‘CHARLIE’: Puth produces perfectly fine pop on imperfect third album

Share: Released on Oct. 7, “CHARLIE” shows 30-year-old Charlie Puth in the depths of romantic melodramas as he yearns, mourns, and details his past relationships with pop and rock influences spanning the 80s to now. Coming off of the heat of a 2018 Grammy-nominated album, Puth’s self-titled 2022 project continues the artistic exhibition of his divided attentions as an overtly intellectual,  perfectionist producer and a desperate-to-be-liked, but never-in-love singer-songwriter.  The first track, “That’s Hilarious”, starts off the album with a rebuttal to a pitiful and …

‘Tune out all the noise’: PCC students set study habits to music

Share: During an end-of-summer afternoon, the sun reflects off the shiny Center for the Arts building as PCC Freshman Alex Peña sits on the grass in front. While enjoying their lunch, they tell the story about their finicky process of finding peace through Rock and K-Pop music while studying for their Public Health Science degree. “Well, I have ADHD, so if I’m not listening to music, I’m listening to everything else,” says Peña. “So when I listen to music, it just helps me tune out …

The survival of Poo-Bah, Pasadena’s last great record store

Share: Independent record stores are a dying breed. In the age of algorithms, music communities have migrated online. Streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify have replaced ritual crate digging at local shops. Even as music consumption continues to grow, physical album sales account for a shrinking portion of music revenue, causing more and more shops across the country to fold. The only way for stores to survive is to adapt. Poo-Bah Record Shop, currently in its third home, is living proof here in Pasadena. …

Talent can’t save Omar Apollo’s boring single

Share: Apollo enters on a guitar, with a soft strumming and emotional pattern sounding similar to song intros for bands like Weezer, Radiohead, or The Eagles, a feeling of distaste and repetition that every artist has already attempted before him. In today’s world of music, it’s best to get to the point, Apollo should have used the time to be different and exciting. His use of melodically familiar guitar riffs are an excellent tool for a song, but when done with little effort, it makes …

‘DAWN FM’: The rise of the Weeknd’s mature sound

Share: 2021 marked a decade of Abel Tesfaye, known more by his stage name The Weeknd, telling the world of his tumultuous lifestyle. Over the span of three mixtapes and four albums, he has successfully branded himself the master of recounting the late night escapades that lead to morning regret. The true king of passing off heartache as jadeness.  In 2022, however, Tesfaye returns with an album that breaks free from this self made mold. Dawn FM, a 16-track album that plays like a radio …