Candy Hearts Magic Man • GGOOLLDD Northlane • Myles Coyne Comic Books
Staff
Alexis Poquette Founder
Thank you— Big thanks to all the bands who took the time out of their day to set up interviews and snap some photos. Magic Man and Graham Brown, Northlane and Mitch McEwen, Zach Shaw, GGOOLLDD, Myles Coyne, Candy Hearts and Stephanie Marlow, Comic Books and Jack Forman, So much awesome talent! * Candy Hearts photos provided by the band and Bridge 9 Records Exposed | 2
• Amanda Mabrey Beauty Editor • Anthony D'Agostino Contributing Writer • Wiiliam Akers Contributing Writer • Ashley Erdman Contributor
What’s Inside 4 • Spring Styles 4 • How to talk to your stylist 6 • Magic Man 12 • Comic Books 16 • Candy Hearts 20 • Myles Coyne 24 • Northlane 28 • GGOOLLDD 33 • Reviews
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Spring Style
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Picks by Ashley Erdman
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1, High-waisted floral shorts, Forever 21, $10 2. Cropped denim shirt, Zara, $50 3. Lazy oaf velvet bra, Nastygal $52 4. Hallet, H&M, $8
5. Graphic tank top, 81twentythree, $30 6. Knit skater skirt, Pacsun, $27 7. Essie nail polish, Target, $8 8. Perforated combat boots, Forever 21, $28
How to talk to your stylist Words by Amanda Mabrey If you don’t have any idea of what you want, pictures do help. Pinterest is my savior when it comes to clients who are stuck on a few ideas. -Compromise is an option. Like lighter color but don't want the up keep of highlights? Ombre is the best fitting option for you! -Map out clearly what your concerns are. If you want a pixie cut but don't like your ears. (It sounds odd, but it happens all the time!) -Know the history of your hair! We are not mind readers and we don't know if you boxed colored your hair six years ago. Exposed | 4
Although we can feel it, we don't know for sure! Don't lie! If we can we will use the healthier formula we can so we don't trash your hair! Usually that would involve lightening with color instead of lightener.
"The Golden Trio" 1) Look at the length and width of your face. 2) Is your hairline narrow or wide and rounded or square? 3) Is your jawline round or square or pointed?
» Check out the next page to find your face shape «
Round A round face not longer than it is wide, equal in length and width. Jawline and hairline are both round, and there are no sharp corners. Just because you have a round face, it doesn’t mean that you can’t pull off a hair style! Take Ginnifer Goodwin for example. The right length and shape on her round face doesn’t make it seem round! Keep some length in front of the ear and/or have a long fringe! Not only are those pieces playful but it keeps a pixie cut more feminine. If you’re not ready for “The Chop” then keep with a textured bob
Heart Usually a widows peak is an indicator that you have a heart shaped face! Your cheeks are usually wider than the hair line and your chin is pointed. To keep your face looking proportionate heavy bangs and/or a jawline bob won’t suit you well! Instead, do a deep part with loose beachy layers.
What's your face shape? Pear
Oblong The length of your face is usually two times longer than the width. Rounded hair line and jawline make you a perfect candidate for layers and soft fringe! Stay away from tight curls, since they make everything look rounder.
The widest part of jaw is slightly wider than the widest points of the hairline. Pear face shapes can be hard to style but with the right tricks you can do a lot with it! Top knots and big curls are your thing, so rock those! Volume in your hair is recommended to create length. Bobs create harmony within your style.
Rectangle Oval Everything is equal in length and in width with soft corners. You are and empty canvas and have the right face shape for almost everything! The only thing I suggest for my oval faced clients is rock that center part! You and almost only you can do it! Have fun with texture and waves!
I know, it sounds so harsh, but the dimensions are true to that of a rectangle. The length of your face is greater than the width. You do have sharp corners around the hairline and jawline. The corners of your hairline and jawline are equal, creating the “box”. If you have this face, you’re lucky! You and Olivia Wilde have that in common. She is dead on when it comes to her hair! Side swept bangs, soft texture and a A-line bob.
