EMMIE Magazine Spring 2014

EMMIE

spring 2014

childish gambino sleeper agent neutral milk hotel beyoncĂŠ: love vs. hate the naked and the famous

STAFF Dear Emmie Reader,

livi MAGNANINI

If our fall issue was meant to be subtle, the spring issue is intended to be deafening. Blame it on the longest and coldest winter us Madisonians have endured in a ridiculously long time, but we’re coming out like fire.

In the words of Yeezy, “Me?? Too aggressive?” Psh, never. So jump in reader, it’s gonna get loud.

Editor-in-Chief

At EMMIE, UW-Madison’s student run music magazine, we critically look at the music we listen to, and think about how it affects our lives. Is Beyoncé really the rightful “queen” of pop music today? How did Lady Gaga fall from grace, and somehow make it back on top? Is Spotify set to take over iTunes? What is the phenomenon behind streaming albums anyway? Along the way, we got to chat with our cover band indie pop rock septet, Sleeper Agent, and up-and-coming indie groups Arc Iris and Pig Pen Theater Co. We set your playlists for your summer road trip, and get you pumped for Revelry Music Festival. Madison is a musical city and we take full advantage.

This issue we’ve taken it to the next level with crazy art, beautiful photos, dangerous layouts, and amped up articles. Every page tells a story and nothing is boring. Our layout editors have done epic things, our editors have worked over till perfection and our graphics editor continues to push the boundaries.

In the spirit of John Cusack’s High Fidelity Top 5 lists, I’ll tell you my Top 5 about EMMIE: 5. Stupid arguments and heated debates about who’s really good right now 4. Nights at the Plaza with the staff & (unforgettable) release parties :) 3.. All the free shows, music, and chances to talk to the new and upcoming artists (bragging rights when they hit it real, real big later) 2. Crazy, all night layout sessions filled with 3 AM pizza parties, mild freakouts, art, blood, sweat, and tears 1. The chance to connect with others who love music as much as you do

So read us, follow us, and join us. If you love music, we’re waiting for you.

Cheers,

Livi Magnanini, EIC

CONTRIBUTORS sabina BADOLA lucas BIELEJEWSKI ben CHERKASKY pete CLANCY sam EICHNER alicia FLORES allysa GALLONI ali GRIMES nik HEINEMANN julie JARZEMSKY maddy KELLY collin KIRK

sam EICHNER Features Editor

emily RAPPLEYE Features Editor

megan OPPERMAN Shows Editor

allysa GALLONI Shows Editor

hannah BULGER Albums Editor

ali GRIMES Albums Editor

andrew MACKENS Social Media Coordinator

aj BECKER Layout Editor, Graphics Editor

alicia FLORES Co-Layout Editor

lindsay KOTTWITZ andrew MACKENS livi MAGNANINI anton MAKHIBORODA john MCCRACKEN becca MELDMAN conor MURPHY megan OPPERMAN joe OSWALD ryan PERLIC emily RAPPLEYE mia SATO

bambi SHORE abbey SCHNEIDER james STRELOW molly TREROTOLA evan VERPLOEGH anna WALL

LAYOUT STAFF allison GARCIA katleyn SALZBURGER jess YANG

6 INTERROGATING SLEEPER AGENT 10 REVELRY PREVIEW 12 BEYONCÉ: LOVE vs. HATE 14 ARC IRIS INTERVIEW 15 PIG PEN THEATRE CO. INTERVIEW 16 HIP HOP’S LOST AND FOUND 17 NIGHT AT THE RED ROCKS 18 DIGITAL MUSIC ARMS RACE 20 ARTPOP OR ARTFLOP? THE FALL OF LADY GAGA 22 SUMMER ROAD TRIP PLAYLISTS 24 ODE TO THE MIXTAPE 48 NICOLE ATKINS, BLACK LIPS 53 CHILDISH GAMBINO, MAC DEMARCO 54 JOHN BUTLER TRIO, ROMAN REMAINS 55 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB 56 KELIS, FOSTER THE PEOPLE 57 A GREAT BIG WORLD, SUPREME CUTS 58 MØ, THE REVIVALISTS 59 THE INTERNET, LA DISPUTE 61 ST. VINCENT, PURE X 61 SKY FERREIRA, SCHOOLBOY Q 62 KONGOS 63 PHARELL

28 NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL 29 DR. DOG 30 CHILDISH GAMBINO 31 MIKE GORDON 32 THE NAKED AND THE FAMOUS 34 DAN DEACON 35 AER 36 THE REVIVALISTS 37 REAL ESTATE/PURE X 38 SHPONGLE 40 ARC IRIS 41 BTBAM, DEAFHEAVEN, INTRONAUT, & THE KINDRED 42 DRIVE BY TRUCKERS 43 PUNCH BROTHERS 44 CLASSIXX 48 THE ORWELLS, TWIN PEAKS, AND THE SYMPOSIUM 49 AGAINST ME!

SLEEPER AGENT 4 PGS interrogating

SLEEPER AGENT TONY SMITH OF INDIE POP-ROCK BAND SLEEPER AGENT TALKED TO EMMIE ABOUT THEIR SOPHOMORE ALBUM, LIFE ON THE ROAD, AND THE NEXT STEP FOR THEIR MUSIC.

Emmie: Hi Tony! So great to be talking to you, thanks for the interview, I’ve been listening to Sleeper Agent for a while, you’re building up quite the presence on my Spotify library. I am loving the new album, About Last Night. If it’s cool with you, I wanna jump right in.

Tony: Sure!

Last time we saw you in Madison was when you opened for fun. at the Majestic. How does it feel to be back on the road in support of your second album?

It was so so good. We’ve been home for about a year working on the record and got very comfortable in our kind of lazy lifestyle. We went back out in January and it kind of kicked our ass a little bit.

We’re kind of building our muscles back up, remembering what its like to be a touring band.

You guys definitely generated a lot of hype around Celebrasion, did you feel a lot of pressure on your sophomore record, relating to the creative process ...what was the difference between creating the two records?

There wasn’t too much pressure. In terms of the hype we did receive, you know, we didn’t really sell millions of copies, ya know? We created, like, a cult fan base and Celebrasion became kind of a cult record. We felt really free to go in any direction we wanted, but the difference this time around was we had a lot more time to, kind of, toy with our stuff. The first time we were allotted a certain amount of days, we used seven of them and it was very throw and go...go with your first instinct. This time we wrote and recorded 44 songs, and we re-recorded them and toyed with the arrangements ...We never said “Lets just try it this way,”... We went several different ways.

“I think About Last Night was definitely kind of us spreading our feet a little more and kind of finding the final destination, I guess.

I think where I would like to go with it is a little more... a little more dangerous with it.”

SLEEPER AGENT 4 PGS

Great, a lot more time for changing things around. So off of that, you’re headlining your own shows now -- how is the atmosphere on stage different? Do you have a particular venue or city you like to play shows at?

Well um, we are a little nervous going out by ourselves on shows for the first time ‘cause we’re still kinda used to piggybacking off of a bigger act. It’s a very comfortable position to be in, but it’s also one that you could stay in forever. So this time around we’re gonna do our best and put on the best show possible and bring out some bands to support us, so should be fun. In terms of cities to play in, I mean, my favorite is Portland, Oregon, at the Crystal Ballroom ...just such an interesting place, the floor is really springy so when everyone jumped you could feel it on stage.

Nice, nice. So saw you guys just killed it at South by Southwest, what was your experience at the festival? I know you guys have played at Coachella as well, do you like playing festivals? Or do you prefer you know, smaller sets intimate spaces?

I think I prefer our performance level at the club shows, but I think at an experience level, it’s a lot more fun to play a festival and then go hang out and watch other bands and meet up with old friends.

It’s more of a vacation for musicians then they are like real shows… And there’s still a lot of press at South by Southwest, you’re constantly doing interviews or you, like, go into parties where you have “face time” with other people.

So I guess you find it like hard to compare almost, different experiences.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, one, you’re kind of doing your own thing and the other is like an industry showcase.

So you guys are going to be touring nonstop until July. In your opinion, what is the best thing and worst thing about constantly being on the road?

The best thing is definitely to see and experience all the cities, getting to meet the people who respond to your music, and getting to try the local beer is great too. But the worst thing is definitely not knowing when you’re going to shower, when you’re going to brush your teeth, when you’re going to sleep in a real bed... And the opposite side of the food thing is having to eat all fast food, and gas stations, and stuff.

7

Very true, well Madison has some great local beers so you won’t be disappointed in that. Going off your last record Celebrasion sounds a lot more garage rock and About Last Night seems a lot more polished. Did you change your recording process this time around?

Yeah, I mean, like to be honest, Celebrasion was written in a garage (laughs), you know so...it was written with just a guitar and drum and we kind of went back [in] with the keys and bass...a lot of that comes with the time and experience we had. This time around, we went to a cabin and arranged the songs ourselves and we recorded it in a much bigger studio. We went to record it in a church that was converted into a studio so it had a much bigger sound….Also, this time around, if we didn’t like it, we redid it as opposed to just staying with it. A lot of that grime and dirt on the first record comes from a huge lack of confidence, so when we were mixing it, I would tell the producer to put some distortion on the vocals because I didn’t like the way my voice sounds...but this time we really wanted it to be our best performance possible.

SLEEPER AGENT 4 PGS

This time there’s a question that’s fermenting in my mind for a while, I love your live sessions at the Tennessee State Prison, I was wondering what was the inspiration for that, were you trying to channel Johnny Cash or…?

T: Um..(laughs) really honestly, what it came from was people we work with were saying [that] we were kind of being lazy so they wanted to make some kind of online presence. If we were gonna do that, we would have to check out somewhere cool at the same time, and it was kind of a fun trip while we were working. And we’re all huge movie buffs and parts of the Green Mile were made there, and parts of The Last Castle, so it was a way for us to see some history and explore some creepy chambers.

Do you perhaps anticipate doing something like that in the future?

We recently just did an acoustic video for “Waves” in the house where Scott (the keyboardist) and I first started playing ten years ago. All the songs originally come from me with my acoustic guitar. It’s one of the things I’m proud of if we can recreate anything acoustic live, so I’m sure we’ll be doing a lot of that.

Who inspires you in music and who are you listening to right now?

See, it’s funny, the past couple weeks a lot of new albums I’ve been anticipating have come out --came out. The new Cloud Nothings. This amazing kind of more underground artist named EMA,...and honestly, the press has not been diggin’ this album, but the new Foster the People, I think it’s a really cool direction they’re going in. When it comes to influences, it all goes back to 60’s rock, and late 80’s and early 90’s punk.

If you had the opportunity to record with anyone live or dead, who would it be?

I would definitely love to do a track with Jeff Tweedy from Wilco and Rick Daniels from Spoon, I guess like dead...maybe Mark Boland from T-Rex, he’s always been a big influence on me. I also think it’d be fun to do a track with the guys from Wavves and also Grouplove, that would be amazing.

SLEEPER AGENT 4 PGS

When on tour, do you have a favorite song you like to perform?

Now that we have 80 minutes of material we try to switch it up every night we kind of entertain ourselves, but also that way if their kids go to 3 or 4 shows they don’t get the same set every night. My favorite song is “That’s My Baby” because I see the way it touches people and the way their kind of moved by it. I know the other guys don’t really like playing it because its not as energetic but I mainly [like to] play it like twice a week.

That’s my favorite of your acoustics from the Tennessee one, that’s great. I saw that on your website you guys mentioned that About Last Night is like a stepping stone. So, in your thoughts, what’s the next step for Sleeper Agent?

I think About Last Night was definitely kind of us spreading our feet a little more and kind of finding the final destination I guess. I think where I would like to go with it is a little more... a little more dangerous with it. I would like to develop the sound that we did on this album and maybe push it, get a little more experimental with it, just bring in kind of different instrumentation and kind of utilize everybody’s talents to the fullest.

Cool, looking forward to it. Thank you so much for your time, we’re looking forward to your show at High Noon Saloon next week.

Great, we’ll see you there, have a nice day. alicia FLORES

9

Looks to Turn Up in 2014 As summer inches closer, we are accelerating into the thick of music festival season. Sure Coachella is in April, but the majority of college students here are drowning in a combination of classes, extra-curriculars, and Spotted Cow, therefore unable to travel far outside the state for any music festival before finals end.

Fortunately for the UW student looking to blow off some steam before that final week of learning what they didn’t all semester, Revelry Arts and Music Festival is back in its second installment. While last year included fan-favorite Hoodie Allen, rising star Chance the Rapper, and great indie bands such as The Mowgli’s and Phox, this year the fest packs an arguably even better lineup. Rappers and other up-and-coming acts are sure to bring a party like no other to the Terrace and Langdon. Let’s break it down.

DILLON FRANCIS

Your first headliner for the festival. Now I’m not a huge fan of electronic music, but I’ve listened to some of his stuff and I can tell he is good. In addition, Google tells me Francis is known as a pioneer of the electronic subgenres of moombahton and moombahcore, which further validates my impression of him as an established DJ. Whether you’ve heard his stuff or not, this guy is sure to get the crowd moving. My favorite song by him is “I.D.G.A.F.O.S.”, a track based on what I’d call a happier riff with some heavy dubstep breaks. Shit is pretty sick.

Sounds like: Porter Robinson, Kill the Noise

WAKA FLOCKA FLAME

Let’s be honest. Waka might not be the most talented or progressive rapper in the game right now, but who DOESN’T want to get (responsibly) plastered and bang to this Atlanta rap? Dillon Francis might play some ragin’ music, but this is the performance I am most excited for by far. Flocka’s beats are rather simple between the rapid percussion and classic electronic synths on the majority of his songs, but there are more than enough repetitive choruses and random phrases coined by the rapper (BRIIIICKSQUAAAAD) to get you involved in the show.

I may feel obligated to write an apology to the NAACP after hearing a majority white crowd scream “ni**a” at the top of their belligerent lungs multiple times during “Hard in Da Paint.”

Sounds like: Gucci Mane, Juicy J, Future

G-EAZY

Here is the stud to fill the void left in your heart from Hoodie’s awesome performance last year. Independent?

Check. White? Check. Slicked back hair? Ray Ban Wayfarers? Checkaaaand check. He’s got the look and the music to match. His sound is quite chill for the most part and doesn’t make me want to party like Hoodie’s does, but if he pulls out tracks like “Breathe” and “Loaded” out, there will definitely be enough there to keep me interested in his performance. I wouldn’t expect him to perform with a live band as the third artist down the bill, but if he did, it would definitely up the excitement.

Sounds like: Hoodie Allen, Skizzy Mars, The Dean’s List

SKY FERREIRA

I want to take this time to mention that Wikipedia is a gold mine. According to Ferreira’s page, she was largely raised by her grandmother, who was Michael Jackson’s personal stylist for over thirty years. Because they were around each other a significant amount, it was Jackson’s encouragement that led Ferreira’s grandmother to enrolling her in opera lessons. So begins the music career of Sky Ferreira. Look up the sources if you want, but you can’t make this shit up! Anyway, her debut album (Night Time, My Time) was finally released in 2013 after Ferreira was signed to a label in 2009, but hear me when I say the time invested was well worth it. A hybrid of synthpop and indie rock, Ferreira’s vocal melodies and fuzzed guitar-induced tracks leave me lost trying to pick a favorite track. My initial recommendations would be “Boys” and “24 Hours”, but seriously, listen to the whole album. With her recent gig opening for Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz tour, there’s no doubt Ferreira’s performance is well put together and one of the must-sees at Revelry.

Sounds like: Lorde, MØ, Charlie XCX

Promised Land Sound brings a sound to Revelry that comes from nothing less than the Promised Land. My initial reaction to their music reminds me of one of my favorite bands of old, The Rolling Stones. While their guitars have a heavy southern influence (they’re from Nashville) I can’t help but hear the 60’s/70’s flair in their vocal harmonies. This is definitely the act for everyone that wishes they were born in the 50’s. They should bring some good tunes to listen to during the early afternoon of the festival.

PROMISED LAND SOUND

Sounds like: The Byrds, the Band

BRONZE RADIO RETURN

Hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, this indie sextet is set to be the next band to come up through the same vein of fame as Mumford and Sons and The Lumineers. Making music since 2007, this band has been on the grind for quite some time.

They’ve got the banjo, they’ve got foot-stomping songs like “Mister, Mister”, and they’ll be performing at Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama, as well as Lollapalooza this summer. On top of all this, the harmonica elements of their songs give them the shred of differentiation they need to stand out over other indie bands. Bronze Radio Return could very well be the band you can say you saw at Revelry before they got big.

Sounds like: Mumford and Sons, the Lumineers andrew MACKENS

ANGEL OLSEN

*EDITOR’S PICK: Certainly the biggest albeit the coolest anomoly on the lineup comes to us in the form of electric folk goddess, Angel Olsen. Fresh off her smart new album, Burn Your Fire For No Witness, Miss Olsen packs a punch in places you didn’t know soft folk could. With her heartfelt lyrics and clever sound, she makes what’s old sound so new. Her set will be reserved for the lazier, chiller part of the day but by no means should it be missed.

Sounds like: Courtney Barnett, Real Estate, Feist

11

DETHRONING THE B OW D OW N , B I TC H E S ( LOV E ) On December 12, I was sitting in my friend’s apartment discussing how Lady Gaga could recover from the awkward rollout of ARTPOP, and if Miley Cyrus’ dominance in sales for pop albums this past fall would make her the pop “queen” of 2013.

But at 10:30 that evening, the conversation changed. The event that transpired would go down as the start of BB and AB, Before and After Beyoncé, Beyoncé’s self-titled fifth album.

It’s hard to say if anyone predicted that Beyoncé, who had made no signs of releasing an album in 2013, would drop a full length LP with no notice. For an artist with Beyoncé’s level of stardom, it’s hard to imagine her production team releasing an album unannounced.

When the album hit iTunes, there was mass chaos throughout social media. Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr exploded in response, filling news feeds and timelines with news that the great and powerful Bey had released an album.

The premise itself is crazy enough: massive pop star drops album with no promotion. What added to the spectacle was that Beyoncé, in a first for a major artist, released music videos to accompany every song on the album. This, in itself, was enough to have music commentators jumping up and down with excitement. While the top ten lists of 2013 had already even been released on the Internet, Beyoncé came in at the year’s twilight with a distinctive, memorable and “game changing” album.

What puts Beyoncé head and shoulders above other pop artists today is her commitment to female empowerment and feminism.

While she may be a wife and mother, Beyoncé is first and foremost one of the world’s most recognizable figures. She has used this power to bring attention ot causes from bullying to marriage equality.

