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The KickBack - Sail Out

By The Observer · Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013

The second you hear her voice, you'll know why she is a budding superstar. I first heard her voice associated with Top Dawg Entertainment on songs with Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul. You probably first heard her voice on a few cuts off Drake's latest album, "Nothing Was the Same."

The Observer

Xbox One vs. PS4: Games Galore

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013

For those of us who did not receive a next-generation gaming console from Target before launch day due to distributor error, the wait will soon be over. The Play Station 4 and the Xbox One are set to release on November 15 and 22nd, respectively. In a previous article, I attempted to summarize the very few hardware differences that these two consoles will have; however, now we will concentrate on what will truly differentiate these two systems: the GAMES! With this new generation of gaming consoles, Sony and Microsoft are squaring off head-to-head on a level playing field for the first time. The new systems have essentially identical hardware, unlike the last generation. Therefore, what will probably make or break these consoles will be the exclusive content they offer and the ability to attract consumers with distinct, interesting games that distinguish themselves from their competitor's content. This means games offered at launch or within the "launch window", from November to around April or May of next year, will be particularly important to these two companies. Interestingly, as evidenced by the list of confirmed titles that will be launching alongside the new systems as well as the list of games that will be released within the launch window, the two companies clearly have unique ideological approaches with which they hope to drive their sales. Microsoft is seemingly concentrating on releasing fewer exclusives overall than Sony, announcing that around fifteen exclusive games will be coming out between launch day and the supposed launch window. Although there may not be too many games coming out within the launch window, most of the already announced games seem to be franchise worthy heavy-hitting blockbusters assuming they aren't already part of a successful franchise, such as "Forza 5." Sony is employing the opposite approach by choosing to concentrate on releasing many exclusives within the launch window, as many as thirty-eight games, but with a focus on probably shorter Indie-style games. This has clearly been Sony's plan since the Play Station 4's inception, since they have been collaborating with many of the industry's most important developers to design the console's architecture from the ground up to facilitate the creation of these independent games. Another interesting difference between the two companies' focuses is that Sony will be releasing five different Massive Multiplayer Online games, but Microsoft has not announced that they will be releasing any games for this genre. This seems like an interesting move, because the focus of these games is usually to create a self-contained world that fosters a strong feeling of community among the players within this world, but perhaps Microsoft is not releasing any such games because they feel their online Xbox Live community is a large enough source for this feeling of cohesion. The one exclusive game coming out for the Xbox One that the public seems most excited for is "Titanfall." The game centers around a future war in which soldiers are able to fight by using giant "Mechs" to command the battlefield, but who also have the option to use the jet packs strapped to their person as a tool to facilitate dynamic warfare and thereby enable the battle to be fought from above and below the enemy Mechs. This game took this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) by storm. It was the recipient of over sixty awards including a record-breaking six E3 Critics Awards. The future seems to hold a lot of promise for this game, and it will no doubt be one of the crowning jewels of this coming launch season that ensures the Xbox One sells very well. In the racing genre, Microsoft can surely expect heavy demand for "Forza 5," which will be competing directly with Sony's racer game "Driver Club." Lastly, another great game that will surely drive sales for Microsoft is "Ryse: Son of Rome." The game follows Marius Titus, a Roman general on a quest for revenge. As for Sony's most anticipated exclusive game, it depends on whom you ask, since their roster of games is so Indie heavy. Fans of Massive Multiplayer Online games may be most excited for "Warframe," a game where you are a space ninja fighting against an oppressive force known as the "Grineer," a constantly spreading force attempting to conquer your solar system. The interesting caveat about this game is that it will be offered free with a Playstation Plus subscription, which is equivalent to an Xbox Live subscription. Among the four blockbuster games that Sony has announced will be available before the launch window ends, the most anticipated game may very well be a tie between the two blockbuster exclusives available at launch, "Killzone: Shadow Fall" and "Knack." Killzone is the next iteration in one of Playstation's most important franchises and Knack is a brand new game that has struck a chord with the public. A close second to these two games would probably be "Drive Club," which was supposed to be available at console launch but has unfortunately been delayed to early 2014. In the end, it seems we will all definitely profit off from this recent console war no matter what system you end up buying. Prediction: Sony starts on top since it is being launched first and is coming in with good momentum, but in the long run Microsoft overtakes Sony for the number one spot. Contact Juan Ramon Cancio Vela at jcancio@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

