into and sing about. Because, you know, love is complicated.

The guitar is a really central element in so many of your songs. Do you tend to write lyrics kind of centered around the melody?

Kevin: I think generally, yeah. It's really hard for me to just come up with a melody if there isn't some kind of melody already in the guitar riff, or at least an impression of the melody. It's hard to say, because sometimes it’ll just jump out like, “oh, the melody is right there, it's easy.” But then other times I'll have a song written for months and I cannot think of the first fucking note to sing for what I'm playing. Because everything I try sounds stupid. But then I realize that what I thought sounded stupid actually sounds good and I'm just being really critical.

Kevin: Yeah, I'll be like, “well, here's like the melody I was kind of thinking about,” and they'll be like, “it sounds good.” And I'm like, “sounds good, thanks, guys.” Or I'll ask Nina to write a melody because I really like all the melodies that Nina writes.

Nina: That's kind of my strong suit. He’s really good at writing the actual music, like guitar parts and stuff. I feel a lot better writing lyrics and melodies.

When developing your sound, which you mentioned is very reflective of ‘90s rock, are there any artists that were really formative that you find yourselves taking inspiration from?

Kevin: To beat the dead horse, The Sundays are probably the biggest inspiration mutually between Nina and I. Maybe not the biggest, but very crucial. We listened to the whole album of theirs driving up in the van today. When we were starting this band, we made a point to make something like The Sundays or My Bloody Valentine.

Nina: I think it started as a shoegaze concept, but then it kind of evolved.

Kevin: A twee, rock concept. Oasis is a big influence on a lot of parts of it. There's some songs that sound like Jimmy Eat World or Third Eye Blind. But then some that sound like Slow Dive. That's a big one. There's this band from the 90s called Lilys that I was really obsessed with for a long time, which I got really into when I first started writing music in high school, and that really influenced how I write a lot of melodies.

A lot of your previous coverage has categorized your music as dream pop or indie rock, and the term “kaleidoscope” is a common descriptor. Do you strongly associate with those labels, or do you try not to actively categorize yourselves?

Nina: Yeah, I don't know. We make music that we think sounds good.

Kevin: It's fun to embrace the kaleidoscopic approach and not feel bound to any sort of genre. We'll have a full shoegaze moment, and then we’ll have a full twee power pop moment that has nary a trace of shoegaze.

Connor: You're not looking at any shoes. Yeah, I don't know.

Mitch: I find I honestly say it a lot—shoegaze or power pop or dream pop. But that's usually just when people ask to give them a description, I wouldn't say that we fall into the category, that’s what we try to do.

Nina: We're just trying to be ourselves, to be authentic.

Kevin: A lot of the bands we take inspiration from fall under those categories, so it makes sense.

You guys are going on tour soon. How does it feel going from recording music, working together, creating these songs, versus performing in front of a live audience and connecting with people in person?

Kevin: It’s so fun, I love it. I mean, it's two different worlds. When we first started this band, we were mostly just playing shows, so playing live is more of our meat and potatoes.

Nina: We didn't release anything for almost a year, until our first single.

Connor: There’s a couple of songs we had to work on live, because when you’re in the studio you can make it sound like whatever you want it to. Trying to recapture that sound live is a little more difficult. We have a drum pad and tracks we can play though now.

Kevin: It's so much fun, though. I used to get so hung up on making a live performance sound as close to the recording as possible. Now I realize it’s better to embrace the uniqueness of the live version of any of our songs.

Nina: I don't think that’s what it's about. They're different versions of each other.

Connor: Pretty much all of us, we started just playing shows. And we’ve grown a lot—we all come from different bands, so it’s kind of natural.

Mitch: It definitely wasn't like a studio feel, it’s mostly that live feeling.

Kevin: There's a lot of songs that we've recorded that we haven't learned with the band.

Nina: They were just songs that me and Kevin wrote in LA and played the instruments in there.

Connor: We'd like to bridge that gap a little more, but, you know, you can’t learn it.

Kevin: Once we all quit our jobs and this is our full time gig, then we can start practicing more consistently.

Kevin: Up till now, it's been okay. I just quit my job for this tour that we're about to go on. And I'm going to see whether or not I'll go back when next year rolls around. But yeah, it's been all right.