In my opinion, one of her most empowering aspects is her use of her own body and sexuality as a means to create a positive portrayal of the female body in popular media.

Beyoncé hails from the late 90’s hip-hop/ R&B girl group culture, and Destiny’s Child, while closer to pop on the R&B spectrum, took a page from groups like TLC and Salt n’ Pepa to create a look and sound that portrayed women in their music videos as powerful, successful and confident in their

identity. Destiny’s Child, and eventually Beyoncé herself, helped to continue that tradition and portray a woman’s sexuality as something other than a background aesthetic in a music video.

Over her decade long dominance of mainstream R&B and pop music, Beyoncé has acutely developed her sexual image as one that is confident, sensual and honest. With Beyoncé, her image is fully realized, and the visual aspect of the album helps to provide the viewer with a perspective of female sexuality from the feminine perspective.

The decision to feature rather explicit sexual content in both the lyrical and visual content of Beyoncé didn’t sit well with many commentators. Songs like “Drunk in Love” and “Partition” allow for a very intimate look into her relationship with her husband, Jay-Z, and help to color in missing details about Beyoncé’s personal life undisclosed until now.

The videos offer a stark contrast to some of her pervious works, like “Single Ladies” or “Love on Top,” but the level of sexuality offered in “Partition” works well with the nature of the lyrics. She uses her body and sexual identity as the focal point of the music, and for the video as well, but doesn’t feel tawdry.

While Beyoncé’s sexual confidence may be one of her more shining moments, as a Beyoncé fan, I would be disingenuous if I didn’t understand her faults. Her decision to include Jay-Z’s rap in “Drunk in Love,” with its reference to domestic abuse, wasn’t her best idea. This act doesn’t dissuade my devotion to her music, because every mainstream pop artist nowadays seem to have slip ups in their judgment when it comes tocollaborations, lyrical content or saying something with out thinking first.

Beyoncé is one of the most remarkable artists nowadays, and her choice of using herbody and image allow for a more cohesive look into her mind as an artist. With this big step forward in her career, Beyoncé has cemented herself as one of the most defining voices in pop music, and is sure to continue her pioneering involvement in the music industry.

Bow down to Queen Bey. conor MURPHY

QUEEN B? NO, I’M NOT AN ANGEL EITHER (HATE) Beyoncé. You may also know her as Queen B. She dominated the end of 2013 by dropping an album out of nowhere that single-handedly crashed iTunes and continues to rule 2014 as her single, “Drunk in Love” invaded radio stations all over the country. Her popularity in American culture is undeniable—it is, as Anderson Cooper pointed out, Beyoncé’s world and we are all just living in it—as is her prominence as a “role model” for women. She celebrated Black History Month by posting pictures of African American women who have positively impacted society, she joined the pledge to “Ban Bossy” to end the use of “bossy” as a negative word for women, and she also wrote “***Flawless” – a song that celebrates women’s independence from men and tells women that perfect doesn’t exist.

While I cannot deny that Beyoncé is the Queen B in pop culture right now, I can deny that she is a feminist—because while some may perceive her blatant sexuality as empowering, I would argue her plain attempts at selling herself and her body are just, well, gauche.

If you have been alive since the release of Beyoncé, you have to know how hyper-sexualized Bey’s album is. The visual aspects of the album are just an addition to how sexual the lyrics are. For a woman trying to “turn the world into feminists,” she sure enjoys rubbing her body, sex life and lavish lifestyle in everyone’s face.

Let’s begin with “Drunk in Love,” shall we?

The entire song is Beyoncé broadcasting her sex life to the world. How after a night of drinking thousand-dollar vodka, champagne and smoking the finest Cuban cigars, her and her husband, Jay Z, end up “Drunk in Love” all night in their “Louis [Vuitton} sheets.”

It doesn’t stop there. Bey is kind enough to share exactly what happens all night. “I’m singing on the mic to my boy’s toys / then I fill the tub up halfway then ride with my surfboard.” Don’t forget, “I’ve been drinking / watermelon.”

Jay Z then steps in and mocks domestic violence, referencing Tina and Ike Turner’s infamously abusive relationship. “I’m Ike Turner, turn up, baby, no, I don’t play / Now eat the cake, Anna Mae said, “Eat the cake, Anna Mae!”” Is Bey really a feminist if she lets her husband mock domestic violence on her own track?

The true sexuality of “Drunk in Love” was put on display in Beyoncé and Jay Z’s Grammy

performance of the song. They opened the show with Bey straddling and grinding against a rotating chair while she was clad in what was basically a thong bodysuit. Her dancing and attire are easily comparable to Miley Cyrus’ at the VMAs but no one, except for conservative parents, batted an eyelash because she’s “Queen B.” Her fans even went as far as to praise her for being an “inspiration.” An inspiration for what? Having a lot of sex with her husband and broadcasting it to everyone? A body image that is completely unattainable?

While the TV network had the obligation to bleep out curse words during her performance, you would think they would also have an obligation to blur Bey’s ass or make her wear a more appropriate stage outfit. I’m sorry, Bey, but grinding and bumping against a chair on stage in a thong doesn’t exactly scream feminist.

And don’t even get me started on “Partition.”

Five tracks before Beyoncé tells women to think of their lives beyond their marriage to men, she sings about how everything she does is to make her man happy in “Partition.”

“Take all of me / I just want to be the girl you like” Bey croons to Jay as she sings about getting down on her knees in their limo and ruining her dress because of, ehem, “watermelon.”

The music video for “Partition” is possibly the most sexualized video on the entire album. It’s basically a sex tape made especially for Jay, but in a way that briefly distracts you by the artistry before you fully realize what’s actually going on: Bey, swinging around in her skimpy lingerie, hoping to please her man while Jay watches from the audience. To put it plainly, this video shows that “Partition” isn’t a song, its just sex with background music. If Beyoncé was really a feminist and a role model, she wouldn’t sell sex and her body like this to millions and millions of people.

While on social media, Beyoncé does stand for the right morals – equal rights for women and for people to love themselves the way they are – she needs to start practicing what she preaches before the public stops being bewitched by the Bey-charm and realizes the hypocrisy of what she stands for.

Bey – it’s fine if you want to flash your ass on TV, sell sex, materialism and body perfection to the youth of America and make sex videos for your husband, (you do you, girl). Just don’t go calling yourself a feminist afterwards. megan OPPERMAN

13

A CHAT WITH ARC IRIS EMMIE SAT DOWN WITH JOCIE ADAMS, LEAD SINGER OF INDIE FOLK OUTFIT, ARC IRIS, BEFORE THEIR PERFORMANCE AT HIGH NOON SALOON ON 2/28, TO TALK ABOUT THEIR DEBUT ALBUM, TOURING LIFE, AND THEIR LOVE OF JONI MITCHELL. EMMIE: Hey Jocie! I’m so glad we could set On the subject of 2014 musical goals, your this up, thanks again. debut album is coming out on April Fools Jocie: No problem, I’m glad it worked out!

Day. Any reason in particular why, or was this a random decision?

So, how’s the tour been going so far? How It was actually a random decision the record has it been touring with Nicole Atkins? company made for us…A little part of me is It’s been really great, a really good time. scared they’re gonna pull a fast one on us!

Nicole is so sweet and we all get along well. When we found the date out we all laughed about it and considered coming up with a Are there any major events or shows in fake album to release, but we figured that particular that you’re looking forward to? wouldn’t be great for publicity (laughs).

We’re really looking forward to playing in Portland, Oregon. We have a lot of family I’d love to get some more background there. We can’t wait to perform down South a information on you and the band. How did bit more as well, it’s so fucking cold up north Arc Iris begin? (laughs).

I’ve been friends with the cellist, Robin Ryczek for a while. I’ve also known Mike It’s the worst! I feel your pain. But on that Irwin, the trumpet player for a long time, we note, your song “Singing So Sweetly” has worked together on The Low Anthem. We been the perfect track to get me through met our keyboardist, Zach Miller though cold walks to class. I love how upbeat and some friends, he wound up playing a show jazzy it is. Did you write the song yourself? with us in Providence. He brought his friends Any particular inspiration?

Ray (drummer) and our bass player on with There really wasn’t a particular inspiration…. him. We all slowly started working together Most of the album was written in the car on over the last several years. We kind of startlong drives, spending all that time on the ed switching gears into a new type of music road inspired a lot of our current music. and Arc Iris developed really naturally.

So, what would you say your biggest goal for the year is? Any large musical goals?

I’m actually writing a ballet right now,. My goal is to have it recorded by the end of the year.

Very cool. Another thing, I saw that you performed “Every Single Night” for The Voice Project. It seems like a fantastic organization- how did you get involved in it?

Yeah, it’s very cool. The way the project

works is by trying to make bands cover songs from other bands. I was looped in for it when I was still playing with The Low Anthem... They approached us as Arc Iris was just beginning to come together.

Back to Arc Iris itself, what would you say your major musical influences are?

Definitely Harry Nilsson, Joni Mitchell…

Randy Newman as well.

And as a band, what have you all been listening to a lot of lately?

Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Joni Mitchell (laughs)…Let’s see… Superhuman Happiness, Cuddle Magic… um… The Barr Brothers too.

Nice! And alright, if you had to pick just one band or singer, living or dead, to see live in concert- who would it be?

Probably Joni Mitchell (laughs).

Alright, it was great talking to you, and I’m looking forward to your show Sunday!

Sounds good, so are we! Thank you!

ali GRIMES

an interview with

PIGPEN THEATRE CO. Folk music has been making its way into our hearts for years, and New York’s PigPen Theatre Co. are sticking to their roots in telling stories and creating melodies that enchant audiences in their theater productions, as well as on the musical stage.

Emmie had a chance to chat with the septet before their set at the Frequency on 3/27.

EMMIE: Hey guys, thanks for meeting with me over the phone, how are you doing?

PPTC: Doing well, just in the van driving to Minneapolis currently.

Oh wow, sounds cold. I’m really excited for your show in Madison, but you guys just got back form South By South West, didn’t you?

Yeah, we did. We spent some time on the west coast then we went down south. It

was our first time in both of those regions as a group and it was a lot of fun.

How do you feel about the festival scene, have you played SXSW before?

Actually no, it was our first time at South By, and we had a blast. SXSW, in and of itself, is so unique to any other festival, so we were really excited to kind partake and learn the intricacies of it. But yeah, it’s a different beat than any of the other festivals…

That’s great. You guys do a lot of theatrical productions, obviously, and I wanted to ask you a little bit about how you think your creative experiences in theater are related to your creative experiences in music and how you think they can be connected?

Absolutely, I think our background in theater lends itself very well to what we do in music. We have learned how to tell stories.

This national tour we’re playing about 3-4 new songs that aren’t recorded anywhere,

and the audience brings us very different energy depending on where we are and what mood they’re in, and that’s very similar to what happens in theater, you know?

Were you influenced to make folk music based on your desire to tell stories, considering folk music is so firmly based in folktales and storytelling itself?

The texture of folk music was something that captured all of our imaginations together. I think when you have a group of seven guys that all come from very different backgrounds, there is some weight to something that can capture all of our imaginations, and folk music is certainly that.

Oh definitely. That’s awesome to hear.

Thank y’all so much for talking to me, good luck with your show in Madison. maddy KELLY

15

Hip Hop’s Lost and Found: Unreleased Gems From the Days of the Pager, Wallabee Clarks and Dusted Blunts Some would say the mid 1990’s was the creative zenith of hiphop. While mainstream America was distracted by the infamous East-West feud, fans of the genre were enjoying an unparalleled level of artistry.

Producers had moved beyond funky break loops, into a realm of experimental plunderphonics and lush, bass heavy jazz. MC’s were coming up with increasingly complex lyrics, often dealing with philosophy and metaphysics (much of which was influenced

1. Mobb Deep “Temperature’s Rising” Characterized by a shimmering, upperregister organ riff and tightly compressed, locked in drums, this ranks as one of the funkier grooves Havoc has laid down.

Prodigy and Havoc tell a story of paranoia and heightened police presence - the result of a high profile crime committed by Havoc’s older brother, Killa Black. Unfortunately, Mobb Deep didn’t have the funds to clear what was a pretty high profile sample (Body Heat by Leon Ware), and the track was eventually shelved.

by a highly controversial, afrocentric religion known as Nations of Gods and Earths).

Many stand out works produced during the era still resonate in pop culture– for instance Nas’ emblematic, masterfully produced Illmatic, and Biggie Small’s explosive Ready To Die. Others, such as GZA’s Liquid Swords, live on with a more underground following.

But amidst all this glory (as Raekwon would

2. RZA

“Deadly Dart’s Instrumental” RZA took what sounds like a motif from a 1970s commercial bumper (think Adult Swim), and flipped it into something special.

The interplay between the phased drums and a UFO sound effect works perfectly.

Why was the track cut? Most likely it just didnt fit with the established Wu formula.

4. INI (prod. Pete Rock) “Fakin’ Jax” INI never quite made it big. Though they managed to link up with the legendary Pete Rock for their debut album, their careers ended prematurely when a distribution deal fell through. The album was bootlegged and eventually garnered them a cult following. Fakin Jax was planned as the lead single. Centered around a masterful flip of Impeach The President, and low end keyboard splashes, the track serves as a counterpoint to an increased emphasis on commercial hip hop.

say), there was a plethora of material that didn’t quite make the cut – songs that were weighed down by sample clearance issues, or failed to mesh with the project as a whole. Of course some of these tracks are just really odd – the result of studio experimentation and/or, mind altering substances.

Whatever the case may be, this hidden side to 90s hip hop is definitely worth checking out. Here are some highlights. nik HEINEMANN

3. Wu-Tang Clan “St. Ides Commercial” Hands down one of the dopest commercials ever aired on television. St Ides did a series of ads throughout the 90’s featuring rappers such as Nate Dogg, Ice Cube and Wu Tang, with the Wu Tang Clan ad being particularly memorable. Ghostface Killah, RZA, Method Man and Raekwon plug what is no doubt the most refreshing and inexpensive brand of malt liquor in all of Shaolin (Staten Island), over a haunting RZA-produced piano number. Later used in the Glaciers Of Ice intro, off of Raekwon’s Cuban Linx.

5. Raekwon “Wu-gambinos rmx” Found on the Hidden Chambers Wu Tang compilation EP. Aesthetically, this remix isn’t gorgeous, but it operates on an interesting concept. The original track was a tribute to the Gambino crime family– RZA’s use of sparse, sinister strings and an opulent piano loop, coupled with Raekwons vibrant storytelling, set the blueprint for Mafioso Hip Hop. The remix is less refined.

Driven by a dissonant jazz trumpet sample (very old Hollywoodesque), it paints a picture of prohibition era Chicago. If nothing else, this may be one of hip hop’s first period pieces.

A NIGHT AT RED ROCK On certain nights in Madison, when the currents created by our fragile lakes fuse just right, they generate a wayward breeze, carrying a vitalizing and familiar scent. The stench penetrates and seeps into our collegial bubble reminding us of the surrounding rural landscape. On this peculiar night, the moist odor of cow manure emanating from the states northern dairy farms fueled a fire in my loins, and I could feel the bud that would become Kirk sprouting within me.

My transformation into Kirk from the idyllic town of Schulsburg, WI was in preparation of a visit to Red Rock, a new country bar built on the remains of Logan’s (RIP champion of underage alcohol consumption). In order to remain an objective investigator, I knew I would have to actively renounce my east coast metropolitan identity and recant my liberal beliefs to embody the Wisconsin country boy stereotype. Kirk would wear paisley, he would chew and he would spit, and he would be a strong advocate for small governments and big cars. A trip to Walgreens, an established distributor of Grizzly Chew, was in order. Next, to the liquor store for two racks of the aggressively carbonated Red Dog. Three hours later I was inside Red Rock Saloon Madison’s Original Country and Rock Bar, staring into the sinister eyes of a mechanical bull. On Friday nights the Saloon features local and national music acts, country performers who go by inconspicuous names like Mason Dixie, Southern Tradition, and Brushville. The old me only listened to country ironically, feigning enjoyment of its simple themes (e.g. girl leaves guy but guy’s okay because he still owns a gun/bible) at crowded tailgate events. But for Kirk, country music provided an escape from the stresses of the ranch.

After being branded with the Red Rock’s logo on my inner wrist like a young steer, I was granted entry into the Saloon. A sea of red-checkered flannel shirts and camouflage caps appeared before me. What I believed would be modest dress for a country bar appeared pretentious and flashy. In fact, this bar was nothing like the refined southern experience I had prepared Kirk for with countless viewings of Dukes of Hazard and Rick Perry speeches. The female bartenders wore jeans with the backs cut out, exposing their Red Rock bikini bottoms, while the male bartenders had ostensibly been instructed by management to dress for a monster truck rally.

Was this blatant objectification of women really in line with country morals? Or was this a backwards attempt at new wave feminism?

After diluting these moral quandaries with several bud lights, Kirk was back and ready to have his soul remedied by the nights musical act. Saving Savannah played a blathering mix of Top 40 and Country rock, conflating the two with the nasally inflection reminiscent of the late-great Weird Al Yankovich. The patrons knew all the words.

They sang and swayed along, whistling and hollering in the intervals as the band carefully toed the line between college garbage and country trash with covers like “Timber” by Kesha ft. Pitbull and a rendition of “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show. These were honest songs that could be picked up by the average Joe-sixpack’s transmitter radio but they were not the kind of down home Country Kirk had bargained for. Still, there was something convivial in the easy spirit of the evening—the carefree dancing, the tasteless décor, the satisfied drunkenness of the crowd, glazed eyes as docile and friendly as a golden retriever’s. And that’s when it hit me: people were genuinely happy here.

Could you really say the same about The Plaza? anton MAKHIBORODA

17

FESTIVAL PROFILING It’s festival season music lovers! The stop-andfrisk system got nothing on our festival shake down. Pick your part of the USA, grab all yo’ friends who like the same lame stuff you do, and bust out the appropriate attire: cutoffs, big glasses, fringe, crop tops, Chucks, oh and those flower headbands.

SXSW-goers fall into categories not unlike a caste system. At the top you’ve got your badge-holders, who breeze past lines, go to whatever show they like, and overlook the crowds fighting for room to breathe from the VIP section, free drinks in hand. Next up, those with wristbands, who at least make it through the door of official events. And at the bottom, you have the masses of people doing it all for free, scampering from show to show, scanning twitter feeds to check lines, potentially waiting for hours to get in, and sometimes, ducking under fences or talking their way past security. Luckily, the system doesn’t dictate how much fun you have: there are plenty of shows (and booze) to go around. Some are there to hustle: marketing interns flinging branded coozies at peoples’ faces and guys in bucket hats pushing their new album on the sidewalk. And there’s the rest: tech geeks clad with custom Google glasses, misguided fest girls with flower headbands, and weathered Austinites with sensible sneakers and eyes keen to sneak into shows.

