Remembering Prince

Prince

With the news of Prince’s passing yesterday there’s been an outpouring of sadness and love. From tributes to live performances to the sharing of favorite songs, late night appearances, live videos, and memories — it’s been a purple drenched world. My first exposure to Prince came when I saw the Batman logo on a cassette tape at the local store, and needed it, badly. I was six or seven and obsessed with everything Batman. My parents told me I had to wait until the movie came out on video because they wanted to talk to me about some of the themes and violence depicted in the film (and pause it if I got too scared). But that didn’t stop me from asking for anything, and everything, that had the Batman emblem on it. From cereal to toys to t-shirts: I wanted it all. I still remember seeing the tape and begging for it. I was a child, I don’t think I had any clue what a soundtrack even was. I just wanted this little plastic box because Batman. My mom bought it and told me she had to listen to it first, I remember her explaining to me that this artist sometimes sang about “grown up things” and she wasn’t sure if it was going to be appropriate for me. It was one of the first conversations I ever remember having with my parents about these “grown up things.” I ended up getting to listen to the album if I promised I wouldn’t repeat certain words. Of course, I loved it. It was different, fun, funky, and I could dance to it. Over the next two decades I discovered the rest of Prince’s discography. I loved the uniqueness and I loved Prince’s dedication to his vision. It’s now, in retrospect, that I see the phenomenal songwriter, the virtuoso guitar player, and the show stopping performer. Here’s to you Prince, thank you for everything you did for music.

I’ve compiled my favorite tributes, videos, and links below.

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Albums in Stores – April 22nd, 2016

It would seem at first glance that the big releases today are Sorority Noise’s new EP, which Becky really liked, that new We Are Scientists release, and maybe that Grey album or the fact that The Fall of Troy released an album earlier this week? I’m not sure what I’m going to check out first. If you hit read more you can see all the releases we have in our calendar for the week. Hit the quote bubble to access our forums and talk about what came out today, what albums you picked up, and to make mention of anything we may have missed.

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Review: Sorority Noise – It Kindly Stopped For Me

Sorority Noise - It kindly stopped for me

Much like the famed Dickinson poem from which Sorority Noise’s latest EP takes its name, It Kindly Stopped For Me is centered on the idea of death. Though the similarities seem to stop there. Because while Dickinson’s Death is a kindly gentleman, traveling alongside her as she makes her journey through life, the band pointedly turns it into an object — death is an “it.”

By stripping death of an identity, Sorority Noise attempts to lessen the power it holds over us. There is no experience more common or more alienating than loss, yet the band manages to break down the walls their own experience created until we’re all collectively shouldering their pain.

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