Melanie Love

I’m pretty proud of my concert repertoire; in my six or so years as a music reviewer, I’ve seen Red Hot Chili Peppers and U2, stalked James Blunt (he was cool at the time, okay?!), and endured a horde of rednecks to see Seal  at a county fair. But somehow, even the most major of those acts doesn’t quite compare to my night seeing Matt & Kim at Ram’s Head Live on Saturday, October 23rd. It’s funny, I’ve never heard a Matt & Kim song before that night, save for their big hit “Daylight,” which graced many a commercial last…

Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse took his own life on March 6, 2010. He was forty-seven. The loss of a musician is a strangely potent thing. We connect with our favorite bands and singers in a way that’s sometimes impossible to do with other people: they let us immediately and entirely into their souls, into the hidden parts of themselves that we’re only lucky to share or even glimpse in our friends and loves. I’ve had friends for nearly a decade who have never said anything so intimate or striking to me as “Please don’t take my sunshine away” or “Someday…

[Editor's note: Cover images of albums previously reviewed on the DV have been linked to the review.]I’m gearing up to head back to school, which means yet another five hour flight across the country. I’m not terrified of flying, but it can be pretty miserable, especially if you don’t have some good tunes to make the journey a little more enjoyable.  Whether you’re flying back home, to work, or to a sunny tropical island (and if so, please take me!), this playlist makes for a good distraction for when you get bored of cloud-watching, crying babies, and free peanuts. So…

[Editor's note: Cover images of albums previously reviewed on the DV have been linked to the review.]First love: it’s one of those things, like death and taxes, that none of us are immune to. It’s messy and fleeting, but it’s enduring, too, carving out a slice of your heart in such a way that you can never be made whole again, not quite. Or, as author Joyce Carol Oates wrote in her 2002 novel I’ll Take You There, “Your first love you’ll never outlive. After that first love you will never love another in that way.” It’s more bittersweet than…

[Editor's note: Cover images of albums previously reviewed on the DV have been linked to the review.] "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" Led Zeppelin Sweet and a little sad with a weaving skiffle beat, this is no Immigrant Song or Kashmir’s churning beats and relentless drumming; instead, there’s a lovely innocence in this ode to Plant’s blue-eyed Merle dog , while Page’s melodic guitar lines weaving through hand-clap accented verses add a catchy lightness not immediately associated with Zeppelin. "Something In The Way" – Nirvana Propelled to the masses by the heart-pounding, dynamism of singles “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Lithium,” 1991’s Nevermind…

Having lived in Southern California my entire life, I should probably be a little more beach-friendly. Still, even though I burn to a crisp pretty much instantly, there’s still a romanticism to the ocean I can’t help but adore: the churn of the waves, the scent of saltwater that clings to your skin, that wonderful sense of sun-soaked laziness. From rollicking, upbeat songs to wispier, more downbeat cuts, this mix is meant to recall those bright, blissful summer days, whether it’s through sun-soaked harmonies, crashing, surf-like instrumentation, or just by virtue of sea-themed titles. So, dive in! (Just don’t forget…