Transcendentalist philosophy examines life through the lens of nature; observing the natural world in an attempt to understand our own. To understand ourselves, we have to lose who we are and find the...

Ambition is the fuel for creation. Creation itself cannot be self-sustained, but must be catered to and given ample foundational support from conception, catering to the well-being and preservation....

It’s human nature to take whatever came easy for granted. Upon reflection, being able to write about the music scene which is a foundational part of my approach to most of my creative ambitions is...

“Alethia;” goddess of truth. At least according to a quick Google search. We are known as the information age for a reason. Attached at the hand and hip to devices capable of delivering billions...

For every reason someone has to remain in a relationship, there are a thousand reasons they will tell themselves to forgo it. The skin in the game is necessary, not just to learn whether our partner is...

Alan Moore encapsulated our ongoing war with time and how to best use it in his groundbreaking graphic novel, “Watchmen,” stating, “There is no future. There is no past, Do you see? Time is simultaneous,...

Change is difficult, no matter the starting place. The human brain prefers routine and consistency, hell, it’s the basis to remain grounded in reality. One thing I’ve learned in my 25 years of living...

Good art transcends mediums, but not all artists can transcend good art. Take the cover; a well-established musical staple in which one artist writes and performs a song and another artist will “cover”...

I cover “Too Close To Touch” out of pure love. I fell in love with their music and with (now passed) vocalist Keaton Pierce’s artistic philosophy to inhibit the emotional spectrum. I have yet to...

It’s really hard to define what particularly popularized the notion that screaming paired with melodic singing would become the scene defining trend and industry staple it stands as today. While I see...

I have fond memories of being on campus from my first semester, but I never thought I’d be writing about one of those instances for my column. I don’t find it difficult, or odd in any form, but I just...

Transcendentalist philosopher Henry Thoreau sought to find the ideal sense of self. In doing so, Thoreau lost himself in nature. From society to self-sufficiency to the natural world, Thoreau sought to...

The awful truth remains; we are all still in high school.  For the contemporary young adult today, the experience that is the stereotypical American High School either leaves a bad taste in the mouth...

Editor's note: This article has been changed to correct some information. The editor has changed the number of people in the group and the singer on a particular chorus. The obscurity of the internal...

Success is subjective. Truly! It takes time to understand what we want out of life and how we are able to attain it. Some strive to attain a luxurious car, money, influence. Others strive to have the ability...

Imagine being a god. With the long omnipresent reliance of humans making sacrifices in your name. All while spiritually shouldering the burdens, your heroic elements being immortalized in the oral retellings...

My heart remains under the charm of Chicago’s late ‘90s, early 2000s pop punk scene as well as today’s emerging scene. There is something magical about hearing a band from the city or down the road...

It may not get you too far, but if you’re committed, confidence could be what gets you to where you need to go. Whether you are looking to get the gig, ace your latest exam, get a better position or...

Progress comes at the cost of missteps that had larger ramifications than were realized at the time. Metalcore band Attack Attack’s debut effort is a tenement to that very notion. The same way Sigmund...

All Time Low is one of the most notable pop punk bands to come from the urban Baltimore area. They’ve gained notable notoriety within a scene that was generally on the verge of becoming more popular...

Returning to a passion once left can be difficult. The initial sacrifices, the hardships endured, where surprises and expectations broadly cast shadows over one another. Working to meet success pallidly...

Youth does not always glitter with gold. For every memory vividly imprinted in “golden hour’s” classic vibrancy, there are so many tumultuous times that are worth so much more. While the truth of...

Six ambitious teens set out to make their own come true with all their musical influences tied in a four-track EP in the early days of the metalcore era of the early 2010s. “Dreams” is the debut...

Music is manipulative. It’s an idea I am constantly reminded of when I am plugging my headphones in to drown out the world. Whether I decide to play something upbeat, aggressive, sullen or outright depressing,...

It’s extremely difficult to fully enthrall yourself in something that you feel purely passionate about these days. It’s even harder to become creatively autonomous. The steps one takes in order to...

Watching an artist rise to fame and gain the notoriety they deserve is rewarding. It’s the humanity of the story. Tthe struggle for nuance and the desire to distinguish oneself from their fellow artists...

To kick off the summer metalcore review series, Veil of Maya’s seventh release is an effort that kicks ass! While I had originally wanted to review this album immediately after its release in mid-May,...

Imagine driving down the coast on a long-winding road with the vehicle packed with all your friends. The car is blaring music and everyone is in the back, jamming, talking and laughing as hard as possible...

Modern “Geek-culture” has shed the large-framed glasses and social awkwardness stereotypes it was tagged with by ‘80s and ‘90s cinema. Today, if you’re a geek, you have an abundance of gaming...

Chicago’s landmark venue Thalia Hall opened its doors and doused its stage with blue light for Seattle native, indie rock band, Pedro the Lion May 28. The band played two of their albums in their entirety,...

The creative process can be a challenging obstacle to tackle. For Cory Byrd, a storyteller, comic book creator and educator based in Hanover Park, Ill., it’s just another spoke in the wheel of his everyday...

