About Us
In the lives of most college students the word “January” is usually synonymous with mind numbing boredom. January means we either work or we embrace our laziness and splay out on the couch to watch hours of Boy Meets World at a time. Depending on motivation levels some of us might even be going for a run or dieting in the dwindling haze of a poorly thought out New Year’s resolution.
Don't let this be you.
Screenshot by Emily Akin/Gavel Media
It is in this spirit of the New Year we here at Gavel Media are going to help you kill two birds with one stone. Nip boredom in the bud and embark on an entirely different kind of makeover with “Pigeons and Planes”, our new favorite music blog.
How is this a makeover you ask? Well, this is the year when you are going to be the musically inclined friend sharing videos and singles the day they are released with a group of awestruck peers huddled around your computer. Think of the possibilities. New year, new musically-hip-you.
“Pigeons and Planes” is a music blog that is updates daily to keep you on top of all the developments in the industry. The ENTIRE industry. The writers of the blog describe it as ”…a place where you can keep up with good new music, whether it be mainstream hip-hop, indie rock, or anything in between.”
They particularly specialize in this enigmatic “in-between”. The blog definitely tends towards what would be deemed “hipster” music, although not to the extreme that other sites take it. They dabble in the mainstream occasionally, but don’t expect to read any rave reviews of Katy Perry on the site. Their mission of educating people in non-mainstream music results in a site that is full of interviews with artists, insightful articles on the trends in the industry, and FREE, that’s right FREE, playlists for you to download.
Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons
But what’s with the weird name? Why pigeons? Well according to the site's creator, “I like alliteration and I like pigeons.” But there’s deeper meaning behind the title, which all of you English majors have probably analyzed to death already. (It’s okay, I’m allowed to say that. I’m one of you.)
The Pigeons symbolize the “starving artists” who have real talent and lyricism who are often overlooked. The planes are the high-profile artists who dominate the radio. The blog celebrates both, recognizing that good music can come from anywhere. The writers fight the stereotype both ways, with the radio pop junkies who wouldn’t listen to a Grimes song if you paid them, and the underground die-hards who turn up their noses at Bruno Mars. Overall “Pigeons and Planes” sends the message that good music doesn’t require a big name to qualify it as such. It just has to be good music.
“Pigeons and Planes” is just one example of a blog which has helped open up new and different music to a large online audience. It works to continue the trend of the increasing public accessibility to the local artist and “underground” music scene through different social media sites and blogs. Now that we’ve told you about it you have no excuse for being musically-challenged in 2013. Get to work.
Screenshot by Emily Akin/Gavel Media
School, major and year: A&S, English, 2015
Hometown Charlton, MA
Favorite Beyonce lyric: "I probably won't make no money off this, oh well."
