WEGL-FM (Auburn, AL)

Tame Impala's sold-out July 9th performance at Benchmark Arena in Tampa, Florida was nothing short of transcendent. The show was not only a vivid display of Kevin Parker’s world, but also a look inside his personal creative process. DJO opened the evening with one of his vampiest tracks, "Awake," immediately establishing the dream-like atmosphere. "Roddy" washed over the crowd with cinematic energy; both moody and emotionally charged.

I’ve been completely spun out listening to the new Chanel Beads record this past week, but I while I was writing about that album, I kept seeing people call Sweet Fortune Ryan Beatty’s "happiest" album on the subreddit popheads. On first listen, I get it. It’s definitely lighter than Beatty’s previous album Calico. The music breathes a bit more, his voice feels less strained, and he isn't pulling you down into the same emotional pits that defined his last album.

Few artists are able to capture the inner workings of their chaotic brain as precisely as Matt Proxy has on his debut album Trojan Horse. The 19-year-old, Minneapolis born rapper has been releasing truly undefinable music since 2021. While his Spotify backlog only reaches back to 2024, his SoundCloud showcases a work ethic that is beyond impressive for someone who has made music since before they could drive.

After releasing their genre-bending third album, “Ugly Duckling Union”, Lowertown put on, in the words of band member Olivia Osby, “the best show of the tour.” in their hometown of Atlanta. And while I can’t vouch for the other shows, I can most certainly claim Lowertown’s June 17th show at The Masquerade was a homecoming like no other. The first opening act, a local rock band, Strumbrush, brought the room’s lively energy to the forefront.

For years, being a Choker fan required patience. After building a strong following with "Peak", "Honeybloom", and a trio of experimental EPs through 2019, the alternative R&B artist largely disappeared from the spotlight. While comparisons to Frank Ocean followed him from the beginning, Choker's appeal has always come from the unpredictable nature of his sound.

Released on June 12, 2026, Olivia Rodrigo’s third studio album “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” gives audiences a look into Rodrigo’s new perspective on love after going through her first “big girl” relationship as she describes it. Alongside her new outlook, she also breaks the capital four letter word naming convention of her previous chart-topping albums, SOUR, and GUTS, joking in her Saturday Night Live monologue that she “Learned more words!”.

Aubfest VIII was filled with music, laughs, and heart throughout. The festival took place over March 20th and 21st at Boggin’ on the Plains. Aubfest is a twice-yearly music festival featuring local and regional artists. The lead up to Aubfest VIII full of excitement and energy from the Aubfest team, which hosted several events in the semester prior to the festival. There was a battle of the bands and a poster contest leading up to the event itself.

One of the glories of the modern day is the instant access to millions of pieces of music at the touch of a button. With recent advancements in technology one would think the entertainment mediums of the past would have been long lost to time. Regardless of the “archaic-ness” of these ways of listening, things like cassettes, CDs, and especially vinyl records have seen a massive comeback in the past few years.

Mitski's most recent album, released on Feb. 27, 2026, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” continues her unique, contemporary stylings and instrumentation she became famous for. Since her breakout album “Burry Me at Makeout Creek” in 2014, Artist Mitsuki Laycock, better known as Mitski, has been bringing deep introspective music to a rapidly expanding fanbase.

Auburn, Ala.-- Spicer’s Music, a local music retail and lessons store, won the Music Makes a Diefference award and was named Retailer of the Year by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). Spicer’s was able to accept the awards at the annual NAMM show in Anaheim, California. For the Retailer of the Year award, NAMM gathers finalists for all nine award categories including Best Music Lesson Program, Best Customer Service and Best Community Retail Store among others.