TV Obsessive
Welcome to What’s the Buzz, 25YL’s feature where members of our staff provide you with recommendations on a weekly basis. In our internet age, there is so much out there to think about watching, reading, listening to, etc., that it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, filter out the noise, or find those diamonds in the rough. But have no fear! We’re here to help you do that thing I just described with three different metaphors. Each week a rotating cast of writers will offer their recommendations based on things they have discovered. They won’t always be new to the world, but they’ll be new to us, or we hope new to you. This week, Rachel Stewart is listening to Valentine Wolfe, Abbie Sears is playing Borderlands 3: “Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck,“Nick Luciano is excited by the new Dune trailer, and Hawk Ripjaw made a return to the theater for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.
Valentine Wolfe is a Musical Love Letter to Gothic Poets
Rachel: Summer’s done and spooky season is truly upon us. If you need a soundtrack for your upcoming self-distanced haunt, Valentine Wolfe doesn’t disappoint. The musical duo played a virtual set via Dragon Con’s streaming TV feed, which is how I discovered them. (Truly, the real upside of virtual Dragon Con was being able to catch multiple bands without running from hotel to hotel or standing in endless lines.)
Self described as “Victorian Chamber Metal,” the band draws on a variety of classic gothic literature for inspiration, including the likes of Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe. During their set, they mentioned an upcoming release based on the works of Emily Dickinson, which I’m really looking forward to hearing since Dickinson was such an important poet to me as a teenager and played a huge role in my wanting to become a writer.
Sarah Black’s haunting soprano vocals provide the perfect balance for Braxton Ballew’s heavy electrical upright bass. If you’re a fan of female-fronted rock along the lines of Within Temptation or Evanescence’s more recent symphonic turn, definitely give them a listen. They have some wicked looking merch to keep you looking elegant and comfy as we ride out the pandemic.
