April 2016 - Issue No. 24

WTBU THE BEAT ISSUE #24

“APRIL DROOLS”

Hey folks, Welcome to April!

This issue of THE BEAT is a rock’n’ rollercoaster, let me tell you. We here at THE BEAT have been reeling recently, as our home station (WTBU) was lost to an electrical fire. The station is working on coming back - until then, THE BEAT continues on. This month is some nonsense, a bit of spring in our steps (because -- well, it’s spring), a little burn, and a lot of love. Feel free to add yer own angst & confusion, and keep the music punk as hell. <3, THE BEAT staff

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

CUTTING EDGE AVANT-GARDE CRUNK AS HECK PLAYLIST “Crunk Rock - Intro” “Smile”

/ Lil Jon

/ Uncle Kracker “The Time (Dirty Bit)” “Gives You Hell”

/ The Black Eyed Peas / The All-American Rejects

“True” “Woman In Chains”

/ Spandau Ballet

/ Tears for Fears, Oleta Ad“What You Waiting For?” ams

/ Gwen Stefani “Sexy Negotiations” “I’m Like a Bird” / Free Weed

/ Nelly Furtado “One Week” “Vanilla Twilight” / Barenaked Ladies

/ Owl City “Enter Sandman” “Wild Wild West”

/ Metallica

/ Will Smith, Kool “The Real Bass (Radio Mix)”

Mo Dee, Dru Hill

/ Brooklyn Bounce “Lorenzo”

/ Phil Collins

<3Allie Miller

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WTBU THE BEAT ISSUE #24

To those concerned about WTBU: On Friday, March 25 our station was forever changed by an electric fire. Our main concern was and is the status of the three DJs that were in WTBU at the time, but they are some tough cookies and made it out ok! The one thing we can’t complain about is a lack of support; everyone, here at BU and beyond, has stepped up in our time of need. WTBU is a family and that won’t change just because our facility was damaged. If anyone has any questions about the future of WTBU (I’m confident it will be a long and remarkable future), contact me anytime.

Love, GM Cleist ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

((Want to help out? Scan the qr code to give our station some luvin’.))

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WTBU THE BEAT ISSUE #24

calendar by Lindsey Fourt

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Anna Leah Eisner

ALBUM HOROSCOPES

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xx C O N C E R T xx R E V I E W xx

The TeleVibes // Midriffs // Sun Voyager // Beach Toys @ The Middle East Upstairs 3/18

graphic by Allie Miller

Beach Toys started off the night by sending us to a psychedelic organ-infused indie beach party. Next followed the driving bass lines and fuzzy psych rock of Brooklyn band Sun Voyager. The high energy was maintained by Midriffs, who put on a killer set full of scuzzy, reverbed vocals and surfy guitar riffs. The TeleVibes came on to headline their farewell-turned-we’re-staying-with-you show next. They exhibited modern Boston psychedelia at its loudest and trippiest. Songs included “DMT” and a personal favorite, “Asyd.” Peter Colpack also seemed to enjoy “Asyd,” as he contorted his body in a way not dissimilar to the inflatable dancing man found at used car sales (refer to “Odes to Peter Colpack”). An honorable mention goes to Pete and the crew running the projected food coloring-meets-baby oil visual display on stage. V psych. V good. Long live The TeleVibes. <3 Olivia Gehrke & Kristen Lay 8

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ODES TO PETER COLPACK Here’s to you Peter Colpack TeleVibes have a song about you it’s called Pete Coldpack and I think that’s pretty clever You occupy the stage at the Middle East the music of the local punks catch the ears of the crowd but you catch their eyes and their mouths demand “Peter!”

pete coldpack ur dancing gives me a heart attack ‘cuz the way u contort ur back looks like it’s about to crack and ur arms flail and thwack but no one thinks it’s whack bc ur pete coldpack <3 Kristen Lay

ODES TO PETER COLPACK

Perhaps it’s the energy maybe the music but whatever it is it courses through you Like electricity, a current Limbs jerk Hair flies Hips rotate Motion Movement Dance So here’s to you, Pete completing the heart of the song the people the scene the show don’t ever stand still <3 Olivia Gehrke

graphic by Tiffany Topor

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Oneohtrix Point Never @ Sinclair (3/14/16)

It was a cold and rainy Monday after Spring Break, the preferred conditions for a noisy, haunting, and distorted live Oneohtrix (pronounced Oneoh-tricks) Point Never experience. After repeated listens to OPN’s Garden of Delete, one of my favorite albums of 2015, my body was ready to be hit by the walls of sound that would surely ensue.

