FLESH & BONE
in the pursuit of artistic passion
vol 27
BEARINGS - DALIAH AMMAR - COMEBACK KID - LISA JUNIUS
FLESH & BONE M A G A Z I N E
V O L . 2 7
Fl es h & Bo n e M a g a z i n e i s a b i - m o n th ly c rea ti v e a r ts p u b l i c a t i o n p ro d u c e d b y a r tists w ho a re c o n st a n t l y i n sp i re d b y o t h e r a r t ists. O ur g o a l i s to s h a re a n d i n t ro d u c e oth e r pe o pl e w h o a re i n te re s te d i n a r t o r i n th e pu r s u i t o f a r t to o t h e r c re a t i ve i n d i vi d uals. Ea c h i s s u e h i g h l i g h t s a r t i st s o f a n y a r t istic me di u m, w h o t h e y a re , wh a t t h e y d o , an d th e i r v i ew poi n t s o n t h e c o n s i s te n t l y g ro win g a r ti s ti c mo ve m e n t . _____________________________________________ FOUNDER & EDITOR
BRANDYNN L POPE
COPY EDITOR
DONALD KIMBER
DESIGN & LAYOUT
BRANDYNN L POPE
COVER PHOTO
BRANDYNN L POPE
WRITING TEAM
ASHLEY ATLUS DONALD KIMBER JAMES LIAM WARD
PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM
ASHLEY ATLUS BRANDYNN L POPE BRITTNEY TAMBEAU
W W W. F L E S H B O N E M A G A Z I N E . C O M Al l ri ghts rese r v e d. No pa r ts o f th i s pu bl i c a ti o n m a y be rep roduce d i n wh o l e o r i n pa r t wi th o u t pe r m i s s i o n from the pub l i sh e r. T h e v i e ws ex pre sse d i n t h i s pub l i cati on do n o t re f l e c t F l e sh & B o n e a n d i t ’s s t a f f but retai n to th e i r re spe c ti v e c o n tr i bu to r s.
F I N D U S ON
Fa c e b o o k f a c e b o o k . c o m / f l e s h a n d b o n e m a g a z i n e Tw i t te r t w i t te r. c o m / f l e s h a n d b o n e m a g I n s t a g ra m @ f l e s h b o n e m a g a z i n e
SU BMI SSI ON S & AD VE RTI SI N G
fleshbonemagazine@gmail.com
Wow! After last month’s publication we received an overwhelming amount of e-mails from our readers, old and new. It was amazing to see! From this we have not only some of those submissions in this volume but lots lined up for the future. We love hearing from you and I am excited to see what else you, our readers, are doing. More than anything I would love to set up a theme for you all to submit to every month. As this publication grows, and has grown over the last three years, I find myself consistently overwhelmed and full of joy to share this experience with you all. Thank you. That all being said, please follow our social media in order to find out if we have any submissions up. We would love to see your work in this light. We have facebook, twitter, instagram and of course our freshly renovated website ready for you! Don’t forget to check out the website for a few extra specials as well as news when it comes to artists of all varieties. BRANDYNN LP
I______________ N T H I S I S SU E
06 ARTIST REVISIT ARTS MARK SCHMIDT
50 ALBUMS IN REVIEW WRT JAMES LIAM WARD
VI S UAL ______________
M U SIC A L ______________
12 Eileen Mao
22 Bison
18 Penny Bryne
10 Sir
26 Lisa Junius
32 Comeback Kid
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BRANDYNN L POPE BRANDYNN L POPE
36 Dahlia Ammar WRT
BRANDYNN L POPE
WRT BRANDYNN L POPE WRT
BRANDYNN L POPE
WRT BRANDYNN L POPE PHTG BRANDYNN L POPE
44 Bearings
WRT BRANDYNN L POPE PHTG BRANDYNN L POPE
MARK SCHMIDT REVISITING ARTIST
Since we first met with you there was a greater focus on your digital illustrations. Now you have launched into working as a self-employed tattoo artist. How did this transition come to be? I always loved tattoos, but the industry and commercial shop scene cast a shadow over the whole thing for me. The rushed businesslike approach, the brand name clothing, the I think I wanted my art to be less digital, egos, the noise - I really believed that I could less calculated. I wanted all that texture and do better. I wanted to strip all of that away and randomness that things like brush strokes and have it be just the client and me, in my own canvas add to great pieces of art. I wanted space, at a fair price, with the time necessary to expand into tattooing, painting, street art, to do things right. It was a long process, but everything, while still making use of all the I enjoy long term projects so it was also very techniques and advantages I picked up doing natural. I took up another job and saved, digital. I really wanted to prove that I could built a room in the house specifically as a do it, and explore all the potential that comes clean and seperate tattoo studio, and spent with it. months making sure everything was set up properly before I told anyone. Having my own project with my name attached to it was the most motivating thing ever for me. It’s just an incredible feeling to not be held back - to have the freedom to do what you believe in. There’s a lot of healing in that - when you know that every day you’re building something that you believe in, something that reflects on your character.
What were your main priorities with your art work over the last two years?
Now that you have grown comfortable tattooing, how do you feel your artistry has changed? I think the most important thing that I learned from tattooing was how key it is to make pieces readable. “Readable” is just another way of saying that the piece is easy to make sense of. I learned how to use contrasts like textured vs. smooth, thick vs thin, neutral vs. bright, complimentary colors, sharp and soft, value, all of those things. In the beginning I would just try to squeeze detail and saturation in everywhere, and I could tell that it didn’t have the impact on people that I wanted. Now I’ve learned a little restraint and how to focus on making sure things make sense, and I have this great toolkit of contrasts to choose from whenever things need a little more separation.
How have your illustrative work and your tattoos competed with one another as well as worked with one another? The tattoos really took over for a long time; I think I always decide that a person’s tattoo is more important than any other project I might work on. What I love about it is that it forces me to do art almost every day. You don’t even notice yourself putting in these hundreds of hours drawing and then one day you go “Wait a minute, this seems a lot easier than it used to!” Sketching, painting, coloring, everything. Just the exercise of looking, visualizing, and drawing, whatever it is, builds connections and skills. So don’t feel like you have to only do one kind of art; just draw all the time and the improvement will be immense across everything. That’s what I’ve found anyway.
What are some things that you have accomplished? The most important accomplishment to me is when someone really loves their tattoo! That’s an amazing feeling every time. I don’t think I’d ever seek out awards, conventions, or that type of thing. I just want how much I care to come through in the art, and hopefully it does.
Is there any specific work that you have become more critical of as you matured as an artist? I think when I look back at my early digital art I notice it’s very stiff, with sharp edges and a lack of texture. Just very unnatural and forced. I’ve learned to go with what feels good and to let the human element come through. I try to let the sketch lines come through, leave some mistakes in, and just let it be organic and human instead of calculated and methodical. It feels better and I think it looks better too!
SIR thesirband.com
@thesirband
“ We are SIR! Sarah Angela (SA) is our lead singer, which also includes being the dreamer and motivator. She plays guitar and synth. Luke Mehrens is the master of all beats. He plays the drums, cajon, and electronic drum pad. And Kim O’Hara is our musical genius. She plays electric guitar, synth, and bass. She writes tasty hooks and musical melodies. We are a touring band, based out of Denver, CO. We write all of our own music, and are self described as sexy alternative pop rock. ”
We currently only have a few singles to listen to in order to have some insight to you guys as a band. What can you tell people about your upcoming album? What are some things that you are venturing into with it? We are very proud of this album and can’t wait to release it! We are releasing it in November, with pre-sales beginning in a few weeks. Because this is our first album, it took us a while to narrow down our sound- alternative beats, heavy drums, catchy guitar and synth hooks, and most importantly- Sarah’s voice. She has the ability to create such beautiful, soothing melodies, and then turns around and melts you with her fury right when you think you are safe.
