The legendary Party Inform, sent out and received on most Thursday afternoons, mentioned yesterday that there was going to be an opening act for Cool Kids. Billed as an “NYC Hip Hop Artist,” running under the pseudonym Anthem, one can’t help but wonder who this young man is and what he might bring to the table prior to Cool Kids taking the stage. From what I have gathered thus far, Anthem a.k.a. “Ant” would astound most at CMC in that he decided to go against the grain, drop his professional life as an investment banker and pursue the dream of becoming a hip-hop sensation.  According to his self-penned bio:

Anthem (a.k.a. Ant) is a 24-year old Manhattan (NYC)-based emcee whose

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The legendary Party Inform, sent out and received on most Thursday afternoons, mentioned yesterday that there was going to be an opening act for Cool Kids. Billed as an “NYC Hip Hop Artist,” running under the pseudonym Anthem, one can’t help but wonder who this young man is and what he might bring to the table prior to Cool Kids taking the stage. From what I have gathered thus far, Anthem a.k.a. “Ant” would astound most at CMC in that he decided to go against the grain, drop his professional life as an investment banker and pursue the dream of becoming a hip-hop sensation.  According to his self-penned bio:

Anthem (a.k.a. Ant) is a 24-year old Manhattan (NYC)-based emcee whose

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Shoe connoisseurs, this one’s for you. The past few years have undeniably seen our favorite shoe companies reaching into their respective vaults and reintroducing all the classics. Whether it be Jordan with its relaunch of the Jordan Retro I from Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing”, Nike with the “White Men Can’t Jump” Air Flight Lite or Reebok with its timeless Pump series, the past is fueling the future when it comes to the newest kicks.

However with all the old styles coming back, there is one in particular that really got this child of the 90s

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After an extensive viral campaign on Pitchfork and other indie music ‘relevant‘ blogs and websites that featured a comely looking blonde girl (pictured above) posted within the ad sections, we finally have breaking news from the Vampire Weekend camp. We have heard from Ezra Koenig that the upcoming LP, Contra, draws extensive influence from California and with the lead-off single “Horchata“, which is a Latino juice/soda, California residents understand what he means. VW are up to their old tricks as Koenig, much like Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, makes sure that his listeners have a dictionary on hand to fully understand the content within.

Words that may need

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On the heels of a great review of the SummerStage show at Central Park where Phoenix and Passion Pit were apparently incredible, I’m going to blog about a random YouTube video that I found. The clip features a college-aged Asian kid with a ponytail and a Ukulele covering “Soundtrack 2 My Life”, one of the best tracks off of KiD CuDi’s Man on the Moon: The End of Day.

The Ukulele is actually great but this dude’s voice is not… a very entertaining clip nonetheless (especially at the conclusion)!

Lewis Corson

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Phoenix and Passion Pit played two nights at Central Park’s SummerStage this past weekend. I went to Friday’s showand was blown away. Going into the concert, I thought I was completely sick of PassionPit. Back in February, after seeing a show at DC indie-haunt Black Cat, I had quickly labeled them a one-trick-pony. Even by summer, the falsetto and whipping electronic synth were getting pretty tired. However, they did a fine job opening for Phoenix; they are a pony who performs his one trick well. Michael Angelakos, that high-pitched squealer, kept the crowd energized by bouncing around the stage like a three-year-old for the majority of the set. I don’t mean to sound (entirely) insulting – I think Passion Pit was ...

The frontman of The Strokes, Julian Casablancas, released a new single a few days ago. I have taken my time in reviewing the track for [cl] because I have been apprehensive to make up my mind too quickly about the track. As a huge fan of The Strokes, any side project (or main project… erhumm) released by any member of the group excites me. Power guitarist, Albert Hammond Jr., has been recording and performing solo under his own name for the last two years as bassist Nikolai Fraiture is operating under the pseudonym Nickel Eye and drummer Fabrizio Moretti has been touring with Little Joy.

However, up until this point, we have not heard

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Who ever thought that a mysterious Swedish indie group that was nominated for best new Swedish act last year would think to sample Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” for a song that thaws the boundaries between ambient music, indie, hip-hop and electronica (listen: “Ecstasy”)?

jj released jj n° 2 during the early months of summer in 2009 to rave reviews from web critics including those at Pitchfork and PopMatters. “Who is jj?” you ask… nobody seems to be sure about the answer to that. They have no tour dates that anyone knows of, no merch other than the EP, jj n° 1, and the LP, jj n° 2, that is available to purchase and have no bio posted on

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The Black Keys, one of the most creative groups in the current entertainment environment, have breached the walls of their rhythm and blues and alternative cocoon in the most unexpected fashion. The group has entered the hip-hop universe under the pseudonym Blakroc and has crafted a self-titled LP and have also created a label under the same name for their explorative ventures. According to the band’s website and trailer for the LP (make sure to check out the long trailer as you will see The Keys sitting down with CEO Damon Dash as he hooks up the boys Mos Def and Jim Jones), the album will feature an impressive guest list that includes RZA,

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I came across this article a couple days ago in the Wall Street Journal and thought it might be relevant to all of us in the college world out there…

Students across the country are having to borrow a great deal more money to pay to attend schools, 25% more year over year in 2009-2010 than in 2008-2009. Obama has targeted educational institutions, both private and public, as the instigators of this positive feedback loop between lenders (banks) and those in debt (students). Anne Marie Chaker, the article’s author, is telling us something many of us have not heart before. Contradictory to the stance that the current administration takes, Chaker asserts that the party at

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