Filmmaker Gopal Bala dives into his filmmaking journey sparked by South Asian cinema and iMovie, which led to award-winning projects like “Banging Basmati Butter Chicken” and “Sylvester,” showcasing his dedication to diversity. His goals include impactful storytelling and supporting fellow creatives, reflecting his commitment to cinema collaboration. Off Record Blog (ORB): I wanted to talk about your journey into filmmaking, what sparked your interest in it? How did you get into it and who inspired you to start filmmaking? Gopal Bala (GB): When I was very young, I was mostly exposed to South A ..read more

Fall Out Boy fans label their current So Much For Stardust tour a ‘Healing Tour’, and take a trip down memory lane with their rotating setlist! As Fall Out Boy’s second US leg tour for their 8th studio album So Much For Stardust reaches its end, Both fans, and the band themselves have been reflecting on the surprisingly loud feedback and impact that’s been made, and what this could mean for the future of the band. Before the release of So Much For Stardust, the band had their 7th studio album, MANIA. When released, it was received with a lot of negativity and overall mixed feelings from fans a ..read more

Films ranging from Trainspotting to Call Me By Your Name, here is a list of ten movies with stellar soundtracks to put on your watchlist (and your playlist). A lot of film watchers are unaware of the extent of how much a movie soundtrack carries a story, whether it is the legendary ending to The Breakfast Club as the characters walk off to “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds, or the iconic scene in Dirty Dancing to the tune of “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. Movies use the power of music to make a story much more powerful and suck the viewer in to ..read more

It’s a sunny Spring Saturday in Houston, birds are chirping, there’s a slight breeze, and thousands of metalheads are thrashing around the lawn of White Oak Music Hall. Screaming guitars, blast beats, and heavy bass riffs filled the air, while fans moshed and crowd-surfed their way through the day. Hell’s Heroes, now in its sixth iteration, is Houston’s largest metal event, taking over White Oak with 40 bands hitting the stage over three full days. With bands playing on both the downstairs stage and the larger outdoor space, there was a constant sound of music in the air as the schedule allo ..read more

Dive into the creative minds of hit alt rock band, Twenty One Pilots, as we break down their discography and what’s to expect for their upcoming album. Over the past couple of months, Twenty One Pilots has been releasing an extensive amount of information pertaining to their upcoming album. With a new song released and a story being uncovered, we will look into what we can expect in the near future for Twenty One Pilots and even take a look back at their achievements as a band and how they got to where they are now.  In 2007 in Columbus, Ohio, Tyler Joseph, lead singer and songwriter for ..read more

90s Scottish shoegaze band, Cocteau Twins, have recently resurfaced, and now, newer fans find themselves indulged in the mystery behind Cocteau Twin lyrics and the band itself.   Cocteau Twins, originally from Scotland, formed in 1979 and in 1983 had their finalized trio with Robin Guthrie, Simon Raymonde, and Elizabeth Fraser. During the formation of the band, Liz Fraser was only 17 years old, and she had left home around age 14. Similarly Guthrie and Raymonde were both in their late teenage years when creating the band. The name behind the band was related to the song by Simple Min ..read more

Map of the Soul: 7 is the fourth Korean-language studio album by South Korean boy band BTS. Released on February 21, 2020, by Big Hit Entertainment (now HYBE), it serves as a poignant exploration of BTS’s collective journey, delving into themes of introspection, self-discovery, and personal growth.  Map of the Soul: 7 by BTS courtesy of Spotify Through 20 tracks, the album encapsulates the complexities of the human psyche, inviting listeners to reflect on their own experiences and emotions. In this retrospective, we will focus on songs unique to this album as it also includes songs from ..read more

The stage doors are finally open for Catfish and The Bottlemen latest single release “Showtime.” Heading back to the fields again, Multi-platinum British indie-rock and alternative band, Catfish and The Bottlemen have finally released their new single “Showtime.” Frontman and vocalist Van McCann along with bassist Benji Blakeway return back into the public eye after dropping cryptic posts on social media. The band released their UK Top 10 chart hitting debut album, The Balcony in 2014 that quickly  amassed them a worldwide audience with notable tracks such as “Cocoon” and “Kathleen.” Foll ..read more

With recent music trends, the riot grrrl genre is becoming more and more mainstream, with artists such as Mannequin Pussy, Olivia Rodrigo and illuminati hotties integrating parts of it in their current discography.  Riot grrrl was a part of an underground feminist movement in the early 90’s that mixed punk music and politics. A lot of the genre is still loved today and has become immortalized because of the many iconic songs that dominated this genre. This article will go through some of my all-time favorite riot grrrl songs. “Rebel Girl”- Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl” is one of my favorite ..read more

I personally feel like Valentine’s Day is one of the most controversial holidays. This is mainly because I’m not in a relationship, and also, I just don’t like couples. As someone who has experienced all the seasons of a relationship, I have the authority to assign a playlist to help everyone, regardless of your stage in a relationship, to cope with Valentine’s day. For the Lovebirds When I was in a relationship, I would often make playlists for my significant other. Oftentimes, these were cute, whimsical songs explaining my love for him, at the time. I honestly found this to be really cute ..read more