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Articles by Bryce Nolan
Goodbye Grads: A parable, some advice and an overdue goodbye
Here’s a little story for you. Two fish are swimming up a river, and a wise old fish comes downstream toward them. The wise old fish turns to the two younger fish and says, “Morning boys, how’s the water?” The two young fish pass the older fish, and when they are out of earshot one turns to the other and asks “Dude, what the hell is water?” You might be familiar with this little parable from David Foster Wallace’s 2005 commencement address at Kenyon.
In ‘A Promised Land’ Barack Obama revisits his time as president in first memoir
Broaching the subject of a presidential memoir is a difficult one, now more than ever. One struggles to find the words needed to ease into it; after all, what more needs to be said about the 44th president? The Obama administration lasted eight years, was a success in some regards, a failure in others, but was nonetheless utterly momentous. As the second president of the new millennium Barack Obama began his presidency as the embodiment of hope, the closest thing to the American Dream incarnate.
Listening to ‘Hey Clockface’ by Elvis Costello is worth your time
At this point in time, what more needs to be said about Elvis Costello? As one of the leading voices in alternative music from his beginnings in the late ‘70s, he rose to prominence on the strength of three home-run albums in a row with “My Aim is True,” “This Year’s Model” and “Armed Forces.” These established Costello as an incisive, emotionally charged and passionate singer-songwriter willing to blaze his own trail through popular culture.
The Roots' member releases debut album 'Streams of Thought Vol. 3: Cain and Able'
If you only know The Roots as the house band of Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show,” then you know the fun-loving band that provides the necessary soundtrack and sound effects of Fallon’s various show segments, many of which revolve around musical impressions of some kind with his guests.
‘It’s About Time’: Patty Smyth releases her newest album
Well, this is an unusual comeback. Normally, if an artist hasn’t released new music in several decades, their triumphant return is a blockbuster event, worthy of trumpets and parades. But in the case of Patty Smyth (not to be confused with Patti Smith), “It’s About Time,” only her third album in her entire career (save for a Christmas album in 2015), released on Oct. 9 via BMG Records. The album is a brisk, understated array of eight songs that came seemingly out of nowhere.
GRAD GUIDE: The L word: The ins and outs of deciding to be a lawyer
It’s a safe bet that a good number of people reading this article have, at some point, been asked by their parents to think about law school. To some, that’s the best suggestion they have ever heard, and to others the very notion fills them with dread. Some may even experience both at the same time.
American Heads-up: The Flaming Lips release their newest album, 'American Head'
With a name like The Flaming Lips, it’s hard to imagine this band spitting anything other than absolute fire. And with that obvious joke out of the way, we may begin. The Flaming Lips has, amazingly, been around since the mid-1980s, however its stardom only rose in the early 2000s thanks to the glorious one-two punch of 1999’s “The Soft Bulletin” and 2002’s “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,” the latter of which is arguably its greatest work to date.
‘Down In the Weeds?’ Bright Eyes’ new album can cheer you up
Maddie Quiroz-Haden / Collegiate Times There is a perception that indie bands tend to be flash-in-the-pan affairs, small time projects abandoned once the cost of going on outweighs the benefits of going on, or rather they outweigh the benefits in a way that is completely impossible to ignore. To an extent, this is true. Playing indie rock was never a license to print money, a statement that has perhaps never been truer than it is today.
‘Dreamland’ by Glass Animals transports listeners to a surreal place
The sun is hot, the campuses are filled with moving vans and U-Hauls, and of all things, earthquakes rattle southwest Virginia. Summer is coming to an end, and with only a few weeks left of summer vacation before Virginia Tech students return for a semester unlike any other, there’s still enough time to hear some new jams and to discover new groups popping up on the radar.
A beautifully foolish novel: Hank Green’s follow-up is everything we could have wanted
Less than half a decade ago, if you were confused as to which of the Green brothers was which, you could just ask, “who’s the one who writes books?” and then the answer would be obvious: John, author of such young adult classics as “Looking for Alaska,” “Paper Towns” and of course, the mega success that was “The Fault in Our Stars.” You could just as easily have asked, “who’s the science brother?” and then the answer would be Hank, creator of SciShow, a science YouTube channel, and founder...
‘First Rose of Spring’ hopefully won’t be Willie Nelson’s final album
It is tempting to say that Willie Nelson is the greatest country musician of all time, full stop. Few other figures have been able to maintain a similar profile, both musically and culturally, but none have been able to replicate his laid-back attitude and none have been able to convince us that they're barely even trying as well as Nelson has.
