The Land of Lincoln. It is a place known for many facets. Maybe one comes to Illinois for the expansive swaths of cornfield that populate a majority of its area. Maybe it’s for the suburbs where many placid suburbanites spend their days growing older and taller. Maybe it’s for that glorious forest of metal that is Chicago. However, I am revisiting my own home state for one reason alone: a look into the illustrious album of Sufjan Stevens, Illinois. What implores a man from Michigan to look just one state over to inspire him into composing a conceptual genre bending collection of songs?

Funny enough, that story seems to start with Michigan. Not the state that Stevens is originally from, but the album he composed in reverence to it. That previous album and eventually the one this piece is analyzing were meant to be part of what was described as “the 50-state project”. This ambitious, yet unfortunately never fully realized, project was envisioned as a studio length album to correspond with each state in the United States. However, Stevens eventually admitted that this concept was imagined more as a joke and less of an artistic vision. While songs related to Arkansas, New Jersey, and New York were eventually released in some sort of manner or another, Illinois seemed to be the last in this series, albeit far from the last album he released. 

West Virginia Men's Basketball (13-6, 4-4) are set to host the No. 6 ranked Houston Cougars (16-3, 8-0) on Wednesday night in Morgantown.

In their last game the Mountaineers fell at the hands of the Kansas State Wildcats in a double-digit loss in Manhattan. This marked the Mountaineers’ second straight loss to an unranked opponent since their marquee win against the former No. 2 ranked Iowa State Cyclones on Jerry West Night.

The now ranked No. 23 West Virginia Mountaineers (13-4) will host the Arizona State Sun Devils (10-7) on Tuesday.

WARNING: This review contains references to topics that some readers might find uncomfortable or disturbing, such as religion, masturbation, pedophilia, and more. Discretion is advised. 

Any classic rock lover will turn their head when they hear one of Bad Company’s greatest hits come on shuffle (or, more fittingly, the radio). That’s why, like any of the great rock bands of the ‘70s, Bad Company gave us 10 from 6 in 1985—a compilation of ten songs from the six albums the original band’s lineup produced from ’74 to ’82. 

A supergroup formed in London, 1973, Bad Company was no stranger to the ever-changing vibe shift of 70s rock, and 10 from 6 showcases this evolution. The band members—all well-seasoned musicians from their own past bands—combine their talents in a masterclass of classic rock. The rhythm section provides a tight, head-bangable groove throughout the course of the album, thanks to Simon Kirke on drums and Boz Burrell on bass. Lead singer Paul Rodgers’ rich, emotive voice carries both alluring ballads and sing-along anthems, and Mick Ralphs’ guitar switches from growling, pulsating solos to edgy, rhythm-driving riffs.

Although 2024’s been over for like a half century at this point, one of its shortest and punchiest releases still has me by the throat, forcing me to spin kick all alone in my apartment. I am of course referring to Columbus, Ohio post-hardcore band starling’s debut EP Global Arbor. Following two unrelated singles earlier in 2024, this four song EP clocks in at just over 11 minutes but packs the short time full of creative guitar riffs, hardcore fury, and masterfully dynamic drumming. The opening track “permanence” shows off the band’s more melodic side without sacrificing the moshability of its bouncy chorus riff. Meanwhile, “the forest” introduces heavier riffs and a more menacing sound. While mostly heavy and energetic, starling show restraint in their songwriting, saving their heaviest drum fills and riffs for key moments in the album, like the blast beat bits in the second half of the final track “gettinguptogetadrinkofwater”. The only low point in the album would be the slower, quieter first half of “colors only birds can see”, although this break from the noise likely helps the EP as a whole and soon caves into the chaos of the rest of the album anyway. Overall, Global Arbor is a carefully crafted EP of all killer, no filler, and some truly absurd drums.

You can hear albums like Global Arbor on Gorilla Radio, every Monday from 6-7 PM EST on U92 The Moose.

Morgantown W.Va- The no. 20 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers will host Big 12 conference opponent Iowa State at the Coliseum on Saturday Jan. 19, 2025. 

Last Wednesday, the Mountaineers shared the court with the Colorado Buffaloes for the second time ever in school history. The record between the two squads is now 1-1 thanks to a dominant 73-46 victory, which brings their record to 4-2 in conference and 14-3 on the season. 

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - The West Virginia Mountaineers (12-4) will have to conquer the second-ranked team in the land, the Iowa State Cyclones (15-1), in a sold-out Saturday game at the WVU Coliseum.

This game is marked as Jerry West Day, and the team will be wearing throwback uniforms, remembering the legacy of the late Jerry West. The first 300 Mountaineer Maniacs will receive a number 44 Jerry West retro WVU T-shirt jersey, as an incentive to line up early before tip-off.

On Monday, January 6th, West Virginia entered the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since 2022 ranked 21st in the country after 2 back to back Big 12 wins to start conference play.

West Virginia went to Phog Allen Fieldhouse to take on the 7th ranked Kansas Jayhawks on Tuesday, December 31st looking for its first ever win in Lawrence Kansas, entering the game 0-11 all time.

The 18-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (11-2) look to continue its perfect home record in a Saturday night matchup against the BYU Cougars (9-4).