Music

In a music rut? Or want to know what’s hot in the college music world? The KWVA music blog is your solution!

The KWVA music blog is a creative space for all musically curious folks. You’ll find coverage of station and local events, album reviews, interviews with local bands, oh-so-perfectly curated playlists, the weekly charts so you know what’s cutting edge, and more music-related topics.

DJ Spotlight: Isabella Bartocci (Mercury Girl)

Photo by Georgia Mae

 

Mercury Girl is one of your late night DJ’s for KWVA Radio, her show, “Rock Bottom,” streams every Wednesday from midnight-2 a.m. Her taste in music falls under an Indie/Surf Rock vibe, heavily influenced by her upbringing in San Diego. 

 

Born in San Diego, she and her younger brother practically inhaled the surf rock music scene. California bands like The ButtertonesMexican Slum Rats, and Chicano Batman became important pillars in her life. 

 

Q: “Do you think you were born in the wrong generation of music?”

 

Mercury Girl: “If you were to ask me that in high school I would…

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Top 30 Charts - February 11th

1. BAD BUNNY 
Album: DeBí TIRAR MáS FOTOS
Label: Rimas

2. OLIVIA DEAN
Album: The Art Of Loving
Label: Capitol/UMG

3. DURAND JONES AND THE INDICATIONS
Album: Flowers
Label: Dead Oceans

4. MAGDALENA BAY
Album: "Human Happens" b/w "Paint Me A Picture" [Single]
Label: Mom+Pop

5. JOSEPH SCHERTZ
Album: "Weird Heart (feat. Delilah Steenberg)" [Single]
Self-Released

6. FKA TWIGS
Album: EUSEXUA Afterglow
Label: Young/Atlantic

7. ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER
Album: Tranquilizer
Label: Warp

8. PINKPANTHERESS
Album:…

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KWVA Presents: Rugburn

Photo by Niko Paroissien-Arce

 

Rugburn, an alternative metal band from Eugene, Ore., performed for the KWVA Sunday live session on December 7, 2025. This performance marked the band’s first time on air, but followed several house show appearances, and closely succeeded their appearance at Ghost Town Outfitters on November 21, 2025, alongside lo.quality, Toothache, and Early Morning Ramblers. The physical crowd consisted of a handful of KWVA community members for whom the band showcased several of their original, unreleased songs, along with covers from artists like Alice in Chains and Radiohead. The size of the radio listenership was impossible to gauge, but the flashing green light in the studios – indicating a listener was calling into the station – remained persistently visible from where we were sat. People wanted to talk to Rugburn! Luckily, after the treat of a show, I was able to sit down and chat with all four members of the band about their inner…

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Diana Silvers Talks Inspirations

Photo via Genius

 

You might recognize actress and model Diana Silvers from her work in projects like “Booksmart,” “Ma,” or most recently “The Abandons” on Netflix. But now, Silvers is paving a path for herself in the folk music scene, appearing as a pop-up artist at the Newport Folk Festival last summer, and covering Joni Mitchell’s “California.” In November 2025, Silvers released her own 11-track studio album, “From Another Room,” which she detailed the creative process for in a recent press conference hosted by Universal Music Group.

 

Coming off of shooting the first season of “The Abandons,” and being surrounded by the commotion of Hollywood, Silvers said having time to herself was what pushed her into the studio. “I just saw this quote that André 3000 said when he was accepting [being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame], he was just saying that so many…

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Top 30 Charts - February 3rd

1. SARA DEVOE 
Album: Come Away, O Human Child!
Self-Released

2. A$AP ROCKY
Album: Don't Be Dumb
Self-Released

3. ARIMA EDERRA
Album: Heard What You Said
Album: SME

4. NIGHT TAPES
Album: portals//polarities
Label: Nettwerk

5. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Album: "Streets of Minneapolis" [Single]
Label: Columbia

6. FKA TWIGS
Album: EUSEXUA Afterglow
Label: Young/Atlantic

7. JILL SCOTT
Album: "Pressha" [Single]
Label: BIues Babe

8. PATCHWORK INC
Album: Chicago Patchwork [EP]
Label: EMPIRE

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Hello! Book Of Mormon Comes to the Hult Center

