Flesh & Bone Vol. 22

FLESH & BONE

in the pursuit of artistic passion

vol 22

LORNA SINCLAIR - JUNE DIVIDED - SAMANTHA RUSSO - NEW BEAT FUND

hover & click names for portfolios

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FLESH & BONE M A G A Z I N E

V O L . 2 2

F l e sh & B o n e M agazin e is a bi-m on th ly c re ativ e ar ts p u b l i c a t i o n p ro d u c e d by ar tists wh o are c on stan tly i n sp i re d b y o t h e r ar tists. O u r goal is to sh are an d i n t ro d u c e o t h e r p e ople wh o are in te re ste d in ar t or i n t h e p u rs u i t o f ar t to oth e r c re ativ e in div idu als.

E a c h i ssu e h i g h l igh ts ar tists of an y ar tistic m e diu m , wh o t h e y a re , wh at th e y do, an d th e ir v ie w poin ts on t h e c o n si s te n t l y growin g ar tistic m ov e m e n t.

T H E T E AM FOUNDER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Brandynn L. Pope

COPY EDITOR

Donald Kimber

DESIGN & LAYOUT

Brandynn L. Pope

COVER PHOTO

Brandynn L. Pope

WRITING TEAM

Ashley Atlus Donald Kimber Brandynn L. Pope James Liam Ward

PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM

Ashley Atlus Brandynn L. Pope Brittney Tambeau

November & December LETTER FROM THE EDITOR For any of the Canadian readers, specifically in the mid-west, they know how fickle autumn can be and how this year we hardly experienced one with the exception of the fallen leaves.

But regardless of the cold weather there still has been a great amount of activity. This issue we were able to get out and cover a bunch of shows before tours are “frozen” here in the winter. I was almost worried we were covering too many shows as a team and that we wouldn’t be able to really focus on the individual artists themselves (something that is really important to me). It’s because of this that we started being a little more active with out online presence. If you are unfamiliar with our website we will occasionally post album reviews as well as show reviews there that may not have been seen inside of one of our volumes. Since we are bi-monthly there are a few more shows and releases that need to be shared immediately rather than holding onto for however long.

Over all, I feel like this might be one of our most colourful volumes yet! A lot of the artists we are sharing have vibrant, joyful work that we do not always see in other issues where there are, at times, more solemn visuals. It is also amusing when you compare the featured artists with our revival artist who has a lot of dark undertones. As always we will be paying respects to artists of all mediums and after this volume especially I am excited to see what will come out of the new year.

BRANDYNN

BRANDYNN L. POPE FOUNDER / EDITOR

Consistently inspired by every one and every visual that passes by, Brandynn decided to create a magazine that shows off the little bits of beautiful inside of an often chaotic world. She has her Bachelors in Design & Photography and uses it to consistently push for more photographic work, often working with musicians and occupying every waking moment she can spare. Besides horror movies, Pokémon and wood burning, her job is her greatest interest, allowing it to finance her addiction for tea and coffee.

DONALD KIMBER

COPY EDITOR / WRITER

Finding his greatest passion in poetry, Donald is working towards his Masters in Literature. He is a beautiful and critical writer with experiences in the most desolate of locations as well as the busier of cities. When Donald isn’t writing or working towards his Masters he is busy playing video games or hanging out with his cats, enjoying the simple experiences of life.

JAMES LIAM WARD WRITER

James describes himself as a twenty-one year old nerd who obsesses over things such as Pokémon, and 1980s era horror movies. His primary obsession, though, is music. Listening to music, creating music, he loves it all, but ever since joining Flesh & Bone Magazine he has also found a new love for critiquing it. He respects all artists and genres, regardless of if his thoughts are critical and often not always the most “respectful” and tries to approach every project with an open mind. Typically, he will find himself gravitating towards the unique, the macabre, and the “totally whacked out” – while also still bumping the Beibs when no one else is around.

ASHLEY ATLUS PHOTOGRAPHER

Ashley is a storyteller who uses photography, video, text and code in order to bring her story to life. She has a deep passion for photography, specifically in live music where she waits for that perfect decisive moment in order to capture the mood of the event. It was at the Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University where she received her Masters Degree in journalism and now finds herself photographing and writing for Flesh & Bone Magazine.

BRITTNEY TAMBEAU PHOTOGRAPHER

Fun loving and food loving, Brittney is an experienced photographer and graphic designer from the East Coast. She has found a way to mend together her love for music and adventure with her talents in photography. Now she is a part of the Flesh & Bone team documenting the moments of other artists and sharing the true experience of an event through her photographs.

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CONTENTS 10

Top 10 Albums of 2016

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Revisited: Natalia Drepina

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Albums In Review

James Liam Ward

James Liam Ward

GA L L E R I E S & R E VI E WS 16

Good Charlotte

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Sum 41

Gallery | Brittney Tambeau Review & Photographs | Brandynn L. Pope

22 Needtobreathe

Review & Photographs | Ashley Atlus

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The 1975

Review & Photographs | Brandynn L. Pope

26 Torres

Review & Photographs | Ashley Atlus

A R T I C LE S 28

Samantha Russo

34

Alex Di Leo

36

Lorna Rose Sinclair

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June Divided

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Wild Whimsy Woolies

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New Beat Fund

Interview | Brandynn L. Pope Interview | Brandynn L. Pope Interview | Brandynn L. Pope Interview | Brandynn L. Pope Interview | Brandynn L. Pope

Interview & Photography | Brandynn L. Pope

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2016 WRITTEN BY JAMES LIAM WARD

This is an incredibly biased list of 2016 albums that I personally thought were the most engaging, enjoyable and well put-together from the first track to the last. These ten albums were difficult to put in order, especially towards the end - If I could make it a 5-way tie, I absolutely would! Before we get into the top ten, I’d like to shoutout Injury Reserve, and Ab Soul who are all dropping (hopefully) great albums in the coming weeks, but as a result will not be making it onto this list. I believe that these records, like the artists who created them, are imperfect - but there is still plenty to love about all ten.

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BON IVER 22, A MILLION

Five years after the release of his self-titled LP, Bon Iver has delivered a brand new record with a brand new sound. 22, A Million sounds like Justin Vernon was abducted by aliens, and they showed him what his albums would sound like twenty years from now – laced with synthetic vocal harmonies, obscure sampling and glitchy electronics. 22, A Million is a production marvel; my initial listens were so enjoyable because I just kept peeling back layers of Justin’s incredibly dense and textured instrumentals. The ten tracks on this album are almost like chapters in a book; they are decent on their own, but you really need to hear them in context to truly enjoy them, especially since this album flows so cohesively.

Essentials: 715 – CRΣΣKS, 29 #Strafford APTS, 8 (circle)

XIU XIU

Plays The Music of Twin Peaks

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Prior to this album’s release I had only heard a few songs from the Twin Peaks soundtrack and had never heard of Xiu Xiu, so I was really surprised by how much I loved this thing. Xiu Xiu delivers so many highlights on this record; I love the bassline that ascends and descends throughout “Audrey’s Dance”, and “Blue Frank / Pink Room” contains one of the wildest guitar performances I have ever heard. This album is mostly instrumental, but when the vocals occasionally pop in they are incredibly ghoulish and animated. There are moments on here such as “Laura Palmer’s Theme” or “Falling” that are truly beautiful, but the noisy guitars, creepy vocals and sinister grooves keep the album’s tone very grim. This is a record you can really get lost in, but I sometimes find the final track to be so unsettling and stomach churning that I often cant listen to it.

