HEALTH Internet & Music Industry Tim Burton A Single Man 500 Days of Summer 5 Bloggers + 5 Musicians
CONTENTS 4 Credits
6 8 10 12 16 26 30 48 60 70 74 86
Vodkast 2: Long Live The Queen Tribute to McQueen What You Said Album Reviews A Single Man The Disturbing Genius: Tim Burton U + Me Could Write A Bad Romance 5 Bloggers + 5 Musicians = 2010 500 Days Of Summer Internet & it’s Effect on the Music Industry HEALTH Braving The Wild
Letter from the Editor Hey guys, thanks for continuing to read my magazine, and if you’re a new reader, welcome! If you guys don’t know who I am yet, I’m Willis Hip, a 15 year old blogger and editor of this magazine. Let’s just say that working on this issue has been the most stressful yet. In the last issue I said that there would be a new issue every 2 months, but that’s not going to happen after this one. I think I might change it to a quarterly magazine because this is just too much work to handle. I’m a very last minute person and I’m such a procrastinator (which is horrible), so I only started working on this magazine in January. I spent the last 2 weeks of January calling stores to see if I could borrow clothes, book studios, book a photographer, book models, and style 2 photoshoots for this issue.
By the way, I just want to thank local photographer Shaun Scade who helped me photograph both editorials in this issue for free. I used up a lot of his time and I just want to tell you how grateful I am for your contributions. I intended to get this issue out before Valentines day because of my Valentines editorial, but that didn’t work out. Oh well. My friend Jessica pointed out that I don’t have enough material and writing in this issue, and she’s right. There could have been more interviews and features that should be in here but hey, I’m just one person and this is all what I could handle within a month. Even though I’m not proud of how little this issue might be, it still stands greatly and appreciated for me. I think I will have a lot more ‘meat’ in the next issue. I’m trying to get interviews with YACHT, Vampire
Weekend, Wilco, Steve Aoki, Muse and more since they’re all coming to town in the last bit of February and March. One last thing: I just want to say how sad and devastated I am with the loss of Alexander McQueen. I’ve always dreamed of collaborating with him in some sort when I grew older, but now that’s impossible. We dedicated this issue’s Vodkast to him. If you have a story or article that you could donate to us or even ‘recycle’ from past projects, feel free to! If you’re an artist of any kind and want your work published or featured, email me and I’ll set it up for you. My contact info is in the next page. P.S. This magazine is a non-profit magazine. If you could, please donate anything you can to help support this magazine and keep it going. Donations will be spent on working on the next issue and will be split between contributors. http://www.vinylandvodka.com
WILLIS HIP
Editor, Creator, Designer Contributors RYAN RIVARD SHANNON THOMAS JASMINE WILLIAMS LUCAS YOUNG PAUL COCO MATT UNSWORTH WILL OLIVER WILL HINES JEFF MELTZ CONFUSION ZACH HART
Big Thank Yous SHAUN SCADE STEPHANIE EMMERZAEL TALLAS LAUREN JESSICA WU DIVINE DECADENCE DEANNA PATTERSON KAYLEIGH MADORE ALEXANDRA PRUDEN PLANET ZE DESIGN CENTER WILL HINES RONI BRUNN LUIS TOVAR MY MOM
CONTACT: For advertising, contributing, photography, marketing, comments, questions, e-mail vinylandvodka@gmail.com *Vinyl and Vodka is a free publication. All contributors donate their work and we help them publish it. Please contribute and donate if you feel like it’s worth it and every penny will be split between everyone who helped. Click on any of the below links (both the same) to donate via Paypal.
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VODKAST 2: Long Live the Queen This issue’s Vodkast is a special tribute to Lee Alexander McQueen, a fashion designer icon who took his life in early February. He was an inspiration to me throughout my life, and his creative and artistic visions shine every single season on the runway. He will never be forgotten. Rest in peace, McQueen. Download this playlist and plug it into your iTunes and iPod. Listen to it on your way to work, make it your workout song, etc.! This month’s issue features music by Lady Gaga, Bjork, Vampire Weekend, HEALTH, She & Him, and more. Go to http://vinylandvodka.com/2010/02/vodkast-2-long-live-the-queen/ to download this issue! 1. Lady Gaga - Bad Romance Alexander McQueen debuted Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” on his final Spring runway season. Lady Gaga was his muse, and he was hers. Lady Gaga has worn the greatest looks by McQueen numerous times in award shows and music videos.