Nina: Thankfully, all of our jobs have been very lenient with us going on tour. I mean, we all have different work schedules, but for the most part, it's been fine. It can be difficult sometimes. Even for a one off show during the week, it can be difficult. For this show, I had to take yesterday off and then tomorrow and then Friday off because we’re driving home.

Kevin: Living in Indiana is pretty nice and affordable, though. You don’t have to work your ass off, and we all live in houses.

It’s definitely a better cost of living.

Wishy expressed some of the highest levels of enthusiasm for Indiana ever recorded.


Kevin: We don't have to rent a practice space or anything, we can practice at my house. Demetri has a studio that we practice at a lot. We love the stu.

Are there any new projects you're working on at the moment?

Kevin: No collabs on the radar, but we are finishing up this EP that we're going to put out next year of B-sides; leftover stuff from the last album and EP. And then just writing for LP2, which we’re hoping to record next year.

Are there any questions you wish people would ask you, or anything you feel we skipped over?

Connor: I don't know, how'd you guys get so good at hackysack?

Kevin: Yeah, some fun facts about the band. We love to play hackysack.

Nina: One of mine is “Brass in Pocket” by The Pretenders. That's my big one.

Kevin: I just did “Everything She Wants” by Wham recently, I think it's going to be a new staple for me, it's crazy.

Nina: He does a really good “Give Me One Reason to Stay Here” by Tracy Chapman. He goes hard. This drummer's got pipes. D’s got some pipes.

Mitch what’s your go to? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing. I’ve only heard you do “Tequila.”

Mitch: Four out of the five of us love singing. I like to watch. If the room's empty and you guys are gone, too, and I'm alone, I'll do it.

Mitch: No, he tries to get in the shower.

Mitch: I’ll mouth the words. There's a lot of shame.

Kevin: That's our next project, actually. We're helping Mitch unlearn the shame. That's the next collaboration.

We’re actually just going to do a short set today, and then the rest is karaoke. We're going to be the backing band. “Oh, sorry, we don't know that one. Do you happen to know “Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M.? We just learned that one, it’s awesome.”

Mitch: I will say, I don't think we've had a bad interview. It'd be kind of fun one day to get a really shitty interviewer asking really rude and invasive questions. Like, “why does your music suck? I heard you have allegations.”

Wishy “Woo’s” AfterHours

WRBB's Bella Gedeon covered alternative pop band Valley at House of Blues on Sept. 29. Check out her coverage below:

Valley at House of Blues

It’s a Tuesday night in Jamaica Plain, just starting to cool down after a sunny, late-summer day. People of all ages gather on the lawn of Hope Central church with foldable chairs and picnic blankets. There’s a snack table and someone’s just announced that pizza is on the way. It feels like I’ve walked into a family cookout or a casual graduation party, but no: I’m about to watch the legendary Kimya Dawson play a beautiful, intimate show in Boston’s backyard.

Dawson came to Boston as part of a series of one-off East Coast shows born from a desire to avoid going home. She tells the crowd that she’s just dropped her child off at college and fears the emptiness of the apartment they shared back in Seattle. Dawson posts on Instagram occasionally looking for outdoor venues; as luck would have it, Evan Greer, local artist and queer event organizer, had a backyard. When tickets to Evan’s backyard show sold out, she quickly organized a larger space at Hope Central.

I am awed by the cozy atmosphere Dawson’s friends and fans constantly create—with almost 900,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and a tiny venue, I expected more chaos. Instead, the lawn is friendly, quiet, strung with lights. Kids swing on the playset.

After a beautiful opening set by Greer, Dawson takes her place in front of the crowd. It’s just her and her guitar. Having seen her play with The Moldy Peaches the summer before, I am eager to see her shine alone—the majority of her solo music is stripped down, DIY. The crowd was hushed and, underneath their masks, beaming.

Dawson has a sun inside her. It’s obvious to me, this magnetic force she carries, as she sings heartfelt songs about family, friends, and the world. She performs with a powerful gentleness, at once commanding my attention and soothing my soul. Her music is sweet and savory. It’s self-love and tragedy in between lyrics about farts. She apologizes for her raspy voice, but it’s invisible and unimportant to those of us who know and love her authenticity.

