Album review: ‘This Old Dog’

Mac DeMarco went from recording music in his tiny Montreal apartment to becoming the poster boy of indie rock in just five years. Since his 2012 debut album “2” and subsequent 2014 breakout work “Salad Days,” the Canadian musician rose to fame meteorically. Between garnering critical acclaim and becoming an American music festival staple, DeMarco […]

Album review: ‘Culture’

Migos knows how to capitalize on viral potential. The Atlanta trio inspired the “rain drop, drop top” memes, coined the “dab” dance move and landed the No. 1 song in the country according to the Billboard Hot 100 chart this year with “Bad and Boujee.” “Culture,” the group’s second full-length studio album released Friday, is […]

Going for the Grammy: UCLA music professor commissions Grammy-nominated classical piece

UCLA faculty, staff and alumni have contributed musical works that are nominated for the 59th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 12, 2017. Their talents, ranging from playing the saxophone to composing songs to performing in an opera, have been recognized with nominations in five different categories. Mark Carlson was troubled by the lack of opportunities […]

Second Take: SoundCloud creates unique platform for next generation of rappers

Sidney Selby stumbled upon a particularly infectious beat while browsing YouTube a year ago. He liked it so much that he decided to buy it for $200, and a few months later, released it as a rap song under the name “Panda.” The song quickly reached unprecedented success and was remixed on Kanye West’s most […]

UCLA student, one-time ringtone maker finds new calling in rap music

Before putting his thoughts to hip-hop verses, Stefan Dismond was convinced his calling was making ringtones. The second-year cognitive science student, who used to make alternative music and ringtones, decided to switch to rapping just last year. Dismond said he initially used his laptop keys as a digital keyboard to produce electronic patterns that turned […]

Alumna sees entrepreneurial success despite setbacks

Katie Everds raised $30,000 to get her product out into the world, but then she lost it. “I was so stressed out because I promised all these people that bought my product that I would deliver,” Everds said. The UCLA alumna recently filmed on an episode of the TV show “Quit Your Day Job,” a […]

Sounds of Schoenberg: The Thai jakhee

Each week, Daily Bruin A&E will explore the instruments of the World Musical Instrument Collection and their performers that all contribute to the musical landscape of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. This week, we highlight the Thai “jakhee,” a three-stringed zither shaped like a crocodile. University of California Riverside alumna Supeena Adler spent […]