Being from Denver, do you feel that there are certain things about the city and the state of Colorado that have inspired your music? In What do you hope that people will take away what ways has the scene there helped push you? from listening to your music, whether it’s at a live show or listening to it online? We love Denver because it’s such a music mecca. The indie hipster and folk revival scene is really strong, and although we don’t fall into either of those genres, it’s worked to our benefit. Our beautiful city loves music, and goes out to shows 7 days a week. Those music lovers and their loyalty have propelled us to the forefront, and we are always aware that without that support we wouldn’t be able to do this.
When you are writing music are there specific themes that you find that you write about over any others? Do you find the process of writing as a way to get a message out to people or more of an expression of yourself ? Our hope is always that people will connect with the lyrics and understand the message, but this album in particular we really wrote for ourselves. We were going through some dark times in our lives while we were writing and it shows. We have two songs about death. The first, Abby’s Song, is a tribute to our good friend and Luke’s fiancee that we lost to a long battle with cancer. The second, Sleep Sleep Stars, is about a 90 year old woman with Alzheimer’s that Kim took care of until she passed. We wrote Go about being at a music festival with friends, So Cold about betrayal and losing a bandmate, and Wading about watching someone perform from the audience and falling in love with their music. The rest of the album is about love in some form- losing it, disappointment in realizing it wasn’t what you thought, and still holding on to it.
We want to make people feel. Whatever the reason is that they are listening or came out to the show- after a long day at work, or needing a party night out, or going through loss- we want to refuel them with the whole experience. We love meeting people at shows and connecting in that way, so next time we are in your city, please stick around afterwards!
What kind of visuals do you like to have present in your live shows, or in your promotional packages? Are there any symbols that you feel are a good representation of your group? We have two logos- the first is a geometric flower. At our shows we usually cover the stage in flowers- we always liked the masculine name SIR with a female fronted band. The second logo is a bear looking into a triangle- very much like our big blue bear here in Denver that looks into the Convention Center. It was a way to show a little hometown pride. At the shows we like a lot of lights, and when we have a show at a bigger venue, we always do something new and special.
Are there any tour plans? Where are you heading off to and what can people expect? Yes! We are currently booking our Album Release Tour which will begin in late October and go through November. We’ll be hitting the West coast, the Northwest, the Midwest, and Texas. Tour dates are on our site and Facebook page!
You have been able to experience large venues and shows such as the Red Rock Amphitheater What are some goals that you are hoping to early on in your musical career. How did these accomplish in the final months of the year and opportunities come to be? How were these leading into the new year? experiences and the reception of the listeners? The longer we work in this industry the more connections we make, and that truly is how we played Red Rocks. It is by far the coolest stage we’ve ever seen- 10,000 people outdoors, overlooking the city with the stars overhead- you couldn’t ask for anything better. We go there often to see some of our favorite bands and are never disappointed. There is a tunnel that goes backstage to the sound board, with signatures covering the walls of every famous artist you can imagine, and we got to sign it! We made a lot of new fans and friends that night and will patiently (not so patiently) wait for the day we can get back there!
We are ready to have fun! Get this album out and hit the road! We are done with all of the writing, editing and recording and work with an awesome PR company. Now it’s time to go play some music.
What are some other important things that you would like people to know? Even though our music touches on some hard topics, we are fun, goofy weirdos that love meeting new people. We are so grateful for support and the biggest way you can help is by listening, sharing, talking about it with friends, and coming out to shows. Find us everywhere @thesirband
EILEEN MAO eileenmao.com
@elnnm
“ I’m a Taiwanese-American artist currently residing in Los Angeles. I come from an illustration background—having graduated from the Illustration program at ArtCenter College of Design just last year. Most of my work consists of a significant amount of line-art done by pen and ink, combined with mixed media. I’m most interested in creating portrait and figure-based work, intertwined with abstract elements. Often times, my primary focus is on the subjects portrayed and their expressions, or the lack thereof. ”
As a recent Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate, how do you often like to respect on the time you spent in formal education? What did you learn in this education that you found most valuable and what information did you find most valuable on your own? Art school taught me a lot. Prior to attending ArtCenter, I was expecting to be hammered with technical lessons, and I was. But interestingly, being at school allowed me to really observe and study the incredible mix of various artists and personalities who manifested their crafts and artistry in such diverse styles. The pressure and competition definitely kept me on my toes at all times and made me better. Being aware, knowing to always be aware of others’ work, and most of all, understanding where your own work stands—I think that’s some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned there.
Your work uses mix media. While you consistently work with ink and paper, what other materials do you use and when do you find that you integrate them into your work? I use acrylic paint and color pencils quite frequently, aside from pen and ink. I especially like acrylic because it dries so fast and I wouldn’t need to worry about accidentally smudging the paint, and, depending on how you apply it, the paint often comes with a subtle texture, which contrasts against the pen and ink work quite nicely. I also love using color pencils to create small accents.
In particular, you have a fascinating with faces. What is it about portraiture and figures that you have found yourself being so enamored by? I think people in general have a fascination for faces and figures—especially faces—because they express feelings and attitudes that we as humans can relate to and recognize. Someone’s facial expression can bring to mind a previous experience and the sentiments associated with it. It can remind you of an expression that you’ve witnessed on the face of somebody else, or one of your own, which subsequently might cause you to question and wonder how that expression came to be. Portraitures often times for me lead to speculation and self-reflection, and I believe that’s true for many others as well.
You have stated that you are particularly intrigued by the concepts of femininity. What aspects of this are you interested in and how do you transcribe this theme into your content? I enjoy portraying women because I identify as one, and also I know there is a limitless spectrum of us. I like to challenge the traditional view of femininity through art, through portraying various female subjects whom others, even women, may not find to be quite feminine. To use as an example… “Strange Circus” is a collection of my personal works that began before I went to ArtCenter (I took several pieces from the series off my website after realizing that they might be a bit too selfrevealing, but they might pop up later). With the exception of the work titled “Wei”—a portrait of a good male friend of mine who also identifies as male—all the other pieces were created with the idea of a specific female subject in mind. Each is noticeably different from the other. One can even argue that “Drooling Dog” almost has a sense of masculinity with it, because the image implies unabashed hunger, and traditionally women are expected to shy away from appearing in public as overtly ambitious, greedy, or even just desperately hungry for more. The dynamic created by the line-work clashing against blackened shapes also creates a sense of aggression. Whereas, in “Here Cometh the Pinhead,” the subject is a female creature that bears the resemblance of a piglet. Innocence, hurt, and fear are implicit. However, the main theme is being misunderstood and taken for less—because of one’s gender, personality and appearance.
I think nowadays, there is a popular image of the modern woman—confident, outspoken, successful, etc.—but many fail to understand that confidence, along with many other traits, comes in different forms. Some prefer subtlety, some grandiosity. I’m tired of feeling the need to fit myself into a recognizable category of the kind of women that are deemed to be worthy or badass enough by the general public. I’m not interested in fitting into anyone else’s ideal mold but my own. Stereotypes are lame. I intend to use my art as a platform for the various kinds of femininity that I relate to and/or appreciate and that others may not necessarily comprehend or even like. Moreover, I hope to also raise awareness that every different type of personality—regardless of gender—deserves respect.
What other themes do you find that you like to pursue? Science and horror. And cats.
Beyond your figure work you also have amazing abstract work. Where does your drive for this form come in place? Talk a little bit about one of your more recent works, “Genesis”, and explain it’s origins. For me abstractions come very easily. Since I was a kid in elementary, I would doodle all over my textbooks, and my teachers would complain to my grandma. They are constantly present in my drawings and paintings. They express how I feel, at a specific moment in time. They manifest feelings in ways that I can’t find words to articulate. “Genesis” was a very spontaneous piece. For this one in particular, I wanted to see how limited my color palette could be, and how simplified I could make the painting out to be. When it comes to painting, I have a tendency to use many colors and completely let go with the brushstrokes—without thinking about composition—so this was a bit of a challenge for myself. Learning to take control of something that comes naturally.
