GRRRLZ Rock Showcase '24 | Sunday Live Sessions Recap

Full Performance

Last month, a selection of GRRRLZ Rock artists from the non-profit MEPAA joined us live in the studio to perform some original music for Eugene and Springfield. Among the performers was the MEPAA's Executive Director and Founder Matrisha Armitage, Singer-Songwriter Maya Vagner, and a group known as Femme Dagger. The MEPAA previously featured a KIDZ ROCK showcase earlier this year, and we were so excited to have their organization back on the air. This was the first Live Session that I, DJ Taco, had to miss due to sickness (hence, no video…

Peter Iredale | Sunday Live Sessions Recap

Music Video | Full Performance

Peter Iredale (Colby) is a musician known for previously being in the group Deaf Telepathy, and now performs as a solo act. His unique vocal style is punctuated with excellent guitar chops. We look forward to his future recorded music coming in the near future! Three songs are included in the music video.

(The polaroid didn't turn out so good this time whoops)

Bonnie Donaville | Sunday Live Sessions Recap

Music Video | Full Performance + Interview

Friend of the station Bonnie Donaville stopped by the station to perform some of her original music on KWVA's Sunday Live Sessions. Her songs are intimate and full of sorrow, and often about people and experiences from her own life. This differs from her other project, Dogs By Desgn. (Check out this article about them on KWVA's music blog here.) 

I interviewed Bonnie on a gloomy Fall day. In between songs, we talked about dream collaborations and other random stuff. Bonnie is good friends with DJ Housewife and former DJ and KWVA…

“Windows” at Sam Bond’s Garage on Nov. 7, 2024. Photo by Ginger Nunnally.

Vibrant Los Angeles band “Windows” consists of Matteo Arias (guitar and vocals), Julian Ducatenzeiler (drums), Marissa Yardley (keys and percussion), Eyal Lidergot (bass), and Anthony Aragon (guitar). Having toured on the west coast previously but never quite hitting Eugene, Arias and Ducatenzeiler couldn’t wait “to be in actual, real Eugene this time,” playing at Sam Bond’s Garage on November 7. Originating in 2018, “Windows” in its current form releases refreshing singles and EPs with colorful melodies that captivate the listener.

Arias describes the band as “a revolving door”. Though ever-changing, “Windows” consistently contains the same essence and positive energy. “I want everyone to get along emotionally and harmoniously,” Arias says. “Windows” strives to involve members who have their hearts in the music, because if…

University of Oregon’s Album Listening Club provides a special community for those alike that love music. The club consists of a weekly structure that revolves around an album picked the prior week. Members are given a week to listen to the album and formulate their thoughts, then come together to discuss it during the meeting in small groups and as a whole. Album Listening Club is not only a fun way to find new music but also a good way to meet new people with similar interests. Every time I’ve been to a meeting I’ve been welcomed by friendly new people who are intrigued to discuss music. Besides the album listening aspect, the club also starts each meeting by discussing what people are currently listening to as well as new music released in the past week. Each meeting also has engaging activities such as playing a Kahoot based on the week's album, rating the album, and playing “Guess that song.” The community of the club extends past just the meetings with a very active…

Thunderegg Records Logo. Image developed by Jonathan Tom. 

Thunderegg Records is a student-run record label at the University of Oregon. The idea for this organization started two years ago when current junior Peter Repins wanted to get more involved with the music scene in Eugene and at UO. It wasn't until last year, however, that Thunderegg Records began. The original idea for this record label was to be a student club that could give student bands and artists the resources to make music, perform, and gain access to marketing. 

The club started in November of 2023 and struggled to become an official student group through the university. In January, they were denied as a student group meaning they couldn’t become a club. It wasn’t until February that they decided to become a business. They began working on imagery, and branding, and according to Repins, “[Thunderegg] sort of just kind of took a life of its own. The ideas and…

Photo Credits: Eliza Jouin

In 2021, Pom Pom Squad released their first full-length album, which was brimming with references about being young, queer and countering preconceived notions. The album sent a shock down my spine. First I heard one song from it, then I became obsessed with the entire album, and finally I saw them in Portland when they came. I got a signed setlist, which is a prized possession. On October 25th, 2024, Pom Pom Squad’s sophomore album, Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, was released. The album is filled with the same clever references and witty songwriting that Mia Berrin, the lead singer, has become known for. 

With this album, gone is the campy high school imagery from Death of a Cheerleader, replaced with a different stage of growth and images reminiscent of a house of mirrors. The visual-steeped music that was a hallmark of the debut album is revisited in the…

Eerie barren forests of Eugene - Photo by Fiona McMeekin

1.     Introduction (Private Press Version) - WITCH

Besides the obvious reasons I’ve chosen this song to start off our fall playlist, WITCH, (We Intend to Cause Havoc) will always be a band I return to when the leaves begin to turn crimson in color. I started listening to WITCH back in 2020 when I had more than enough time on my hands to discover new music and spent what feels like hours strolling the forest by my lonesome blasting this 1970’s Zamrock. The funky psychedelic tunes that seem to transport me to a different dimension are such an underrated gem. I recommend everyone go and check out the rest of their discography if you like this song.

2.     Babay (Eat a Critter, Feel Its Wrath) – The Blow

Blotter Boyz | Sunday Live Sessions Recap

Music Video / Full Performance + Interview

Blotter Boyz came to Live Sessions on October 27th and absolutely rocked our station!

At the moment, they are better know as as Brown Stallion, a Ween cover band, but their original music which they perform as Blotter Boyz is incredibly good. Their sound can be described as a mix of psychedelic rock with just a splash of goofiness and lo-fi energy. Blotter Boyz' 6-track…

Blues artist Vaneese Thomas gives us an action-packed seven-song, 24-minute album, “Stories In Blue.” “Do Y’all” asks listeners where the blues comes from. Thomas talks about blues coming from the Delta and moving to the regions of Memphis and up north to Chicago. “When You Were My Man” highlights a woman who was happy but when darkness came, the love between her and her partner fell apart. “Wandering” graces us with the wondrous voice of Thomas on a journey not knowing where to go, lost in the blues. Outstanding vocals are also paired with a saxophone solo that appears halfway through the song and later joined together to create the perfect melody. “1917” is a jazzy number that gives a nod to her father Rufus Thomas who was born in 1917. Given an old-school feel, Thomas joins brass to create a sense of the Delta with a classic feel that includes a short scat performance, prominent in jazz in the mid to late 20s. “The Last Thing On My Mind” is a steady song about a woman…