Dawson fills the space between songs with personal anecdotes (and a few curses at the mosquitos attacking her). In the song “Underground,” she writes that instead of putting her body in a casket when she dies, she wants someone to “burn it and put the ashes in a basket / and throw them in the Puget Sound.” But recently she’s been thinking that the sea is too scary. She’d prefer to be in a lake, specifically the lake where she went to summer camp, “so I can hear children laughing and playing all the time.” Thoughts like these make the show feel less like a concert and more like a conversation you’d have with a rambling roommate. She can’t help but segue, she says, having formerly performed as a stand-up comedian. Other stories shout out “sticktok,” bats, and her many musical friends.

Most powerful is her segue into a song about using a wheelchair. She mentions hateful comments on social media about her weight or disability, but points out that comments defending her can be just as hurtful. “People see me and they think, oh, poor Kimya, it must be awful to be her,” she says, “I’m alright. I’m living my life.” She rejects pity. Accessibility is vital to her shows; masks are required and the port-a-potty accommodates wheelchairs.

After the show, Dawson sits at the front of a long line and sells hand-drawn cards and t-shirts, raising money for Palestine. She takes time to connect with each fan who waits to talk with her. It’s well worth the wait—my hand-drawn collection of smiling bugs is titled “friends forever.” It’s now one of my most prized possessions.

I leave the Kimya Dawson show feeling liberated, both softer and stronger. Her music is touching and gracious, her presence on stage unquestionable. It’s rare to see an artist so raw and so real, and I feel honored to have witnessed her magic in this intimate corner of Boston. As Dawson is not regularly touring, if you get the chance to see her live, I urge you to take it with both hands. It will feel like reconnecting with an old friend, like sewing a patch on your heart, like eating dinner at your aunt’s house and remembering that she loves you.

Kimya Dawson shines in Jamaica Plain 

Check out some of the top tracks of the week hand-selected by WRBB's General Manager Billy!

Avant-Folk and Art Pop artist Clarissa Connelly announced her new album, and first for Warp Records, 

last week, and along with it came this new single.The track starts subtly, with Connelly’s baroque-influenced vocals flowing along with a guitar motif and a bell chiming. As the song builds, the bell becomes louder, signifying some sort of impending doom that eventually reveals itself. Squealing guitars and Connelly’s screeching vocals at the climax grow into a moment of cathartic release. Along with November’s Wee Rosebud, 

 is nothing if not a reason to keep an eye out for more from Clarissa Connelly.

Fun fact about Chattanooga, TN hip-hop artist BbyMutha: She is in fact a mother, a mother of 4 children! As a result, she has no time for your BS, which comes across clearly in her music and in her new single for her album 

, which is out in April on True Panther. BbyMutha’s hard-hitting southern hip-hop bars bounce one after the other over a stellar trap beat from producer Rock Floyd. Stand-out lines include “Meet me at the church, pistol to my head I just might leave her in a hearse,” and “I can’t allow you to step on my heart, not when I bought the shoes.”

New York City electronic punk band Lip Critic create pumping and danceable tunes for a modern age of punk fans. Cynical and aggressive lyrics about dying for your sins are driven by heavy synth lines and pounding drums on their new single 

 The song makes you want to dance and jump around, then even start moshing when the chorus comes in. Some synth and dance-infused punk band comparisons would be fellow NYC band Model/Actriz, Hattiesburg, and MS band MSPAINT. 

 along with the previously released singles 

 (both of which go just as hard), will be featured on the band’s debut album Hex Dealer, which is out May 17th on Partisan Records.

With her first new music in 5 years, Jessica Pratt returned with a psychedelic and ethereal singer-songwriter banger last week. 

kicks off with a marching drum beat that keeps a steady pace through the track. Pratt enters with her distinctive nostalgic vocals, singing of insecurity around the trajectory of her life. As the song progresses, Pratt finds comfort in the unknowing and the passage of time, all while her life marches on just like the drumbeat. The song closes with a chant of “time is time and time and time again,” as the drums fade out. Pratt’s new album 

English Post-Rock/Art Rock band Maruja exploded onto the scene last year with their critically acclaimed EP 

 and they finished up the year with two more new singles. Their first new music of 2024 might just be their greatest effort yet, as the 6-minute epic 

 is filled with what makes the band so great. Dramatic and crushing melodies pave the way for poetic lyrics about a man suffering from trauma and depression. Band member Joe Carrol’s alto saxophone, something that makes Maruja stand out among their contemporaries, sounds as on point as ever, especially during an especially emotional sequence in the beginning over the course of a gradual crescendo and tempo increase. The rest of the band slowly joins in until a dramatic and cathartic release in which vocalist Harry Wilkinson repeats “The truth! It hides!” over and over. Maruja’s sect of technical and apocalyptic rock never fails to impress, and if the band’s output for the rest of the year is anything like this, they are definitely a band to look out for.