For an appetizer, opener Jason Lescalleet served up some dank vaporwave in the form of slowed-down 80’s pop songs, piercing feedback loops, and plenty of tape-delay. The tone of his performance made me picture myself in a WWII submarine reverberating with the screams and moans of drowning machines failing. The captain of this vessel, Mr. Lescalleet, who looks like a totally jacked J Mascis, would occasionally bang his miserable turntable like a most irritated Kylo Ren. While his performance was too abrasive and drawn-out to my liking, he set the tone well for OPN’s set.

As Daniel Lopatin (aka OPN) took the stage, I was pleasantly surprised to see Nate Boyce, Daniel’s visual artist, standing beside him with a midi guitar. Nate’s synthetic sounds added subtle color and rhythm to Daniel’s icy tones. OPN played mostly music I was familiar with off of Garden. However, instead of emulating the studio tracks they manipulated and jammed on them

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to create looser, more atmospheric, and refreshing versions.

Accompanying OPN’s diverse and captivating sonic textures were fuzzy abstract images that ranged from a talking disembodied head, to melting couches, and gifs of Ridley Scott’s Alien.

Additionally, images of retro PC game covers and Windows 95 screens would occasionally interrupt the spookiness of the more off-putting scenes. Although these images seemed random at times, their generally unsettling qualities fit OPN’s dark musical themes.

Overall, I found this concert to be more interesting than fun, but still a worthwhile experience. Do not go into an OPN concert expecting to dance or to vibe with a lively crowd. The entire audience was surprisingly stationary (or maybe it was just a Monday thing). This music is clearly not meant for everyone, but if you are sick and tired of the repetitive and predictable electronic music filling the airwaves and want something experimental, yet reasonably accessible, give OPN a shot.

<3 Matt Garamella

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April Fools Pranks That Will enjoy this list of pranks Scar People For Life Please that automatically make you a 1. “The Toothpaste Oreo Prank” Even the hipster pranksters look down on this one. It involves Oreos, toothpaste, and a mouthful of chocolatey and minty goo for the victim of this act of pure evil. 7/10 will need counseling.

terrible person. their cat(s) to prevent them from running across busy streets.

4. “The ConDADulations Prank” Need I say more? Don’t do this.

The hipster pranksters will judge you. Your parents will judge you.

Your deity of choice (if you 2. “The Donut Broccoli Prank” This prank reaches a level of pure, choose to believe in a deity) unadulterated sadism. Imagine this: will judge you. If you prank your you are walking into (*insert venue s/o by saying you’re expecting of choice*) and stumble upon a box their child, you are a terrible person. Truly. Don’t do this. of (*insert preferred Please. donut brand*) donuts.

You delightedly open 5. “The Spider Ice Cube the box, preparing Prank” for a delicious, This prank is commonly sugary treat, only executed by heartless to be greeted by a members of society with box of broccoli and a no moral code, including note that says “April hipster pranksters (beFools!” Truly tragic. cause they all love iced Many never recover coffee). It involves purfrom this traumatizchasing a small, plastic ing experience. toy spider, freezing it 3. “The Cat inside an ice cube, purMythbuster Prank” chasing an iced coffee, This prank attempts dropping the ice cube to elicit temporary into the coffee, then confusion as to how delivering the drink to many lives cats acyour victim. The rest is tually have. Obviously, cats have a waiting game. These pranksters nine lives. But some pranksters are so dedicated to the prank enjoy calling their feline enthusi- scene that they don’t even need ast friends, bearing the false news the instant gratification granted that their cats have been run over. by other pranks. They’ll either This provokes tears, stress, shock, watch you slowly sip that drink horror, and puzzlement because cats for hours until you discover the obviously have nine lives so this unwelcome “visitor,” or slip off makes no sense whatsoever. Victims into the shadows, satisfied enough of this prank are prone to cripby the fact that you’ll probably pling debt because they devote the need therapy after suffering such rest of their lives to mythbusting terror. feline-related misconceptions and spending every waking moment with <3 Arianna Andrews, Self-Proclaimed Prankster Profiler

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Native to Lowell, MA, Jon Kohen, 23, has been present in the music scene for years. His new EP, Curse the Darkness, or Create a Light, showcases his ability to grip you with his soft yet resonant vocals, and keep you listening with peaceful guitar strums and haunting orchestration. Here’s what Kohen had to say about his latest project.

Elise Roche: The title of the EP, Curse the Darkness, or Create a Light paints an optimistic image that calls upon positive action during hardship. What is the meaning behind this phrase to you?