Diamond A diamond has a narrow hairline and a pointed jaw. Along the jaw line there are some corners. To soften your face shape, stick with layers! The more texture in your hair the better! Style it with waves, curls, or even pin straight. To hold your style in place all day use a spray wax with a light hairspray.
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Magic Man With the release of their EP in 2013, You Are Here, receiving high feedback Magic Man’s indie pop style is catchy and fun and showed that they are ones to watch in 2014. The band will be releasing their debut album this year as well as opening up for Panic! At The Disco this summer alongside Walk The Moon. The band is only starting off their career and already the fan base behind them has been great. “We feel very blessed...we feel lucky everyday that we can make music as our full time job,” Singer Alex notes of the support so far. All the members had been playing music in various bands since they were kids, so it was always a dream to pursue music. Even the support from social media platforms like Twitter, has been incredible so far to the band. At first the band was skeptical of hopping on the Twitter train, but after the label pushed them, they caved in. The band jokes about getting started on Twitter and how many supportive messages they receive from fans regarding their music or just coming out to a show. The band has toured with acts like MS MR, Walk The Moon, and just wrapped up their latest tour with New Politics. All whose stage presence is energetic and engaging for fans. New Politics would breakdance during their set, while Walk The Moon’s energy overall just got the fans hyped up. Magic Man notes how lucky they have been so far, touring with bands that not only have been nice people, but also really fun to watch every night. It helped them learn and made them want to push their performance to the next level. Touring with bands that had such great showmanship also meant that many dates would sell out. The band’s first tour with MS MR sold out over half their dates, while Walk The Moon’s tour was always packed full of an enthusiastic crowd. Exposed | 8
The band noted that that during that tour, it was the first time they had to adjust to really rowdy full house. “The second we walked out on stage, they (the crowd) cheered before even knowing who we were.” Keyboardist Justine reflected back and noted that it’s actually more intimidating “when there is less people...because then you know it’s harder to engage the people that are there.” The band’s second album is expected to come out in the earlier part of this year, sometime in late spring or early summer. With You Are Here being recorded in the same session as the album, there is some continuity in the sound. Sam talked about a little of the process and how the album has more a narrative flow, rather than just having song after song. Right now it’s in last minute mixing and mastering, however when the timing is right, the band is excited to release the final product. Before hitting the road with Panic! this summer, the band will be playing some festivals like Firefly and Boston Calling. Both which have a huge variety of lineups ranging from Outkast to Foo Fighters to one of Justine’s personal favorites, Brand New. “We haven’t really done a real proper festival, so we are definitely excited.” Joey concluded for the band. If you make it out to either festival, make sure to catch Magic Man’s set. Otherwise you can catch them this summer on the road with Panic! and Walk The Moon. All official dates can be seen on their website.
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We feel lucky eve ryday that we can make music as our full time job , -Alex Caplow
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Stay connected comicbooks.bandcamp.com || facebook.com/comicbooksmusic
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Comic Books When two completely different spectrums come together, you can expect a band like Comic Books to be the happy medium of both. The duo is made of Sam Szymborski who plays in the hardcore band Marcy and Eliah Koerner who is working on a rap project. Comic Books comes together and takes on the lyrics of teenage angst, but the flow from song to song has a similar rap feel. The band started up in 2007 after being inspired by A Papercup Band, two guys from their high school who played music together. Seeing their first glimpses into the DIY scene and wanting to pursue their own music, Comic Books was the solution. Their sound evolved into this strange, but intriguing mix of Weezer meets The Beach Boys with a folk influence from Woodie Guthrie. “It was really just getting past the idea of trying to make just strictly rock music ” Their influences have a broad range, but after hearing their sound, everything comes together. Whether it’s Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, the skateboard culture, or 90’s cartoons, Comic Books has a lot more depth than your typical acoustic duo. Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 Rule” summed up states that if you spent 10,000 hours dedicated to something, you will find something good to come out of it. Eliah embraced this quote bringing up that “the amount of time we have spent doing everything (for Comic Books), things are starting to to happen. It just takes work.” As soon as I met the two and we started chatting, I could tell how passionate they were about music, not only their own, but the whole do it yourself community and everyone involved. It’s hard at times, but not as hard as people think. “You literally have to put yourself out there and do it yourself,” Sam jokes, but it’s true and goes for anyone who wants to achieve their goals. The band has found their niche in the Milwaukee DIY scene, playing basement shows surrounded by 30-40 people circled around all excited for the music. Sometimes they would be playing alongside completely different genres. But they noted that’s what was nice about the Milwaukee scene, it doesn’t matter what kind of music you play. Kids involved just want to support the scene and get more music out there for everyone else to hear. “It’s easier to promote yourself as a DIY artist with a fan base and community than a mainstream artist that nobody has ever cared about,” Eliah pointed out. After our interview, the band was
gearing up to head down to the Beloit Film Festival, a huge part of the Midwest film culture, where the band was approached to play. Sam added that, “It’s cool because it means people are paying attention to us.” Things are starting to pick up for the band and more opportunities are coming up. “It’s going to take double the time than it would if you took a shit ton of money and throw it at a record label, producer, ghost rider and everyone that could put together a package for you, but that’s the reason why people don’t find success and simple give up. It just has to happen.” Eliah reflects back to the DIY aspect of being in a band, but overall how the outcome is much more rewarding. Both Sam and Eliah are extremely grateful for what has come their way so far and support they have received. Their manager, Jack Forman, has taken on press and organizing all the little details for the guys. Even going all the way to when they were first starting off, bands like Terrier Bute, Juiceboxxx, and Cougar Den accepted them into the community and opened up some early opportunities to play shows in the DIY community. These opportunities were some of their earlier glimpses into the DIY scene, and both guys note how grateful they are to know to a part of it. The band has been working with Jason Gertel on a new album. Eventually, they hope to try opening up the door for a full band album, even if it’s just for one album, and to have some fun playing shows in a more punk rock setting. However, it doesn’t mean that band is taking a new direction completely. They are exactly what they have been marketing themselves to be, two dudes from the Midwest who really enjoy making harmonies together. They surround themselves with friends and great music, and overall just want to have fun and make sure everyone else around them is having fun, too. “It’s not a serious thing, but it’s a totally serious thing,” Sam laughed. While some bands come into the music community and expect an instant reaction from others, Comic Books knows that by handling everything day by day knowing that with hard work, everything will start to come together.
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Candy Hearts Sugar, spice, and everything nice. There is something nostalgic about Candy Hearts’ music. It makes you think of watching cartoons as a kid without any care of what was going on around you. However, as you get older it is inevitable to escape the pains of growing up and watching people go in and out of your life. Candy Hearts’ music is a lot more than just fun and catchy choruses, the lyrics are realistic and relatable for anyone who feels that life doesn’t get them. The idea that someone can relate to the bands music assured to singer Mariel Loveland that she was doing the right thing. “A lot of people feel out of place and if I can make someone not feel that way, that’s great.” She concludes. However by putting her own experiences out there, it is a little scary at times Mariel admits. On the rare occasion that she has to play a song in front of someone even if it is semi-inspired about them, it gets her nerves a little bit going. “It’s really hard to put yourself out there like that, but it comes across feeling more honest.” Drummer Matt Ferraro brought up.
