ALL CAMPUS RADIO NETWORK

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor [RCA; 2016] Rating: 4/10 Key Tracks: “PILLOWTALK,” “wRoNg” The day Zayn Malik left One Direction (AKA the day millions of tween girls all over the world sobbed like there was no tomorrow) was the day everyone remembered that the boy band wasn’t immortal. They, as many guessed years before, were inevitably going to fall harder than the Roman Empire. And they weren’t wrong — with Malik’s departure into solo work eventually turning into One Directi

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor [Thrill Jockey; 2016] Rating: 8.5/10 Key Tracks: “Shelter is Illusory,” “Two Snakes,” “Prescience” Nobody probably ever thought something as odd sounding as pop-inspired sludge metal would come about, but here we are. Just sitting down and trying to think about the end result of the combination will drive anyone crazy. It is such an insane, ambitious idea that it may seem as though it could never be good. However, Portland-based duo The Body wil

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor In 2014, noise-punk band Perfect Pussy released their debut album Say Yes To Love, 23 minutes filled with emotive lyrics, ear-piercing distortion and amazing vocals from lead singer Meredith Graves. Through these elements, many people around the world became inspired and struck with awe when listening to the record’s abrasiveness. In that big group of people, there stands me. Say Yes To Love immediately became one of my favorite records of all t

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor [Glassnote; 2016] Rating: 7/10 Key Tracks: “Runaway,” “Winter Bird,” “Under the Water” The music video for “Runaway,” the breakout single from Norwegian pop singer AURORA, shows the 19-year-old, alone in the snow-covered woods, emotionally waving her hands to her beautifully crafted melodies. This is really the only way to describe her debut record All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend, as each song explores the heavy, mysterious atmosphere of d

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor [Polyvinyl; 2016] Rating: 8/10 Listen: https://soundcloud.com/xiu-xiu-music/falling Art-pop band Xiu Xiu is not new to putting their strange sounds into others’ work. In late 2013, it released Nina, an experimental album that saw them tackle jazz to cover some of Nina Simone’s discography. On Record Store Day 2016, the band will release Plays the Music of Twin Peaks, which sees it covering the music from David Lynch’s strange and beautiful show

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor [Vroom Vroom; 2016] Rating: 8.5/10 Key Tracks: “Vroom Vroom,” “Trophy” UK pop star Charli XCX has been busier than ever over the past few years. After releasing hit singles like “Boom Clap” and performing all over the world, she spontaneously announced her own record label Vroom Vroom Recordings and Vroom Vroom, a collaborative EP with acclaimed producer SOPHIE. With this collaboration, Charli XCX brings the charm and personality fans crave to S

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor [Sub Pop; 2016] Rating: 4/5 Key Tracks: “pay attention to me,” “feed me,” “rot in hell” Named after the viral video of a warm-hearted surfer with a laid-back attitude, grunge trio So Pitted’s debut album neo feels the exact opposite, going in an abrasive, noisy and hellish direction. Instead of guiding the listener with a recognizable old school grunge-influenced sound, neo invades your personal space and makes the listener uncomfortable with it

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor [Atlantic; 2016] Rating: 1/5 Key Tracks: “Farewell” Okay, let’s be real, no one asked for this. I didn’t want to do this review, I only did it because SOMEONE took the review for Animal Collective’s new album (still hate you for that, Meg). It amazes me that I was able to sit down and actually listen to this embarrassment of an album. Any “pop-punk” record that has Nelly featured on a song is guaranteed to suck. Does anyone other than people who

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor [Resistor; 2016] Rating: 4.5/5 Key Tracks: “Stepped Out,” “Vans,” “Blue School” In the early spring of 2014, California-based indie band Jurassic Shark released Miracle, its debut EP. It couldn’t have been a better summer soundtrack for confused, angst-filled teenagers who smoke weed in their crusty basements and skate in 7-Eleven parking lots. It was an EP that was overlooked by so many, and it continues to be a very underrated release. Two yea

By Jonathan Fuchs, Copy Editor [Vagrant; 2016] Rating: 3.5/5 Key Tracks: “Ablaze,” “On My Heart,” “Signals” After a lengthy break following the tragic 2013 death of member Benjamin Curtis, School of Seven Bells have returned with its fourth record SVIIB. With this new album, the dream-pop band focuses more on pop through better, cleaner production and stronger synths, which makes for a really fun and impressive release. The stronger songs on the album are surprisingly the one