2. Bjork - Alarm Call Bjork was another muse of McQueen, and has always been. She has worn his clothes and he has directed the music video for “Alarm Call”. I actually never really ‘understood’ Bjork until 2 years ago. Before that, I thought she was just a weirdo.
3. Kate Nash - I Just Love You More I remember my phase when I just simply loved Kate Nash and she was on repeat on my iPod. I grew out of that phase, and she got too boring and repetitive for me (maybe because I kept on playing her?) In this new track, Kate Nash channels her inner Karen O. She screams, yells, and rudely chants out the lyrics “I just love you more”. The lyrics aren’t very complicated to learn. I think I’m starting to love Kate Nash all over again.
4. She & Him - In The Sun Fast forward to the sweet, cute song. What can’t Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward do to cheer you up?
5. Mew - Vaccine This has to be one of my personal favorites from their album ‘No More Stories…’. It has grown on me within the past months, and the lyrics are haunting but beautiful. The beginning is so pretty!
6. Vampire Weekend - Diplomat’s Son Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album ‘Contra’ wasn’t as good as the first, but there were some tracks that stood out from the rest, like “Diplomats Son”. I think it’s clever how they sampled M.I.A. in this song. When I worked at American Apparel this song came on all the time, and I still haven’t gotten tired of it yet.
7. Theophilus London - Humdrum Town I believe with enough promotion that this single can chart pretty high. Theophilus London (such a cool name!) reminds me of the next Kid Cudi, based on this one track. I think this is what Kanye West was trying to go for in ‘808’s and Heartbreak’, but Theo simply does it better.
8. Chew Lips - Slick These three kids from Chew Lips are irresistible. They’re the right example of perfect electropop, and will become your next guilty pleasure.
9. Beach House - Zebra Beach House wins our love with their opening track from ‘Teen Dream’, titled “Zebra”. The minimalistic arrangements are taken over by woozy organs, which seem to hypnotize us while singing the lyrics “black and white horse”
10. Local Natives - Airplanes It was hard to choose a favorite Local Natives track for this. There were about 3 or 4 that I wanted to put in, but ended up choosing “Airplanes” based on asking people what their favorite was. I actually never paid attention to this group (I really wanted to but kept on forgetting) until right before I asked Will Oliver from We All Want Someone… to write an article about them for me.
11. Yeasayer - Madder Red I don’t know what to write for this song. I tried writing something but nothing good came out. It’s just a fucking rad song.
12. The Pass - Cross Walk Stereo As a blogger, you have to be open about all talents and acts. I’m horrible at that. Unless a friend recommends them to me or I get forced to listen to them, I don’t usually pay big attention to small bands that send their work in to me. When I asked Zach Hart from We Listen For You to write an article for me, he asked if he could write about The Pass. My reply was ‘Can you write about someone bigger?’. He sent me a song and from then on I was seduced by their music. Hopefully I will teach myself to be more ‘open’ from now on.
13. Hussle Club - I Have High Expectations For What I Want To Be But In The Mirror I Don't See Them Staring Back At Me (Felix Cartal Remix) The song title describes what I feel every morning.
14. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy “Unfinished Sympathy” has been listed as ’best songs of all time’ in numerous publications in the 90’s, and it still is. This song is actually older than me! They recently dedicated this song to Alexander McQueen at a recent concert.
15. HEALTH - Die Slow “Die Slow” is such a powerful, hard-hitting song. HEALTH knows how to deliver it best. Rest in peace, Lee Alexander McQueen.
R.I.P. Alexander
r McQueen
WHAT
YOU SAID Send us a sentence, poem, letter, or rant to us about the drama in your life and we’ll publish it in our next issue.