‘The Absence of Presence’: Kansas is the American rock group we’ve been waiting for
At the end of the day, there really aren't that many American progressive rock bands. Sure, in recent years acts like Dream Theater and Coheed and Cambria have found their respective places in the modern pantheon of progressive music, but these are young bands, comparatively speaking. From the start, prog was an almost uniquely British phenomenon, with Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and even Jethro Tull all hailing from the United Kingdom.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it: Ray LaMontagne sticks to the status quo with ‘Monovision’
There are few things as oddly satisfying as seeing old tropes being used effectively. We all know that there’s nothing new under the sun, and that originality is just a word for things that we forget have already been done before, but if something is cliched, it’s cliched. The secret to good art is not simply expressing new ideas, but using the tools of any given medium to express them in interesting ways.
‘Homegrown’: Neil Young stays true to his Canadian roots
Maddie Quiroz-Haden / Collegiate Times Ever since he began his career more than 50 years ago, Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young has been a mercurial force in popular music. He is constantly engaged in the spirit of reinvention, teaching an old dog new tricks and surprising everyone with his creative whimsy. For better or for worse, Neil Young has always only ever done exactly what he’s felt like doing and pretty much nothing else.
Fetch the turntable: Fiona Apple’s new record hits the right notes
Say what you’d like about the music industry, when it does choose to celebrate its weirdos, it holds nothing back. Fiona Apple is a singer-songwriter who has been something of a critical darling for many years, netting a hefty armload of Grammy nominations over her career, a grand total of seven, and claiming at least one.
Listen and learn: Podcasts to listen to during quarantine
Something that many of us have discovered over the course of quarantine is that being stuck indoors all day lends itself to an attitude of catching up on things we might have missed out on. Whether it’s a long delayed viewing of a film or television series or an exceptionally absorbing video game or book series, there is plenty to get through now that the majority of the country is on lockdown.
More like ‘The Old Normal,’ the Strokes’ new album falls flat with rehashes
The Strokes are one of those bands that frequently appears in search results for “best rock bands” and other similar queries, and yet their presence on the modern rock scene often goes unremarked upon for one reason or another. The band’s 2001 debut album “Is This It” is frequently namechecked as one of the most influential rock albums of the past two decades and seemingly molded the post-millennial world of alternative rock entirely in its image.
Pearl Jam in a pandemic: The new album 'Gigaton' deserves a listen
As far as anyone should be concerned, Pearl Jam has always been one of the best bands to emerge from the hard rock hodgepodge that was the early 90s. Pearl Jam and similar bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden and many others became the literal poster children for the MTV generation and radically redefined the music industry as it was typically understood.
Best of Blacksburg: Comfort food for thought
Editor's note: Read our official statement regarding Best of Blacksburg coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of this global pandemic, most people have been attempting to drastically alter their daily lives, and with this must come a certain loss of normality. People lose social connections, work experiences, even things as meaningful to them as a graduation ceremony. One significant aspect of this loss is the new reality of food.
‘American Standard’ by James Taylor is anything but standard
James Taylor can easily be counted among America’s greatest living singer-songwriters. With his unmistakable voice, blending a homespun approachableness with precise attention to timbre and inflection, Taylor has continually proved his vocal and writing chops over the course of a career spanning over 50 years and nearly two dozen albums.
The club is still open: Guided by Voices remains one of the top indie bands with recent release
Guided by Voices (GBV) is an indie rock band that has been touring and recording for the last three decades. The band is led by their charismatic and iconoclastic lead singer and songwriter Robert Pollard, who is also a published poet and visual artist. From the beginning, the band championed a unique low fidelity recording style that pushed the Do It Yourself (DIY) artistic methodology to its most extreme horizons.
A suite divided: What to do about bad roommates
For new college students, there are few fears as pervasive as that of a roommate or suitemate that, to put it politely, complicates their domestic lives and frustrates their attempts to relax in a space meant to feel like a retreat from the rest of the world. A good roommate is a gift from above; they will help keep the place clean, bring you something from the dorm that you had forgotten or even help out with your laundry. But a bad roommate or suitemate can make your life absolutely miserable.
Knowledge is power: ‘Experience Required’ podcast gives students skills they need to succeed
It’s the eternal paradox of the modern job hunt: an entry-level position that requires three to four years of industry experience. As competition for graduate-level positions becomes increasingly more intense as time goes on, companies and other organizations have the ability and the incentive to select only the most qualified and experienced applicants. As such, the requirements for even a first job in the industry of your choice can come with a seemingly absurd stipulation for prior experience.
Father of All Duds: Green Day’s latest outing reaches high but falls flat
Maddie Quiroz-Haden / Collegiate Times Green Day’s inimitable, and yet endlessly imitated, style of fast and fun punk rock has been around since the late ‘80s. In the time since, listeners have witnessed the band go from irreverent southern California rockers singing about the boredom of youth culture to more pointed social commentators with the release of “American Idiot” in 2004, which remains the standard against which all Green Day releases are measured.