You have used Kendrick Lamar to inspire illustrations of yours. In what other ways have you found that film, literature and music has influenced a lot of your work? Beyond that, how do you find that your current location in Los Angeles affects everything that you create? Film, music, and literature have always had an important influence on my work. I have countless artworks that were inspired by some of my favorite bands. I love how music is able to paint splendid pictures in my head, and sometimes all I have to do is to trace that mental image. On the other hand, my work “Elephant Woman” (under the “Strange Circus” series) was inspired by David Lynch’s “Elephant Man,” and “Here Cometh the Pinhead” was partly inspired by the character Pepper in “American Horror Story: Asylum.” In literary works, there are certain characters that continue to stimulate my mind long after reading about them. The mixed media painting “Rosemary” was created with Clarissa Dalloway (from Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”) in mind. Flipping through my old copy of Flannery O’Connor’s “Wise Blood” definitely helped set the tone for the “Herb Gardner” piece, although that, along with most of my work, was inspired by a multitude of things, as it should be.
What sort of work and exploration are you hoping to do in the near future? Where would you like to see your work being used? As I responded in a previous question, more science, horror, and cats inspired work (I’m a cat lover and how lacking of cats my portfolio is continues to shock me. It’s just wrong by principle). At the moment, I’m experimenting with vibrant and colorful landscape scenes in my images, something that I never really did before as I’d mostly focus on the subjects and minimize what was in the background. I’ve come to realize
the significance of settings in visual art. Having newly moved into a studio apartment certainly has something to do with it. As music is part of my life and continues to galvanize my mind and seep into my art, I would like to see my work one day used on the album cover or applied in another form, by one or more of my favorite musicians/bands. I’m also looking forward to seeing these works exhibited in galleries that I’ve not been in before.
PENNY BRYNE pennybyrneartist.com
@pennb
“ Penny Byrne’s sculptural works are politically charged, highly engaging and often disarmingly humorous. Using materials such as vintage porcelain figurines and found objects, bronze and glass, Byrne’s work presents an ongoing inquiry into popular culture and international politics. Her background in ceramics conservation and the law informs her practice. Byrne’s ability to work across varying mediums exemplifies how she challenges the boundaries and assumptions around her art. In 2015 Byrne exhibited in the Venice Biennale exhibition Glasstress Gotika at Palazzo Franchetti on the Grand Canal. ”
Separate from your formal study in fine arts you also have a Bachelor of Laws. What inspired you to pursue this agree after studying ceramics? Is your education a large part of your exploration with political themes throughout your work? After finishing secondary school I was offered places at law school and art school. Back then I chose art, but the law always held a fascination for me too. So later on I decided to follow my interest in the law. I’ve never practiced as a lawyer, but the legal training now informs a lot of what I do. I have always been interested in politics and social justice. My artwork allows me to speak about issues that I think are important.
When you use your found vintage porcelain is it from a purposeful search of them or do you typically find the objects before hand and they inspire a specific artwork? At what point did people start donating their ceramics to you? Initially I made my work based on figurines that I had found, but as my work became more complex I began to search out particular figurines that were specific to my needs. These days it can go either way – I might see a figurine and not be sure how I will use it, and then an idea springs to mind. Or I will spend hours scouring eBay to find just the right figurine for a particular work. I first asked people to donate figurines back in 2011 when I made a massive work called “iProtest” which ended up having over 300 figurines in the work. For this new work “#EuropaEuropa” I put a call out on social media. I called it “The Great Blue and White Figurine Hunt of 2017”! I’ve had over 80 figurines donated from all over Australia.
When you first started exploring ceramics and sculpture did you expect it to evolve into its current form? What did you use at the beginning of your journey? I made my first work “It’s Murder on the Dance Floor” for fun for a small exhibition as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival. At the time I had no idea where it would lead, and that I would end up showing my work in Europe!
Can you speak a little to your upcoming exhibition, #EuropaEuropa? Tell us a little bit about the themes that you are exploring, the final artwork and the objects themselves? Here’s an excerpt from my exhibition artist statement: The perilous journey to the glittering shores of Europe is undertaken by desperate people in front of our eyes. We cannot look away as drones fly overhead filming every desperate act. Images flood our screens of anonymous people clad in bright orange lifejackets. All hoping for a better life, all risking everything. The show will be an installation where my work takes over the gallery. Masses of blue and white vintage figurines all wearing bright orange lifejackets, some on antique serving platters, others in gravy boats. Still others in delicate china cups, others sitting on saucers or in small bowls. These cups, plates, bowls are vessels, they are willing to use anything to get to Europe.
What are some of the themes that you have found are most near and dear to your heart that you have extended into your art work?
What do you find is your typical turn around with your work, in terms of the length of time it takes you in your process?
Pretty much nothing is off limits. Climate Change, the War on Terror, the Arab Spring, censorship in Russia, plastic surgery, pedophile priests, illegal poaching of elephants, dolphins slaughter in Japan, Japanese whaling in the southern oceans of the coast of Australia, iceberg harvesting to make bottled water, the list goes on and on …!
I often make my small scale ceramic works quite quickly in response to particular political issues, and other times a work can take up to twelve months to fully realise from conception of the idea to final completion of the work. This tends to be the case with the large-scale works I make with Urban Art Projects. They take longer to make, as there are a multitude of people involved in the production of the works.
Several times you seem to have explored different animal exploitation themes. What keeps Beyond your politically charged sculpture what bringing you back to this theme? else have you enjoyed working on or venturing If something bugs me enough I will make an into? artwork about it. The plight of animals keeps bugging me, hence lots of works about animal exploitation.
I’ve recently had a new work “#BloodDiamond” in the Science Gallery at the University of Melbourne, which was collaboration between myself and scientists from Monash University who are doing groundbreaking work into malaria detection. The work was multifaceted – a 3D printed levitating 40cm diameter red blood cell, infrared camera, Microsoft Hololens augmented reality technology. Again it was a work that involved numerous people with different skills. I became a bit of a project manager to realise this ambitious work.
BISON bison.bandcamp.com
@bisonbc
“We are your conscience. Or vs. you conscience. ”
What other specific themes do you want to explore with your music? Internal struggle of daily living. Being a fraud. Turning your back on nature and paying dearly for it. Struggling with society, looking at being a member of this world as a burden and constant struggle. Feeling comfortable with what will come. Feeling comfortable and taking responsibility for what will come. Love. Its all really about love.
How did these themes integrate into You Are Not The Ocean You Are The Patient? What does the title of this record suggest? You are not the ocean. You do not orchestrate a beautiful cacophony of life and death, struggle and destruction, creation and dependance. You do not present the sole reason for the existence of a nation of creatures to live and abide your stark and simple rules. You are not married to the moon. You do not allow the constellations to be your map. You do not destroy cities and drown its citizens. You do not embrace the golden shores as your child, with calm and tenderness. Nor do you fuck the craggy shores with fury and passion. You are not unstoppable. You are not powerful. You are not necessary.
All of your work integrates the discussion of Canadian politics. Would you care to go into a bit of explanation of your perspective and what you are trying to translate to your listeners through your music? There are only the politics of the self, and emotions and the politics of living and being free. We exist and create community and family and music, which I suppose is a very political act. The world is made from murder. Now the world will murder us.
You are the patient. You are controlled. You are cared for, out of duty. You are maintained with medicines and examinations. You are met with cold hands and protocol. Your most intimate self is put on a form. You are questioned about pains andthoughts. You are dependent on those with knowledge. You are helpless. You are tired and bed ridden. You do no harm and you do not help. You are monitored and caged. You are kept away from others. You are contaminated. You are sick. You are keeping yourself sick. It is a long and hard road to recovery. You do not know how to recover. You do not want to recover. You do not know what recovery is.
