Alli's Articles
INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE PIECES, MUSICAL RAMBLINGS.
How lucky I am to go to a school where the magic doesn’t end when you step foot off on campus. I’ve only been to a select few college towns, but I can confidently say that the town of New Paltz is one like no other. Locals and students have a strong community bond between them that is tightly-knit and warm. It’s a privilege that going into town is never a hassle, and will always be something I look forward to, just for the energy and excitement of walking into something new every time. It’s no question that the town has its own vibe, making it distinguishable from the rest of the Hudson Valley. We have an amazing local music scene that, as I have proven time and time again, I can talk for eons about. I even have certain non-local bands and songs that I will forever associate with my college experience, whether they were covered at a house show, introduced to me at a New Paltz Music Collective meeting, or just heard around campus. I wondered if my friends and other students experienced this, so I put out an Instagram poll asking, “Do you have certain bands/artists that will always remind you of the town of New Paltz?” I put the songs, and songs by the artists suggested, in a Spotify playlist so I could get to work. What similar sounds and genres define New Paltz according to its student body? First off, very chill and upbeat type songs run the mix. The closest thing to a sad song I had to put on the playlist was probably “Circles” by Mac Miller or anything Midwest emo. Of these chill and upbeat songs, a lot of them were of the dream-pop realm, with ethereal and spacey undertones. Beach House, Khruangbin, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Alvvays are just four examples of bands people sent. Of course, hippie essentials such as Hendrix and the Dead were expected and received. I also was happy to see lots of guitar-heavy sunny indie artists like Dominic Fike, Greer, Beach Bunny, and Soccer Mommy. Besides all of the expectations, it was nice to see my peers send in songs or bands that held certain memories to them, or didn’t mean anything until they came to New Paltz. I tried to give each of those suggestions meanings to myself, as well. As I listened to the playlist for the first time after making it, I came to the realization that at New Paltz I truly feel like I am living these songs. New or classic, all of the songs just have the most dreamy and down-to-earth vibes that fit the people and the setting. Listening to the mix just makes me think of those people, how every time I walk on campus or in town I see someone I know and smile at. I think of community events, parties, shows, and the feeling of finding a home that comes with each one. Many students at New Paltz come from middle of nowhere towns, hillbilly centrals, and areas that simply don’t have the crowd that New Paltz caters to. When we’re all together there, we all have the freedom to be our artsy selves. Listening to indie staple artists like Alex G, the 1975, Mac Demarco, and Father John Misty on the mix reminds me of this. Some people included smaller indie and alternative artists that I haven’t heard of beforehand, which reminded me of our wonderful local scene here. Many of the artists had the same sound and genres as many of the local bands that call the Paltz home. There are few college towns in the world that I think are able to be defined by music as easily as naturally as mine. Even so, there are still some things about the magic of New Paltz that you can’t put into words, let alone music. I’ve been writing about this town for over a year, and I still find it hard at times to fully express how I feel about it. I feel like I truly brought a piece of the community together with this mix, and I feel a strong sense of pride and like I’m surrounded by the family I made here when I listen to it. I hope this collection of songs, accompanied by the cover of the sun setting over the Groovy Blueberry makes any student who listens to it feel the same way. Listen to the playlist! Have more song ideas? Suggest them in the comments!
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