WRBB Selects #1

This semester was a big one for the Media Team! We expanded our editorial content, continued our Community Connections series, scored some high-profile concerts, and covered a wide range of new releases. Our team of writers and photographers all produced some great work this semester, but we wanted to give a special shoutout to these five articles for being especially awesome!

This innovative editorial by Holden LeBlanc highlights some early gems from the indie rock scene of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. Despite the disparate origins of the three groups covered (The White Stripes, The Strokes, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), all three shared a common goal of making authentic music when manufactured TRL pop ruled the airwaves and television screens. It's a great complement to the recently released documentary "Meet Me in the Bathroom," which covers this era's NYC indie rock scene in more depth.


SLAYED! This piece caps off a great year of Community Connections, led by WRBB’s Annika Eske. With photos by Jace Arrigali, this edition of the column comes alive with interesting and funny blurbs from our man-on-the-

Shoutout to WRBB star photographer Faith Nguyen for scoring a press pass for this show, which had Boston’s SZA fans shelling out hundreds of dollars. Her immersive descriptions and ethereal photos of both Omar Apollo and SZA are truly stunning!

Q&A: Winkler talk their debut, current inspirations and future projects

Our darling Winkler’s lead songwriter/barefoot dancer/Jonathan Richman impersonator, Justin Schaeffers and backup singer/percussionist/occasional violinist (violist? doesn’t matter!) Maddy Simpson bare it all in our most hotly anticipated Q&A of the semester, featuring daring questions and sultry answers, such as, "What Genre Are You Even?" and "Justin, Tell Us About That Time You Yarfed Up a Burrito!" This interview, expertly facilitated by Rachel Crowell, provides insight into the hilarious, wholesome side of Winkler as well as their technical music production decisions.

“Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” is the collab of the year

If you don’t agree with the title of this piece, you’re a liar. The most inescapable song of the year is also the best, and Bela proves this in only two paragraphs. The rumors are true – we can’t get enough of PinkPantheress and “

Thanks again to all our writers, photographers, and Media Team members, and a huge thanks to Rob Pereira, our copy editor extraordinaire for all his hard work in making sure our content is up to snuff! We're looking forward to the summer and another great semester next fall. Make sure to sign up for the 

 if you’re interested in contributing content in the future!

WRBB's Spring Media Roundup!

Interviews by Annika Eske, Jace Arrigali, Aidan Cocchiara, and Fenner Dreyfuss-Wells.

Photos by Jace Arrigali and Fenner Dreyfuss-Wells.

On April 11th, we embraced the lo-fi aesthetic for this semester’s very last Community Connections. Armed with a very cool Canon point-and-shoot plus some Kermit stickers for the masses, we set up for a tabling session in Curry Student Center. Are this month’s photos erroneously dated “22/01/13”? Yes, yes they are. But was it worth it for the vintage/lo-fi look? Obviously.

This month, we asked people passing by, “What is your favorite music genre?” We’ve compiled genres that received more than one vote in a lovely little bar graph below (many thanks to our statistics professors), and we also made a 

 of all the recommendations we received this month. Finally, we asked a few people to further defend their answer to see if they could convince us that their favorite genre is the best. Read on to hear what they had to say!

*The people spoke, and apparently Taylor Swift gets her own genre.

**Other genres mentioned that only received one vote included indie pop, Midwest emo, grunge, Bollywood, psytrance, country-gaze, new psychedelic rock, and electronic music.

Jacob’s first answer was jazz, but we soon realized his music taste spans just about every genre out there.

