WLT
what we’re listening to
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dreams the cranberries
shootout cousin stizz climbers mansions
had ten dollaz cherry glazerr empty thread chvrches
river leon bridges pillow talking lil dicky feat. brain
mr. me too clipse
bad art & weirdo ideas beach slang
el scorcho weezer
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headbanger king tuff
shits epic sonReal jane fonda mickey avalon
i’ll make a man out of you donny osmond constantly hating young thug
cold crossfade kokopelli face tattoo andrew jackson jihad
beggar in the morning the bar brothers
how could you babe tobias jesso jr.
i break mirrors with my face death grips
jim coleman // @jymcoleman editor in chief “real talk’s sailor jerry.” mikey light // @itsmikeylight managing editor “mike’s hard lemonade.”
sam henken // @ahennamedken web director “fetty wap’s other eye.”
adam gendler // @adamgendler multimedia director “peeps.”
lyndsey jimenez // @stlyndsey creative director “garbage pizza.”
shawna rabbas // @shawnarabbas head designer “trash can eclair.”
carolyn saxton // @carolynoleum features “mark hoppus’ old gum.” lauren cover // @laurenacover front of book “pitbull’s gym socks.”
tiffany gomez // @tiffyovertherainbow photo director “fish eggs.”
katie canete // @katiecanete publisher “tetra fish flakes.”
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sam sarno // @samantha_sarno marketing “justin bieber’s new hair.”
contributors
andy belt phoebe smith casey russel victoria rodriguez kyle driscoll joel dowling adrian lee audrey o’donnell madison schleicher ryan ward
special thanks to
theo cateforis melanie stropyra
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masthead what’s the grossest thing you’d put in your mouth for $20? 05
table of contents 08
letter from the editor
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spicy abe
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drop the mic
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they also play music
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the five
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the year is 2050
this is a 14 24 placeholder, don’t b 13
sh*t rap fans say review: ty dolla sign
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semester in review: photo essay
clash of the pop titans
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if i could find you now
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mickey’s angels
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exits’ strategy
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the ones that got away
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helter skelter
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very superstitious
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to hell and (nickel)back
38 bitch
fresh cutz
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back of book letter
letter from the editor So this whole letter-from-the-editor-thing has been surprisingly difficult for me. It’s kind of a weird concept; Writing a passionate 400 or so words about myself and then relating it to the final product, which is a result of the hard work and dedication of everyone on my staff. I’ve put many hours into this book, but by no means was it a one-man job. I joined 20 Watts in the spring of 2013 as a freshman thirsting for resume builders. Following in the footsteps of every Bandier underclassman before me and committing to more organizations than I could handle, I started to get a feel for where my strengths were and what was important to me. I worked my way through the 20 Watts hierarchy, leaving my other student organizations behind, and my role quickly changed from Tweeter to Marketing Director. When I was offered the position of Editorin-Chief during last semester’s art proofs, it definitely came as a shock. With no journalistic experience apart from a Lord of the Rings review I wrote in fifth grade (which was critically acclaimed within St. Thomas Elementary), I was overwhelmed to say the least. Luckily, with the help of a few 20 Watts die-hards, I was able to piece together our dream team. Together our diverse capabilities have led to the reform and success of our magazine.
writing styles in our pieces. You might notice a change in design or a slightly different editorial approach in this book. Perhaps you even attended one of our house-shows the past two semesters, or were able to enjoy a free cup of coffee with your copy of the mag. All of this is thanks to my team. I was excited to lead these guys this semester. 20 Watts had always fostered my creativity, and that’s something I intended on upholding for my staff. As expected, that strategy worked once again, and we created something so uniquely beautiful. I’m not a writer and never have been. I’m not even in Newhouse. I’m a guy with a passion for people and a passion for music. A passion that burns as intensely as that described in “Helter Skelter,” on page 30. The kind of passion that sparks lifelong careers in music as found in “Exits’ Strategy,” on page 28. That’s what 20 Watts is about. We’re not just a music magazine. We’re an organization that wants nothing more than to share with you something that we have all held so dearly in the deepest corners of our hearts – a love for all things music. I’m very thankful that 20 Watts allowed me to explore so many new windows of opportunity and grow creatively. I only hope that as Editor-in-Chief I can return the favor.
Maybe you picked up on our new cover concept, or will sense new
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drop the mic *
* lil b... basedgod or false idol?
by sam henken and mikey light Who dares question the authority of Lil B? Kevin Durant tried. And he failed. Lil B challenged the NBA superstar and former MVP to a one-on-one game. Kevin Durant declined and in response Lil B released “Fuck KD,” and placed a curse on him. Forever Durant will be damned. Another NBA star, James Harden, attempted to defy the power of Lil B by replicating his famed “cooking dance.” Harden has not been the same since. How about the age of positivity that dawned when the BasedGod released his classic mixtape 05 Fuck Em with 101 songs spanning nearly six hours? Lil B doesn’t give a fuck what you think. Lil B doesn’t care about rapper norms. He just makes music for the people and tries to spread good vibes throughout the world. From the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area to lecturing at some of the finest universities in the world and having over a million Twitter followers, there is not a single rapper that rivals the greatness that is Lil B. The word “based” used to have a lot of negative connotations. Lil B was called “based” meaning a basehead or a dopehead, but he flipped it to make it positive. He made being “based” become about being yourself. He made “based” a positive attribute. Throughout his career Lil B has made the world a more based place. This fact is indisputable. But only the following question remains: Who will be the next person to question him?
