FLESH & BONE In pursuit of art and music VOL. 15
FLESH & BONE In pursuit of art and music
THE TEA M FOUNDER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Brandynn L. Pope
COPY EDITOR
Donald Kimber
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Brandynn L. Pope
COVER DESIGN
Morgan Fraser
COVER PHOTO
EAFO / Andreas Tiedemann Collaboration
ILLUSTRATOR
Jason Lambidis
WRITING TEAM
Sara Almlah Morgan Fraser Logan Grudecki Ashley Houston Donald Kimber Ethan Oviatt Brandynn L. Pope Cale Zebedee
PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM
Courtney Cook Christina Kelley Clare Kim Rickie Miller Brandynn L. Pope Brittney Tambeau
INQUIRIES & SUBMISSIONS
fleshbonemagazine@gmail.com
WEBSITE
fleshbonemagazine.com
/fleshandbonemagazine
F EATURES 06 08
POLL QUESTION STAFF STORY
Illustration | Jason Lambidis
72 ALBUM REVIEWS 77 PLAYLIST
MU S IC 12
Future Hearts Tour
Review & Photography | Brandynn L. Pope
16 WSTR
Interview | Ethan Oviatt
18
Blacklist Union
20
Jocelyn & Chris Arndt
24
The Relapse Symphony
26
Miss May I
Illustration & Interview | Brandynn L. Pope Interview & Illustration | Brandynn L. Pope Interview & Illustration | Brandynn L. Pope Interview | Ashley Housten
28 Northlane
Interview & Photography | Brandynn L. Pope
34
Kirsty O’Rourke
42
Dragos Sulgheru
50
Joel Penkman
Interview | Brandynn L. Pope
Interview | Brandynn L. Pope
58 EAFO
Interview & Portrait | Brandynn L. Pope
42
AR T
58
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POLL QUESTION: Is it important to title yourself as an artist? Often being referred to as an artist can be a vague representation of what someone is delivering creatively. While to some, having a title as an artist is important, others find the title with indifference. Should artists present themselves with this title? Should they be more specific with the art that they are involved in? Or is there absolutely no need for it at all?
please do not reproduce Jason’s work without his personal consent
Yes 46% Absolutely. I consider myself an artist more than I consider myself a musician. I’m a writer, a painter, a performance artist, a recording artist, and even a fucking con-artist. (BLACKLIST UNION) Yes, I do. We’re lots of things: singers, guitar players, pianists, songwriters, performers. But in the end, those facets of us all add up to how Chris and I express ourselves; music is our art form, and they’re all pieces of that puzzle. Some artists begin with a canvas, others pick up a lump of clay; we start with a line of lyrics or a few chords and create from there. (JOCELYN ARDENT)
I’m probably more likely to call myself an ‘illustrator’ because I feel like that communicates what I do more clearly, but I think it’s important to have a label for yourself if not just for the ease of describing what you do. The problem with the word ‘artist’ is that there can be a lot of different definitions about what an artist is, just as there’s a lot of disagreement about what art is, so I can see why some people would hesitate to give themselves that title. This is also a bit of the reason why I prefer to call myself an illustrator, because there’s not much ambiguity about the term and it doesn’t restrict me to certain mediums.
(KIRSTY O’ROURKE)
I believe strongly in the assertion that all people can be artists, yet there is no denying that those who explicitly title themselves as artists tend to differ somehow. So how then is the distinction made? I turn to the Romantic John Keats, & his theorized quality “Negative Capability” for a large part of my answer, his theory thus: “when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, & doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact or reason.” What Keats means is that the artist easily brushes aside the rational, & finds no need to justify the impossible, foolish, or senseless. For this same reason, it is only the artist that chooses to actively perceive, rather than turn away from, the artistic threads of all things. The factual causality of any situation is instinctually devoured by the meaning of the action in the mind of the artist. Having said all this, I think that from the perspective of the art consumer, the title of artist must remain frivolous. Many will be familiar with the concept of Intentional Fallacy, which is the certainty that the intentions or intentioned design of the artist is unknowable to the consumer. I must accept defeat here, as I see no way around this gap in human understanding. To summarize, the title of artist is critically important to the self-identification of the artist itself, allowing them to break the bonds of reason and explore art unbounded; however, to justify the title of artist at the level of the work, or art consumer, is impossible unless one can consider the artist & art analogous. (I cannot.) Leaving me to answer this question “yes” when asked, but “no” when asking others. A sad conundrum indeed. (DONALD KIMBER)
No 54% It doesn’t really bother me, nor do I think it’s really important to label yourself that. If you want to then sure, go ahead! If you’re doing something creative as an expression of your feelings, then I guess it’s art! But I never refer to us as an ‘artist;’ it’s just a hobby of ours we’ve done for years that’s luckily becoming something more than that. But that doesn’t make us any different from some kid in their bedroom jamming along to blink songs, we still do that!
(KIEREN ALDER of WSTR)
Maybe not, but it seems necessary to have the label of “artist” to distinguish between expression and execution. In my opinion, not everyone who paints is an artist, not everyone who plays an instrument is a musician, and not everyone who writes is an author. (EAFO)
If you are doing art, of course you’re an artist.
(MARINA LISANDRA)
I’ve never really thought of that. I’m not sure if it’s important to title yourself. I think it’s more so creating the art. If you focus too much on being an artist, I don’t know, I’m doing what I’m doing and playing music because that’s what I love to do it’s never been an “artist” kind of thing.
(MARCUS BRIDGE of NORTHLANE)
Call yourself whatever you want, it’s what you do that matters. ( JOEL PENKMAN)
Jason Lambidis
“ I’m Jason Lambidis and I’m from Greece. I’m
half-English, and I also got a bit of a background from Turkey and Ireland, so you could call me a mongrel. TICTAIL STORE FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM - TUMBLR
How long have you been working in illustration? I’ve been working as a freelancer for the past seven years.
What do you find yourself reflecting on the most in your work? That just tends to rotate around my current mindset/mood really. Just as what I listen to music wise, what I eat, what I see and of course what I feel. It’s all part of the same equation. And as with the aforementioned, I like the sense of delving into uncharted waters, but also the feeling of coming back to something that’s familiar.
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What’s the “dream” location you’d like to see your work in? On her wall.
What sort of materials do you use?
Anything that makes a suitable mark really. I enjoy trying out new tools and I think being versatile and multifaceted in your craft is vital to get problems solved more efficiently.
Please tell us about one of your selections.
I have included an album cover that got scrapped, which I enjoyed working on as a personal piece. As the band was from Scotland, and the pitch was made during their independence referendum, politics bled into the theme. Suburban dystopia, endless rows of identical houses throughout the UK came to mind, as well as the Thatcher era and major punk bands that reacted to that. An array of other current sociopolitical issues also found their way into the cover. Feminism was hinted with the rugby bat wielding girl obviously scarring the boy to her left. Animal rights were addressed with the fox being in turn killed and dragged away by another schoolboy. And last but not least, LGBT was mentioned with the boy sporting a pair of red heels. Little details such as the graffiti, the gasoline canister with a lit cigarette left on an ashtray on it, the toy soldiers and the bucket of books, add furthermore to create a suitable web of contrast between history and the unquestionable devolution of the human race.