What prompted you to record this record over at Rain City Recorders? What do you feel the team there brought to this specific record?
When people see you live what are you hoping that they are able to get out of the experience?
They bring us freedom. They know our sound and they know us personally. They can say anything to us. They are our conscience. Jesse Gander has a beautiful ear and an impressive heart ... brains too!
Some kind of inhale/exhale, forget the murder, forget the money, forget the knife in your throat. Washed away with volume.
What are you hoping to accomplish here in the new future as Bison?
When searching or thinking up visuals what Mental health, fun and building an army. are some things that you feel are important to symbolize or represent the band in a generalized sense or a song? With the approach to music videos do you find that this is something that you take seriously or something that you want to have the same weight with the themes you have written about? I want people to picture the song the way they want to. I don’t like videos. It stamps a preconceived visual to a song that has the potential to take on many meanings, for many different people. Videos are silly. The video for anti war is my life, very literally. Found footage on my iPhone put together to illustrate the feeling of chaos while feeling like a fraud. Constant Anxiety, with love just below the surface always there to save you.
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LISA JUNIUS etsy.com/shop/lisajunius
@lisajunius
“ I’m Lisa Junius, an artist, illustrator and ceramicist from Luxembourg, a very small country in Europe. My work is multidisciplinary: paintings, sculptures, ceramics, illustrations, design objects, jewellery; mostly in dreamy blue tones. Naked women floating in the universe, stars coming out of their hands and the moon as their companion – this resumes the visuals of my current work. ”
What made you decide to be formally trained in your artistic practice? What parts of your research have you took and put into your illustrative ceramics?
What motivated you to begin your venture into the arts?
I have always been into the arts, because my Grandfather was a painter. I used to play in his studio and sometimes I got to paint a small I have an MA in Fine Arts and Art Research. canvas. It kind of never was a question if I’m I have always known I would study art, and going to be ‘into the arts’, it was a fact. Of the MA was the best option there was, as I course I didn’t know if I could make a living out could create art and get a degree from it. The of it, but I knew that creating would always be research part trained me how to explain and talk about my work and get deeper knowledge a part of me. about topics that are important to me. Some elements from my MA thesis are still in my work. The colour blue, the universe, imaginary scenes and elements of nature were and are now very strong in my work.
Is there any specific point in art history that you What kinds of themes do you like to pursue are most fascinated with and has stuck with within your work? Are there any particular you? narratives that you find yourself drawn to? I can’t say that there is a specific point – art history is so vast and rich. I re-discover new artists and movements every day. A few years ago, I really was into Surrealism, but that changed. At the moment, I’m interested in Ancient Greek art, Pre-Raffaelits and Naif Art. Favourite artists are Chagall, Mirò, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Paul Delvaux and more.
I try not to think too much of a theme or subject when creating. That is something that made me stuck at university. It felt to much like ‘you have to make it like this or that’. It was really important to me to let go of that and only then I got a ‘theme’ that felt like mine. I’m currently working with women-empowering subjects and nature. I’m really interested in Ecofeminism. However, if tomorrow I want to paint something else, I want to feel free to do just that.
Arguably, your ceramics receive the most attention but you extend your work beyond that, pulling your illustrations into canvas painting Is there a topic that you are particularly or enamel pins. How do you feel the mediums passionate about that you have yet to find a way differ from the other in regards to how you to express in your art? approach the project? I’m actually a painter first. I started with ceramics only 2 – 3 years ago. I’m always looking for new mediums as it’s important to me to not be stuck. I need to change, to experiment, to try out things I don’t know. And then I go back to painting. The products I make, such as the enamel pins, are a way to make a living out of my art. And I love making these products too! I’m not sure if there is a difference in approaching a medium – an illustration, a product, a design object, paintings or sculptures: they are always part of the universe that is my art.
I want to do more research on Ecofeminism and see to what that research will lead me in my practical work.
You have a very distinct colour pallet across your work. What is it about the colour blue and the tones that you enjoy? How do you feel this sways the mood of your work? Blue is the color of dreams and imagination. It’s the colour of the sky and the see. As Gaston Bachelard says, it’s the colour of the mind, just like the mind is compared to the cosmos. It’s also a calming and deep colour. These are aspects that are really important to me. On the other hand, it kind of feels like the colour blue chooses me than the other way around. Every time I decide to paint with another colour like orange, I hate it and cover it with blue (while in other people’s work, I really love every colour!).
How do you keep your studio set up in order to maintain productivity and motivation? The most important thing: I have to have all my stuff beside me. There are tons of paint tubes, materials, pencils in my studio. This is necessary, because when I get an idea or I’m feeling really motivated, I HATE to have to go to the store first to buy that specific paper/ paint/whatever. My studio is messy, but not too messy. Just enough messy to feel free to get messy, if you know what I mean.
How would you like to see your ceramics be used in the future and when you first became enamoured with ceramics how did you envision them being used? In the beginning, I was mostly interested in plates, because they have the same flat surface as a canvas. They can be hung like one and therefore felt more close to classic artwork. A the moment, I’m looking forward to creating bigger ceramics, like vases that tell a story. These are more than just vases for decoration. They are more like art pieces for galleries.
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COMEBACK KID comeback-kid.com
@comebackkid_hc
For eighteen years now Comeback Kid has been writing and performing in the hardcore music scene gaining momentum across Canada and then around the globe. With this many years under their belts it’s amazing to see them still thriving as a band with kids lined up out of the door of the venue for hours before they open. On September 8th Comeback Kid released their sixth studio album, Outsider. With it, they hit the road with Counterparts, Stray From The Path and Gideon and we were able to meet up with vocalist, Andrew Neufeld outside of the venue to talk a little bit about their journey to creating Outsider.
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ypically, Comeback Kid has consistently released music over a two to three year period of time, keeping things fresh while still maintaining a healthy fanbase. With Outsider there is about a gap of three years since they had released Die Knowing with Victory Records. Since Comeback Kid is geographically spread out into three different cities of residence currently they find moments where they can come together with their individual ideas and bring them to the table for about a week before heading out in their own separate ways again. “I think a lot of that creativity comes in really short bursts for us so I think it’s good to meet up, do your thing, and get as far as you can, take a step back and then take a few weeks off and come back,” Neufeld explains a little bit of their process. He further discusses how with Outsider in particular there were about four weeks taken within three months, though not all at once, for the writing process. In total, it came to about years worth of writing. “Lyrically, I felt pretty vulnerable during the writing process and making a lot of
questionable choices sometimes,” He explains, “I think the record deals a lot with choices and also, I don’t have one theme or whatever for it but we do have some stuff that talks about the rising fascism.” For a moment Neufeld trails off considering all of the different things that he made subject in Outsider. He reflects on the change in the world that he states we can all feel the shift in it, how we as people can see the regression in what was originally progressing. “I try to take an approach with that so, with the idea of that people have these revolutionary ideas that end up taking our world into a better, more peaceful place and sometimes those people being the first people sets them aside as outcasts. Everyone has to fight for their justice,” but this is only a short part of what he found himself discussing in the record. More than anything it had to deal with a lot of personal aspects in his life, his vulnerability and how he was feeling in the time of writing. “A lot of personal stuff is trying to be a better person and reflecting on how I’m feeling,” he finishes, “I don’t know if I am trying to tell the world anything. I’m just trying to deal with my own shit.”
Comeback Kid has had a lot of time to consider their different strides in their music after producing six studio albums. While they have consistent content coming out they are aware of what brought them to where they are today, “We try to do some throw back stuff on this record and on every record I try to do something,� Neufield states. He notes that while they have consistently thrived in the hardcore music scene that they all take something away from various genres outside of the people that they have grown along with. As for their visuals, they embrace a lot of the performance videos finding cool locations and building off of there. Most recently they have been going into a lot more conceptual features to which they end up surrendering all control to the directors, handing off the lyrical content as well as any notes that the band wanted to see. This way, they have that second artistic endeavour and are able to show off a visualization that nicely couples with the feelings that Neufeld had during the time of writing.
