Tag Archives: music

Top 5 Reasons You Should Listen to Morningsiders

Posted on by under New Music

MorningsidersIf you go to any of the random music gigs around campus, you already know about the band Morningsiders. And if you don’t, well that’s what Bars and Chords is here for. I first heard them at the Epic Showcase hosted by Sigma Lambda Beta a few weeks ago. Afterwards, my gut (Scandal plug) told me that I have been missing out on some awesome music. Hopefully, I’ll have the honor of interviewing them one day, but in the meantime, I think that telling the world about them will suffice. So here are the top 5 reasons you should be stalking the Morningsiders’ SoundCloud right now:

1. They don’t fit into a genre…”inspired folk-pop and blue-grass” mixed together, with coolness on the side. In other words, they’re DIFFERENT, which is good in the music world in case you didn’t know.

2. Their harmonies are a blend of perfection and serenity. You may even find yourself closing your eyes, transcending into a different realm of music (or something).

3. They made a video for Valentine’s Day.

4. You’re almost always guaranteed a trumpet, fiddle, or some kind of great solo.

5. We live in Morningside so, obviously, it’s our duty to support Morningsiders.

So…if you’re still not quite convinced, go ahead and check out their soundcloud or facebook, and see if you agree.

Some advice for CU Artists: Move the Crowd!

Posted on by under Uncategorized

Now that I’m back from China, I’ve taken the past few weeks to check out a few shows and see what’s going on with artists on campus. I have to say, I’m quite impressed with both old and new. From new songs to entirely new EPs and albums, my iTunes playlists are blowing up. However, after attending a few shows, I feel that I need to share some advice with artists…that is, you need to MOVE THE CROWD!! You know, Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff “I Wanna Rock Right Now” style.

We’re in collegeWill Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, right? That means students go to shows to release some stress (esp. at Columbia), have fun, and hear some good music. Most artists have the good music part figured out, but the artists that really stand out are the ones that relate to the audience. How, you ask? Eye contact, call-and-response (you know, Taylor Simone style), reaching out to the audience…literally. Have you ever been at a concert, and the artist screams “Now, wave your hands back and forth like this!” All of the sudden, the crowd moves in sync – a certain energy spreads across the room. Everyone “vibes” together, as if the music unites us. That’s what we need in college. If you’re a rapper and the crowd is quiet, break out a freestyle. If you’re a jazz artist, make sure your instrument is heard in a solo. You’re in a rock band? Make everyone stand up. Impress, impress, impress. Do something different..it’s a live show, and we’re in college. It’s all about fun..right? Engage with the audience, and your show will be that much better.

Who wants to be a role model? Not Rihanna

Posted on by under Music News

I’m baaaaack!! I hope you’ve all had a great summer. I’m taking Bars and Chords in a slightly different direction this school year but before I get into all of that, I had to write about the interview with Rihanna and Oprah on Sunday. Simply put, I can’t help but notice that…

No one wants to be a role model!

On Sunday, Rihanna blatantly told Oprah that she doesn’t like the title of “Role Model.” Ever since then, a thought has been running through my mind…how can you have 11 number 1 hits, and not want to be a role model?!   In other words, I doubt she made it to the top without having someone she aspired to be like, so why wouldn’t she want others to follow her now? Still…now that I’ve had a bit of time to reflect, I’m starting to believe that most celebrities (especially music artists) would probably have given the same response.

To society, a role model isn’t just someone who tries his or her best. As RiRi pointed out in her interview, a role model tends to be synonymous with everyone’s idea of “perfection.” Whether you admit it or not, all of us expect perfection–for artists to fit into our mold of the A-List lifestyle. And when someone fails to meet expectations, record sales plummet, sponsors walk away, and your favorite artist is left to crawl to the top again.

Still, I can’t help but think about the words of Jessie J: NOBODY’S PERFECT. Technology allows our generation to gain a microscopic view into the lives of our favorite artists, which means that we can easily (and I mean EASILY) expose their flaws. What’s even more creepy is that we’ve listened to an artist’s entire album before the sound engineer finishes his final touches, an artist’s death becomes a trending topic while he’s still alive, a domestic violence case pulls two lovers apart before they even have time to blink…

So who do aspiring musicians look to in an industry where everyone makes mistakes (surprise surprise), and no one wants to be a role model? I don’t have the “perfect” answer for you, but I do know this: for aspiring artists, don’t focus on being a Good Girl (or boy) Gone Bad…start by creating your own dreams and goals instead of looking to live someone else’s. Also understand that fame is not the ultimate goal. In fact, it is often a by-product of hard work (and luck, or bad luck). Your talents, creativity and passion for music should drive you through obstacles.

So, I leave you with a bit of an oxymoron…

RiRi can’t be a role model, but she is, whether she likes it or not. It’s up to her to do her best to project a REAL image of herself, and up to us to stop asking for perfection.

Disagree or agree? I would love to hear your thoughts/comments below or on the FB page!

Summertime Playlist

Posted on by under New Music

It’s summertime, finals are over, and college graduates are wondering what to do with their lives. As everyone starts lining up for BBQs, parties in the city, and horrendous summer internship hours, it seems like only 1 thing will stay constant…the search for good music! To make everyone’s lives easier, I’ve created a playlist of some of the songs I think should be on your radar this summer. All of these artists are either from CU (conveniently highlighted in blue), the showcase, or recently graduated…and awesome. I’ve tried to include a spectrum of genres, but if you have some more artist suggestions, comment below/on the FB page or email barsandchords@gmail.com. 

Let me know which artists you like. Who knows, maybe I’ll do a special feature on one of them. Enjoy!

Note: Click on the artists’ names (or songs) for more info.

Neo-Soul/Jazz:

1. Taylor Simone – Bottled Up

2. Lucky Chops Brass Band – Syeeda’s Song Flute (click song name for link)

3. Sam Yulsman – Violet

Pop/Rock:

3. Jake Snider – United States of Anywhere (click song name for link)

4. Melaku – Painkiller ft. Donju Min

Hip-Hop:

5. Lubeen – I’m Dope

*Bonus Artists* 

6. Kameron Corvet – Going Under

7. Chance Fischer – Celebration

8. Euro League – P.O.V. (Lost in the City) feat. Ashli James

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this post is to promote these artists and their music. I do not own any rights to the music posted here. Should any of the artists represented here desire their music to be taken down, please email barsandchords@gmail.com.