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Articles by Liam Thropp
Album Review: Dead Sara - Ain't It Tragic -
Liam Thropp October 8th, 2021 - 9:00 AM Dynamic, untethered hard rock Dead Sara brewed its musical style and flare within Los Angeles, forgoing certain archetypal sounds to make their own flavor. Beginning with their eponymous album Dead Sara and evolving over the years, their newest creation, Ain’t It Tragic, is a newer batch of hard rock. “All Eye Know Is That You Left Me For Dead” highlights a few key components of this group’s dynamic.
Album Review: Mouse Rat - The Awesome Album -
Liam Thropp September 1st, 2021 - 9:00 AM Storied soft rock for fans To the cutthroat fans of Parks and Rec, this one’s for you. 10 years after the famed mini horse Li’l Sebastian’s memorial in the show, the infamous fictional band Mouse Rat, from NBC’s Parks and Recreation, released The Awesome Album with several hits from the series and more. Led by Chris Pratt’s character Andy Dwyer, this would be the band’s first real-life record—so to speak.
Album Review: David Duchovny - Gestureland -
Liam Thropp August 25th, 2021 - 9:00 AM Little things matter in music Riding the wake of his previous release, Every Third Thought, in 2018, known American actor and singer-songwriter David Duchovny has released his third album titled Gestureland. Duchovny deviates from his previous work to touch on personal revelations he has had throughout the greater part of the last year. Duchovny examines political changes, significant events and other issues which are masked by a melancholic sound.
Album Review: Leon Bridges - Gold-Diggers Sound -
Liam Thropp August 8th, 2021 - 3:00 PM Swanky, tranquil journey of Bridges Traversing immeasurable plains of emotion and newfound R&B, acclaimed Texas singer Leon Bridges delivers serenity in his newest LP, Gold-Diggers Sound. Bridges’ album aims for a nostalgic Hollywood style, riding a wake that was thought to have left music today. The album’s title tributes to the location it was recorded: a swanky hotel, speakeasy and studio called Gold-Diggers.
Album Review: Goose - Shenanigans Nite Club -
Liam Thropp July 25th, 2021 - 9:00 AM A compass to fulfillment Goose strikes again with its fluidly diverse plethora of genres in their newest album, Shenanigans Nite Club. Bridging a five-year gap between their last full-length album, Shenanigans Nite Club collectivizes several songs written over the past nine years as a band. It presents a path before you, one of a quest for fulfillment in life and all that encompasses the journey itself.
Album Review: The Wallflowers - Exit Wounds -
Liam Thropp July 22nd, 2021 - 9:00 AM A fulfilled destiny at last Almost a decade later, The Wallflowers bloom with new ballads of classic rock. Their newest endeavor, Exit Wounds, alludes to the rock repertoire they always have strived for. Excavated from their glory in the late 20th century, the group has revived its sound with barely any lapse. “Roots And Wings” sounds strangely familiar—almost indistinguishable from a Tom Petty classic.
Album Review: Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real - A Few Stars Apart -
Liam Thropp July 11th, 2021 - 9:00 AM Complex country-rock delivered sincerely Finding movement after a time of being still, Lukas Nelson and the band Promise of the Real deliver new music with sincerity and newfound connectivity between human interaction in A Few Stars Apart. Nelson emerges after a year of silence since Naked Garden. But his newest concoction—A Few Stars Apart—explores the navigation to find connectivity between family, friends and one’s own heart.
Album Review: Garbage - No Gods No Masters -
Liam Thropp June 22nd, 2021 - 9:00 AM A vivacious modern punk exorcism Garbage fills your ears once again with their newest album, No Gods No Masters. The band’s seventh studio album blends the infamous pop-rock punk style with a few new techniques. Acclaimed singer Shirley Manson returns to the mic with more bombastic energy and a vivacious attitude. But on a foundational level, this new album is filled with the intensity of emotional turmoil and attempt to resolve.
Album Review: Dispatch - Break Our Fall -
Liam Thropp June 9th, 2021 - 9:00 AM Roots rock with societal tension Rooted in tension, Dispatch’s newest adventure, Break Our Fall, traverses the modern world’s political tension, halted reckonings for change and need for more equality—all of which fuel this album. While this is a common topical serum to drink from, Dispatch attempts to make it their own. The east-coast established group has seen change within their band as well.