Candy Hearts current lineup is Mariel, Matt, and bass played by John Clifford. The band is out on the road opening for pop rockers We Are The In Crowd. When we spoke with the band, they were less than a week into the tour and already having a great time. Mariel joked about her devastating dream the night earlier of it already being over, but that is not the case. It’s only just beginning and the it’s already some of the most fun the band has had. Aside from this tour hitting all over the country, the band is then set to go overseas for their first European shows in the fall and are expecting the release of their new album by summer. Candy Hearts will be joining New Found Glory and The Story So Far in Europe, so the timing was perfect with the new record. They are excited to be able to play new songs and see all the new places all while being surrounded by their friends. The band actually kicked off this year in the studio with Dan Miner and Chad Gilbert. Prior to entering, Mariel would put together lyrics and chords, do a quick recording on her Exposed | 18
phone, and then sent it over to Chad and the rest of the band. From there the band and Chad would brainstorm their ideas for the songs. This way when coming into the studio, they were able to pick out what they felt was the best fit. “All The Ways You Let Me Down” is the title track of the new album, but conflicted Mariel at first. Matt and John both laughed because at first, they didn’t even know the track existed until they got to the studio where Chad gave the band his vision. Mariel admitted to be sour about it first, but in the end it ended up being one of her favorites. Another one that she outvoted on was “Playing With Fire” which the rest of the band was excited about releasing. This next album heads in more of a pop direction, however it is clear that it still has Candy Hearts familiar sound. Mariel is a very respectable lady taking on the current music scene. She took the manager role of the band, handling the logistic aspects of touring. Even while first starting off she noted that taking on these responsibilities was very natural for her. It’s how she started. At first she started playing guitar so she could essentially pursue a solo band like Dashboard Confessional or Bright Eyes. Once in college, she was exposed to the DIY scene from friends. It was easy to pick up and start to get involved more, eventually landing local shows. This grew into booking their first real tour, which was a lot of emailing and working with venues to get the shows set up. It was never a question. It always was going to be done. The real questions came up when she started thinking about getting on a real label, producing a CD, real tour, which all eventually fell into place for the band.
With a lot of anticipation behind their second album, Candy Hearts is sure to have a huge year ahead of them. You can catch them on their current tour with We Are The In Crowd which wraps up in April on the East coast. The band will be heading over the UK in the fall with New Found Glory and The Story So Far.
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Myles Coyne Venturing down into Milwaukee’s Riverwest community, there is this certain atmosphere that makes you feel at home. Similarly, while entering Fuel Cafe as soon as I met up with Myles Coyne I felt like we had just hung out. Just by talking about some of his projects and opportunities, he is honored and very humbled about what has come his way so far. His folk project, Myles Coyne & The Rusty Nickel Band, released their first official release of “Take Things As They Come” via Top Five Records last August which has since opened up new opportunities for the band like their Daytrotter collaboration with friend’s Calliope. His punk project, Temple, wrapped up a 2 week tour across the country in early 2014. While his indie project, Animals In Human Attire, is releasing a new album in April. It’s the least to say that the past few months have been pretty busy for Coyne. On top of that, him and close group of friends run BreadKing, which collectively brings together Milwaukee’s music community. He also runs 414 Flyers, which distributes posters across the city to promote upcoming events. Coyne keeps himself busy, but all these different outlets provide their own excitement that keeps Myle’s going.
With all these different projects, there has to be a lot of different places that Coyne draws his inspiration. Star Wars, Lord of The Rings, Nintendo music, being a 90’s kid, drunk and romantic writers, like Hemingway, people like Louis CK, Andy Kaufman. Coyne laughs, “I don’t know if it effects me at all, but I’m pretty sure it has had something to do with all of this.” Another huge inspiration and the start of all his projects has been the idea of collaboration. He brought up Saddle Creek, a label in Omaha, which showed bands like Cursive and Bright Eyes playing in each other bands. You would peak at the credits and notice how members appeared in each other albums. That’s where Coyne was inspired to create BreadKing. BreadKing is really just a big group of friend’s who all enjoy bringing music and their culture together. He laughed as he brought up a show where Rusty Nickel played a show and half the band was made up of Calliope. Not much practice took place and the band played 2 new songs that the drummer improvised as
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they played, but still it was the spur of the moment decision and energy that made it one of their most fun shows. Most of Coyne’s projects have come together through collaborating with friends. In high school, Coyne saw a lot of the metal scene from friends and wanted to get involved himself. As he continued to hang out and become more productive, playing together began to evolve into something real. This is how Temple was formed and over time, it began to take on a more solid form. Working based on Fugazi’s morals, the show must always go on. Once Coyne entered college for audio, he met others with similar interests and they began to play their own music as well. This collaboration was a lot more experimental and began to take on it’s own form, opening up another project. “There is a goal to a band, but it evolves over time.” As his bands evolve, more opportunities are opened. Temple’s tour earlier in the year was their most successful yet. In fact while on the road, Temple was able to meet up with some other bands from MIlwaukee and play a few shows with them. He noted how into it the crowd was and how exciting it was to meet others in their music community and hanging out. “When you sit there handmaking cassette tapes trying to write shitty songs every day and then you’re there and living it.” He noted that even being home for a little bit now can drive him stir crazy. “You get kind of swept up in the hype of your own city and then you go somewhere else and you just meet new people”.
