Lauren Drapeau – Editor-in-Chief
This month finally marked the beginning of spring as the leaves began to appear on trees, cherry blossoms bloomed and students crowded the quad. To celebrate the warm weather and the feeling of having to air out the heat marinating in my car, “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest perfectly suited the atmosphere. The drives home and the walks throughout a lively campus were perfectly accompanied by this jam. I highly encourage blasting this on a speaker with your friends as blankets decorate the grass on the quadrangle. You won’t be disappointed!
Nathan Robillard – Managing Editor
I selected this song last spring around this time, and since there is no set statute of limitations on staff picks (or at least not one that I know of), I’m picking it again. Deal with it. I’m getting back into the swing of the summer outdoorsy vibe, and in the midst of planning my first-ever backpacking trip in May, I’ve been using the 1972 Eagles hit “Take it Easy” as a go-to stress reliever as we hit crunch time at the end of the semester. It just instantly puts me in a calmer, better place, no matter what I’m doing. It is genuinely one of my top-10 favorite songs of all time.
Casey Chan-Smutko – News Editor
Okay, there are 31 songs on the “Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology” double album by Taylor Swift. I know it’s been six days since it came out but I already have favorites. For this last edition of the semester, I will choose the song “Down Bad” because of the lyrics. It’s repetitive, but it makes it easier to memorize her lyrics. My favorite lyric is “F*** if I can’t have him.” I love her determination to get the guy mentioned in the song and I resonate with it.
Sully Cummins – News Editor
For this month I’m going to nerd out a little bit. One of my favorite artists, Justin Vernon, who is more commonly known as Bon Iver these days, has been super influential in his career so far. He’s inspired a huge chunk of the current generation of sad folk artists, and even contributed to rappers’ works, like Kanye West and Travis Scott. I am a big fan of his older stuff, especially a band called DeYarmond Edison made up of him and a few of his high school buddies. Their only album, “Silent Signs,” is one of my favorite folk albums, and I highly considered gatekeeping this, so be grateful. The track that I’ve been spamming for the better part of a year is titled “Bones.” It’s a song about the loss of someone close, but it’s super uplifting and optimistic. I like the simplicity and belt-ability of this song.
Maia Hembruff – Entertainment Editor
Continuing on with my “dad music” kick that began in March, this month I bring to you a timeless Eagles’ classic as my staff pick. “Learn to be Still” is a song I’ve known and loved for essentially my whole life, however recently I have been rediscovering a lot of Eagles’ music and this song has really spoken to me. It’s been a busy month, and this song reminds me to find peace in my life, despite the hustle and bustle. If you’re looking to take a moment to reflect and, if I may, “be still,” I highly recommend sitting down and listening to Don Henley and Stan Lynch’s beautiful lyricism in this song.
Zachary Petrick – Sports Editor
This was a boring month of music for me, but similar to everyone else in Rhode Island, a major moment of the month for me was the solar eclipse. I decided to listen to Kid Cudi’s “Man On The Moon III: The Chosen” as a throwback to December 2020, before college and as the COVID-19 pandemic began to wind down. “Another Day” has been one of my favorite songs since the album’s release, a usual late night hit before bed. This song has always hit a nerve for me, especially since it was a summer 2021 staple, a stress free time before college but with so much to look forward to.
Lucas Masiello – Newscast Editor
A 2022 classic from one of the greats, Kendrick Lamar’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” has been on repeat as of late for me. This is one of the few times the Grammy awards got it right. “N95” is and always will be a classic, and it will continue to have an impact on the rap scene for years to come. It remains increasingly important as tensions between the biggest rappers today continue to rise; I’m calling you, Drake. Special shout out as well to “Father Time.”
Aidan Cahill – Photo Editor
This month was highlighted by the eclipse for me. Seeing totality in northern Maine was one of the most profound experiences I have ever had. On our drive back, we relistened to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” given the celestial themes throughout. The last line of the entire album is about an eclipse, too. Though, like the few minutes of totality, “Time” has stuck with me most. A song about the slow and steady, yet surprisingly quick passage of time – every aspect of the song adds to the theme. The lyrics are direct yet poetic, the slow and steady instrumental is constant but never boring, and David Gilmour’s solo after the first verse shows how a solo does not need to be incredibly complicated to have an impact.
Jenny Arnold – Social Media Coordinator
This month I have had “Please Don’t Fall In Love With Me” by Khalid on repeat. I haven’t listened to his music since his most popular album “American Teen,” so this new single caught me by surprise. The song delves into the complexities of relationships and the fear of emotional attachment to a partner. The combination of vulnerability and intimacy in it makes listeners think about the consequences of becoming involved with someone. Khalid is expressing his desire to avoid taking the risk of falling in love because of the pain he can endure, while addressing the temptation. However, if you don’t open your heart to love you’ll never find it.
Nils Fimmers – Production Manager
One of the modern greats, Mac Miller’s “Swimming” album is one of the most complete rap albums of the last decade in my opinion. From the frequencies of low energy tracks like “So It Goes” to pumped up tracks like “Ladders,” the album has something for everybody. In particular, “What’s the Use?” catches my attention thanks to its catchy baseline and upbeat drum pattern. If you haven’t listened to the song, or the album, I cannot recommend a listen enough.