Essentials: Laura Palmer’s Theme, Audrey’s Dance, Falling

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A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service

I don’t think anyone expected a new Tribe album this year, I also don’t think anyone expected it to be amazing, but here we are.

After almost twenty years out of the game these hip-hop legends drop an album that perfectly combines modern, textured production with what made their smooth, jazzy sound so lovable in the first place. The result is one of the best hip-hop albums of the year - with fantastic flows, great bars and a conscious message. I won’t go into too much detail since there is already a very positive in-depth review of We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service elsewhere in this issue. Rest In Peace Phife.

Essentials: We The People, Dis Generation, Kids, The Killing Season, Conrad Tokyo

ANDERSON .PAAK Malibu

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2016 has been the year of Anderson .Paak. On top of dropping two great LPs, the singer and multi-instrumentalist made appearances on almost every important hip-hop release this year. I have never seen an artist work so hard to be a part of so many successful projects as .Paak did in 2016! His latest solo album Malibu dropped in January, and it is still the most enjoyable hour of music I’ve heard all year. Anderson .Paak’s performances throughout Malibu are soulful, charismatic, and blatantly sexual at times. The instrumentals are jazzy, funky, and rarely redundant, making Malibu pleasantly varied throughout its runtime. I remember the first time I heard the bassline on “Come Down” and thinking “This is the greatest bassline of 2016” – 11 months later I still firmly stand by that statement.

Essentials: The Bird, Am I Wrong, Come Down, Silicon Valley

DANNY BROWN Atrocity Exhibition

There are a lot of crazy records on this list, but this one is bat shit insane; Atrocity Exhibition is a twisted, dark glimpse into the depressed and drug-addled mind of Detroit rapper Danny Brown. On his third LP, Danny explores some familiar lyrical topics over incredibly bizarre and layered production. What makes this album so special is that no other rapper on Earth could go in on these beats other than Danny. The man drops bars upon bars onto tracks like “Ain’t It Funny” and “When It Rain”, some of the most insane beats I’ve ever heard, and his flow is as smooth as can be. In my opinion, this is the album that has solidified Danny Brown as one of the most unique and creative MCs in the game – no one else can do these dank beats justice!

Essentials: Really Doe, Lost, Ain’t It Funny, Pneumonia, When It Rain

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BADBADNOTGOOD IV

Canadian jazz quartet BADBADNOTGOOD took a step away from the fiery, improvisational feel of their previous albums, and focused on writing truly great songs on their new record. The best thing about IV is that every song has a distinct sound and personality - from Kaytranada’s gurgly synths on “Lavender” to the bizarre, droning saxophone on “Chompy’s Paradise”. The band also implements their few vocal features flawlessly – Charlotte Day Wilson sounds stunning on her track and Mick Jenkins drops solid verses and a great hook on “Hyssop of Love”. Adding a permanent sax player to the band didn’t stop BADBADNOTGOOD from working with frequent collaborator Colin Stetson, and the chemistry between Colin and the band is absolutely explosive on “Confessions Pt. II”. Literally every song on IV is a highlight for me, and I hope the band continues to write great songs while simultaneously working in those fiery improvisational moments that were so great about their older records.

Essentials: Speaking Gently, Confessions Pt. II, In Your Eyes

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NAILS

You Will Never Be One of Us

Metal record of the year; You Will Never Be One of Us is one of the most ball crushingly heavy records of 2016, but also one of the catchiest. I’ve always been fascinated by Nails’ ability to cram so many memorable ideas into such a short run time. This is exemplified in the single “Savage Intolerance”, which boasts the pinnacle of pause steeze followed by one of the gnarliest riffs I’ve heard all year. Although the band is a bit derivative of their own sound on this record, the finale “They Come Crawling Back” is proof that Nails can elegantly handle the long game.

Nails completely punish the listener for eight glorious minutes, with the band’s doom influence coming through in a big way. Halfway through the track the guitars settle with a riff that focuses on these descending natural harmonics, which is repeated to the point where it almost feels psychedelic. Nails prove that they are not just a band that can crank out a minute long filth-fest; the songwriting on this track is tasteful, multifaceted, and incredibly engaging throughout. I hope to see Nails exploring this more ambitious style of songwriting on their next record, and if we have to wait another three years then it better be worth the wait that You Will Never Be One of Us was.

Essentials: Savage Intolerance, Into Quietus, They Come Crawling Back

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FRANK OCEAN Blonde

Blonde is a special album for me on this list because it was one of the few records I was extremely anticipating this year that truly delivered.

I loved Blonde when I reviewed it, and the album continued to grow on me the more I listened to it. Frank came through with some of the best songs of his career, as well as some of the best songs of this year; the multi-faceted “Nights” is my contender for best track of 2016, and Andre 3000’s performance on “Solo (Reprise)” is by far my favorite hip-hop verse of 2016. The only reason Blonde wasn’t my number one album of the year, was because of its meandering ending, and the spoken-word interludes both of which I think the album would be better without.

Essentials: Ivy, Solo, Self Control, Solo (Reprise), Nights, White Ferrari

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CLIPPING. Splendor & Misery

I had listened to all of clipping.’s material prior to this record and had never really been blown away by the experimental hip-hop trio until their sophomore album Splendor & Misery. This record is a mesmerizing concept album about space, slavery, afrocentrism, religion and probably a number of other themes that I haven’t even picked up on yet. Splendor & Misery was divisive among fans for its incredibly atmospheric approach, focusing more on an album experience than banger singles. I have never pulled out an individual song from Splendor & Misery because the album was intended to be, and deserves to be listened to as a full piece. I admire this record for its risk taking; the spacious instrumentals, the cryptic interludes, and the uniquely beautiful acapella tracks are all very left field, and I think the band pulls it off fantastically! Splendor & Misery is my hip-hop album of the year because it really is a front to back experience, and an incredibly unique and creative one at that.

Essentials: Listen to the Whole Thing, You Goon

SURVIVE RR7349

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Synthwave’s close ties to the 80’s era of horror films has resulted in my incredibly biased soft spot for the genre, but I never found any albums truly honoring the art form until now. I had unknowingly heard S U R V I V E’s work from some recent films, but they really popped onto my radar after two of the band’s members, Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, created the soundtrack for Netflix’s Stranger Things earlier this year. My absolute love for the show and its music led me to S U R V I V E, who was promptly dropping an album after their sudden launch into the spotlight. RR7349 is a refreshing, yet familiar take on synthwave that simultaneously honors and perfects everything I enjoy about the genre. What I love most about all of the songs on this record is the grooves; how every synthesizer, every note, every layer of sound works to complement these grooves. The song “Dirt” makes me feel like I’m in an epic sci-fi movie with these staccato synth notes that sound like space lasers over its driving beat. The lead single “Wardenclyffe”, as well as most other tracks on this record, like the atmospheric “Low Fog” would fit quite snugly into the soundtrack of a horror film. I’m not an EDM head or anything, but the drops on “Sorcerer” and “Cutthroat” are totally insane! RR7349 is almost completely instrumental, but the compositions are layered so elegantly that it never feels like vocals are needed to make the tracks more interesting. This album is a tight nine tracks, and I really enjoy every one – there isn’t a song on here that I think doesn’t fit, or doesn’t add to the overall experience. RR7349 is epic, atmospheric, spooky and a little cheesy… but I think that is exactly what the band was going for. S U R V I V E put their own masterful spin on this genre without taking away the aspects that make it so enjoyable and fun in the first place.

