From one fellow music lover to another, Vinyl Mag staff shares the albums they loved all year long. Take a look below to see what records made us feel, dance, and reflect in 2023. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite. Adeboye Adeoye, Staff Writer The albums that stick with me most this year tell very…
Adeboye Adeoye
Vinyl Mag Presents: Georgia Theatre Rooftop
Now, presenting… Vinyl Mag Presents, a show series highlighting Athens’ diverse musical talent. On Wednesday, October 8th, Vinyl Mag and Zero Mile held a jointly promoted show on the Georgia Theatre Rooftop as the first for the series. The charming and ever-exciting Handholder, Convince the Kid with their layered synth landscapes, and newcomers Roommate performed….
Review: Recess Party: ‘Paid In Full’
Recess Party is the brainchild of four current and former University of Georgia students. Blending a wide range of indie, rock, and metal influences, the quartet has now released their debut album, Paid In Full, to the world. Keeping the energy always present at their live performances, this moody project is cohesive while still ensuring…
Artists Who Shined at AthFest 2023
From Friday, June 23 to Sunday, June 25, the Athens community came together to enjoy local artists for Athfest 2023. This year commemorated 25 years of the festival and brought together acts of all generations and genres. In celebration of such a fun and successful event, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite artists…
Artists to Watch: Wakai
While scrolling on TikTok in the spring of 2022, I stumbled across the song “Silhouette” by Wakai (feat. MARCO PLUS), which I immediately saved. The witty lyricsism and dynamic flows over smooth, dreamy production inspired me to listen to his album, To a Dark Boy, in its entirety. Wakai’s music is vibrant yet subdued, and…
Review: Khamari: ‘A Brief Nirvana’
Up-and-coming R&B singer Khamari released his debut album, A Brief Nirvana, on May 26, 2023. The album is littered with recognizable samples, interpolations, and strikingly personal lyrics. His voice and strong songwriting are reminiscent of a Channel Orange-era Frank Ocean. He has writing credits on every track and production credits on all but the last,…
Review: MAVI: ‘Let the Sun Talk’
An undergraduate student at Howard University at the time, Charlotte-born rapper MAVI released his 2019 album Let the Sun Talk just a week after his twentieth birthday. He is considered by many to make abstract hip-hop. It’s a hard-to-define sub-genre but some shared qualities amongst its artists, songs, and projects are pushing sonic boundaries, emphasizing…
Show Review: Earthday Everyday 2023
On April 22, Afterglo held its second annual Earthday Everyday music festival at Live Wire Athens. It was a busy day in Athens, coinciding with Normaltown Music Festival, Highlight Athens, and Athens Twilight Criterium. Starting at 2 p.m., a multi-genre lineup of artists took to the outside stages, with attention turning to the inside stage…
Review: UGA MBUS Students: 2023 Spring Releases
As a part of the University of Georgia’s Music Business Certificate Program, I am lucky enough to be classmates with a host of musicians and performers. So here, I want to highlight a few recent releases from my talented classmates. Bea Porges is a singer-songwriter with a penchant for layered, relatable lyrics. Backed by fellow…
Review: Common: “Be”
Be. It’s a simple message, a direct command. And, it also happens to be the title of Chicago rapper Common‘s 2005 album: Be. Common explained the title of his album in a 2005 interview, stating: The album is entitled BE because the hardest thing to do is to be yourself, although many think it’s the easiest it’s…