Jon Kohen: To me, like you said, it means to create positivity in the wake of hardship. I had a close friend pass away in the past year, and she was almost always very positive. So the fact that she’s gone leaves a weird mixture of feelings to deal with. In her lifetime, she was very positive, and spread that to most people she knew, including me. And then now, she’s gone, and it’s obviously sad. So it’s a mixture of dealing with loss, but still remembering what good she would’ve pointed out if she were still here. This EP to me is a way of creating a metaphorical light, going out and doing positive things with awesome people, like she would’ve wanted, rather than staying in bed all day and cursing the universe.

ER: How do you feel as though this title reflects the album’s content?

JK: In the EP, the songs are both melancholy and uplifting at the same time. The lyrics are generally positive, but the music and vibe is kind of in-between—both happy and sad—like a dim light slowly growing from darkness.

ER: Your older releases on bandcamp feature you solo on guitar and vocals. What made you want to incorporate string instrumentalists into your work?

JK: I love the sound of strings. That’s the simple answer, I guess! I have a few friends who play strings, and I asked them to join me, and to bring their friends to the studio. We ended up with an engraphic by Allie semble of 13 players (six violins, two violas, four cellos, and a contrabass player). Since then, we all really enjoyed working together, so we decided to play together live as well. When we play live, depending on the size of the venue, we usually do a quintet (three violins, a violist, and a cellist).

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Miller

ER: Do you compose the string instrumentation yourself?

JK: No, we collaborate. It’s mostly them, I just throw out ideas for general structure.

ER: Who are the other people you worked with for the EP? JK: Ben Braz was the engineer. He recorded and mixed all three tracks. Joel Mariani mastered the EP. ER: Do you think that working in Lowell, a place home to a concentrated number of college-age musicians, has affected your sound/ process?

JK: Yes. I wouldn’t be as active musically if I weren’t around so many people my age doing the same thing. It’s very easy and fun to get involved. Stylistically, I think I’m pretty different from most of the genres in the Lowell area, though.

ER: How does the Lowell underground scene differ from the Boston scene in your experience?

JK: To be honest, I haven’t played in the underground scene in Boston in a few years. Three years ago, I did all the time when I lived in Allston, but since then, there was some sort of crackdown by police. A lot of my favorite venues got shut down.

However, since then, there’s been a resurgence, and new ones have formed. I would currently like to become a part of the Boston scene again.

ER: What would you say were your primary sources of inspiration for the EP? JK: This is actually the hardest question for some reason.

I don’t know. Probably Elliott Smith? I really admire his songwriting style, and I cover him on the EP. The incorporation of the strings wasn’t particularly inspired by any of my musical heroes. It just kind of happened by luck and interest.

ER: Do you have any exciting plans for the release of the EP? JK: It’ll be out on vinyl! I’m excited about that.

The 7” will be available through Endless Bummer Records, Super Moon Records, and Sorry Dad Records, starting March 30th.

ER: Do you have any plans for future projects?

JK: I want to record an album with this string ensemble. If anyone has the money, time, or studio to make it happen with me, hit me up! haha Jon Kohen’s EP Curse the Darkness, or Create a Light, released on 3/30/16, can be found on bandcamp.

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Local restaurants recommended by local musicians reviewed by local punx

Restaurant: El Pelón Taquería, 92 Peterborough Street, Boston Recommended by: T.J. Freda of Midriffs Olivia: When we asked for a restaurant recommendation, T.J. suggested El Pelón immediately without hesitation.

After having “El Guapo”, El Pelón’s mega burrito complete with fried plantains (and the burrito that T.J. had recommended), made complete sense. The sweetness of the plantains with the smoky flavor of the grilled chicken and the creaminess of the guac made for an absolutely unique and killer burrito. Another Boston musician, another burrito, and another step closer to my diet being entirely composed of burritos. I’m Olivia Gehrke, and I’m a burrito addict.

Kristen: After eating at and reviewing four Mexican restaurants, I finally ate my first burrito. And it was great. I figured it was about time, so I put my faith into El Pelón that they would make my first experience a good one. A nice little surprise was the spicy kick I got from the jalapeño in the salsa fresca in my burrito (which was alleviated by a Mexican Coke). Despite my very limited knowledge of burritos, I’d recommend this place to anyone looking to satisfy their cravings.

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SOME DAMN FINE MUSIC, I DO SAY!

DenMate by Den-Mate CAPITOL! If you like haunting vocals, catchy beats, lo-fi guitar effects and ambient synth, check out this gr8 album! The record opens with the track “For Free,” a tune any fan of Massive Attack could enjoy. Next is “Just So You Know,” which, by the way, has been stuck in my head for about a week. As the album progresses you will fall more in love with lead singer Jules’ echoing, brooding vox, and the accompanying paradox of heaviness and lightness created by the instruments behind her. The band blends gritty, reverbed guitar notes with upbeat and cycling synth, for a fully enriching listening experience.

