-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: Day 5: fun.The group fun. got started in New York City in 2008, following the break up of The Format. After the group disbanded, Nate Ruess teamed up with Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff of Anathallo and Steel Train. Dost had toured with The Format, and Ruess met Antonoff after The Format toured…
-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: Day 6: SOJASoldiers of Jah Army, or SOJA, got their start in Arlington, Virginia in the late-1990s. Jacob Hemphill (vocals, guitar) and Bob Jefferson (bass) met in first grade soon after Hemphill had returned from Africa, where his father was working as a defense contrator in Uganda. The lifelong friends teamed up…
-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: Day 7: GROUPLOVEGROUPLOVE hit the music scene in 2010 with an independent EP. The following year they recorded their official debut album, Never Trust a Happy Song, which drummer Ryan Rabin produced. The group formed out of a friendship between the band’s five members, with Christian Zucconi on vocals and guitar, Hannah…
-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: Day 8: Das RacistBrooklyn’s Das Racist is composed of MC Himanshu “Heems” Suri, MC Victor “Kool A.D.” Vazquez and hype man Ashok “Dapwell” Kondabolu. Known for their humor and unconventional style, the group made it big with the 2008 hit Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. They produced mixtapes Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man just…
-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: Day 10: GZA performs “Liquid Swords”As a founding member of Wu-Tang, Gary Grice — aka GZA, is hip hop royalty. While he’s released a number of solo albums, he always comes back to the clan, which has become known for its innovative rap-stylings. The Wu-Tang Clan assembled Staten Island, New York in the early ’90s under RZA, the group’s…
-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: Day 14: Charles BradleyCharles Bradley, or “the Screaming Eagle of Soul,” was born in 1948 in Gainesville, Florida, where he lived with his grandmother until he was 8 years old. It was then that Bradley moved to Brooklyn, New York to live with his mother, where his sister took him to see James…
-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: Day 15: Trampled by TurtlesTrampled by Turtles, or TBT, is an indie folk band from Duluth Minnesota, composed of Dave Simonett on guitar, Tim Saxhaug on bass, Dave Carroll on banjo, Erik Berry on mandolin and Ryan Young on fiddle. (Yeah, I know…you’re already having fun and you haven’t even heard them yet.) The…
-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: “These wristbands are treasure. Keep them safe.”
Addam and I got a very special package in the mail today!! Our Bonnaroo wristbands are in hand, and we are all but on our way! Fifteen days and counting! “These wristbands are treasure. Keep them safe…Once your wristband is verified and fastened, you will be good to go. The…
-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: Day 16: Mac MillerMac Miller makes me feel old. He was born in Pittsburgh in 1992 and has released two albums. He was one of 11 rappers featured in XXL’s Freshman Class of 2011, highlighting up-and-coming artists in the hip hop game. He has worked with Maroon 5, Wiz Khalifa is his BFF and…
-
Continue reading →: Blogaroo: Day 18: Fruit BatsFruit Bats, a rock band that got their start in 1997 Chicago, helped kick off the folk-rock craze that took off in the early 2000s. The group has changed a lot since it got its start, but singer/songwriter Eric Johnson has always been at the band’s core. In addition to…
Hello, I’m Ash! I am an assistant professor in the Journalism and Public Relations Department at California State University, Long Beach. This blog serves as a personal love letter to Long Beach, as I find my community and tread toward tenure.
Doc Hop 