HWEST

Y SOUT B H T U O

S

julie JARZEMSKY

Pitchfork is that girl: self-consciously stylish, in clothes that look like they’re from Urban Outfitters but she assiduously vows are, like, so not; painfully beautiful, though cold and maybe a bit vapid; a self-proclaimed arbiter of good taste who may or may not use the word “post-modern” in the wrong context. Yet, for all her faults and the fact that you know she’s wearing that oversized Rick Santorum campaign t-shirt ironically, you can’t help but like her, because she’s just so fucking interesting.

TIVAL S E F K R PITCHFO

sam EICHNER

LLA

ACHE CO

The Big Gig features many different genres of music and draws crowds just as diverse. Behold these exquisite specimens: the cougar one too many drinks deep and the groups of dudes who seem lost on their way to Sturgis. A closer look at the cougar reveals a single middle-aged woman hoping to reclaim her youth at Summerfest. Look for her sausaged into tacky clothes that were just as hideous when they fit twenty years ago. Platform flip-flops are a dead giveaway. With a drink in hand, she’ll attempt to sing-along to “today’s music” that she’s so into. Unfortunately, the only thing she’s attracting are gaggles of bikers wrapped up in denim, tattoos and anything else eagle or American flag related. And not since the eighties, or since Summerfest last year, has so much leather been sported in 90 degree heat...

Regrettably, ZZ Top isn’t playing this year, so you might be outta luck spotting Sturgis transplants. Fortunately, cougars are always on the prowl.

lindsay KOTTWITZ

RFEST

SUMME

When you think of Coachella, a few things probably come to mind… Celebrities,hologram rappers, flower crowns, high-waisted shorts, crop tops, bro tanks, khaki shorts, rich kids, drugs (cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy), and trust funds (or daddy’s money, your choice). Oh, and don’t forget Vanessa Hudgens. “You get to take your shoes off, run around like a crazy person and wear flowers in your hair. It’s just amazing. OMG I live for Coachella!” megan OPPERMAN

Remember all those pop-punk bands you loved in middle school?

See them this summer at Warped Tour and re-live your emo phase for a day. If Hot Topic threw up on a field, it would look like this. During eight sweaty hours, fourteen year olds can spend their allowance to rebel against their parents while moshing to angry political bands, and girls in bikinis with “free hugs”written on their stomachs can buy five dollar EPs from colorful-haired band members. Also in the crowd are shirtless bros in snapbacks who came to soak in some vitamin D while watching a mediocre rapper. Every so often you’ll spot a skinhead looking for cigarettes, or a gang of metalheads complaining that no one listens to “real music” nowadays.

The only way to leave is by dodging your way through an endless tidal wave of PETA volunteers who want you to join their email list.

R

ED TOU

ARP VANS W

becca MELDMAN

19

THE DIGITAL MUSIC ARMS RACE

Music platforms have battled for decades to reign as the most popular, their strategies escalating over time. The most recent format battle seems to be iTunes versus Spotify. Five years ago, iTunes had a nearmonopoly on the digitized music industry, until the Swedish streaming service Spotify appeared on the scene.

The word “streaming” seemed to spook record labels in the early 2000’s, but labels such as EMI, Sony and Universal jumped onto Spotify to market music with either paid subscriptions or free-for-all access with advertisements.

Spotify is now one of the largest online free streaming services for music.

What separates iTunes and Spotify is simple. iTunes is sales-based, much like a local record shop in digital form.

Discounts, first-week sales and sales

charts determine the success of a single or album. Recently, Amazon and Google followed with similar models for digital music marketplaces, attempting to pull the market away from Apple.

Spotify is a large centralized digital library, where a listener can browse through a multitude of music without having to pay a cent for the ability to use the service. Spotify then uses Pandora’s model of music-interrupting advertisement to generate revenue.

The success of Spotify prompted iTunes to take a second look at the way it handles album releases. The release of iTunes Radio, the retailer’s free streaming service, was received with nothing more than a miniscule rattle.

However, when Beyoncé released her self-titled fifth studio album, iTunes struck gold.

The release of Beyoncé brings an interesting perspective to record promotion in the pop music machine. Released exclusively to iTunes without warning in mid-December, the album took both social media and the world by storm.

Fallen maverick Lady Gaga spent a year teasing fans with snippets and lyric clips from her much-anticipated ARTPOP, releasing it with massive fanfare, but unfortunately, the album sales didn’t back up the hype and promotion. Viral diva Miley Cyrus spent the better part of the past summer and fall showing off her talents as a pop girl in transformation with videos and controversial per-

formances. However, when the release date for Bangerz came and went, hype died like a passing storm. How then did Beyoncé pull this feat off without organized promotion?

The answer might be simpler than we think. By surprising fans, artists and critics, millions of people started to tweet, share and reblog countless tales of the new album, effectively doing all the promotion work for Beyoncé for free. Millions of fans and “haters” tweeted about the sudden release, adding fuel to the social media firestorm. We as consumers successfully advertised an album for a high-level artist, confirming an album can be released with no warning, still manage to hit number one in over 100 countries and sell over a million copies.

Well, at least if you’re Beyoncé. Artists who followed suit to the out-of-nowhere releases include Skrillex and Kid Cudi and they’re likely not at the end of the line for this trend.

“FOR CONSUMERS, THE PROS AND CONS ARE HEAVY.”

networking aspect. Users can connect Spotify to Facebook, “follow” their friends and share their music in a more personalized fashion. Although the format for streaming or listening to music still remains a personal preference, iTunes holds a majority share of the market. As time goes on and the ‘arms race’ continues, this could change drastically.

What’s next for iTunes? An anonymous artist confirmed a secret album is currently in production, taking Beyoncé’s blueprint and reworking it. Only this time, it will be promoted harder through social media and other advertising outlets.

Spotify continues to grow, though a profitable revenue structure has yet to formulate. Approximately one-fifth of active digital music listeners now primarily use Spotify. Rumors Google may acquire Spotify could jump start the platforms race to overtake the iTunes bastion of digital music. Will this spell doom for iTunes? Only time will tell in the never-ending race to dominate the music marketplace.

collin KIRK and conor MURPHY The role Beyoncé plays in the iTunes versus Spotify battle is quite interesting.

Her album was exclusive to iTunes for a week, available as album-only, meaning songs could not be purchased individually. It still is not available on Spotify. Artists such as Rihanna and Taylor Swift withheld the streaming rights of their albums to services like Spotify for several months to persuade fans to purchase their albums. It seems artists offering exclusives to iTunes may be a creative way to keep the platform alive and healthy in today’s digital music landscape.

For consumers, the pros and cons are heavy. With iTunes, the 21st century version of physically owning music, consumers are free to use their music however they want, such as burning CD’s and sharing with others. However, Spotify’s rise allows consumers to stream music wherever and whenever they want and it has an added a social

21

ARTPOP OR ARTFLOP ?

THE FALL OF LADY GAGA It’s been six whole years now since pop empress Lady Gaga debuted, captivating the world and taking it by storm.

Mixing elements of David Bowie, Madonna and Queen, Stefani Germanotta created the most interesting pop character of the decade. From “Poker Face” to “Bad Romance”, Gaga recreated herself successfully, always bringing something fresh and incredible to the ears of millions. Developing her expansive army of blood-thirsty ‘little monsters’, Gaga seemed like she’d never fall from grace… but where is she now? She’s back, right? What went wrong? Is she going to regain prominence? Let’s first take a look at where the downfall began.

APRIL 2011 - Controversy was her strong suit, but it started to work against her. “Judas,” the second single from the not-yet-released Born This Way swiftly received backlash from a multitude of religious organizations. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #10 for one week and quickly toppled down, failing to see the same success as other Gaga-brand songs.

MAY 2011 - The highly anticipated release of Gaga’s second full studio album, Born This Way, erupted with over 1 million sales during its first week, in part due to the smash hit of the same name. Gaga was everywhere. Born This Way will be the album of a generation,” Gaga famously said – too much?

JANUARY 2012 - After a successful string of smash singles, “Marry the Night” was released as the fifth single from Born This Way, with a Gaga-charged autobiographical music video spanning around 13 minutes long. It was also performed on numerous television shows. The song peaked at #29 in the United States and failed to crack the Top 10 in most territories worldwide, giving Miss Germanotta her first “flop single” ever, promptly ending her expansive 11-song Top 10 streak. Gaga announced on LittleMonsters.com that her record label, Interscope, messed up her vision of the single order.

SEPTEMBER 2012 - Following a self-proclaimed “media blackout” to work on her next project, ARTPOP, Gaga ignored all social media but returned to post a satire project, “Cake Like Lady Gaga”, a mock-pretentious play on trap and rap. She also released a collaboration with music producer, Zedd, as a remix to his song “Stache” – the song is about marijuana. Blatantly. Another year out of the media without a peep, and people must be wondering where Lady Gaga is, what she’s up to – right? Lady Gaga’s third studio album, ARTPOP, was underway. Unfortunately, the release and promotion didn’t go the way she had anticipated. In fact, some might say it was a mess.

JULY 2013 - Gaga broke her hip and she had to cancel her tour.

AUGUST 2013 - Lady Gaga’s debut single from ARTPOP, “Applause”, was announced… and began to leak a week before it was supposed to be released. “POP MUSIC EMERGENCY,” Gaga took to Twitter. The song was rush-released and put out the same week as Katy Perry’s comeback hit, “Roar”, which overshadowed it and prompted numerous speculation and pseudo-competition between the two artists. However, “Applause” still became a modest hit, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending over 2 months in the Top 10. “I live for the applause,” Gaga had America singing her song again… only, with a bit less than expected for a comeback single from America’s biggest popstar. Something had changed.

SEPTEMBER 2013 - “Applause” was performed at the VMAs, featuring a modest performance of Gaga going through some of her iconic looks, changing outfits and wigs throughout the song. Nobody knew at the time, but the initial vision Gaga had for the VMA performance was much, much different (it was supposed to involve much different looks, a torture chamber and P!nk-esque air-flying), but was denied by MTV – some say this was in deference to Miley’s controversial performance. The music video for “Applause” was released, as well, smashing a handful of artistic references into a 3-and-a-half minute sequence, which went over most of the public’s head and failed to deliver the groundbreaking Gaga appeal everyone was waiting for.

NOVEMBER 2013 - ARTPOP opened with lower first-week sales than Katy Perry’s PRISM and Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz, coming in just over 260,000 in the US. However, it outdid the two stars on a worldwide scale… but only the first week. The time for Gaga as front-runner pop girl seemed to have elapsed. The album cover, however, is pretty cool – it features a number of iconic art pieces and was done in collaboration with artist Jeff Koons. “A reverse Warholian experience,” explains Gaga, spinning off the “Pop Art” he popularized. The album received a score of 61 on Metacritic – her worst critical score (The Fame Monster: 78; Born This Way: 72).

The last facet of Gaga’s legacy, acclaim, also went missing. Oh, and Gaga also released an app to accompany ARTPOP. It’s pretty cool, you get to make weird GIFs and stream the album… and that’s about it. There’s also a countdown which ends in the summer.

Hmm. DECEMBER 2013 - Lady Gaga and Interscope planned to release “Venus”, a song which Gaga wrote and produced by herself with minimal outside help, as the follow-up single to “Applause”. The song featured three single covers done with acclaimed artist, “Steven Klein”. But it was scrapped last-second in favor of “Do What U Want”, an R&B electronic infusion, featuring the infamous R. Kelly.

The song wittily comments on the media commentary surrounding Gaga’s weight gain. The two performed an American-themed performance on the Grammy’s, emulating a JFK-Marilyn type relationship. Conveniently, R. Kelly began to receive excess backlash in the media at the same exact time, concerning his sexual relationships with minors and… what not. The music video, which was directed by Terry Richardson, featured R. Kelly and Gaga in a highly sexualized manner – rumor has it, Kelly ‘squirts’ BBQ sauce on a semi-nude Gaga in the video (this is especially inappropriate concerning Kelly, infamous for ‘peeing’ on young women). The video was shelved and never released. “Do What U Want” peaked at #13 on the Hot 100 and became her first single to lack a music video.

For Gaga, something like this is disastrous.

MARCH 2014 - Feeling betrayed by her old manager after her failed singles and health scares, she decided to find new management, create new plans, and become a new Gaga. First and foremost, Gaga took over the media after voluntarily getting puked on by a vomit artist at music festival SXSW – the performance was received well among critics (but, not by Demi Lovato). Gaga continued the hype to revamp her ARTPOP era. Third single, “G.U.Y.”, was confirmed, accompanied by an 11-minute music video that seems to be old Gaga back again. The video, filmed in a castle, doubles as a short film. Songs “ARTPOP”, “Venus” and “MANiCURE” are also featured in the short film, by which Gaga makes a metaphorical statement about her manager and others who have mistreated her in the industry (it begins with her, dead in a ditch, with businessmen grabbing the money falling from the sky and running). Even Akon, who is credited to “discovering” Gaga, admitted on “cashing out before it was too late”. Everyone had turned their back on Gaga, and she turned it into a strong, meaningful work of art via the “G.U.Y.” music video. The song is getting radio play, but only time will tell if the public will make it a hit for Gaga. Meanwhile, Gaga’s new management has been doing hard work with promotion: discounting ARTPOP, promoting the new video and single day and night – and it seems to be paying off (ARTPOP rocketed to the Top 10 on the worldwide albums chart after being below the 50s for months and months).

If you haven’t been paying much attention to Gaga, like most of the world, all that’s going on in her sphere might come as quite a shock. Meanwhile, she’s still providing us with stunning, captivating fashion, pretty dance-ready party music and, charmingly, a number of artistic references to which Gaga takes pride in. collin KIRK

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Rocky Mountain High

Brindo- Devendra Banhart Dry the River - Maylene and the Sons of Disaste Blue Sky - Allman Brothers Circles - The Giving Tree Band Hopeless Wanderer - Mumford and Sons Green Grass Grows - Tim Mcgra w Wagon Wheel - Zac Brown Band Stone Souled Picnic - Laura Ny ro Lover ’s Carving - Bibio China Cat Sunflower - Grateful Dead Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz Your Time is Gonna Come - Led Zeppelin

Cal

in’ m a e r D vves ifornia

ach - Wa e B e h t ac King of ve - Tup zer o L ia n r Wee Califo e Sun h T In t d Islan ookiefoo W n w Put It Do ific Air ac hell Move - P oni Mitc J ia n r s Califo Holiday e h T P 6 AM se - RHC r e iv n U ugs Parallel ar on Dr W s e y ors Red E - The Do te g o r F e Esta Peac e - Real n u T f o t Ou ze - Shway oyal Concept ’ in z z u B R ce - The n a cia D D D u - St Lu o Y n O ara All Eyes n and S a g e T r Alligato

Big Lights, Big City

Flashing Lights - Kanye West You (Ha, Ha, Ha) - Charlie XCX This City - Patrick Stump Harlem Streets - Immortal Technique Bruises - Chairlift Night Light - Aesop Rock Empire State of Mind - Jay Z ft Alicia Keys Hard To Explain - The Strokes The Devil Is a Lie - Rick Ross ft Jay Z Knights of Cydonia - Muse Shattered - Rolling Stones F For You - Disclosure Money On My Mind - Sam Smith New York City Serenade Bruce Springsteen

ospitality SoutherAntmH osphere

Sunshine man Brothers ow Jessica - All Medicine Sh w ro C ld O All I Hear Them he Walkmen Louisiana - T f Leon deo - Kings o o R e th f o g Kin ar tkast endrick Lam K ft Q ATLiens - Ou y o lb o ens - Scho Collared Gre rning Jacket o M y M l a it Circu mmar - Nelly ts Country Gra - Rusted Roo y a W y M n O Send Me oodie Allen Cake Boy - H Izzy Bizo 25 White Tiger -

Then there’s the burning itself (did I use too much space?) and the scrupulous packaging, complete with hand-written tracks and a Sharpie’d title (I always used alliteration, the ever-reliable Mine, I was hunched over my computer, sifting through the germ of juvenile poetry), emblazoned on the CD itself like a crowded iTunes library I shared with the rest of my family—a sloppy, regrettable tattoo. There’s something pure about the nonsense jumble of Bonnie Rait (my mother) and Bob Dylan’s meticulousness of it all. And when you give it to your parGreatest Hits (my twin brother), classic rock and too much amour, you know its meant something and they know it too, it’s Sarah McLachlan and hints of what my musical interest would become, a splattering of modern folk and alt-rock, more moody a cheap gift but its wealthy with time and the knowledge that you’ve put some real thought into it. than angry. Earlier that day I’d went to my neighborhood Walgreens to pick out my compact discs: should I get the 3 or 5 pack? What colors would she like? Where do I find the cases? For generation-Y, mix cd’s are the only form of musical nostalBuying blank CDs for the first time, I’ve found, is the prepubes- gia we really have. Sure, we all remember our parents playing tapes in the car—for me it was Art Tatum and Fats Waller—or, cent version of buying condoms on the brink of losing your virginity: you’re full of intent and purpose and nervous energy, if we’re lucky, old vinyls we’d find stashed away in the garage, jarring totems of a youthfulness we couldn’t or wouldn’t bebut you’re not sure where to put it all or how to apply it, or lieve existed. But these were always someone else’s nostalgia, what the response will be when you do. someone else’s memories. They weren’t ours, couldn’t be, because we hadn’t yet accrued the years with which to look Over time, I’ve learned to appreciate the process: picking the back on them with a different, more filmic lens. right songs, romantic but not treacly, striking the perfect balance between upbeat,adrenaline-fueled rock and melancholic, guitar-picking folk, classic songs she’s bound to know (i.e Lou Yet now, on the cusp of adulthood and the so-called Real World, we have the bittersweet capacity to reflect on adolesReed’s “Pale Blue Eyes”) and those she won’t but will think cence as a distinct entity, trailing behind us like a lazy balloon fondly upon you for selecting (i.e. Dirty Projector’s cover of in a child’s sweaty hand. And it’s with this rearview mirror that Dylan’s “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine”).

I find I treasure the Mix CD the most—as an effigy to the ineffability of wonderful innocence and the flurry of a first crush.

It was, to me, a lover’s currency before I knew what love was, much less uttered the word itself.

