We’re diving into the fascinating journey of the Newton Brothers as they brought a modern twist to the music of the recently rebooted X-Men ‘97, a continuation of the 1992 series, X-Men: The Animated Series. The Newton Brothers courtesy of IMDb. John Andrew Grush and Taylor Newton Stewart, professionally known as the Newton Brothers, were announced as the composers for X-Men ‘97 in July of 2022. As they revisited the original series, they realized the music didn’t match their childhood memories and found that many of the original synthesizer sounds felt dated to modern audiences. To give the ..read more

West 22nd shares insights into their first headline tour and upcoming music projects that are in the works.  West 22nd continues to rise as a prominent band in the Austin music scene. After playing numerous shows across Texas, they explored new cities and states in their most recent tour. In March of this year, they put out two new singles, following their EP release in 2023. As the band made their way down to Dallas, Off Record Blog got the chance to chat with them and dig deeper into their experiences in performing and writing their music.  ORB: How do y’all feel about being back i ..read more

Who said girls can’t rock out? This list of 10 female-led rock bands, ranging from a plethora of decades, is a great example of the empowering and legendary impact females carry within the world of rock and roll. From Joan Jett & the Blackhearts to The Cranberries, from the 20th century to the the 21st century, females have had a huge influence in the world of rock and listed below are only a few examples of extraordinary bands led by a female. Hole Although many people know her as Kurt Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love is much more than that. Love began the band as lead singer with guitarist ..read more

Every year, more and more AAPI artists break the sound barrier with their amazing talent. As someone who is Asian, I love finding new AAPI artists that represent who I am and bring creativity and blend in parts of their culture with Western music. Here are five artists who are channeling a unique sound, and are below one million monthly listeners on Spotify. 1. Hana Vu Hana Vu has been attracting more and more listeners with her new album Romanticism. This album is beautiful and serene. It completely transports you with the raw, smooth vocals, paired with soft beats in the background. It also ..read more

Tumblr 2014 was an iconic time to be a teen, so we are looking back at Tumblr’s impact on music culture a decade later. If you were a teen in 2013-2014 and were active on the site, Tumblr, chances are you’re familiar with the iconic ‘AM’ album cover from the Arctic Monkeys, as the black and white amplitude wave cover took the site by storm. You were probably also obsessed with artists and bands like The 1975, Troye Sivan, Marina & The Diamonds, Halsey, The Neighbourhood, and many others! Teens in this era would make these bands and artists their entire personality and base their aestheti ..read more

What is Gaypop? Many interpretations of this niche genre have recently become viral. In my view, it is about queer storytelling within songs that have been deeply embraced by the queer community. Here, I will delve into artists that I feel have defined the genre! Adam Lambert One of the most underrated artists of this genre, Adam Lambert’s discography is filled with queer storytelling. His music and career have undeniably been intertwined with queer storytelling and representation. Lambert himself is an openly gay artist, and he has been vocal about his experiences and identity, both in his ..read more

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