A Green Formula for Rejuvenation
Kupu used stimulus money to protect the ‘āina and provide new opportunities for hundreds of people. Part 9 of a series of stories about resilience during the pandemic. Photo: courtesy of Kupu The pandemic has crippled thousands of small businesses in Hawai‘i and forced tens of thousands of people to find new jobs. Amid these personal tragedies are stories of grit, perseverance and transformation. Here is one of those stories. The ideal outcome is often a win-win – with both sides coming out ahead.
Album Review: Weezer - Van Weezer -
Liam Thropp June 3rd, 2021 - 9:00 AM Metal rock with little might Postponed by a global pandemic, Weezer’s latest endeavor, Van Weezer, is infused with nostalgia and is an illusion of frontman Rivers Cuomo’s inner child. Coupled with the band’s Hella Mega arena tour with Green Day and Fall Out Boy, this album shines a light on sensory throwbacks and attempts to tribute ’80s hair metal.
A Pueo and his Keeper
Five-year-old Makamae perches on Shari Nishikawa’s protected arm at the Honolulu Zoo. Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino The Hawaiian short-eared owl was rescued on Kaua‘i in 2016, blinded in one eye and too young to know how to hunt on his own. His doting animal keepers now care for him, though he likes Nishikawa best.
Album Review: Van Morrison - Latest Record Project, Volume 1 -
Liam Thropp May 17th, 2021 - 12:00 PM Blues with modern expression Known for his repetition, off-the-cuff songs and mumbled rock music, Van Morrison has leaped into the limelight once again to fulfill his repertoire with Latest Record Project, Volume 1. Even the first track, “Latest Record Project,” is an acknowledgment of this album, sort of a tête-à-tête with his past, which brings this latest creation forward.
Nalu Scientific Measures the Universe from Hawai‘i
The local startup founded by UH researchers develops cutting-edge technology for use around the world, underwater and in space. Staff physicist Ben Rotter holds one of Nalu Scientific’s cutting-edge creations. | Photo: courtesy of Nalu Scientific At the heart of every thriving innovation community is a university or two that conducts research, educates and inspires young minds, generates cutting-edge ideas and fosters startups that take products and services to market.
Album Review: Royal Blood - Typhoons -
Liam Thropp April 30th, 2021 - 11:00 AM Elemental and impeccable style British duo Royal Blood has always focused on their elemental music style, using simplistic bass, guitar, drums and some filthy angst to become one of Britain’s biggest bands. With radio silence over the last four years with the release of How Did We Get So Dark?, the band was questioned if they would make it back to the charts once again. Their newest album, Typhoons, is their redemption tactic to return to stardom.
GBC Boxes & Packaging Inducted into Hawaiʻi Small Business Hall of Fame
GBC Boxes & Packaging was founded by George and Bertha Chu in 1972, and originally sold Hawaiian souvenirs wholesale to stores statewide, including ABC Stores. Left to right: Lester, Nannette, Walton and Sanford Chu.
Maui Varieties LTD. / House Mart Inducted into Hawaiʻi Small Business Hall of Fame
Maui Varieties is the parent company of 14 Ace Hardware and six Ben Franklin stores in Hawai‘i, as well as five stores in Seattle and Oregon, and two in Las Vegas. Maui Varieties also owns two Daiso discount stores on Oʻahu, which specialize in Japanese products. Left to right: Wayne Kamitaki, Lynn Ushijima, Hall of Fame Paul Mizoguchi and Guy Kamitaki. | Photo: courtesy of Maui Varieties LTD. “We owe our success to the communities we serve.
Album Review: Sir Sly - The Rise & Fall Of Loverboy -
Liam Thropp April 27th, 2021 - 9:00 AM Serene, disconnected alternative California-borne alternative band Sir Sly has delivered another set of tracks in their new album, The Rise & Fall Of Loverboy. Their previous hits like “Gold,” “High” and “You Haunt Me” are songs from which they leaped to expand their alternative sound. This album is the creation of that hard work. The album’s namesake “Loverboy” is a cathartic track with a standalone beat and frantic vocal effects.
Big Island Candies: Inducted into Hawaiʻi Small Business Hall of Fame
Allan Ikawa launched Big Island Candies in 1977 after working with a Swiss pastry chef and has grown the company into an internationally renowned brand. Remy Velasco and Alan Ikawa at the Big Island Candies headquarters in this pre-pandemic photo. | Photo: courtesy of Big Island Candies “Passion is what drives me, not making a lot of money,” he says. “I just want to see how far a bunch of local kids – local guys in sleepy old Hilo – can go in this global market.
