Tremendous year. 25 albums. The votes are in–here we go! 1. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN., [Interscope / TDE; 2017] By Jon Fuchs, Music Director DAMN. is only further proof that Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest rappers of our generation. Instead of creating another concept record like good kid, m.A.Ad. city or To Pimp a Butterfly,…
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ACRN’s Favorite Tracks of 2017
From monumental releases to rockstar controversies, 2017 was a huge year for music. As the year comes to an end, here are ACRN’s favorite tracks from 2017. Give these tracks a good listen; they deserve it. Sam Tornow, General Manager: Yves Tumor – “Limerence” In passing, “Limerence” can sound like an interlude. The light, ethereal…
Album Review: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built the Moon?
By Justin Cudahy, Columns Editor [Sour Mash; 2017] Rating: 7/10 Key Tracks: “Holy Mountain”, “She Taught Me How To Fly”, “The Man Who Built The Moon” Less than two months ago, heartbroken Oasis fans found solace when their polarizing frontman, Liam Gallagher, released his debut solo record, As You Were, which was met with overwhelmingly…
Group Feature: Our Favorite Spooky Tunes
Jon Fuchs, Music Director: The Fog by John Carpenter There’s no denying that John Carpenter is one of the masters of horror (just look at his own Twitter handle). He’s also an underrated pioneer of both film scores and the electronic genre as a whole, with several excellent horror film scores under his belt, from…
Album Review: Young Dolph – Thinking Out Loud
By Justin Cudahy, Columns Editor [Paper Route Empire; 2017] Rating: 3.5/10 Key Tracks: “What’s the Deal”, “While U Here” For Adolph Thornton Jr., AKA Young Dolph, 2017 has been both a blessing and a curse. His sophomore LP, Bulletproof, had peaked at #36 earlier this year on the Billboard 200 following his close encounter as the…
Album Review: Liam Gallagher – As You Were
By Justin Cudahy, Columns Editor [Warner Bros.; 2017] Rating: 8/10 Key Tracks: “Wall of Glass”, “Greedy Soul”, “For What It’s Worth” There is no one more polarizing and shameless in the music industry as Liam Gallagher. At one point, he was on top of the world, dominating the Britpop scene in the 90s alongside his…
Album Review: Cut Copy – Haiku From Zero
By Justin Cudahy, Columns Director [Cutters; 2017] Rating: 7.5/10 Key Tracks: “Counting Down”, “Black Rainbows”, “Stars Last Me A Lifetime” Back in September of 2016, fans of Australian synth-pop band Cut Copy were left scratching their heads when an EP under the name January Tape was released unannounced. The 43-minute collection of ambient instrumentals suggested that the…
Group Feature: Our Back-to-School Playlist
We’re a month into the semester and already a few days into fall – back-to-school time moves quickly. There are classes, work, and endless introductions to be made. Keeping up with it all is daunting, but we’ve got some tunes to help you hold it together. Here are our picks to bring in the new…
Album Review: Prophets of Rage – Prophets of Rage
By Justin Cudahy, Columns Editor [Concord Music Group; 2017] Rating: 4/10 Key Tracks: “Unfuck the World”, “Hail to the Chief”, “Take Me Higher” Given the current political climate that we are facing, it’s understandable why some would want to lash out and rebel. Music has often been one of the more popular mediums when it…
Album Review: Mount Kimbie – Love What Survives
By Justin Cudahy, Columns Editor [Warp; 2017] Rating: 7.5/10 Key Tracks: “Blue Train Lines”, “Marilyn”, “T.A.M.E.D” Back when dubstep was hitting its peak in the UK during the mid-2000s, Mount Kimbie’s Kai Campos and Dominic Maker were already developing their own style outside the genre. Instead of the typical loud, bass-heavy drops and fast-paced rhythms…
Album Review: Brand New – Science Fiction
By Justin Cudahy, Staff Writer [Procrastinate! Music Traitors; 2017] Rating: 8.5/10 Key Tracks: “Waste”, “Out of Mana”, “Same Logic/Teeth” It’s been eight long years since anyone has heard new music from Long Island indie rock band, Brand New. Convinced that the group had broken up for good, fans were finally given something to look forward…
Album Review: Little Dragon – Season High
By Justin Cudahy, Staff Writer [Loma Vista; 2017] Rating: 6.5/10 Key Tracks: “Celebrate”, “High”, “Sweet” Little Dragon is no stranger to the music industry. The Swedish electronic band has been in the game for over two decades now, constantly teetering on the edge of success both worldwide and in the indie scene. They’ve collaborated with…
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