Jacob studies world history and cell biology, but he’s quite the music expert as well. His first answer to this month’s question was jazz, as he finds the genre very relaxing. Then, he told us he also listens to “metal blues, lo-fi, bedroom pop, lo-fi punk, regular punk, hip hop, trash metal, speed metal...” As the list went on, we eventually decided the better question to ask in Jacob’s case was, “Is there any genre you 

 like?” Jacob answered that black metal is hard for him to get on board with. “I appreciate what it’s trying to do, but it’s hard to listen to when it’s just screaming,” he reasoned. Still, he was able to point out that he does like the black metal artist Sunbather. Finally, underground sub-genres aside, he also appreciates more mainstream artists like Taylor Swift and Lana del Rey. Jacob has been on a mission to find the music appreciation club here at Northeastern, but they’re apparently a bit hard to get in contact with. If anyone from that club is reading, we can definitely vouch for Jacob’s music-appreciation prowess!

*Upon further investigation, we noticed that most bands with the name Sunbather were dreampop bands. Since that’s pretty far off from black metal, we figure maybe Jacob was thinking of the album 

, by Deafheaven. In any case, we added both the dreampop and the death metal to this month’s playlist: so be prepared for a rollercoaster-style listening experience!

Bobby told us his favorite genre would have to be “80s hair bands.”

In response to our questioning looks, he explained, “They all had the big hair.” When asked why this genre is his favorite, Bobby responded, “It’s the best – no one’s killin’ no one, it’s just feel good [music]...I’m partial to the 80s since I grew up in the 80s.” Out of the big hair bands of the 80s, he would especially recommend Led Zeppelin and Mötley Crüe. As his second choice, Bobby added that he would also say country music is one of his favorites. When asked what he likes about the country genre, Bobby explained, “Well I live in the country up in New Hampshire.” Out of the country artists he listens to, he would recommend Trace Adkins. Yet, Bobby concluded that he really listens to everything – he even listens to a few playlists with music from the 40s and 50s, as well.

Sharmelee and Sakshi talked with us about the psychedelic trance, or psytrance, genre.

Sakshi’s favorite music genre is psytrance, and she first heard this niche music style in Goa, India. When we asked her what the genre sounds like, we found out that Sakshi is something of a music production expert since her boyfriend is a DJ. “The bpm [beats per minute] is around 30-150,” she explained. She then told WRBB, “One of my favorite [psytrance] artists is going to perform in Boston” – the group is called Infected Mushroom. When asked what she likes about the genre, Sakshi answered, “It makes me at peace.” Her friend Sharmelee quickly questioned this. “Really?” she asked incredulously. Sakshi admitted it was a surprising take considering the energizing feel of psytrance, but she stands by her opinion nonetheless. Sharmelee, on the other hand, said that psytrance is not for her, but her listening rotation tends to consist of any recommendations she gets from her friends.

Mathivannan told us that his favorite music style is Indian music.

“In India usually songs come with movies. There are not a lot of independent artists,” Mathivannan explained to WRBB. He told us that, out of the Indian music he listens to, he would recommend Thaikkudam Bridge. The band creates songs in both the Malayalam and Tamil languages. Mathivannan told us that he used to listen to this music a lot during his undergraduate years, so the music now carries a nostalgic weight for him. When he first heard the music genre, he “hadn’t heard anything like it before.”

Katie was tabling right next to us, so we figured we’d bug her about her music preferences.

When asked what her favorite music genre is, Katie explained that she loves anything by Taylor Swift. In fact, Katie hosts the Taylor Swift Power Hour show at WRBB (listen live at wrbbradio.org on Thursdays at 8am!). She explained that she loves Taylor Swift because “The lyrics are relatable.” We noted that Taylor Swift’s discography touches on many different genres of music and asked Katie if she has a preference among the styles that Swift has experimented with. Katie immediately responded, “No, I like them all the same!”

Friends Kourtney and Sneha stopped by with a stack of stunning Garden Club posters in hand.

Kourtney told us her favorite genre is alternative RnB like Arlo Parks and Orion Sun. She backed up her answer by describing the genre as “soulful, soft, and soothing.” Sneha then said her favorite genres would have to be country-gaze and new psychedelic rock. Sneha said that she likes being able to hear the music and history that bands are influenced by. “I like it when music is like you can hear a thread of where it's coming from,” she clarified. She agreed that she is the type of person who will easily get sucked down a Wikipedia rabbit hole while researching her favorite music artists. Sneha would recommend the bands Wednesday, Mazzy Star, Slowdive, Hole, Unwound, and Pretty Sick. Sneha excitedly asked us whether she and Kourtney could have their Garden Club poster in the photo. “You have to hold it from the side then, so you don’t block the words!” Kourtney admonished Sneha jokingly.

