6
DAILY NEBRASKAN JAZZ IN JUNE
TUESDAY, JUNE 26 2012
Serendipities serves up smiles, cupcakes Joe Wade Daily Nebraskan
KEVIN MOSER | DAILY NEBRASKAN
Melissa Lewis, the face of Serendipities, manages her booth at the Jazz in June market.
The origin of the cupcake as a sweet and delicious treat is a lost history unto itself. However, food historians found recipes tracing it back to at least the 19th century and although the genesis of the cupcake is unclear, the revelation of their delightful decadence has made its way into popular food culture today. Serendipities, located at 27th and Superior, has been creating edible works of confectionary art since October of 2011. As well as serving to the community from their store Serendipities has also been catering events around town; notably the Jazz in June music festival held on Tuesday evenings. “Making cupcakes is such a
Band unleashes creative, funky beats Kekeli Dawes Daily Nebraskan Think of all the (few) great musical elements one finds on the radio today: danceable rhythm, simple but powerful chord structures, familiar soul and straightforward musical themes. Snarky Puppy, a 21-man jazz ensemble led by bassist Michael League, takes those elements and brings them to life in creative jazz compositions. The latest album, “GroundUP” takes several styles, like rock, pop, soul and hip-hop, and places them in a new light. “GroundUP” is a great album for any new jazz listener to spin. But don’t think of this as an easy listen. Rhythmically, “GroundUP” is accessible. However, that doesn’t mean that the grooves aren’t complex. On “Brent Nails,” even though it rides on a funky 7/8 groove, Snarky Puppy keeps the root common time. Which is a smart move, because the song closes with a nasty rock-fusion refrain. And you’ve
been dancing the entire time. Just when “GroundUP” almost begins to sound like your conventional jazz-fusion record, Snarky Puppy breaks out into an alt-rock guitar chorus on the third track, “Minjor.” The mysterious song is driven by a wailing slide guitar. It’s a solid rock ’n’ roll track through and through. Of course Snarky Puppy rips into a meaty, bluesy soul riff midway through the track, and slips into a neo-soul keyboard-driven interlude. It’s still jazz composition. The great thing about jazz compositions is that they can go anywhere. Musically, one song can range several styles. For example, if you love dancing to seductive latin rhythms, Binky is the top track for you. If you like tight, easy-riding funk jives, Binky is the song for you. If you like adult-alternative rock tunes with pleasant and simple melodies, give Binky a try. Or if you love going wild to some buck, staggering, West Coast-style hip hop, you must give Binky a listen. Though “GroundUP” is a great album to dance to, some
great way to spread love and sugar throughout the city of Lincoln,” cupcake maker Melissa Lewis said. “I suppose there might be other ways to do that, but I don’t know if they’d be half as much fun because we have a great time providing these confections. Cupcakes make people smile.” Despite so many wonderful flavors, one savory and sweet creation stands above the rest in popularity — and yes, it has bacon. “Our maple bacon cupcake is our top seller,” cupcake maker Loren Reichwaldt said. “We won our award for that one, which we got the idea from Cupcake Wars. The other favorite especially among kids is the vanilla ice cream cupcake because they think it is real ice cream.” Unlike some other cupcakes
COURTESY IMAGE
SNARKY | PAGE 8
GROUNDUP Snarky Puppy
GRADE
B+
CUPCAKES | PAGE 12
Time Hammer hits nail on head in five-track album Joe Wade Daily Nebraskan
non-jazz listeners may not appreciate the constant flipping of styles. It does become overwhelming at times; this isn’t background jazz. This album does require attention, so it’s best to listen to when
that are available for purchase Serendipities gives each cupcake that little bit of extra attention which makes them unique. “They are all really good,” Reichwaldt said. “We make them from scratch including the frosting and all the cupcakes have their own flavor also we focus on layers and not so much fillings like other places do.” Along with the individual attention given to the cupcakes are the unique individuals behind the counter as well. Lewis herself has been lovingly dubbed The Cupcake Lady. “Terrie Urtel, the owner, has been referring to me as the Cupcake Lady for a while now, Lewis said. “We have a very small team of very dedicated
Local band, Time Hammer, graced the music world with their debut album “Hot Nails,” which was released on June 9. Though the album is only five tracks long, it makes the most of every rock-infused, indie hip-hop beat. The fun rhythmic antics will keep endorphins pumping, heads bobbing and bodies jumping the whole way through. Stylistically, Time Hammer sounds a little reminiscent of bands like Rage Against the Machine but with their own distinct flavor for fluidity and they don’t resort to industrial rigidness. Although it’s an absolute treat to see Time Hammer live, fans won’t be disappointed by the opportunity to take a part of
HOT NAILS Time Hammer
GRADE
A
that experience home. Press play and the album kicks in the groove with “The Falls” which opens with a funky distorted bass line and progresses with hard hitting rhymes. It even falls into a brief ‘80s metal-esque bridge. The quirky lyrics are both humorous and thought-provoking. Lines such as, “It’s time to dance and forget about your worries, time is irrelevant now so don’t be in a hurry … ” keeps the album upbeat
HAMMER | PAGE 7