I could waste my life away just listening to music, I think. - Mackenzie Your magazine makes my heart Last night I was happy. and that's a I'm a student and I should be studying for spanish, greek philosophy, and accounting but instead I've been searchfact. -Colleen going to go see ing for the answer to this riddle: I often wonder If Carmen San Diego and Waldo were to passionately mate Actual Water play why I run a music and have a love child, where in the world would it be at wrong bar in blog and found? Toronto, but we're whether people My conclusion: This elusive little motherfucker would be underage and actually care. parting with Elvis, Tupac, and MJ down in Tijuana. -Joe Jimmy didn't want to I'm a freshman in college, currently studying for finals. SUCH a drag. After these death days of exams, I'll go back to my home, Cleveland and live it up with Lebron. I will tell him about all the great mixtapes I've downloaded this year and about all the great things I learned in college. We'll talk about volcanoes, the trouble with media in America, and the influence of the World's Fairs on popular culture in the United States during the turn of the 19th century, and what parties are like in the middle of nowhere, PA. It'll be great for a while , but then he'll realize that he doesn't actually know me. He'll get all pompous and say, " I'm Lebron, get outta my here. I don't know you." I'll go home to my fam, a lil defeated that Lebron and I didn't hit it off. Then I'll find the people in the world who actually love me. It will be the greatest Christmas break ever. - Adrienne
I am a fan of vodka. Did you know that in Mongolia, there are a lot of homeless people who are missing fingers? That is because in the winter, they drink vodka to warm up because the winters are UNBELIEVABLY UNBELIEVABLY COLD over there. I visited in the summer and I was wearing jeans and sweaters it's that cold up there. God I would hate to live there. ANYWAYS so yeah they drink vodka and pass out on the streets and their fingers fall off from frostbite because it's so damn cold. So I guess vodka is good but not if you drink enough to pass out in Mongolia. - May
haul ass across the city just to get barred from entering (even though we drew giant black Xs in permanent marker on our hands...) Jordan
So, nursing school is really stressful, but you know what gets me through it? PMA! I also looooove Vinyl and Vodka! Great job! - Hope
For Christmas, I'm headed home to get some sleep and and read Jeffrey Eugenides' Middlesex. - Andrew
I go to college in Scotland, and I hail from Princeton, New Jersey, and this Winter break I'm going home for the first time in 4 months, to spend Christmas with family and friends. - Max My friend from work is trying to have a very cheap wedding that is as close to eloping without eloping as it can be. He asked me to photograph their wedding. He said he had "no expectations", so I reluctantly agreed. The date is coming up, and I'm finding myself flustered over this. I know he has low expectations, but I have a certain level of expectation for myself. I wish I said "no". At least I get a free boat ride and lasagna. - Minh
I can’t wait to go to Maui for New Year’s.. (Love the new mag by the way!) -Lori
My Birthday was yesterday and one of the gifts I received was a flask, it is to replace the one I lost last year. Not really sure how I lost it, but it is lost.. very gone. Searched high and low. Hopefully I lost it while doing something fun, but I don't remember. I plan on filling this new flask with Knob Creek and sneaking little sipps while at holiday family functions, or quietly topping off a 3/4's full coke can while singing Christmas carols at the inlaws. It will help bring that holiday cheer, or at least blur it over well. -Todd
It's awesome that you made this magazine all on your own. I am actually majoring in magazine journalism right now, and seeing another journalist go out and make their own publication is really admirable. If you need anyone to contribute to the magazine, or help you design pages, I would love to help. I will probably email you again with a different subject, just in case you aren't actually reading these entries. Keep up with the good work! - Ashley
Beach House Teen Dream Beach House's third album and Sub Pop debut, Teen Dream, was recorded in a converted church called Dreamland. The results are nothing shy of divine. The music is so magnificent, you could mistaken it all for a dream. But it's the real deal, and it's one of the first gems of the new year. The band has not abandoned their trademark dream pop sound of electronic drums, clean and twangy guitar lines, and ethereal vocals from Victoria Legrand. Using this as a foundation, Beach House turned the notch up, delivering slightly more uptempo songs compared to their previous albums. The opener "Zebra," sets the theme from the get-go with a little drive and backbone to their float-provoking atmosphere. The band sounds more refined than ever before. "Walk in the Park" lockdowns a tight grove with the beginning pace set by thumping electronic drums, before diving into a sweeping swell of organs, while later on in the same track, the listener tastes some
mellowed down surf riffs as guitarist Alex Scally strums in a rapid fashion. As the album progresses, each piece prevails at being audio art in the most perfect sense. On the pleasantly cheery track "Used to Be," Legrand exercises her piano chops a polished pop performance, and the electronic drum track on "Love of Mine" sounds like a long lost 80s beat, while the first sounds of "Better Times" resembles an early Super Nintendo videogame, it actually serves as a sensually sleek ballad that centerpieces itself as clear standout in my mind.