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MUSIC
Future hearts tour ALL TIME LOW | SET IT OFF | NOVA ROCKAFELLER
Venues such as MacEwan Hall have held multiple concerts where adoring fans would sit and wait six hours or more before the doors were even expected to open. It was no surprise then, to see at 2:17 PM a team of five girls were already lined up, ready for the doors. By the time 6:00 PM rolled around, the line had grown to a size I would never recognized as leading into the halls of this venue. Hundreds of people were lined up, tickets out, ready to race to the merchandising tables or cement their spot on barricades. Previous to the show, I had little knowledge of the opening act: Nova Rockafeller. I soon came to understand that she was from Edmonton, Alberta, only three hours north of MacEwan Hall. Though local to Alberta, several people made comments about not knowing the artist. To my surprise, the crowd took great enthusiasm into her act, versing back her words: “Nova is the best rapper in Alberta.” Her energetic performance sparked waving hands in the crowd, and acted as a perfect way to frame the night for Set It Off and All Time Low. The last time that Set It Off was in Calgary was in April of 2013, when the band had played in a small venue that the city lost not long after. Only a rough count of one hundred people could fit into that venue. Now upon returning to the city, they perform to a
sold-out show of kids who were just as excited to see them as they were to see headliner, All Time Low. Set It Off chose to perform songs exclusively from their most recent album, Duality. Kids jump up and down excitedly, singing songs that they had only a year to become acquainted with. Every member of the band jumped across the stage excitedly, interacting with the crowd and making sure that they were having the time of their life. Frontman Cody Carson jumped down into the barricades and over to the crowd to grab as many hands and sing with as many people as he possibly could. Throughout the entire show there was non-stop crowd interaction accompanied by the waving of a flag that bore their band’s logo. For a single song, Set It Off slowed down their set to perform “Wild Wild World.” Guitarist Dan Clermont took to the piano, and their other guitarist Zach DeWall switched out his electric for an acoustic. Cody informed the crowd of his stance on the song, dedicating it to the people that still, “did not get it,” how their prejudices were infectious to the world in the fight for human rights, equality, and love. This stirred the crowd in a whole new way, causing them to sway to the words of hope for the future. The soft break did not detour the band away from bringing the crowd back up into zealous excitement. By the end of their set, Carson pulled out a blow-up boat, jumped on it, and found himself sailing off on a sea of fans.
Following the energetic end of Set It Off’s set, All Time Low opened up with the ceremonial sounding track “Satellite,” which also happened to be the opened of their most recent release, Future Hearts. Lights low, the band stirred up the crowd with their visual dramatics. The song enabled the band to build-up into their next, more energetic song, “Lost In Stereo.” Any chance they got, the guys would detour from their microphones, jumping up on the boxed monitors to engage a little more with the crowd. Known for their on-stage banter, All Time Low did not disappoint. Along with the additions to their bra collection, came a journal. Through the narrative of guitarist Jack Barakat, we find that the journal has been written in almost all the way through, but still, he takes a moment between a few songs to write about his experience on the stage. His moments of writing in his journal became a humorous moment for everyone watching. The show continued to stay upbeat, and the band played anthemsongs such as “Weightless” and “The Reckless and the Brave.” Those who know the backstory of Set It Off’s Cody Carson and All Time Low are well aware of All Time Low’s adherence to crowd participation. Right before playing their song “TimeBomb,” the band fired up a spotlight to pick out different people in the crowd, asking them to join them on stage to sing and dance to the music. Of the kids who were on stage, two of the three boys were the most excited, 14 | Flesh & Bone
jumping up on boxes, screaming along with all of the lyrics to the Dirty Work tracks. After the song was over, the kids walked down the side of the stage to join the crowd again, prompting the band to play their final track. Closing down the main show, All Time Low performed their first single off of Future Hearts, “Somethings Gotta Give.” The band openly discussed their plans to come back on stage for their encore before even leaving the stage. Given enough time for them to take a quick breather the band came back onto the stage strumming out “Kicking And Screaming,” another song from their 2015 album. Taking a turn from their most recent album to their earliest, the group came together to play the classic track “Jasey Rae.” Though a lot of the crowd included younger fans, those who have been following the band since their early years in 2007 sang along to the song passionately too. Once Cody Carson joined the stage to sing the bridge, the room erupted with some of the most popular lyrics in All Time Low’s arsenal. Directly following the song, All Time Low started playing a medley of songs that were also seen during their time at the APMA’s. Kicking off with Green Day’s “American Idiot,” the fathers who attended the show with their younger children had to grin widely, mouthing the words enthusiastically. Though this is a new addition to the bands set list, there are some things that never change. As expected, All Time Low finished the night with their famous track “Dear Maria, Count Me In.” Nostalgia flowed through the room, bringing together both the old as well as the new fans of the band. After nearly three years of waiting for the return of All Time Low, the crowd had no reason for disappointment. Now they just have to wait for the next time that the band will undoubtedly return to put on another energetic, funny, and ultimately entertaining show.
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My name’s Kieren Alder, I’m 23, and I’m one of two guitarists in the band “ Hi!WSTR. We’re a pop-punk band based in Liverpool, UK, and have been around since the start of 2015. Although we’re a North-West based band, I’m actually from a little town down South called Dorchester. There’s not much there but bales of hay and old people. How long have you been playing music together? We’re actually a really new band! We have only been playing music as the five of us for 8 months now, the day I met Sammy and Alex for the first time was actually the day we shot the video for ‘Graveyard Shift.’
Had any of the group been playing music together prior to WSTR? I moved to Liverpool for uni a few years back and I remember adding Kieran on Facebook early on because I liked the look of the bright green drum kit in his profile picture. I figured he might come in useful one day, and look where we
are now! Somehow I ended up jamming with Kieran and Danny, who had been in bands together before, for a few months in this little room that more or less became my second home. We actually wrote the music to a couple of the songs that ended up on SKRWD in that room!
How did joining the No Sleep Records roster come about? Our manager sent our EP around to a lot of people including No Sleep, and I guess they liked what they heard from the get go. We got talking and it just went from there really! It was all a bit surreal and unexpected to be honest, but we owe a lot to the team we have behind us for it.
Is there a sole creative force in the writing process or does everyone write their own parts?
Since signing, has there been a change in show attendance or the band’s notoriety? What prompted everyone to leave their jobs and commit to recording and touring? None of us have quit our jobs! We all still work typical day jobs to fund the band. It’s hard work, and it can sometimes get really stressful, but we’re in such a great position right now and we’re extremely grateful for the opportunity we have been given, so we can’t complain. We had only played a handful of shows before we announced we had signed with No Sleep, all of which were either festivals or one-offs with pretty popular bands, (Man Overboard, ROAM, Trash Boat, Neck Deep), so the attendance has always been really good. It just sucks that nobody really knows our music well enough just yet, as we have only got 3 songs released, but that will change very soon with the release of our EP this week!
Given that you’re touring and beginning to make music more full time, will the lyrical content change with time? I think that the lyrical content could change with time for sure, but I can’t vouch for Sammy too much as that’s really down to him, and that’s totally fine with me because I love his lyrics. But I’d like to think that if he were to re-write ‘Devils ‘N Demons’ this time next year, it’d have a bit more of an upbeat feeling towards being in a band!
It’s a big collaborative process generally. Initial ideas tend to come about from one person, then we put those ideas forward and just take it from there. For the EP, half the music was written just jamming it out in a practice room, but at the moment we seem to be writing more in the computer than as a live band. Both ways of writing have good and bad points, but as long as it sounds good then we don’t really mind who writes it or how they write it! Was there a specific song or moment that inspired you to write for WSTR? Not really, no. We just write songs that sound good to us, and that’s it really! When we found Sammy though, we knew this was the band we’d always wanted, so I guess that moment was ‘the one’ if you wanna call it that.
