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.

Asian Artists You Should Check Out AAPI Month and Every Month

By: Megan Lorich

Plenty of Asian-American artists inhabit the current music scene. With icons like Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Norah Jones, let’s celebrate the Asian artists that make the music industry brighter! Some of these picks are more obscure, but we are also giving flowers to some iconic Asian singers that are performing today. 

Raveena 

Born to Punjambi immigrants, Raveena Aurora - who goes mononymously by Raveena - is an experimental pop and R&B artist from Massachusetts. Her most recent album, Asha’s Awakening, was released to rave reviews in February of 2022. We recommend you check out her hit “Honey”. 

Kiss the Tiger 

Rising to popularity due to their consistent airplay by Minnesota station 89.3 Meghan Kriedler fronts the Current, rock band Kiss the Tiger. Their sound has been described as late ’70s new wave punk, a sound that shines through off of their 2021 album Vicious…

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Downpour Review

Written By: Ava Chand

Photographed By: Calista Espino

At the University of Oregon, students were lucky enough to see Grammy-nominated rapper Aminé at Matthew Knight Arena for only ten dollars thanks to the Associated Students of the University of Oregon or ASUO. With his upcoming collaboration album with two-time Grammy award-winning producer, KAYTRANADA, the anticipation for this concert was high. Aminé’s set, visually speaking, was a lot more lowkey in comparison to his regular set during his 2021-2022 Best Tour Ever. In his initial tour, he made it known that he would be “taking a bit of Oregon with [him] wherever [he] goes” with a replica of the iconic neon Portland Oregon sign at every single show. Being a Portland-born and raised artist, Oregon holds a special place in his heart and always makes it known that he has Portland roots. In comparison to his very prideful tour, this set consisted of simply a giant screen, a DJ, and Aminé himself. While there wasn…

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Laurel Canyon Summer

Playlist by Lindy Bloom

Sounds of Slice

Written and Photographed by: Paige Rodriguez

Sun starting to peak out behind the clouds, grabbing ice cream at Prince Pucklers, and the resurgence of outdoor music shows means one thing: Spring is upon Eugene, Oregon. On Friday, April 21, the clouds were still looming, but Slice held an all-ages and free show on their small yet mighty patio stage. Before setting up, bands sat amongst the audience members and mingled while enjoying a slice of pizza. The show included performances from the band ExWife, Face Transplant and Mothra.

Kilby Block Party Review

Written By: Codi Farmer 

Nestled in Utah’s capital among the mountains, desert, and the Great Salt Lake lies a hidden gem of a music festival. Imagine that you’re under the warm sun in a crowd that you can comfortably stand in, you’re fully hydrated with free cold water and you just ate a brick of curly fries with your friends. You’re watching your favorite indie artist and you still have five more amazing sets to see that evening. This is Kilby Block Party, a new-ish festival at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City held annually in the middle of May. 

In previous years, Kilby Block Party has hosted dozens of incredible artists such as Alvvays, Steve Lacy, Phoebe Bridgers, Mild High Club, Car Seat Headrest, and more. This year, however, I think that the planners truly outdid themselves. Some of the headlining…

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Sunny Day in the Graveyard

Playlist and article by: Sadie Tresnit

It might sound a bit morbid, but I can confirm that the Eugene Pioneer Cemetery is one of the best spots on campus to hang out when the weather is nice. When I first came to UO, I was amazed at how quiet the cemetery was compared to every other part of the university. Rather than feeling oppressive, the silence is oddly comforting. When I’m nearby, I always take the opportunity to walk through the graveyard to read the names on the headstones and enjoy a break from the hubbub of campus life. Of course, every good graveyard walk needs a playlist, and I’m happy to share mine.

  1. Cemetry Gates - The Smiths

No playlist about a graveyard, especially one put together by an English major, would be complete without this song. Morrissey’s line about a “dreaded sunny day” might particularly resonate with Eugene residents accustomed to year-round cold and rain. If you’re in the mood for a mini existential crisis, I…

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BTS of Artist MGMT: Suzy “Doll” Lopez

A Behind the Scenes look at what it was like to be a music manager for hip hop stars in the 90s.

Written By: Zoe Holguin

“My dad worked at a label growing up; he was in charge of creating the art that goes on the vinyls,” Artist manager Suzy “Doll” Lopez says. “Growing up I admired my dad and wanted to do what he did. He always encouraged my brother and I to do what we love.”

Lopez is an artist manager, currently independent, in Los Angeles, California. Her passion for the arts; both visual and audio opened up doors to the music industry. When asked what inspired her to pursue music, she said, “I’ve always been a creative person.”

Lopez grew up in South Central Los Angeles during the 1980s. At this time the seeds of hip-hop were starting to be sown; the graffiti scene was starting up, street fashion was just starting out, and the DJ scene was on the rise. She was involved with it all. Lopez reminisces about how her and her cousins…

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Backstage at Downpour

Local Bands Spotlights: Mommy and Common Koi at the Downpour

Written by: Jack Skidmore

On Saturday, May 13th, ASUO held their student focused concert, Downpour. This consisted of   three-acts featuring Portland-raised artist Aminé, as well as Eugene local bands, Mommy "and Common Koi at the Matthew Knight Arena. The university has not seen a show of this size from ASUO since 2012. This undoubtedly was a novel experience for the local bands especially as they have thus far been mostly akin to house shows and backyard concerts with a few smaller venue performances.  I had the pleasure of speaking to members of these two local bands and hearing them describe their subjective experiences. Patrick Walker from Mommy, as well as Kira Gelbaugh and Stephen Strong from Common Koi, relay their experiences from this unique opportunity. 

Expectations versus reality 

Mommy (Patrick Walker) 

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The Musical Journey of Podesta

Written By: Codi Farmer

Hailing from the dirty streets of Eugene is a new artist that the world didn’t know we needed. An ethereal blend of indie rock, shoe gaze, post-rock, and folk-style singer-songwriting that boasts grandiose emotions with an addicting voice that will be stuck in your mind for months to come. This is 22-year-old Alex Podesta, or “Podesta,” to his listeners. 

Podesta grew up near San Fransisco and never quite knew what he wanted to do in the future. All he knew was that he loved music and performing with a heavy gravitation toward the dramatics. His first instrument was a toy keyboard clanging on the plastic keys until his mother decided it was time to get him started on a real piano in elementary school. In middle school he began playing the clarinet in his school band, eventually moving up to his high school orchestra. 

Toward the end of his high school career, he realized that music could be more than just a school project. It was…

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Pedal to the Metal

Written By: Lindy Rybloom

Slow Goat is a heavy metal band with a huge personality. Emerging in the Portland music scene in 2021, Gage Managhan, Eric Bloombaum, Rosie Peterson, and Dan Cuffe are the four rockers that make up this up-and-coming band.​ Each coming from small towns in Oregon and ultimately landing in Portland allowed them to unite, jam together, and begin making a name for themselves. Four people, all having their own coming of age within the music world, this local group provided me an inside look at the heavy music scene from a first-person perspective.

Slow Goat’s Origin Story

Lead singer, Rosie Peterson, grew up in Albany, Oregon but moved to Portland in 2016. Like a real rockstar, Peterson tells me that her interest in music began before she could even consciously recognize it.

Dan Cuffe is the lead guitarist from Salem, Oregon. His interest in music similarly had an early start. Coming from a musical family, notes and…

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