Essentials: Dirt, Wardenclyffe, Sorcerer, Copter, Cutthroat

Nata lia Drepi n a REVISITED

Russian photographer, Natalia Drepina graced our second release of Flesh & Bone in July of 2014. Since then she has continued working with her photography as well as collaborated with other artists. We were able to catch up with her in order to get the details on her work over the last two years.

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What were your main artistic priorities over the last two years? Do you feel you have become better with time management?

Creativity is always so harmoniously fit into my life, it has become an integral part of it. I devoted a lot of time creating self-portraits and lately I’ve been doing a lot of pictures of nature.

What are some of the different projects and accomplishments that you have completed that you did not think you would come across?

I started a new project which is close to photography, but nevertheless it’s a little different. I try myself in the artistic scanography. To create these images, I use Epson scanner. This project combines some of my favorite objects - hands, insects, plants, and at the same time there is a conceptual undertone.

I also had an amazing collaboration with jewelry designer Daria Endressen [Thrjar Jewelry] and with costume designer Agnieszka Osipa.

How has your style developed over the last two years? Do you feel like your work has the same dark-undertones as your earlier work had?

Undoubtedly dark matte shades are still present in my work. I think it is inextricably linked with my style.

Do you feel that your themes still revolve around loneliness, contradictory, selfknowledge and the subconscious? What is a realization that you have come to while exploring these themes?

These themes continue to inspire me. For the last year I’ve done a lot of self-portraits. I think that it is impossible to fully explore yourself, nevertheless self-knowledge and self-realization is very fascinating process.

Is there anything that you are now critical of looking back at some of yourolder work?

I always look critically at my work. I think that there is always something to strive for. But I believe that every stage of my work was important, even if my old photographs are not perfect.

GOOD CHARLOTTE B R I T T N E Y TA M B E A U

T H E S T O RY S O FA R B R I T T N E Y TA M B E A U

S um 4 1

DON’T CALL IT A SUM-BACK TOUR

“Of all the bands to come back in the last couple of years Sum 41 probably did it the best,” I over heard someone say In the line-up to MacEwan Hall on October 26th. The band had been on a, sort of, hiatus for years allowing themselves to indulge in their personal lives for a while before touring again. Ironically, the name of the tour happened to be “Don’t Call It A Sum-Back Tour”, a play on the over heard words.

out all the bands as well as to see how Sum 41 would live up to their youth. That being said the beer gardens were certainly more packed than the all-ages area.

Starting off with a classic, Sum 41 kicked into “The Hell Song”, inviting several of their fans to come up and join them on the stage. Kids came up and stood towards the back of the side stage taking in everything before them, being able to see everything from the musicians point of view. Energetic as ever all of the band jumped onto Whether or not you call it a come-back or a sum-back tour the band smartly chose to have both a newer band monitors and engaged with the fans. Vocalist, Deryck Whibley was especially energetic taking any moment to the scene as well as an older one. This included he could to hold off on his guitar, grab his mic, and run United Kingdom’s As It Is as well as Senses Fail. The crowd was diverse in bringing people of all ages to check around the stage facing the crowd.

As to be expected, Sum 41 used up a predominant length of time, digging into all of their records as well as playing new songs off of their most recent release, 13 Voices. By the end of show they have played up to twenty two tracks, including a cover of “We Will Rock You” by Queen. Most surprisingly, they pulled out the song “Pieces” as the first to their encore. While the crowd had happily sang along to all of the songs previously, there was a specific passion and resignation for the emo-ballad. Finishing off the night Sum 41 signed off with the ever so popular and hearty “Fat Lip.” This left behind a full-filled group of fans who had witnessed all of their favourite, classic, tracks from the band while also being able to hear what the band was up to next. Surging through the halls the crowd clamoured as to when the band would be returning to the city again so that they would be able to go out for a round two. Now it’s just time to wait.

To ur d e C o m pad res N E E D Y O U T O B R E AT H E

Needtobreathe Review, they gave me the pass The second round of rock ’n’ roll Tour de Compadres graced the stage of Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on October 30. Last year, the amigos on Needtobreathe’s tour included Ben Rector, Switchfoot, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors and Colony House. The tour seemed even bigger this year with suspects Parachute, Matt Kearney, John Mark McMillian and Welshly Arms supporting the band and their sixth studio album H A R D L O V E from Atlantic Records. Needtobreathe used their southern charm infused with elements of gospel to bring a lil’ bit of church, soul and rock to the Windy City.

“I don’t need singin’ I need screamin’” lead singer Bear Rinehart said. Rinehart made the crowd feel as if they were home with him in South Carolina with his raspy voice and humorous anecdotes. Shedding positivity and encouraging, Needtobreathe just wants its fans to have a night to sing, smile and dance a little bit harder. “You’re already sweaty, you might as well get nasty,” Rinehart said just before breaking out into fan favorite “Drive All Night,” intertwined with the chanting of, “ I got soul, but

I’m not a solider,” from “All These Things I’ve Done,” by The Killers. While Needtobreathe might have had their first taste of an arena tour opening for Taylor Swift on the Speak Now Tour, it’s obvious to tell that Needtobreathe is outgrowing 5,000 capacity clubs and is ready to start packing their own headlining arena tour. The huge screen about 20 feet tall projecting original tour videos, life on the road, music videos and shots from all members of the band, added an enticing visual element for fans to have a visible element of the stage no matter where they were in the room. With all the heart and soul the band poured into this tour, we can’t wait to see what friends Needtobreathe brings on the Tour de Compadres next year.

T h e 1975 The last time the 1975 hit the stage in Calgary, Alberta was April of 2013. The group had sold out one of main 18+ venues in a matter of a week. Now returning to Calgary in 2016 the band was able to have similar results at an even large events center.

This time they were open as an all ages event. Die-hard fans were camped outside of the venue by quarter to seven in the morning, excitedly awaiting the doors to open. The line grew into a zig-zag, trying to keep the fans out of the way of the cars in the parking lot. Once the doors opened at 7PM everyone rushed the door, inducing thirty minute of chaos before everyone filtered through into the building.

Once inside the crowd settled into their places surrounding the stage or in line for merchandise. Through the opening act, __, people swayed and sang along to covers or danced in place to the few original tracks. More than anything you could sense that everyone just wanted to have an enjoyable time. By the time 8:45 hit everyone was anxious to see the put up of the famous light show that the 1975 has with them. At exactly 9 the band

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hit the stage opening up with “the 1975” and then their first single, “Love Me”, off of their most recent release of I Like it When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It. Each artist found great focus on their instrumental duties, taking no note of the fantastic light show that illuminated behind them. Vocalist, Matt Healy, would rock back and forth on his heals, playing with his sweater before bringing himself closer to the crowd.

Being the only full band performing the band was able to build a setlist that totalled to twenty three songs. Even then people spoke on how there were still so many other tracks that they wish they had been able to hear live. Many were soothed by the fact that the band was playing not only hits but deep tracks off of both their albums as well as the instrumentals. With the diverse dynamic the band was able to take their crowd from energetic excitement, to swoons from their ballads and then back into the tracks that erupted the entire room into sing along.

As the show closed down murmurs from different fans announced how they were going to follow the show up to Edmonton the next day. Once just was not enough.

There is no doubt that if the 1975 were ever to return to the city they would get the same grateful approval from a sold out venue.