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For a large part of Comeback Kid’s professional career they have been under contract with Victory Records for so many records. Recently, they finished their contract and attached Outcasts to Nuclear Blast in order to move forward. “We talked a little bit about trying to release a record ourselves but it is a lot of work. It takes a little more ease off the band,” Neufeld starts, “We signed with Nuclear Blast because they have offices all over the world and we try to travel as much as possible to different places. We knew that it wasn’t the ideal label to be on in the States but maybe it is for Europe. It’s all new and it’s nice to have a fresh start after finishing a contract.” Even then, the band is aware of the amount of time they spend on the road, being conscious of the time that they spend out as well as the time that they spend at home with each of their personal lives needing at least three weeks at a time to recover from lengthy tours. Back when Comeback Kid first started the internet was just starting to be adopted into the every day.The original line up being from Winnipeg knew that they were land-locked and in a province that did not offer as much as a lot o the coastal parts of North America. This became a large part of what motivated the group to move forward and begin touring and seeking the best opportunities which they could find, “Being from Winnipeg motivated us to book shows for ourselves and get far away from home.” While Neufeld feels strongly
that it’s important for bands to have the drive to move forward and tour he recognizes how expensive it can be and, like many people in the industry, is uncertain if the internet or touring has any better output than the other. “I wouldn’t be able to give advice to bands who are starting. I see a lot of bands fail even when they work really hard and tour a lot. It’s financially draining sometimes and we were lucky to hit it at the right time ... We were still using maps and stuff and we were lucky to be from that era. It has given us that longevity, for sure.” Their tour with Counterparts now at it’s close, Comeback Kids are preparing for another tour that dips down into the states in backing of Outsider. They have a lot to planning around the record, hopefully hitting up multiple European tours and Neufeld is hopeful that they will be able to hit up Australia before the year 2018 comes to a close. “It’s funny because every time we do a record it’s like, okay, we have another three years of planning. There’s always a new place to go or a place we haven’t played in a while or ever. I’m pretty eager to get to some crazy places and I’m not too scared of any danger and am trying to convince the guys to play them.” He laughs to himself, excited to move forward in the coming weeks and continue on his way with their music.
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DALIAH AMMAR daliahammar.com
@daliahammar
Daliah Ammar (b. 1995, Philadelphia) is a PalestinianAmerican artist and designer based in Chicago, IL. Daliah is a recent graduate from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago after receiving her BFA in graphic design + visual communications. In her spare time, Daliah enjoys oil painting. The purpose of Daliah’s work is to transcend the notion of the self and the physicality of paint, resonating from her own vulnerable and personal experiences – as a means of conveying life as it blooms and decays from within. Expressing that awareness of the self and reflecting to the viewer establishes a relationship between themselves and herself. Daliah’s works are confrontational, yet, intimate and personal – using the painted surface as a trope for the physical and psychological presence between the inner self and external viewer.
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hen you look at Daliah Ammar’s website, immediately you see the beautiful, thoughtful and realistic imagery of different people reflected in her paintings. While attending The School of Art Institute of Chicago she took her time in the Fine Arts department to put more time into her paintings. Previously, while in High School she recognized that traditional work with drawing, painting and acrylics was just what she did, and loved to do. “I’ve always been really interested in figurative painting and the human body. I really love the idea of realism,” She states before expressing the lack of support that she received in this vein of work. Ammar found that her courses expressed more interested in the conceptual world of art and had very little patience for those that wanted to take a more representational approach. “I spent my Freshman year in painting classes and found I was getting more out of painting with myself at home than paying four grand to do what I did in the studio. It was like, ‘What am I doing’?” For a while she worked through the frustration and in her second year attended a single Intro To Design course. There had always been some kind of interest, but Ammar’s perspective of graphic design was it being a means of money in the artistic world, that was until she became completely enamoured by the class, “It totally clicked. Graphic design is 100% art. You can communicate with such simple ideas with graphic design. That’s when I switched completely into that department.” While design became something that Ammar put on the front burner there was still a lot of time dedicated to her paintings. Even with the switch in departments she would take as much time at home or on the weekends to focus in on painting. This did not come without it’s own difficulties. “I’ve grown so attached to design that I’ve grown to love it just as much as I love painting. I was an intern over the whole summer and I’ve been working nine to five for the last three months. This is the first time I’ve noticed that it’s like using your brain
to think about design all day. It’s exhausting. I get home and it’s like I don’t have enough energy in my brain to think about painting and think about other art,” She states reminiscing the balance that school had enabled for her to keep both on a similar level. Now things move a little slowly where Ammar as she finds the balance a general struggle, but that does not stop her from still recognizing the passion that brought her into creating all of her work. Out of her struggles, Ammar has created a passion project by the title Wunderkind. The publication largely focuses on younger artists who need help getting their work out there, show casing some of the most talented submissions and people that Ammar’s able to find. Originally starting the project in Junior Year, Ammar found herself completely redoing the publication eventually making it her Senior Thesis. “It’s a really personal project. Coming out of my school I didn’t feel support, especially from in the painting department. Even trying to get my paintings out there on my own without the help of school I had a lot of trouble. Especially since I was young,
nineteen ... I’m trying to squeeze Wunderkind as much as possible in my schedule because I know that it’s an important resource for people,” Ammar explains the feedback that she has received over the past while with Wunderkind and how important it is for her to have that community of outreach in a world that can often seem difficult to attain for artists with similar backgrounds. For Ammar, much of her paintings come from the personal expression that each artist makes when they pose for her. Over the course of her Freshman year she switched into oil painting over acrylic. “I ended up studying that summer with this old masterly painting in Chicago and he taught me the foundations of how to properly start a painting. He taught me about staining and he kind of changed
my colour pallet which is something I was sort of interested in for a while which is sort of a printer, CMYK pallet. He taught me how to start a canvas, how to build a properly stretched canvas.” As a foundation Ammar typically starts working in monochromatic textures and builds up colour to wrap around the subject once the base painting is complete and settled, “I call it sculpting and I think of it more as a form within a canvas and i’m wrapping a form around the colour.” Ammar loves the process of her work, even stating that she loves the idea of doing future portraits that remain in the tones of the under paintings, keeping in tact the raw feeling that this backbone gives the painting. For her, the process is like two separate entities that have a relevance to the painting. Though it is a time consuming process Ammar recognizes that there is a great difference between those paintings which have an do not that the under paintings. When it comes to the actual subject matter of Daliah Ammar’s paintings she takes people as models and paints them based off of the images that she constructed herself. Each person is posed in a certain position but what is the key element to her imagery is that she makes sure that their expression is completely up to them in their resting vulnerability. “There’s something really interesting about that because there’s such a really personal vulnerable thing when they pull this expression and someone’s not looking at you. It’s more about the inside of what this person is feeling rather than telling them what they should be feeling,” she states and goes into talking about when she became invested in self portraiture. It was especially in this time that she saw the beauty in how even though they were technically images of her the paintings had nothing to do with her but rather, “It was about the viewer seeing themselves in the expression
of the self portraits. That’s why those expressions like that came up in vulnerability with somebody seeing you and you not seeing them.” With each image though they made reference of it all most of the paintings are only altered from the original images, especially in terms of colour. In the past and specifically in her sophomore year she has experimented with light and has made light flares to affect the image. This mostly was to enable her to get used to the medium of working with oil. By the time that she had entered into her Junior year she found herself experimenting more with solitude and eventually would go on to create the Wastelands series. “That was a really personal series,” Ammar starts off when inquired about the paintings. This 2017 series of images are unique to those which she had produced before. With the purposeful use of contrast, a dark background and glimpses of the human form coming out of it all. “I kept seeing those one sided relationships. It was really sad to watch happen to the people around me put all that they [had] into one person and it would always be a one way street. I wanted to figure out a way to visualize that,” she tells us why the series goes into diptychs with two people who are always apart and how one of the images will show off the figure completely alone. “There’s always two things needing each othe
or not being able to reciprocate ... I got sick of painting it after a while because it made me too sad,” She states finally unsure if there will be any other additions to the twelve paintings she created for it. After breaking into Wastelands there’s a lot of questions of where Ammar’s paintings will end up going next. Right now Ammar is working in Chicago but has her sights set on some place like Los Angeles or New York for her design work. With as much respect that she has for the city of Chicago there’s just something about it that does not quite keep up with the style of design that she longs for. When considering places that she really wants to venture to aligning with her practice she states that, “New York the design work is always growing and always coming up with something new. Chicago has always been one or two steps behind every other city.” Beyond just the city, she recognizes that there are hardly any galleries or firms that keep her consistently inspired but there is always hope for her work to push her forward into the studio of her dream location in the future. At the moment, Ammar is still looking at a lot of art books and thinking about what she wants to create next. After moving apartments she knows that she has the opportunity to work on a larger scale, previously having to work in her kitchen and make paintings no larger than 35 inches. Often she had to paint things in her lap. Although her love for painting is still strong she recognizes how much design is integrated into her life, “I’m telling
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myself that I won’t let design control my life but I can’t make a plan five years ahead that way. I would love to be a design director or a position like that but with painting I feel like there is something in my work that I am having trouble connecting with, especially recently. It’s probably something inside me that I want to express but I don’t know what that is yet and I don’t know how to do that.” Though Daliah Ammar is uncertain of where painting will take her with design currently having such a forefront she still remains confident that there will be something that comes out of her painting. Within the next five years she’s hoping that she can figure out what it is that she is doing as well as the reason why she continues to paint.