There are small occurrences where their "trademark" sound begins to blur with all the other songs, making it difficult to decipher the differences. However after repeated listening, these intricacies are can be easily noticed can. Otherwise, Beach House has gone Merriweather Post Pavilion on us, giving us a nearly flawless album (on a good day, I'd say it is perfect) in the first month of 2010. Album of the year? Odds are looking good' Teen Dream' is out via Sub Pop on Jan. 26. Rating: 85
The album's most energetic moment can be found in the last minute and a half of "10 Mile Stereo" when the drums propel into full throttle and the soaring ambiance is set to stun. Folks who argue Beach House's music makes them fall asleep should listen to this. I dare them to catch Zs here. After this climax, the dust settles for Teen Dream's most intimate song: "Real Love," a ballad that consists mostly of piano and a hair-standing vocal performance from Legrand.
-Ryan Rivard
Yeasayer Odd Blood
On Yeasayer’s first album, All Hour Cymbals, the three-piece Brooklyn based band crashed the scene with their original sound. Describing themselves as psychedelic gospel, the band used rousing choruses (literally there are choruses featured on the album) and gave off a very folk vibe. Songs like “Sunrise” and “Germs” gained the band acclaim with fans of Devendra Banhart and freak folk set and the respect of other psychedelic acts like MGMT. With their second album, Odd Blood, Yeasayer has let their previous image morph into something much bigger and somehow a little less risky. A transition that can only be attributed to absorbing some of the electronic and dance movement around them and putting their own spin on it, Odd Blood gets ride of the choruses and replaces the vocal arrangements with synthesizers. Odd Blood can only be
described as cleaner than All Hour Cymbals and somehow more accessible, but still holds that unpredictability that Yeasayer is known for. Odd Blood, features a very disparate range of songs. The songs never really come together as one cohesive work and they are arranged in a way that one track obviously juxtaposes the ones before and/or after it. This effect allows for many songs to stand out amongst the more ambient tunes (“The Children, “I Remember, & “Grizelda”) that fall by the wayside. The first single for the album “Ambling Alp” is the most accessible song for those listeners not akin to the “freak-folk” genre many have placed Yeasayer into and it is the song that most strongly resembles the music on their first album, All Hour Cymbals. After that the album slumps, but
then comes back full force to reach its peak, which features a trio of three, poppy and very danceable tracks, “ONE”, “Love Me Girl” and “Rome”. This grouping of songs really highlights what the album’s defining characteristics are. The multiple layers that are highly digitally embellished, with distorted animal calls and surging and descending vocals, give the listener a lot to pay attention to. The mood is abruptly changed with “Strange Reunions”, that while intriguing is lackluster compared to what was heard previously. Yeasayer truly prove themselves as a band that can produce a great dance tune with “Mondegreen”. Featuring heavy handclaps and horns, the song takes away and disappointment that can be had with “Strange Reunions” And for me it steals the show, it is the reason you should not just switch off
the album after “Rome”. The most disappointing thing about Odd Blood is that some truly wonderful, original songs, are bookended by two songs that really let the album down. To not begin and end with a punch is a risk that does not work out for Yeasayer. But once you get into the body of the album, all the aspects of it are hard to ignore and it takes many listens to let all the intricate elements sink in. Odd Blood is a strong second album, that does not disappoint fans of the first album and is sure to bring only more attention to Yeasayer with its release. Odd Blood is out Feb. 9th via Secretly Canadian. Rating: 74 -Shannon Thomas
Hot Chip One Life Stand Take a ride on the sizzling electro waves of Hot Chip. Debuting their fourth album, "One Life Stand" delivers a great fusion of bass-synth melodies with angelic like vocals. The glamour electropop gang smear their rock and soul influences with songs
like "Hand Me Down Your Love" but also channeling their inner emo with soft-ballads such as "Brothers" and "Slush". This album is definitely at a different pace, compared to their last album "Made in the Dark" which was laced with more