Everyone remembers their first time.

So while I mourn the increasing obsolescence of the mix CD—Spotify playlists just aren’t the same, they’re coldly digital and too ubiquitous to qualify as personal—I find a perverse pleasure in its passing, too, because at least we no longer have to endure the petulance of Now: That’s What I Call Music! infomercials. The Mix CD was ours, goddamnit. If only for a little while. sam EICHNER

I’ve always been a kind of talk girl, not an action girl. The kind where my first kiss almost didn’t happen because I kept nervously blabbering about something (our teacher, my shoes, the weather?), and it took actual contact to shut me up. When it comes to romance, I don’t want jewelry, roses and for God sake, do NOT give me chocolate. The ultimate romantic gesture? The key to my pretentious, judgmental heart? The mixtape.

From middle school until my final year of college, music has been the greatest tool of emotional foreplay in my experiences with boys (men? no I can’t use that term yet). As a kid, obsessively watching infomercials advertisements for TimeLife compilations of 60’s pop music, from the Monkees to Donovan, it didn’t take much to realize that everything in music involved around love and sex.

By middle school, I was poised and ready to fall in love, knowing that music was the way to do that. Scribbling “lyric collages” in class, I daydreamed about my crushes, plugging myself into the storyline of whoever I was listening to. “Last night, she said, “oh baby I feel so down, yeah it turns me off when I feel left out,” I didn’t even know what turned off felt like, let alone on. I had AIM away messages laden with lovelorn lyrics dedicated to boys who had not even the slightest clue of my interest. How many verses of “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” could I post until they realized I was talking about them? The answer: innumerable.

This all changed in 8th grade when I got my first mixtape. A crush had turned into a fullblown music romance, and the more I fell in love with his music the more I fell in love with him, or at least the idea of him. I was introduced to Jane’s Addiction, the Libertines, Sonic Youth. I hung on every word he said during our walks down the white washed hallways, running the conversation in my head as a parallel to the poetry of the mixtape, until inevitably I had overanalyzed the whole thing into the ground. But nonetheless, this was a formative step in my musical education. Without him, who knows if I would ever know the greatness that is Beck.

The mixtape was the way to say how you feel but not spell it out, it was clever, it made you have to think. And most of all it was filled with ambiguity, providing a sort of shield that you could hide behind if things didn’t pan out in your favor. John Cusack said it best in Nicolas Hornby’s High Fidelity, “First of all, you’re using someone else’s poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing.”

These boys had handpicked and co-opted someone else’s words to become their own, all to beg the question, “Are you listening to this and thinking the same thing I am thinking?” “Does this apply to us?” Or, “Is this going anywhere?” And often it didn’t. Somehow amidst the trite complexities of high school and the bittersweet excitement of unrequited love, mixtapes felt like a musical love letter in the age of the Internet.

By college, I began to make my own mixtapes and give them to boys who I hoped would fall in love with me, through my cleverness and wit and deliciously good taste in music. I began to judge every boy I was slightly interested in by their top 25 on their iPod, by perusing through their classic rock record collection in their apartment, or if they had seen any live shows in Madison that month. Do they really like indie or are they just posing as Plaza Bar hipster? (Probably the latter.) Do they bitch about Kanye because it’s easy or do they secretly worship 808’s & Heartbreak?

(Maybe both.) If they could go anywhere with any artist, who would it be? For a music lover, these answers could be a deal breaker.

The mixtape cannot die, not while there are people who still love falling in love to music. Music is the perfect accompaniment to the act: the agonizing first steps, the blissfulromance, and the ensuing heartache. Thousands of pop songs will explain that to you better than I ever could.

To the countless boys I’ve confused my love of music for my love of them, I’m sorry. To the boys who taught me about music, I am eternally grateful. In the scope of romance, the mixtape is both the bold act and the cowardly one, but nevertheless one that freezes High school came along. I met more guys who gave me more the moment and its feeling in time, to be listened to and revisited mixtapes, imparting more musical knowledge, and intensifying my over and over again. already profound tendency to overanalyze every little thing. Count- less nights were spent cruising around sleepy suburbia in anticipalivi MAGNANINI tion of the moment when the song becomes the catalyst to an epic makeout session. (Often they didn’t…but the most memorable one thanks to “Almost Crimes” by Broken Social Scene.)

27

S H OW

REVIEWS

NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL RETURN TO THE ORPHEUM

Jeff Mangum is the man. When he took the stage at the Orpheum Theatre on February 8th, the crowd of mostly collegeaged hipsters made sure he knew it.

Cries of “we love you, Jeff!” began as soon as he stepped up to the microphone - glistening with the heavenly glow of an lo-fi indie rock legend, with his long majestic beard and glorious patterned sweater - and these shouts of appreciation were repeated sporadically throughout the entire night. After Jeff opened with a stirring rendition of “Two Headed Boy”, the rest of Neutral Milk Hotel emerged onstage and seamlessly segued into an evening of brilliant lo-fi rock music that made the audience feel nostalgic for a time that they barely remember.

requested that no photos or videos were taken of the event in an effort to keep everyone in the moment, and, out of fear of disrespecting the Almighty Mangum, the generation known for excessive selfieing and instagramming readily powered off their iPhones.

Mangum’s attempt to keep the audience engaged in the music together succeeded.

The energy was palpable during “Holland 1945,” building to the moment when the crowd lost control during the crescendo of “King Of Carrot Flowers part 2 & 3.”

“Oh Comely” and “Song Against Sex” were some other crowd favorites, and a constellation of lighters swayed through the air during “Ruby Bells/Snow Song” as the crowd sunk into a melodic trance. At Back in 1999, when everyone had furbies one point, Julian Koster - master of the instead of Facebook and no one knew banjo, bass, and singing saw - stepped up to the microphone in a quirky blue what twerking was, Neutral Milk Hotel hat and, in a delightfully warm voice, went on an indefinite hiatus that lasted announced “Madison seems like a until 2013. They are currently at the top wonderful place to us” and thanked the of indie rock culture, and their immense popularity among hip 20-somethings kids in the front row, who had apparently became evident throughout the night as been waiting since 7:00 that morning millennials belted out lyrics as if they were just to get close to the stage. Neutral Milk Hotel’s stage presence throughout born knowing the words. Jeff Mangum

the night was almost unreal; there were trumpets, accordions, french horns, saws, and the only piece of set design was a glowing lamb. Their alternative instruments created a unique atmosphere.

A sense of reverence washed over the crowd as they watched the eccentricallynamed legends play their emotionally driven set.

The audience relapsed for a few minutes after the band left the stage for the first time, pulling out their cameras to snap some pictures of the stage. But as soon as the encore began, all items of technology were swiftly stowed away and the sense of camaraderie resumed. The band ended their set with a lullaby, titled “Engine.” At the end of the night, the sincerity of the lyrics shined through and the timeless songs left the audience feeling inspired.

Neutral Milk Hotel’s show was a musical experience of a lifetime. becca MELDMAN

DR. DOG AT THE RIVIERA We all know the process. You fall madly in love with a band, figure out your favorite albums, and listen to them constantly.

When you hear said band is touring nearby, you immediately buy a ticket and praise the music gods, only to attend the concert and realize, all they’re playing is their new stuff. Sure, it’s good too, but nothing from your most beloved album is being acknowledged. It’s as if the songs you love don’t mean anything…. as if they never even existed. As if they’ve fallen into a void, or, an old black hole?

This is not how it went for Dr. Dog. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying Dr. Dog’s latest album B-Room is bad; in fact, it’s quite excellent. All I’m saying is that I love a little bit of everything Dr. Dog has brought in to the world of indie music.

From the eclectic Toothbrush, to mellow Shame, Shame, to my personal favorite, Be the Void, I knew going into the concert that there was a lot of fantastic ground to cover. I worried that with such an expansive discography, the focus would be too heavy on B-Room, with little or none of their older work played. But as previously mentioned, my fears were ultimately proven wrong.

Opening the show with Be The Void’s “That Old Black Hole” and “These Days”,Dr. Dog captured the attention of the crowd immediately. We All Belong’s “Ain’t it Strange?” followed, and only after that did Dr. Dog turn to B-Room with “Broken Heart”. As the 21-song set list continued, the band’s focus remained as well distributed as their opening songs: a perfect balance of old and new.

Certain moments from the show stand out as exceptional. Watching lead vocalists Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman prowl around the stage during a slowed down rendition of “The Beach” (Fate) was particularly wondrous. Scott paced his guitar riffs to perfectly accompany Toby’s crooning snarl. “Fate has a funny way/ of coming around” has never sounded quite as powerful as it did live at the Riv.

“ I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I wish I gave only love/ or could feel it when I did”. In this moment, I could not have wiped the goofy smile off my face. Not even for a million dollars. It was a physical impossibility.

And of course, I would be remiss If I failed to mention the five-song encore.

Five. Five! Wrap your mind around that.

Fiiiiive. Following suit with the rest of the show, the songs were a collection from a few different albums. My personal favorite,“Shame, Shame” came second.

There’s just something so mournfully beautiful in the lyrics, and Toby’s powerful performance made the emotion so real. “Shame, Shame/I didn’t know what to do/ I was losing myself, turning into you.”

Although “Shame, Shame” was my favorite of the five, the decision to end My personal favorite moment took place the encore with “The Rabbit, The Bat, and mid-show, as Dr. Dog performed “Heavy the Reindeer” was excellent. Chicago’s Light”. Halfway through, the music melRiviera Theatre, filled to capacity with the lowed out. At first, it felt like they’d forgot- happiest of hipsters, sang, clapped, and ten the last half of the song. The crowd screamed along all the way through to quieted with the music and looked around, the end. Swaying along with the crowd, I a little confused. But slowly, very slowly, sent a silent prayer of thanks to the music it started to build. Fans shared knowing gods, for an excellent, all-encompassing looks amongst themselves. When Scott show by one of my favorite bands. and Toby launched into the ending of the song, the crowd joined in, singing along,

ali GRIMES

31

CHILDISH GAMBINO AT THE EAGLE’S BALLROOM As a crowd of college-aged fans filled The Eagle’s Ballroom with body odor and smoke, it was clear that Childish Gambino had a faithful following in Milwaukee. Filling the Rave to capacity on the seventeenth stop on his “Deep Web Tour,” Gambino proved he is a force to be reckoned with.

Donald Glover gained his identity as Childish Gambino with the help of his musical talent and the Wu-Tang Clan name generator. Once Gambino was born, Glover added “musician” to his long resume of writer, comedian and actor. After producing various mixtapes, Gambino solidified a cult following with his debut album, Camp in 2011. The crowd gathered in Milwaukee on March 21 proved his cult following transformed into a chaotic sold-out show after his 2013 release Because the Internet.

Before the show even began, Gambino engaged his crowd with an interactive smartphone application. The app let fans send direct messages and drawings up to a screen on stage. With every explicit drawing and offensive phrase, it became apparent the crowd was getting anxious for the show.

After an hour-long DJ set, Gambino exploded onto the stage as his band performed “Playing Around Before the Party.” Gambino, backed by a four-piece band, opened with “I. Crawl,” and continued with every song off Because the Internet. Behind Gambino, a few fans sat on the stage in recliners with a digital screen that displayed the interior of a CGI mansion. Throughout the set, the background transformed into a computer screen with artistically glitchy graphics. However, Gambino’s aesthetically pleasing show was not the highlight of the night- he was.

Thirty-year-old Gambino clearly loved every second on stage. His unprecedented energy kept the crowd involved and singing along to every song, especially during hits “II. Worldstar” and “IV. Sweatpants.” After performing seven songs from Because the Internet, a giant screen covered the stage with trippy computer graphics as the band jammed out to “Flight of the Navigator.” From behind the screen, Gambino belted out “II. Zealots of Stockholm (Free Information)” and “III. Urn,” momentarily calming down the entire room.

As soon as the Gambino broke into “III. Telegraph Ave.” and “3005,” the room erupted as everyone jammed along to his smooth hip-hop beats. After the last song of his Because the Internet set, the background transformed into the woods, which only meant one thing- we would hear tracks off of his previous album. Gambino surprised the audience with insane mash-ups of hit songs off Camp like “Firefly,” “Freaks and Geeks” and “Heartbeat.” He even performed songs off his 2010 mixtape Culdesac such as “Do Ya Like,” “Got This Money” and “I Be On That.” Gambino closed his second set with “Black Faces” off his 2012 mixtape Royalty. As the crowd roared with excitement, he came back on stage for the most impressive part his show.

Running around the stage with as much energy as he opened the show with, Gambino completely blew the audience away with his freestyle. Dropping quirky and creative lyrics personalized to Milwaukee, Gambino established himself as an artist whose talent measures up to his energetic stage presence. As he walked off the stage, it was apparent that the world would be seeing a lot more from Donald Glover- on the television, computer, and the stage.

abbey SCHNEIDER

MIKE GORDON AT THE BARRYMORE Mike Gordon is a strange guy. After seeing Phish countless times, I never grasped his oddness and the influence has on the music of that band. Upon witnessing his performance on March 9th at the Barrymore Theater in Madison, I now see the talent and zaniness this bassist possesses.

Clocking in at just under four hours, Mike and his five-piece backing band presented the audience with a performance that truly was a show in all senses of the word. The impressive lighting rig set up by the soundboard was nothing less than stellar. The stage background featured lighted panels that morphed with each changing note. Along the front of the stage a large electronic keyboard was set up, similar to the one in the famous scene of the Tom Hanks film Big. The entire crowd expressed confusion, unable to decipher what exactly the use of this would be. Lets not forget the LED lit guitars.

Yes, it sounds a little elementary, but they were pretty freaking cool.

In terms of musicality Mike Gordon, fresh off the release of his funky new album Overstep, threw a well-rounded splash of new tracks, older solo songs, as well as a couple Phish tunes. As with any jam-band performance, the songs are not what makes a concert special, but it is the improvisation that shows the true talent of a band.

Mike and guitarist Scott Murawski were clearly on the same page when it comes to moving jams in different directions. A simple glance over to another band member signaled a new key or change in tempo. It was fascinating to observe Gordon control the stage with such a confidence about him, which greatly contrasts his more subdued role played in Phish.

The first set is where I found the most inspired and risk-taking music to take place.

This was by no means a warm-up for the band. Leading with the jazzy 2011 track, “Babylon Baby,” the band showed no fear of testing the waters early. The somewhat sparse crowd of both young, eager fans as well as long-time Phisheads quickly started dancing as the band moved into the funkdriven Phish song “Meat”. Here is where we saw the first use of both the light-up guitars and the mysterious keyboard.

As the song began to break from its original format, every light in the theater was turned off , leaving the effect of two glowing guitars hovering over the stage. The guitars created a very interesting dynamic as they alternated between illumination and blackness while also remaining on beat with the music. As the stage lights slowly began to fade back in, a devilish grin crept across Gordon’s face. He pointed to a grooving fan and all of a sudden the keyboard in front of him lit up. He began to slap the keys open-handed, attempting to keep pace with the band, and after a few moments of feeling each other out, the concertgoer and the band got on the same page and created a very enjoyable bit of music.

turned it into a straight epic. Around 4:00 minutes in, Gordon latched onto a very spacey, floor-shaking effect on his bass, and from there the Barrymore turned into a pure dance party. Before long, however, the lights turned low and a dark-ambient jam ensued. Keyboardist Craig Myers took to his organ and laid on some bone-chilling chords. The band lowered their volume until you could nearly hear a pin drop, or at least the guy next to you hitting a joint. Then with a crack of his bass, Gordon startled the crowd, and the band was back into the funk groove. After 23 minutes, with blissful highs and downright scary lows, “Tiny Little World” regained form as the crowd yelled along with the last chorus.

The second set was by no means without fantastic moments, but did not carry the weight that was held by the first. This paired with some older fans leaving, certainly to release a teenager of their babysitting duties, created a more jazzinfluenced mellow set whereas the first was all about the funk.

A final exclamation point was heard as the band appeared for their encore.

Murawski launched in to the opening chords of the Talking Head’s classic “Cities”. The crowd got one last chance to In a day and age when musicians often attempt to paint themselves as larger-than- stretch their legs as Murawski embraced his one chance of the night to take the life, this level of fan interaction was very mic and belt it out. Gordon couldn’t refreshing.The look on each fans’ face as Gordon chose them to take a solo was well help but have a big smile throughout this number while Murawski intertwined worth the price of admission alone. some of his own goofy lyrics into the The most energetic point of the show came song. With a contained little jam, the in the closing of the first set with “Tiny Little show came to a close with a raucous response from the small but enthusiastic World”. This catchy little track off Overstep took on a whole new life as the band crowd.

evan VERPLOEGH

33

PASSIVE ME, AGGRESSIVE TNAF In the bluish-black lighting the crowd’s humming filled the Majestic with anticipation while excitedly awaiting the appearance of New Zealand natives, The Naked and Famous. The venue was packed from the entrance to the front of the stage with fresh-faced college-aged kids and the occasional older indie-pop fan. The roadies proceeded to set up the variety of expensivelooking equipment, and 30 minutes after opener On An On (a super chill, super hot, electro-indie group) got the eager crowd of college students all chilled out, Alisa, Thom, Aaron, David and Jesse finally walked out from behind the set.

TNAF played their show with amazing balance. One minute the crowd would be super chilled out and swaying to songs like “Grow Old” and the next there’d be this frenzy of arms in the air and jumping around and singing to songs like “All Of This.” It was striking and refreshing. They clearly had the crowd eating straight out of the palms of their hands.

The crowd went wild. TNAF started strong with “A Stillness,” with strobes accenting almost every beat, a bone-shaking bass reverberating throughout the floor, the walls, touching the ceiling; their voices hitting the crowd’s eardrums in wonderful, colorful waves.

They wrapped up with their uber-famous “Young Blood.” By this time, the energy in the room was insane.

People were singing at the top of their lungs, the lights were crazy, everyone waving their hands in the air, the band was on fire.

Thom absolutely killed “Girls Like You.” Softly serenading, and then BAM! He gathered up tons of energy, lacing his words with it, interacting with his fellow band members while simultaneously stirring up a ruckus in everyone- people were swaying and jumping, punching their fists in the air, singing along like there was no tomorrow. And when he was done, what did Alisa ask of the crowd? She asked everyone to sing along with her at the chorus of “Rolling In Waves.” She even went over the tune, just to make sure everyone got it. That level of interaction at a show was very unique, to say the least.

