Last year, and throughout the summer, I spent many nights tucked into intimate crowds at the Great Scott, loitering in the basement that is Allston’s Store 54, and, I must mention, crammed among sweaty masses of young hipsters at various basement and kitchen shows. Save for a few quasi-disastrous performances, each time I would find myself at another show I couldn’t help but think, I really wish more people knew about this band. They’re just…so good.
It seems, in the most childish of terms, both uncool and unfair that everyone’s Facebook and Twitter feeds are constantly blowing up with MILEY CYRUS TWERKS OUT NEW SINGLE or EXCITEMENT OVER TEEN POP BOY BAND CAUSES PRETEENS TO SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST OUTSIDE PARADISE ROCK CLUB. Okay, so maybe I made up that last one, but seriously! There is no balance between indie artists and their music and the bombardment of pop-culture icons and mainstream monster club hits. The more time I spent at local shows, the more I felt a need to take action. I wanted people to discover and love the local music scene the way I was beginning to. I really wanted to expose BU and beyond to the different bands that I myself was being exposed to.
This is how “Over the Top” was born. The point of this column is to go beyond Top 40 and mainstream music and focus more on underground and alternative music scenes. I differentiate my column from other indie music blogs by putting a heavy emphasis on local music. It’s important to support the arts in the areas surrounding our school, or at least familiarize ourselves with what is out there—beyond the confines of Ryan Seacrest’s tastes (sorry, Ryan. STILL LUV U). I seek to do that by a) showing that there is indeed a kickass local music scene to get out there and explore, and b) talking about some rad music that I have discovered and want others to experience as well.
This year I will continue to cover shows of local bands and otherwise. I also plan on conducting interviews with local artists, as I have done in the past, as well as introducing album reviews as a new component of “Over the Top.”
Keep your eyes peeled every Thursday for a new serving of “Over the Top.” I’ll do my best to provide you with something funky to add to your playlist, a new artist to keep an eye on, or local music happenings to go check out!