dance appeal. They're working at a great pace on this album, with songs like "I Feel Better" which remind me of a late Elliot Smith vocal sound mixed with a funky dance beat. If you're willing to experiment with the different genres this 10 year quintet has to offer, you will be
riding a musical rollercoaster filled with trance riffs and stellar keyboard solos that make you want to shake a fist. One Life Stand is out Feb. 1st via EMI. Rating: 60 -Jasmine Williams
Massive Attack Heligoland
It's been 7 years since the last official Massive Attack CD release. In those 7 years they collaborated with several artists and movie producers to make soundtracks and also some shady allegations against Del Naja. Through all that trial and error they created Heligoland, a rich album brimming with elaborate pieces and a wide variety of different artists ranging from Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio) to Damon Albarn (Blur and Gorillaz). There is no doubt in my mind that this album really starts off with a bang. The first song, entitled "Pray for Rain" features Tunde Adebimpe. It's a slow building set, that really takes a turn to an almost completely different entity about half way through. Right when the soft synthesizer hits and the back beats drop out, the synthesizer is solo and waiting ever so patiently for the rest of the set pieces to accompany it. And when they do, it's uplifting. Giving the sense that perhaps they have taken this album in a different direction than their previous albums. What I mean is they drop (just for those particular moments) their morbid direction and shock you with
just a glimmer of light. Normality is restored when the original drum beat comes back in. This song is a perfect example of how intricate their music gets in this album and sets the album off on the right foot. As the album progresses you get to the song "Splitting the Atom" which was the debut single to Heligoland. Generally, when singles are released they are the more upbeats tracks. This is to sort of wet the whistles of fans and to garner attention for the upcoming album. This, however, is not the case. It features vocals from Horace Andy who's brooding voice compliments the dark reggae feel given by the hard hitting piano notes. For a single from any other band, I don't think this would have worked as well. But for Massive Attack it works perfectly. It's exactly what a fan of their music would expect and completely embrace. When talking in terms of a more appropriate single, "Girl I Love You" would seem to fall into that category. It has the driving drum beat with a quicker tempo than most of the other songs off the album. It is without a doubt my favorite off the album. The vocals are delayed and a heavy use of effects are present. Another personal favorite is "Atlas Air" the ending song for the album. Featuring no guest vocalist, this song serves as an intimate set piece with only you and singer Del Naja. What this offers up is a unique experience, that is immediately recognizable as Massive Attack. My only gripe is the lack of difference in everything. It almost seems like they threw together some well crafted beats and layered some dark synth riffs over everything. Almost like a techno producer would remix a slow burning song for the dance floor. Don't get me wrong, it's not danceable. It seems like Massive Attack is so tightly secured in their genre that they cannot experiment with anything relatively new. The album goes on to be more of the same thing only differing by adding different guest singers. It is great for what it is I can assure you that, and those who are looking for more of the old Massive Attack that we know and love will find plenty to fall in love with on this album. However, for those looking for a slightly different pace and direction you will not find that on this album. Heligoland is out Feb 8th via Virgin. Rating: 70 -Lucas Young
A
SINGL MAN
LE
A FILM BY TOM FORD
A Single Man follows British expat George Falconer (Colin
Firth) over the course of one day as he mourns the loss of his longtime lover, Jim (Matthew Goode), and methodically, often wordlessly, navigates his working day as a college professor. Loosely based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood, clothing designer Tom Ford proves an exacting filmmaker with his directorial debut. The stark interiors, precise dialogue, orderly appearances and buttoned-up attire firmly establish the sexual alienation and lingering paranoia of the 1960s Cold War era, as each frame elegantly and excruciatingly captures the frustration of living a behind a veil. Ford and director of photography Eduard Grau create subtext through the use of a contrasting color palette. Flashback scenes of George and Jim are presented in black-and-white or deeply washed out tones that contrast vividly with George’s present-day. During a series of encounters with an adoring student (Nicholas Hoult), his best friend, Charlotte (an electrifying Julianne Moore), and a stranger
