ACRN.com

Album Review: The Mountain Goats – Getting Into Knives

By Ethan Bloomfield, Contributor[Merge; 2020]Rating: 6/10 Key Tracks: “The Last Place I Saw You Alive”, “Bell Swamp Connection”, “Getting Into Knives” What can be said about The Mountain Goats that hasn’t been? John Darnielle and company have created 13 studio albums and some of the biggest indie classics for the better part of three decades….

Album Review: Ariana Grande – Positions

By Lauren McCain, Columns Editor [Republic Records; 2020]Rating: 7.5/10 Key tracks: “positions”, “34+35”, “safety net (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)”, “pov” After the whirlwind of her albums Sweetener and thank u, next less than five months apart in 2019, in 2020, Ariana Grande brings a more intimate, sultry R&B sound to the table with Positions. Positions makes…

Newport Folk Festival limited edition vinyl package sells out within hours

By Ethan Bloomfield, Contributor Attention vinyl fans: another great sale has already come and gone! A pre-order for the limited vinyl release of music-icon collaboration album A Change is Gonna Come sold out within a few hours. The vinyl was released in support of the Newport Festivals Foundation, a charity created in 2010 “to support…

Covers: An Overview of Approaches for Reimagining Pop Music

By Jonah Krueger, News Editor So, you want to cover a song? Wonderful! Let us start by congratulating you for making this tremendous decision and reinforce how excited we are that you chose us™ to help you along this rewarding journey. Legally, we are required to inform you of the potential risks involved with covering…

Preview: ACRN Battle of the Bands with Boy Jorts, Rooftops, Friends for Sale, Velvet Green, Birds with Vertigo

By Kwase Lane, Features Editor Flyer by Olivia Doepke The fates have not been kind to any of us this year, but ACRN’s Battle of the Bands is still happening—albeit in a new, virtual form. There are five bands competing, and every one of them have recorded a 15 minute set for you to watch…

Records I’m Not Ashamed to Own

By RJ Martin, Music Director Within the landscape of mid-to-late-2000s butt-rock and post-hardcore, there are few acts that rose above the rest and created music that had staying power. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, there may only be one that matters: Avenged Sevenfold. After putting out two independent records and rising to major-label…

Lil Nas X announces new song in bizarre commercial

By Ben Lindner, Contributor Lil Nas X took to television during “Sunday Night Football” to offer an absurd advertisement for his new song “Holiday”, which releases Friday, Pitchfork reported. Read more: Run The Jewels releases shirts with a purpose The advertisement features Lil Nas X time traveling to a western town while his Grammy-winning hit…

Run The Jewels releases shirts with a purpose

By Lauren Patterson, Copy Editor Hip-hop duo Run The Jewels have announced a limited edition T-shirt collection, “Hold Our Hands,” with Charitees. The announcement came Monday via Twitter, urging voting and supporting organizations. All proceeds from the tees go to corresponding charities, Brooklyn Vegan reported. Read more: Japanese electronic group Black Boboi announce new album…

Album Review: Touché Amoré – Lament

By Jonah Krueger, News Editor[Epitaph; 2020]Rating: 8.5/10 Key tracks: “Come Heroine”, “Reminders”, “Limelight”, “Deflector” Touché Amoré has rightly become an emo A-lister, managing to vary its approach to songwriting while remaining remarkably consistent in quality with each release. Yet, the glamorous rise of the band was abruptly halted with the release of their fourth album. …

Album Review: Machinedrum – A View of U

By Kiah Easton, Editorial Director[Ninja Tune; 2020]Rating: 5.5/10 Key tracks:”Kane Train”, “Believe in U”, “Inner Eye” Machinedrum, a.k.a. Travis Stewart, delivers a product fitting for his moniker. A View of U is a clean, percussion-heavy project hosting a total of nine different features, from Father to Tigran Hamasyan. Reflecting this lengthy list of collaborators, the…

Album Review: Teenage Halloween – Teenage Halloween

By Jonah Krueger, News Editor
[Don Giovanni Records; 2020]
Rating: 7/10
Key tracks: “Drown”, “Racehorse”, “Turn Right, Goes Straight”
New Jersey power-punk collective Teenage Halloween may have just served up the sweetest existentially-concerned cocktail this side of Jeff Rosenstock. One part Pacific Northwest indie, two parts California ska/pop-punk, with a dash of Springsteen and modern folk-punk for garnish, Teenage Halloween’s self-titled debut is a satisfyingly melodic crowd-pleaser.

Highsnobiety, Newport Jazz Festival announce livestream

By Maddie James, Contributor Starting Monday, Highsnobiety and the Newport Jazz Festival are teaming up for “Jazz TV”. This three-day virtual event will feature DJ sets, live performances and panels on Highsnobiety’s digital platform and YouTube channel. All proceeds from “Jazz TV” will go to the Newport Festivals Musician Relief Fund, a nonprofit created to…