For the October edition of Monthly Music I have some really powerful music that I am so excited to share. To begin, Grouplove, one of my favorite alternative rock bands, released a new single this month! Grouplove is most recognized for their song “Tongue Tied” which was released in 2011, and became really popular among teenagers because it fully encapsulates the teenage experience, along with an upbeat guitar melody and lyrics that discuss what it means to be young and coming of age. Grouplove was formed in 2009 and consists of five members: Hannah Hooper, Christian Zucconi, Sean Gadd, Andrew Wessen and Ryan Rabin. Their most recent single, released at the end of September, is titled “Broken Angel,” which is a tribute to the late rapper Mac Miller. Miller and the Grouplove band were friends, and when Miller died of an overdose in September of 2018, Grouplove decided to make this song as a tribute to him. However, this was not an ordinary tribute; all of the money that was made off the song is being donated to the Pittsburgh Foundation’s Mac Miller Fund. The Mac Miller Fund was created to provide resources for young artists in underprivileged areas on the East Coast to explore new opportunities and reach their full potential in the music industry. Some of their programs include apprenticeship with established singers and producers, singing and beat-making classes, and more. The fund was essentially created to continue Mac Miller’s legacy of helping young musicians by shining light on their talent, so that it would be easier for them to make it in the music industry. “Broken Angel” has one very notable line: “Don’t give up, on your unbreakable heart, I’m always here, for you, don’t give up, on your unbreakable heart, I know, we’ll see, this through.” This line is very important because Grouplove is talking about how you should never give up on your mental health, and how someone will always be there for you, relating back to Mac Miller’s severe mental health issues that he needed to seek help for. “Broken Angel” is powerful because of its underlying messages that inspire those struggling to seek help, and remind listeners that they will always have someone supporting them.

For my ON THE LOOKOUT of October, up and coming rapper Reason released an album titled “New Beginnings” on Oct. 9. Reason is a California native who made his music industry debut in 2017 with the album “There You Have It.” What sets Reason apart from many rappers in the music industry is that he believes strongly in using unique beats and verses. He doesn’t like to follow trends, which is probably why he was featured on the legendary “Black Panther” soundtrack. This soundtrack is mainly produced by artists SZA and Kendrick Lamar and it gave many opportunities to underground rappers by giving them features on songs that fit style. My favorite track from “New Beginnings” is definitely “Slow Down” which has one of the best beats I’ve ever heard. I highly recommend that everyone give a listen to “Slow Down,” as it is such a chill rap song that will put you in the best mood.