TORRESS A S H L E Y AT L U S

Tegan and Sara’s Love U To Death Tour was designed with the intent to make the audience feel. While the duo made the audience cry, laugh and dance for over 20 songs, it all started with one woman, Mackenzie Scott, or better known by her musical pseudonym TORRES. Her mature sound and raw passion set the standard in the doubledecker Riviera Theatre in Chicago on October 21. Without directly addressing the crowd, TORRES cast a slow yet intensive building energy over the room. While she remained, collected yet enticing during her performance, the climax hit during the last song when she knelt to the floor pounding her guitar. Her quiet charisma draws gazes of wonder and thoughtfulness. TORRES performs a set that allows an audience unfamiliar with this new and upcoming artist to truly get to know her atmospheric and celestial style​.

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S amantha Russ o W E B S I T E - I N S TA G R A M My name is Samantha Russo and I am a mixed media artist.

As an artist I love to venture into bold explorations of color and pattern. My path to becoming an artist is an unusual one in that I discovered this passion later in life. I picked up my first paintbrush when I was almost 40 after having worked for years as a school teacher and stay-at- home mother. While I originally began to create as a personal means of therapy and healing, in 2015 I began to take my art to social media where I discovered an amazing community of art lovers and makers. The response has been overwhelming and has encouraged me to continue Do you have any formal background in art, illustration, or colour theory?

Do you have any formal background in art, illustration, or colour theory?

For what reason and when do you use these certain materials?

I don’t have any formal background in art. I’m mostly self-taught and learning still. In my own art education, I’ve found that there are a lot of amazing resources online for artists who want to build on their craft or even start from scratch like myself. I gain a lot of inspiration and guidance from online courses led by artists such as Lisa Congdon, Flora Bowley and Pamela Garrison. It’s so wonderful that we live at a time when there are many different paths to becoming an artist especially for people like myself who came to this calling later in life.

When I am playing in my sketchbook, I love to work with more budget friendly materials which include everything from craft acrylics to white out pens and sometimes even crayons. Nothing is off limits. Since these materials are inexpensive and so readily available, I feel that I can be fearless with them. Sometimes, the more expensive professional-grade materials hold me back and keep me from letting loose creatively. That said, when I am ready to transfer my sketchbook ideas to larger pieces, I turn to the higher grade materials for works that I plan to exhibit or sell.

How did you come to find your comfort in this style?

When you approach one of your designs in your book do you find that you have This is still a work in progress from me. I started out as an the idea set up in your mind before hand illustrator and then slowly and organically became inspired or that you simply just start working on a to experiment with raw color and pattern. From the pattern without previous thought? beginning, pattern and color have been a mainstay of my style and I continue to love to play with these elements.

You seem to range in using a wide variety of materials. What are some of your favourite ones to use?

Currently, my favourite materials are acrylics, paint pens and pastels. I am always drawn to rich, bold and vibrant colors and I find that I can achieve that effect best with these materials.

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Most of the time, I approach my designs with a particular color palette in mind. I then use an intuitive process of just setting the color down and seeing where the piece wants to go. I do my best to let the work itself guide me.

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Your online presence shows a lot of intimate book work but do you also like to work on a larger format or do you prefer the intimacy?

Right now, I am having a love affair with these intimate pieces. I would, however, love to take these pieces to the next step and go large! I have some wood panels that my husband built for me that are just begging to be transformed into larger pieces of art that could take up an entire wall.

Where do you pull some of your inspiration When people are taking a look through for the vivid colours and patterns? your work is there anything that you hope that they get out of it?

I pull my inspiration from everywhere. Part of what I love about creating art is that it makes me hyperaware of what’s around me at all times. I keep my eyes open for inspiration in everything whether it be from my travels to my everyday surroundings, such as a children’s playground or an incredible sunrise. I also love finding inspiration from interior design magazines and books. One of my favorites of the moment is The New Bohemians by Justina Blakeney. Her bright and eclectic style appeals to my own experiences of having lived all over the world. I often think of how I can capture the spirit of those interiors into my own work.

I hope more than anything that when people look through my work that they experience the same joy and delight that I experienced in making the piece. My work is about positivity and I aim to infuse my work with the same childlike curiosity that my own children embody. I want that sentiment to reach the heart of the viewer.

Where would you like to see some of the designs being used?

A lot of people have encouraged me to take my work and translate it into surface pattern or textile design. My love for pattern seems to naturally translate into that. I think that this is something I might explore in the future, but for now I would love to see these designs simply being used in people’s everyday living spaces. I believe that our surroundings play a huge role in affecting our inner state and I would love to be able to uplift others by having my pieces in other people’s homes.

Alex Di Leo

FA C E B O O K - I N S TA G R A M - S O U N D C L O U D I’m an alternative indie/pop singer/songwriter from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. My previous rock band Wyld Fly parted ways in 2014.

Spending the next two years writing and recording, I gathered most of my inspiration from traveling and relationships, using my songs as an uplifting way to share new experiences and journeys.

Previously you had been involved with Wyld Fly. After the group parted ways what made you want to continue your passion with music? What goals did you have in that group that are the same from the ones you have in your solo-based career and which are different?

I’ve always had a passion for music. I was saddened by the end of the band but I wasn’t going to let it stop the momentum and inspiration I had at the time. I saw it as a way for me to finally achieve the sound I was going for.

When I was in my previous band “Wyld Fly” our sound was more hard rock / alternative and that’s one of the reasons the band ended. The creative differences amongst each other were too great to continue as a whole.

Being able to inspire or make people feel something when they listen to my music has always been a goal and will continue to be. I think that’s the most important aspect of music..the feeling. I soon hope to be a part of some of the great festivals around the country and eventually around the world. People singing along to my songs in arenas has always been a reoccurring dream in my had.

You’ve made clear statements that you place a lot of importance on taking risks during the fragile longevity in life. What where some of the things that made you think about this theme over the last couple of years? What do you think are some of the most important stops in your journey thus far? Do you feel like you know your true destination or is it something that you feel is a little more unpredictable?

Starting and ending my previous band was a huge part of my career that helped me get to where I am.

Spending those next two years writing and working on four different recording productions to find the sound I was hearing in my head. I don’t regret anything I’ve done for my music because I’ve learned so much from everything I’ve worked on or been a part of and it’s led me to where I am now.

How did you come to the decision of using a full band for your music instead of using back tracks for everything? Do you still have full control over the process or do you find yourself making a few compromises here or there?

Life is very unpredictable and will always be that way. That’s what keeps it interesting and helps spark ideas and gives inspiration within us. I’ll always go after my dream and where I wanna be, but how I get there depends on the decisions I make and the chances I take.

I prefer to play my music with a full band because it allows for a greater show on stage and makes it a little more real and in the moment.

Are there any specific themes that you find yourself constantly thinking of during your journey with music?

As a solo artist, being without a band that has equal say definitely has a great benefit. I get to go more with what my gut, mind, and heart are feeling. However, when it comes writing, playing, or recording, I’m very open minded and truly enjoy working with the guys in the band or my producer and getting all their input.

I try to view every mistake or negative occurrence as a way to improve and learn more about myself and life as a whole.

Keeping a positive outlook as much as I can is always something I remind myself of. Take chances and believe in yourself.

Life is too short and this year was quickest year of my life.

Would you say that you have a lot of influence from where you come from in Fort Lauderdale? If so, what sort of influence has the city put on you?

Although the variety of music is growing down here, I think the music scene in south Florida is heavily influenced by the Hip-Hop, EDM, and Latin sounds.