‘I don’t need anyone’: Halsey gives listeners a look into her soul with album ‘Manic’
Maddie Quiroz-Haden / Collegiate Times One of the more legitimate criticisms of modern pop music revolves around its seemingly endless romanticizing of bad decisions and personal pain. Sometimes this plays out with a reasonable degree of self-awareness, such as in Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” where she knows all too well that the relationship in question probably won’t work out for a variety of reasons, chief among them her own insecurities.
The weather outside can be frightful and delightful: What to do in Blacksburg over winter break
The library is deserted. You can park anywhere in town and not worry about having enough change. The air is cold, the wind is howling and scarves are in high demand. Winter break has come to Blacksburg. For better or worse, exams are over, the semester has ended and many students have returned home for their holiday break. The city is empty and it has never been easier to order a sandwich. But Blacksburg can feel a bit lonely in the wintertime.
The crazy Christmas music nobody knows about
Now that Halloween has officially been over for more than 13 and a half seconds, it is now Christmastime in Blacksburg. Soon enough, all of the best known Christmas tunes are going to begin filling the air inside of the supermarkets, DMVs, banks and all other such public forums.
Indie band, Cold War Kids release new record, 'New Age Norms 1'
We live in an age where digital distribution has put increased pressure on artists to embrace the album as an art form in its own right. While recalling those days when chart success was less important than raw album sales, different artists are adapting the long-play album in different ways. Beyoncé, with her album “Lemonade,” turned it into a multimedia phenomenon, while others like neo-progressive outfit The Dear Hunter have utilized it as an episodic storytelling device.
The joy of the stroll: Best places to walk in Blacksburg
I’m someone for whom life consists of sitting behind a keyboard for extended periods of time attempting to convince people that I know what I am talking about. As a result, I sometimes feel the need to just get out. I feel like I have to step away from the laptop, get outside and walk for a little while just to be removed from work and stimulation for a time. Be alone with your thoughts in the infinite beauty of nature and be immersed in the stillness and calmness of the world.
Thrifting around Blacksburg: A college student’s guide to frugality
I am the kind of person who proudly wears the label of “bargain hunter.” I will shop around until I find the best possible deal on whatever it is that I’m looking for, and as a result, I rarely pay full price for what I need. These habits of mine have served me well during my college career, where getting stuff cheap is almost a necessity for those of us with limited disposable income. Here are some of my favorite locations around Blacksburg for getting the absolute most bang for your buck.
Kickoff concert gets our year started in just the right way
Kate Bollinger performs at the Virginia Tech Union Kickoff Concert on the Drillfield, Aug. 30, 2019. Kate Bollinger performs at the Virginia Tech Union Kickoff Concert on the Drillfield, Aug. 30, 2019. Alexys Rivers / Collegiate Times Friday was a hot, dry day on the Drillfield, the grass still yellow and straw-like from the summer weather.
How to get used to Southwest Virginia: A guide for out-of-towners
Growing up 20 minutes away from Blacksburg, I never thought I would have to experience the disorienting effects of traveling to a faraway place to live and study for half a year on end. I thought myself immune to that particular adjustment. But then I spent a semester in Switzerland. I spent this past spring on a study abroad program that lasted the whole semester.
Beirut’s ‘Gallipoli’ is kaleidoscopic indie folk
Maddie Quiroz-Haden / Collegiate Times At this time of year, I tend to begin picking releases from bands I’ve never even heard of to review. This gets me through the time of year when big-name releases — by my standards — are sparse, and it also exposes me to some interesting new music that I might not have otherwise found, since I chose it more or less at random. My latest review concerns the album “Gallipoli” by indie folk outfit Beirut.
Easy exam week snacks to make for stressful study sessions
Let’s face it: studying is hungry work. “Brain food” is a not just a clever turn of phrase that your parents use to make you eat carrots. With exams coming up, doomed to return at the end of every semester like a seasonal monsoon, getting your snack on will go a long way towards making sure that you can prepare for final exams without starving yourself. There are many debilitating effects that hunger has upon learning and education; that’s the whole reason school lunches exist.
Five YouTube channels to please every creative mind
YouTube is a gateway to so many different aspects of modern life and entertainment, to the point where no two people will have the same experience on the website. Your subscriptions on the site will influence what its algorithms will curate for you. Sometimes these algorithms work to bring you new and interesting content. Other times, they don’t.
Yoko Ono’s latest LP continues career of meritless prominence
I’ve never been one to procrastinate, if only because I force myself to get work done early. But I seem to have broken my personal creed, since I wrote this review just before the deadline approached. Not because I was busy or got distracted from writing it, but because I really, really, really didn’t want to do this.