Between Alisa and Thom crooning at the hundreds of people through their mics, and the lights, their performance was absolutely extraordinary and complete perfection. Jesse threw his drumsticks into the sea of fans while Alisa and Thom handed their set lists to the kids in the first and second rows closest to the stage when they were done. And then, without further adieu, they left.

And then they first few notes of “Punching In A Dream.”

The energy mixed with the nostalgic notes and the dreamy feels were downright unbelievable. The sound seemed to engulf the crowd.

bambi SHORE

DAN DEACON AT THE MAJESIC

50% fun, upbeat electronic tracks, 50% comedic interludes, and 100% “what the hell is even happening?!”Dan Deacon’s show at the Majestic was almost too weird for words.

To be fair, I could’ve come prepared. I could’ve scoured YouTube or Dan’s website for videos of his live performances. But looking back I’m glad I didn’t. Surprises are fun. And I was quite surprised.

Surprise #1: Compared to his recorded music, his live show placed a heavy emphasis on the beats and tone of the tracks, and less on his voice, which I found disappointing. In his recordings, Dan has this quirky, oddball voice that compliments his music perfectly. The strong live focus on the instrumentals/strange noises felt a bit lacking without a strong voice guiding them along.

Surprise #2-412,425: The show itself. Kicking things off by setting up his table amidst the audience in front of the stage, I knew from early on this show would have a different atmosphere than most. I just didn’t realize how different.

Dan took the floor, introduced himself, and leapt right in to weirdness. “Alright, everyone put your hands up in the air, and imagine you’re touching the most beautiful hair.” Then this happened: —I kid you not. The Majestic was a sea of outstretched hands, reaching out to touch imaginary hair. Hair that suddenly stopped being so beautiful. “Now you’re looking at the

hair… and you’re realizing it’s actually kind of gross. It has like, melted chocolate and chunks of… other hair in it.”

So that’s how it began. From there on, the weirdness never really wavered. If anything, it increased. Following his introductory song, Dan told the audience to form a circle and announced an impromptu dance competition.

Not just any dance competition: rather, the contestants were asked to describe their parents, then told to dance in a way that embodied these traits. It was a battle of “Monotonous, the kind of people you try to move away from” verses “Strange. Really, really strange.”

I’m still not sure who won, but I think it was ‘Strange’ (kind of hard to win a dance competition dancing monotonously, after all). Post dance-off, Dan transitioned into an excellent (albeit less vocal-focused) rendition of “Crystal Cat”, interjecting humor into the interlude. He’s honestly quite funny; throughout the night he cracked jokes on everything from religion to his own “lack of professionalism.”

Though in so many ways, the “lack of professionalism” he jokes about fits Dan perfectly: it leaves him totally unafraid to do things most artists would veer away from.

Such as sending the entire standing-room audience on a run around the Majestic. Yup. That happened. It started with one individual.

Dan instructed her to run around the venue in a circle once the music started. Once she made it around, she was responsible for tagging another person from the crowd to run around

with her again, each time running a bit slower than before. By the end of the song, the crowd was parading around the Majestic in a slow march.

Although I loved every moment of this lighthearted, eclectic fun, my favorite part of the show was probably the most serious moment.

As Dan began to perform “Snookered” he asked every audience member to bow their heads, place their hands on the back of the person in front of them, and think of the most important person in their lives. I was seated and couldn’t personally do this, but watching everyone else slow down and reach out to the stranger was quite moving. The song itself was a bit slower and the lyrics fit perfectly to the somber mood, “Been ‘round this road so many times/Feel like it’s skin is part of mine…Been wrong so many times before/ But never quite like this.”

I wish I could describe every comedic interlude and weird audience interaction in better detail, but it would simply take up too much space.

I can say, however, that Dan puts on a show unlike any other I’ve seen. If you’re going to one in the near future, expect the following: Laughter. Technical Difficulties. Dan’s fantastic sense of humor. Audience participation. Guys with cool beards. Guys with weird mustaches.

Oh and- basically nothing you’ve ever experienced before, concert-wise. I almost feel sorry to be writing this review, simply because I’m stealing the surprise. ali GRIMES

AT THE MAJESTIC Talking to my friends after Aer’s show at the Majestic Theatre on Friday, February 21st, I found myself struggling to describe the up-and-coming twosome’s unique musical style. How does one condense upbeat indie guitar, rap interludes, and plucky reggae beats into one existing genre? Being indescribable, however, is all part of David von Mering and Carter Schultz’s charm – and they know it. Opening with their newest single “Says She Loves Me,” the band – complete with backup musicians consisting of a drummer, guitarist, and keyboardist – was clearly comfortable and confident on stage.

The duo made the concert venue feel like a house party for the college-aged crowd, which was a solid mix of reggae lovers, frat bros, and fan girls. Their contagious dancing revved up the crowd, which became increasingly energetic as the two traversed all across the stage, barely standing in one place for more than a few seconds.

The audience was eager to please, breaking out their own funky dance moves in response and transforming the Majestic into one big dance party. The level of excitement rose even higher when Carter ambitiously and successfully decided to crowd surf, making the energy palpable in the cozy venue.

It was clear I wasn’t the only one who had been listening to Aer’s music on repeat on Spotify for weeks prior to the concert. Fans sang along verbatim to favorites such as “Come and Go” and “Feel I Bring.” The audience got the chance to participate when Von Mering and Schultz held out their microphones so we could (somewhat offkey) sing the melody along with them. Listening back to these songs now, we can’t help but belt out the songs just like we did at the concert.

Aer saved one of their most popular songs, “Floats My Boat,” for the encore, igniting the crowd with one last surge of enthusiasm. Though it’s been a month since the show, the irresistible sing-along still resonates in my ears. As von Mering and Schultz exited the stage past midnight, they sent the audience into a frenzy by calling out, “Where’s the party at tonight, Madison?!” Many excited people shouted out a variety of street addresses.

However, the concert itself had been the party. Aer dynamically captivated a diverse crowd with the summer vibe in their songs, a lovely respite from the cold winter winds of February. sabina BADOLA anna WALL

37

REVIVALISTS FREQUENCY Louisiana’s funk met Madison’s passionate music fans in early March.

Sprung from one of America’s music hubs, the Revivalists are one of New Orleans’ most original bands, known for genre mixing and keeping things interesting with brass instruments, steel guitar and swanky beats. The sevenmember, all-male indie rock band shared their eclectic sound and a bit of southern heat and soul with Madison and its rock lovers at the alternative music metaphorical Mecca — The Frequency.

The night began with opener, the Sharrows, their performance setting the stage for a fun night of soulful music and dancing. Following the brief opener, the Revivalists launched their set with “Masquerade,” a super funky, upbeat number that perfectly showcased lead singer, David Shaw’s incredible voice. Shaw sings with an intent airiness, and yet, maintains a beautifully full-body sound. He’s not bad to look at either; he sports a big brunette fro, excellent for rhythmic head nodding, and muscular arms decorated with enticing tattoos. The other band members, like Ed Williams on the pedal steel guitar, Rob Ingraham with saxophone, and Michael Girardot jamming both the keys and trumpet, similarly all wore plaids, tees and jeans — fitting attire for the casual venue and atmosphere.

Right off the bat, the Revivalists had the audience grooving to their music.

The very packed Frequency and highenergy dancing made for a hot venue and a hell-of-a good time. The New Orleans band brought half the warmth, energy and physical heat—I hear it was in the 60’s that week in New Orleans— and an enthusiastic audience, the other half. Fans came more than prepared to sing along to songs from the Revivalists’ latest album, City of Sound. The band however, arrived unprepared to receive such an enthusiastic crowd. They completely underestimated Madison’s interested in their music and were more than pleasantly surprised—nay, overjoyed—to hear their lyrics recited

by Midwestern fans.

Shaw and the band responded positively to the crowd and showed immense appreciation for their fans up north with the most incredible artistfan interaction I’ve ever seen—even for a small venue. At several points during the show, Shaw wandered off stage to dance in the center of the Frequency’s relatively small venue. At first, the audience found it novel. Little did they know that Shaw would be a repeat crowd-dancer, splitting his time 70/30 between the stage and the floor.

It was apparent that he simply loved the crowd’s vibe and joined for his own enjoyment.

Though dancing was a principle ingredient in the recipe for a deliciously sweaty Revivalists show, they band successfully slowed the pace with a few songs that were equally enjoyed.

“Pretty Photograph,” a song from City of Sound, unveiled the band’s slightly indie-er qualities. Towards the end of the set, hints of the band’s native country/southern twang let loose in leisurely-paced song, “Soulfight.”

Almost every musician in the sevenmember band had the opportunity to solo his chops, but nothing compared to the saxophonist’s portion in “Soulfight.” Rob Ingraham licked his instrument’s reed and blew pure bluesy excellence. Throughout the show, Ingraham added impressive background accompaniment, but his talent was really showcased with his solos: playing paralleled only by the audience’s rambunctious hoots and hollers of encouragement.

Ingraham and his sexy saxophone were in the spotlight once more with the Revivalists highly demanded double encore. The band plugged back in with “Criminal,” also from City of Sound.

Though thoroughly enjoyed, a single encore did not satisfy the crowd’s craving for more tunes by New Orleans’ best. So instead, the band signed off with an ode to jazz-funk extraordinaire, Marshall Mathers. Ingraham decided he would be Slim Shady that night as he perfectly rapped the show to a close with an Eminem cover.

molly TREROTOLA

REAL ESTATE & PURE X WARM UP THE MAJESTIC What do you get when you cross a New Jersey indie band with a crowd of college students on a Tuesday night? It’s a really obscure punchline, you’ve probably never heard of it. Unless you were one of the fortunate hipsters that went to the Majestic on March 25th to catch Real Estate perform an awesome show.

Backwards”, bringing the energy level of the crowd up. At the end of the show, they closed with “It’s Real”, a fun upbeat tune that left the audience smiling. Also, the band had their friend Julian Lynch, a Madison musician, accompany them on one song with the sickest bass clarinet and tambourine skills ever displayed at an indie rock show.

Pure X kicked off the night with a psychedelic set full of hazy indie rock.

The atmosphere surrounding them was a combination of the chill, laid-back feeling of a beach at twilight and the warm, raw sound of a high school garage band. It wasn’t quite high-energy enough to get the crowd moving (aside from the girls in the front who had had a few too many cans of PBR and kept announcing “I love this song!!!” to everyone around them), but Pure X’s performance almost certainly gained them a few new fans.

Real Estate kept the good mood up all the way until the end of the night. “It’s, like, Tuesday night, you guys gotta calm down…. just kidding” joked frontman Martin Courtney after coming back for the band’s encore.

After most of the crowd responded in the affirmative to his “how many people here are in college” question, bassist Alex Bleeker made a few lighthearted quips.

When Real Estate finally took the stage, the coastal indie rockers lit up the Majestic - literally, their lighting was fantastic. Their set included tracks from their new album Atlas, which was released earlier in March, as well as some older favorites from Days.

One of the highlights was “Three Blocks”, a tour debut. They also played “Talking

“I want to be in college! I want to eat in the dining halls! I want to use acronyms for the names of buildings! I want to eat cereal endlessly!” before launching into the energetic finale of the show.

If only every Tuesday night in college could consist of joining a fun crowd to enjoy a talented beach-pop band put on an excellent show. becca MELDMAN

39

SHPONGLE

AT THE MAJESTIC, 3/26 My head feels like a frriiissssbeeeeee…would probably be the best way to describe the Shpongle concert experience. Simon Posford (a.k.a Shpongle) stopped by the Majestic Theater for his Museum of Consciousness tour to promote his most recent album of the same title.

If you are unfamiliar with Shpongle, his music consists of a blend of world, electronic, and trance with heavy psychedelic influences. It is no surprise then, that the many psychonauts of Madison were drawn to the Majestic to take a trip without travelling very far. The crowd was pretty much as expected; the attendees included a fairy princess, the dude with light-up rave gloves, the other dude who was entranced by the light-up rave gloves for the whole concert, as well as a copious amount of dreadlocked individuals. The audience had a very comforting and friendly atmosphere with everyone looking to tune in, turn on, and drop out with Shpongle’s assistance.

The Desert Dwellers, a pair of DJs, opened up the show in order to get the crowd ready. They had a similar psychedelic feel to Shpongle but with more of a dubstep influence of hefty buildups and wobbly bass drops.

The set was solid and complimented Shpongle’s musical style quite well.

However, with the Shpongletron 3.0 already set up on the stage, I could feel the audiences’ anticipation for Shpongle to begin.

Once Shpongle’s set began, the Shpongletron featured trippy animations of complex fractals morphing into the very LSD molecules that were likely flowing through the brains of many audience members.

The Shpongletron also featured a large transparent head of LEDs that appeared to drift off into infinity as if to attract the audience to take a journey through a museum of past consciousnesses. Posford played some of his classics as well as material from his latest album which

kept the audience captive throughout.

The music featured peaceful, enlightening moments as well as dark, heavy points to seemingly mimic the dual nature of a psychedelic trip. Posford left the audience with a playful loop of him singing “My name is Shpongle,” then returned for a much deserved encore in response to the audiences’ requests.

Overall, Shpongle put on a strong show that was enjoyed. Unfortunately, it was only a DJ set and did not feature live instruments as some of his previous concerts have. With the small size of the Majestic, I didn’t expect him to put on as grand of a production, but he definitely made it work. That being said, I would very much like to experience the full force of Shpongle again at a larger festival venue where his entire production can be seen and appreciated. james STRELOW

ARC IRIS AT THE HIGH NOON SALOON As Arc Iris left the stage at High Noon Saloon, I was mildly disappointed.

Not with the music. Rather, my sadness stemmed from something else…

“Where the hell was everyone?”

To be fair, it was Sunday night at a saloon. And it was freezing. Yet weather and weeknight regardless, this is not a band destined to play for scanty audiences for long. Practically brand new to the music scene, with a debut album coming out April 1st, Arc Iris is not your mother’s folk music. Lead singer Jocie Adams has a remarkably versatile voice, ranging from childlike sweetness to a powerfully wistful sound.

Let’s start with the sweeter side of things. Playfully drawling out lyrics from “Powder Train” like, “Oh they say, yes they say, that cocaine will end your days/ But never did they ever tell me when,” Jocie’s voice is often quirky, taking on a lighthearted lilt. Clad in a white leotard and feather boa, constantly jumping from instrument to instrument, she has ample on-stage charisma to match. Of course, Jocie is not the sole member of Arc Iris. Joined by cellist Robin Ryczik, keyboardist Zach Miller, and drummer Ray Belli, impressive talent is demonstrated by the entire group. With well-matched transitions and uniquely meshed instrumentals,

Arc Iris is bringing a fantastic new approach to alt/folk. The undeniable chemistry present between the band members doesn’t hurt either.

Yet upbeat, whimsical tracks are by no means the only songs the band has to offer. Because of Jocie’s tremendous vocal range and her ability to transition from innocent sweetness to a deeply moving, mournful tone (often within the same song), the instrumentals provided by the rest of the band make this leap alongside her.

Contrasts between lighthearted and more wistful elements are prominent in many songs, “Canadian Cowboy” in particular. “New love, even if love’s not the name/New love, even if it’s not the same/What a lovely game.” Poignant lyrics such as these reveal the deep sensitivity hidden underneath Arc Iris’s fun, upbeat surface.

On the note of such deep emotion, I cannot fail to mention my personal favorite song, “Whiskey Man.” Everything

about the song exudes a sweet form of sadness. “First sip of wine makes you stronger/As the wine runs dry, the night’s getting longer/And your heart goes out to nobody/ Nothing is made to go.” The song was incredibly stirring live, and the handful of attendees standing around the stage swayed and nodded their heads along to the music.

In ways evocative of their Anti-Records peers (Dr. Dog, Regina Spektor), Arc Iris takes their ‘genre’ (folk) and magically transforms it into something entirely unique. With beautiful instrumentals, excellent stage presence, and a remarkable capacity to depict both sorrow and joy, Arc Iris has a massive amount of potential.

So, to the handful of you who braved the intense February cold to see Arc Iris live, congratulations. This is a band that is going places. ali GRIMES

B D I T T

BTBAM, DEAFHEAVEN, INTRONAUT, AND THE KINDRED AT THE RAVE As the landscape of modern metal music is shifting lower in frequencies and higher in number of strings per guitar, the genre has taken on an entirely new connation particularly since the conception of “djent.” What began as a forum post by progressive metal guitarist Misha Mansoor of Periphery describing the distorted guitar tone he used ultimately lead to a new generation of metal heads hammering out polyrhythms on the lowest string of their extended range guitars. With this, metal has degenerated.

Messy shredding guitar riffs, thrashing drums, and bizarre song structures of the early 00s have been abandoned for more easily digestible cadence-like chugging with hardly any variety whatsoever, which is all digitally edited to have perfect rhythmic accuracy. However, the progressive nature and innovative approach to songwriting that spawned djent has not been lost. More new metal artists are embracing the rapid advancements in technology to create something new and special, and Milwaukee was reminded of this on March 6th in the Eagle’s Ballroom.

An impressive line-up of top tier acts pounded out a fourhour show of genre-twisting, head-throbbing, and shredtastic songs that diverged so much from the recycle-core gimmicks we’ve heard so many times. The Kindred, Intronaut, Deafheaven, and Between The Buried And Me delivered a truly compelling live performance.

The Kindred started the show at full throttle with lead vocalist Dave Journeaux belting out soprano melodies that weaved in and out of each song. Intelligent guitar play reminiscent of 70’s prog rock was consistently exchanged back and forth. As one guitar played an arpeggiated chord progression the other would tap a lead until they both met at that perfect moment and exchanged roles.

All this while the drums and bass filled in the gaps with equally sophisticated patterns and pinpoint syncopation.

The music was extremely technical though it did not rely on that. Rather it thrived on Journeaux’s passionate and well-trained vocal delivery and the obscure but extremely catchy hooks littered throughout each song, which enticed everyone to chant along by their closing track.

Next up was Intronaut, who weren’t nearly as interesting as the other acts. The trio of bass, drums, and guitar

slowly churned out repetitive polyrhythms for songs that droned on and on. The audience faded quite a bit during their performance, which was understandable as there was hardly a point that the band would stick to an even time signature or pick up their molasses melodies.

After the dull set, the San Francisco black metal outlet Deafheaven kicked up the energy again. As the lights came up the guitars blared away at the opening track of Sunbather, “Dream House.” Vicious blast-beats and wailing guitars filled the room so loudly that it all blended together into a single noise from which harmonious chords would morph the entire sound each time they changed.

Vocalist George Clarke shrieked through this wall of sound while conducting a series of rigid gestures creating an extremely theatric environment.