The Observer

ND Students Make History with 'Cannemara Five'

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013

A cast of six Notre Dame students will be making history Thursday night at Washington Hall. The 7:30 p.m. performance of Micheál Ó Conghaile's "The Connemara Five" will mark both the play's international and its English debuts. For this occasion, the author has made the trip from Ireland and will participate in an interview with director Sean Cotter, a junior art history major. "There is no precedent and yet at the same time, I am very much aware that I am setting a precedent. It's so much fun to work with something that can be so original and yet make it conservative enough to be a standard," Cotter said. The play was translated for the first time two years ago from Irish into English. The National Irish Language Theatre in Galway, Ireland, originally produced the play one decade ago. Apart from being a historic event on Notre Dame's campus, the play's storyline uses a dysfunctional family in Connemara to deal with important social issues. It's a family that includes a transgender male character and another character that suffers Alzheimer's disease. "The female characters presented are very much tangential, and that in itself comments on how women are marginalized through their relationships with men. It comments on a lot of minority status people. It comments on how we imprison ourselves when we don't fit into societal norms," Cotter said of the play's themes. At its core, the show is family-oriented. Cotter said he wanted to portray the story in a manner similar to looking through a family photo album. "I imagined staging it by creating a series of vignettes or snapshots, anything that the audience can look at and recognize as a moment that they would see in the photo album of the family. Being an art history major, I drew on a lot of different artists whose presentations of figures I really enjoyed," Cotter said. The stage is set up to convey this idea, with three isolated areas set off to create different snapshots of the family's life. The cast is made up of six students: freshman Cameron Hart as Danny, senior Derek Defensor as Darach, senior Robert McKenna as Coleman, junior Anna McGinn as Maggie, junior Katherine Dudas as Cynthia, and freshman Mary Patano as Katie. After opening night Thursday, a panel discussion will be held discussing gender issues and contemporary Irish language and literature with Ó Conghaile and department heads from Film, Television and Theatre, English, Irish Language and Literature, and Gender Studies. Working from the English translation, the cast and crew had to contend with the dialect change from Hiberno English (the kind spoken in Ireland) and the American dialect. The actors worked with Professor Tara MacLeod to develop the proper accent to maintain the show's Irish character. "Taking an American group of people and making them Irish has been the most challenging part because it's not only an accent but it's how you hold yourself, how you wear your hair men and women, how you sit, what you wear," Cotter said. The show's primary themes translate across the Atlantic, dealing with issues people in many cultures struggle with. "A lot of the motifs utilized in the script are about imprisonment, and about wrongful imprisonment specifically. So, really what we are presented with is a group of people who are innocent and who have individually, either through their own actions or through society's actions, imprisoned themselves. There's very much a moral to that story that says you don't need to do this, that everyone can be their own person," Cotter says. The show's production dates are November 14th, 15th and 16th at 7:30 at Washington Hall's main stage. Tickets are $6 a piece and can be purchased at the door or at the box office in LaFortune Hall. Contact Caelin Miltko at cmoriari@nd.edu 