Lil B is the worst thing to happen to music since The Grateful Dead. Never since the advent of recorded music has there been an artist as talentless and devoid of creative vision as the so called “BasedGod,” whose name comes from an outdated NorCal slangterm for dopeheads. Ever since his mainstream emergence sometime around 2009, the trash-talking, grill-sporting “rapper” has been shitting out release after release, coming to a zenith in 2013 with his diarrhea-esque, 101-track mixtape 05 Fuck Em. Since then, the [c]rapper has enjoyed three “major” releases, including the infamous Hoop Life, in which he calls out NBA small forward and apparent bitchboy Kevin Durant on the aptly named track “Fuck KD.” He also collaborated with Chicago-born actual musician Chance the Rapper on a mixtape earlier this year. It’s often difficult to render a verdict as to the seriousness of the California-born dingus’s following. He affectionately refers to his fans as the “Bitch Mob,” interacting with them through various social media platforms. Lil B’s fans are the worst in that you can’t really tell whether they’re genuinely supporting him or not. The hype surrounding “artists” such as he is a big part of the reason that modern hip-hop fans have a hard time being taken seriously. Lil B is one of the biggest atrocities in modern media, and his very existence is an insult to the rap-game. So I guess what I’m trying to say here is, thank you BasedGod, please fuck my bitch.
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1. Cousin Stizz
Last summer Cousin Stizz released his debut mixtape Suffolk County which has slowly gained steam through love on countless blogs bringing him from anonymous to having Drake dance to him on Instagram. Cousin Stizz lands somewhere between weed and trap rap with his raspy delivery, and that mix has potential to bring him to stardom.
2. Girlpool
This past June the drummerless female duo released their debut full-length, Before The World Was Big on Wichita Recordings which widely received positive acclaim from critical music websites such as Metacritic and Pitchfork. Their quirky, stripped down (and sometimes folk-y) sound is refreshing and exciting in a music market saturated by incessant beats and autotune.
3. Little Simz
Following the release of her debut album A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons, Pitchfork wrote a feature on the 21-year-old and dubbed her “Future Rap King.” Her most notable song “Dead Body” is a dark, but powerful ode to a life of oppression, drugs, homelessness, featuring her Azealia Banks-meets-Skepta sound. Kendrick is a fan so you probably should be too.
4. JR JR
the five
Formerly Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., the band has rebranded themselves under this new moniker to avoid further Nascar fan confusion. JR JR wants you to know they are a “neurotic Jew and wild haired gentile from Detroit” duo and not the famous driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., but you can still expect the same synthy indie pop sound they do so well.
5. Milk & Bone
This dynamic duo stems from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and has enjoyed increasing popularity since their track, “Pressure,” dropped on SoundCloud in 2015. Since then, they have been showcased at SXSW, released their debut album, Little Mourning and have been nominated for the Canadian Polaris Music Prize.
sh*t rap fans say Have you ever been in an impassioned musical discussion with a die-hard hip-hop fan and thought to yourself, “What the fuck is this person saying?” Rap fans have their own lexicon which is completely tailored to rap music. Here’s a brief glossary of expressions you might encounter when conversing with them:
Banger (n.): a song that goes hard (in the paint); gets the people going. Finna (adv.): fixing to perform an action; synonym: tryna Fire (adj.): when the song falls at the pinnacle of the hot spectrum. It’s pretty much a requirement of any rap song these days. Often associated with mixtapes that drop like they’re hot. Flow (n.): fairly arbitrary term to mean anything from the rhyming schemes, rhythmic technique, to how the rapper’s voice sounds. GOAT (n.): “greatest of all time,” the arbitrarily best rapper at any equally arbitrary period of time; not a farm animal. HHH (n.): The “hip-hop heads” Reddit community; where underdeveloped white teenagers argue about Young Thug. Killing a Verse (v.): when a rapper exceeds expectations on a given set of lines. This does not involve any actual violence. KTT (n.): Kanye To The. A forum where developed neck-beardy dudes discuss when Kanye will drop his next album Slapper (n.): see: banger. Stan (n.): an obsessive fan of a rapper; origin: Eminem’s song “Stan” about a passionate fan turned psychopath.
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FREE Ty Dolla $ign is a relatively famous hip-hop artist who is stuck between Future and Usher on the rapper/singer spectrum. And you know what? That’s kind of a good thing.
After a string of mixtapes and features that have brought him to his relatively famous status, Dolla $ign has finally released his long delayed debut album Free TC, dedicated to his close friend in prison. The album successfully mixes genres and is a solid effort from an artist known mostly for features, hooks and singles. “LA,” the first and arguably best track on the album, is a soulful ode to the artist’s home city featuring the current king of LA himself, Kendrick Lamar. The track is sort of an outlier on the album with a more funky sound featuring James Fauntleroy and Brandy singing the hook as Dolla $ign focuses on rapping. From there the rest of the album can be placed in three groups. There’s synthy, hip-hop songs either produced by or in the style of DJ Mustard, such as “Saved” featuring E-40, which is the second track on the album and the one you will most likely hear at a club. Or “Bring It Out of Me,” which is reminiscent of Dolla $ign’s previous hit, “Paranoid” with staccato, EDM-style beats. Dolla $ign gets in touch with his R&B side on tracks such as “Credit” and “Straight Up.” He is a singer first and foremost and it shows in these slower tracks that really put an emphasis on his vocals. On the first half of the double track “Miracle/Wherever,” Dolla $ign achieves a surprising level of earnestness with passionate, lo-fi vocals over a delicate piano sound and R&B drums. With “Solid” and “Horses in the Stable,” back-to-back tracks early in the album, Dolla $ign employs surprising pop chops over the guitarheavy songs. While many of the songs depart from the expected hiphop style, many retain some of the hallmarks of the genre; “Solid” is
E TC Will Ty Dolla $ign’s debut album be a success or nah? by sam henken
not one of those songs. On this track Dolla $ign sings over only an acoustic guitar with some backup vocals. Despite production from banger wizard Hit-Boy and features from Kanye and Diddy, “Guard Down” is another song that veers into a slower pop sound. With Free TC, Ty Dolla $ign makes his claim for a level of fame just below super stardom. With features from other rapper-singers R. Kelly, Future, Fetty Wap and Trey Songz, Dolla $ign shows that he is not out of place among his peers. While the album does not dazzle in any one aspect, it succeeds in many. Free TC is a solid album from beginning to end with a few songs that truly show Ty Dolla $ign’s talent as a singer and will keep him featured on your favorite rappers’ tracks for years to come.
