Reviews
AOTW: La Femme – “Teatro Lúcido”
Monday, December 12th, 2022 by Liz Kosik
by Anabel Martin Llanusa ’25
Release: November 2022
Rated: 9/10
RIYL: Rosalia, Tatiene Hazel, L’Imperatrice, Stereolab, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melody’s Echo Chamber.
La Femme is a french “psycho” rock indie band. They released their fourth album “Teatro Lúcido” on the 4th of November and it’s sung in Spanish! The band comprises a keyboard player and a guitarist, Marlon Magnée and Sacha Got. They started La Femme, added a drummer, bass player, and finally Clémence Quélennec, the lead singer- and the rest is history!
I like the uniqueness of this band because the lyrics are super weird and if you listen to this album, every song sounds like a different genre. Their music is inspired by Spanish, French, and Brazilian sounds, creating a versatile range. My favorite songs were “Sacatela”, “Y tu te vas”, and “Maialen.” “Sacatela” was the first song I listened to and even though the lyrics are super short, it’s incredibly catchy! Definitely couldn’t get it out of my head!
La Femme is an innovative band and even if you can’t understand the lyrics, the power is transmitted through the music.
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SOTW: Prima Queen – “Eclipse” (Clean Edit)
Friday, December 9th, 2022 by Liz Kosik
by Aliyah Smith-Bradley ’24
Prima Queen – “Eclipse” (Clean Edit)
Rate: 9.5/10
RIYL: Lucy Dacus, Billy Nomates, Sharon Van Etten, Snail Mail
Released on August 24, 2022, Prima Queen posted an amazing pop indie song, Eclipse. The female indie group formed by two best friends tells a beautiful story through the song “Eclipse” with heated lyrical imagery and an upbeat tune.
This song has a fun temp and instrumental while having powerful vocals and lyrics. The song is about a person in a relationship, but they are not over their last ex. With a theme that a lot of people can relate to, Eclipse is the perfect song to add to your breakup playlist. There is a clean edit of the song and one that is not FCC clean (whatever you’d prefer). “Eclipse” by Prima Queen serves, creating a song that is perfect for a girl’s night or for a breakup anthem.
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SOTW: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizards – “Exploding Suns”
Thursday, November 17th, 2022 by Liz Kosik
SONG OF THE WEEK: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizards – “Exploding Suns”
by Isabelle Braudakis ’25
Rate: 9/10
Released: October 28, 2022
RYIL: The Murlocs, Art of Sleeping, Moses Gunn Collective, Pipe-eye, Post Animal
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard is an Australian rock band formed in 2011 in Melbourne. The group were all friends who liked to jam out and create unique and meaningful music. The band’s current lineup consists of Stu Mackenzie, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Cook Craig, Joey Walker, Lucas Harwood, and Michael Cavanagh. Throughout the years the band has explored many genres, but their music can be described as psychedelic rock, garage rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal.
Exploding Suns starts with a slow and steady drumline accompanied by a guitar. The reverb helps create a dream-like state which Mackenzie contributes to with his soft and gentle voice. The drumline throughout the song remains steady while other strange instruments join in. The song almost sounds like you are floating in space all while on a psychedelic trip. I would recommend listening to this song during a chill nighttime drive or just having it in the background when hanging out with friends on a relaxing night in.
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AOTW: Karmic – “Disco Submarine”
Thursday, November 10th, 2022 by Liz Kosik
by Analia Cortez ’25
Release: September 2022
Rated: 8/10
RILY: Thunder Jackson, PRESSYES, Little Element, Leyya, 5K HD, Wargirl, DIVES, Cari Cari, Roast Apple.
In September 2022, Los Angeles and Vienna-based Karmic released their debut album. “Disco Submarine” was born into the Indie Pop world after being recorded during the Covid-19 lockdown. The intention of this album was to get a connection formed between people and music. “Disco Submarine” is built around the idea of a small space with music where closeness and connections could be created. The variety of sounds produced for this album echo the waves of emotions that were experienced not just through the pandemic, but everything in their five years together. A personal favorite from this album would have to be the sixth track “Boomerang“. Tracks four and five – “Dive Bar” and “Mantra” – are a close second and third. These songs have an upbeat yet relaxing feel to them, making them suitable for homework, a nice walk, or simply relaxing! This sound on this album is one I would listen to on occasion, however, overall, I enjoy the vibe of it and do take a strong liking to this. For a more upbeat feel, I would suggest checking out their singles “Wisdom Pie” and “Little Lucille“.
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Rocky Horror Picture Show 2022
Wednesday, November 9th, 2022 by Liz Kosik
by Aliyah Smith-Bradley
On October 31st, 2022, WLOY and Spectrum presented the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and it was amazing! For those of you who don’t know, WLOY’s screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 10+ year tradition (and eventually we will succeed in having it outside on the quad). WLOY shows it every Halloween and this year was in collaboration with Spectrum. Spectrum is a LBGTQ+ support service at Loyola University Maryland. This year we held a costume contest with the winner taking home a new turntable and a picture disc of 45th Anniversary Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack!