The Observer

Fake But Great

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013

Josie of the Pussycats. Envy Adams of The Clash at Demonhead. Cassandre of Crucial Taunt.What do all of these ladies have in common? They're all girl-rock frontwomen who I have looked up to at one point or another. They all put on an awesome a show, belting out songs and taking names. Oh, and they're also all fictional characters from movies. Yes, this week, the playlist column is dedicated to my undying love for fake bands from movies. Because though the group may be fictional, the music can be oh-so-real. While some fake bands, most often ones written for television shows, can take off and become full-fledged, touring groups of their own (I'm looking at you, Blues Brothers and The Monkees), fake musical acts in movies are better because of their transience. One minute they're on screen, wowing you with music they never actually wrote or played, and the next minute, the lights are up and you're left with nothing but a fleeting memory of an absurd or awesome band that never really was. While there are tons of fictional groups and songs I could talk about, I decided to narrow down a few of my personal favorites. Here are songs from fictional bands that got stuck in my head. They made me long for a full-length album or so tied me up in childhood nostalgia that I will never forget the words. 1. "Three Small Words" - Josie and the Pussycats from "Josie and the Pussycats" I may get a lot of flak for including this on the playlist, but I will argue to the death that "Josie and the Pussycats" is an underrated movie. If you haven't seen it since around its release in 2001, I highly recommend you watch it again. Though fake pop boyband"DuJour" was incredibly entertaining, the Pussycats had the best music, of course. 2. "Summertime" by Sex Bob-Omb from "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" It was pretty close to impossible to pick a song from this movie because the whole thing is so great. In the end, I went with "Summertime," which is fantastic and never got the attention it deserved. It's pretty hard to go wrong, though, when Beck was the writer of all of fictional band Sex Bob-Omb's music. And with an awkward, lovable cast, including Allison Pill on the drums introducing the band with "We are Sex Bob-Omb and we're here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff," the group was both cool and hilarious. 3. "School of Rock" from "School of Rock" You're probably lying if you say you don't love "School of Rock." Jack Black (as Dewey Finn pretending to be Mr. Shneebly) taught all of us about the history of rock, and the final performance of the song at the Battle of the Bands was the coolest thing you'd ever seen in all of your ten years of existence. 4. "That Thing You Do!" by The Wonders from "That Thing You Do!" The Wonders song was a hit when the film was released in 1996 and stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 long after the movie left theaters. It was eventually even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. And who is to thank for providing such a catchy tune to a fake band? Adam Schlesinger, the bassist in Fountains of Wayne. That's right, the guy that brought you "Stacy's Mom" also wrote The Wonders' one and only hit. 5. "Man of Constant Sorrow" by Soggy Bottom Boys from "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Not enough good things can be said about this film's soundtrack. Between its contributors, including Alison Krouse and Gillian Welch, and T-bone Burnett as head producer, there is no wonder why the soundtrack went platinum. George Clooney made for an ever-so-charming lead singer of the Soggy Bottom Boys, but "Constant Sorrow" was actually sung by bluegrass musician Dan Tyminski. Allegedly, when Tyminski told his wife that it was going to be his voice coming out of Clooney's mouth, she replied, "That's my dream!" 6. "Supernova Girl" by Proto Zoa (and his band, Microbe) from "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century" Okay, so technically this was a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM, if you will) on television, but I couldn't leave it out. This song was a jam way back in 1999, and I bet some of you still know the words.

The Observer

Odd, eccentric, funny 'Computer Chess' at DPAC

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 11, 2013

Film director, screenwriter, actor and editor (and 36-year-old) Andrew Bujalski is known in the Indie film community as the "Godfather of Mumblecore," a genre of film as quirky and unique as one might imagine from the label applied to it. The Boston native's latest offering, this year's "Computer Chess," is an odd yet subtly funny period film that delves into the world of computer programming and chess in the 1980s.

The Observer

Psapp toys around on new album

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 11, 2013

For all the budding hipsters reading this, I've found your new high. The electronica band Psapp, pronounced something like p-sap, works as a great "Hipsterdom for Dummies." It's an obscure experimental duo who pioneered the beauty of the genre "toytronica" and that is relevant only because they wrote the "Grey's Anatomy"theme. 

The Observer

Worst Thing Ever: 'How I Met Your Mother'

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 11, 2013

It is simply the worst when something has been built up for years, loved dearly, had enough anticipation to invoke nervous fits and screams of excitement - and then suddenly comes crashing down to the ground, destroying all previous expectations and positive emotions. Thank you, "How I Met Your Mother," for ruining everything you used to be. You are the worst thing ever. 

The Observer

Cupid Deluxe Falls Short

By The Observer · Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013

Next Monday, performer and songwriter Devonté"Dev" Hynes will officially release his second studio album under moniker Blood Orange.  But if you're too excited to wait until then, fear not. The album, "Cupid Deluxe," is currently streaming on iTunes Radio right now. 