Tune into this album when you’re feeling like you WE DO

need someone to experience your angst with ENJOY THESE you and then fight back against it.

FOOT-TAPPING -Elise Roche TUNES!

The Universe Smiles Upon PIP You by Khruangbin PIP, PIP PIP Enjoy sitting in the shade, sappin’ on mildly PIP! spiced tea and squinting into the sun? Like taking a hike in the snow with birkenstocks? Like taking pictures of very tall trees? Like taking yourself out on fancy dates and pretending you’re a spy? Take yourself to the next level and gain another dimension with Khruangbin’s album, which has roots in 1960’s Thai psychedelic funk. Yeah, did you know about 1960’s Thai psychedelia? Neither did I. This band’s gained some notoriety lately, and ya’know what?

Yeah. Yeah. No qualms here.

Entirely qualmless.

Good track: “People Everywhere (Still Alive)” -Anna Leah Eisner

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Potentially the Love of my Life We made eye contact on the sidewalk outside Blanchard’s. In that instant, my whole world changed. You smiled at me (I think?) and my heart melted. You had the cutest ears and the prettiest haircut. When you turned the corner you might’ve winked at me, too. I know there’s a spark between us.

If anyone sees a slightly chubby, short-legged golden retriever, you let me know. I can’t stop thinking about her.

-JRW 7/11 Slush Face There you were, your dreamy reflection visible through the glass of the hot dog roller. You looked at me, and I frantically turned away so you wouldn’t notice. But I couldn’t help staring, and the next time you caught me, the unthinkable happened. I turned away from your glorious gaze so quickly that my blue raspberry slush puppy erupted straight onto my glasses, into my hair, up my nostrils. You laughed, you left, and that was that. Here’s hoping that our universes align again. I will think of your beautiful blue eyes looking into my icy blue glasses forever <3

-ER To the Ghost in my Apartment You are actually kind of frightening us. Where did my picture of Stephen King go? Do you have it? Will he appear someplace eerily unexpected? I hope we can make amends, because I’d rather not be woken up by your presence at 3am again. I think striking an accord could be mutually beneficial. Sincerely, the impermanent human to you permanent specter.

-AML We Slow Danced at a Club I first laid eyes on you from across the room. You had brown hair and very large teeth. I came up to you and asked you if you were sober. You laughed and said no, so I started dancing on you, and it was magical. Then somehow, we ended up facing each other and slow dancing, but I didn’t notice until you said, “I’ve never slow danced in a club before.” The electronic dance music was blaring from all directions. We started making out. Then I turned back around and danced on you some more. Then we made out some more, and for some reason I thought you were ugly and walked away. I found you on instagram last night and apparently I was too drunk to realize that you are more attractive than all of my exes. Please follow me back <3 <3 <3 -ACA B Line BB You were sitting next to me on the train coming back from work. I asked what you were reading; you sighed. I asked if you come here often; you said no. I asked if you wanted to get drinks sometime; you turned away. I asked if you had any family; you said they died.

I asked if you wanted some of my graham crackers; you slapped me in the face. I think that I am in love with you.

-AEO

missed connections

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Don’t cut my trees Don’t frack my land My home is more than shale and sands Don’t poison my waters Don’t mine my mountains My home is more than oil fountains Don’t foul my ocean Don’t hurt my kin My home is more than a garbage bin Don’t drill my soils Don’t taint my air My home is more than a business affair Don’t fracture my fields Don’t spoil my pools My home is more than fossil fuels Don’t tame my wild Don’t kill my preserves My home is more than gas reserves Don’t plow my forests Don’t change my seeds My home does more than suit your needs -Olivia Gehrke

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Frontwoman Ella strums her periwinkle guitar while sweetly cooing “I hate you” into the mic. Her baby bangs, cheeky banter, and pure voice make it impossible not to move along to Lady Pills’ self-described “sad music that you can dance to.” Bassist Alison grooves to tracks like “Dream World” and “Makeout”, holding down the tunes seamlessly while drummer Claire executes steady, infectious beats without batting an eye. In short, these gals are amazing to watch and super badass. !!!

Their songs are relatable, fun, and make it You can evident that the ladies of Lady Pills take listen to Lady bullshit from no one. And why should they?