If the past few months have seemed crazy, they are only going to pick for Coyne. BreadKing is working on their second annual BreadFest event. New music is coming from from Animals In Human Attire and Myles Coyne & The Rusty Nickel Band re-releasing their “Take Things As They Come” with some new features included. Be sure to keep up with Myles Coyne and make it out to one of his many shows!
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Stay connected mylescoyne.bandcamp.com || mylescoyne.com Exposed | 22
You sit there handmaking cassette tapes trying to write shitty songs every day and then you’re there and living it. -Myles Coyne
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Northlane
Something should be said about a band who can play any setting with the same amount of energy and excitement. Northlane is one of the band’s that achieves this and I think that is evident for the success that has come their way. In 2013, the band released their second studio album, Singularity as well as touring nearly nonstop. The band made it out to the US in support of Veil of Maya last fall. 2013 was a big year, so this year was bound to be interesting. It was going to hard to top all the accomplishments, but already 2014 has been big. The band kicked off the year playing Australia’s Big Day Out, following their US tour, and eventually joining on a few dates of the Bring Me The Horizon and Of Mice and Men tour. Following the US, the band is heading to Europe to play a string of shows. Only a few months into the new year and the band is sure to keep busy. With their run with Bring Me The Horizon and Of Mice and Men, Northlane noted that it was an honor to be placed among the bill. They grew up listening to their music and simply wrapping their head around the idea was epic, especially while most shows on the East Coast and Canada had sold out already. Even though they are wandering into a new territory, Northlane has received high feedback, especially with their album that came out a few months after the Australian release in March 2013. The band has been flattered so far. As they ventured to the East Coast, they didn’t really know what to expect crowd wise, but what they have witnessed has been overwhelmingly positive. “It’s cool to finally be here and play for fans.” Adrian reflected back on the Veil of Maya tour and all the fans they met that had been waiting to see them. A few fans had been following the band since their first EP was released in 2010, essentially growing up with the band in a sense. “Just like us, we were 18-19 around that time. Now we are 22-23...that transition of teenager to adulthood is what a lot of our fans witnessed.” It’s become quite obvious that in order to succeed, it requires a lot of hard work. There’s a certain point where you just have to keep pushing and see what comes next. While the US has a lot more opportunities, at times certain scenes can become quite saturated and a lot of bands struggle to stand out. Australia, holding a much smaller music community, holds a much more competitive industry. The band notes of the struggles of trying to establish themselves and books shows. Most times promoters wouldn’t book you unless they were confident you would pull in a certain number of fans or hold a certain amount of Facebook likes. Northlane dedicated a lot of time touring across the country, sometimes playing shows in country towns where 15-20 kids showed up. Exposed | 24
Through hard work and perseverance, the band managed to build up their fan base and get recognized. Their first album, Discoveries, really helped set their career off. Despite being categorized as a metalcore band, Northlane’s music has a lot of other subtle sounds within. In Singularity, the breakdowns are quite detailed. Their single, “Quantum Flux” shows what diversity the band is capable of in just one song. While the band notes of some of their influences like Architects, Cloudkicker, and Misery Signals, Jon and Adrian agreed that their list could go on. “I always like to say we listen to a lot of music and some way or another it ends up influencing what we write.” New music and lyrics are always being written. “Musically and lyrically our music is maturing as we mature,” guitarist Jon notes. As they progress further, the band is eager to try some new things for the next record. Before entering the studio, the band hopes to have the songs planned out and an idea of what lyrics they want to fit. This way they will be able to have a broad range of music to choose from. At the moment nothing is confirmed, however the band is always trying to stay above the curve and up to date with new music when deadlines start to come up. “We are all confident that we made the right decisions in our lives,” Adrian notes of the band’s career so far. The last six months have especially implemented the right choices the band has made. With all the hard work and perseverance put into making music, somehow they are in a completely different country playing to kids who all know their music. Northlane spoke very humbly about all the support and opportunities that they have been given. Adrian nailed it when he spoke of a lot of bands that come into the industry expecting everything to happen just like that. “A lot of bands get caught up in wanting more fame and more success which is understandable because everyone wants to be successful, but...it’s taking a second to realize what we have done so far. It does feel good to know what we have accomplished already.” The band will be touring Europe with Architects through the rest of March and into April, followed by a short run in Australia in May. Be sure to support that band and catch a show if they are in your area. All official dates are listed on their Facebook page.