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Spicy Abe
There are four chords in the sonic library that are known to all. Having been willed into existence at the dawn of time by the same eldritch force which shat out the universe, these bundles of tone have acted as a guiding hand in the fine art of seduction. For I was old when the earth was young, and since man first lurched forth from the primordial ooze clutching his secondhand Yamaha, he has brandished it―poorly I might add― in repeated attempts to woo the opposite, or at times same gender. There are few things as quintessential to the college experience as luring a starry-eyed freshman into bed via these four chords. Whether it be a sappy rendition of Jason Mraz’s sex-anthem “I’m Yours,” an ignorant cover of “Wagon Wheel,” or any of the near-infinite collection of songs which can be strummed out by pretty much anyone who’s ever been in the same room as a guitar, there exists a sort of coital magic that comes into play whenever this holy quadrinity of chords are hammered out in front of a potential fuckmate. Not even I, the third-wisest* man in human history know why these four chords are so enchanting. This fine collection of aphrodisia-inducing noises have existed since time immemorial, and have come into play during some of the most pivotal moments in human history. It is an oft forgotten fact that the Cold War was ended by Ronald Reagan’s soulfully seductive acoustic performance of “Hey Ya” for Soviet head of state Mikhail Gorbachev upon the ruins of the Berlin Wall. These four chords have served as mankind’s greatest tool in his quest for poon and peace since the dawn of time. It is important that we remember all they have done for us.
*The second and first being, of course, Carl Sagan and Tupac “Makaveli” Shakur, who are, as is common knowledge, hiding out in Joshua Tree doing peyote forever.
they also play music by andy belt
jason schwartzman //
Before appearing in every Wes Anderson movie ever released, Schwartzman was the drummer in Phantom Planet (a.k.a. the band that did The OC theme song). He continues his musical endeavors by the stage name Coconut Records.
eddie murphy //
When you owned the ‘80s like Eddie Murphy did, it just made sense to put out a record full of dancefloor-ready tracks. And with Rick “Cocaine is a Helluva Drug” James dueting on Murphy’s biggest hit, “Party All The Time,” what could have gone wrong?
maya rudolph //
After former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp parted ways with Rivers Cuomo and co. in 1997 he formed his own band, The Rentals, which has had a revolving cast ever since. Rudolph became a Rental during their first tour, on which they opened for Alanis Morissette, handling keyboards and backing vocals.
david hasselhoff //
The definition of “Big In Europe,” Hasselhoff has built a loyal fanbase around his brand of grandiose pop across the Atlantic, particularly in Germany and Austria. None of his albums have charted in the U.S., but he’s had a steady stream of 17 albums since 1985.
scarlett johansson //
Though Johansson is known primarily for her silver screen acting, she’s maintained a singing career throughout her entire time in Hollywood. Back in February, she started a new band called The Singles and released a sugary track titled “Candy.” Unfortunately, Johansson forgot to Google her band name before deciding on it, and soon received a cease and desist letter from another Los Angeles group who have been operating as The Singles for 16 years.
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the year is Do you know what your kids are listening to? by kyle driscoll Allow me to share a brief anecdote. The setting: my senior prom. After being subjected to hours of EDM and rap, it was time for the final song. To my surprise, the DJ spun “Piano Man,” by the legendary Billy Joel. And then a beautiful thing happened: everyone on the floor stood arm in arm, singing every word of the 1973 hit. “Piano Man.” “Don’t Stop Believin’.” “Bohemian Rhapsody.” All of them were released at least ten years before the birth of anyone currently attending college, but I’m guessing that 90% of the same population knows every lyric. Some songs are simply timeless. Their popularity surpassed their weeklong slots atop the pop charts, and permitted the tracks to be entrenched in the hearts and minds of the children of the children of that generation.
Of course, this begs the question: what will constitute the next generation of oldies? What songs from the late 90’s, 2000’s, 2010’s, will our kids know by heart? Which songs will endure the test of time? “Yeah!” – Usher feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris A megahit from a mega-album, Usher’s smash is destined to go down as “The Doodoot, Doo-doot, Doo-doot Doo-doot Song.” It has the added bonus of memorializing featured artists Lil Jon and Ludacris. “Yeah!” is a jam, there’s no way around it. “Hey Ya!” – OutKast This one was a no-brainer. “Hey Ya!” was destined to be a classic from the first listen. From one of the catchiest choruses of the decade, to iconic lines (“Shake it like a Polaroid picture”), this will be played for decades to come. “A Thousand Miles” – Vanessa Carlton Oh, man. That piano intro, those strings in the pre-chorus, those eternal lyrics: three things that will cement this song’s place as one of the 2000’s classics. Plus, one of the true one-hit wonders of a decade that simply did not supply enough. “Hot In Herre” – Nelly Please don’t actually take off all your clothes right now, it’s winter. Hearing this song 13 years after its 2002 release makes me question if I’ll really want my kids listening to it, but fuck it, it’s an undeniable jam. “Mr. Brightside” – The Killers This one is a rare 2000’s song that might someday fall into the category of Classic Rock. Representative of the alt-rock sounds of the period, the iconic chorus is one that
will be enthusiastically sung by many a rowdy college student for years to come. “Sugar, We’re Going Down” – Fall Out Boy The second that unmistakable drum beat blares through the speakers, you can be certain that every person within earshot will drop everything to belt out the lyrics to Fall Out Boy’s most iconic song. Hard to believe it’s been ten years of FOB domination, hiatus and all, but it’s definitely not hard to imagine that this song will find its way onto even our kids’ kid’s favorite playlists. “Semi-Charmed Life” – Third Eye Blind Considering, “Do do do, do do do dooo,” has been stuck in our heads for at least 13 years and doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, we’re confident you’ll drill it into your children’s brains as well. “How To Save a Life” – The Fray This is a song that brings tears to the eyes of even the most stoic music fans so we would have been wrong not to include it on this list. Maybe the first song that showed us what it’s like to cry over something we didn’t experience ourselves. We’re sure your angsty 7th grader won’t be so different from your 13-year-old self.