BEARINGS bearingsband.com
@bearingsband
This last year multiple Canadian bands have been finding their way onto numerous reputable labels. Bearings of Ottawa, Ontario are one of those bands that have found their way onto their dream label, Pure Noise Records. Recently the group released their EP, Nothing Here Is Permanent and just finished a North American run with State Champs. In a short amount of time the band has found amazing momentum and has been enabled great opportunities, which all of them humbly express excitement over. We were able to catch up with them at the very end of their run and find out a little more about the most recent release, what they have been up to and what to look out for in the future with the group.
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riginally everyone in Bearings took their time in post-secondary education specifically into the Music Industry Arts Program Four of the five members of the band actually were in the same program, with guitarist Ryan Culligan, being the odd one out but in the class room right across the hall. Between shows and the college connection it did not take a long for something to clique and them all to come together and form Bearings. The band jokes around talking about how the formal education enabled them to understand the finer details of things in their contract, making comfortable banter coming together, guitarist, Tyler Nickel spoke up stating, “We started the band in the program and we figured we all liked the same music, had similar taste, and we all wanted to be in a band professionally and take it seriously. Right after school ended we started wanting to tour, record. We ended up recording an EP at the school we got our first van, which was cool. It was terrible.” Vocalist, Doug Cousins chimes in, “It’s a miracle we survived.” The band continued to push their music and work hard out east, clearly paying off. Out of studying the music industry on a formal level the band was able to pick up a lot of stuff, recording their first EP on their own and understanding a lot of the business aspects that are included in it all. Not only that but once they were handed over their contract for the label they were able to read through it and comprehend everything in the documents. “Nothing could prepare you for sleeping in a van weeks on end,” Doug chimes in with everyone following in nods of agreement. They were lucky enough to get the realities of the music industry laid out for them immediately, and even joked around about spending thousands in order to make hundreds. Although they recorded their own EP’s in the past Bearings ended up splitting up a lot of the recording process for Nothing Here
Is Permanent. Originally, they started the recording process in June 2016 with Toronto, coming back to record an additional two songs in November of the same year. The fifth song did not end up being recorded until months later in April, to which they did in Ottawa instead. Once the fifth song was complete the record was able to get it all mastered. “It was a long process because we took a long time switching things around. We are happy with the way things turned out, though,” Tyler states with Doug immediately agreeing how happy he was that they had waited. They were offered a contract with Pure Noise Records due to the wait and for them it was the label of their dreams and everything that they had wanted. Even then, the fifth song, “Letters Home,” was not initially intended to be on the EP but then became something that they agreed on last minute. When rounding out their experience with the
process they all came to an agreement with Doug stating, “In general it’s a good idea not to record your own band. You need that person to skim over everything and be like, ‘yo, this is dumb.’” The group of guys erupted into laughter. For a moment the group quieted down as Doug talked a little bit about the themes of Nothing Here Is Permanent, “I think there’s a lot of music about a bad thing happening. I feel like on this EP I wanted to be like, yeah, bad things are going to happen but you can have a positive reaction to that and you can bounce it back. I wanted to be different that way, I didn’t want it to be a sad--” “--Cry fest,” Ryan interjected before they all sort of laughed to with one another. “I wanted the lyrics to be like things do get better,” Doug finished. With the way everyone interacted with one another, it was no surprise to find out that though their EP deals a lot with loss and the stress behind it that they keep up a positive outlook to it all.
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A lot of Bearings accomplishments are directly related to the experience that they have had in their respective home town and the province of Ontario. During this last year of different bands getting signed by various labels there was a recognition of excitement in the scene. Rather than the bitter feelings of jealousy there were only happy expressions shared for one another. Together, they all named off various bands in the scene (including F&B featured, Coldfront) that all found various levels of success and attachment to labels. The Greater Toronto Area is nothing less than a family of musicians. Now that Bearings has expanded themselves into another family, the Pure Noise family, they can recognize all of their accomplishment that have come up in such a short period of time. More than anything, though, Tyler wanted to recognize finally releasing the EP, “It took us a really long time so it felt really good to get that out there and people have been responding to the music really well too.”
Nothing Here is Permanent stands out, not just because of the music, but also with the album art work having such a vivid colour pallet. The art work was done by Jake Carruthers who had submitted five different thumbnails of his idea for the art work. When asked about the art work Tyler stated, “We wanted flowers incorporated with the design and he sent us back drafts ... Then we saw that one and were like, that’s really cool. It’s like two people connecting but they can’t communicate.” Ryan expands that, “it’s supposed to be the same guy too, except he’s older and weathered because, you know, nothing’s permanent.”
After a few weeks of touring and being able to release the EP Bearings are now looking to the future. They have already started the writing process for the next record, romanticizing being able to release something in autumn of next year, but there is still a lot of consideration and a lot of time. “We kind of think we know what direction it’s going to go in now but it could change so quickly,” Doug pauses, “I think conceptually, and what the album [has] been about that it will be similar conceptually [to Nothing Here Is Permanent].” With closing thoughts to the record and their experience thus far, the band is able to joke around, considering the fans experience. After I had asked them what they wanted the crowd to leave with Doug quickly joked, “The urge to buy merch,” before laughing and saying, “no, scratch that.” Tyler brought it back into a serious perspective talking about how important it is for them to exert a lot of energy and play as tight as possible for every show, “But connecting with fans is the number one.” When they played shows in Toronto and the
rest of the Greater Toronto Area they were able to experience people singing back words to them. In places like these, people have had the opportunity to see them multiple times. Bearings even commented on the few people who followed them around in the different shows that were closer together on the tour. “It’s cool when fans come up to us after shows and are like ‘Hey, North Hanson means a lot to me, this is my experience an what I’ve been through,’ and you know, I get messages and stuff and it’s kind of crazy ... It’s just a song, well, it’s not just a song, but they are people I don’t know,” Doug reflects before the group starts laughing with the memories of all of the fans that have come up to them. They all have different stories that vary, but ultimately you can feel their great sense of appreciation for those who actually talk to them after their shows. Doug continued in talking about those fans who see them at shows without having any prior knowledge of their music, “We preform for twenty minutes and now they want to check out our band some more, it’s like we are doing something good here, right?” Reflecting on this, only moments after we were finished talking for this interview two people who had seen Bearings perform climbed up on a fence and saw our group together. Instantly they yelled out how stoked they were on Bearings performance, having never seen them before. The band talked with them for a while both while the fans were on the fence as well as when they jumped down to have ground-level conversation. All of the members of Bearings hold a beautiful humble essence to them even in great level of education that helped them in their journey of music, and ultimately coming together. They are a refreshing point on any music scene to see a group that clearly enjoys one another, the music that they are doing and every opportunity that they have been or will be given in the future. Now it is only a matter of time before we hear new music from them again, but Nothing Here Is Permanent is out and available to the public for everyone to hear. Signing off they all made sure that this was the most important thing to leave people with, “Nothing here is permanent, go do what you love.”
