Against the Grain: Bobby McFerrin, Pentatonix redefined use of vocals

The human voice is an extremely versatile instrument. It can bend, run and stretch over as many as four octaves. While singing has generally been accompanied by instruments such as the piano and the guitar, some artists have thrown aside instruments in favor of their own voices. Exactly how far can the human voice be […]

B-sides: Coachella returns to roots with impressive indie, alternative lineup

Well, Tuesday was the day of Coachella statuses. Once a year, music fans everywhere take to social media to celebrate their successful ticket purchases, mourn their bad luck, or look sadly at their bank account statements and watch these statuses come and go.

Against the Grain: Bands bring new life to American folk

Folk music has traditionally been the commoner’s music, with the individual having full control over its composition. Whether fusing rock ‘n’ roll with American folk like The Byrds or blending soulful orchestrations into folk like Bon Iver, the ability of innovative artists to meld musical influences into American folk music is tremendous.