The Observer

Estonian Orchestra Storms Through ND

By The Observer · Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013

The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ENSO) came to Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center last Thursday. Conducted by Nikolai Alexeev, the orchestra performed "Overture No. 2" by Veljo Tormis, "Concerto in B minor" by Antonín Dvořák and "Symphony No. 5" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Written by one of the greatest living choral composers in Estonia, "Overture No. 2" is an early, purely orchestral piece that premiered in 1959. This piece was the first Estonian composition played at the Warsaw Autumn Festival in 1961. "With 'Overture No. 2,' you hear something truly unique," Jonathan D. Kramer wrote in the program, "Tormis claims that he has 'never composed pure music,' music for music's sake. Even the meaning in the often performed 'Second Overture' is to be found elsewhere, not in the music itself." Listeners certainly felt the strong narrative emerging from the dramatic music. The violins and the cellos played with intense urgency, as if a storm were rolling into the Leighton Concert Hall. The best moment was when the bassoons and the trumpets swelled and flowered into gorgeous blooms of harmony. Tormis wove a powerful and fluid story that transported the audience to a different time and place. Estonian prodigy Silver Ainomäe starred in the 'Concerto in B minor' in 1995. Ainomäe began playing the cello when he was six years old. He has performed in more than 30 countries, but made his soloist debut with none other than the ENSO in 2000. Ainomäe's operatic performance stunned the crowd. He sat in downstage center in a cobalt silk shirt, bowing and turning to the music. Every once in a while, he would wrinkle his brow, as if he too saw the increasing danger told in the story of the music. The orchestra was conducted by Alexeev, winner of the Herbert von Karajan Competition in 1982. The ENSO began as a small radio orchestra in 1926 and has toured around the world to attend music festivals in Russia, Italy, Bulgaria and the United States. The ENSO also played in Turin Cathedral as a part of the 20th Olympic Winter Games. Contact Meghan Thomassen at mthomass@nd.edu 