It seems that you’re open about being a pretty straight forward pop-punk band. With that in mind, is there a band who influenced your writing style that no one would expect, or that maybe isn’t readily apparent? I think it’s pretty clear that we’re influenced by a lot of typical bands, blink-182, Sum 41, and all those bands we grew up on, but we listen to all sorts. Alex is a total metal-head for starters. We listen to a lot of heavier stuff, as well the whole ‘grunge/emo’ scene that seems to be catching on lately, bands like Basement and Title Fight being the obvious choices. But I think that our music is just straight up pop-punk, it’s a blend of the old skool and modern bands that we love listening to.
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A
t the tender age of thirteen, Tony West of Blacklist Union ran away from his broken, New York City home. His parents had gone through a bitter divorce and custody battle when he was merely five years old. West has stated that througout his life he has ended up abusing drugs, and dealt with the often negative, and difficult lifestyle that Los Angeles offers. With the help of influential bands such as Guns N’ Roses, Soundgarden, and Black Sabbath, West was able to establish his passion for music and invest time into what would eventually become his work in the Blacklist Union. For him, it’s important to embrace what those bands had represented, stating that, “I like bands that come across real and primal and authentic. Bands like [that] you know, they definitely came across that way to me, and it moves me. It’s inspiring, and it’s awesome.” A brief look at any of his music videos or his social media presence shows this same style that the Blacklist Union is trying to portray: raw and passionate rock music. With the exception of singing the songs, the goal for West is to leave his audience in awe. West says that, “I’m a performance artist. I am a recording artist. And some would even say I’m a con artist. I like to keep it that way and remember that it’s all show.”
The trouble for any musician is the inescapable fact that there will always be some sort of obstacle. Just to attempt a career as a musician can be difficult and draining, both physically and mentally. Blacklist Union has been active since 2004, and fully understands the struggle of the lifestyle. When asked about the trouble artists face, he expressed that, “it’s extremely difficult for artists creating new work. Especially veteran artists. Look at Aerosmith, who just put out a CD that just really didn’t do anything. I don’t know if there can be something to revitalize the whole thing. I certainly hope there would be, but this is way bigger than me.” Audiences are continuously growing, whether they grow out of, or into, a new genre of passion, it can play a difficult roll for musicians moving forward. West has gone as far as to say that you can no longer trust the music industry types, and that giving them money is risky. West emphasizes that, “The business does not exist. The infrastructure we once knew is gone, so we’re kind of left holding the bag and trying to still be creative and still be an artist.” Regardless of the struggle, Blacklist Union is still pushing through, and is releasing their fourth album on June 13th, entitled Back To Momo. This album contains tracks that are a lot lighter than their previous albums, embracing the fun side of what the band represents while still being very real and true to who they are. The album’s single, “Alive N’ Well Smack in the Middle of Hell,” which was adapted into a music video, does a great job of
displaying the album’s fun, yet distinct qualities. West states that the album was going, “back to basics. We wanted to make a kick-ass blues influenced record that screamed the guitars and had plenty of energy.” Now that they have released this album, the men that make up Blacklist Union are taking a much-needed break before they are able to go out and tour again to show off their playful and memorable performance style. Be reassured that there is no true quit in these artists, and that they will always bring something to be remembered to the table.
Jocelyn & Chris Arndt “ Hey guys! I’m Jocelyn. Nice to meet all of you! I guess I should probably tell you
a little about myself. I’m a Boston-based blues-rock singer. My brother Chris and I grew up in a teeny tiny town in Upstate NY named Fort Plain. Think really teeny tiny. Like more cows than people. We’ve both been surrounded by music for our entire lives – my parents have a ginormous CD collection, and some of my earliest memories are sifting through rows of shiny plastic cases, picking my favourites and popping them into an old boombox. And there weren’t any limits on genre, either – we listened to everything from Meatloaf to Shania Twain to Evanescence. It wasn’t long before Chris and I both decided we wanted to be the ones on the CDs. I started taking piano lessons, and he picked up a guitar. By a fluke, I started singing. And then we started writing out our own music. That’s when things started to get really interesting. Fast forward a few years, and we’re working on our second release, “Edges”! It’s all been a pretty crazy ride.” FACEBOOK - WEBSITE - YOUTUBE
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Who are some of your greatest inspirations in music?
What is it about music that you are most passionate about? What made you want to pursue it as a career? It’s tough to pinpoint a single part of music that’s my favourite, but if I have to pick, I’d say performing. I can’t even explain the crazy rush that comes from sharing something my brother and I have written with a crowd and seeing that it makes people feel happy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s terrifying too. I still get nervous before every show. But the fact that I’m able to make other people happy by sharing a part of myself is completely worth the nerves. That’s what makes music so powerful.
What is it about the music that you guys create that you love the most? I love the process. I love seeing a song come to life with a little coaxing, building it from the ground up. Most of all though, I love that I can look back after Chris and I have finished a song and relive every emotion we’ve woven into it, whether it’s sad, joyful, or somewhere in between. Songs are amazing that way – they’re like living, breathing snapshots of life. They let us relive things we might forget otherwise. It sounds cheesy, but I really love that Chris and I can write songs knowing that the effort and feeling we put into them is preserved somehow so that other people can experience it, too. It’s like bottling lightning.
Chris and I listen to all sorts of music, but we’ve definitely each got our favourites. He loves classic rock bands with groovy guitar sounds. On any given day you can find him listening to a steady stream of Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Mark Knofler. I love big voices, those singers you only need to hear two notes from to know exactly who’s behind the microphone. Aretha Franklin, Pat Benatar, Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, Beyonce, and Grace Potter are some of my favourites. I think the fact that Chris and I have different musical interests actually really helps our songwriting. We each draw from our own influences, and the result is twice as creative as it would be if either of us were to write alone.
As a student of Harvard University, how do you feel the experience has influenced your career in music? In what ways has it opened your eyes? Harvard has been huge to every part of my life. My experience there has really opened my eyes a lot—Chris and I come from a tiny farm town in the middle of nowhere, so going to college in Boston with kids from around the world is really an insane experience. I used to be able to go down to the local gas station to buy a slice of breakfast pizza in the morning and greet every person I saw by first name. It’s a little different in Boston. Harvard has also taught me true humility—I realize that there are people I’ll never even measure up to in every category of life. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to go to class with people who work harder than I ever thought possible, or who have been writing computer code since they were in a crib. It really pushes both Chris and I to work as hard as we can and try to excel in our music, our area of expertise. I think that’s the most important effect Harvard has had on us.
What is it like being able to constructively work with your brother, Chris? Would you say that family is one of the most important aspects of your career? Chris and I have an incredibly close relationship. We’ve been best friends for most of our lives. We were always sort of outcasts in elementary and high school. It’s not that we were bullied or anything; our family has always just done its own thing, without worrying about what everyone else is up to. Other kids played baseball; we learned instruments and became ski instructors. Having Chris there with me made it all possible. I don’t think either of us would have made it and kept happy if it weren’t for each other. Sometimes arguments can get heated, yes, but we both know that we’ll wake up the next morning and still have each other. That’s never going away, and having that constant support and help is invaluable. This career in music is hard won for both of us, and we are a team that will never break up. That’s just the way it is.