I do think that 104.3 the Shark, a local radio station, has helped influence the crowd and open their eyes to other artists and music. It’s also helped bring some great alternative indie bands through the city.. which I believe little by little will help the cultivate the scene.

With 2016 being a large jump off year for you, what do you hope to get started on or achieve in the upcoming year?

As the last weeks in the year are closing in I’m reflecting on what an inspiring and encouraging year it’s been. I truly couldn’t have asked for a better first year of my solo career. I just finished recording a few more songs and plan to be releasing a couple more singles as the year opens up and eventually another EP. The idea of a college tour has also been tossed around as well. Just a month away from finding out what 2017 has in store and I can’t wait.

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L orna Sin c l a i r I N S TA G R A M - FA C E B O O K

I am a Scottish artist who is fundamentally driven by creating work that is personally expressive, and shows the physical, creative process behind it. It is very important in my practice to hold on to my sense of childhood playfulness and boldness in creating, for I usually aim to make work that is full of spontaneity and life. Landscapes relating to my Irish and Scottish heritage, as well as my fascination with the human body are key, re-occurring themes in my work.

Experimenting with new materials, and the desire to challenge the traditional forms of painting is a key element of my practice. In recent years my work has naturally taken on a more abstract, energetic form, with the simple intention of uplifting and evoking emotions within the viewers of my work.

Do you have any formal education when it comes to your art? For what reason did you decided to take this venture? At what point did you decide to take art as a serious career choice?

In the year 2013 I decided to embark on art school, and thus attended the General Foundation art course at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee. Following this I decided to join the Fine Art course at the same College, and I am currently in my final year. Since art has always been my greatest passion, I couldn’t possibly see myself doing a degree in any other subject. My decision to go to art school was ultimately due to my desire to develop holistically as an artist. The prospect of being part of a place where I could develop and learn new skills, whilst being surrounded, driven and inspired by a huge variety of creative minds was an opportunity I deemed unmissable. It is not long until I graduate now, and I am definitely passionate about making a career for myself as an artist after art school.

You are a mixed media artist but is there one particular media that you prefer to use or multiples that you like to have together in a piece?

One of my favourite mediums to use is watercolour, due to the transparency it allows, meaning pencil marks or drawings can be visible underneath. Although, a lot of my work consists of a mixture of painting- be it oil, watercolour, acrylic or all of them - combined with drawings using either graphite pencil or pen. I love incorporating rough, spontaneous drawings into my paintings as I think it helps to create a certain energy within them.

Compared to when you first started working in your style, how do you feel things have come along? What sorts of ideas and processes have you gone through? Is there anything that you have tried that you found you weren’t as interested in as you thought you might be?

My style has developed naturally over the years, and I think it has gradually become much bolder, brighter and looser recently. Confidence, I believe, is vital to the development of my style. Throughout my time at art school I have become increasingly more determined to experiment with new materials, colours and techniques, as I have begun to realise that self-consciousness as an artist is completely restricting and should be avoided at all costs!

Using photoshop to layer, arrange and alter my paintings and drawings to create something completely different in the form of prints has been a big interest of mine. However, after trying to create new images of my work through this process, I did not find it as rewarding as I had expected, as I felt my work lost its sense of energy. Although, I am still hoping to master photoshop one day due to us living in a ‘digital age’!

Do you find you are more attracted to abstracting thing or having a form that you personally find distinctive? What sorts of things inspire you to create the figures that you do? Do you find that you are more of a planner when it comes to your work or that you create based off of instinct?

I have a tendency to create abstract representations of things I have seen or dreamed about, which happens naturally. For me, I am attracted to the idea of making artwork which gives the opportunity for the viewer to interpret whatever they like from my images, thus I think having abstract forms helps me to achieve this. One of my favourite things to do is to people watch, sketch and capture moments from real-life scenarios, especially when I’m travelling! Usually I will do this hurriedly, which tends to create loose, energetic drawings vaguely representing the human body. These rough, spontaneous works are essential to my whole practice, and usually inform my larger paintings. I always carry a sketchbook with me everywhere, so if I see an intriguing or unusual array of colours, lines, or movement I will try to quickly capture this – be it a person, an object or a landscape.

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Usually when I am making a painting or a series of prints, I begin with the intention of replicating a loose sketch I have previously made. However, as soon as I start to apply colours and lines I always seem to forget about my original image and base the whole process on instinct, hence I am definitely not much of a planner.

Are there specific themes that you try to illustrate with your paintings? What topic do you find yourself most drawn to at this moment in time?

Fundamentally, my work is based around the physical process of making, and showing this to the viewer. Although, themes that I have previously explored within my work, and wish to develop further, are related to the human body and issues relating to the sexualisation of women in the media. Currently, my artwork is connected to the idea of origins, focusing on the concept of home in relation to different associated landscapes, particularly in Ireland and Scotland due to my family ties.

Is there anything that you are always hoping that people will be able to find in your work?

Ultimately, I want to evoke an emotional reaction to my work, particularly if that response is related to a personal experience that the viewer has had or makes a connection to their individual fabric of life.

June D i vi de d FA C E B O O K - W E B S I T E - I N S TA G R A M

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What came to inspire the name Body Wars as the title of your EP? When Body Wars was written, I knew it would be the title track right away. It summed up a lot of what I was going through at the time, and it represents a large part of the subject matter on the EP. Body Wars is about internal conflict. I felt that “body wars” was a good phrase for when your head and heart don’t agree.

Is there a specific theme that you decided to pursue with the Body Wars EP? In general with music, do you find that there are specific ideas you like to consistently follow?

There’s always a strain of sadness in songs I write, even in songs that sound more positive. I’m certainly not a pessimist, and I don’t always write about super tragic stuff, but those moments in life of uncertainty, nostalgia, confusion, tension and heartache are what motivates me to write the most. I wouldn’t say we purposely follow any specific ideas in music –but every musician and band has their own habits or style for sure.

Approximately how long did it take to complete this EP? How would you describe the style of the music?

This EP was completed in a little over a year, but we’ve been writing our way to the creation of the EP for about 4 years now. We wrote a ton of songs with a ton of different sounds to them before we settled on what was to become Body Wars. The style of music is a little poppier than what our old material was like. There’s elements of indie pop, indie rock, rock, electronic.

Philadelphia has been known for having a strong music community. How has the city had an affect on your music? Do you feel as if the local scene has helped push you in the right direction?

Philly’s local scene is wonderful. It’s a big enough city to feel like things are happening, but not too big so you never feel over-saturated or drowned-out. There are so many unique artists here, and people really care about art in this city. The fans are dedicated, and the bands are supportive of one another. We definitely found our niche here in Philly.

How do you find playing intimate shows differs from playing bigger festivals such as Warped Tour or SXSW? Is there one that you prefer over the other?

Big shows and tours are cool, but an intimate crowd is always my favorite. You can see reactions and feel the love with an intimate crowd. While playing to a huge audience is an incredible experience, the bigger the crowd, the lonelier I feel up there sometimes.

What are some things you want people to take away from your music as well as your performance?

I’d hope people relate to the songs. I think artists create in the name of self-expression and also, in hopes that someone else out there gets what you’re going through on some level. Performance-wise, I hope people have fun, see something unique, and hear something they can connect to.

Once the EP is distributed for everyone to hear, what will you as a band do next? Are you planning on touring off of the EP? Body Wars will be out Dec. 2nd and after that, June Divided will be booking more shows for next year- we’d love to tour off the EP, and that’s definitely the goal.