Lanikai Brewing Co: Small Biz Editor’s Choice Award winner for Beverage
Steve Haumschild moved to Hawaiʻi in 2001 to become a researcher at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Photo: Aaron Yoshino “This is not what I was anticipating Hawai‘i to be like, and I just instantly fell in love with Hilo, the Volcano area and the national park,” Haumschild says. He says he remains connected to Hawai‘i’s natural world in his personal life and in the business he founded and leads, Lanikai Brewing, which is focused on local ingredients and inspirations.
My Job: Cleaning Up After Disasters and Tragedies
Adam Ah Sue had been working as a hotel concierge, but says he got tired of the mundane work he did every day. Photo: Aaron Yoshino NAME: Adam Ah Sue AGE: 34JOB: Mitigation Project Manager, Premier Restoration Hawai‘i BEGINNINGS: “In 2008, I was living in California when my mom called me crying because her house flooded,” Ah Sue recalls. “She had 36 inches of water on the ground and all my baby photos got ruined in the flood.
Album Review: Kings of Leon - When You See Yourself -
Liam Thropp April 15th, 2021 - 8:00 PM Lost and without a compass The Kings are lost and losing their thrones. Overshadowed by their early 2000s albums Mechanical Bull (2003) and Only By the Night (2008), the Kings of Leon are lost in their own heads. Disarrayed from what they have done before, the Followill brothers (and one cousin) are chasing a sound that doesn’t place in the 2021 carrot-and-stick style.
Education - Hawaii Business Magazine
2021 Education & Career Guide Learn how these institutions can help develop the skills you need for a successful career. Today's Lesson: No Wi-Fi = No Learning Disparities in internet access have long made learning more difficult for some students, from kindergarten to college. And with students learning from home now more than ever, that digital divide has widened.
Album Review: Sunburned Hand of the Man - Pick A Day To Die -
Liam Thropp April 1st, 2021 - 12:00 PM Sedated musical enigma Breaking their silence since 2010, Sunburned Hand of the Man released their newest LP, Pick A Day To Die, in a flurry of music genres unbecoming of this psychedelic rock group. With over a hundred previous releases, it seems as if this band might have run its course in music style. Though since the 1990s, this band has churned out an exhausting amount of music in any style you can fathom.
Album Review: Citizen - Life In Your Glass World -
Liam Thropp March 27th, 2021 - 9:00 AM Unbalanced post-hardcore rock Post-hardcore trio, Citizen, released their fourth LP, Life In Your Glass World. Categorized as a rock album, this LP takes many different styles of music within the rock genre. But the emo and punk-like band make their music one thing, memorable. The band released “I Want to Kill You” earlier this year, a foot-stomping electric track of aggression and a hint of subtlety.
Album Review: Kings of Leon - When You See Yourself -
Liam Thropp March 21st, 2021 - 12:00 PM Lost and without a compass The Kings are lost and losing their thrones. Overshadowed by their early 2000s albums Mechanical Bull (2003) and Only By the Night (2008), the Kings of Leon are lost in their own heads. Disarrayed from what they have done before, the Followill brothers (and one cousin) are chasing a sound that doesn’t place in the 2021 carrot-and-stick style.
Album Review: The Pretty Reckless - Death by Rock and Roll -
Liam Thropp February 23rd, 2021 - 12:00 PM Fueled by heartache New York band The Pretty Reckless experienced two tragedies while on tour with Soundgarden in 2017. The latter band’s frontman, Chris Cornell, heartrendingly took his life after their show in Detroit. 11 months afterward, The Pretty Reckless’ longtime producer Kato Khandwala dies in a motorcycle crash. The band’s retreat was meant to explore the grief and heartbreak which they recorded in their new album, Death by Rock and Roll.
Album Review: Paul Leary - Born Stupid -
Liam Thropp February 17th, 2021 - 12:00 PM Hypnotic insanity, with wokeness Famed Butthole Surfers guitarist Paul Leary waited 30 years to express his dark humor and carnival sounds once again in a new solo album. Leary’s first album released in 1991, The History of Dogs, launched his solo musical career from the Butthole Surfers, combining his personal taste with a nuanced flare of woke ideology stemmed from modern society.
Album Review: Grey Daze - Amends...Stripped EP -
Liam Thropp February 6th, 2021 - 3:00 PM Emotional angst, in mourning Grey Daze has had worse days, but none as bad as those before. A pair of albums were released by Phoenix-based group Grey Daze in the ’90s. But January 29th, 2021 marked the debut of their new five-song EP called Amends…Stripped. Each song debuts newfound instrumentation, combining their old sound with a new take in honor of their departed singer, Chester Bennington.