Reflecting back on your time spent on tour, what is one memory that you are particularly fond of? Touring is an absolute blast. You travel around and do crazy stuff with a bunch of crazy awesome people, eat cool food, play music every night, and just basically live life to the fullest. So picking one single favourite memory is pretty tough. There are certainly an abundance of honourable mentions, like the time Chris left his pants out in the rain, or when we convinced our rhythm guitarist to eat an entire box of cosmic brownies throughout the course of a single day. But I think the one that takes the cake is probably getting to go backstage at the Mountain Jam music festival. We watched Grace Potter perform from, like, 20 feet away. We even made it into the background of one of her live videos! Then, the next day, we saw Government Mule from the same distance and met some of the band members backstage post-show. Danny Louis and I chatted it up for a few minutes. I’d never met him before then, so it was really nice to talk to him, since he’s recording on our upcoming album. That whole weekend was a blur of just total awesomeness.
What do you like to try to express to people through your music? Regardless of whether someone is listening to a recorded track or listening to you live for the first time, what do you want them to take from the experience? The first thing I want them to do is like it, and remember it. I don’t want to write a song people listen to and forget. Chris and I don’t really believe in writing “fluff” material to fill out an album—we’ve never put out a song without being fully satisfied that it stands up to our other material. Since I’m mainly the lyricist, I really like it when people connect emotionally with the lyrical content of the song. I think it means I’m doing my job well if someone starts crying or gets really happy or has some other sort of emotional reaction to our music. And lastly, I want them to get into the music of the song too. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing audience members rock out to us. Anything like that, where the music we write affects people . . . the feeling is absolutely priceless. It’s what it’s all about, and why Chris and I write music in the first place.
The Relapse Symphony Out of Washington, DC comes the hard-hitting rock group The Relapse , Symphony. This group has made their way up quickly in the music industry in part taking While n. formatio their signing to Standby Records not long after Von Bret an, front-m this years Warped Tour, we were able to catch up with Dehl, and see what they are up to now that their album Born To Burn has been released. FACEBOOK - WEBSITE - INSTAGRAM
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To those who haven’t listened to the new record yet, how would you best describe it for them? What was it like to be part of the music scene in Washington, DC? How did that community help, (or hinder,) your pursuit of music? We were never really part of a “scene” in DC. There really wasn’t one when we started playing. We got signed to a label and went on tour very quickly. We didn’t slug it out as locals this time around. We’d all been doing that in bands for years before TRS.
In what ways do you feel you have progressed since the release of your EP, Time’s Running Out, and how has that influenced the creation your new album Born To Burn? When we wrote and recorded that EP, we’d only been a band for a few weeks. We were still feeling out each other and what kind of band we were going to be. After touring for a couple years, I definitely think we tapped into that with Born To Burn. I like to consider BTB our first album.
What excites you most about releasing this new music? How great it is, first and foremost. The songs are so much better than anything we’ve done in the past. I listen to album as if I wasn’t even in the band. It’s safe to say, if I wasn’t, I’d most definitely be a fan. I’m very proud of the material. I also think this album represents us as a band and our personalities much more accurately than our other releases.
It’s an honest and angry hard-rock album. It’s got so much to say and doesn’t hold back. The hard-rock genre needs more of what we do.
You are well known for having an energetic attitude and being involved in antics while performing. What inspires this energy? What do you want people to take out of your show once it is over? I felt that energy the very first time I laid my eyes on Elvis Presley performing the ‘68 Comeback Special on TV when I was about 5 years old. As he used to say: “I can’t help myself!” A few years later I found Guns N Roses and The Stooges. Axle Rose and Iggy Pop have always fascinated me. They have a little something to do with it as well. Along with a lot of other influences. I just want people to take away the fact that we are 5 people who give blood, sweat and tears to their passion for music and we’ll stop at nothing just to keep playing Rock-N-Roll.
What is some advice that you have been given and feel is important to pass on to others? Never give up and never think you’re too cool.
Now that you’ve gone through the Warped Tour run, what is next? We’re at home filming some new music videos and then it’s right back out on the road!
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iss May I has grown quite a bit over the years. Whether this growth is determined by the size of their fan base, the number of albums they’ve released, or how many Twitter followers the band’s account has, their success is apparent on all fronts. Now with a fifth album under their belt these Warped Tour veterans have no plans of stopping. I recently caught up with front-man Levi Benton and got the chance to ask about the band’s new album. Despite all of Miss May I’s successes and triumphs, any musician or band will tell you that part of being a band for roughly seven years is dealing with the hard times as well. When asked where the inspiration(s) for the album came from, Levi explained that, “we, (the band,) had a very rough 2 years, and almost called it quits a few times just because of the morale we had. But we made it through all of that and helped each other make it to the studio to do this album.” After making it through that tough time, and deciding to head to the studio to create the record Deathless, one could
use the word deathless as an adjective in the band’s story. Deathless, released August 7th, could easily be considered the most dynamic record Miss May I has released to date. The title track is a good reflection of the dynamic nature of the whole album, as well as the sound that I believe the band is truly looking to convey. Their previous release, Rise of the Lion (2014), didn’t have the same consistency that 2012’s At Heart had, and was lacking the aggression of their previous albums. Nevertheless, they have continued to develop musically, and the new album is a statement to their maturity and ambition. Levi seems to comment on the album’s spirit when he explains that, “hard times have come and gone and will continue to, but I think those times are what make us more like brothers. We have learned a lot over the years and we have gotten closer as individuals. I think us having the mentality that this is special and fun makes it not feel like a job, and yet a continuation of our childhood dreams coming true.”
Northlane Following the departure of vocalist, Adrian Fitipaldes, Northlane was under a lot of speculation as they held open auditions for the newly opened position. Globally, people were submitting to Northlane for the chance to be the new frontman of the band. When it was all said and done, fellow Australian Marcus Bridge was chosen, and since then the band has been on a whirlwind of recording and touring. On July 24th of 2015 the band released their first full length with Marcus, Node, receiving praise for his fantastic range, and fan acceptance of the change in line-up. While touring with the album, we were able to catch up with Marcus and ask about his views on how Northlane is doing, and where they are heading.