Dev strolled up to our table eager to talk, and quickly gave Hindi/Bollywood music as his answer to our question. 

For Dev, this music was a big part of growing up – it was always playing on long car rides and during hangouts with friends. He told us that one of the things he likes most about the genre is how there’s always someone new to listen to. Dev’s favorite Bollywood artist is Arijit Singh, who he’s seen once a few years ago and would love to see again.

Jun Woo’s current favorite genre is Korean hip-hop.

Jun Woo told us that, at the moment, he would specifically recommend Korean hip-hop. He recommended the group Epik High and explained that the genre in general is “pretty energizing,” particularly when at the gym. He also told WRBB that he really appreciates the genre in terms of its lyrics. When asked if Korean hip-hop has always been his favorite genre, he replied that his favorite genre changes all the time – “It changes even within the day,” he laughed. When asked if he thinks genre preferences give away anything about a person, Jun Woo considered and then answered that it “reflects 

 about the person, but not necessarily any pinpointed attribute.”

We asked for a fun pose and Holly delivered.

Holly stopped by with arguably the best pose we saw at this month’s tabling session. They answered this month’s question by saying that they particularly like the indie pop and Midwest emo genres. Holly would recommend Origami Angel, American Football, Gus Dapperton, and Peach Pit. When asked what they like about these music styles, Holly told us, “I really just grew up on them.” They added, “I discovered them in high school, and sophomore year was a tough year for me – so I used it as music therapy.”

Community Connections #7: April

Interviews by Annika Eske, Arslan Sheikh, Fenner Dreyfuss-Wells, and Bela Omoeva.

On March 20th, the WRBB media team set up as per usual at Campus Crossroads in Curry Student Center. This month, we asked passerby, “What is your LEAST favorite song by your FAVORITE music artist?” Often, people found that they didn’t resonate with music that deviated from an artist’s signature style (whether it be a shaky first album or an experimental new direction). However, some people couldn’t choose a single ‘bad’ song from their favorite artist’s discography and ended up recommending a song they liked instead. In any case, we’ve compiled a playlist of all the songs discussed this month. Yes, it is technically a playlist of least-favorite songs (for the most part). But keep an open mind – maybe one of these tracks will surprise you! Listen to the playlist 

, and read on for some fun music conversations.

Friends Mei and Ceci stopped by to tell us about their least favorite songs by their favorite artists.

Ceci told us that “DHL” is her least favorite song by her favorite artist, Frank Ocean. Ceci took a good minute to contemplate what it is about DHL that doesn’t quite cut it for her. “I don’t like the instruments in the background,” she explained. After giving it a little more thought she added, “There’s not enough words.” Ceci would agree with the statement that Frank Ocean’s lyrics and singing voice are his biggest strength. In “DHL,” even when there are lyrics, Frank Ocean is not quite singing – “more just talking.” Mei on the other hand, said that “Safe & Sound” by Taylor Swift  would have to be her answer. When asked why, she told WRBB, “I don’t even know, it’s just in the Hunger Games soundtrack.” Mei confessed through laughter that she wasn’t able to muster up enough interest in the song to listen all the way through.

Katie, Sofia, and Ava – three Swifties – held a discussion to decide which Taylor Swift song should have been cut.

Katie approached the table first and told WRBB, “I don’t have my iced coffee anymore, but I 

 a basic bitch and I do like Taylor Swift…” as Katie began scrolling through options to decide on her 

 favorite Taylor Swift song, friends Sofia and Anna joined in on the conversation. The two are also fans of Taylor Swift and wanted to help with the difficult decision-making process. “We need to figure this out,” resolved Sofia. The three Swifties had mixed feelings about the song “Carolina,” written as part of the soundtrack for the film 

. However, they ultimately agreed that “ME!” is the most lacking song in Swift’s discography. “It is 

 a great song,” Katie commented. Sofia agreed, “She can do so much better.” When asked what about the song fell short, Katie and Sofia concluded that the song is “incredibly cheesy.” Nonetheless, all of them admitted that they love the dress Swift wears in the song’s music video.

Henoss and EJ work at the Center for Student Involvement, and gave WRBB some very thoughtful answers.