On the verge of the Midwestern concert season, the preemptive time when summer tours still have yet to begin, and smaller venues and clubs are emphasized a time before the stadiums open up before summer....

Life can be a really funny thing if you’re David Sedaris.  For the author, humorist and comedian, what we believe in and what we oppose often turns out to be the same things- a cruel joke we play on...

What does a formal introduction look like? There is a smile involved, usually a hint of personality and some personal flavor to add a true essence of who the person might be. Add melody, lullaby-esque...

As the spring semester comes to a close, one of the most communal events of the semester managed to garner the attention of not just the students but from individuals across the country. Spanning over...

“Don’t Come Home” is an explosive debut for an eager four piece Chicago pop punk natives, Knuckle Puck. In a five-track exploration of discovering and understanding home as either a place or a concept,...

Seeking solitude in life is a really tricky thing. Author and poet, Charles Bukowski reflects on many instances of sought solitude in his short prose, “Oh Yes,” in which he despondently writes an internal...

Metalcore is commonly misconstrued. We tend to associate metal with large scary men with guitars with two necks, leather jackets, long hair and a fanbase as brutal as the music. While this may be the truth...

Our environment affects the way our brain processes information. In a healthy environment, we thrive. However, in an unhealthy environment, we forget who we are. At times, whether it is an abusive friend...

There is knowledge in failure, but there is a story in doing it. Failure is imminent, but if you do it right, you could have so much fun doing it and maybe, just maybe, you could have been one of the lucky...

(To the women in my life…) The misconception is women are as strong as the things they can overcome. Growing up, my grandmother, mother, sisters, aunts and, sometimes, cousins invested so much of...

Whether you are on the cusp of 18, or just reaching your 30th birthday, you have questions: Who are we? Where are we going? What is our purpose here? Some consult religion to answer some questions. Others...

Artificial intelligence apps are now widely accessible to people. Whether it’s essays about literature or pages of coding, AI output is complex and is used in many professional fields. Haroon Atcha,...

We create and materialize our art, put it out into the world and watch the reactions; witnessing the ripples of our single-drop contribution into the ever-long pond of our environments. To have the ripples...

Dreams are difficult to write about. In a way, dreams are something we (as students) are working towards. Often, when we close our eyes and picture our dreams, they’re what light us up, capable of bestowing...

While originally discussing the desire to cover more than just the emerging alternative scene, fellow staff writer Devin Oommen and I spoke about how to perfectly cover hip-hop and rap that is more narrative...

When choosing this week’s album for review, I thought hard about what albums really are inhibitive of the listener, albums that really just slow down your breathing, widen your eyes with excitement and...

Nostalgia seems to be the driving factor behind the reminiscence for most individuals and their musical tastes.  I personally attest to mine being an immersion of nostalgia, but for The Courier’s own...

As famous comic and screenwriter, Brian K. Vaughn stated in his work “Saga,” “you are unlike anyone who has ever existed, and that makes you exactly like everyone who has existed.” In a genre-collaborative...

Upon taking recommendations from individuals on campus, my adviser threw one of the most interesting pieces of music my way, as a joke, but nonetheless still insistent I expand my musical horizons. I try...

As an artist and realist, I truly believe love is the only form of true, ancient magic that remains on the planet. Love is free of divinity and capable of performing some of the most astounding changes...

If there was any way to describe Pat Tomasulo’s comedy, we’d have to take a look within ourselves and think about all the judgmental things we have been taught not to say – not the filtered, nice...

Upon signing up to College of DuPage, I made it a mission to sign up with an accommodation advisor to prioritize my academic success and ultimately keep my ADHD under control. First meeting Daniel Rische,...

In a culture obsessed with capturing the essence of nostalgia, particularly the transition from teenager to adult, Kansas natives, The Get Up Kids, wrote an emotionally omnipresent album encompassing the...

On Oct. 12, 2018, Australian, post-hardcore quintet, Hands Like Houses released their Fourth album, “Anon.” The album was a long awaited, long stalled and poorly executed effort of inclusion and experimentation....

In the heyday of their youth, California punk pioneers, A Fire Inside (AFI) released a small, four-song EP that would reign supreme amongst the Horror-Punk genre and forever establish the standard for...

If you could write a love letter to your hometown, what would you say? What would you highlight? What experiences would you honor in your life that made you happy and solidified the person you are meant...

Last Friday, I stood outside a tavern-like venue, The W.C. Social Club.  Punk bands Moon Rules Apply, GOLD STEPS, Johnnie Guillbert and SayWeCanFly tuned guitars, warmed up voices, and prepped the angst...

On May 27, 2022, LA natives and Pop-punk quintet, In Her Own Words, released their third full-length album “Distance or Decay,” more than a sequel from their previous release “Steady Glow” and...

In a nostalgic, eclectic explosion of anger, melodies and Australian angst, The Chats, punk trio from down under, give a stellar 13-track sophomore effort.  “Get Fucked” is immersive, more than just...

This week we bring into the spotlight, Beach Bunny’s Prom Queen EP. We’ve all been at the bottom of life, reaching out and looking for some solace or release from our peers after a failed attempt...