in a parking lot (Jon Kortajarena), which jolt George from his emotional stasis, the film is flushed with color and swells with musical score. If Ford’s presence is palpable in these scenes, Firth counters with an nuanced, intimate and intelligent portrayal of a man who hides a breaking heart beneath an elegant exterior. His furrowed brow and sunken face are mere brushstrokes of sorrow in his portrait of a man who dutifully obeys the social etiquette that prevents him from being able to grieve publicly. While Firth probes into George’s emotional restraint and Ford documents his physical seclusion, life and death are portrayed with beauty as much as they are with sorrow. For all its discipline and desolation, A Single Man quietly begins and ends with a kiss—subtle and tender—a rapturous celebration of a relationship that worked in a time it should have failed. Rating: 88 -Paul Coco
Tim Burton The Disturbing Genius
The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is known to be a place the houses groundbreaking and innovative art, but it always in the same mold: classy and only slightly peculiar. This season, the museum, known by MOMA to many, broke that mold. Starting in November, the museum transformed a large percentage of its third floor into a nightmare for the plain and refined: an exhibit dedicated to and partly designed by Tim Burton. A third of its way through its run in the museum, the exhibit has already become on of the most popular ever hosted in the museum, needing a special timed ticket to enter and creating a line that wraps around the entire floor, proving that Tim Burton is just an off-beat guy that makes weird movies. The exhibit is a guided, illustrated timeline of not only Tim
Burton’s entire career, but also his personal life. Many visitors are surprised to see that Burton, known almost entirely for his work on popular films such as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the upcoming re-make of Alice in Wonderland, has worked in other mediums. Visitors enter through a recreation of an illustration done by Burton, a gaping, gruesome mouth of an unidentifiable creature. From that point one is completely immersed in Burton’s world, and for people unfamiliar with his work, the sense of being plunged into something so original, mysterious, and to some, ghastly was physically evident on the facial expressions of people wandering around gaping. Long-time Tim Burton fans may not be shocked by the environment
of the exhibit, but are sure to be pleased by the collection provided for their viewing. Going as far back as the community service ads Burton advertised as a child for his hometown of Burbank, California, the pieces cover all areas of Burton’s body of art. Showcasing pieces ripped from Burton’s personal college drawing sketchbooks and even a grammar school report on comedy (on which he was marked with an 87), one’s eyes are drawn from one awe-inspiring doodle to the next.
Highlights from the exhibit include a walkway broadcasting each episode of The Adventures of Stanboy, an early cartoon done by Burton. For the exhibit itself, Burton and a team of sculptors brought alive images from his Creature Series, which include a moving, model carousel, featuring music done by Burton cohort Danny Elfman. The later part of the exhibit is sure to engage those most interested in Burton’s film career. The most crowded and slow moving room of the show is where all of the costumes, clay figures, and props from some of the most popular Burton films are kept. The first sketches for the Joker from Burton’s Batman, the individual heads of Jack Skellington showing all the different facial expressions used in Nightmare Before Christmas, the annoying robotic, singing children from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and even the razors wielded by Johnny Depp in Sweeny Todd. The exhibit is a wondrous
and thorough homage to one of the great creative minds of our time. It is a mind opening experience for those who were only marginally Tim Burton fans and an experience that breaks done the barriers of high art for all. The exhibit’s unprecedented popularity is hopefully an indication that people’s minds are opening and embracing the peculiar and unfamiliar. The exhibit is a must for any fan of Burton, film, and even modern art as a whole.