“W
e wanted to make sure there was a product to release before it was announced that I was the new guy or the new change,” says Marcus Bridge right away: immediately addressing his new roll as the frontman for Northlane. The release of the track “Rot” on November 19th, 2014 was the first fresh release in Northlane’s “new” direction. The track squashed any concerns of what would be next for the band, ceasing the inquiries into their progression without Adrian. The truth of the matter is, the band is not exactly the same as they were before. This is a fact that Bridge addresses, stating that, “we’re a very different person, how we perform is different as well. I think I’m bringing something completely different rather than recreate what’s already been done.” Seeing that it has been almost a year since the announcement of Bridge’s position, fans have been given time to accept the change and have even been given a full-length album to appreciate. That album came to be as a product of Jon Deiley, Northlane’s guitarist, maintaining musical control of their works. Deiley is even said to have written the majority of the music’s skeletons. In the past, Adrian would have accompanied the music with his own lyrical content and melodies, but now, that responsibility is shared with Bridge and Josh Smith. Bridge explains that they would write the lyrics together, and if Smith had not already come up with something, then Bridge would create the melody to it all. “It’s really cool actually,” Bridge spoke enthusiastically, and recalling, “I suppose when I first joined I was a little scared of what I was going to bring to the lyrical table. I really like working like
that because then we can focus on working on different things and make sure they can be the best that they can be. I don’t think we would of come out with as good of a product if it was just one person handling it all.” With the actual release of Node, the band was able to start-up their new path, and have something to show for all the work they have put into creating a memorable refreshing of Northlane. The album holds clear statements on how the band views the earth in its current place, as well as their great desire to find the best for society and the environment. Node is inspired by his passionate love of the world as well as all the things that are hurting it. The definition of node itself, is a point where multiple components join or cross over. More than anything, it is a view of how people can come together and find positive means of change in the world. “Look at gay marriage in the US, if it wasn’t for people being passionate about that, speaking out about it, nothing would of happened. It shows that when people stand up for something change can happen,” Bridge exclaims. In Australia there is a struggle between the people and oil companies who are drilling through the Great Barrier Reef. Protests have taken place against the coal mine that is endangering life. In their own means of protest, Northlane wrote the song “Leech,” making a commentary on the greed behind industrialization
and the preservation of the worlds natural beauty. Lyrically, it is not too difficult to figure out the subject they are trying to pursue. Bridge goes on to explain that, “there’s a lot of different things on the album that’s definitely more metaphorical, yet straight to the point and telling you that you can do this or here’s the problem and you can make the change if you but the effort in.” The hopeful messages that Northlane explores travels past their music and even into the videos that they produce. One video that comes to mind is “Impulse,” a song that is clearly exploring the tunnel vision that technology has given people. When asked about the visual adaptation, Bridge explained that, “the whole floating thing is meant to represent people being stuck on their phones and always kind of looking at it and not really socializing with people. It’s really just making younger people have a harder time talking to people or to hold a conversation without being weird about it,” and then pausing for a moment to chuckle he says, “I can
say I am guilty of it too, but I’m getting better at it. I’m sure everyone’s a little guilty of it too.” While Bridge is hopeful that there will be some change in the attitudes that children have towards technology, he still reflects on how young people are bombarded with these devices. While only a short few years ago things such as Gameboys were the first handheld device for kids, they are now receiving iPads and cellphones. “It’s so weird. It’s really not great. I don’t know how people are going to go from this and how social life will change, how people will talk to each other. It’s really . . . dark.” Bridge feels that it is important to have music videos that are visual representations of the music that they are creating, especially since their content is largely based on human awareness. With ideas such as the dark side of technology, there’s a video that can be displayed on the same devices that are being spoken of, and hopefully lead to some sort of healthy idea of resolution. This has easily become the “brand” of the band. With album art that also
follows the meaning behind it all, and the message of the band, Node flips a hierarchy upside down, and as Bridge states, “flipping it around gives more power to the people.” Their songs have such universal messages, and with appreciation from fans across the globe, Northlane has been able to tour multiple countries in a short period of time. With the release of Node, the band ventured over to North America, experiencing a headlining tour much different from any that they had, had in Australia. When asked about the differences, Bridge starts off saying, “it’s obviously a lot bigger of an area to cover. It’s a bit different. It’s really cool to come to the other side of the world and especially for me to not of really experiences much of this before.” Their first show on the tour was nearly sold out, along with multiple shows to follow it. Of course, Australia’s hometown fans have shown them a great amount of appreciation as well, but there is always a bit of a different feeling seeing people so far from “home” react to their music positively. Bridge commented that, “It’s really weird to see people so excited about it, it’s like, I’m just some guy. I’m not used to it I guess.” While Northlane has undergone some structural changes, the band is as powerful as they ever were. The release of Node, the embrace that fans have had for their changes, and their strong voice regarding change is a great example of that power. They represent something that is meant to give strength to all of their fans, and anyone who feels respect towards the earth and those who inhabit it.
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ART
Kirsty O’Rourke WEBSITE - INSTAGRAM - TUMBLR
“ I’m a 20 year old soon-to-be illustration student
from the southeast of England. I enjoy drawing, mark-making, digitally painting, sewing, taking photos, and collaging. I’m most interested in the recording and journalling part of art, using different mediums to take note of my experiences and going through too many sketchbooks in too little time. ”
Are you a self-taught illustrator or did you attend postsecondary? I taught myself how to draw and paint, but I was taught graphic design and how to illustrate at post-secondary.
Is everything you shared on your “sketchbook” page from a single sketchbook? Additionally, would you describe this page as showing your own thought processes, or more as things that are inspiring to you? Would you say that each page is a representation of art in its finalized state? My sketchbook page is a collection of about three sketchbooks, either from different college projects or personal ones done over a few months. They’re a mix of final images and thought processes, but I try and present every double page spread as a finished piece and something that could stand on its own, even if it’s just the first planning stages of a project.
What medium resonates with you the most when you are creating your illustrations? What is it about that medium that you find most attractive? Sometimes I like to work in just pencil because of the range of marks you can make with it and the level of detail you can achieve, but lately gouache is turning out to be my favourite medium. I’ve always had trouble with painting, and gouache has made the process a lot easier compared to acrylics for some reason.
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You have shown off a lot of “studies” through your different social media sites. These include projects such as drawing the back of someone’s head, the expression of eyes, or hands. While this is always a good practice for an artist to have, why is it something that you consistently explore? Repetition is really good for understanding how things work. If there’s anything I don’t really know how to draw, like hands or anatomy, I’ll draw and “study” it over and over again until I’m confident enough in my ability to draw it. There’s also a lot you can show through hands and eyes, and I like to see how much expression and gesture I can fit into a drawing without explicitly showing a facial expression, those parts of the body lend themselves to that really well.
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A lot of your work seems to revolve around people, their expressions, and their psychological natures. Would you agree with this assessment? Is this a theme that you often find yourself pursuing? What other themes do you like to explore in your art? I’d definitely agree, especially as I’ve started to look into ways to express mental illness through art. People are the most interesting subject to me both in terms of portraying them and what they can represent in art - and sometimes it’s just easier for me to execute an idea when it’s attached to a person. People have kind of come to represent a lot of my problems with mental illness as I’ve explored that as a subject, so that might also be why they come up a lot. As well as mental health, a lot of my work has themes of memory and dealing with change.
When it comes to expressing different themes, how do you decide what medium you want to use for them? What power do you think stitch work has over something like photography, or just pencil work? It’s a mix of what I think would be best technically and how important it is to the overall concept. With quick studies or experimentation, it’s mainly just a means to an end. However with projects like ‘Stitch Therapy’, which was centered around using art and embroidery to cope with anxiety, the medium was just as important as the theme itself which I wanted to emphasize by framing my final pieces in embroidery hoops. In that case, stitch work was the most impactful medium I could have chosen. In another project, “Loss,” I chose to present a series of manipulated photos because I wanted to highlight a loosening grip on reality, and so manipulated photography made the most sense to me. It just depends on what the connection the medium has to the concept, but every medium has the potential to either be powerful or fall short.
How important is art in modern society? It depends on what people’s definition of “art” is, but I would say it’s incredibly important. Art is fundamental to selfexpression, and so much of modernday society is built on the need to express ourselves. This can not only be seen in the more explicitly artistic forms of expression like dancing, poetry or painting, but also in how we present ourselves to the world. The beauty and fashion industry is an art form in itself that requires a lot of artistic talent, but also architecture, furniture design and even engineering all place importance on aesthetics and presenting a certain image to others. Everything we consume or produce in modern day society is an extension of how we see ourselves and how we want others to see us, so following that logic, art plays an intrinsic part in how we navigate the modern world.
Where would you like to see your art in the future? What do you want people to take away from what you are doing, whether it is commercially based, or your own artistic ventures? I don’t think I mind where my work ends up. It’s more important to me that whoever sees it can relate to it or find meaning in it for themselves, particularly in more personal work that touches on mental health. I use art as a means of communication, and if what I’m doing isn’t communicating anything to anyone then there isn’t much of a point to it to me.