Last up was Between The Buried And Me—a progressive-metal band from North Carolina. Each song was an odyssey that blended seamlessly into the next creating musical sequences lasting from twenty to thirty minutes at a time. During these odysseys the group rapidly switched between styles almost every other bar. One moment guitars would be harmonizing solos and half a second later be finger-picking a jazz break only to be interrupted by an arrhythmic breakdown. Their execution was flawless and the lighting effects were exceptional as well. However, BTBAM has an apparent preference towards flash rather than flavor. Technically, the music is genius, but the songs often fall flat emotionally. The supernatural and metaphysical themes of the music tend to lose their substance, as they are delivered in such a robotic manner. The performance was exciting nonetheless, and watching their fingers noodle into oblivion was a spectacle on its own.

The entire concert was truly impressive. It was a refreshing break from the monotonous mainstream metal artists that frequently come through The Loft and The Majestic Theatre, and it gave me a little more hope for the future of the genre and a new perspective on the commitment of the fans.

lucas BIELEJEWSKI

43

DRIVE BY TRUCKERS AT THE BARRYMORE Approaching fifty years old, Drive-By Truckers mainstays Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood (and crew) released an excellent album English Oceans on March 4th. For many, the album was viewed with a certain level of disdain, as it implies a kind of coasting foreign to DBT, generating a type of critical adoration surrounding English Oceans. Reviews have focused on big-picture questions about the legacy of a band that has been consistently producing top-notch rock for 18 years. DBT arrives at the Barrymore Theater on Friday, March 28th, and these legacy questions will be the last thing on their minds during the show- putting on a kickass show in the present has always been the first item on their agenda.

My Five Main Expectations: 1.) Lots of English Oceans: Drive-By Truckers have made a point over their career to play primarily tunes off their latest records in concert. Part of the reasoning

is pragmatic. Cooley and Hood have been the only consistent members of the group, and they don’t make a habit of playing songs written by departed band members. This is also a testament to their consistency. Their records have always been exceptional, and fans are rarely let down even when they are previously unfamiliar with the songs.

2.) Bourbon: Former band-member Jason Isbell has gone onto a successful and sober solo career, but DBT’s office is still graced by a sign that reads “I’m Not a Hard Drinker, It’s the Easiest Thing to Do.” 3.) More Cooley: In the past Cooley was often an afterthought to Hood and Isbell, but he wrote and sang on half of English Ocean’s tracks and was considered to be the star of the record. With the band playing a bunch of the new tracks, it will also be a chance to see Cooley get his moment in the limelight.

4.) Bipartisanship: DBT are masterful biographers, telling stories of the despair faced by desperate folks of all political stripes, mostly their southern brethren.

While the band’s politics lie on the left side of things (they used to play Nader rallies), Hood has spoken negatively of “preaching to the converted,” and embraces a crowd that often includes a large amount of Republicans.

5.) A wrenching rendition of “Grand Canyon”: Craig Lieske is a familiar name to the fans of DBT. He was their long-time merchandise seller, who suddenly passed away last year while the band was on tour.

The death changed the tone of English Oceans, and resulted in Hood writing “Grand Canyon,” a masterpiece dedicated to the long-time pillar of the Athens, Georgia music community. joe OSWALD photos kyle DORSEY

PUNCH BROTHERS KNOCKOUT THE

CAPITOL THEATER

When the Punch Brothers took the stage at the Capitol Theater, a current ran through the air signaling something incredible was about to happen. They are the current troubadours of progressive bluegrass, a style that blends modern folk acoustics and singing style with contemporary originals and covers of all varieties.

The connection and motion of the crowd with Punch Brothers really shrouded the hall in complete satisfaction and a surge of energy. The crowd’s response to the ‘Ahoy’ call repeated through the night, tuning into the cover of Josh Ritter’s “Another New World” off their 2012 Ahoy! EP. Chris Thile (lead vocals, mandolin, and frontman of Nickel Creek) opened by commenting that they were glad to play the beautiful Capitol Theater instead of the basement of the Overture Center they had played last time in Madison. Thile’s dancing has become stuff of legend, with his seemingly triplejointed knees moving in all directions during the show, it wasn’t clear if I should have

“WHAT THE HELL AM I DOINGOUT THERE?” watched his footwork or rapid strumming.

Outside the theater after the show, I asked him about his moves and he said when he watches playback videos, he asks himself “what the hell am I doing out there?”

The band consists of Thile, Noam Pikelny on banjo (who has played with Steve Martin and other bluegrass greats), Gabe Witcher

(fiddler who has played with greats from Willie Nelson to Dwight Yoakam), Chris Eldridge (guitarist and founding member of The Infamous Stringdusters), and Madison’s own Paul Kowert who had decimating solos on the upright bass. It wasn’t the dynamic lyricism or their drinking from red solo cups that drew me into the show, but the transcendent places Punch Brothers took us through their syncronic harmonies and blended instrumental riffs. The songs were not the centerpiece of the show, but the virtuosity with which each member nimbly plays his instrument. Virtuosic is not a powerful enough word to describe the performances, which were individually and collectively a masterclass in progressive bluegrass adaptability, capabilities, and sounds.

After shouting about a little shift in the air and that it was time to hear something fresh, Thile conducted the Punch Brothers while driving into a rendition of “Suite Bergamasque,” a piece by Claude Debussy, who is featured on the Ocean’s 11 soundtrack. This unique sound reaffirmed the fact that these guys can play any style of music with force and supreme confidence. They played hits like “This Girl” and “Movement and Location” and an instrumental song dedicated to cold Wisconsin beer.

I’m still in shock after the greatest encore I’ve ever seen. Coming back onstage for the final two songs, after an incredibly difficult and magical set, Thile took the mic and said “There’s a newish movie called Inside Llewyn Davis, and there’s a group of five guys wearing beautiful white turtlenecks.

They sounded an awful lot like us...”

Without accompaniment, the quintet belted out “The Auld Triangle,” inciting the audience to sing along, joining in for the song they share with Marcus Mumford on the soundtrack. The show closed with ‘Rye Whiskey’ and left us panting for more.

Feet still stomping, I ran to the back of the Overature Center to wait for the band. I caught and thanked bassist and Madisonraised Paul Kowert first as he was walking to see his parents before jetting off to play a gala in San Francisco. I was the only person, other than an older man in a fishing vest, to wait outside the tour bus.

As Pikelny walked towards me with a banjo strapped to his back, I got a chance to talk to him about Madison. In his deep booming voice, he told me he has very fond memories of driving here from his native Chicago during his youth to go to the Barrymore to see Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. He remembered it was “always a really cool music town.” He said it was a very different vibe to come to Madison to see bands that weren’t coming to Chicago and offered a completely different vibe. “I love it, this is a fun place to play and we are pretty grateful for our bass player, who’s from here,” Said Pikelny.

There were a few references to the new P.B. album to be released later this year.

Not even a new album could fill me with the energy and excitement I experienced that night.

ben CHERKASKY

47

CHICAGO BOYS: THE ORWELLS, TWIN PEAKS, AND THE SYMPOSIUM AT LINCOLN HALL April Fool’s Day 2014 I found myself mashed into the sweaty crowd of a sold-out concert at Lincoln Hall on the north side of Chicago. Concluding their tour with a series of shows in their hometown, Twin Peaks and The Orwells, and special guests The Symposium, brought the house down in their usual chaotic manner.

Of the three relatively new bands, the Symposium is the freshest. This group of four guys – Charlie, Benny, Sam, and Buckley – started playing Chicago venues after releasing their Gravity Recording Sessions only a year ago. The band performed songs from their two five-track EP’s and the new LP that they will start work on at the end of April.

The Symposium opened the night with thick, numbing guitar and bass tones, intimate vocal melodies, and an illegal amount of energy from percussion.

Then came Twin Peaks, another four set – Cadien, Clay, Connor, and Jack – who sparked a notoriously rowdy response, setting off a wave of body surfing. Twin Peaks puts it all out there; they are rough, raw, and honest. The band played tracks from their album Sunken (2013), but mentioned that they have a new album dropping in June ‘14, currently unnamed. Although they’re known for their high energy style, the band dug even deeper for their dear Chicago, often expressing their satisfaction at making it back home to finish the tour.

The Orwells brought everything to a new level. The audience (myself included) went berserk for this group of kids – Matt, Mario, Dominic, Henry, and Grant. Considering that most of The Orwells are still teenagers and have already developed a large and loyal

fan base, it’s easy to see that this group will continue to rock far and wide. Their performance, though ferocious and uninhibited on the outside, had a stable and confident foundation in the instantly catchy rock and punk inspired songwriting. The Orwells previewed songs from their upcoming LP Disgraceland set to hit the scene June 3 of this year.

Each band brought their own unique flavor to the mix, but what differentiated the concert from others is what they shared: appreciation for playing to a crowd of their loyal hometown fans.

Definitely keep your eye on this cross section of Chicago talent – there is much more to come. pete CLANCY

AGAINST ME! AT THE MAJESTIC

On days I’m feeling edgy, I don the Against Me! shirt I bought the last time they were in Madison. The back of the shirt reads, “I want to smash them all!” in reference to lead singer Laura Jane Grace’s feelings towards a pro-life display she had to drive past every day while recording the band’s last record, White Crosses. While this message is combative, pro-choice sentiments are relatively innocuous and not all that compelling on a punk record. In the past four years, the narrative surrounding Against Me! has turned from that of a decent political punk band to the excellent punk band with a transgender lead singer who has become a role model for the transgender community.

I won’t talk too much about Grace’s struggles with her identity because Against Me!’s new record Transgender Dysphoria Blues covers the topic so masterfully.

returned to the Majestic on April 3rd.

The record is only thirty minutes long, so from the outset the crowd knew that there would be no shortage of crowd pleasers. It took about one second into the opening lines of “Fuckmylife666” for the entire crowd to erupt into a euphoric fury. Being in the middle of a sweaty mosh pit for two hours doesn’t lend itself to a nuanced take on a concert, so I am going to offer three observations from the show and not much more:

It was on the heels of Transgender Dysphoria Blues that Against Me!

2. Whenever I’m at a subpar concert, I flash to moments of great shows and

1. Laura Jane Grace smiled a ton. I couldn’t hear a word of what she was saying but last time Against Me! was in Madison, the world knew her as Tom Gabel, and she didn’t seem happy to be there. She seemed genuinely touched every time she played the opening notes of a song and the crowd freaked out all over again.

wish I was there. From here on out, “moments of great shows” will only refer to hearing Against Me! play “Sink, Florida, Sink” live.

3. In general seeing shows at the Majestic can be a stressful experience, complete with overzealous security guards eager to throw out overly enthusiastic concert-goers. At this point they seem to have completely scrapped this strategy for Against Me! shows and instead let the mob rule. This is a winning strategy and should be implemented at every concert.

The crowd poured out of the Majestic after the show completely content to be drenched in each other’s sweat.

People relocated their shoes and went their separate ways, but I don’t think I’m alone in saying that if Against Me! came back to Madison next week, I would drop all my obligations to do it all over again. joe OSWALD

49

8,210 A Jersey girl could not be more proud (or more confused) that Nicole Atkins shares the same homeland roots. Her third album, Slow Phaser sounds more like a dusty road trip through the West, filled with blues, acoustic rock, and dark pop, and brimming with simple and thoughtful lyrics. Her independently released Slow Phaser is more like a slow burner, with large flames eventually losing their momentum, but none of their allure.

NICOLE ATKINS slow phaser

[OH’ MERCY! RECORDS]

Don’t look for any Springsteen or Bon Jovi comparisons here, Ms. Atkins voice shares more of a likeness with the deep, richness of Mr. Roy Orbison. Opening with “Who Killed the Moonlight?” Ms. Atkins’s voice soars out of any box you might have pegged her in before.

Not quite blues, her voice breathes elements of Western, with a pop power playing strong.

She describes Slow Phaser as a “dark desert disco,” or a “hi-def late night pop” record, and it most definitely is. Moving on from her previous more bluesy, rock albums that coax images of the seaside she grew up in, her third album feels like a long, dark road trip into unknown territory.

Ms. Atkins who has finally abandoned bridgeand-tunnel status and moved into Brooklyn, croons on “Cool People” an anti-hipster tune, questioning her peers and her place among them, “waiting to be found out or just waiting to be found.” She becomes a touch too

7,777

BLACK LIPS

underneath the rainbow [VICE RECORDS]

For a band initially notorious for vomiting, urinating and running around naked during live performances, psychedelic punk rockers The Black Lips have managed create an album that is dare I say it….mature? Underneath the Rainbow, the band’s first release since 2011’s Arabia Mountain is set to hit shelves March 18th.

From top to bottom The Lips take us on a trip through rock and roll history. From surf-rock like lead-off “Drive By Buddy” and “Do the Vibrate” to the Cure-esque song “Waiting” all the way to “Dandelion Dust” which sounds like it could be The White Stripes’s comeback single.

Underneath the Rainbow shows the band wearing their roots and influences on their sleeves in a way they have not done before.

The best track on the album is down-home rocker “Boys in the Wood”. This lets the band’s southern side show- they are from Atlanta after all! The song details whiskey-sipping, drug-taking, stealing and fighting. While it may be a tad tongue-in-cheek, they sure pull it off well. Cole Alexander’s voice is soaked with a Ronnie Van Zant swagger about it, and Ian Saint Pe’s does

dramatic on “Red Ropes,” and “The Worst Hangover,” but the latter is so multi-layered, it remains interesting. “What Do You Know,” also is impressively layered with scratchy synths and pounding percussion and Ms. Atkins wielding her voice like acid and steel.

She is not afraid to be silly, on songs like “It’s Only Chemistry,” that despite its playful exterior preach simple but powerful truths, “all that you love and what makes you feel free/ it is and forever will be/….only chemistry.” On “Sin Song,” her silliness twinges with scathing irony “my god is a holy shit, my god is a son of a bitch,” over an effortless acoustic jam. Her single, “Girl You Look Amazing” is the most simpering and fun of the bunch, proclaiming “life is a pearl for the nowhere girl.” But these lighter touches mix well with the darker, more complex songs, giving the album a range and unique feel.

Slow Phaser passes through dark ghost towns of lost lovers, insecurities, and missed chances, on the road to the unknown. Ms. Atkins’s previous two albums may have kept her in a status of “artist on the brink,” but no longer. Her work on Slow Phaser has freed her to explore new terrain a move that will allow her to gain her rightful place in music, one she will not let go of easily.

livi MAGNANINI

his best Duane Allman impersonation. All in all I think it’s the most out of character song The Black Lips have put out. It just works and it rocks pretty damn hard.

Underneath the Rainbow, was recorded in Nashville with Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney. Carney certainly has an impact on the southern production style and blues-fueled riffs present throughout the album. While this is uncharted territory for the band, old-school Lips fans will be not disappointed with the direction of this record. Songs like “Smiling” (addressing bassist Jared Swilley’s brief stint in jail) and “Dorner Party” have plenty of lo-fi garage rock to go around. The album is pure, simple and quick, clocking in at just over 36 minutes. But it is filled with variety and ambition from the band.

Underneath the Rainbow has just enough musicianship to draw in new fans, but enough noise to keep around old ones, and you should be pretty damn excited.

evan VERPLOEGH

7,800 You could call Because the Internet a musical genius.

Childish Gambino, a.k.a. Donald Glover, took this opportunity to turn a sophomore album into a visual arts project with an accompanying short-film and a screenplay to tell the story the album doesn’t.

I don’t want to say it’s beautiful, but it’s pretty damn beautiful.

Because the Internet doesn’t make much sense to the normal listener. When paired with the screenplay, it makes a lot of sense, in a way you can’t explain, and you love every minute of it.

The album starts with “Crawl,” one of the UK singles off the album. It has a very catchy beat that trades off with a synthesizer and a violin throughout the song that produces a sound that you can’t help but head-bang to. “Crawl” flows right into “Worldstar,” another mustlisten on the album. Glover uses this song to reference the popular entertainment website with the same name, and flirts with the idea of becoming a “world star” some day.

The highlight of the album is the middle three songs; “Telegraph Ave. (“Oakland” By Lloyd),” and the two singles, “Sweatpants” and “3005.”

“Telegraph Ave.” starts out the trio with a remix of a song that sounds like Glover is listening to the song on the radio in his car. It’s followed by “Sweatpants,” a song that was leaked a week before the album was released. “Sweatpants” has a very addictive hook, “Don’t be mad because I’m doing me better than you doing you,” and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t become the new weekend anthem. The terrific trio ends with “3005,” the first single off the album.

This track highlights Glover’s loyalty to a girl and references some of his personal struggles he let out to air with an Instagram confession last fall.

Though Because the Internet drags on a bit with 19 songs, it’s the good kind of dragging on that makes you disappointed when the album is over. It is evident that Glover put thought into every single detail of the album, and it shows. It’s a masterpiece, and I can’t wait to see what else he has in store for us after he tweeted “My album isn’t done” on December 28th.

CHILDISH GAMBINO

because the internet [GLASSNOTE RECORDS]

megan OPPERMAN

8,500 Mac Demarco’s hybrid style and scattered public persona have distracted listeners from a noteworthy element of his music writing – its rapid rate of development. Because while all eyes savored (or winced at) his naked drumstick antics and attempted to fit Demarco’s Rock and Roll Night Club (2012) or 2 (2012) into the comfortable molds available, his music has continued to take new forms.

Salad Days introduces a somewhat tired Demarco, one that writes lyrics that consider growing old under public appraisal and the burdens of a touring rather than his favorite cigarette brand. But if his lyrics reflect a bleaker sense of life, the recording quality and composition of his new 11 track LP demonstrate the benefits of experience. In Salad Days Demarco gives us a tighter, more refined reinvention of his musical self that manages to keep alive that particular oddball life force that inhabits the substrate of his earlier work.

Opening the titular track “Salad Days”, Demarco sings, “As I’m getting older, chip up on my shoulder / Rolling through life to roll over and die,” setting themature tone of the lyrics proliferating the album. The double edged “Let My Baby Stay” perfectly depicts Demarco’s lyrical and compositional development while maintaining that kernel of pure Mac. With a heart wrenching “Please don’t take my love away / Let my baby stay, let my baby stay” Mac lulls audiences with into heartsickness, but at the end of the song he offers a path back to 2, evoking “Still Together” in his wide-ranging vocal meandering.