Henoss was intent on giving us his best possible answer. “I really gotta think about it…who is my favorite artist of 

 time? I gotta do someone who’s already passed so they can’t disappoint me!” Henoss stepped aside and took some time to contemplate.

Meanwhile, EJ told us that Drake is his favorite artist, but he isn’t a fan of the song “God’s Plan.” EJ wasn’t sure if he wanted this to be his final answer, but told us that he generally prefers Drake’s older music. “He couldn’t express a lot of his creativity [in the new music]…and in some ways, his new music isn’t as good.” EJ also finds that newer Drake songs like “God’s Plan” are overplayed. Yet, EJ told WRBB that he’ll be going to his first concert in July – and it will be a Drake concert.

Henoss, on the other hand, had just decided to choose Stevie Wonder as his favorite artist. Unfortunately, after one decision comes another. “I don’t know, man, Stevie Wonder never made a bad song…” reasoned Henoss as he reluctantly tried to choose a least favorite peice from Stevie Wonder’s discography. In the end, Henoss concluded that the album 

would be his final answer. “He’s made an incredible, immaculate, illustrious collection,” emphasized Henoss, “but that album is the one that I would not necessarily go to listen to.” He explained that the album was Stevie Wonder’s debut studio album and the legendary artist was still trying to find his musical identity at that time. “This album was his pathway to being great,” Henoss told WRBB.

We bothered Will while he was working at Campus Crossroads to hear what he had to say about this month’s question.

Will told us his favorite artist is producer The Alchemist (coolest artist name ever, confirmed). Will’s least favorite song by the producer is “Peppertree,” a collaboration with Armand Hammer. He explained that “Peppertree” is a very dissonant track. Will conceded, “I see what he’s trying to do, but it didn’t work.” When asked if he thought the rest of The Alchemist’s discography is more accessible, Will agreed that “the rest of his stuff is much easier to listen to. He does have a bit of a weird sound, but usually it works.”

Allie and Akshara stopped by and discussed a few of their least favorite songs by their favorite artists.

Without a second of hesitation, Allie answered with “Closer” by Halsey. “I just spent 10 minutes talking about how Halsey is my Taylor Swift [on her WRBB radio show].” When asked what it is about the song that she doesn’t like, Allie first joked, “It’s easy to pick a bad pop song.” Then, she told us that the song also reminds her of someone she is no longer friends with. Still, Allie cut Halsey some slack, saying “I respect that it brought her to a bigger fan base, but it’s just not Halsey’s style of music.” Akshara agreed, saying that the song has nothing that showcases Halsey’s vocals or typical style. Allie pointed out that even Halsey herself doesn’t like the song and often refuses to play it live.

Akshara had two answers to this month’s question. First, they told us that their favorite music artist is Hozier, but they don't like “The Bones,” a collaboration between Maren Morris and Hozier. Akshara then decided they had a better answer: “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals. They told us “It’s so ‘I’m-not-like-other-girls’ of me, but I just tend to not like the popular artists.” Allie laughed, “You’re gonna be tweeting about this tonight.”

Eshan almost left without giving us an answer, until we gave him some leeway and said he could tell us a favorite song rather than a least favorite.

“This is hard… Why would I have to choose one?” Eshan mused. He quickly explained that his favorite music artist is John Mayer, but he can’t come up with any John Mayer songs he doesn’t like. “I can give you a favorite song,” he offered. Eshan’s recommendations are “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” and “Covered in Rain.” Eshan explained that he used to play guitar and “'Covered in Rain' has a wonderful guitar solo – plus it’s recorded as a live performance.

Community Connections #6: March

I started hearing the chants of “Piano G” outside my window as soon as I conceived of my idea for this article. At that time, they were a faint whisper. Now, as I write these opening sentences, their sound is deafening. The haters have arrived at my doorstep, and my time is limited. Hear me out – and if you aren’t convinced to give Polo G a chance by the end of this article, join the mob at my door.

Polo G, born Taurus Tremani Bartlett, is a rapper from the West Side of Chicago known for his style that combines elements of drill, trap, and melodic rap. He is most famous for his singles “Pop Out” and “Rapstar,” and has released three albums at the time of publication. As he rose in popularity, Polo G was increasingly criticized for his apparent boring beat selection, selecting only beats with piano melodies, hence the mocking nickname: “Piano G.” While I do agree his production could be more interesting, I believe that he has the tools to be great.

