Culture / Music

While most artists draw inspiration from love and heartbreak, Pitt student and musician Dave Pirozzi finds inspiration in seemingly strange places — video games, cartoons and the changing of seasons. “I really have this weird obsession with fall,” Pirozzi said. “For my future writing with Pinstripe Sunny, I am actually gearing the instrumentals to sound […]

Donning a red and gold Gryffindor tie and a pair of rounded glasses, Conductor Lawrence Loh guides the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra through a song from “Harry Potter” with a wizard’s wand in place of a baton. The “Harry Potter And the Sorcerer’s Stone” theme was just one of the many popular pieces that were covered […]

The annual Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival was held downtown from Friday, June 16 to Sunday, June 18 and included more than 140 local musicians.

Punk blues rocker Benjamin Booker says that his new album “Witness” asks two questions he thinks every American needs to ask themselves — “Am I going to be a witness?” and, in today’s society, “Is that enough?” The 28-year-old New Orleans singer-songwriter poses these questions at the end of a short essay posted on his […]

The early 2010s were a beautiful time for pop music. Songstresses like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry kept the genre alive by pumping out award-winning albums with numerous hit singles in thousand-dollar studios with world-renowned producers. Then Lorde’s “Pure Heroine” came along in 2013 and shook the pop formula. Created in a small […]

Bathed in a reddish, pre-sunset glow, the Forbes Digital Plaza attracts a crowd of passers-by investigating the dream pop tunes that can be heard around the corner. It’s an image that feels both distinctly Oakland and refreshing. Recently, local musicians have utilized the plaza for live concerts. The Jazz Improv Ensemble brought spontaneous jazz funk […]

Shane McLaughlin, a 24-year-old recent Pitt graduate, finishes singing his rendition of Bill Wither’s “Ain’t No Sunshine” to a group of strangers in Schenley Plaza on a 75 degree day in April. Strumming an acoustic guitar, his case open in front of him, Mclaughlin gets a smattering of applause from the people listening and the […]

Cassette tapes, eight-tracks and Walkmans may be things of the past, but not vinyl. In the last decade, records have been making a considerable comeback. A large factor to the recent vinyl resurgence? Young adults. Although digital music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and Tidal have become increasingly prominent over the past […]

A rapper drops his first mixtape and builds a cult following off of a positive Pitchfork review. He steadily expands that fan base, earning critical acclaim along the way. But then, something happens. He gets shot at, he goes to jail or some combination of the two. This story could apply to countless artists from […]