Sigur Rós: Outlandishly Brilliant, Relatively Unknown

Sigur Rós emerged from Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, in 1994. The band consists of Jón “Jónsi” Birgisson (vocals, guitar), Georg Hólm (bass), and Orri Páll Dyrason (drums). Sigur Rós is the name of Jónsi’s sister, who was born the day the band was formed. Jónsi took the helm as the most creative member and drove Sigur Rós with his unique choice to play the guitar with a cello bow. Accentuated by the powers of reverb and special amplifiers, the band’s signature style has yet…

Clockwork Angels Shine on Rush

On September 11, thousands of T-shirt wearing Pittsburgh Rush fans made a pilgrimage to the Consol Energy Center as the “Holy Triumvirate” graced the stage in the area for the first time since their 2010 Time Machine Tour. Rush kicked things off about 15 minutes later than the scheduled 7:30 p.m. start time, beginning with their 1982 hit “Subdivisions.” The Rush faithful, an animated bunch, couldn’t have been more pleased with this starting number. After “Subdivisions,” the band opted to put away the hits for…

Summer Concerts

Pittsburgh has always been a common place for major concerts, and this summer is certainly no exception. With several venues of different sizes, our area will host many artists of different genres.

The Next Wiz or Mac? Up-and-Coming Rappers Abundant at Dice

In the wake of two Dice alumni topping the charts, students among a crop of young hip hop/rap artists are jockeying to be the next to make it big. Behind the obvious headline, though, is a story of a high school that has become not only a well of talent but a place where students dare to dream of success in music and the arts.

JCC Battle of the Bands

This year, the highly anticipated annual “Battle of the Bands” took place on Jan. 28 at the Jewish Community Center and was a wild success. As the largest fundraising event for the JCC Senior High Musical “Gypsy,” this year’s spectacle did not fail to impress, with a lineup that featured over seven local student bands who entertained music enthusiasts from high schools public and private across the city.

The Top Albums of 2011

The Foreword presents their top music picks of the year.

Mac Miller Concerts Wow Fans

Once just a kid walking down the halls of Allderdice, Mac Miller took the stage on December 9 and 10 amidst screams of excited fans.

Music Festivals: A Major Part of British Music Culture

If you were to ask any American high school students how they spent their summers, responses would be filled with anecdotes about camps, jobs, and vacations. Fly across the pond, however, and ask the same question. Most British teens would answer identically: “I went to a music festival.”

G-Brotherz Rap to Raise Awareness

“We want our music to make a change. We rap to raise awareness about the issues going on at home, in Somalia. We rap about the real issues that people still have problems with. We need to do what we can to help those back home.”

Brit Tunes To Listen For

Keep an ear out for these UK hits as they make their way across the pond and onto the American airwaves.