Katherine Travers, Author at The Oxford Student

Top(shop) of The Pops

3rd March 201126th February 2011Katherine Travers

Robert Lee discusses the relationship between pop music and commercial branding. Do bands ‘sell out’ for good reason?

I just want you back for good

3rd March 201126th February 2011Katherine Travers

Hannah Riley looks at the ethics of the band reunion: is it ever anything more than a pension boost for fledgling has-beens?

Little comets but big stars

3rd March 201126th February 2011Katherine Travers

Maggie Lund tracks down the elusive Little Comets and talks Geordie pride, scenesters and label fallouts.

Electro cut, copied and pasted

3rd March 201126th February 2011Katherine Travers

Katherine Travers reviews Cut Copy’s new album Zonoscope.
(Released on Modular Recordings)

Radiohead’s crowning glory?

24th February 201121st February 2011Katherine Travers

The aim of any piece of art is to create beauty in as true a form as possible. Radiohead have done this with such aplomb in the past that it is difficult to begin listening to any new song or album without a sense of enormous expectancy – you expect it to transform you in […]

To wish upon a Deathstarr

24th February 201121st February 2011Katherine Travers

Katherine Travers talks to Ringo Deathstarr about 80s revivals and why Nirvava were bad for their friends

Soundtrack to lost youth

24th February 201128th September 2011Katherine Travers

Any listener of Sonic Youth mentions how discordant and strange their take on rock was and still is. In the same way that Hendrix changed the power of the electric guitar 20 years beforehand, so Sonic Youth reinvented the guitar with their unique tunings and warped melodies. However, despite their divisiveness Sonic Youth, with breakthrough […]

Play up and play the (indie) game

24th February 201121st February 2011Katherine Travers

Toby Lloyd is sick of seeing his posh schoolmates hog the indie limelight and looks for the real reasons behind their success

Iron and Wine broadens his palette

24th February 201123rd February 2011Katherine Travers

Richard Lynch-Smith talks to Sam Beam about taking his new album on tour to Europe and discovers his vorascious tastes in cinema, soul music and gastronomy.

One man musical ensemble

19th February 201121st February 2011Katherine Travers

Ensemble was created in 1998 as the musical project of Toulouse-born Olivier Alary in which he, in his own words, sought to make “experimental pop, drawing elements from the pop/chanson world as well as from the avant-garde music scene”. Thirteen years later he is world-renowned not only as a pioneer of this sound, but also […]

Record store puts Oxford in a spin

19th February 201115th February 2011Katherine Travers

The internet: it’s apparently killed off a lot of things. Our knack for communication that cannot be squeezed into 140 characters, the concept of privacy, the local record shop…Not only do we get unlimited free (and legal) listens to almost any album via Spotify, but there is the seemingly unlimited bank of iTunes. For those […]

Time to stop rocking in the free world?

19th February 201121st February 2011Katherine Travers

Certainly with the jets flying out over the roofed stadium (viewable to the spectators inside only on TV – how American) it’s incredibly easy (and incredibly fun) to laugh at the patriotism on show at an American Super bowl. And if any American readers are insulted at a priggish British student poking fun at their […]

Trainspotters about to rock: we salute you

17th February 201115th February 2011Katherine Travers

Since emerging out their native Leeds in 2005 and playing their first gig in the wider world (at The Cellar in fact), iLiKETRAiNS have established themselves at the forefront of British post-rock. They describe their sound as ‘dark, intelligent and loud’, citing Nick Cave, PJ Harvey and Radiohead as their all time biggest influences. Last […]

Getting our kicks with The Undertones

10th February 20119th February 2011Katherine Travers

Fiona Evans talks to John Peel’s favourite band about one hit wonders, their journey to stardom and how they feel about the ‘F’ word.

Band of Horses: the wild stallions of rock

3rd February 201131st January 2011Katherine Travers

Katherine Travers talks to Bill Reynolds of Band of Horses about playing Wembley, collaborating with Cee Lo Green and how indie doesn’t exist. The bearded five-some which are Band of Horses have risen to global stardom over the past year. Last year’s Grammy nominated album, Infinite Arms, won them international acclaim and a touring schedule […]

‘Sound of 2011’: all a-swoon for Jamie Woon

28th January 2011Katherine Travers

After coming fourth in the BBC ‘Sound of 2011’ poll, the media buzz surrounding Woon is akin to a swarm of killer bees. As the son of folk singer Mae McKenna – who has performed backing vocals for just about every superstar you can name – it seems he was genetically engineered for pop stardom. […]