*BONUS: “Higher” – Creed We post-grunge loyalists can only hope.
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SEME IN RE What good would a campus music publication be without letting you know about the music that was actually on campus? In this photo feature, 20 Watts gives you an inside look at some of the biggest and bestest acts to have played on and around campus this semester!
ESTER EVIEW Park Slope melts faces at the 20 Watts House Show at Big Red.
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03 04
Living hip-hop legend Big Sean rocks the house at Juice Jam in the wake of his resurgence following the release of Dark Sky Paradise.
Alt-hop artist Raury teaches the audience about life at the second -- and last Bandersnatch show of the semester.
Crowd favorites Matt and Kim absolutely kill it on the main stage at this year’s Juice Jam.
Sublime with Rome slays at the F-Shed.
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clash of the pop titans
Two pop heavyweights, two albums, but only one’s a knockout. by lauren cover
It’s the battle of the twenty-something heartthrobs. Justin Bieber’s album Purpose is the culmination of the apologetic superstar’s comeback from teen rebellion, attempting to turn skeptics into Beliebers. One Direction’s highly anticipated album Made in the A.M. is their first, and potentially last, without former band member Zayn Malik. Nov. 13th was d-day for both so the question is who won? Since Bieber’s emotional performance at this year’s VMAs and the release of his record-setting single “What Do You Mean?” the singer has been inescapable. His biggest accomplishment? Getting his haters, dudes and critics to sit up, listen and wait eagerly for Purpose. Debuting at #1 on the charts, Bieber’s Purpose took an early lead, while One Direction came in at a close second. While the purpose of Bieber’s album was to make up for past faux pas, One Direction had one thing to prove; can they make a One Direction album without their best singer Zayn Malik? The answer is yes. Made in the A.M. is everything you’d expect of a One Direction album, plus a romantic power ballad about breakup sex and “talking out of their asses” over breakfast in “A.M.” Sex and mild cursing aside, the album meets overall expectations without surpassing them.
Are Ü Now” showed a lot of promise and with three songs currently in the Top 10 of the global charts, people were already poised and ready to love Bieber’s album. The only problem is it’s hard for any album to live up to expectations when the album lacks songs better than its singles. “Life Is Worth Living,” and title track “Purpose” are sugary ballads that contrast with the excitement and tone of the singles that attracted so many new Beliebers. The rest of Purpose is littered with R&B/EDM crossover tracks that highlight Bieber’s soulful vocal. One of the better tracks is “Love Yourself,” an allegorical finger to a manipulative ex, set up as acoustic love song, borrowing stylistic elements from co-producer Ed Sheeran. In terms of numbers, it’s a photo finish, but the winner of this smackdown is easily Bieber. While Made in the A.M. will satisfy diehard 1D fans, Purpose has a more universal likeability. Bieber can thank his venerable producers and collaborators, Skrillex, Big Sean, Travi$ Scott and rap god Nas for that. Bieber is also pulling a Beyoncé-style mic drop by releasing a video for every song on the album. One Direction has been hinting at a permanent hiatus and Made in the A.M. would be a graceful exit. Take a final bow 1D, but we’ll stick around for Justin Bieber’s encore.
For Bieber’s album, expectations were even higher. The tropical house banger “Sorry” and Jack Ü produced “Where
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if i could find you now ... things would get better?
by lauren cover
Whether they were a one hit wonder or had a legendary career in the music biz, some artists seem to just fall off the face of the earth. You probably don’t lose sleep over it, but every so often you might wonder, where are they now? mike posner //
The singer of the devastatingly catchy “Cooler Than Me” has made a good career for himself. He hasn’t topped the charts since 2010, but he’s written for some of the biggest names in music. I bet you didn’t know he composed Justin Bieber’s hit song “Boyfriend.” Over the summer, Posner released his album The Truth, featuring motivational song “Be As You Are,” encouraging listeners to ignore the ugly labels society gives them. He’s come a long way from throwing on that “Bow Chicka Wow Wow.”
yellowcard //
Who wasn’t obsessed with the double platinum hit “Ocean Avenue?” Hell, I still am, but that song is from 2003, which is mind blowing right? For its 10th anniversary, the band put together an acoustic version of the Ocean Avenue album, buttering up old fans prior to the release of their newest album Lift a Sail. The band is currently on tour in the U.S., so if you’re interested in reliving the glory days of junior high now’s your chance.
lady sovereign //
She’s a “funky little monkey with the tiniest ears” and hasn’t dropped an album in almost six years. Grime rapper Lady Sovereign’s “Love Me or Hate Me” was the first song by a British rapper to make it to number one on TRL, a huge win in 2006, but “the biggest midget in the game” has been on official hiatus since 2009 following the release of her wildly unsuccessful album Jigsaw.
jeff mangum //
Jeff Mangum is the enigmatic lead of the cult indie rock band Neutral Milk Hotel known for his vanishing act. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, the band’s evergreen album came out in 1998, but has continued to thrive despite Mangum’s sporadic disappearances. After Mangum’s brief stint touring solo in 2012 and 2013, Neutral Milk Hotel took to the road until the spring of 2015, telling fans “we love you but it’s time to say goodbye for the never ending now.” So Mangum goes back to the shadows, but I’m certain this isn’t the last we’ll hear from this elusive figure.