I started listening to Bartlett in high school, right around the time of the release of his second album, 

 (a reference to his astrological sign). He hooked me with his catchy melodies and emotionally packed lyrics. Even though I don’t listen to him as much now, my respect and appreciation for his music has not faded. 

One of the strongest elements of Polo G’s music is his lyricism. He is able to put on the facade of a confident, braggadocious, playboy in one song, and then seamlessly remove it to tell a heartbreaking tragedy in the next. One of the best examples of his storytelling prowess is “Bloody Canvas” off of his third album 

, on which he tells a heartbreaking story of revenge and gang violence. The majority of his songs have a dark tone to them which reflects Polo G’s harsh upbringing and the tragedies he has had to endure. Tracks such as “No Matter What” display that Bartlett is grateful for his success and hasn’t forgotten where he came from: “Used to daydream of shinin’ in the hood with these bands / Tryna leave these hard times and run through millis with my friends.” On “Martin and Gina” he shows off his playful,romantic side, playfully teasing the subject of the song with lines like “Even on your worst days, girl, you still kind of cute.” Two of the best examples of his raw lyrical talent are his XXL freshman 

, dropping lines we can all relate to such as: “Damn, a new disease dropped, causin’ mass hysteria / It’s always some bullshit, welcome to America.” Overall, Polo G is an underrated lyricist with the flexibility to create a diverse array of moods with his words, already proving he is more than the one-trick pony his critics claim him to be.

I recently have noticed that I prefer artists who display raw emotion in their lyrics. Many artists that I like such as Kendrick Lamar, Big Thief and Ecco2k wear their heart on their sleeve and aren’t afraid to express their deepest feelings to the world. While Polo G isn’t on that level, he does display flashes of raw, emotional lyricism that I appreciate. His first album 

 provides the best examples of this, as it is his most musically and emotionally raw work. On “Chosen 1” he laments: “I put my life on the line, you wouldn’t take that risk for me / Fucked up my trust, wish I could delete all our memories.” Bartlett’s bars centered around themes of betrayal and regret are not unique to this track; it is clear as you go through his discography that he is haunted by memories of his past. While some artists merely hint at the low points in their lives in their songs, Polo G pushes his pain to the forefront of his music.

The last line of the aforementioned “Chosen 1” is “I’m way too solid for the gimmicks, fuck the industry,” which is quite ironic considering the stylistic choices he would make a few albums later on 

. Polo’s rapping ability and lyrical depth are seldom criticized, yet, as I alluded to earlier, his production is the most controversial part of his music. I must admit that some of his beats sound generic and uninspired, especially on the latest album. But what his critics fail to see is that he does have some songs with interesting production, as well as the potential to rap over any beat. The first example that comes to mind is the last track off of 

 “Wishing For a Hero,” which samples 2Pac’s iconic hit “Changes.” Both the sample and lyrical content of the song pay homage to the soulful, sobering, yet hopeful original song. My one criticism is that the mix is pretty shaky, especially the hi hats, but that doesn’t have as much to do with Polo G himself. Another Polo G song with more interesting production is “Last Man Standing,” on which Bartlett delivers bar after bar about police brutality over a textbook soul sample and light drums. While not too innovative, the beat is a bit different that what he normally would rap over.

I truly believe that Polo G has the raw talent to rap over most beats. If he decides to rap over more experimental and varied production, I would be all for it. While I doubt he will make that stylistic choice, I will continue to hold out hope – but even if he doesn’t, I will still continue to believe that Polo G is actually good.

Polo G is actually good

MARIS, the LA-based up-and-coming pop sensation, performed her largest show to date at Boston Calling this May. WRBB's BellaJoli Gedeon sat down with the artist to discuss musical influences, upcoming projects, and dancing!

Bella: How’d it feel to perform Boston Calling this weekend?

MARIS: Oh my God! It was a dream come true. It's my first festival and it was the biggest production I've ever had for my music. I got to work with Berklee students, so we had a 10-piece band with dancers. It was so insane considering the last time I performed on the East Coast was in a dive bar. I couldn’t have had a better crew around me and I love everyone on my team and everyone that made it possible. It was a lot of love.

Your latest single, Julia Roberts, is a hit. It’s definitely a song I resonate with.

It’s evident that you use your experience to connect with listeners. Do you find it cathartic to pour those emotions into the music making process?