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e d a m e w t a h t t n e d fi n o c l l a e � r s a e v e i l r W “ u o n i s n o i s i c e d t h the rig s e d l a p i t i F -Adrian
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GGOO LLDD I had a lot of questions about GGOOLLDD when I came across their Facebook page. The first one being, “Why isn’t there more music?” Their fun, electro-pop sound hooks you in and makes you want to let loose and dance the night away. Their live shows are just as exciting, if not, the best representation of what this band is based around. They came together in November of 2013, so this is just the start of their journey. The band recently played the Milwaukee East Side Festival and is currently working on getting more music out. We sent over some questions to Tony and Margaret who were more than happy to spill details about GGOOLLDD. Exposed | 28
GGOOLLDD is a recently formed band, have any of you been involved in previous acts? Margaret: Our bass player, Nick, is currently in a country band called "Hugh Bob and the Hustle" which is about as opposite as it could be from GGOOLLDD. Alex used to be in the Milwaukee band "Jaill" and Thomas has a really beautiful side project by the name of "Color Number". Tony: I was in a couple bands through high school and college, "Radcliff" an instrumental post rock band and "All These Runners" an indie rock band who disbanded about two years ago. What made you decide to come together and form this band? Does the name have any certain meaning behind it? Margaret: I've always wanted to be in an electro-pop band but never had the attention span to actually learn to write electronic music. Then I met Tony, who is a brilliant song writer, at least for me. We got drunk one night and we were like hey! Let's start a band! He went home and wrote a song and sent it to me at 4am. I loved it, put down some lyrics, recorded it a week later. That song was "Gold". We realized pretty quickly we we're a good team and spent the summer writing songs. GGOOLLDD just looks fun when you look at it, that's as far as we thought it out I think.
Tony: I met Margaret's boyfriend Nick, our now bass player and resident badass, while he was tending bar at Tonic. We started talking music and hit it off. He introduced me to Margaret and I had a few ideas/songs I had been toying with for a solo project; we started talking and just clicked with what we wanted to do for a band and sound-really just drunk talk of love, peace and good vibes but with some texture to it. Then I went home wrote "gold" in an hour and emailed it over to her. The rest is history. Like Margaret said, GGOOLLDD just looks fun, and it catches your eye. Plus gold is the party element. Personal influences on the band’s electro-pop style? Did you grow up on this style of music or have you been open to a lot of different genres? Margaret: Personally for me, being in a band is all about a performance and having a good time, so really I just never saw the point in playing music I couldn't dance to. Tony: My influences are all over the board: the first three records I owned as a kid were Metallica's "Reload," Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff's Greatest Hits and Prince's "Purple Rain." I guess 2006-2007 was an eye opening time in music for me, I also started to DJ around Milwaukee and that showed me how much I love making people dance, so maybe all that is a reason why we are doing what we are doing. We really just love to have a good time. Your demo “Gold” was the first glimpse people got of the band. Do you feel this was an accurate interpretation of the direction you plan on taking? Margaret: I think so yeah, it's also our first song. We like to mix it up and experiment with different sounds to see what feels good and what doesn't. We all still love the song tho, I don't think anyone is really interested in veering too far from there, at least for now. Tony: At least for the first EP, but as we play more as a six piece I can see our sound evolving and becoming something that is greater than the sum of Margaret and I, which is super exciting for me as an artist. Any details on an EP/new music coming out? Margaret: We are currently working on an EP, maybe even a full length at this point but we'd like to get something out sooner than later. Expect an album by spring for sure!