winter
1. blissth – sorority noise 2. white winter hymnal – fleet foxes 3. i hope things go the way i hope – tiny moving parts
spring
1. drive – oh wonder 2. floating vibes – surfer blood 3. mango (mango) scope & figure
summer
1. king of the beach – wavves 2. cold beverage – g love & special sauce 3. beautiful - snoop dogg
fall
1. the breach – justin tebbutt 2. like slow disappearing – turnover 3. andreas - seahaven
‘tis the seasons by carolyn saxton
Have you ever found that a certain band, artist or song is one that you can only listen to during a certain season? Well, we have, and these are our picks for each season. 27
exits’ strategy
Student artist, Exits, walks us through his self-titled debut EP, which has ignited the next chapter in his musical career. by phoebe smith “It’s like a journal to me,” says senior Matt Porter about writing music for his EP Exits. It’s an album about leaving the past behind, and much of it was inspired by a change in mindset he experienced during the creative process. The name “Exits” came to Porter first as a joke, but then he came to a realization: “all my songs are about people leaving and exiting,” Porter said. “Changing the name [from Matt Porter] gives it a bigger opportunity to expand which is something I want to do.” His change in mindset stems from an epiphany about how important the audience is to an artist. Exits was always “satisfied with being an okay performer.” While performing recently he realized how vital the audience is. He wanted to break down the wall between himself and the audience, and did so by creating something that everybody could be part of: Exits. “The more I thought about it the more it started to make sense,” Exits said, “I want to leave the past behind so I can move forward onto something bigger.” For Exits, the word “exits,” prompts an image of a movie theater; a dark room, in which the only light sources are the movie screen and the exit sign. This is exactly what the album represents: “if you’re in that dark room you’re watching a bigger picture and you’re not necessarily a part of it. The only way to escape is to follow the exit sign.” He hopes his music can be an escape for those who need it. When Porter started writing music in the seventh grade, it was solely for the fun of it. “Something
for me,” Porter said, “something that I enjoyed because it was my way.” Porter uses music as an outlet for reflective emotions. If he’s struggling, he expresses it through music. Paper is his best friend, someone who will always listen to him as long as he has a pen. For fans, his music provides a different outlet. “It’s their way of understanding and making sense of the things I needed to share,” Porter said, “and through my music I’ve met people that relate to me.” Exits’ fans show their passion in various ways. One fan, Bree, expressed her appreciation in a different way. Bree came to one of Exits’ shows with a painting she made of his face. This was an awe-inspiring moment for Exits as an artist. “Insane,” Porter described it, “someone took hours to make something to show her appreciation for what I’m doing.” Porter uses the painting as a personal reminder: what he’s doing is important to someone. This is his motivation. All of these experiences in Porter’s life are what comprise Exits. Compared to his last record, which was based on a break up, Exits is more about external things. The album is inspired by questions Porter asks himself, such as, “How can I be better?” and “What affects me?” Exits paves the way for all Syracuse University students who want to pursue a career in performance. His success is inspirational and he is a role model for students who are interested in creating music.
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helter Married to the music, for better or worse.
skelter by carolyn saxton People often talk about the idea of all consuming, Earth-shattering love, and it would make perfect sense to assume that this idea regards romantic love. For a lot of people, though, this emotion is felt for something that can’t actively love them back – music. Boy bands, rock bands, solo artists, duos, etc. The concept of the “fan girl” spans all genres and types of musicians, and isn’t limited to teenage girls, despite the stereotype. If you haven’t experienced this almost obsessive
love for music, it’s pretty difficult to understand. Beatlemania, a noun used to identify the kind of cult-like frenzy experienced by fans of The Beatles at the height of their career. At concerts, sometimes fans screamed so loudly that the music couldn’t even be heard. It’s speculated that at the time this international obsession with The Beatles was an outlet for young women to express their sexuality in a society that deemed it taboo and
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“
Music is an outlet for everything from sexuality to melancholy and it seems rather typical to idolize the makers of the music that means the most to you.
unacceptable. While that may not sound like something monumental, it was, and Beatlemania was the modern birth of the fan girl. Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely not saying One Direction is the 2010’s version of The Beatles, but their fans’ behavior is undeniably similar. Not to mention that with today’s technology, fans have endless avenues to nurture and explore their musical love, and, more importantly have it validated by other fans that share their 1D feelz. They write fanfiction and create fan art; they live and breathe this band. There are seemingly infinite Tumblr blogs and Twitter accounts dedicated to One Direction, or dedicated to getting followed by at least one of the members of One Direction (if Zayn throws you a follow, does it
still count as a member following you? Too soon?). From an outsider’s perspective, obsessions like these can be seen as unhealthy, and sure they can be, but what’s so different about having an all-consuming love for a music group as opposed to anything else? Cult-like fanbases don’t stop with the mainstream. Take 2000’s emo giant Brand New. The Long Island rock band was formed in 2000, and has maintained a devoted fanbase through sparse touring and no new music since the release of their fourth studio album in 2009, until the release of a single this past spring. The first semester of my senior year of high school, Fall 2013, Brand New announced a series of shows in which they would play two of their albums in full. The tickets, for
which I waited in the online waiting room before the sale began and cried when I didn’t get them, sold out in under two minutes and were being scalped on StubHub for upwards of $500 (original price was under $40) because people would genuinely pay that much to see this band play their music in such a way. This is the kind of band for which people would be willing to commit murder in order to get tickets to a show, let alone hear any one of their four studio albums live and in full. The kind of band, albeit part of a genre that is tattoo crazed, that has its artwork and lyrics tattooed on innumerable bodies. Music can lift you up when you’ve hit what feels like lower than rock bottom. It can be your friend to cry with, celebrate with, it can convey your
feelings with the words you can’t find. Music is an outlet for everything from sexuality to melancholy and it seems rather typical to idolize the makers of the music that means the most to you. Ultimately it comes down to passion, and there’s nothing scandalous about having passion for something that you didn’t take part in creating (even though musicians would be nowhere without their fans). Technically, there’s not much of a difference between a feverish music fan and a sports fanatic, but society places more validity on sports than on art. If you want a life size poster of Harry Styles in your bedroom, get one. If you want to tattoo the Déjà Entendu astronaut on your body, go to the fucking tattoo parlor. Don’t let anyone tell you what you’re allowed to love and how hard you’re allowed to love it.