The Observer

Most Overrated Albums of 2013

By The Observer · Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013

2013 was a year of disappointments for me - I love every band mentioned below but think their albums this year, for some reason or another, received undeserved acclaim. May the unhappy reader have mercy. 5. "Tomorrow's Harvest" - Boards of Canada Before the release of "Tomorrow's Harvest," many critics claimed every record in Boards of Canada's discography was a classic. The duo of electronic producers pioneered a singular sound with debut "Music Has the Right to Children" - atmospheric, lushly textured synths over vocal samples and drifting hip-hop drum beats. Sophomore album "Geogaddi" polished that sound to create a confounding work of equal eeriness and beauty, and of complex and engaging emotional duality. "The Campfire Headphase" used acoustic instruments to push Boards of Canada's sonic textures to the next level. "Headphase" also shifted the tone to a brighter, friendlier realm the B.O.C. hadn't yet experimented with. "Tomorrow's Harvest," released a full eight years after "Campfire," breaks the pattern. Stepping into a near-emotionless space and failing to introduce anything new to the duo's sound, "Harvest" boasts the same amazingly layered atmospheres of its predecessors but lacks any sort of differentiating aspect. It's a highly interesting, pleasurable listen, but it doesn't deserve the same accolades of the duo's other albums. "Harvest" is a gorgeous and well-built record. But in today's electronic music scene, those are a dime a dozen; if B.O.C. wants to continue making classics, they need to bring something new to the table. 4. "Monomania" - Deerhunter For some inexplicable reason, Deerhunter decided to take their excellent-as-always songs and cover them in a cloying layer of fuzz. The many melodic layers and awesome bass lines in this record are suppressed to a fatal point - there are so many missed opportunities to grab the listener on this record. It's the sort of record that could have been huge, that could have spawned a plethora of anthems or summer jams. Instead, it's a frustratingly flat listen that is content to sit in the background. Critics called the sound an interesting step for Deerhunter and universally stamped it with glowing reviews. The problem is "Monomania" just doesn't glow that much. 3. "Uncanney Valley" - The Dismemberment Plan "You hit the spacebar enough and cocaine comes out/I really like this computer/I'm like a fat man on drugs/Drowning in hugs/You know, that I love the lovin'/Because of something/Some people saw what they saw/And now, no one is saying nothing." Yes, these are the first lyrics on "Uncanney Valley," and no, they do not get better. The Dismemberment Plan used to say something with their lyrics, something that offset their ever-quirky vocals and challenging song structures. "Uncanney Valley" sees the disappearance of relevance from the D-Plan's lyrics and the innovation from their music. If it's on the album, it's in 4/4 time, and it has a generic verse-chorus song structure. There will be no crazy riffs, there will be no cathartic moments and there will be no unexpected twists or turns. Every song on "Uncanney Valley" is essentially a rather average pop song with nonsense lyrics. Critics didn't go far enough in declaring this album a mediocre disappointment in The Dismemberment Plan's catalog - it's just bad. 2. "Reflektor" - Arcade Fire A too-long LCD Soundsytem record with a few more instruments, different vocalists, and predictable buildups - which still isn't bad. Oh, and the lyrics aren't nearly as good. I mean, I'll follow lead vocalist Win Butler through "It's just a reflection of a reflection/Of a reflection of a reflection/But I see you on the other side," but why would you follow that with an irrelevant platitude like "we all got things to hide?" WARNING: SASS UPCOMING How about Win Butler asking us "Is anyone as cruel as a normal person?" Well, yes, Win, I would think that cruel people are. And then this chorus: "Here comes the night time/Coming on slow/Here comes the night time/I know that you know." Doesn't everyone know when night time is coming? What, exactly, is the value of a lyric like that? The fact is, Arcade Fire's lyrics are really lazy on this record. And the sound they've crafted - dance-rock with a driving beat - has already been done by LCD Soundsystem, and done better with less clutter over less time. "Reflektor" isn't the top-five, best-album-of-the-year material it's chalked up to be. It's merely a decent reflection of records that have come before. 1. "Bitter Rivals" - Sleigh Bells "Bitter Rivals" is a mess. The sound effects scattered throughout the record are unnecessary, distracting and even annoying. The guitar riffs are less original, less catchy, less grabbing and often don't add anything to their respective songs. And then there are the bloodcurdlingly too-high vocal notes. Sometimes the songs seem as if the choruses and verses are actually from different songs and have been smashed together unnecessarily ("Sing Like a Wire," "Bitter Rivals"). "Bitter Rivals" loses control of everything at Sleigh Bells disposal - huge hip-hop beats, killer guitar riffs and a fierce female singer. The clutter created by forced-sounding elements like sound effects and additional synthesizers drags the duo's entrancing sound into a ghastly pit. All the Sleigh Bells fans I know have also felt betrayed and saddened by the release of "Bitter Rivals." It's safe to say that this album, granted consistently positive reviews by critics, is the most overrated album of the year. Contact John Darr at jdarr@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. 

The Observer

Q&A with Nasim Pedrad

By The Observer · Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013

This week, The Observer talked with NasimPedrad, currently the longest tenured woman on "Saturday Night Live" (SNL), after her stand-up set at Legends on Friday. The event was presented by the Student Union Board. Scene writer Jimmy Kemper talked with Pedrad about stand-up comedy, SNL and her future plans.

The Observer

SNL's Nasim Pedrad at Legends

By The Observer · Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013

On Friday, Nasim Pedrad from "Saturday Night Live" came to Legends, courtesy of the Student Union Board, to perform a standup comedy show. The set was definitely a far cry from Pedrad's usual SNL performances, as the small-crowd setting gave her a chance to focus on herself and her quirks, instead of the zany characters she typically portrays on NBC's long-running sketch comedy show. Pedrad quickly engaged the audience by opening the show with a series of jokes about Notre Dame, calling it the "whitest place she's ever been to" and worrying about how she still has not seen "Rudy." She swiftly changed the focus of the jokes from the school to herself and her upbringing by Iranian parents in Los Angeles. A number of the comments centered on her awkward personality and how this affected the way she grew up, including references to her taekwondo lessons and shaving her unibrow. Pedrad's awkwardness has definitely continued into the present day, however, and she was not afraid to make note of this fact during the show. Pedrad referenced her first encounter with Kim Karadashian after making fun of her on SNL and how unemotional Kardashian was. Pedrad finished the show with a quick Q&A session, and she surprised the crowd by advising them that they absolutely should not go into the entertainment industry unless absolutely nothing else makes them happy because it's such a brutal industry to be in. Contact Jimmy Kemper at jkemper2@nd.edu