Dragos Sulgheru Born in Romania. Living in Rome (Italy). TUMBLR - FACEBOOK - BEHANCE
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There is a river where I used to go fishing years ago. For a few days a year, its surface got covered by gargantuan swarms of mayflies, delicate winged creatures living in their adult form for just a few hours, having barely enough time to reproduce and die. A fate we all share. As mayflies, we are trapped in the evolutionary process, mechanically perpetuating life for the sake of life and nothing more. More than 100 billions of humans have died during our short history. Two human lives are ended every second and with them their hopes, ideals, values and beliefs. Despite our anthropocentric sense of entitlement, our importance, both as individuals and as a species, is a shared illusion. We give ourselves the importance Nature denied us, yet the Universe is indifferent to our existence and actions. I find that rather comforting and liberating. Our ephemeral nature sets us free. It allows us to shatter the chains of social dogmatism and follow our own set of values and priorities. It allows us to be whoever we are without remorse and drink from the cup of life without restraints. And every sip creates a new version of ourselves.
Our whole life is a constant metamorphosis. We are indefinite, ever-changing beings, shaped in time both by our nature and our nurture. We continuously construct and deconstruct ourselves while our character gradually assumes a unique, multi-layered structure. In the process, we both desire and fear to be known by others, rarely allowing ourselves to be fully seen for who we are. Our thoughts and feelings are often hidden behind obfuscating veils and social masks, concealing us from others and ourselves. Human interactions, even the most genuine ones, are rarely fully sincere. It’s through the cracks in our masks that we experience the World and from beneath our veils that we peek at each other.
Joël Penkman “ My name is Joël Penkman. I’m a New Zealand–British artist, painting
semi-photorealistic, contemporary, still-life, and a whole lot of food. I live in a village outside of Liverpool, England, where I share a home studio with my husband James and our cat Molly. I studied graphic design at Canterbury University in New Zealand, then moved to the UK and worked as a graphic designer for 6 years. While a freelance designer I entered a painting into a local art show. It was well received and from this I was offered an exhibition at a local gallery. I took a few months off work to get some paintings together and afterwards I put the work online and sent it to some blogs. Thanks to the internet people from all over the world saw my work and began enquiring about originals and prints. Now I’m a painter, not a graphic designer. I sell originals, prints and take on a number of painting commissions. I feel very happy and lucky to be able to do this ” WEBSITE - FACEBOOK
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What is it about the egg tempera medium that is the most attractive to you? As well, what is the benefits of grinding your own paint mix? Egg tempera paint has a beautiful satin finish with a luminous quality, this comes from light that reflects through the many semi-transparent layers. Although many aspects for the medium can be difficult it has advantage over other paints in that it dries nearly immediately so I can quickly build up layers of colour. There are no nasty solvent smells in the studio and clean up is quick using only soap and water. It is a very old painting method which fell out of favour during the 15th century when oil paint was invented. Being an uncommon medium, information wasn’t that easy to find, but I hunted around for books on the technique and taught myself from these. I grind all my paints from powdered pigments and store them as wet pastes until I’m ready to use them. Then I take a little of the coloured pigment paste and mix it with egg yolk and de-ionised water. Because of this control I have over the paint, the colour is very pure and vivid. The paint is applied in many layers using a hatching technique as you can’t blend egg tempera like you can with acrylic or oil paint. You must wait for each area to dry before you repaint over it otherwise the brush lifts all the previous layers of paint from the board - fortunately this doesn’t take long. Egg tempera isn’t a flexible paint and it needs a rigid and absorbent surface - traditional gesso is perfect. I prepare all my gesso boards by hand, which is itself a lengthy process of cleaning, sizing, applying layers of gesso, sanding and polishing it smooth for painting onto.
Aside from just the Sweets collection, you generally have painted a lot of those foods. What is it about them that makes them such attractive subjects? Although I don’t exclusively paint food, I do like the familiarity of food as a subject, it is something everyone can relate to. It can hold memories, tell stories, explore national and local identity, and make us hungry. It is a fun, playful subject that makes people smile. When I choose a subject I’m looking for interesting colours, shapes, textures, and perceived associations. Sweet foods are made to look appealing and are full of artificial colours and interesting shapes.
Is there anything you are trying to say with any specific work that you produced? It depends on the piece. Some are very familiar subjects that I place on neutral backgrounds so that the viewer can recall their own experiences with the subject and make a personal reading - although all painting do this to an extent. “The Twist” [as seen on the left] is a collection of old and new Agatha Christie books, piled high and arranged in a twist. It is kind of a tribute to my favourite author and her books that have been enjoyed by generations of readers, the twisted pile is a nod to her always surprising endings.
Your work generally has a white / off-white background in it. What’s the purpose of using this rather than putting subjects in another setting? The subjects are set against neutral backgrounds, and with no context given the interpretation of the works remains open. Subjective readings are unavoidable.
What is the story behind the book The Taste of America with Coleman Andrews? How did this bit of collaboration come about? What does the “taste” mean for you? This job came from Phaidon, (the publishers,) who approached me through my agent Handsome Frank. At the time I had actually never been to America, (except passing through the airport,) so my taste of America was was built on expectations, descriptions, and the food parcels from the publisher. The food parcels were limited to what could be sent in the post, no meat, cheeses, or fresh produce. Since then I have visited America and sampled as much of the food as possible - The chilli-dogs, burgers, breads, and cheeses. Yum!
What do you find is the main difference between what you have done in representation of America, Britain, and New Zealand? I was given my subject matter for my American paintings so I couldn’t comment on these. You need to be in a place and step away to see the differences. As a new arrival in England I was able to see small quirks that made it unique. A lot of the British food I’ve painted has a history that goes back, often hundred of years. New Zealand is a much younger country and this is reflected in it’s national icons. This is only generalization of course.
While celebrating the, “obsession of tea drinking in Britain?” How did you come to find all the teacup models? Most of the teacups came from car boot sales and charity shops. At the time I had quite a collection. Some friends also volunteered their own cherished cups.
Would you say a lot of your themes revolve around consumption, as well as the emotions that food triggers in people? What theme do you find yourself working with most often? Sweet food is all about consumption and indulgence. A lot of my subject matter ends up in the bin as I don’t even like it, but I want to paint something mass produced that can be recognized by the most people. The doughnuts are more about consumption, indulgence, and greed, whereas the British foods are more about tradition, culture, and experience.
What exhibition or showcasing are you preparing for now / have on display? Nothing right now. I’m currently very busy with a commercial commission, but hope to do some of my own work after this. I’ve just bought an etching press so I’m looking forward to experimenting with this.