Pills at They’re talented, they’re beautiful, and ladypillsmusic.bandthey’re fanbase is growing at a rushing camp.com, pace (they just played SXSW!). Seriously, or at their upcoming listen to Lady Pills. Your girl-band dreams gigs this month (see calendar, will come true. page 3). <3 Elise Roche

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A LIST OF PROBLEMS Here at the BEAT, we’ve been talking a lot about how to use our lil’ publication to bring more awareness to different topics. We couldn’t really decide on one issue, so here’s just some bad s#%t that’s happening in the world. Enjoy.

re es A e B The

SeaWorl

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Dyin Smog

The

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Rent

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Damn

High

lex son-Industrial Comp ri -P ry ta li Mi an ic Amer War, In General

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ll y Mi p p u P

Drones Seem Li ke A Bad Idea

Tuition is Too Damn High Some People Th ink Walter Whit e Was a Good Gu y The Eart h is Real ly N ot H appy WIth

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le t Cancel Psych Go

Us

Who Killed Laur a Palmer???

People Don’t Read the BEAT Enough <3 Jessamyn Wallace

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Revisiting Jerry’s Kids ((DREDGING UP BOSTON’S MUSICAL PAST)) Think of ‘80’s punk and then layer it with about three more layers of punk and you have Is This My World?, the quintessential punk album by our hometown heroes (or anti-heroes if we’re sticking with the whole counter-culture aesthetic). Jerry’s Kids is the sum of everything that is attributed to punk music: loud songs tracking under two minutes each, the same three or four chords played repeatedly, heavy distortion, and unpredictable, inconsistent live shows. Song titles include “Break the Mold,” “I Don’t Belong,” and “Build Me a Bomb.” If that doesn’t scream “we’re an ‘80’s punk band,” then I don’t know what does. Singer Rick Jones showcases rough, growling snarls that modern NYC punk bands attempt to mimic.

This is the album you listen to at a deafening volume in your dorm room while folding laundry and feeling particularly rowdy on a Friday afternoon (just me?) and consequently the album that will make your floor resent you after its 24 minute duration. <3 Olivia Gehrke

<3 NORM

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“Quest for the Perfect Joke” <3 eps

You wake up with a(n) _________ feeling in your adjective

stomach. You look over at the calendar, and realize why: it’s April 1st. “Oh, ________,” you mutdiety

ter. You whip your blankets off, revealing your ________________________ pajama pants. You chuckle childhood cartoon

at your fashion choices, as you ___________ down the stairs to eat a quick breakverb

fast of _______________ in your cereal. You pull alcoholic beverage

your map out and head towards the mountains in the distance. Soon, you approach the river of dirty _____________ and have to cross it in a canoe, spinnoun

ning your ______________ to propel it forward. Then, body part

you come across a(n) ___________________ who tells mythical creature

you that you have to pay one thousand _________ to currency

get past them. “What, that’s ridiculous!” You exclaim. The creature shrugs and says, “get over it, ____________” as it sticks out its hand. You huff insult

and shell out the money. They move and let you walk into the _____________ cave that leads to a adjective

bright light. “Master,” you say, “I’ve come to hear the perfect April Fool’s Day joke.” A deep rumble comes from all around. You can feel it in your ____________. You are about to hear the perfect body part

joke. The voice rumbles: “Your face.”

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THE

BEAT

IN

STUDIO:

THE STUDIO MAY BE GONE, BUT THE BEAT IS STILL IN. 22

WTBU THE BEAT ISSUE #24

BACK AT THE HAIKUS WE TRIED TO BE PUNNY, SO YUP, THEY’RE TERRIBLE I met a young duck She told me a bad joke That chick quacks me up!

- ER

Online dating sux As a vegetarian All guys want to meat -VRR

I just want a dog It would improve everything Why is life so ruff?

-EPS Knitting grandmother I’ve listened to her for hours Spinning her long yarn -KJS

I like rocks a lot But I’ve been told to never Meddle in metal -ALE

I miss the forest, Not for any one reason; I just pine for it.

-JRW THE BEAT IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY WTBU GENERAL MANAGER: WANT T0 VOLUNTEER CHRISTIE LEIST FOR THE BEAT? gm@wtburadio.org We are always looking for TWITTER/INSTAGERM: CONTENT ANGELS: rad writers, @wtbu Andre Orlando illustrators, and layout Elise Roche landlords!

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/The- GRAPHIX HUNNIES: Tiffany Topor QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? BeatBoston Alison LaFrance CONCERNS? LONELY? WE ARE LAYOUT BBY: TOO! TUMBLR: Jessamyn Wallace thebeatofboston.

EDITOR-IN-C. EMAIL: tumblr.com Anna Leah Eisner wtbu.thebeat@gmail.com GET AT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!!

APRIL DROOLS

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WTBU THE BEAT ISSUE #24