The Observer

Q&A with Stephen McFeely, "Captain America" and "Thor: The Dark World" screenwriter

By The Observer · Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013

This week The Observer had the chance to talk with Stephen McFeely, Notre Dame grad and part of the screenwriting team behind the first "Captain America," this spring's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and who even worked on "Thor: The Dark World," coming out Friday. He and his screenwriting partner, Christopher Markus, previously wrote the films in The Chronicles of Narnia franchise and won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special for their HBO film, "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers." Scene Editor Kevin Noonan talked to him about "Captain America," Marvel, screenwriting and even the 1988 Notre Dame football season.

The Observer

The Kickback - "SBTRKT"

By The Observer · Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013

New music has been so very hard to come by. Even after a two-week hiatus I have awaited plenty of big releases only to have my anticipation come crashing down around me. Arcade Fire's "Reflektor" was sloppy, Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" was dull with the exception of "Rap God."

The Observer

Our Favorite Covers

By The Observer · Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013

Yesterday, I reviewed Unknown Mortal Orchestra's new EP, which I greatly enjoyed. The album is a collection of five acoustic tracks, two of which were covers of songs by two great contemporary artists, Beck and The Dirty Projectors. After finishing the article and returning to my normal existence of reading music blogs, I came across another new cover of a current artist. This time it was the rock band Speedy Ortiz covering, much to everyone's surprise, Ciara's R&B jam, "Ride." Of course, the act of artists covering their fellow contemporaries is nothing new, but it never ceases to fascinate me. There's something so exciting about hearing an artist you love cover another artist you love, like suddenly two friends you knew from totally different parts of your life have met and are friends too. It's nothing short of heartwarming. Even if you're not a fan of one or both of the parties involved in a cover, it is still an interesting and informative listen. Suddenly, you have a little insight into who listens to whom, you can sit and ponder how the original artist may feel about the cover and, of course, you can fight with your friends about who did it better. My favorite kinds of covers are those that sound almost unrecognizable compared to the original song. Whether it's a dramatic difference in vocals or a big cross in genres, covers like these have the potential to give totally new insight into a song and maybe a new appreciation for the artists involved. Though the list could be endless, here are a few covers of recent songs worth a listen. Some are unexpected, some a little weird, but all are up for debate about who played it better.

The Observer

Ender's Game' a loss

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 4, 2013

Over fall break, I had the chance to read the book "Ender's Game," and what a ride it was. This novel was published in 1985 by Orson Scott Card and has led to a series of 12 novels, 12 short stories and 47 comic book issues. The universe Card created is very interesting, and he has definitely set himself apart as a premier science fiction writer. To date, he is the only science fiction writer to have won both the Nebula and the Hugo awards (the two most important literary awards for science fiction novels) for two consecutive years. This book has finally received a much-deserved cinematic adaptation, which came out Nov. 1. 

The Observer

Remembering Lou Reed

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 4, 2013

It's a daunting task to properly honor someone after his or her passing. It's doubly worrisome that you may not do justice to the life and legacy of such a venerated and enigmatic star as Lou Reed. After having some time to reflect and let his death sink in - with time spent blasting his band The Velvet Underground's albums on my drive back to campus following fall break, getting choked up listening to his solo work laying in the dark on a futon in my common room, and tearing up from all the classy tributes from his friends, family, fans and even possible nemeses, like critic Robert Christgau - I hope I can write up to his grandeur.

The Observer

New EPs worth a listen

By The Observer · Monday, Nov. 4, 2013

In recent weeks, the indie music world has been gifted with EPs from both active up-and-comers and groups that have laid low in recent years. Whether these mini-releases were meant to follow up recent full-length albums, transition into a new sound or just remind fans that they're still around and making music, they have been a refreshing taste of what the alternative scene has to offer. Here's a look a five recent EP releases from bands to keep on your radar. 

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