EAFO “ I’m
known to many as Earthfolk or Eafo. I’m from Calgary, Alberta. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing regularly. I probably put up my first tag circa 2000 and started painting as Earthfolk in 2009. Earthfolk didn’t originate as a name so much as a title or an idea. I frequently dwell on it because, in retrospect, I find it painfully corny. I’ve been told I take myself too seriously. ” FACEBOOK - EARTHFOLK.ORG INSTAGRAM.COM/EARTHFOLK
What were some of the things you found most helpful about attending post-secondary? Do you think it was important for you to go through that process? I think any art college alumni would say that it was important for them, but I also think there are great artists for whom it was important to ignore a formal arts education. Art college had a major impact on me, but was not without several caveats. It provided the motivation and challenge I needed. I hated grade school and never graduated high school, so it was very validating when I found myself excelling in an academic environment. It also enabled me to articulate myself, to have a decent understanding of art history and contemporary art, and to get my foot in the door with the local art community. I learned to respect
concepts, context, and materials as much as I respected technique and style. I also made a lot of dear friends. On the other hand, it’s weird to be graded by what is mostly unstandardized criteria. And constantly looking at art through an academic lens can lead to over-analysis, which can lead to creative paralysis. There are times when I wish I had remained naive. I’ve spent a lot of time worrying that my ideas suck instead of trusting my instincts. It can also be frustrating to see lazy artwork injected with pretentious conceptual rhetoric until the classroom becomes a crowd of douchebags having a verbal circlejerk. That being said, participating in the bullshit is part of growing and learning in that environment. I loved college for the most part, but I did feel drained and bitter toward the end of my studies.
Where do you find a lot of your inspiration? I find this is best answered through less direct questions, but a few sources of inspiration that have become a big part of my life are music, mythology, mental health, commercial design, battle rap, stand-up comedy, and eros.
For a while you were known as the guy who does the faces. Your art has had that recognizable pupil-less face. How did this character come to be for you? I grew up on comic books, video games, cartoons, and music videos. I doodled characters all the time in grade school, and at some point I began feeling like I’d never match the level of the illustrators I was trying to emulate. By high school, I unconsciously started to strip away the identifying features - the costumes, the hair, the eyes, and even the human anatomy to a large degree - until it became more of a template than a character. I’m not using it as a fictional character so much as a symbol for a person or a consciousness. That being said, there’s no shortage of people who just see an ugly bald
guy, so I try to maintain a sense of humour about it. The character is inherently self-referential, therefore I can’t claim it’s truly a neutral symbol for any person, but I’m more focused on using it to address thoughts and emotions rather than identity. Viewers often liken the character to a monk, bishop, deity, superhero, or other spiritual or authoritative figure. I’m not usually trying to recall any specific figure, nor am I trying to liken myself to such a figure, but I find it fitting that people draw that comparison. I like using the character to play with those archetypes. Now I treat it sort of like a mannequin in a diorama. I think what I’m doing is selecting pieces of imagery from pop-culture and folklore, and removing them from the conventional narrative structure of a written or animated story. I’m still interested in telling stories with my work, but I’m reconfiguring the imagery into a network of icons, symbols, and text to address more personal subject matter. The relationship between symbols is often convoluted and multi-layered. My mind can be a confusing place at times and I want my work to convey that conflicted and uncertain feeling.
How did you come up with the idea of painting on old vinyl records? I dunno, heads are round and records are round. What goes ‘round comes’ round? It doesn’t strike me as a unique idea, graffiti artists have been doing it for decades and my dad had a crate of records he wanted to get rid of so I jumped on it. I use them as a low-stress way to experiment with paint and to make inexpensive original pieces that require minimal planning.
How would you describe your process of creating new work? Most pieces start with a face and build from there, but I’ve been trying to take more risks lately. The murals and street art pieces are executed with more urgency, and usually benefit from being tailored to their specific location. Sculptures and installations are more experimental. In general terms, I start with a small idea like a phrase or an icon or an object, and I mull it over until it seems to develop a relationship to another idea. After a few of these minor ideas connect I can sense it starting to snowball. Sometimes these ideas strike me in the moment. Sometimes they’re built over time. Sometimes they’re accidents. Sometimes they’re appropriated or stolen. Sometimes they’re recycled from my sketch-books and past works. It’s a back and forth between intuition and contemplation. It’s gotten easier over time, but I still find myself struggling to put the right pieces together.
What do you find the biggest difference is for you when you are doing something that will be displayed outside, (such as murals,) and something that is created in your studio? Both settings have advantages and drawbacks. Murals are somewhat performative, so people get a chance to spectate or interact with me, which is great, and I get a chance to give something back to the community. With all street art, illegal or otherwise, viewers experience the art in spaces of transition, or spaces in which art is unexpected. The art becomes part of daily life, plus it has a limited lifespan. These qualities seem to intensify the connection people make to the artwork as it decays and/or disappears. There’s a unique potency to street art that studio work doesn’t possess. That being said, the studio allows you to pursue loftier ideas and make things that simply can’t survive outside. There’s further art theory and politics regarding site-specificity that separates inside and outside work, but that’s a whole other bag of dicks.
What themes do you find yourself most often pursuing? Love, desire, trust, shame, coincidence, irony, fate, death, sexuality, addiction, existence, spirituality . . . I could go on and on. I suppose inner conflict, ambivalence, and catharsis are the big themes for me and have a way of tying the other themes together.
What are some topics you feel merit more conversation? Being that I’m kind of a street art geek, public space is an important topic to me. I used to frequently jockey the idea that advertisers and corporate media have some sort of sinister stranglehold on public space that results in mass insecurity and unhealthy consumerism, and while that’s true to a degree, it makes more sense for the street artists coming out of big cities like New York or LA. I grew up in Calgary, and while those things exist here, they don’t exist with such magnitude. I think I’m just seeking the potential in that which seems ignored. I’ve been seduced by the defiant and poetic spirit of graffiti, street art, and public intervention. Making use of spaces that are otherwise neglected is what continues to push me in that direction. There’s an egalitarian and accessible aspect to these art forms, where people who don’t feel comfortable or welcome in traditional galleries and museums are able to experience art outside of that environment. It makes the world a more interesting place.
Note: Collaboration with Andreas Tiedemann
ALBUM REVIEWS Bring Me The Horizon ALBUM: That’s The Spirit RELEASE: 09/11/15
STAND OUT: “Blasphemy”
AUTHOR: Logan Grudecki
With the changing sound of Bring Me The Horizon being set forth, That’s The Spirit is an example of a band doing a complete “180” with their sound. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing, BMTH had incorporated a lot of rock elements in the new album. However, it is evident that the band is going a completely new direction when comparing this album to previous works, including Suicide Season as well as the more recent release Sempiternal. There is no screaming in this album, as numerous fans were expecting. The new sound for Bring Me The Horizon is interesting to say the least, as they were known as a powerhouse heavy band up until now. This album includes a different
Defeater ALBUM: Abandoned RELEASE: 08/28/15
STAND OUT: “Borrowed And Blue” AUTHOR: Cale Zebedee
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Since Defeater’s 2008 début Travels, the band has stayed a constant contender in the melodic hardcore scene. Thus far, each album has served as a narrative of the struggles of a Post-World War II, working class family from New Jersey. Their latest release, Abandoned, strays away from this family that was the focal point of previous albums, (excluding 2009’s Lost Ground-EP, which focused on the beggar character from Travels “Prophet in Plain Clothes,”) in favour of looking through the eyes of a lapsed Catholic priest. This release was once again recorded in guitarist Jay Maas’s Getaway Studios in Boston Massachusetts; however, this is the
7.5 version of the single “Drown,” as well as “Blasphemy,” which is one of the standout songs of the album. Some songs from the new release include sounds that are similar to the music from Sempiternal, and the songs on this album are all softer sounding as well. This isn’t necessarily the best work of Bring Me The Horizon, but it will bring in many new fans, and many old fans can see it as something they can enjoy.
6.5 band’s first work since their début to not be released on Bridge 9’s label, but rather on the major label Epitaph Records. While punk elitists would consider it a sell-out, it’s more of a natural move rather than moving to a label of the same size. Overall, the band’s music itself has naturally progressed, probably due to the fact this album was written more as a band than previous releases. Although, due to the character they chose to write about this time, to me at least, the lyrics do nothing, and I find this to be Defeater’s weakest release so far.