Linda Li-Ch e e - M in g (AKA) WILD WHIMSY WOOLIES S T O R E - FA C E B O O K - I N S TA G R A M

My name is Linda Li-Chee-Ming and I’m a self-taught needle f e l t e r a n d t h e o w n e r, d e s i g n e r a n d m a k e r b e h i n d W i l d W h i m s y W o o l i e s . I l i v e i n To r o n t o , C a n a d a a n d h o l d d e g r e e s i n Z o o l o g y a n d B i o d i v e r s i t y & C o n s e r v a t i o n . Ta k i n g i n s p i r a t i o n from nature and wildlife, I love to create cute whimsical a n i m a l s t h a t I h o p e p u t a s m i l e o n p e o p l e ’s f a c e s .

When did you first start playing with the needle and wool? How did you come to decide to start doing it in a profitable way?

After taking the scientific route in my post-secondary studies and working office jobs in the environmental sector, I wanted to find a hobby where I could get back to my creative side and also make heartfelt handmade gifts for friends and my growing number of nieces and nephews. At the end of 2013, I decided to try needle felting because it used all natural materials and just required wool and some tiny barbed needles. I fell in love with the craft as soon as I started.

After continuing to make things for fun and sharing some of my creations on my social media, friends and family started telling me they were good enough to sell and that I should start an Etsy shop. At the end of 2014, when I found myself in between jobs, I decided to take the plunge and launch Wild Whimsy Woolies on Etsy at the beginning of 2015. As things progressed throughout the year, I found myself becoming more and more passionate and invested in the little handmade business I had started and by Christmas time last year I decided to give a shot at doing this full-time.

What are some of the things that you had to learn quickly and what took you a while to learn?

I had to learn how to market myself on social media pretty quickly to gain exposure for my brand. As someone who is pretty shy and likes to stay in the background, promoting myself and my work was definitely going out of my comfort zone. The kind feedback and support from the online community, especially on Instagram, has been wonderful and has helped a lot. As I’m only in year two of my business, I am still learning things everyday and the boring financial side of things is something I’m still working on. I tend to just want to create and not deal with the business side of things, as I imagine is the same for a lot of creative businesses.

What is it about wool as a material that you are attracted to? Is there ever anything that you like to mix in with it while making something? What are the main materials that you end up using and how long does it usually take to put a single subject together?

I was initially attracted to needle felting, because it required so few materials to get started and you could create products that were all natural. I was intrigued that you could create such detailed work just using wool and a barbed needle, and liked that you didn’t need to use water or a machine in the process.

I pretty much only use wool in my creations. The only other materials I use are additions such as magnets, key rings, and brooch pins.

The time it takes to make a project varies depending on the size and level of detail. It can take anywhere from 2-5 hours. Needle felting in a very timeconsuming and labour intensive process and requires a lot of patience.

What is it about crafting together animals that you enjoy over other subjects?

Have you ever been asked to commission a creature that has yet to be recognized or is more abstract?

I’ve just always loved animals and naturally gravitated to making them. I guess the texture of the wool also lends itself well to making animals over other subjects. I do also make little things for my animals to hold, such as food items or flowers and plants.

I haven’t been asked to make anything more abstract yet, but I do get requests for animals with unnatural colourings and sometimes animal pairings that you wouldn’t expect, like a sloth riding a giraffe or turtle. I enjoy reading what people come up with and making their visions come to life.

What are you particularly inspired by to make your creations?

Biodiversity inspires me. There are so many species of animals in the world and I’d love to make all of them if I had the time. I never have a shortage of inspiration.

Where would you like to see your craft an creatures go next?

Over the next year, I’m planning to develop some DIY kits as I get a lot of requests for needle felting tutorials. As for creatures, I’m just going to continue working on new animal designs. I always have a list of animals I want to make, but not enough time to make them all.

N e w Be at Fu n d W E B S I T E - FA C E B O O K - I N S TA G R A M

A conversation with vocalist, Jeff Laliberte: Picture us sitting on a perfectly lit beach with margaritas in our left hand, occasionally taking moments between questions to scoop blue corn tortilla chips into our homemade guacamole.

Meanwhile there is faint music from a distant hut where a dance floor is being electrified. Continue‌

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What forces brought you all together to form New Beat Fund? As a group, what did you all decide was the most important part in your mission?

It might be that Paul’s my brother. Or that I met Shelby working at a BBQ Restaurant. Or that Michael’s nick name is “Silky”. But i’d like to say its the Music. We make Music that makes us feel good.

All of your music is based off of your reactions to what you see around you.

Have you ever noticed patterns in things that capture your attention more than anything else? Do you find that you have broad realm of perspectives on everything? Do you find that you like to explore some political undertones within your feel-good music?

It’s safe to say that your environment has affected the music you’ve created but in what ways has California created more inspiration? Do you feel that it will be a perceptual place of influence to you?

I think whether we like it or not, California is bred into us and its here to stay. LA specifically is an entertainment town with the dream of “celebrity” & “Fame” painted all over for everyone to gawk at.

But within that are so many different stories and perspectives that are always inspiring us. We’re also super into the music history here in LA, especially in Laurel & Topenga Canyon. There is some serious energy in those canyons. John Densmore from The Doors was actually our neighbor. There’s just a lifestyle here that is unlike another place & we like it.

We have a pretty broad point of view. People say our music is “feel-good” which we think is true but its all coming from a real place. Everyday human emotions that we all share … and how they relate to the time we’re in. We’ll make some social commentary in our songs but like to keep it a little lighter on the political stuff. Politics seem to divide people & we’re about bringing people together baby, Would we like to try making music in another part leave the garbage at the door. We promote open of the world? Sure. But we’ll most likely bring some mindedness, which in turn would help for better California sunshine with us. politics.

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In your opinion, how important are visual arts when it comes to music? Do you find that when you want a visual to a music video or album cover that you want it to be directly representative of what you’ve created or an art piece on its own? Do you guys do all of the visuals on your own as a band or do you outsource them to other creatives?

Visuals help you paint the picture of what the sounds LOOK like. So its very important to us. We’re always on the lookout, diggin up old youtube videos or scouring through TUMBLR to find stuff that we love & feels like our band. We’ll usually play videos or run images on computers while we’re writing and making music, which helps immerses ourself into the environment of a song. Those visuals can help direct where we wanna take album art or music videos.

Recyclable inspiration. Visual inspires the sounds & the Sounds inspire the visuals.

We do all our visuals and are very hands on when making concepts, graphics, merch, videos, etc.

I was an art school drop out so I do most the graphics of the band. Then we sort of creative direct the look/feel of everything else. We often even do limited edition merch items that we print by hand ourselves.

With your stage set up you use a lot of particular visuals. Is there a specific reason as to why you use these visuals?

A lot of the images are just part of our vocabulary.

Things we do, or see, or joke about. All of them relate to us and our interests. It’s that simple. Our goal was to make the stage to feel like a blacklight poster. Big fans of those.

What do you want people to take away from one of your music or one of your shows?

Most people leave with new friends. Like i said, we’re interested in creating an open-minded environment where we all share in a good time. We provide the tunes and the fans/friends provide the moves. We’re all just hanging out. So come hang out sometime.

With 2017 creeping up, are there any distinct plans for New Beat Fund in the new year?

New music, new music, new music. We’re finishing up some songs right now and can’t wait to share.

