Music

A tale of two venues: Oxford’s musical legacies

Oxford is a city full of firsts – historical, personal, degree class, and musicological. Two of its music venues, separated by about 250 years of history and a walk...

Culture Milo Man -

Night School: Oxford’s after-hours curriculum

The first time I saw Nahom and Ethan, it wasn’t on a night out...

Culture Maya Rybin -

Oxford Commas at the Fringe – Interview

The Oxford Commas are a contemporary gender-inclusive a capella group who had their Fringe...

Culture Lara Machado -

‘Aca-demic Weapons’ at the Fringe: Oxford Commas Review

★★★★☆ A capella groups from Oxford have long been favourites at the Edinburgh Fringe, with...

Culture Alexander Kwon -

Latest

Sensuality In Strauss’ ‘Salome’

"Salome’s kiss is undoubtedly an extreme example, a sensual climax of an obscene kind, but musically important nonetheless, and a moment that illuminates its preceding pages of music."

Frequencies and what they do to you

A primer to the niche field of "sound art"

Being under the spell of Harry Potter

An overview of the outrageous content of the Fangasm podcast

The exploitation of musicians’ emotional struggles

"The general reaction to musicians’ pains is a testament to the humanity of our age."

Morrissey: a musician of excess?

"Why do we call certain people 'excessive,' and allow others to escape from this label?" A discussion of the controversial front-man of The Smiths.

Excess of Expression: John Lennon 1969-72

'Why was it that, in putting self- expression, politics and philosophical substance at the forefront of his artistic agenda, Lennon’s music ended up failing to express both himself and everyday concerns with the same force as his work from the sixties?' A comparison of John Lennon's music from his solo career with his work in The Beatles.

Bush’s Family Tree

An exploration of the musical influences across Kate Bush's discography

Is the band ‘shame’ just shameful?

A discussion on how Shame have inherited the punk ethos

Post-Post-Punk: Got the Spirit, Lose the Feeling

What it comes down to is the fact that post-punk lacks the plasticity of genres like rock or hip-hop, which freely pool together music that would otherwise be separated by decades. It is, by its very name, less a style than a moment in time

Singing to Say No to Cinematic Fantasies

"Titanic Rising" is an album that dispels the fantasies presented by film

Fantasy Music’s Apex – Djwadi’s Score for ‘Game of Thrones’

What makes the 'Game of Thrones' score as iconic as it is?

Lily Allen’s No Shame Refusing Remorse

A review of Lily Allen's latest album

Cage the Elephant: Social Cues

Since forming in 2006, Cage the Elephant have managed to dance from one end of the rock spectrum to the other with little hesitation,...

James Blake: Finding Himself In Someone Else

He has candidly burst from the shell of self-doubt, willing to share his emotions with us, the fans, and his love with his significant other.

Lady Gaga is not a receptacle for your pain

It's been almost two years since the release of Chris Moukarbel's documentary about the pop icon super-star Lady Gaga, a.k.a. Stefani Germanotta. Gaga: Five...

Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution: The Sound of Protest Art

Tracy Chapman’s appearance at the 1988 Nelson Mandela tribute concert transformed her career. The political turmoil surrounding Apartheid was transposed onto Chapman’s performance; songs...