Melissa Kacar

"Aperture" by Harry Styles He's baaaaack! The lead single off of Harry Styles ' long-awaited new album,  Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally ,  introduces a new sound and direction for him. It leans into a more electronic house sound than ever before, a clear vantage point for "Aperture" being Robyn's "Dancing On My Own" , with hints of LCD Soundsystem as well. It is a long and sprawling five minute confessional, almost feeling like a status update for where he's been for the past few years. He always writes from his own distinct perspective, shaping a narrative built around living in the moment, loving and embracing togetherness. There are so many ways for this song to be interpreted, it largely connects to "Lights Up" in the way it is a thesis statement for who he is as an artist and the encouraging environment he creates with his music, inviting the listener to just let the light in and spread love. The repeated phrase of ...

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I’m Not served as the introduction to a band that would go on to define a generation, reshaping the sound and spirit of modern rock. In doing so, Arctic Monkeys blended styles of punk, garage rock, indie, and alternative rock into a sound that was all their own. The band originally formed in 2002 and continued to build momentum until their eventual debut in 2006. They became known for handing out free demo CDs at their shows, circulated these early recordings among friends and unintentionally became one of the first music acts to gain traction on MySpace. Their rise was unheard of at the time, especially for an indie band from the suburbs of northern England. Their guerilla approach to digital music marketing ended up re-shaping the entire industry, without even intending to do so. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not ended up becoming an early blueprint for the role social media would soon come to play in the music industry....

"505" is one of Arctic Monkeys ' most beloved tracks, a song that has grown from a deep cut into a fan favorite over time. In an interview with NME , lead singer Alex Turner once described it as "the first proper love song we've done... as in like, 'Oh, it's that one person.'" That sentiment is embedded in the song's evocative lyrics, which paint a haunting atmosphere filled with longing and emotional intensity. Sonically, "505" was so ahead of its time, foreshadowing the direction Arctic Monkeys would later take in their future releases . As the closing track on their classic 2007 album Favourite Worst Nightmare , it serves as a powerful finale, as well as being a distinct shift in tone from the record in terms of tone and atmosphere. It carries a grungy romanticism that feels understated yet deeply sincere. Part of what makes "505" so compelling is its lyrical ambiguity. The song's title and setting could represent a...

With the release of AM a decade ago, Arctic Monkeys reinvented themselves as a band and showcased what the defining sound of modern rock music would be. It's sound and aesthetics have shaped so much of the genre in the past ten years. This is the album that first introduced me to the band, as well as my personal favorite. The guitar-driven melodies, vocals, and lyrics are all just so effortlessly cool and made this album an instant classic. After dominating the British rock scene for much of the 2000's, Arctic Monkeys does take a bit of a different approach to their music in what felt like a natural evolution for the band at the time. It is a bit more mature with a very timeless sound, mixing a cosmic blend of classic and alternative rock, with elements of R&B, blues, indie rock, and psychedelic rock. It incorporates so many of the band's influences through rock history and makes it all their own. The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, and The Velvet Underground, to name a...

The 2010s are coming to a close and I wanted to take the time to reflect on some of my personal favorite albums of the past 10 years and share why I love them and how they have impacted my life! I've loved so much music over the past decade so it was really difficult to narrow it down to just ten of my favorites, but I made sure this list is only the best of the best! Melodr ama // Lorde // 2017 Lorde's music has impacted my life in a way that no one's music ever has before.  I've listened to Melodrama countless times on repeat since it came out and I still feel all of the same strong emotions towards it like the time I first heard it. Every song on Melodrama encapsulates a different moment in time and cohesively tells such a beautiful and sincere story that any young adult can relate to.  As a songwriter, her talents are truly unparalleled, there's no one else like her . Everything she releases feels very genuine and complete, and not rushed in any ...