Albums In Review the expressed opinions of James Liam Ward

7.3

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

American Football [LP2]

Wichita Recordings 21.10.16

American Football is a rock band that formed in the late 90’s, and the one single album that they released before their breakup just so happens to be one of the most celebrated and influential emo records of all time.

Seventeen years later American Football is back with a second LP, but was this reunion justified?

I certainly thought so when I heard the lead single off of LP2. Titled “I’ve Been So Lost For So Long”, the twinkling guitars and driving beat on this track pair fantastically with the lead singer’s emotive vocal performance. However, the guitars occasionally descend into more dissonant passages that I don’t think fit too well with the song’s overall blissfully sad vibe. The primary difference I have found between LP1 and LP2 is the latter’s noticeable lack of instrumental passages. One thing I loved about American Football’s debut was that they didn’t have vocals over everything; the band’s technical ability and tense compositions were so well performed that singing simply wasn’t necessary. The guitar-work on “My Instincts are the Enemy” is fantastic – the bends and natural harmonics worked into these incredibly melodic passages are so ear grabbing that the vocals, although pleasant, aren’t even needed. On LP2, the technical ability is definitely still present, but I find some of the compositions lacking.

There are a few songs in the middle of the record such as “Born to Lose” or “Give Me the Gun” that aren’t bad by any means, but I’m certainly not dying to return to these tracks either. Unfortunately I just can’t find anything riveting about the instrumentals or vocal performances on these tracks. Returning to the highlights of LP2, “Home is Where the Haunt is” has a great instrumental with its plucked acoustic guitars and gorgeous lead melodies that are consistently stuck in my head. I also found the lyrics on “I Need a Drink (or Two or Three)” to be particularly moving, with the singer describing how he needs a drink (or multiple) to even tolerate being by himself – sometimes I forget that American Football is in fact, an emo band.

For me, the absolute highlight of this album has to be the end. “Everybody is all Dressed Up” is by far the best song on this LP solely because they finally brought back

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the trumpet. The band’s debut had multiple, fantastic passages with the trumpet taking the spotlight, and it was so wonderful to hear it return in such a tasteful and beautiful way. Overall, I’m content with American Football’s return - Comeback albums are no easy task and despite the fact that some of these musicians haven’t put together an album in well over a decade, LP2 is a solid sequel to the band’s debut.

BEST TRACK: “Everybody Is All Dressed Up” WORST TRACK: “Born To Lose”

7.4

BRUNO MARS

24K Magic

Atlantic Records 18.11.16

24K Magic is the third and latest album from pop sensation Bruno Mars. I was not initially intending to review 24K Magic, but after hearing the fantastic lead single and learning this record would be a tight nine tracks, curiosity got the better of me.

I’ve always admired Bruno Mars for his songwriting and overwhelming mass appeal – he seemed to be one of the few pop stars that consistently dropped fantastic, catchy singles that almost anyone could enjoy. Coupling this with his latest obsession of referencing and reprising older styles of pop, funk, and r&b, 24K Magic is an infectious ode to the old, while still maintaining an air of freshness and originality. The killer hook and beat on “That’s What I Like” combined with the retro-sounding synthesizers made this track an instant favorite for me. There are also some fantastic bass lines on this project, particularly on the opening track and the following cut “Chunky”.

Not every song on this album is a banger, and Bruno leaves plenty of room to slow things down; “Versace on the Floor” is an incredibly sexy slow jam that sounds like some true Michael Jackson worship in the best possible way. Beyond the album’s halfway point, I think

the song quality begins to dip - the next ballad “Straight Up & Down” follows the same formula, but I don’t think it is nearly as effective as the previous track. The rapidly descending synths and incrementally layered harmonies over the hook on “Calling All My Lovelies” result in a much better slow jam. The album closes out with the somewhat forgettable “Finesse” as well as the finale “Too Good To Say Goodbye”, which has one of the most passionate vocal performances on the whole record.

Despite the fact that I think the cover art is stupid and there are definitely a couple of weaker cuts on this record, 24K Magic is still a lot of fun and contains some of the best pop songs of the year. I wasn’t expecting to have as much fun as I did listening to this album, and I honestly think there is something on here for everyone to enjoy BEST TRACK: “That’s What I Like” WORST TRACK: “Straight Up & Down”

7.7

CHILDISH GAMBINO

“Awaken, My Love!”

Glassnote Records 02.12.16

Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!” is the third fulllength album from actor, musician, comedian and general multitasker, Donald Glover. With the recent success of his FX series Atlanta, as well as some surprising upcoming film announcements, this man is on the verge of incredible fame and notoriety. It would only be fitting for Donald to drop a career-defining album as the cherry on top, and after hearing the flagship single entitled “Me And Your Mama” I was expecting exactly that. This song is outstanding – I love the booming modern production that opens this track, followed by an explosive and soulful performance from Donald Glover backed with epic choir vocals and punchy instrumentation. The track feels almost psychedelic, and eventually descends into a more low-key instrumental jam; its multi-faceted, textured, and quickly became one of my favorite songs of the year. Childish Gambino promptly dropped another fantastic and funky single “Redbone”, which has by far the best chorus on the album and an equally satisfying instrumental outro.

As a result of my infatuation with these two songs, I was gearing up for “Awaken, My Love!” to be one of my favorite albums of the year, and while I don’t think the album’s quality is consistent with the singles, it is still an enjoyable listen.

The first half of “Awaken, My Love!” is funky, soulful and a little underwhelming. “Boogieman” has a solid hook and I like the lyrical concept surrounding “Zombies”, but both of the songs come across as a little cheesy. Donald Glover’s performances are also hit and miss for me; his inflection on tracks like “Have Some Love” can get a bit tiresome, but the vocals on “California” are simply inexcusable. This song is straight up terrible and I can’t believe it wasn’t left on the cutting room floor, especially since its sunny,

blissful vibe clashes so hard with the rest of the album.

There are some good tracks on the second half of this album though, particularly “Baby Boy” which has great guitar and bass-work as well as an incredibly heartfelt performance from Gambino. Donald seems to feel the most at home singing on the track “Terrified”, but I find the female vocal performance on the second half of this track to be quite obnoxious and way over the top. I was also hoping “The Night Me and Your Mama Met” would reprise some ideas from the opener, given the similarities in their titles, but this track is nothing more than a slightly forgettable interlude with a wicked guitar solo. I didn’t find the closer of this album particularly gripping either, although the “Keep all your dreams, keep standing tall” vocal line gets consistently stuck in my head. I like the unexpected flute solo halfway through the track, but it does feel like this song could have been trimmed a bit as it definitely meanders towards the end.

I respect Donald for trying new things on “Awaken, My Love!”, but there are good experiments, and there are bad experiments – such is their nature. Donald’s voice has enough dexterity to ensure that most of these experiments go over fine, but there are definitely a few misfires. I still came away from this album enjoying most of what I heard, and I’m not too upset about Gambino’s departure from hip-hop. Even though Awaken, My Love! didn’t quite impress me as much as I had anticipated, I eagerly look forward to see what Donald Glover will do next with this new musical direction.

BEST TRACK: “Me And Your Mama” WORST TRACK: “California”

6.6 PROTEST THE HERO Pacific Myth

Razor & Tie 18.11.16

Protest the Hero is a Canadian progressive metal band whose complex compositions and wacky, wild vocals have gained them quite a bit of notoriety over a now decade-long career. This new record Pacific Myth was originally released through a sort of subscription service in which fans would pay a fee and receive a new song every month. Since I had no interest in paying extra to hear a possibly underwhelming Protest album, I waited until it was released as a whole this November.