Photo from The Book of Mormon Original Broadway Cast Recording

 

From the creators of “Southpark,” Trey Parker and Matt Stone, comes the Tony-winning musical “The Book of Mormon.” The show ran for three nights at Eugene’s Hult Center from Jan. 2-4, 2026. Known for their sharp humor, the comedic duo wanted to satirize religion and its practices. Parker and Stone grew up in Conifer, Colorado – a city with a large Mormon population. Parker and Stone’s frequent encounters with the religion heavily influenced the show's themes. 

 

In an interview on the official “The Book of Mormon” YouTube channel, Parker and Stone explain that during the writing process for “Southpark”, they were already interested in creating musicals. That interest led to their first film, “Cannibal! The Musical.”  

 

In 2003, the duo went to watch “Avenue Q,” a…

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Top 30 Charts - January 27th

1. A$AP ROCKY 
Album: Don't Be Dumb
Self-Released

2. SWORD II
Album: Electric Hour
Label: section1

3. QUEEN ANNE
Album: "Let's Dance" [Single]
Album: Landing

4. ALAN VEGA
Album: Alan Vega Deluxe Edition + Collision Drive
Label: Sacred Bones

5. LUCHA LUNA
Album: BRILLA BRILLA
Self-Released

6. ANCIENT CAT SOCIETY
Album: Lonely Times
Label: Splice

7. MEGADEATH
Album: Megadeath
Label: BIkIIBIk

8. THE SHA LA DAS
Album: Your Picture
Label: Diamond West

9.…

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One More Saturday Night - A Pandita Musical Tribute

Memoriam for Bob Weir at Pandita's One More Saturday Night Event on Jan. 17, 2026. Photo by Georgia Mae.

 

Bob Weir, founding member of The Grateful Dead, passed away on January 10, 2026. Amy and Will Winton, owners of the Mexican-fusion restaurant Pandita, described his passing as “the end of an era.”

 

To celebrate Weir’s contribution to the Winton’s lives and to their community, the restaurant hosted a One More Saturday Night event, featuring musician Ras D and DJ Bump.

 

Pandita is a popular spot for Eugene locals, serving quality tacos, tostadas, margaritas, and Pandaritos (if you don’t know what this is, I suggest you go find out). The restaurant’s mascot is inspired by the Grateful Dead’s signature bears, and the music they blast through the kitchen is reminiscent of the mid-60’s bay-area hippie culture. 

 

DJ Bump played a six-hour collection of music throughout the night,…

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Top 30 Charts - January 21st

1. SNUGGLE 
Album: Goodbyehouse
Label: Escho

2. SASSY 009
Album: Dreamer+
Label: PIAS Electronique

3. A$AP ROCKY
Album: Don't Be Dumb
Self-Released

4. MARS LASAR
Album: Grand Canyon
Label: Sound Manipulations

5. SIS AND THE LOWER WISDOM
Album: Saints And Aliens
Label: Native Cat

6. SURFBORT
Album: "Lucky" [Single]
Label: TODO

7. TYLER, THE CREATOR
Album: DON'T TAP THE GLASS
Label: Columbia/Sony

8. VIAGRA BOYS
Album: Viagr Aboys
Label: Shrimptech Enterprises/Year0001

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Top 30 Charts - January 13th

1. ETHEL CAIN 
Album: Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You
Label: Daughters Of Cain

2. FKA TWIGS
Album: EUSEXUA Afterglow 
Label: Young/Atlantic

3. ANNAHSTASIA
Album: Tether
Label: drink sum wtr

4. RATBOYS
Album: "Light Night Mountains All That" [Single]
Label: New West

5. FARAH
Album: The Silent Song [EP]
Label: Italians Do It Better

6. DANIEL CAESAR
Album: Son Of Spergy
Label: Republic

7. MEN I TRUST
Album: Equus Caballus
Self-Released

8. FROST CHILDREN
Album: SISTER

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