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.
Just Stop Your Crying: Harry Styles is Back With “Forever, Forever”
Harry Styles’ “Forever, Forever,” released Dec. 27, 2025.
Has Harry Styles made his long-awaited comeback? Sort of.
The former One Direction star unexpectedly released a video to YouTube on Dec. 27, 2025 titled “Forever, Forever,” that gave fans a look into the final show of the long running “Love on Tour,” that spanned two years, two albums, and three Grammy Awards.
The video featured concertgoers preparing for the show outside of RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and included bits of conversation that ranged from Styles’ possible outfits for the evening to his impending hiatus. “Some sadness because it is the last show, then he will disappear. We won’t see him dancing on stages anymore,” said one fan.
The artful and nostalgic footage captured the feeling of attending “Love on Tour” and the community Styles nurtured…
Continue with Just Stop Your Crying: Harry Styles is Back With “Forever, Forever”.Top 30 Charts - January 6th
1. PINKPANTHERESS
Album: Fancy Some More?
Label: Warner UK
2. ADDISON RAE
Album: "High Fashion" [Single]
Label: Sony
3. JT
Album: "Ran Out" [Single]
Label: Quality Control
4. BILL FOX
Album: "Lift Your Heads" [Single]
Self-Released
5. JAY SOM
Album: "Cards on the Table" [Single]
Label: Polyvinyl
6. DEFTONES
Album: Private Music
Label: Reprise
7. HENGE
Album: "Slingshot/Hypersleep" [Single]
Label: Cosmic Dross
8. DOECHII
Album: "girl, get up." [Single]
Label: Top Dawg/UMG
Top 30 Charts - December 11th
1. SHARP PINS
Album: Balloon Balloon Balloon
Label: K/Perennial
2. ODONIS ODONIS
Album: Odonis Odonis
Label: Royal Mountain
3. ROCKET
Album: R Is For Rocket
Label: Transgressive
4. JESSE WELLES
Album: Under The Powerlines (Live April 2024-September 2024)
Self-Released
5. SKINSHAPE AND THE HORUS ALL STARS
Album: Skinshape X Horus
Label: Lewis
6. TAME IMPALA
Album: Deadbeat
Label: Columbia/Sony
7. TEAM TRUST
Album: Treat Box
Self-Released
8. THE PRETTY RECKLESS
Album: Taylor Momsen's…
Beyond KWVA: A Glimpse into Eugene Radio
Barry MacGuire at 99.1 The Beat in Eugene, Oregon. Photo by Noah Samuelsen
The name Barry MacGuire has the kind of alliterative, punchy ring that feels pulled from a 1960s superhero comic – simple, strong, memorable, and sounding every bit like the protagonist in a classic caped adventure. Although you probably won’t catch Barry MacGuire soaring through the sky or zapping lasers from his eyes, he’s still very much a hero, just one who is the sound of the radio at 99.1 The Beat Eugene.
When MacGuire first gave me the station’s address, I geared up to arrive at a squat, retro radio house perched atop a hill, framed by a monstrous radio tower. You know, the kind that evokes that old-school, slightly kitschy vibe, with big black letters spelling out the station’s call sign above the door. But when I pulled into the lot, I was met instead with a three-story, all-white commercial building with shiny windows. The only hint that it…
Continue with Beyond KWVA: A Glimpse into Eugene Radio.Top 30 Charts - December 4th
1. WATER FROM YOUR EYES
Album: It's A Beautiful Place
Label: Matador/Beggars
2. MAGDALENA BAY
Album: "Unoriginal" b/w "Black-Eyed Susan Climb" [Single]
Label: Mom+Pop
3. DE LA SOUL
Album: Cabin In The Sky
Label: Mass Appeal
4. FKA TWIGS
Album: EUSEXUA Afterglow
Label: Young/Atlantic
5. ODONIS ODONIS
Album: Odonis Odonis
Label: Royal Mountain
6. GEESE
Album: Getting Killed
Label: Partisan
7. OKLOU
Album: choke enough (Deluxe)
Label: True Panther/Virgin
8. HAYLEY WILLIAMS
Album: Ego Death…
Florence and The Machine Scare the Competition with "Everybody Scream"
Album cover for Florence and the Machine's "Everybody Scream."