Now that I’ve heard the whole album, I’m glad I didn’t pay extra for it… But there really are some great moments on Pacific Myth. The opening track “Tidal” is a classic showcase of Protest The Hero’s technical ability while never sacrificing melody or good songwriting. The song is quite riveting over its six-minute course, and the lyrical reflections on modern society are equally as compelling. The mathematical riffs and winding song structures continue throughout the rest of the record, giving every member of the band (especially the bassist)

an opportunity to shine. At this point, its easy to see that Protest The Hero is sticking to their usual sound – there are few detours from the technical onslaught the band brings. Thankfully, because this is such a short record, their sound doesn’t get tiresome. “Harbinger” starts with these epic piano chords, and quickly progresses into a typical, dizzying Protest the Hero riff. One thing I found very odd about this song was some of the mixing choices – the screamed vocals are incredibly low in the mix, nearly inaudible, while the clean vocals remain at relatively standard level. What was the point of this? There are other screams on this record that are at a normal volume, why was it just this song? Apart from the mixing, this is still a solid tune; the piano embellishments are lovely and there is also a fantastic guitar solo towards the end of the track. The final song “Caravan” is the longest song on the LP and manages to uphold an incredibly intense level of energy throughout the track. The chord progressions are melodic, the riffs are tough as nails, and the ending is as satisfying as it is epic.

This album is solid, but nothing on Pacific Myth has gripped me quite the way Protest The Hero’s earlier work had. This is likely because the band has never changed up their sound in any significant way since their inception; the dizzying, progressive metal music I first heard almost ten years ago was indeed mind blowing, but in 2016 it’s just business as usual for Protest the Hero.

BEST TRACK: “Caravan” WORST TRACK: “Cataract”

8.7 A TRIBE CALLED QUEST We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service

Epic Records 11.11.16

even in such tumultuous times, A Tribe Called Quest comes through with an incredibly positive and uplifting record, while still providing a strong political message.

The production on this record is also fantastic! Tribe’s smooth and jazzy sound has aged like fine wine and is updated flawlessly for a more modern era. Jack White’s contributions on the electric guitar fit nicely, and the wacky synthesizers and sampling add multiple layers and textures to the beats.

The opening track “The Space Program” explores themes of unity and Afrocentrism while bluntly informing the listener “There’s no space program for n*ggas” – implying that if mankind ever leaves Earth, he’s going to try and leave behind the black people. From the very beginning onwards, A Tribe Called Quest consistently serves up great flows, conscious bars and fantastic beats. Tracks like “Mobius” and “The Killing Season” don’t even contain vocals from any original members, but still work well in the context of the record. The latter has a great contribution from Kanye West, who’s line “The Soldier” can also be heard as “They Sold Ya”, adding a subtle yet intriguing level of detail to a relatively simple hook. Other features such as Andre 3000 on “Kids” and newcomer Anderson .Paak also do a great job and take up a surprising amount of time with their respective verses – “Movin’ Backwards” is carried almost entirely by .Paak, a contrast to Kendrick Lamar’s brief appearance on the following track “Conrad Tokyo”.

There are a few heartfelt tributes to the late Phife Dawg deep into the album; “Lost Somebody” seems to be about the band coming to terms with their friend’s death, who was taken far before his time. Phife is also given a sendoff on the closing track “The Donald”. While I appreciate the sentiment of the track, it is my personal least favorite and I prefer to end the record on the incredibly clever “Ego” instead.

This was not exactly an album hip-hop wanted, but it was an album that hip-hop needed. In a backwards age where Trump is president and mindless mumbling has taken the reigns in hip-hop, it is incredibly important to balance it out with an album that has great flows, unique instrumentals, and a strong political message emphasizing conscious thought and unity.

It has been almost twenty years since legendary New York hip-hop trio A Tribe Called Quest has released an album.

Following the tragic death of MC Phife Dawg earlier this year, BEST TRACK: “Dis Generation” I was unsure as to how this album would turn out, would we WORST TRACK: “The Donald even be hearing Phife on this record? Fortunately before his passing, Phife Dawg and MC Q-Tip had secretly recorded a wealth of verses in preparation for this album, and the 7.0 THE WEEKND group stuck with the title Phife had originally thought of; We

Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service. The surviving Starboy members are unsure of the album’s meaning, but I presume XO/Republic Records it is in reference to both the band and United States veterans, 25.11.16 seeing as the album was released on Remembrance Day. Other members of the ATCQ family are also present throughout this record; Busta Rhymes, Consequence and Jarobi White all make numerous appearances throughout the album, and their presence is both natural and effective.

The song “Dis Generation” is a great example of this - over a smooth guitar riff, the MCs trade off verses and bars as if they were all crammed in the studio recording together!

The song has such a great vibe to it, and I love how the track references new artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Earl Sweatshirt – a symbolic passing of the torch to a new generation of rappers. It seems that even though most old hip-hop heads view this new generation of rap with a healthy dose of cynicism, Tribe has faith and confidence in these artists. This is a theme consistent throughout the record;

Starboy is the Weeknd’s follow up to his award-winning album Beauty Behind the Madness. I was never a huge fan of BBTM, preferring the few smash singles to the overall inconsistent listen, but I was hoping I could take a bit more away from this new record. While I can certainly pull a lot of enjoyable material out of Starboy, more so than any of the Weeknd’s other projects, I still find the album to be quite hit or miss.

With the help of Daft Punk, Starboy has a very strong beginning and end; the swaggering title track is one of my favorite singles of the year and the finale “I Feel It Coming” is an easygoing and effective way to end the project. Throughout the track listing I find a lot of the

instrumentals to be entertaining, but on songs like “Party Monster” and “Ordinary Life”, the hooks are just too repetitive to keep me interested. I appreciate what Abel is trying to do on “False Alarm”, which sounds almost like a punk song with its energetic, shouted chorus, but I don’t think it fits with his vibe or the rest of the album very well. Starboy hits a pretty great streak at this point - “Reminder” is solid lyrical update on where Abel is in his life, and the “Silence of the Lambo” line is hilarious.

The vintage sounding synthesizers over “Rockin’” and “Secrets” also sound great and pair well with the album’s almost retro aesthetic. Starboy is surprisingly void of slow jams; “True Colours” isn’t a bad song but its uneventfulness makes me thankful that The Weeknd tried to keep the album mostly hype. “Die For You” is another highlight for me, coming through with one of the best choruses on the whole record as well as an honest and heartfelt performance from Abel.

I think the features do a great job on this record as well; Lana Del Rey’s interlude was hauntingly beautiful and Kendrick brings his usual A-game over the guitar driven “Sidewalks”. There appears to be an uncredited feature on “Six Feet Under”, whom I can only assume is Future…

Why would you have two Future features on your longass album when the man did a damn fine job on “All I Know”? This brings me to Starboy’s Achilles heel, its length. Why pop stars (excluding Mr. Mars) insist on delivering seventy minutes of so-so material when you could give us forty minutes of great material will remain a mystery to me. Despite my complaints I still think this is The Weeknd’s best work to date and an incredibly solid project for eighteen tracks. It is nice that all of the songs flow relatively seamlessly into one another, but Starboy’s lack of a cohesive theme or message still leaves the album feeling inconsistent.

BEST TRACK: “Secrets” WORST TRACK: “Love To Lay”

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FLESH & BONE in the pursuit of artistic passion

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