Franker Turner ALBUM: Positive Songs for Negative People RELEASE: 08/07/15
STAND OUT: “Song for Josh” AUTHOR: Cale Zebedee
Frank Tuner started his first band in high school, and from there quickly moved on to front UK post-hardcore band Million Dead; now, Frank Tuner has been actively playing music for over a decade The unhappy relationship with his band members created a spark that launched Turner into his solo career. Since 2005, Turner has released four full-length albums that never made charts in America, but found much greater success in Europe. Despite this, during that time Turner did tour in America opening for bands such as The Offspring and Green Day. It wasn’t until his previous release, 2013’s Tape Deck Heart, that he began to make charts internationally. Positive Songs for Negative People picks up nicely where
In Codes ALBUM: Stories EP RELEASE: 08/11/15
STAND OUT: “Stories”
AUTHOR: Cale Zebedee
In Codes manages to mix the “synthe-ness” of ‘80s pop with the rawness of ‘80s metal, while at the same time main vocalist Noel Napalm’s raspy voice hooks you in like a siren’s song. The title track, “Stories,” starts hard with synth, a catchy guitar lick, and a hook that won’t get out of your head. The next track, “Prey,” shows definite ‘80s metal influences, including sounds borrowed from bands such as Iron Maiden or Grim Reaper, while the last track “Born Restless” adds a different dynamic than the previous two tracks. With the help of guitarist Ryan Mumby contributing his vocals for the chorus, the track is given
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Tape Deck Heart left off, mixing both acoustic tracks with tracks preformed with his backing band, The Sleeping Souls. The Sleeping Souls mixes aspects of folk and country with rock, giving Turner a unique sound, especially noticeable in tracks like “Opening Act of Spring,” “Glorious You,” and “Out of Breath.” The one track that really stands out is the final track on the album, “Song for Josh,” which was written about Josh Burdette: manager of Washington DC’s 9:30 club who passed away in September 2013 due to suicide. The track is recorded live, and you can hear Turner struggle to put words together at points within the track, but the song has nothing but emotion.
7 a radio-friendly hook, which reminds me of early Bryan Adams. Both Mumby and Napalm have been playing music in different formations together for the last half decade, including being in The Martyr Index. The EP itself was recording in the spring of 2014 with producer/engineer, and longtime friend, Casey Lewis (The Martyr Index, The Evidence,) at his home-studio Echo Base in Calgary, AB, Canada. It’s easy to hear Lewis’s signature influence on the drums as well as the rest of the EP. In Codes plans to release a fulllength follow-up to Stories next year, so keep a watchful eye out!
The Wonder Years ALBUM: No Closer To Heaven RELEASE: 09/04/15
STAND OUT: “Cardinals”
AUTHOR: Rickie Miller
Breaking down even more barriers this time, The Wonder Years has created another album ready to rip-up your heart and then put it back together again. Alongside the launch comes the news that the band has booked two weeks of intimate in-store acoustic sessions for promotion. I believe this small tour is a step in the right direction. With a great album, usually comes emotional baggage, including lyrics such as, “the drugs that took your life aren’t gonna cause you any pain,” (from “Cigarettes and Saints,”) or “I know the devil you’ve been fighting with, I swear I’ll never let you down again,” ( from “Cardinals.”) These lines and others touch on the struggle of having a loved one or friend with an addiction. Dan Campbell’s vocals have evolved over time, which may be a bust if
WSTR ALBUM: SKRWD RELEASE: 09/04/15
STAND OUT: “Devils ‘N Demons”
AUTHOR: Ethan Oviatt
WSTR is a brand new five piece poppunk band from Liverpool, UK. Formed in early 2015, guitar player Kieran Alder explains he met two of the members for the first time eight months ago for the video shoot for their first single “Graveyard Shift”. Being signed to Nosleep Records is no small feat, and is usually reserved for bands with loads of touring and writing experience, however WSTR has done so in a timely manner, so to speak. A love child of traditional pop-punk influences and newer “wave” bands like Basement, or Title Fight, WSTR has birthed a seriously fun and heartfelt batch of relatable and angsty anthems. Toying with a playful pessimism with lyrics like “Some days still feel like I’ve been hit by a fucking bus, but it’s all good here” found in the song “Ain’t Great”.
9.5 you’re still in love with The Upsides. My only complaints about this album is that some of the guitar gets a little disorganized, which will happen when you have three guitarists in a band. Also, something that they’ve done wonderfully in the past is having a smooth flow from track-to-track, but unfortunately this doesn’t apply to No Closer to Heaven. Little things like this cause the album to fall short of flawless, but doesn’t mean it won’t make a huge impact. Overall, this album is one of their best in my opinion, and it’s definitely one to check out because it’s worth the hype. It looks like we’ll continue to say, “The Wonder Years did it again” as we have so many times in the past.
8 Admittedly they are not reinventing the wheel, clearly influenced by bands such as blink-182 and Sum 41. The music is straight pop punk, a blend of the ‘old school’ and the modern acts of the genre. Regardless the band pumps out catchy song after catchy song and dammit this is a fun EP to sing along to. They’re definitely a band to watch out for given their impressive trajectory so far. A song I’d recommend is easily “Devils ‘N Demons” as it fully embodies the punk struggle and every note while sounding upbeat, carries stress with it. Accompanied by a chorus guaranteed to stick in your head for the foreseeable future and a really climactic and sudden ending, this track is nothing but solid
ALBUM RELEASES 10/02 10/02 10/02 10/02 10/02 10/09 10/09 10/09 10/09 10/16 10/16 10/16 10/23 10/23 10/23 10/23 10/23 10/30 10/30 10/30
Ps ychic War efar I Wor s hip Choas N ew Ber muda Rock et to Rainier Futur e N os talgia I f I Should Go Befo r e Yo u The Color Befor e th e S u n Black Lines Revival Confident Ar ound The Wor ld An d B a c k Happines s in Self De str u c tio n Sounds Good Feels Go o d Sun Leads Me On The D ying Thnigs We L ife F o r As tor ia Colour Blind The Res is tance: D e lu x e E d itio n D ealer Wiped Out!
Clu tc h Ch ild r e n o f B o d o m D e a fh e a v e n T h e H o llo wp o in ts The Sheepdogs City A n d Co lo u r Co h e e d a n d Ca m b r ia M a y d a y Pa r a d e S e le n a Go m e z D e m i L o v a to S ta te Ch a m p s T h e Plo t In Yo u 5 Seconds of Summer H a lf M o o n R u n L ike M o th s To F la m e s M a r ia n a s Tr e n c h S e a wa y Cr o wn T h e E m p ir e F o x in g T h e N e ig h b o u r h o o d
11/06 11/13 11/13
Lands lide Hear t Blanche Self:Cons cious nes
Yo u th D e c a y Ce e L o Gr e e n S ig n s O u r S o u ls E v o lv e
PLAYLIST _____
Here are some suggested tracks brought to you by the staff.
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4 Freak Seaway Without Teeth 4 Wolves Of Monsters & Men
4 Regenerate We Came As Romans Blue // Rooftop Red 4 Belmont Year Over Year Thrash Particle 4 The Modern Baseball Old Haunt 4 The The Dear Hunter & The Flood 4 Fire Vance Joy Restless 4 Born In Codes You Are Is History 4 All State Champs
4 Woman City & Colour click on the 4 buttons + images to play the song!
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