Songs of Resistance

If you look up a list of “greatest protest songs,” nine times out of ten you’ll receive a list heavily reliant on the western popular canon, i.e. Dylan, Rage Against The Machine, and if you’re lucky, Public Enemy. These are all good, and all essential, but I think that sort of view can lead to […]

Wisp

Have you ever been listening to a band or artist and thought to yourself, “I wish I knew this guy sooner?” Your chance at redemption is now and the artist is promising! Natalie Wu, or Wisp, a 19-year-old hailing from San Francisco, is an independent shoegaze artist who has fans flocking to her like moths […]

Frost and Beef Stew

What does winter sound like? Is it best soundtracked by warm, cozy sonics that fit themselves snuggly into our ears like a child curled near a crackling fireplace? Or do angular, glacial sounds better match the cold and isolation the season often brings?  Ink’s music writers have been reflecting on this dichotomy as VCU’s campus […]

Powders2Powders: Eartheater at The Underground Arts

Eartheater performed at The Underground Arts in Philadelphia, PA for her “Powders” album tour. On a foggy night at The Underground Arts in Philadelphia, down the stairs and around the corner, Eartheater fans congregate around the stage. The smoke dissipates suddenly as Concrete Husband approaches the mic. Thrashing and playing the flute like an electric […]

The Sound And Stories of Tentative Decisions

Listen to the audio extension of this article on Ink’s Soundcloud page: Left to Right: Amanda McVey, Jack Sample, and Bernadette Lothamer Since their formation, Tentative Decisions have made a name for themselves as Richmond’s rising post-punk darlings. Lead singer and guitarist Jack Sample, bassist Amanda McVey, and drummer Bernadette Lothamer have been dutifully gigging […]

Beneath the Ten Pound Shell: Ten Pound Snail and Their Spiraling Success

Ten Pound Snail sold out their recent show on Dec. 1, wrapping up their residency at The Camel. Photography by Kobi McCray. In the autumn of 2021, everyone has something to mourn and something to get back to. Quarantine is stuttering to as much of a close as it can. The sidewalks around the city […]

Ricky Montgomery’s ‘Rick’: A Reflection of the Past

On September 29th of this year, indie pop icon and Vine star Ricky Montgomery released his second full-length studio album, “Rick.” The album is a unique and intimate reexamination of Montgomery’s tumultuous childhood and teenage years. He explores themes of inadequacy, loss, and vulnerability, all through the lens of his formative life experiences. This album […]

The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We: Life and Love as an Asian American

This past September, Mitski released her seventh studio album titled “The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We.” With its heart-wrenching lyricism and intricate worldbuilding, this all encompassing project has quickly gained popularity. Mitski goes over life, love, and loss in a hauntingly intricate way. The Japanese-American indie pop singer has been praised for her […]

What Your Favorite Band Says About You

To say that optimism has infected music journalism is an understatement. The sickly, sticky-residue-on-a-countertop-sweetness that’s permeated the way we write about this artform has ruined too many great publications. Pitchfork used to be downright combative with artists, and now they praise the newest assembly line release as being “something fans will love.” Well sometimes, fans […]

A Western Night

Ethel Cain performs at The Warhol in Pittsburgh, PA for the museum’s Sound Series: Block Party. This show is the headliner to the Andy Warhol Museum’s third annual Block Party. The street behind the museum is entirely blocked off and filled with food trucks, merch stands with Ethel Cain’s gothic tees and a bar with […]

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