to hell and (nickel ‘Cause we all just wanna be big rock stars... by kyle driscoll
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I have a secret. One that only a select few are aware of: I have been to a Nickelback concert. I was mainly there for the opening bands, but I can’t deny that I stayed for the headliner. Not only that, but I stayed for their entire set. I don’t know of a band more detested than Nickelback. The near-universal hatred is unrivaled. I was always sort of confused by this; I’m no Nickelback fan, but they’re tolerable at the very least. So why are they so despised? To me, I can think of four main reasons that I’ll be shunned if I disclose my secret. Here we go: #1: Formulaic Listen to the strikingly similar side-by-side playing of “Someday” and “How You Remind Me” on YouTube. I know there are common song structures in pop music, but come on. The same exact chord progression, stanzas, dynamics and transitions? Nickelback is the AC/DC of the 21st Century, except without the whole massive-diehard-fanbase-anduniversal-praise thing. However, it’s not like formulas are rare in music. Every pop song on the radio follows the same basic format. You could easily say
that early 1960s Beatles songs all sound the same. So does Nickelback take too much flack for their derivative nature? Well, unlike The Beatles, Nickelback never really deviated from their 2001 style. If the Beatles had been complacent with the style that made them millions, they never would’ve changed music as much as they did. So am I saying that Nickelback has the potential to make the next Sgt. Peppers? No. Nickelback needs a devil’s advocate sometimes, but not this time. #2: Lyrics Nickelback’s lyrics are their main turn-off for many. Topics include sex, women and sex with women. There was once a time when “Louie Louie” was considered explicit. If “Figured You Out” were released in 1963, there would have been riots. And “Something in Your Mouth?” Anarchy would’ve ensued. When not graphically depicting the band members’ sexual escapades, their lyrics usually involve a cheesiness that beckons hatred. After being subjected to these masterful lyrics for too many years, one can’t help but chuckle at the band’s recent attempts at “socially conscious” songs, which contain inspiringly vague clichés like “we must stand together!” I appreciate the
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effort boys; it’s just a little too late to be taken seriously. #3: Canadian Let’s face it – Americans love to hate Canada. It’s like our little brother; every time it starts to get a little success of its own, we have to knock it down. Rush comes out with some of the best albums of the 70’s, and we make it uncool to like Rush. Justin Bieber becomes the global heartthrob of tween girls, and we make him the most disliked artist ever on YouTube. Nickelback produces a few hits, and we make them a punchline. With Canada, these things just happen. Poor Canadians. #4: Fame This is perhaps the most obvious; people love to shit on fame and success. This is especially true for a band who adopted its style for the sole purpose of achieving fame. Naturally, Nickelback is the archnemesis of this hipster generation. By their own admission, they intentionally veered from grungy songs like “Leader of Men” to the style found on Silver Side Up because they thought (correctly) that they would become more popular if they adopted a more mainstream sound. To me, there is nothing
wrong with being mainstream, but a “sellout” like this breeds contempt among music fans. What kind of unartistic tools would do such a thing? Well, a lot of people actually, including Nirvana, a band that is revered by many of the same people that despise Nickelback. Now, I am not saying Nickelback is better than Nirvana by any means; it’s just that if you’re going to hate on them for the idea of “selling out,” keep in mind that they’re not the first band to want to be popular. I’m not sure why I’m being so defensive about Nickelback here. Maybe I feel bad for them. Maybe I’m still trying to justify attending one of their concerts. In the end, I think it’s because we all owe them a lot. The joy of laughing at their songs with friends or watching mash-up videos of their hits is something that most of us can relate to. And what’s the point of music that does not elicit some sort of emotion? And that is why, though they may be outwardly despised, Nickelback will always have a place in our hearts. Or maybe we just hate them.
Naturally, Nickelback is the arch-nemesis of this hipster generation. 37
how a local barber went from the cutting room to the barbershop
fresh cutz by katie canete As you step inside Westcott Barber, sounds of clippers buzzing and punk rock music echo throughout the shop. Doug Spangenberg, the owner, stands behind his salon chair cutting a man’s hair. The customer tells Spangenberg about his hobby, playing video games via Twitch. Spangenberg is interested in all of his customers’ stories, maybe because his own story is more interesting than the average barber’s.
Spangenberg originally attended school for environmental science in Pennsylvania where he made a number of friends in the hardcore music scene. He traveled with one of the bands to weekend gigs, and eventually accompanied them on their first US tour. He said, “I wanted to take videos of my friends just to have something for the end of the tour,” so he purchased what he fondly referred to as a “piece of shit” camera from Sears. Spangenberg started messing around with editing and created a montage for the group, unbeknownst to him that this was only the beginning of his prolific work as a touring videographer. “I started touring with a band called Earth Crisis, a vegan, straight edge band out of Syracuse. They were on a label called Roadrunner [Records], a big metal label. I made a video for the band, Roadrunner picked it up and they hired me to do other things like webisodes and music videos,” he said when asked how he found his way into the music industry. He said the lesserknown hardcore bands were the most fun to work with, but later cited Lamb of God and Every Time I Die as favorites.
Spangenberg had no formal training in camerawork nor in editing, so he taught himself along the way. He says his passion to succeed made the overall learning process easy. While editing wasn’t too difficult to learn with the emergence of FireWire, he noted that storage space was an issue, and laughed at the fact that he purchased a 5GB hard drive for a whopping $7,000. The majority of his projects came from live events. If a band was putting out a live DVD, Spangenberg would film extras like band interviews. He made an effort to constantly ask why creative choices were made, rather than the often bland and generic questions asked in interviews. He sought to capture the artists as a friend would see them, saying “I wanted to tell their story from the perspective of someone who’s hanging out with the bands, partying with them, and living with them.” If he was shooting the production of a record, he almost never played the actual record in the background, but rather focused on the creative process behind the album. This drove the labels crazy, but the artists loved it. Though his initial work was with metal
groups, Spangenberg worked with a number of big-name artists such as Harry Connick Jr., Pharrell Williams/N.E.R.D, John Legend, The Black Eyed Peas, P. Diddy and many others. He blithely recounted when N.E.R.D brought him on stage in Europe in front of 20,000 fans; they were so ecstatic about his work that they introduced him to the crowd as their videographer. When he had to capture behind-thescenes footage of Timbaland for Chris Cornell’s music video, the label instructed everyone to avoid eye contact and conversation with Timbaland. The video staff had to hide behind plants and other random shit when they were getting extra footage. They essentially made Timbaland out to be a maniac and Spangenberg thought the requests were ridiculous. In the break room, Timbaland walked
in, looked at him, and he said, “Hey, man! What’s up?” Timbaland answered unflinchingly, “Not much,” and didn’t seem to think twice about the interaction. Eventually, Doug tired of touring and wanted to be home with his family. He used to cut his friends’ hair on the road, so his friend’s girlfriend encouraged him to cut hair professionally. He went to school in New York City, opened the shop on Westcott Street the day he received his license, and has loved every minute of his new life. From environmental science student to N.E.R.D videographer to Syracuse barber, who knows what’s in store for Doug Spangenberg? Maybe the White House? Kanye/Spangenberg 2020 has my vote.
