Thursday September 17, 2014
The Daily Princetonian
page s1
PAGE DESIGN BY LIN KING :: STREET EDITOR
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2015
LIL DICKY
NATE RUESS
quadrangle club
COURTESY OF TUMBLR
Ready to have some fun — with just part of Fun.? Nate Ruess, the former lead singer of the band behind such high school party heart-stoppers “Some Nights” and “We Are Young” will be your Princeton headliner. Believe it or not, Ruess’ career started long before Fun., as part of the indie rock band The Format from 2001-08, so named because of its goal of bucking the standardized “formats” for making hit singles. Ironically, Ruess’ participation in Fun. led to some really big hit singles, which some might say follow a certain “format” — with “We Are Young” winning the 2013 Grammy for Song of the Year. In 2014, Ruess and his bandmates Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost parted ways as Fun. went on hiatus. The trio has been productive: Antonoff has worked on his indie rock band “Bleachers,” Dost has worked with his band “Anathello,” and Ruess has pursued a solo career with his new backup band YouTube it: the Romantics, who first performed as a group on May 31, 2015. Moreover, Ruess appeared “WE ARE YOUNG” as a guest adviser on “The Voice” and released in June his debut album “Grand Romantic,” “NOTHING WITHfeaturing a collaboration with Beck in “What This World Is Coming To.” In the past Ruess has OUT LOVE” also collaborated with P!nk in “Just Give Me a Reason” and Eminem in “Headlights.” In short: Be prepared for a fun time. We are young. Carry me home. Tonight.
HOLYCHILD
quadrangle club
colonial club
COURTESY OF PLUSPREMIERES.US
Like rap? How about satirical rap? Dave Burd was just an aspiring comedian hailing from Philadelphia when he launched “So Hard”, his debut rap mixtape in 2013. Adopting the moniker “Lil Dicky,” Burd became one of the first proponents of satirical “anti-rap,” a meta-genre that recognizes the frequent excess and absurdity of hip hop culture. After the video for his song “Ex-Boyfriend” went viral, he went bonkers, releasing a new song every week for 32 weeks. He then ran out of money and launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised $113,000. What is Lil Dicky’s goal? Just refer to his song, “Professional Rapper,” featuring Snoop Dogg: “Well, I wanna to be the dude that came in and made the stand up rap with the random rap and the man like that for the people that was antirap.” Do with that what you will. Signed to same record label as Tyga and Chiddy Bang, Lil Dicky is YouTube it: heading places. His debut album, “Professional “PROFESSIONAL Rapper,” came out in 2010 and featured the likes RAPPER” of Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, Fetty Wap and Brandon Urie from Panic! at the Disco. See him at Colonial “EX-BOYFRIEND” before he gets to the arena-level.
You might be surprised by the diversity of sounds just one trumpeter and one drummer can make. Brasstracks, which describes its sound as “future bass,” proves that combiSoundcloud it: nation has a lot of range indeed — “R KELLY – IGNITION (REMIX)” the duo has remixed everyone from “DREAMING AT THE FUNCDrake to TNGHT. Its music may not be heavy on the words, but it’s TION (JNTHN STEIN X definitely heavy on the potential for BRASSTRACKS)” some major eyes-closed hands-inthe-air hip-swaying.
terracew club
COURTESY OF VERSACELETTUCE.COM
COURTESY OF ACLFESTIVAL.COM
YouTube it: “HAPPY WITH ME PART I” “MONEY ALL AROUND”
The L.A.-based duo behind HOLYCHILD has at least two things in common with Princeton students: 1. They went to college (at George Washington University) and met when instrumentalist Louie Diller was the accompanist for songwriter and singer Liz Nistico’s dance class. 2. According to their Facebook page, they’re influenced by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Class of 1917 — along with more contemporary artists like Thelonious Monk and St. Vincent. HOLYCHILD’s beats, which they’ve dubbed “brat pop,” are highly danceable and head-boppable. Just this past June, the group released their first full-length album, “The Shape of Brat Pop to Come,” with Glassnote Records, which is also home to Childish Gambino, Mumford & Sons, and Temper Trap. (Fun fact: Glassnote Records’ founder spoke at Princeton last October.) Of the band’s new album, Billboard wrote, “The L.A. group is fearlessly ambitious — and has written some of the best pop music you’ll hear all year.” You might recognize their latest single “Running Behind” from USG’s announcement video — and also from the global Apple Watch commercial.
COURTESY OF PBS.TWIMG.COM
BRASSTRACKS