To shine a light on the wealth of talent that blesses our campus, we reached out to the musicians themselves. Here are just a few of the groups and artists who responded. Consider this a cheat sheet — far from complete — your guide to some of Stanford’s most compelling musical talents.
CONNIE.K
R&B/Hip-Hop
Conrad Kisunzu ’16
To all the kids out there looking for their blend of Gambino, Chance and a little bit of Ye, look no further than CONNIE.K. With unpredictable flows, soothing R&B vocals, bouncy electro-beats and tongue-twisting lyrics, Conrad Kisunzu ‘16 is doing something special. The Everyday People product flexes all sorts of artistry on his debut release, “Daylight Savings.” Do yourself a favor and check it out on Soundcloud.
https://soundcloud.com/connieok/sets/daylight_savings
Siberian Front
Alt. Rock
Thomas Reidy ‘17, Gio Jacuzzi ‘16, Damian McGlothlin ‘15, Walter Torres ‘15, Shamik Mascharak ‘15
Next gig: Wine and Cheese Oct. 25, and an off-campus debut at The Night Light in Oakland on Nov. 5.
Since its debut at Sigma Chi in winter 2014, Siberian Front has been a force to reckon with. Its on-campus following has grown considerably, and after winning a fan-vote at the Sprung Music Festival battle of the bands early last spring, it was selected to open for AlunaGeorge, Kaytranada and Flume at Frost 2015. Check out its rocking single “Seattle” on Soundcloud to see what it’s all about, and look for a new song, “Are You Ready,” to drop within the quarter.
Arswain
Electronic
Freddy Avis ’16, Charlie Avis
Next gig: Cafe Night at French House, Oct. 23.
Combining electronic dance beats, distorted guitar coloration and moody, ethereal vocals, brothers Freddy and Charlie Avis have created a unique and beautiful sound as Arswain. Freddy, who originally came to Stanford as a member of the varsity baseball team, is a Music, Science and Technology major at CCRMA, and his expertise behind the soundboard is as obvious as his creative talent. Check out Arswain’s projects on Soundcloud, where they have promised to release new tracks by the end of the year, and look for them at more on-campus shows this year.
https://soundcloud.com/arswain/sets/a2-1
T∆PE GHØST
Electronic, dance and otherwise
David Grunzweig B.S. ’14, M.A. ’16
Next gig: Cafe Night and LAST Festival on Oct. 17
A former member of the Stanford-based ACID JAZZ CABIN, David Grunzweig has moved on to solo electronic work under the hard-to-type moniker T∆PE GHØST. With a background in jazz guitar and comfort with improvisation, Grunzweig knows the importance of spontaneity in live performance. Rather than just hitting play on his otherworldly compositions, he often embellishes his work with live drum machine and synth work on stage. Another CCRMA student, he’s a frequent collaborator with Freddy Avis of Arswain. He also composed the soundtrack for “The Claw,” a student film from Cardinal Studios released last spring. Find his work on Soundcloud, and on his website, tapeghost.com.
Mariachi Cardenal de Stanford
Mexican Folk
Julio Buendia ’16, Aurora Martinez Kane ’17, Karen Oropeza ’17, Javier Reyna ’17, Eduardo Torres ’17, Katie Petway ’18, Cenobio Hernandez ’18, Francisco Lopez ’18
Next gig: Stern Dia de Los Muertos
Founded by Casa Zapata residents 20 years ago, Mariachi Cardenal has grown into a campus mainstay, offering annual Valentine’s Day serenades, playing at Chicano community events and even flying out to Japan to spread their authentic brand of Mexican folk music across the globe. Find them on YouTube and on Facebook, and if you catch the Mariachi bug, you can find them in the Zapata lounge on Monday nights from 6-8 p.m. offering free lessons — no experience necessary.
Code Name Karel
Pop Punk
Ian Gomez ’17, Thomas Blackwood ’17
Next gig: Wine and Cheese at Kairos, Week 9
They’ve got a pop-punk sound (think early Green Day, They Might Be Giants), a high-energy vibe and everyone’s favorite beeper-picking robot. What more could you want? Code Name Karel is a new band on the Stanford scene, so expect more from them soon. They’ve got a demo out on Soundcloud and an EP is on the way.
The Outsiders
Hip hop, soul
C4 (Chance Carpenter IV) ’15, Doza (Mike Mendoza M.S. ’16, EAGLEBABEL (Tyler Brooks) ‘16, Eli Arbor (Elliot Williams) ’15, faruhdey (Chris Russ) ’15, Jae (Janei Maynard) ’16, JICE (Joseph Thornton) ’17, Meetus (Daryle Allums) ’17
Next gig: October 30 – Barn Party
The Outsiders are all hustle. Since forming around the beginning of last spring quarter and dropping their self-titled debut EP a month later, the collective has been putting in work. This summer, EAGLEBABEL dropped his debut solo tape, “Odes,” and Jae blessed us with her cure for back-to-school blues, “Eternal Summer.” You can catch them performing all over campus or just hanging at the Harmony House, and they recently opened for Bay Area hip-hop legend Andre Nickatina in San Jose. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter at @outsidersox, and check their Soundcloud for more music.
ATMO
Electronic – EDM
Luigi Sambuy ‘18
Next gig: Full Moon on the Quad 2015
ATMO — a.k.a. sophomore Luigi Sambuy — is working his way through the Stanford DJ scene one party at a time, but some of his gigs stand out more than others. His favorite event? The record-breaking Frosh Formal 2K14, attended by 1,100 freshmen, which he described as an “exciting and surreal experience.” Look for ATMO’s work on SoundCloud and iTunes, and find him at his next big event: Full Moon on the Quad.
If you are a student musician and would like to be featured in the Daily, please email us at music ‘at’ stanforddaily.com.
Contact Benjamin Sorensen at bcsoren ‘at’ stanford.edu.