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mickey’s angels They’re breaking Walt’s cryogenically frozen heart.
by casey russel
Ever notice how seemingly every young, attractive female cast as the lead role in a Disney channel original series somehow becomes a rebellious pop star? If you haven’t, you’ve definitely been living under a rock because it literally happens all. The. Time. Let’s call it the Disney Effect.
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The Disney Effect As Defined By 20 Watts: When the creativity-restricting bonds of Disney suffocate their young actresses. Once freed, it forces them to overcompensate by presenting themselves as “mature” (if you know what I mean) pop stars to shed their squeaky clean, Disney image. In other words, they go off the deep end. While Hannah Montana was still on air, Miley Cyrus signed with Disney-owned label Hollywood Records. Under their guidance, she released an album with songs from the TV show as well as new Miley songs. She toured extensively and drew massive crowds of screaming girls. Her second album, Breakout, was just that for her: she co-wrote the majority of the tracklist, including the lead single “7 Things.” Then after teasing at a sexier, rebellious aesthetic with her song “Can’t Be Tamed” in 2010, causing global outrage, she took a break from her music career to focus back on acting. In 2013, Miley came back into the music industry with a bang(erz). She left Hollywood Records for RCA Records, and finally began to shed the “Disney chains” to become the edgy and over-the-top Miley we’ve come to know. The “Disney chains” are a set of unwritten rules that define a Disney artist and the direction their music can take. When Miley was still working with Disney, all of her music was generic. Literally any pop artist could have produced the exact same material under the guidance that she had circa Hannah Montana. She appealed to Disney’s young audience with sappy love songs, and if they didn’t have to do with young love, they were about topics simplistic
enough that a universal audience could relate. All of these Disney-produced songs have a positive and uplifting message, even if they deal with struggle. However, Bangerz and the infamous music video for “Wrecking Ball” threw Miley back into the public sphere as they were a huge departure from her previous work. “Wrecking Ball” became a passionate anthem about a failed relationship. Unlike her music released via Disney, “Wrecking Ball” doesn’t have a happy ending. Not to mention that the video is waaaaay sexual. While swinging on the wrecking ball, Miley wears nothing but wine red Dr. Martens, a sheer tank top and Tightie Whities. Given the fact that when some of her bikini pictures leaked in 2008 and that was a huge deal, the “Wrecking Ball” video was MAJOR. Bangerz gave Miley an opportunity to redefine her public image, and she definitely took advantage. Although it’s evident that she’s not the only Disney sweetheart to undergo this transformation. It really all began with Britney Spears. Britney got her start in showbiz after Disney cast her in The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993-1995. After the show ended she signed with Jive Records and soon released her 1999 hit single “…Baby, One More Time.” The hyper-sexualized music video, coupled with the controversial Rolling Stone cover, highlighted how far she had to go to break her bonds with Disney. Britney went from poster-child of a family company to dancing around in sexy schoolgirl attire. Hilary Duff followed Britney’s precedent; After her show ended in 2004, she decided
to pursue her music career with Hollywood Records, and her most famous song, “Come Clean,� drips with Disney positivity. Of course, aside from her Disney career, Hilary Duff is notable for her relationship with Joel Madden, frontman of mid-2000s pop-punk gods Good Charlotte. When they were dating in 20052006, she was 16 and he was 25. This age difference was both socially unacceptable and literally illegal. This type of relationship was unbecoming of a Disney sweetheart, and likely prompted her to loosen ties with the company. After her 2007 album Dignity was released on Hollywood, she returned to her acting career and starred in various indies. So why do Disney stars feel the need to employ an intense, dramatic event in order to sever their relationship with Disney? Ultimately the Disney Effect reflects negatively on the company. Underneath the happy, youthful exterior that these girls masquerade for their parent company lurks an ugly authority. The Disney Effect shows the domineering position Disney assumes over its artists, which causes these young women to act out... or maybe even just be themselves.
Underneath the happy, youthful mask that these teenage girls wear lurks an ugly authority.
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the ones that got away
Three dudes, livin’ la vida solo.
by victoria rodriguez
This past summer, Zayn Malik, former One Direction member and selfie-enthusiast, signed a solo deal with RCA Records. Since then, he has dyed his hair green, attended the Valentino fashion show and created bad blood with Taylor Swift’s beloved, Calvin Harris.
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Zayn’s solo career got off to a rough start, to put it mildly. Now the question is: What should Zayn do next? If he keeps screwing up, he could easily end up in the pile of ex-boybander rejects, alongside Joey McIntyre, Nick Lachey and JC Chasez. The good news is that the pop industry has developed a rock-solid formula to guarantee post-boy band success. It’s simple: Muscles. Music. Repeat.
It’s simple: Muscles. Music. Repeat.