Albums In Review C HARTS _________ TOP ALBUM RELEASES 1. Saturation BROCKHAMPTOON 2. Antisocialites Alvvays 3. Laila’s Wisdom Rapsody 4. Hiss Spun Chelsea Wolfe 5. Science Fiction Brand New TOP SINGLE RELEASES 1. “Desire” Kamasi Washington 2. “North Pole” Injury Reserve 3. “Liger”
Young Thug
4. “Flowerchild” Citizen 5. “The Gate” Bjork
7.0
BEARINGS
Nothing Here Is Permanent
Pure Noise Records 08.09.17
Bearings are a Canadian pop-punk outfit and the latest signees to Pure Noise Records. Nothing Here is Permanent is the band’s third EP and pulls influence from emo contemporaries such as Mayday Parade, but their sound still has the playful pop-punk spirit of bands like blink-182. The sound of this EP doesn’t stray far from the band’s influences, although the bass guitar does have a great tone that shines through on a few transitions. “Petrichor” starts off the EP on a high note, but I don’t think the band is ever able to top the incredibly catchy and hard hitting opening moments of the track. The lead single “North Hanson” is definitely the highlight of the record, with its sobering lyrics, reserved bridge and unorthodox yet effective guitar solo at the song’s climax. Tracks such as these prove that Bearings are a cut above a lot of the pop-punk coming out of Canada’s East end. I don’t think Bearings has found a sound that is uniquely them, but there is no denying the band are putting together well-crafted tunes. I surprisingly enjoyed the whoa-oh’s on “Letters Home”, considering how much I typically hate this pop-punk cliché, but they sound pretty and help the song stand out in the track listing. Unfortunately I can’t find much to love about “Spent”, as there just doesn’t seem to be anything special or unique in the track besides a dramatic pause for a swear word. Overall, I thought this was a solid EP and I look forward to seeing if the band will develop a more unique sound on their full-length record. BEST TRACK: “North Hanson” WORST TRACK: “Spent)”
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4.2
BEING AS AN OCEAN
Waiting For Morning To Come
Self-Released 07.21.17
Waiting For Morning To Come is the fourth studio album from California post-hardcore outfit Being as an Ocean, and the first self-released project for the band. Being As An Ocean’s sound has been difficult to pin down, particularly on this latest record, which finds the band experimenting in some questionable ways. I would describe this album as incredibly shy; there doesn’t seem to be a point on the record where two actually coherent songs occur back to back. Instead the album is filled with pleasant albeit unmemorable piano interludes to carry us from one track to another. “Black and Blue” is the first real song on the record and although I enjoy the melancholy chord progression, the trap sounding snares sound terrible in context with the rest of the band. The synthetic drums aren’t always terrible though, I enjoy the hi-hat layers on the chorus of “Glow” and it should be mentioned that vocalist Joel Quartuccio’s singing doesn’t sound nearly as awkward here as it did on previous albums. The moments on Waiting For Morning To Come where the band is actually involved are definitely the most memorable. “Dissolve” has a great chorus from guitarist Michael McGough with beautiful synths and other electronics laced throughout. I also really like the guitar solo that plays out the end of this track. The child-like vocal samples on “Thorns” completely ruin the intriguingly heavy and dark vibe of the song for me, and I don’t know why the piano sample from The Weeknd’s “Reminder” is on the song “Blacktop”, especially since the synth sound the band made for the track is so much more interesting. I think the main reason why this album annoys me is
that it is a fifty-minute project, with only about thirty minutes of actual material; it is as if the album is deliberately trying to waste my time. “eB tahT srewoP ehT” is the absolute worst offender of this; why Being As An Ocean thought anyone would want to listen to four minutes of reversed music is completely beyond me. The second most frustrating moment on Waiting For Morning To Come is directly after this track, and delivers the best instrumental on the album, but that’s all it is… a six-minute instrumental. If “Suddenly, I Was Alone” actually had vocals on it, I imagine it would have been one of the best track on the album. The self titled closer is actually a decent track too, but its been such an arduous ride to get to this point that I’m usually too fed up to enjoy it. I don’t know why this album had to be somebody’s unfinished beat project as well as a Being as an Ocean album, but for some reason the band decided to have these worlds collide. I respect the Being As An Ocean for experimenting and trying new things, but not a whole lot of these experiments pan out into anything all that exciting. BEST TRACK: “Dissolve” WORST TRACK: “eB tahT srewoP ehT”
7.5
CIRCA SURVIVE
The Amulet
and melodies. “Lustration” kicks off the bands latest record The Amulet, and the moment the track started I was pulled back into Circa Survive’s bizarre universe. I love this opener, and Anthony Green’s laid-back vocal delivery throughout the song. I find the man only becomes annoying when he tries to scream, or put any sort of edge into his voice; Anthony’s clean singing and choice of melodies are so fantastically unique that I think it is a waste to have him screaming over a track. It comes off as grating to me, which is why “Never Tell A Soul” is by far my least favorite track on the record. There are some great energetic moments on The Amulet, such as the criminally short “Stay” and the infectious groove at the end of “Rites of Investiture”. “Premonition of the Hex” remains very low-key throughout, and the peculiar 7/4 time signature makes the track stick out much more so than “The Hex”. The longest song in the track listing is “At Night It Gets Worse” and the track definitely ambles for the first two thirds, but Anthony’s haunting vocals over these strange, reversed guitar chords are almost worth the wait. The Amulet is rife with creative and beautiful guitar work, particularly on “Tunnel Vision” and the penultimate “Flesh & Bone”. The album’s namesake comes from the groovy final track, which descends into a trippy psychedelic jam to close out the album which I honestly wish was instrumental. While I do have some reservations about The Amulet, there is no denying that this is an inventive, distinct and absolutely solid addition to the Circa Survive discography. BEST TRACK: “Lustration” WORST TRACK: “Never Tell A Soul”
Hopeless Records 22.09.17
Circa Survive is an American rock band fronted by singer Anthony Green. I enjoy a solid amount of the band’s back catalogue, namely Blue Sky Noise, and I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed Anthony Green’s solo album that was released last year. I always love how Circa Survive seem to pull you into another world with their albums; the music always has such a creative mystique which is only enhanced by Green’s unique voice
7.1 COUNTERPARTS You’re Not You Anymore
Pure Noise Records 22.09.17
You’re Not You Anymore is the fifth studio album from Canadian metalcore band Counterparts. I’ve enjoyed most of Counterparts’ undeviating yet consistent discography up until this point, and while I still don’t think the band has put out a bad record, You’re Not You Anymore is far from their best work. This is noticeable right away, as the band introduces the album with the nonessential “Walking Away Slowly” before quickly transitioning into the first real track “Bouquet”. This song was the well-picked lead single for the album, and delivers some good energy, dynamics and a surprisingly catchy hook. Counterparts has only ever made incremental changes to their sound between albums, and I think the addition of these yelled melodic vocals go over well on specific tracks. It comes off a bit melodramatic on songs like “Haunt Me” as well as “A Memory Misread”, and I think the breakdown on the latter track is so open and over the top that it just sounds silly. Unfortunately the quality of the songs in this record, which also happens to be their shortest yet, is just not up to the standard I am used to the band delivering. Although this is the first Counterparts record where there are numerous downright forgettable tracks, there is some great material on You’re Not You Anymore. “No Servant of Mine” has an awesomely groovy hook, and the heavier passages of the song are great too. The breakdown that closes “Swim Beneath My Skin” has this fantastically noisy guitar lead wailing away over everything, and there are some great tempo changes right at the end of the track. “Thieves” is the band’s token ‘heavy’ song on You’re Not You Anymore and there is no denying that this track gets the blood pumping. I love how disorienting the song feels until the band transitions into the main riff, and there are some filthy pinch harmonics thrown in for good measure. You’re Not You Anymore closes out strong with the beautifully melodic “Fragile Limbs” and the semi epic self-titled ending. I wish Counterparts brought more dynamics to this record, as it rarely strays from the band’s typical formula. I imagine fans of the band will absolutely enjoy this record, but coming into You’re Not You Anymore with a critical ear really made me realize how quickly the band’s sound is getting old. BEST TRACK: “No Servant of Mine” WORST TRACK: “A Memory Misread”
8.1
wanting more. I suppose I could say the same about the album in general, as it is only half an hour long, but there is no denying that Vultures was meticulously put together and remarkably well written.