Album Review: Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight -
Liam Thropp February 5th, 2021 - 9:03 PM Foundationally dependent, implicit music There are bands that strive to sound different, and there are those who try to sound new by recycling their own sounds. Foo Fightersʻ newest pop-oriented, stadium swinging LP, Medicine at Midnight, is made for an audience and has a recycled sound. It feels larger, but at 39 minutes, Medicine at Midnight is the shortest Foo Fighters album to date.
Album Review: Tamar Aphek - All Bets Are Off -
Liam Thropp February 2nd, 2021 - 9:00 AM Compromised musical dynamism Israeli indie rock star Tamar Aphek surfaces with her solo-debut album All Bets Are Off. Aphek sought to embody “the feeling of a rollercoaster” with this album, according to the famous music label which signed her, Kill Rock Stars (KRS), which continues to unearth underground rock groups from the roots of the Pacific Northwest.
Album Review: Steven Wilson - The Future Bites -
Liam Thropp January 29th, 2021 - 9:00 AM Botched prog rock Alt-rock wizard Steven Wilson has traversed many soundscapes throughout his musical career, though his most recent venture is a solo career with inspiring creativity. The Future Bites is techno-rock with nerve, dissecting electronic rhythms and rock elements through years of experience in the spotlight. Though in doing this, he abandons prog-rock entirely, which has already disappointed many.
Fires Consume More Hawaiʻi Forest in Recent Years
One in a series of short stories from the State Data Book Fires burned more than 30,000 acres of forest and brushland in both 2018 and 2019 – far more than any other year in more than a decade, according to the latest State of Hawaiʻi Data Book. You have to go back to 2005 and 2007 to find years with comparable acreage ravaged by forest and brushland fires in Hawai‘i, according to annual figures provided by state Data Books.
Album Review: The Cranberries - No Need to Argue (25th Anniversary Edition) -
Liam Thropp November 30th, 2020 - 9:00 AM Unearthed Irish rock, not dead There are only a few Irish bands that have made it to the world stage without crumbling. Limerick-borne sensation The Cranberries, is the definition of an Irish success story (with the exception of U2). Crafted in the alternative shift of the 1990s, the band made the mysticism of traditional Irish music come alive with rock and post-punk influences.
Album Review: Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Return to Greendale -
Liam Thropp November 25th, 2020 - 9:00 AM Nostalgia’s righteous re-release Fans of classic rock can’t tell Neil Young to slow down in his later career, though the ever-expanding “Neil Young Archives” seem to be profiting from a series of spontaneous releases over the past decade. Young’s latest release with Crazy Horse, Return to Greendale, is collected from the tour before the release of his rock opera, Greendale.
Album Review: Thelonious Monster - Oh That Monster -
Liam Thropp November 14th, 2020 - 3:00 PM Alt-rock with no roll Borne out of the lust and cultishness of 1980s Hollywood, the once constantly inebriated rockers of Thelonious Monster broke their musical silence with a new record. Oh That Monster smacks listeners with alt-rock tunes, with a bit of attitude. Thelonious Monster has to spit out five albums from years of musical transition.
Album Review: Elvis Costello - Hey Clockface -
Liam Thropp November 6th, 2020 - 4:00 PM Neo-noir nostalgia Black-rimmed frames and an exploratory music style are perhaps two things that elevated Elvis Costello. The panache and intrigue of this Brit’s younger years remain in his newest endeavors, but with an aged bitterness which comprises the integrity of the American song. Costello’s newest creation, Hey Clockface, is periodically brilliant.
Most Popular Baby Names In Hawai‘i Change
Emma and Liam have lost their No. 1 spots to Olivia and Noah The most popular baby names in Hawai‘i in 2019 were Olivia for girls and Noah for boys, according to the federal Social Security Administration. Rounding out the top five in Hawai‘i are, for girls: Ava, Emma, Amelia and Aria; and for boys: Liam, Mason, Elijah and Ezekiel. All of Hawai‘i’s top 5 were among the top 10 nationally except Aria and Ezekial, the SSA reports.
Hawaiʻi's Geckos Play a Positive Role in Your Home
Gold-Dusted Day Gecko (Phelsuma laticauda) Stump-Toed Gecko (Gehyra mutilata) Many eat cockroaches and ants, while others dine on spiders and centipedes. Yes, that is a gecko on your coffee mug. And on your bathroom wall, above your computer and just about everywhere else in your home. Why do they feel so at home in your home? Eight gecko species are found in Hawai‘i, but none are native to the Islands.