Exhibit A: Justin Timberlake: the most stylish member of NSYNC, at least according to the depressingly low fashion standards of the 90s. Back in 1995, he, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez and Lance Bass came together to form the ultimate 90’s boyband. For six years, the boy band produced the typical pop-rock sound that every teenager and their mothers swoon over. Yet even back then, whether it was because of his bleached blonde curls, his denim suit or his love affair with bandanas, JT always garnered the most attention of the five teenage heartthrobs. Now, fast forward to November 2002, when Justified, JT’s debut solo album, was released. JT did everything right. He rocked the new buzz cut and got rid of his dry ramen-noodle curls and tinted sunglasses. He broke up with a then-pop queen Britney Spears, which made him the most eligible bachelor to ever walk the face of the earth. The ex-NSYNC member changed everything from his looks to his sound. People in the car, in the club and in bed were all listening to Justified. His single “Cry Me a River” added soul and
R&B to the classic boy band sound. Before this, the closest thing fans got to “soul” was “Tearin’ Up My Heart,” that song that mentioned something about pain and misunderstandings. His muscles were never massive but the constant sex-talk made up for it. In 2006, JT released his second solo record, Future Sex/LoveSounds. To say that he brought sexy back would be an understatement. Then, in 2011, he starred in the rom-com Friends With Benefits alongside Mila Kunis. The two left little to the imagination. Muscle. Music. Repeat. If you can throw movies in there, you’re golden. Today, JT is still relevant. You have to give it to him. The guy knows a thing or two about longevity. The 20/20 Experience, his third studio album, included two multiplatinum hits, “Suit & Tie” and “Mirrors.” Sure, the album got snubbed a Grammy, but it received seven awards at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. So Zayn, if you’re reading this, keep your friends close and your labelmates closer. Justin Timberlake, now husband to the incredibly gorgeous and successful Jessica Biel, is ultimate #SoloGoals. But we all know that this revamped Justin Timberlake is only a thing because Ricky Martin paved the way. Yes, Ricky Martin was in a boy band.
Menudo was the most popular Latin boy band in the 80s. But who really cares? You’ve probably never heard of him until he released “Livin’ La Vida Loca” in 1999. He ditched his band mates and started dancing with girls in rain. The result? Cult classics played at every quinceañera. So, given this simple formula, why do people still fail? The solo career is an upgrade. If you were never sexy to begin with, you probably won’t make it. Sorry. That being said, Harry Styles is going to be big. Mark my words. It won’t be long before he gets his buzz cut and rips off his shirt. The re-occurring theme here is sex. Sex sells, especially when you’re trying to break free from your bubblegum-pop boy band image. I’d like to tell you that there’s more to the industry, but there’s not. The girls that were listening to NSYNC are the same girls that are listening to Justin Timberlake today. The only difference being that they grew up a bit and now read Cosmopolitan instead of Bop. So, what will happen to Zayn? Maybe he’ll follow in Nick Lachey’s footsteps and marry some other pop singer and star in a reality show, or maybe he’ll join DNCE, everyone’s new favorite band. Who knows? I don’t, but if all else fails, he should dye his hair pink.
very superstitious
Writings on the wall, ladder’s ‘bout to fall, Stevie sees it all.
by mikey light
Stevie Wonder is widely considered to be one of the greatest musicians of all time. With an insane 25 Grammy awards and over 100 million albums sold, he remains not only the winningest male solo artist of all time, but one of the top selling musicians in the history of the human race.
from his mother’s loins a full six weeks too early. The premature birth coupled with the oxygen-rich environment of the incubator caused his retinas to detach, sentencing him to a life of eternal blindness.
He’s also blind.
In 2010, a video surfaced of Stevie Wonder performing with Paul McCartney and a cadre of other celebrities at the White House when a mic stand fell in his peripherals. Without even skipping a beat the Motown star reached over in
The most common story behind Stevie’s blindness is that he suffered from retinopathy of prematurity while in the incubator as a newborn, having sprung
Or so we thought.
“ He allegedly
strangled the shit out of Boy George at a party
”
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This is one of those conspiracies that could go all the way to the top
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Daredevil fashion and caught the rogue stand with his left hand, a feat that the average blind man would be woefully unable to accomplish. Take this and add in the fact that he sits courtside at NBA games on a regular basis along with a few other uncorroborated anecdotes such as when he allegedly strangled the shit out of Boy George at a party or how he can use a fucking camera, and you have a recipe for conspiracy. This isn’t news. Most of this “evidence” has been around for at least a few years or even decades, so why haven’t people other than paranoid journalists and conspiracy theorists been talking about it? Because his eyes don’t look functional. Have you ever seen what he looks like without sunglasses? Very few (and I mean few) photos exist of him without sunglasses, none of which are of particularly high quality. This isn’t anywhere close to a condemning fact, as there are countless explanations as to why Stevie Wonder wouldn’t want photos of him in which one could see his eyes, but it does raise a few questions as to just what, if anything is going on beneath those shades. I shot an email to Greg Howard, a Deadspin writer who wrote an article about Stevie Wonder’s blindness that got some buzz last year, and he seemed to have a very strong opinion on the matter of the man’s eyes. Here’s what he said when I asked if he knew of a truther explanation for his dysfunctional looking eyes.
“I don’t think I ever have. He’s blind as a bat, man, and the article was tongue-incheek. I think the question of why there is a Stevie Wonder truther movement at all, and where it fits into other truther movements is more interesting than whether or not he’s blind. He’s blind.” I think it’s clear at this point that Mr. Howard is being blackmailed. I thought about calling the cops, but I have no idea how far up this whole things goes. This is one of those conspiracies that could go all the way to the top, like how Bernie Sanders was created by the reptile cabal to undermine the government, or how the world is actually a flat plain surrounded by an ice wall that the Jews have been hiding from us for millennia. In order to elucidate the facts behind the “Isn’t She Lovely” artist’s vision, I approached over a dozen different ophthalmologists in their offices, homes and cars. Here’s what Dr. Jake Ronson, an eye doctor in nearby Pompey had to say when we spoke outside of his child’s middle school: “I have nothing to say to you. Stop following me and get these pictures out of my face. I am calling the police.” It would appear that we are just now starting to unravel the spool of thread that is truth behind Stevie Wonder’s blindness. Stay tuned for next semester’s issue of 20 Watts wherein we track down the final pieces of evidence needed to finally lay to rest the tale that is Stevie Wonder’s blindness at homes of his loved ones.
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Shameless self-promotion.
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FALL 2015 // YOUR STUDENT FEE