On the day of tricks and treats, Florence and the Machine released their sixth studio album, “Everybody Scream,” under the Republic Records label. It’s been three years since their previous album “Dance Fever.”
According to Rolling Stone, during their “Dance Fever" tour, Florence Welch, lead singer and songwriter, experienced an ectopic pregnancy which required a life-threatening surgery. Despite this tragic event, Welch grew from this experience, saying “When you have to have emergency surgery, the lights are so bright; it’s so clinical. There was a sense afterwards that I needed to be near to the earth. I needed to be near natural things.” The “natural thing” Welch turned towards was magic.
… Continue with Florence and The Machine Scare the Competition with "Everybody Scream".
I Am a Victim of the Bass
Bassvictim performs at Holocene in Portland, Ore., Nov. 3, 2025.
EDM couple and duo Bassvictim performed at the Holocene in Portland earlier last month on November 3rd. The duo ran songs from their latest album “Forever” – released just barely a month before their performance – along with other famous hits like “Forever Salty,” “Canary Wharf Drift,” and “Gajówka.” One of their more well known songs, “Air on a G String” had fans uncontrollably moshing and reaching for the Polish-American vocalist Maria Manow to join…
Continue with I Am a Victim of the Bass.Top 30 Charts - November 25th
1. CHARLI XCX
Album: "Chains Of Love" [Single]
Label: Atlantic
2. JT
Album: "Girls Gone Wild" [Single]
Label: Quality Control/Motown
3. FKA TWIGS
Album: EUSEXUA
Label: Young/Atlantic
4. BLOOD ORANGE
Album: Essex Honey
Label: RCA
5. DRUGDEALER AND WEYES BLOOD
Album: "Real Thing" [Single]
Label: Mexican Summer
6. FAKEMINK
Album: "MAKKA" [Single]
Label: Mexican Summer
7. FRIDA KILL
Album: City Gurl
Label: Get Better
8. GOOD FLYING BIRDS
Album: Talulah's Tape
Label: Carpark
Thanksgiving Needs a Soundtrack
The leaves are nearly gone, the nights are longer, and the airwaves are already filling with Christmas music. Wait– what happened to Thanksgiving?
As soon as Halloween ends, the world seems to skip straight to sugar cookies and Mariah Carey. I have to protest this. Where is the soundtrack for stuffing and gratitude? What’s with the minimal selection of Thanksgiving music?
Sure, Thanksgiving isn’t a full-blown “season” like Christmas, but who cares? Is giving thanks to our loved ones not worth an awesome jingle? It makes you wonder: what would a Thanksgiving song even sound like? Hymns about mashed potatoes? Riffs about your aunt’s pumpkin pie? I can only imagine how catchy those bangers would be.
There are a few songs that count as honorary Thanksgiving anthems in my book. Maybe “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young, “Thanksgiving Theme” by Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Kinky Love” by Pale Saints, “Me & Mr. Jones” by Amy…
Continue with Thanksgiving Needs a Soundtrack.Underground is the New Mainstream: Generation Z’s Obsession with Niche
Image by Clover Ebbott
Generation Z’s teenage experience differs from every other generation due to the invention of social media. Algorithms on apps like TikTok and Instagram are designed to learn and adapt to each user’s interests and find their “niche”. These social media platforms offer a great way to find new music, far easier than previous generations who relied heavily on radio and physical music mediums. Of course, everyone had their own taste – rock, new wave, jazz, etc. – but popular musicians were often popular to all, and smaller musicians had a harder time “making it”.
Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud have provided up-and-coming artists with an easy way to get their music circulated. With so many ways to find new music and artists, listeners are developing increasingly specific taste and gravitating towards niche communities.
Along with community in niche groups comes competition…
Continue with Underground is the New Mainstream: Generation Z’s Obsession with Niche.