Rocky Horror was a huge hit this year! With Halloween falling on a rainy Monday, celebrating it with a movie was perfect. The event had about 60 students and 19 contest competitors. For the contest, we had so many students with amazing costumes to judge it was tough. In the end, Elvis Presley (a Loyola student) won with an astounding round of applause. Everyone had a great time watching with some students shouting along with the Rocky Horror Audience Participation Script. This event was personally one of my favorites with the candy, welcoming community, and seeing everyone in their costumes.
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AOTW: Alvvays – “Blue Rev”
Monday, November 7th, 2022 by Liz Kosik
by Ameila Dunat ’25
Alvvays – “Blue Rev”
Released: October 7, 2022
Rating: 7 / 10
This Toronto band’s third album has been in the works since their 2017 album Antisocialites and it was definitely worth the wait. Alvvays is an Indie Pop band from Canada formed in 2011. After a 5-year hiatus, they’ve released Blue Rev, a shoegaze collection of 14 tracks, all with bittersweet lyrics and psychedelic sounds. My favorite tracks from this album were “Easy on Your Own”, “Tile by Tile”, and “After the Earthquake”. “After the Earthquake” was my favorite out of all of them because of its upbeat melody. “Easy on your Own” and “Tile by Tile” both feature whimsical vocals and sophisticated melodies making them sound just like the previous albums. Listening to this album made it seem as if no time had passed since I last heard the sounds of Alvvays many years ago! (more…)
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AOTW: Jonathan Jeremiah – “Horsepower For The Streets”
Tuesday, October 25th, 2022 by Liz Kosik
by Aaliyah Smith-Bradley ’24
Jonathan Jeremiah – “Horsepower For The Streets”
Release: September, 2022
Rated: 9/10
RIYL: Lord Huron, Hozier, Donovan Woods, Family of the Year, Bronze Radio Return.
If you love music that sounds like an orchestra with the violins, piano and chorus in the back, then this is the album for you. When I first heard Horsepower For The Streets, I was in shock. I thought Hozier and Sam Smith were the only ones that knew how to mix Pop music with Soul. (more…)
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SOTW: Kurt Vile – “Like Exploding Stones”
Tuesday, October 25th, 2022 by Liz Kosik
SONG OF THE WEEK: Kurt Vile – “Like Exploding Stones”
By Ameila Dunat ’25
This laid-back and dreamy alt rock tune, “Like Exploding Stones”, is the fourth track from Kurt Vile’s new album. Philadelphia artist and songwriter Kurt Vile wrote this album before and during the pandemic. It was mainly self-produced and self-recorded in his home studio.
Despite its slow tempo the psychedelic sounds of the guitar and synth make for a rather meditative song. This song is a doorway into the depths of Kurt’s mind- he sings about his racing thoughts and the weight of stress he carries. Although the lyrics aren’t exactly peaceful, the song sounds like a magical daydream. Some other alternative/indie songs of his I recommend if you enjoy this one include Loading Zones, One Trick Ponies, and Wakin on a Pretty Day.
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AOTW – Phoneboy
Tuesday, July 19th, 2022 by The Professor
ALBUM OF THE WEEK by Ben Ostrowski ’24
Phoneboy released a self-titled album as their first full-length project in 2021 and they absolutely killed it. A place where the toe-tapping grooves of pop meet the relatable lyrics of indie rock. The band describes a “phoneboy” as someone who is too sucked into their phone that they don’t pay attention to the world happening around them. On the contrary however, “Phoneboy,” from the New Jersey trio is guaranteed to get you off your phone and you’ll probably wind up rocking your socks off as a result.
Firstly, the vocals on this album are immaculately descriptive and give you a clear feeling for what the song is meant to be about. A song like “Fomo” that’s bursting with melodies and ramped-up choruses while exploring the madness of everyday anxieties. The guitar riffs are just as entrancing. From the intro and various riffs in the Weezer-inspired “Sweater Song” to the acoustics of ending track “Lately,” there is no sound not heard on this record. (more…)
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SOTW – Kilby Girl
Sunday, December 19th, 2021 by The Professor
SONG OF THE WEEK: The Backseat Lovers – “Kilby Girl”
By Ben Ostrowski ’24
Indie-pop rock has never sounded so good. “Kilby Girl” by The Backseat Lovers comes from their first album “When We Were Friends” and has been a hit ever since, with 130 million streams and counting. The song is a hint towards Kilby Court, a popular outdoor music venue in Salt Lake City, the area the band reigns from. The Backseat Lovers wrote the song about the type of girl that would frequent the venue.
With catchy bass lines, mellow verses that build up into an upbeat chorus, and instrumental experimentation, it’s difficult to sit still while listening to “Kilby Girl.” And if you didn’t think the song couldn’t get any better and just when you think it’s over, the band throws you for a loop with a great turn around ending to once again up the energy and bring the song back to life. The experimentation can be heard with introducing some soft guitar and the harmonica to lull the song to a close.
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