*RIYL (recommended if you like)
Library Manager’s Pick — Kyle Hooker ’24
Album: “Hollywood Town Hall” — The Jayhawks
Genre: Alt. Country, Rock
RIYL: Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown, Golden Smog
Blurb: This album features some nice harmonies and a really good overall sound; almost every song is enjoyable. The Jayhawks are fairly obscure and were less commercially successful than one would expect. This album, released in 1992, along with their 1996 album Tomorrow the Green Grass, are nostalgic for me since my family would frequently play these CDs while I was growing up. These albums also feature an interesting mix of mellow and raucous segments. I get a kick out of the album art on this one; it depicts the town hall in the rural village of Hollywood, Minnesota.
Programming Director’s Pick — Gennie Herron ’23
Album: “The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)” The Black Eyed Peas
Genre: Pop, Hip Hop
RIYL: Fergie, Pitbull, Kesha, Nelly Furtado
Blurb: Nothing is more iconic than starting an album with “Boom Boom Pow.” I grew up listening to Fergie with my aunt, so rediscovering The Black Eyed Peas has been really fun. Their music has great beats and is really fun to dance to. If you need music for a mid-study session dance break, I would highly recommend this album. And if you need a surprisingly emotional song to come down off of a raucous night, I would listen to “Meet Me Halfway.”
Concert Manager’s Pick — Jose Morales ’22
Track: “Zatoichi” ft. Slowthai — Denzel Curry
Genre: Hip-Hop, Rap, Electronic
RIYL: JPEGMAFIA, Vince Staples, Mura Masa
Blurb: Denzel has dropped some amazing back-to-back singles recently with “Walking” and now “Zatoichi.” “Zatoichi” is a new style for Denzel Curry with a fast, rich and deep drum and bass production from Powers Pleasant, and Slowthai’s distorted feature hits hard as the hook for the track. It’s impressive how Denzel consistently explores new sounds with each project from his rough, aggressive debut rap album “Imperial” (2016), to a more spacey pop influenced sophomore album “Taboo,” and a fun Florida-grounded party album in “Zuu.” I love Denzel Curry and these recent singles have me excited for his next project.
Concert Manager’s Pick — Luke Robins ’23
Album: “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You”— Big Thief
Genre: Alternative Rock, Folk
RIYL: Julia Jacklin, Lucy Dacus, Faye Webster
Blurb: With every project, Adrianne Lenker’s songwriting peels back another layer, separating words from reality. Her voice grounds an album whose breadth of sounds and emotions capture the contradictory nature of living. The album embodies the final refrain “I want to live forever ‘til I die,” as each song goes through a journey of wanting to love in all forms and learning to love better. “Change,” “Simulation Swarm” and “Promise is a Pendulum” are a few of my favorites.