Album Review: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In) -
Liam Thropp October 25th, 2020 - 9:00 AM Soul returns, not her ghost Often noted as the “21st Century’s Godmother of Soul,” Sharon Jones’ posthumous album with The Dap Kings dove into some grooved out classics. Starting her career at the age of 40, some said she was late to the game. But she covers a wide selection of hits, from Stevie Wonder to Janet Jackson, with her new album Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In).
Album Review: The Jaded Hearts Club - You've Always Been Here -
Liam Thropp October 10th, 2020 - 12:00 PM Dusted off classics, unhinged The bands Jet, Muse, The Zutons and Nine Inch Nails walk into a bar… Oh, what an epic bar scene that would be, but this lineup is not a crappy joke, but a real-life mix of some of the best musicians 2020 has to offer. The Jaded Hearts Club, as they are known, released their debut album You’ve Always Been Here to solidify their newfound position in modern rock ‘n’ roll.
Ethnicities of Public School Teachers and Students Don’t Match
One in a series of short stories from the latest State Data Book Numbers can tell interesting and important stories and the latest State Data Book tells hundreds of them. The statistical charts cover population, health, education, politics, defense and dozens of other topics. The statistics were the latest available at the time of publication and the title of the newest edition reflects that: It’s called the “2019 State of Hawai‘i Data Book” even though it was released in August 2020.
Album Review: Neil Young - The Times EP -
Liam Thropp September 28th, 2020 - 12:00 PM Homemade righteousness Burning with passion for political and social justice in the world, Neil Young has captivated audiences for decades with his pertinent music style. With a soulful sound and relevant lyrical combinations–of which heavily inspired bands like Pearl Jam–Young has continued to captivate the audience with his music.
New Job Requirement: Being “COVID Conscious”
Employers worry that negligent employees could endanger their colleagues and customers and damage workplace trust and company reputations There’s something new to add to your resume. Human resource managers and staffing professionals think being “COVID-19 conscious” should be a new norm for existing employees and future hires in any industry.
Album Review: Ace of Cups - Sing Your Dreams -
September 22nd, 2020 - 3:00 PM Elegant transglobal grooves Born from the psychedelic San Francisco music scene of the 1960s, Ace of Cups is a pioneering rock group of all-female talent. Mixing stories of female empowerment with the angst of everyday life, Ace of Cups place a new meaning on rock and roll her-story with their newest LP, Sing Your Dreams.
Album Review: Bill Callahan - Gold Record -
Liam Thropp September 19th, 2020 - 9:00 AM Ordinary life, reimagined A man lays in bed while hearing his wife make breakfast in the kitchen. He ponders whether to leave his sheets, as he can picture the meal already. In haste, his wife lays burden on the man and the relationship becomes dysfunctional. As she leaves him, his only memory is of her making him his favorite meal of the day, breakfast. Bill Callahan’s music captures ordinary life in a not so ordinary state.
Album Review: King Buzzo with Trevor Dunn - Gift of Sacrifice -
Liam Thropp September 3rd, 2020 - 12:00 PM Dark and full-bodied in sound There is a fine line between hard and soft rock. One chord struck hard enough can give the illusion of an aggressive rock song, but if strummed lightly, it becomes a quiet interlude of a soft rock album. For years, rock artists have morphed their talents between acoustic and electric guitar playing, but it’s the way they execute them which makes their songs worth listening to.
Album Review: Fantastic Negrito - Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? -
Liam Thropp August 29th, 2020 - 9:00 AM Unclassified, but dignified Meticulously crafted, yet easily digested, blues music has remained a keystone genre for listeners since its upbringing in various U.S. cities. It’s a style delicately placed in different socio-political climates, with the potential to ease pain or keep the night going on. Today’s contemporary blues is truly a mix of old and new sounds and modern reasoning.
Album Review: Biffy Clyro - A Celebration of Endings -
Liam Thropp August 28th, 2020 - 12:00 PM Asynchronous music attempts to unite Recorded well before the pandemic, Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro released their ninth full-length album, A Celebration of Endings which topped the UK album charts almost immediately. Both upbeat and gnarly, this album marches to its own drum to cover a variety of music genres and moods. Though this album is not quite as settling as people think it might be.
Album Review: Robby Krieger - The Ritual Begins At Sundown -
Liam Thropp August 20th, 2020 - 12:00 PM Methodically tested, legend approved There is no doubt that “Riders on the Storm” and “Light My Fire” by The Doors will remain cult classics for years to come. They are critical masterpieces of rock ‘n’ roll music which helped shape the genre itself. As a songwriter for these songs, former Doors guitarist Robby Krieger has since performed a solo act with the intent to unite old and new sounds.
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