before killing it for good. It’s hard to find things to say about this album, as it is so far from unique – it’s not terrible, but there isn’t a lot of material on The Peace and The Panic that will stick with me.
BEST TRACK: “Sunrise” WORST TRACK: “Hopeless Dweller”
BEST TRACK: “In Bloom” WORST TRACK: “19 Seventy Sumthin’”
DEAD LEAVES
Vultures
Take This To Heart Records 25.08.17
Dead Leaves are an emo trio from Cleveland, Ohio who I’ve been following since the release of their fantastic selftitled EP in 2014. I fell in love with the band’s dreary chord progressions, solid songwriting and fantastic vocals from frontman Elliot Blair. I have been patiently waiting for Dead Leaves LP for years now and thankfully these ten tracks were worth the wait. I love the lead guitar melody that plays throughout “Talk Me Down”, serving as a bridge between all of the song’s parts. The chorus of “Sunrise” is one I can’t help but sing along to, and the harmonies over the song’s climactic finish are so full of sheer emotion and energy. Dead Leaves’ harmonies are one of the band’s strong points, particularly on tracks such as “Alive in the Spring”, but I wish the lead singer didn’t layer his own voice as it takes away from the raw feel of the album. “Bloodshot” is a fantastic lead single for the album and the closest thing Dead Leaves comes to making a ‘banger’ on Vultures. I love the subtle violins that come in towards the back half of the song, which really add to the intensity of the bridge. The paranoid lyrics on “Die Young” are awesome and I love the advice “You should wait for the room to stop spinning before you start making life changing decisions”. The final track “Deteriorate” encompasses everything I enjoy about the band’s songwriting; the dreary beginning, beautiful melodies and hugely spacious ending. If I had one complaint about Vultures it would be that some songs end too soon and don’t feel properly fleshed out. This is the case for the introduction to the album as well as the acoustic interlude “Wake Me”; both tracks that I enjoy but I’m always left
5.8 NECK DEEP The Peace And The Panic
Hopeless Records 18.08.17
Neck Deep are UK pop-punk band on their third LP with Hopeless Records. It is hard to describe The Peace and The Panic as anything other than a typical pop punk record, clearly influenced by bands such as New Found Glory and blink-182. “Motion Sickness” is a high-octane opener that glides directly into the lead single “Happy Judgment Day”. Neck Deep brings some good energy on the first half of this record, but I found myself gravitating towards tunes like “Parachutes” and “In Bloom”; tracks with catchy choruses and a slightly slower pace. Neck Deep essentially writes a NOFX song on “Don’t Wait”, complete with edgy and politically charged lyrics. Topically, Sam Carter makes sense to appear but sonically he sounds very out of place on this track; I was hoping he would come through with a more melodic performance but instead he’s just wilding out and its quite jarring compared to the rest of the song. I was hoping Neck Deep would be able to bring back some solid tracks and energy to close out the album, but unfortunately there is very little memorable material on the back half of The Peace and the Panic. “Wish You Were Here”, a somber acoustic ballad with some pleasantly subtle piano embellishments, was the only song that really stuck out to me in the record’s second half. I also like the final track’s pop-punk rendition of an old nursery rhyme, which finally gives the album a pulse again
6.6
PVRIS
All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell
Rise Records 25.08.17
All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell is the second studio album from American rock trio PVRIS. I enjoyed the band’s debut White Noise, as well as the recent lead single “Heaven” which contained a fantastic and memorable chorus from vocalist Lynn Gunn. After being pleased with the first single, I was hoping the rest of All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell would see the band turning up the heat and taking some musical risks. “Half” definitely brings the energy I was hoping to hear; I love the buzzing electronics that carry us from the verses into another memorable chorus. I like the groove on “What’s Wrong” but I feel the looped ‘whoa-oh’s’ aren’t doing the track any favors, and I also find “Anyone Else” to be meandering and directionless compared the first two tracks. I love how Lynn begins the chorus of “Walk Alone” quiet, but as the drums become more aggressive she jumps up an octave and the dynamics sound great. “Same Soul” shows off the sheer power and emotion of Lynn’s voice; I’m so glad the band brings solid energy on these tracks and didn’t go in a more musically reserved direction. This is especially the case on “No Mercy” whose pounding, driving drum beat makes it the certified banger on All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell. Unfortunately past this point, PVRIS fails
to leave an impression on me. The last two songs have nothing I dislike but nothing that sticks out as memorable to me either; I almost would have preferred the album without the final two tracks and had “No Mercy” be the closer. Although PVRIS played it fairly safe on this new record, I have to give the band props for keeping the energy relatively high and not making a washed out, down tempo, mind-numbing album that would only further saturate the pop landscape. BEST TRACK: “Half” WORST TRACK: “Separate”
guitar work on tracks like “Pure Devotion”. This is Turnover’s best album by far, but there are definitely some tracks that would’ve fit snugly onto Peripheral Vision, particularly “Breeze” which takes a darker lyrical tone than other songs on Good Nature. Despite how low-key the vocal delivery and instrumentation is throughout the album, it is clear that Turnover has put a lot of effort into making an album full of well-crafted and memorable songs. BEST TRACK: “What Got In The Way” WORST TRACK: “All That It Ever Was”
8.3 TURNOVER Good Nature
Run For Cover Records 25.08.17
Good Nature is the third LP from American rock band Turnover. I would describe the band’s sound as uncompromisingly blissful on this album; if Turnover hasn’t won you over with the laid-back lead single “Super Natural” then little else on Good Nature will. For those who enjoy Turnover’s breezy sound, Producer Will Yip has perfectly captured the band’s vibe on Good Nature. The guitars are bright and clear, the bass has a warm, resonant tone to it, and the drums sound punchy but not overpowering. Austin Getz’ smooth, reverbed voice flows so naturally in the mix; everything about this album’s sound just puts me at ease. I love the gloomy melody on the chorus of “What Got in the Way”, and the vocal harmonies all over “Butterfly Dream”. I find that Good Nature’s Achilles heel is its lack of diversity, but after repeated listens it is easy to hear the nuance that Turnover adds to each song. There are so many beautiful guitar layers on the infectiously upbeat “Curiosity”, and bassist Danny Dempsey expertly fills out the spacey
53
FLESH & BONE in the pursuit of artistic passion
FIN