As seen in the Washington Square News.
Three weeks ago, WSN asked any and all musically inclined NYU students to submit an album or demo for a chance to be reviewed by their peers and the chance to play a concert in Washington Square Park on April 22. The concept was democratic – critics would offer their opinions, and anyone within the NYU community would be eligible to vote for the winners.
Several listening sessions and 27 albums later, we are proud to present a review of each submission.
Suprisingly, the collection is an eclectic one. There are, of course, the expected Pixies rip-offs one might expect from the hipster-leaning NYU crowd, but they are accompanied by sounds as diverse as jam bands, hip-hop groups and heavy metal. The staff of our music section listened to one track from each of these albums and writers selected two groups based on their personal aesthetics. While some may categorize our critics as pretentious indie rock snobs, keep in mind that they were instructed to approach these submissions with the same degree of serious expectations that they would have for any standard major label release. We strongly advise you to use these reviews as guide, but you are welcome to trash them, if you feel so inclined. In the end, it’s your vote that will help determine the final champions. All that we ask is that you go to www.nyunews.com/fame/, listen to the songs each of these artists has to offer and vote for your favorite sound. The polls close next Thursday night (April 10). Don’t miss out.
-Adam Raymond, music editor and Eric Kohn, weekend editor
———————————
Campbell and Jaywuh
Demos and Bootlegs
***
Some of music’s best duos have distinct personalities that are more than the sum of their parts. Campbell and Jaywuh – sophomores Dave Campbell and Jared Weiss – comprise a pop-rock pair that joins Campbell’s tight pop songwriting and honest lyrics with Weiss’s agile piano playing and formidable tenor vocals. The result is a group that, despite heavy reliance on their influences, offers a diverse group of songs ranging from acoustic folk-pop to heart-on-sleeve piano performances. But nearly all of their songs are individual efforts – leaving the listener to wonder why the creative juices aren’t flowing more between the two (their tired cover of Britney’s “Baby…One More Time,” their only combined effort, is stale). Choice cuts are the Ben Folds Five-esque “Sorry,” and the touching “Snow.”
- Andrew J. Nusca
Face the music: Our critics have spoken. Now it’s your chance to make the final decision
As seen in the Washington Square News.
Three weeks ago, WSN asked any and all musically inclined NYU students to submit an album or demo for a chance to be reviewed by their peers and the chance to play a concert in Washington Square Park on April 22. The concept was democratic – critics would offer their opinions, and anyone within the NYU community would be eligible to vote for the winners.
Several listening sessions and 27 albums later, we are proud to present a review of each submission.
Suprisingly, the collection is an eclectic one. There are, of course, the expected Pixies rip-offs one might expect from the hipster-leaning NYU crowd, but they are accompanied by sounds as diverse as jam bands, hip-hop groups and heavy metal. The staff of our music section listened to one track from each of these albums and writers selected two groups based on their personal aesthetics. While some may categorize our critics as pretentious indie rock snobs, keep in mind that they were instructed to approach these submissions with the same degree of serious expectations that they would have for any standard major label release. We strongly advise you to use these reviews as guide, but you are welcome to trash them, if you feel so inclined. In the end, it’s your vote that will help determine the final champions. All that we ask is that you go to www.nyunews.com/fame/, listen to the songs each of these artists has to offer and vote for your favorite sound. The polls close next Thursday night (April 10). Don’t miss out.
-Adam Raymond, music editor and Eric Kohn, weekend editor
———————————
Campbell and Jaywuh
Demos and Bootlegs
***
Some of music’s best duos have distinct personalities that are more than the sum of their parts. Campbell and Jaywuh – sophomores Dave Campbell and Jared Weiss – comprise a pop-rock pair that joins Campbell’s tight pop songwriting and honest lyrics with Weiss’s agile piano playing and formidable tenor vocals. The result is a group that, despite heavy reliance on their influences, offers a diverse group of songs ranging from acoustic folk-pop to heart-on-sleeve piano performances. But nearly all of their songs are individual efforts – leaving the listener to wonder why the creative juices aren’t flowing more between the two (their tired cover of Britney’s “Baby…One More Time,” their only combined effort, is stale). Choice cuts are the Ben Folds Five-esque “Sorry,” and the touching “Snow.”
- Andrew J. Nusca