Written by Megan Lorich & Photographed by Max Rosenberg

WOW Hall is known throughout central Oregon as the hot spot for the freshest face in local music. A safe haven for house show fanatics, indie freaks, music dorks, and college kids, it makes more than perfect sense that WOW Hall would host a sweetheart dance. To those who were never asked to the prom or the lonely hearts on Valentine’s Day, WOW’s Sweetheart Dance this past February 16th marked the second year of a tradition that is already gaining love and traction. The show was attended by countless people in their best prom wear, with a killer lineup of classic Eugene college bands and up-and-coming Portland acts. 

The dance floor featured a photo booth with pictures taken by Butterfly Wings Photography with a variety of heart-shaped props for guests to use. Merch tables were manned by members of each act, with tapes, shirts, tote bags, and…

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Written by Samantha Lozano

The Los Angeles native Bek David Campbell, a.k.a Beck, found his place in the music industry as an alternative singer with skateboard hip-hop and Latin influence. His 1994 song “Loser” on his “Mellow Gold” album caused his career to skyrocket, and he continued to put out iconic albums such as “Odelay,” “Midnight Vultures,” and “Guero.” Beck, who was raised by music conductor David Campbell and artist Bibbe Hanson, who worked alongside Andy Warhol, took inspiration for his album covers from his parents. Hanson, who worked at Andy Warhol's factory in uptown Manhattan, spoke about the Zen and Buddhist influence behind the factory, “You can’t really understand Andy Warhol or any of these people—John Cage or any of them—without understanding Zen,” said Bibbe Hansen. This art style was said to have inspired Beck’s albums, especially Midnight Vultures.…

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By Jack Skidmore

The visual captivation of a live MarchFourth show is like no other. The band has a knack for incredible entertainment value while delivering high-quality music. As the name suggests, MarchFourth (abbreviated to M4) utilizes marching band style as a guiding theme of their live presence. However, with the integration of rock, jazz, and funk music, the group builds the perfect storm of diverse styles aided by the whimsicality of their marching band-esque uniforms.

Formed in Portland in 2004, M4 has thrived within its originality. First known as MarchFourth Marching Band, the group continues to showcase the beloved eccentricity of their home city through their zany appearance and style. M4 has always had a very high number of members to play a large array of instruments and perform dances and circus-style acts on…

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By Sadie Tresnit

In the modern day and age, we have the luxury of listening to music wherever we are. Streaming services have made it possible to constantly listen to music on the go, and hipsters have made vinyl records cool again. As a lifelong music lover and current college DJ, I take my music listening seriously. I compiled a pro/con list for all the ways people commonly listen to music today (sorry, 8-tracks). Throughout my life, I’ve listened to a mix of records, CDs, tapes, downloaded tracks, streaming services, and songs from the radio. I’m a big proponent of every one of them, but are any of them better than the others? 

Vinyl Records

A classic for a reason, vinyl records make up a huge part of my collection. There’s something really special about collecting these large physical versions of my favorite albums and looking through the inserts and cover art as I listen. I love seeing what each band…

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By: Savannah Brown

When University of Oregon alum Spencer Smyth talks about hip-hop, it’s as though he’s reciting poetry. He speaks in a cadence that naturally emulates passion and reflection, with every word carefully chosen to illustrate what the genre means to him. He’s an artist and a dreamer — striving to make a permanent name for himself in the Pacific Northwest music scene. 

Smyth, better known to his listeners as “Spinitch,” is a 28-year-old Portland hip-hop artist who has been involved in a plethora of musical projects. Among these are EPs, instrumentals, collaborations, and his most recent album, “BOXORAMA.” He’s an MC, a DJ, a producer, an engineer, and most importantly, in his own words, “a student of the art form.” 

Smyth has been interested in music since he was a child, with family playing a significant role in his journey. He grew up surrounded by —and drawn to— his parents’ music taste, which consisted…

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By Maddy Yen

On Thursday, February 1, TikTok users woke up to the news that all Universal Music Group (UMG) songs had been wiped from the platform. Artists include Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Olivia Rodrigo, Morgan Wallen, Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, Noah Kahan, Post Malone, Lorde, Drake and Ariana Grande to name only a small portion. 

Why did Universal Pull Their Artists from TikTok? 

So you may be asking: “Why would Universal do this?” Essentially, the two massive companies could not agree regarding negotiations over copyright permissions and royalty terms. This is not the first time big-label corporations have fought over rights with apps and websites. In 2009, Warner Music Group (WMG) was in a nine-month standoff with…

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By Samantha Lozano

Trigger Warning: This story discusses sexual assault.

Within my endeavors to find the perfect costume, I fell upon the idea of the album cover, “Living Through This.” This iconic Hole cover centers on a distressed prom queen receiving her award as mascara runs down her face. The raw reaction transcends through the cover, drawing attention to the multi-faceted emotions one can feel. Hole truly encapsulates the rage, feminist, and political sound that swept over the Pacific Northwest. Courtney Love brought to light topics surrounding the patriarchy, domestic abuse, rape, and female empowerment. Hole is a band I thought was known and appreciated by many. When arriving at the party, I assumed the costume would resonate with others but I quickly understood nobody knew who I was. I was in disbelief that a band so influential in the third-wave feminism movement could go unrecognized. How did the riot grrrl movement speak on the music…

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by Sadie Tresnit

That’s What You Get for Gettin’ Outta Bed - Grandaddy

Since this playlist is meant to get happier as it goes on, we have to start sad. This tune is perfect for mornings when you wake up in a mopey mood. I listened to it on repeat during a tough time last term, and letting myself wallow in sadness for a bit ended up helping. It’s best to give yourself time to actually experience negative emotions instead of automatically brushing them to the side.

“Tango Atlantico” - Joe Jackson

I’ll admit that I’m a little late with this one since the lyrics briefly mention Christmas. However, this is one of my absolute favorite brooding songs, so it’s staying in. I really like this song because it’s so different from what I usually listen to. The vocal emphasis Jackson puts on the line about “the pissing rain” really resonates when you’re bracing yourself to walk into another Oregon…

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By Megan Lorich

In 2017, a teenage Oaklander started releasing self-written songs on her YouTube channel under the name mxmtoon. The songs were recorded in the guest bedroom of her childhood home, using the beginner mixing software Garageband. The EP was entitled “Plum Blossom”, with individual singles featuring art by her late grandmother. These songs, despite their low production, shot her quickly into YouTube fame in April of 2018, gaining subscribers quickly — particularly after a collaboration on the lo-fi song “Falling For You” with Peachy, which has now reached a cumulative total of over three million streams on Spotify. She was quickly recognized as an art hoe aesthetic ukulele player who fit into the cultural phenomenon of teens in 2018.

Alongside YouTube musicians like Chloe Moriondo and Cavetown (whom she would later…

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By Megan Lorich

As 2024 begins, we should reflect on an art form that came back with a vengeance — the concert film. With the release of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour, and the rerelease of Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense” through legendary indie distributor A24, it’s undeniable that the concert film had a major return to the movie theater this past year. But with the surge of popularity in concert films throughout 2023, it’s easy to speculate on whether this genre will be successful in 2024. 

Though “Stop Making Sense” premiered a month before Swift’s “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” the former having its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11th and the latter having its world premiere on October 13th, Swift’s film was undeniably more successful. Advance ticket sales for AMC, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark were record-breaking with a combined total of…

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