Tony: Some type of theme, we like to have fun, it's more than music, it's a performance, an experience. We feel those are the best types of shows, our favorites. The women for sure though. The Milwaukee music community has a lot of diversity and huge local support system from the people involved, promoters, or venues. What do you want GGOOLLDD to bring into the community? Margaret: We want to make every show an event, you're not paying to just listen to music, you can do that at home, you're paying for an experience. That's a big thing I learned from Nicks previous band "The Wildbirds". When that band ended I was so bummed because it was such a good time every time. I don't want to put on heels and makeup and hand make a new dress just to sit back and watch a show. I'm looking for a party and that's what I expect this band to give to the community, a good party. With this issue, we really wanted to embrace the “DIY” style that a lot of bands in the industry are following. Showing that with hard work, opportunities can arise. What’s it like balancing your “everyday” lives with the band? Margaret: Haha! Nearly impossible. Most of us have full time jobs, we;ve got a cook, a lawyer, a government employee and a 24 hour EMT driver in the band and a filmmaker, our schedules almost never coincide but we all love the band and we all love each other so we make it work. Tony: We like having the control of when we can record/play/put out stuff; none of us are looking at this as a career move, we all have other passions, but this band is a great outlet for us creatively. But it's hard keeping up with it all, we wouldn't be here though if we didn't love and enjoy the shit out of what we do. Who doesn't like throwing a party set to your own music? • You can catch the band on April 3rd at the Cactus Club. They will be playing with Brooklyn rockers Drowners, who recently put out their debut album, and Milwaukee’s Boy Blue. Come out for drinks and party with the band!
Tony: We'll we have around 20 songs/ideas but like Margaret said, something's coming very soon. Seeing the video of your live show, it comes across that the band is full of energy and really just loves to have a good time. What else can people expect when they check out one of your shows? Margaret: Women, particularly hot women. They love us! We are very fortunate. Exposed | 29
Stay Connected
ggoolldd.bandcamp.com || facebook.com/ggoollddband
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Reviews Backtrack | Lost In Life William Akers Hardcore is a powerful genre with a strong community that keeps it moving and thriving and Backtrack is here to elevate the genre to the next level. Their Bridge 9 Records debut, Lost In Life, is relentless from start to finish. Lost In Life comes three years after 2011’s Darker Half, a record I’ve had on repeat ever since I first discovered it in 2012. Backtrack is a band that speaks for all of those kids that feel like life is tearing them apart and don’t know what to make of it all. The lyrical content is everything a young adult can relate to, and honest lyrics coupled with the ripping guitars and earth quaking drums and bass give this record a feeling of completeness and drive. The tracks “Their Rules”, “Lost In Life”, “Tortured”, and “Rot In Your Race” are highlights of the record showing the band’s true abilities. These tracks showcase vocalist James Vitalo’s brand of throat ripping screams and barks. Backtrack’s sound is truly unique in the bigger picture of hardcore. On top of excellent song writing, Lost In Life features some familiar voices in the hardcore scene. The opening track “Their Rules” welcomes David Wood from Down To Nothing and Turnstile vocalist Brendan Yates is given a chance to yell on the track “Under Your Spell”. Backtrack is currently bringing their brand of New York hardcore to an art space near you on the Die Knowing Tour with bands like Comeback Kid, Xibalba, Downpresser, and To The Wind. Despite their name, Backtrack is pushing forward full speed ahead with no intent on letting naysayers govern their music. This band stands for something and fights for the underdog. With that being said, I’ll see you in the pit.
