This week, WTSR Assistant Music Director EJ Paras highlights some of the best new music that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.
Band Name: The National
Album: “Sleep Well Beast”
Release Number: 7th
Hailing From: Brooklyn
Genre: Indie Rock
Label: 4AD
The National is one of the most acclaimed indie rock bands of our time, and “Sleep Well Beast” is musically tight and is not your usual indie rock record, the songs range from straight up guitar rock to Nine Inch Nails-esque dark synth tracks to a blend of both. This album is a great collection of gloomy indie-rock songs that sound unlike any rock I’ve heard. As dark as the album is, it’s hard not to keep it on repeat. The tracks have some incredible way of drawing the listener in. Give this a play –– you will not be disappointed.
Must Hear: “Born to Beg,” “Turtleneck” and “Guilty Party”
Band Name: Rostam
Album: “Half-Light”
Release Number: 1st
Hailing From: New York City
Genre: Dream-Pop
Label: Nonesuch Records
Rostam takes inspiration from his Iranian background and crafts an album that blends elements from both Middle Eastern and Western music. A variety of instruments add interest to each track; orchestral strings soar over low rhythms of percussion, while other obscure and unrecognizable instruments add to the mix. In pleasant contrast, the vocals blur, with each line flowing into the next. All elements combine to form an enjoyable complexity.
Must Hear: “Wood” and “Never Going to Catch Me”