Kurt Vile’s ‘Bottle It In’ makes a bit of everything into something new
Kurt Vile is one of those guys I came across by complete accident, to the point where I have literally no idea where it was I first learned about him. I simply recall buying his 2015 album “B’lieve I’m Goin Down…” on CD (yes, I really used to do that) and liking it very much.
Coheed and Cambria continue in prog-rock triumph with 'The Unheavenly Creatures'
It’s never easy to write critically, or even objectively, about the things you sincerely enjoy. Many think that the people least qualified to talk about something in popular culture are those who are fans of it, since they’re the ones most likely to respond positively.
Unknown pleasures: 5 worthwhile side projects by mainstream musicians
+1 Maddie Quiroz-Haden / Collegiate Times Some of the most intriguing aspects of popular music are the little gems that don’t get a whole lot of exposure, especially when a big name is attached to them. These are all the little passion projects and brief musical fancies that overtake artists and find their way onto vinyl or cassette tape, the things the big radio stations tend to avoid.
Eminem does more than bounce back with surprise LP ‘Kamikaze’
+1 Maddie Quiroz-Haden / Collegiate Times “You know, everybody’s been tellin’ me what they think about me for the last few months / maybe it’s time I tell ‘em what I think about them” begins Eminem on the track “Fall” from his surprise album “Kamikaze,” released Aug.
Death Cab’s ‘Thank You For Today’ takes the breakup album to new heights
+1 Photo Illustration by Bryce Nolan I always consider it a good sign when I start tapping my foot within the first few seconds of listening to a new album, and that’s exactly what happened with the latest release from Death Cab for Cutie. “Thank You for Today,” released on Aug.
Three bands that need to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
If I may paraphrase Rush drummer Neil Peart, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn’t a big deal until you’re in it.
'Kids See Ghosts': a tactless twosome's utter mess
OK, so I did it again: I got the release date for the album I wanted to review wrong. To my credit, I was much closer to the mark this time around — five days as opposed to five months. But it would seem that fate conspired to cause this mistake, as it has brought me face-to-face, or rather song-to-ear, with an artist to whom talent is as remote a quality as shame.
Beach House’s ‘7’ is excellently crafted dream-pop
My initial pick for my first review of the summer was going to be the new album by Echo & the Bunnymen, in what would hopefully be a successful comeback by one of the Eighties’ most important bands, but in an act of temporal miscalculation that would make Doc Brown blush, I somehow managed to misjudge the release date of that particular album by a solid five months.
Lord Huron gets gritty on 'Vide Noir'
I was looking forward to this one. Anyone who has read my previous recommendations article knows about my appreciation for this band. When its long-awaited new album, “Vide Noir,” finally dropped on April 20 via Republic Records, I was afraid that this album would do little more than tread old ground and take no risks — a behavioral pattern I feel that a lot of folk-rock acts tend to languish in for want of creative expression.
Blackberry Smoke flaunts its strengths on "Find a Light"
I’m going to admit right out of the gate that this review is one I’ve been waiting to do for a long time. If you read my article on concert venues, then you know that this is a band I drove all the way to Rocky Mount to see with my dad. He’s the one who introduced me to Blackberry Smoke years ago, and here I am reviewing its latest album, “Find a Light,” released April 6 on Earache Records.
Album recommendations: Four classic records you should know
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons I suppose it’s time for another one of these. I’ll be clear: The new releases I want to cover next won’t be coming out for a few weeks, so in the meantime here are four more albums for your consideration. These don’t have any unifying theme like my last two recommendation lists; they’re just four records of which I think more people should be aware.
Concert venues to check out nearby
A couple weeks ago, my dad and I went to Rocky Mount to see a band we both like, a southern rock group called Blackberry Smoke. It was performing an extra show at the Harvester Performance Center, and my dad had secured two tickets. On the way there, we stopped at a burger joint in Roanoke called Jack Brown’s, where we met up with one of my dad’s oldest friends, a guy named Stu.
David Byrne gets fearlessly freaky with 'American Utopia'
David Byrne Courtesy of Nonesuch Records I once wrote that judging offspring musicians within the shadows of their parents is an unhelpful practice when attempting to judge their worth. Likewise, I think that measuring an artist’s solo career against his or her accomplishments with a previous band is also rather problematic. If what you expect out of a solo album is more of a previous band’s music, then you honestly don’t get how bands work.
Haunting and puzzling: The Low Anthem's new album
Have you ever been so absorbed, so totally engaged by something, and yet not understood a bit of it to the point that it became imperative to find out what it all meant? This is the rare combination struck by The Low Anthem on its latest album, the wordy “The Salt Doll Went Down to Measure the Depth of the Sea,” released Feb. 23 on Joyful Noise Recordings.
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