It’s hard to tell what Mac Demarco will offer us in the future. If his music continues to reinvent itself, listeners can expect an engaging and demanding listening experience in the years to come.

pete CLANCY

MAC DEMARCO salad days

[CAPTURED TRACKS]

53

8,350 In the bands first release since 2010, John Butler Trio takes an introspective and very personal look upon life. Often known for the singers politically charged lyrics, the bands sixth studio album Flesh and Blood takes a much more mellow and sympathetic outlook to issues that might have inspired harsher criticism in the past. Is this to say that the Aussie blues-funk rockers have lost their edge? Not one bit. Songs like “Living in the City,” and “Devil Woman” feature some of the bands most spirited and fiery playing to date.

JOHN BUTLER TRIO flesh and blood

[VANGUARD RECORDS]

In the past I have sometimes faulted the band for lacking a proper balance in their albums.

But this is not the case with Flesh and Blood.

While retaining the energy that fans have come to know and love, the album explores the peaks and valleys of life with more melancholy tracks such as “Bullet Girl,” and “Young and Wild.” In addition to the lyrical depth that is explored, a more mature musical sound is featured in contrast to their traditionally very raw sound. The album has distinct layers of instrumentation with compelling implementation of synth, and piano. It will be interesting to see how this newfound depth will translate to a live setting.

My favorite moment that comes from Flesh and Blood is the down-tempo sixth track “Blame it on Me” Lyrically, Butler explores idea of taking responsibility for your own life. He begs the listener to not fault others for your own misfortunes, but to take matters into your own hands, for better or for worse. “Blame it on Me” also hits stratospheric levels as Butler rips into what I consider to be the best guitar work of his career. A lengthy, Hendrix-esque solo that drips with psychedelia.

Overall, I think John Butler Trio has created the most complete sounding album of their now 16 year career. Some fans might be disappointed with the lack of uptempo, dance-your-ass off tracks. But, I believe after a couple listens you’ll understand and respect the direction that Butler is trying to take the band in, as well as his new empirical lyrical style. John Butler was certainly telling the truth when he said Flesh and Blood would feature a new sound from the band. From the 1st track until the album closing “You’re Free,” Butler takes us on a journey through his own head and the way he is currently viewing the world we live in. A very strong effort from a very strong band. evan VERPLOEGH

6,241 “Together we can generate energy,” croons Liela Moss, lead singer on “Nest in your Room. ” Roman Remains, the side project of Moss and Toby Butler, two members of Duke Spirit, do just that in their debut, Zeal. In a 41-minute romp, the album feels like how a strobe light might sound, the cool British twosome welcomes us into a heavily digitized trance that at times, delivers such cold, intense energy that will pull you out just as quickly as it pulled you in.

ROMAN REMAINS

zeal [HOT RECORDS]

Roman Remains embody cold English grit, with thudding heavy bass, eccentric synths and strong female vocals. Moss’s voice cuts through the cold dark tracks with a certain degree of lightness, adding another degree of power that is more subtle, to the almost overwhelming tracks. The use of static and digital beats almost becomes the third band member of Roman Remains, on songs like “Apoidea” and “Vulture Beat,” the vocals fight against being swallowed by the static, leaving the listener lost in the process.

On songs like “Animals,” the combination of electronic and dance pairing merges together nicely, featuring tight beats coupled with dramatic vocals. No doubt, this song will be remixed into the far off corners of clubs around the world. In songs like “Agrimony,” and “Gazebo,” softness replaces the edginess but does not banish it, Moss never falters in her delivery.

But its songs like “This Stone is Starting to Bleed,” the primary single off Zeal that represent what Roman Remains is trying to do, pair the beautiful crystal quality of Moss’s voice with thunderously thick beats, leaving you feeling cold and entranced. Her vocals and lyrics almost get lost trying to fight over the noise, which is their aim, purity struggling to compete above the noise. With its hard and gritty exterior, Zeal feels blissfully appropriate in the dark night of winter.

livi MAGNANINI

7,954 BBC is back, and ready to take you on a tour of the musical world this British group has been discovering over the past two years. Now, I’m sure when you hear the words “Bombay Bicycle Club,” the thought of either some relaxing indie folk or robust indie rock comes to mind. Sounds perfect for having a chill night with friends in the woods or jamming out in your car. So Long, See You Tomorrow, though, brings a striking change to Bombay Bicycle Club’s musical image. Rather than the soothing feeling established in past albums such as Flaws (2010), there is some restlessness. Instead of bopping your head along to the heavy drums and electric guitar typical of I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose (2009), there are points where you simply want to get up and dance. That’s right, BBC is exploring and expanding far beyond their horizons.

The trip begins with “Overdone,” when you suddenly realize “we’re not in Kansas anymore.” With the gradual build-up of an oriental musical theme growing in intensity, one can understand that Bombay has some greater message that they want to convey to their audience.

Finally, you hear a faint voice repeating “I feel it come, I’m overdone,” and then lead singer Jack Steadman declares “to find out!” Energetic. Intense. Cultural. Emotional. Catchy. Puzzling. Hidden: Just a few words that come to mind in listening to the opening of this album.

One moment you feel lost in a far-off eastern country, and the next you’re pulled back toward a more western concept of indie. With a good blend of electronic backgrounds, some very tight drums, and deep lyrics in “It’s Alright Now,” Bombay successfully brings interesting spins on new ideas to the genre of indie pop/ rock music.

sound effects. Meanwhile, “Luna,” an upbeat song full of excitement and wonder, has a more optimitic and youthful feel. It can even be seen as a response to “Overdone,” in which “Luna” is the spurt of encouragement that completely erases the thought of giving up as heard in the lyrics of “Overdone.”

We continue our journey into the incredibly colorful “Feel” that has you shaking your hips as if you’re dancing along to the ending of a popular Bollywood film. The rich ethnic sounds felt throughout the song take the album down an entirely different path, making it all the more complicated to possibly define So Long, See You Tomorrow, as one specific genre.

The album concludes with “So Long, See You Tomorrow.” As the track starts with a soothing, rocking sound, it seems strange in comparison to the rest of the album. Then, when in the depths of a mystifying lull, the pace swiftly picks up with some heavy drums and odd synth to end the work with an overwhelming bang. Maybe not the absolute best means of ending such a catchy and well-balanced album, but it definitely succeeded in releasing the pent-up energy that progressed from song to song.

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB so long, see you tomorrow [ISLAND RECORDS]

While So Long, See You Tomorrow, is clearly a stray from the usual Bombay Bicycle Club, it is a rather good stray. With their hard work in deviating from older sounds, Bombay has successfully branched out in their exploration of the musical world through this album. Thus, in approaching So Long, See You Tomorrow, with open ears and a clear mind, Bombay Bicycle Club will take you on an exciting journey that leaves you satisfied and ready for more.

allysa GALLONI

With the album constantly changing in energy level and emotional context, it’s impressive on how well it flows together. “Home by Now” conveys a strong sense of yearning to be reunited with a loved one, while the background is steady with technological, video-game

55

7,555 Kelis is a name that may sound a bit unfamiliar at face value, but a quick Google search will swiftly connect the dots. With her newest album, FOOD, she could quite possibly be paying homage to her very own magnum opus - “Milkshake.” It’s been a little over a decade since her iconic hit, and though she may no longer be bringing the boys to the yard, per se, she certainly is bringing something worth checking out.

KELIS FOOD

[NINJA TUNE]

After experimenting with a variety of genres from R&B, and hip-hop, to four-to-the floor EDM on her 2010 LP Flesh Tone, Kelis takes a more natural and low-key throwback approach on FOOD, tossing sonic flavors of folk, soul and funk together to concoct a surprisingly tasty blend. Brass chords, bongos, mariachi percussion, choral motifs and cutesy piano riffs are the recurring staples on FOOD, never failing to succeed in cohesiveness and solidarity. The album begins with the tribal-tinged single “Jerk Ribs”, a soulfully scrumptious anthem that sets the tone for the rest of the album.

Expectedly, food-themed song titles on the album are certainly not in short. Track two, “Breakfast”, matches the beautiful awakening moment in the morning accompanied by a whiff of a sweet, savory aroma - at the same time, the song successfully acts as a metaphor for a blossoming relationship. The songs each have an underlying purpose that are only slightly food-specific; rather, they seem to emulate moods the listener might associate with each recipe. Other food-titled highlight

cuts are the celebratory “Cobbler”, heavy on tambourine and remarkable falsetto, as well as the stomp-clap “Friday Fish Fry” that will take any listener straight to a fenced-in backyard on a warm summer night. Perhaps the more intriguing parts of FOOD are the songs that aren’t about food. The folky “Bless The Telephone” tells a story of two lovers separated by distance and find bliss through new age communication. “Strange how a phone call can change your day,” croons Kelis over the lovely acoustic track, effectively becoming a stand-out and maybe even out of place on an album like this (but, hey, it’s still great). The closer, “Dreamer”, is the record’s uplifting lullaby, versatile in meaning, and pounds the final nail in the questionable aura of FOOD: what’s the underlying message here? Well, it seems as if it’s fairly open-ended, with the true answer lying within Kelis herself, and her creative ambitions.

Nothing short of a concept album, FOOD is a wonderful addition to Kelis’ discography and the 2014 music scene. Seemingly, this album acts as a handoff of sorts, very unique and oddball in creation. In a time of rising throwback trends in pop music (Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie”, Katy Perry’s “Birthday”, Pharrell’s “Happy”), this album couldn’t have arrived at a better time, and acts to show ‘em how it’s done. One heaping serving of personality, a side of gospel and a glass of retro - this appetizing record was designed for the hungry.

collin KIRK

6,421 Foster the People has a secret formula and it’s 100 percent Mark Foster. He discovered the formula in the fast Los Angeles party scene while he danced with drug addiction. He polished it when he landed a gig as a commercial jingle writer. This secret formula skyrocketed Foster the People to fame with the band’s 2010 debut single “Pumped Up Kicks.” It was sophisticated catchy pop, worming its way into America’s subconscious and steeping until the public finally realized the hit song was about a school shooter.

FOSTER THE PEOPLE supermodel [COLUMBIA]

Four years and one studio album later, Foster the People is bringing the formula back on their sophomoric effort, Supermodel, which was released in March. Yet somehow Foster’s formula of hiding heavy lyrical content in light indie pop doesn’t quite add up this time. The album’s first single, “Coming of Age,” is fairly

forgettable and “Pseudologia Fantastica” leaves something to be desired.

Still, not all is lost. The opening song “Are you what you want to be?” injects cool afro-Cuban rhythms and the dark single “Best Friend” is irresistibly dancey. The fresh acoustic finger picking guitars on “Nevermind” make the song a standout on an otherwise average album. As a whole, the repurposed formula falls a little flat. Supermodel smacks of reheated leftovers: It’s not good, it’s not bad, but it’s definitely lukewarm and it didn’t seem quite so soggy the first time around.

emily RAPPLEYE

5,500 Is There Anybody Out There? by A Great Big World is the perfect album to play around parents who think you still listen to Kidz Bop. Although you may catch yourself singing along, the album as a whole is an ode to juvenile, clean cut pop.

A Great Big World, made up of singer/songwriters Ian Anxel and Chad Vaccarino, is an indie pop band from New York City. Is There Anybody Out There? is the band’s debut album and gained popularity on the charts after their song, “This Is The New Year” was performed on the hit TV show, Glee.

The album starts off with two quirky upbeat tunes, “Rockstar” and “Land of Opportunity.”

With repetitive, cliché lyrics and colorful vocals, the songs are reminiscent of an Owl City album. Other songs such as “Say Something,” “Everyone is Gay,” and “Cheer Up!” mimic this style and add to the juvenile vibe given off by the album.

However, if you can endure or even enjoy the bubbly middle school pop songs, there

are some hidden treasures that have put the album on the charts. Most notably, “Say Something” feat. Christina Aguilera highlights the potential of A Great Big World. The slow, beautiful ballad captures the heartache of love and attracts an audience older than preteens.

The album truly thrives on its power ballads.

Make sure you have Kleenex nearby if you are homesick at college when listening to “Already Home.” Similarly, your eyes won’t stay dry if you’ve recently been dumped and you play, “I Don’t Wanna Love Somebody Else.” If the lyrics don’t make you weepy, Vaccarino’s falsetto will do the trick.

Overall, the album is littered with bubble gum pop that diminishes the artist’s emotional power ballads. With stunning vocals and beautiful melodies, A Great Big World has potential to make a powerful album if they continue to write songs for a broader audience.

abbey SCHNEIDER

A GREAT BIG WORLD

is there anybody out there?

[EPIC]

3,450 The second album coming from Chicagobased Supreme Cuts evoked a feeling somewhere between “Oh yeah,” and “I don’t wanna wake up,” with a slight skew to the not waking up side. The intro to Divine Ecstasy attempts to pull the listener in with an disjointed, antique sounding message of the deeper aspects of life. The album then took a bit of a turn toward the atypical electronic “ah-ah’s” and extraterrestrial sounds commonly heard in the majority of today’s electronic music.

With the strange balance between entrancing beats and sadly attempted soul, it’s a tad difficult to determine the true feel that was being attempted.

Definitely an album perfect for the party scene, the catchy beat could get anybody moving, whether its to the dance floor or out the door. With bumpin’ “Envision” featuring Channy of Polica, the repetitive “oh yeahs” become too much as the song blares off into a busy mess of meaningless lyrics, auto tune, and a mix of hapless beats.

As an R&B electronic group, tracks such as “Gone” and “Brown Flowers” featuring Mahaut Mondino definitely give the ear a rest from the crowded electronic tracks. More

or less, Mondino is truly the highlight of the album as she steals the spotlight with her powerfully beautiful voice. The continuation of the R&B feel in “Isis,” however, does not convey the same passion felt in Mondino’s songs. If anything, “Isis” slows the album down too much with its redundant lyrics and desolate sound.

Overall, the album is more of a collection of club remixes than a fully developed work with songs building off one another. Between the short thirty second tracks containing overpowering blends of random noise and the longer tracks melding empty lyrics with to busy electronic effects, the album as a whole fails to amount to much more than a few intermittent quality songs. While Supreme Cuts surely has potential to succeed in the electronic R&B crowd, Divine Ecstasy does not quite cut it as an album to get them there. The duo definitely has room to grow, and though Divine Ecstasy may not be their biggest hit, their music has some promising characteristics that could be built on for albums to come.

SUPREME CUTS divine ectasy [DOVECOAT]

allysa GALLONI

57

6,910

MØ no mythologies to follow [RCA]

Names can be deceiving. In Danish, ‘MØ’ means “maiden” or “virgin”, but her debut album No Mythologies to Follow is anything but. Prior to this year’s release, listeners only had a small taste of MØ via singles “Pilgrim” and “XXX 88”, as well as through her lending vocals in the Avicii track “Dear Boy” in 2013. Debut albums are crucial for artists—they become their calling card, at least until subsequent releases. What separates this album from the shaky, uncertain debuts frequently seen with emerging artists is MØ’s soaring, beautiful voice. Filled with tracks of sublime vocals, sing-along worthy lyrics, and fine-tuned production, No Mythologies to Follow is a strong record that isn’t just sonically pleasing, but also useful—this is a weekend materialized, a soundtrack for your fervent thoughts for a certain someone, the comedown from a breakup.

Though No Mythologies to Follow boasts some big names like Diplo in its production, the cornerstone to its executional success lies in something money can’t buy: MØ’s voice, which is smooth as milk and sweet as honey. Her languid and sultry interpretation of the lyrics cascades and tumbles through her vocal runs.

On “Never Wanna Know”, she masterfully and effortlessly transforms the relatively mundane “But I never wanna know the name/of your new girlfriend” into a great journey of aural ups and downs. A quick listen of any of her live performances confirms her natural vocal talent.

However, she avoids the mistake of simply relying on a pretty voice—MØ and her team clearly understand how strategic layering, mixing, and editing can enhance the entertainment value of a song. Thus, an otherworldly spectacle is born.

On tracks like “Dust Is Gone”, a slower, more somber cut, MØ reminds listeners that nothing in love is guaranteed to last, not even the next in a series of the most saccharine of kisses.

She is gentle, understanding, and warm with empathy even as she describes an inevitable heartbreak: “I had a little dream/I would’ve liked us to work/But life had other plans.” The honest, weightier moments of the album like these rival the bounce and effervescence of the many glitchy pop hooks on the album.The majority of the songs on No Mythologies are shoe-ins for songs with which to be greeted at a party.

And perhaps that’s the problem. While enjoyable, undeniably catchy, and at times hauntingly lovely, it’s difficult to say the album is anything of particular consequence. At times it is almost wearisome, like a Saturday night that lasted just a few hours too long for your sanity. The progression of the record as a whole does not keep up with the graceful nosedives and fiery ascents MØ’s voice takes—No Mythologies lacks a story of its own, and thus any growth or resolve. The album could fit comfortably with a lot of moods, situations, people, but what results is a surface level engagement, not a record that tangles your heart, grips at your senses, lives in the vessel of your body for months.

But forget all of that. Sometimes, you just want to dance.

mia SATO

8,000 Revivalists. On City of Sound, the band pays tribute to their music making hometown blending blues, funk, rock, and even a little bit of pop with their signature Big Easy swing. A delicious mix of sound, the Revivalists put it all in the pot on their second EP, which was re-released this Fat Tuesday, and the result is tangy with a bite.

THE REVIVALISTS

city of sound [COLUMBIA]

The Revivalists are adamant that they should not be labeled a jam band, although they definitely digress from time to time into the stratosphere of sound. Each song on City of Sound dances between different genres and even combines them— blues rock, hard funk, jazzy swing, slow country, with a pop appeal.

Guitarist Zach Feinberg plays strong with the innovative touches that Ed Williams with the pedal steel guitar. Bring in the brassy horns and sensual saxophone solos from Rob Ingraham, and you get the sexy, big band sound New Orleans is known for.

Lead singer David Shaw melds an Eddie Vedder growl with a smoky pop feeling, and packs a range that explores slow country ballads and hard muscled rock. On “Criminal,” Shaw croons “I throw this love away/ I do this everyday,” with a nervous pent up energy that sears. But the band easily transitions to come down songs like the country ballad “Up in the Air,” with lovelorn lyrics, “She’s a very pretty girl with a magnolia smile/ in this white wedding world it only takes a little while.” On “BTBD” the Revivalists exhibit their dusky country, while “Chase’s House” plays with synthy piano pop before easing back into what feels comfortable, a jazzy swing.

