Within the walls of Mute City, a very intriguing show took place last night. Unlike the typical format that one would expect where the music gets heavier as the night went on, this show took that format and flipped it on it’s head. Stormo was the first band to hit the stage, although I cannot remember where they are based, but likely in Michigan. This four piece featured two guitarists that rotated between rhythm and melody, a bassist and a drummer. Their sound was derived from a fitting combination of bands like Radiohead, specifically from OK Computer and before, to more modern pioneers of 2010’s indie rock such as Hypoluxo. It was a very pleasing listening experience, as the grooves that

*this interview took place after the Audiotree Music Festival in the fall of 2018 and was transcribed by Lexi Terrian L: How would you categorize your music genre-wise? Or is there a subgenre that your band identifies with? MM: Generally, we’re a rock band since we use guitars and drums. We’ve got an electric guitar, bass guitar, and a drum kit. Today we had our percussionist with us. L: Is that not normal? MM: We do it live and in the studio so it is becoming more normal. The fourth member is not apart of the brand as much, but it really adds to the sound. L: Who writes the music? Or do you all write the music? MM: Me (Jacob). L: So is it your band? Do you call it your band? MM: That

May 17, 2019 has been a magnificent day for new music. This music ranged from local Kalamazoo artists to well-known artists. For someone who loves rap, like myself, today has been a landmark holiday for new music releases from Tyler, the Creator, Slowthai, Injury Reserve, Amine and Chance the Rapper. These are huge names. Is it a coincidence they were all released today or was this planned? Honestly, I could not care. My ears could not be happier than in this exact moment. A little word of warning, if you are not one to hear explicit content. These albums are not for you. At midnight, I promised a dear friend and the current WIDR GM to listen to his debut album. The album Acatalepsy by ZXA c

When I saw Sylar’s post on Instagram about their first headlining tour, I was ecstatic. I bought VIP tickets for their Chicago date on May 14th. Chicago was the closest location to Kalamazoo, but always worth the drive. After impatiently driving two and a half hours to get to the Beat Kitchen in Chicago we lined up waiting to get called in for the VIP event. There were maybe 20 people at the VIP session, so it was really close and personal. We got special VIP merch: a t-shirt, a wall flag, and a lanyard. We watched Sylar perform two acoustic songs, and did a Q&A. The guys of Sylar are some of the friendliest, most open minded people to talk to. The main vocalist, Jayden, mentioned how they

On Monday the 13th the singer and songwriter from Frankfort Illinois, Chase Walsh, blessed the WIDR air waves with a beautiful solo guitar and vocal performance. Walsh's musical journey started when he was 5 years old when he first began to play guitar and write poetry. During the performance we had the ability to ask Walsh a few questions in between songs. When asked about his creative process, he said that he drinks a lot of coffee and that most of his inspiration comes in short bursts. Then the hosts asked him if there was any significant story behind his performance name and he just laughed lightly and said, “actually yeah, my mom gave it to me,” jokingly responding because he performs u

The day normally known for celebrating Mexican independence is celebrated a little differently in the historic Kalamazoo Vine neighborhood. On Sunday night from 8 pm - 12 am, the Vine district was filled with booming sounds of drums and wailing guitars. In the house known to the local music scene as Mute City, three prestigious Kalamazoo bands filled the old walls of Mute City with their music. The bands are as follows: Lucius Fox, Nothing New, and Team Two. Mute City and many of the other local house venues want to expand the listenership of local bands. This love for local music was greatly expressed by the crowd this night. First up at 9 PM was the heavy metal duo Lucius Fox. The band has