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Neck Deep | Wishful Thinking William Akers Neck Deep’s debut full length Wishful Thinking comes out swinging and will be a great new addition to your pop punk record collection. With it being not only their debut full length but also their first appearance on Hopeless Records, there were high expectations and the band delivers. Coming two years after their EP Rain In July the band was able to grow and draw on even more personal experiences having toured heavily ever since. Neck Deep are getting better and better with every recording at laying down solid bass and drum grooves that give their songs density and warmth. Drummer Dani Washington and bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans glow on this record and together truly drive the band in each song. Overall Wishful Thinking is a straight pop punk record that punches from start to finish. There are songs like “Losing Teeth”, “Crushing Grief (No Remedy)”, and “Mileage” that demand aggressive circle pits and push moshing. However, there is also the album’s closer “Candour” that show the band’s melodic balladry. Everyone remembers how powerful “A Part of Me” featuring Laura Whiteside on Rain In July was. The band was able to bring back that honest sound, as well as Miss Whiteside on the closing ballade that features her sweet harmonies and string counter melodies. As a whole, Wishful Thinking is a great debut for the band. And with their current enrollment in this summer’s punk rock summer camp, the Vans Warped Tour, they will be able to bring these powerful songs to the
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United States again to a parking lot near you. I know I won’t miss these UK pop punkers’ set this summer and I strongly encourage you all not to miss it either.
St. Vincent | St. Vincent Anthony D’Agostino “Controlled chaos” is a term I like to use when describing the music of St. Vincent. And that is one thing that her newest album, St. Vincent, is not lacking by any means. St. Vincent is the stage name for which the musician Annie Clark releases material under. The Berklee dropout got her start as a guitarist for the Polyphonic Spree, and touring with Sufjan Stevens. But her first album she released under the name St. Vincent, 2007’s Marry Me, is where she really began to hone her skills as a songwriter. Now four albums in, you can really see where she’s grown as a musician. Not only is Clark a good songwriter, but also a phenomenal guitarist. I previously used the term “controlled chaos” and I will use it again, because that’s the only way I see fit to describe her playing. The tones she uses seem to be layers upon layers of majestic sound that is all so much but at the same time not enough, for she always ends it just before you want it to, leaving you wanting more. This tactic started to present itself in her music in 2009’s Actor, and 2011’s Strange Mercy, and even more in her self-titled. Especially in songs like Rattlesnake and Regret. It’s the masterful guitar work and the gracious melodies in Annie’s music that make this album worth listening to.
You Blew It! | Keeping Doing What You’re Doing William Akers Keep Doing What You’re Doing is You Blew It’s sophomore work on Topshelf Records coming two years after 2012’s Grow Up, Dude. This time along You Blew It! has grown not only as a band but also as individuals. The songs are tinged with the familiar angst and honesty as well as complement the band’s unique song writing aesthetic. Along with the help of producer and songsmith Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It., Their/They’re/There, Pet Symmetry, and many others) the band was capable of moving away from the delicate “emo” (I use the term loosely) that we are experiencing currently and allow their 1999, noisy rock ‘n roll influences to come through. KDWYD begins with the up-tempo “Match & Tinder” that is just begging for a sing along and stage dives. The lyrics “I’ll put mind over matter to put this matter out of my mind” cut through in the best way during the song’s chorus and allows Tanner Jones’ raspy yell to be an invitation for the crowd to join in. Another highlight for me on the record was track 5, “House Address”. The contrast in texture between verse and chorus gives this song some great versatility. This song is both melodic and heavy, one of the band’s many strongpoints. The final two tracks on the record, “Gray Matter” and “Better to Best” bring the album to a close in the best way possible, with powerful, heavyhitting, full band jams. You Blew It! continue to grow and with Keep Doing What You’re Doing they’ve not only proved themselves but stood their ground in this emo resurgence. The genre never went anywhere, it’s just being given more attention again, and that’s why I believe a band like You Blew It! isn’t simply recreating what makes emo so moving and relatable, but instead expanding upon it. They make it louder, faster, and even more honest. The songs on Keep Doing What You’re Doing don’t follow a formula and the lyrics aren’t fabricated from false experiences; they simply exist and tell stories that everyone can relate to. This band has a bright future and I can’t wait to hear what they have to say next.
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