Genre blending feels almost like alchemy to the septet, mixing each element of sound until they get the perfect taste. There is no such thing as monotony in their act, although Shaw’s vocals might have to act as an anchor for the chaos. On City of Sound, the Revivalists do their hometown proud, in a city of music makers their sound is something special.

livi MAGNANINI

8,600 Odd Future is known for turning out fantastic artists. Tyler, The Creator, Frank Ocean, and Earl Sweatshirt have made names for themselves in the hip-hop/R&B world, and the duo The Internet is starting to gain similar recognition. The duo, made up of Syd the Kid and Matt Martians, released Feel Good in late September of 2013, both use their roots with OFWGKTA as diving boards to jump further into neo-soul.

What makes The Internet’s second album crisper, and more unique, than their first outing is the development of both Syd and Matt. Syd’s voice glides over the album like a feather, creating a rich atmosphere that perfectly compliments Matt’s production. Matt has worked with a number of Odd Future members, and as a founding member of the hip-hop/rap super group, he has had time to continually develop his craft.

Feel Good is an elegant departure from their debut effort, Purple Naked Ladies. While the first album was a solid effort, showing off Syd’s haunting and smooth vocals,along with Matt’s affinity for synthesized production, Feel Good allows the band to expand from Odd Future’s umbrella.

the Mind.” Miller, who’s known for more brash lyrics, focuses on his soulful side, which effortlessly blends well with Syd’s background vocals. While Syd’s vocals usually take precedent on the album’s songs, Malaysia-native Zara’ai holds her own on “Sunset,” and helps to push the album forward with a 70’s soul revival track.

OFWGKTA has made a name for themselves through creating lengthy mixtapes that feature several aspects of each performers’ strengths.

While Feel Good, over an hour in length, has its high points, the longer tracks on the release tend to drag on, with very little change in overall rhythm or composition. Syd’s vocals can only do so much as Matt uses freestyle composition in songs like “Pupil/The Patience” and“Higher Times” to lurch the record along.

There’s room for improvement, but The Internet has finally hit a sonically impressive stride.

It’ll allows for them to make a name separate from their parent super group, and keep the new, freshly developed sound moving forward.

THE INTERNET feel good

[ODD FUTURE RECORDS]

conor MURPHY

Collaborations with Mac Miller and Yuna Zara’ai highlight the LP, with a surprisingly strong solo work from Miller on “Wanders of

If you’re looking for an artsy, emotional whirlwind with elements of post-hardcore rock, jazz, and folk focus your attention La Dispute. This group is very difficult to place a genre on, but they are extremely easy to listen to. Their most recent release, Rooms of the House, is a step away from the post-hardcore, melodic rock found in previous albums.

This album takes a new musical approach to La Dispute’s heavy and chaotic sound. Tracks like “Woman( in mirror)”, “Woman(reading)”, and “Objects in Space” take an acoustic and simplistic approach to storytelling. Reception to this new sound has received a lot of criticism.

Fans want the young and angsty La Dispute.

Yet many others love the band’s new direction.

Rooms of the House combines many influences and emotions to incorporate a complete story into the album. This ‘narrative’ approach evokes aspects of previous album Wildlife, and centralizes around stories of relationships, family connections, tragedy, and much more- all occurring around a single house. Songs like “Hudsonville MI 1965”, “35”, and “The Child We Lost 1963” express deep sadness for tragedies: natural disasters, massive accidents, and medical trauma. The emotion in this album is seen in every inch of the songwriting.

One of the best examples of La Dispute’s blend of old and new styles comes through “First Reactions After Falling Through The Ice”. Playing on musical dynamic and gripping storytelling, “First Reaction” could satisfy any fan, old or new. Some songs on this album do blend together, but with multiple listens one truly appreciates the new direction of this emotional album. Rooms of the House may take time to fully catch on with new fans and old die-hards alike.

But once it does, this record will be spinning for years, and be revisited again and again.

john MCCRACKEN

8,470

LA DISPUTE rooms of the house [BETTER LIVING]

59

8,700 I’ve always tried to live in between accessibility and lunatic fringe.” These words straight from the mouth of newly-proclaimed digital princess, Annie Clark, from the Colbert Report earlier this year. Her fourth studio album, St. Vincent, holds this phrase to utmost truth.

Avoiding St. Vincent in 2014 has proven to be quite a struggle, and it’s no surprise. Her self-titled return has been nothing less than triumphant, following suit to the noticeable (and somewhat irritating) self-titled trend... and owning it. Stepping to the left of her usual efforts, Clark takes a sharp turn straight into the digital age vortex in an effort that is, indeed, accessible to a wide audience as well as pleasurably psychotic.

ST VINCENT st vincent

[REPUBLIC RECORDS]

Recurring trends throughout the body of work are ones that are both present and absent in Clark’s previous works. The well-blended harmonies, bouncy chord progressions, and paradoxical lyrical structures are nothing new for St. Vincent’s charm; the strong electronica and leather jacket guitar riffs are new and beloved. From the first moment of St. Vincent, on “Rattlesnake”: a squelchy, radioactive synth sequence plops in, and layer by layer a structure of sorts is built. More eloquently, Clark’s sharp vocals, brimmed with unexpectedly cheeky one-liners, float alongside a flowing and energetic instrumental, matching its power and even outdoing it in parts. This layout maps many of the songs on the record, brilliantly showcasing what St. Vincent might just be trying to capture in her self-titled work.

tion and verse, to a point that almost seems discomforting and unnatural, spontaneously erupting into excellently melodic choruses.

Perhaps the most excellent example of such a structure is “Psychopath”, a bizarre love song.

Such a chaotic structure only seems appropriate for the sometimes confident (blissful hooks), sometimes vulnerable (unsteady stanzas) Annie Clark; the structure instills a certain type of replay quality into the listener, needing more time to analyze and appreciate.

“People turn the TV on, it looks just like a window,” croons Clark on “Digital Witness,” to which a utopian-type video was released a few weeks prior to the album. The song successfully acts as a underlying dig at our culture and its’ overwhelming reliance on technology and dismissal of reality in favor of such advancements. Down-tempo moments on St. Vincent are also considerably excellent: “I prefer your love to Jesus,” confesses Clark on heartfelt ballad, “I Prefer Your Love.”

Even more charming is the glossy “Severed Crossed Fingers”, a melancholy love song portraying Clark at her most vulnerable, and perhaps most true. Following an album filled with songs that look outwards to make statements, perhaps moments like these are among the most promising, giving us a true taste of what this self-titled sonic autobiography really is.

Between the gaps, the album never loses its own touch and stays true to a certain theme, feeling and aura.

Singles “Birth In Reverse” and “Digital Witness” are among the album’s more powerful and upbeat songs; certainly appropriate for a twisted 2AM dance-off. Both songs feature a sharp, distinct, and borderline apocalyptic introduc-

Somewhere between a factory, blooming garden and a 22nd century bar scene, St. Vincent places itself among Annie Clark’s most remarkable work, and possibly opus.

collin KIRK

You know that friend who always says “bitchin’” unironically and calls everyone “man” regardless of gender? Call them up and tell them about Pure X’s new album Angel. The musical equivalent of listening to tie-dye, this album is perfect for people searching for some chill vibes.

the titular phrase “wishin’ on the same star” is repeated approximately nineteen thousand times over the course of three minutes and seventeen seconds. Regardless, each song creates a pleasant mood that will make you want to rhythmically wave your hand up and down in a dolphin motion out of the window of a moving car.

7,189

PURE X angel

[FAT POSSUM RECORDS]

The third full-length album from the Austin, Texas indie band is best described as hazy, psychedelic alt rock. If you’re looking for songs to add to your beachside longboarding playlist, you’ll definitely find some suitable options on this album. The first track, “Starlight”, features relaxing guitar melodies and soft, sweet lyrics that set the tone for the rest of the album. Following a similar vein, “Every Tomorrow” and “Heaven” are strong tracks as well.

Overall, Angel has a mellowed-out tempo reminiscent of waves lazily lapping along a shore. Some of the lyrics are a bit too simplistic at times - in “Wishin’ On The Same Star”,

The flow of this album, whispery, dream-like sounds and all, are what make it so enjoyable.

Upon my first listening of Angel, some of the songs seem indistinguishable due to the slow pace of the album, but the more I listen to it the more it grows on me. Pure X should definitely be on your indie music radar.

becca MELDMAN

7,800 Fans have long awaited Sky Ferreira’s debut album. It was originally supposed to be released in 2011, but after losing funding, the album was shelved by the record label.

Ferreira ended up funding the album herself using money she earned from her modeling career in 2013, and this gave her the freedom to do the album the exact way she wanted.

Thus, Night Time, My Time was released with minimal advertisement in October 2013, and received very positive reviews, even ranking #5 on Rolling Stone’s list of best debut albums of 2013.

The first thing that draws you to the album is the risqué album cover. The famed Argentine film director, Gaspar Noé, photographed Ferreira topless in the shower in Paris’ Hotel Amour. There was a lot of controversy over this cover from Capitol Records, but because Ferreira funded most of Night Time,My Time she had the freedom to choose the cover she wanted.

When you actually start to listen to the album, the main component that shines is the catchy introductions of each song. In the beginning of “Nobody Asked Me (If I Was OK),” the guitar

ScHoolboy Q has resurrected both trap rap and bucket hats. The Figueroa reppin’ thug lays out his lifestyle on his first signed album release, Oxymoron. Q is under the T.D.E. banner with the likes of upcoming rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and the good kid in an M.A.A.D. city, Kendrick Lamar. Growing up, Q lived in just as rough of a neighborhood as Kendrick, but where Kendrick illustrates his epiphany to rap, Q discovers the trap house and drugs. The dark overtones flow from the beginning of the tape where even Q’s daughter admits her daddy’s not a rapper, he is a “Gangsta” and “real gangsters don’t tattoo they tears”. ScHoolboy Q demonstrates he can switch it up as well with his flow up in “Hoover Street” as he presents his family struggles. With a style reminiscent to Slick Rick’s, Q tells a bedtime story that’s not suitable for kids.

The emotion of the album does not fully connect though until “Prescription/Oxymoron”. Q illustrates his depression as though he is stuck in a pill coma and his daughter is in the back-

rift is reminiscent of remixed version of The Black Key’s “The Only One.” Other songs with memorable introductions are “You’re Not the One,” the first single off the album, and “Heavy Metal Heart.” Both songs are tributes to old loves and how it feels to walk away from love.

The pitfalls of the album are the lyrics and the lack of diversity from song to song. Each song generally sounds the same with a lot of lyrical repetition in the chorus. “Omanko” is a prime example of this. The song only contains variations of the line “A Japanese Jesus? / A Japanese Jesus come on,” and towards the end of the song, you are ready to beg for it to stop.

Ferreira starts strong with “Boys” and ends strong, with the eerie and trippy title track of the album finishing up this unique music experience. Night Time, My Time is a valiant effort by Ferreira, and the music world should watch out for this girl, she has a bright future ahead of her.

megan OPPERMAN

ground trying to wake him up. His thoughts are “if you not selling drugs, then I don’t hear a thing,” completely severing life from the outside world until his rapping career came through with Ali mixing at the studio. And that is when it switches, the beat drops. For a piano keys and bass banger, it’s minimalist.

Q hits his stride of raw power with the extra track “His and Her Fiend”. Over a heavy bass and chain rattle he raps from the viewpoint of the oxy pill, where “What [drug fiend] Want” leads to, “won’t last for the day, just right for the night… let the truth be told, let it crush your soul”. Q delivers cynicism with every word and makes you feel slave to the wants, shackled by the chain in the backbeat.

The deliverance of Q’s first album established that the trap is officially back in the rap game.

With an appearance at the top spot on the Billboard 100, we know to watch out for the #2 man at T.D.E. for years to come.

ryan PERLIC

SKY FERREIRA

night time, my time [CAPITOL]

8,200

SCHOOLBOY Q

oxymoron

[INTERSCOPE]

61

8,329 Kongos’ brand new album Lunatic truly lives up to its name. It’s sometimes poignant, occasionally sarcastic, but mostly just crazy.

Crazy good, that is.

Madison, I’d like you to meet Dylan, Daniel, Jesse, and Johnney Kongos. They’re four (rather attractive) brothers, raised in both London and South Africa. Though they’ve hit it big back home, with Lunatic’s leading single “I’m Only Joking” topping multiple South African charts, they haven’t quite attained full-fledged US fame. But I promise you, it won’t be long.

KONGOS lunatic

[TOKOLOSHE RECORDS]

into mellow, almost Foster the People-esque vocals. It’s a bit more laid back, but still lots of fun.

Track four, “Escape”, continues the transition out of sarcasm, while clearly demonstrating Kongos’ incredible range. It’s the perfect love song: not too needy, just a simple request: “Why don’t you stay by me?/ And when the time comes, we’ll escape.” Yes please, Kongos brothers. Let’s escape.

That leads me to Lunatic. It’s rare to find an album so excellent that I actually want to write a paragraph describing each song.

Lunatic is that album: a unique blend of indie and rock that somehow just works.

“Sex on the Radio”, “Hey I Don’t Know”, and “It’s a Good Life” are all so catchy. The percussion is consistently excellent; the vocals are varied and complex. However, a warning: Each of these tracks may induce uncontrollable dancing, or at least incessant foot tapping. Make sure you aren’t in a public place; you’ll catch a few perplexed looks.

I’m not joking when I say “I’m Only Joking” has been stuck in my head for the last 56 hours straight. Combining impeccably timed percussion with darkly clever, taunting lyrics, “I’m only joking/ I don’t believe a thing I’ve said/What are you smoking? /I’m just a- fucking with your head.” there’s just something about this song I can’t get enough of.

Alright, I’m caving. One more track is getting it’s own paragraph: “This Time I Won’t Forget”. It’s the final track on the album, and it’s gorgeous. “They go by many names/ Mother, father, brother, son/And the tears begin to swell/Tears I dare not fight.” It captures so much sorrow and so much joy, simultaneously.

Moving right into their second track “Come With Me Now”, there’s a hint of country twang that strangely does not repulse me. Probably because the tune transitions out of this upbeat, raspy twang to an echoed ‘indie’ interlude, then back into twang.

I can’t quite put my finger on what’s so addictive about this band. Kongos is so unique, comparing them to other musicians is incredibly difficult. If I absolutely had to, I’d say imagine Kings of Leon if they had more fun, more passion, and better percussion. Yet there’s so much more to Kongos then that.

Once again, the lyrics are fun with a bit of sarcasm: “Whoa, come with me now. I’m gonna show you how/ Whoa, come with me now/ I’m gonna take you down.” Please do not let my mention of the c-word deter you, the song is far too fun to be country, and the vocals are superb.

The third track, “I Want to Know” takes an unexpected turn from clever, sarcastic taunts

I began listening to this album unsure of what to expect; but by track 12 I was completely won over. Look for me around campus. I’ll be the girl with headphones in, uncontrollably dancing on the way to class. Pretty hard to miss, but now you know the cause.

ali GRIMES

8,400 Different. Just in case fans and listeners thought they would be hearing a sound similar to his hip hop productions from years ago, “different” is the first word uttered by Pharrell Williams on his new album GIRL to prepare us all for the change. The last solo work we heard from Pharrell was back in 2006 featuring artists such as Kanye and Gwen Stefani on In My Mind. Eight years have passed, and a lot has changed in the music industry. One thing that hasn’t is the success of Pharrell. Over the years he has both produced and been featured on songs that have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, making him one of the most successful artists today. With that, the pressure is on to create genuinely original music that will also please the the people.

On his earlier works, what immediately comes to mind is the number of collaborations he completed with popular rappers on songs rooted in heavy drums and synth riffs. However, Pharrell has clearly made a turn away from the rap scene with what we have heard over the past year. As he dominated our radios in Robin Thicke’s dirty pop song “Blurred Lines” and Daft Punk’s electronic disco-esque hit “Get Lucky,” it is no surprise that GIRL is a mixture of these two realms of music. Between the grand orchestral sounds, funky clavinet lines, earthy hand drums, and electronic music, GIRL is truly a work of art.

The album kicks off with “Marilyn Monroe”, to which I was immediately pulled in with the quick string buildup that climaxes at the utterance of the word “different.” As the opener mixes catchy hip hop synth with pop rhythms, it is clear that GIRL will be a feature of some of today’s best pop music. Following this is “Brand New,” a song that takes us back to the 1960’s MoTown era of happy dance music with distinctive melodies and strong vocals. Between Pharrell and Justin Timberlake’s harmonies and falsettos in the call-and-response style of the song, “Brand New” fully incorporates the features of classic pop that could easily make it a radio smash.

As we dive further into the album, it takes much more than an initial listen to fully determine what exactly GIRL has to bring to the music community. At some points, it definitely aligns with sexier sounds of R&B found in “Gush.”

With the repetition of lyrics “tonight I think I want to be dirty, girl,” it is clear that the album is meant to be heard by a more mature audience.

“Happy,” however, with its debut in Despicable Me 2, greatly contrasts the mood and messages heard within the rest of the album. Due to its great popularity with the public, though, it was a definite necessity in order to bring a carefree dance number to the work. With how incredibly catchy the song is, it is obvious that Pharrell has put a great deal of effort into “Happy” in order for it to become such a colossal hit.

There’s yet another change in the album with “Lost Queen,” in which the female figure Pharrell is so fascinated with has suddenly taken the the form of an adored queen. Earlier in the album, we hear more vulgar lyrics and sounds that convey the pursual of a girl for pleasure, in addition to an impatient feeling to win over the ultimate idea of a dream girl. However, “Lost Queen” tones the album down with its background hand drums and shouts, intermittent shaker accompaniment, cute vocal sound effects, and the soft voice of Pharrell that has a certain warming feel that sets the song apart from the rest. Suddenly, the girl has become a goddess that is no longer being forcefully pursued, but rather is being praised.

PHARELL GIRL

[COLUMBIA]

Pharrell further explores the world of pop in his movement between funk, electronica, and smooth/soft reggae. In “Hunter,” we hear the clavinet riffs and prominent backbeat common of 1970’s funk as Pharrell picks up a sassy tone in singing about a deceptive female. In contrast, “Gust of Wind” contributes a futuristic feel with Daft Punk’s vocoder, in which the concept of the girl becomes that of a necessity to survival.

While the majority of GIRL does not seem to have the most profound lyrics, Pharrell strongly focuses on the musical development within each song in order to portray every corner of classic pop music. As he follows the central theme of a “girl,” each song flows with the change in approach to the ultimate concept of her. The variety heard within the music makes the album a diverse work of art that fully embodies the growth of Pharrell as both a producer and musician. As it blends older themes with newer twists, GIRL is truly an original work that brings hope to understanding that genuine creativity still exists. allysa GALLONI

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