U + Me
could write a
romance PHOTOGRAPHY Shaun Scade & Stephanie Emmerzel CREATIVE DIRECTOR Willis Hip STYLISTS Jessica Wu & Tallas Lauren HAIR & MAKEUP Tallas Lauren MODEL Alexandra Pruden *All Vintage items from Divine & Decadence, http://www.divineplanet.com
Dress Stylists Own, Belt Straps by American Apparel , Gold Cuff Vintage, Bracelets Stylists Own, Tights Models Own
Dress Models Own. See Through Night Cardigan Vintage, Necklace
Stylists Own
Corset Models Own, Dress worn as Skirt Models Own, Necklace worn as Headpiece Banana Republic, Bangles Stylists Own
Lace Bra Models own, Velvet Cardigan Vintage, Skirt from Urban Outfitters, Tights by
American Apparel
Corset from Urban Outfitters, Disco pants by American
Apparel
Sweater Vintage, Shorts Models own, own Socks Zara, Shoes Models
own
Dress Vintage, Necklace Stylists own, Headband by American Apparel
BLOGGERS
musicians
We’re already 2 months in 2010, but that still doesn’t stop us from predicting the best new acts that we think will succeed this year. We’ve gathered 5 talented bloggers to write about 5 acts that you should look forward to. The bloggers also wrote about their blog and why you should read them daily. Confused? Turn the page to find out.
Photo: Guy Appel on Flickr
WE ALL WANT SOME ONE TO SHOUT FOR
“We All Want Someone To Shout For is the music blog of Will Oliver. It is a blog used to share the best new music with people, and the coolest songs you may have missed from your favorite artists. We All Want Someone is not limited to one genre, or style of posting. Will try’s to give his all in each and every post, complimenting the music he shares with a healthy body of writing. His goal is to spread the word about music and all he needs is someone to share it with! He has a slight obsession with the Arctic Monkeys, but there is plenty of other good stuff to find aside from the boys from Sheffield.” - Will Oliver / www.weallwantsomeone.org
LOC AL NATi ves
In today’s musical climate, it seems that any new band that gets some praise is rushed as the next big thing. Remember our old friends Black Kids? There is an overabundance of new bands out there trying to make a name for themselves. Our job as music fans is to choose who deserves our attention. After all, we are the ones who spend countless hours listening to their music, and making it a part of ourselves.
Local Natives is one of the best new bands around. I truly believe in these guys. They make music that sticks to rock and rolls pure roots, sounding organic and real. Their sound is not easy to describe, because they simply find a way to do it all. They harmonize beautifully, but they also chant. They find a way to pull beauty out of both means. Their harmonies are beautiful, while their compositions are often complex. They can shred on the guitar, and also nail a gentle ballad. This is why I believe Local Natives are one of the greatest indie bands to have graced the scene. Diversity is an important factor to any band. Any one trick pony is bond to die eventually. Local Natives have plenty of guns to stick with.
Local Natives are by far one of the most exciting young bands making music right now. It is going to be exciting to watch them grow this year. They are slotted to play at Coachella this summer, which should get their name further out there. It can be expected that other festivals are not too far out of sight either. Their debut album, Gorilla Manor, is going to be released later this month. It was released to acclaim in the UK, and we can only expect the same from The United States. It is a well balanced debut album that only gets better with more dedication. As the listener, you feel close to the band. You feel that they are singing with you, because, they are. They care about their music, and who is listening to it. Not too many bands have this special connection.
THEO phil us LoN don
When I was asked to do this piece about Theophilus London, one of the first things I asked was “Can I swear?” You see, when I get really excited about something, especially music, the filter on my mouth snaps off and flies around the room like an untied balloon farting out air. Theophilus London makes the kind of music that has that effect on me – the kind of music that gets me really fucking excited. Theophilus (Thee-off-ill-us) London. For a hip-hop artist, the name itself immediately signals that we’re dealing with something different – something different than, say, Algernod Washington (better known as Plies). Classifying his music simply as hip-hop is about as fair as calling Jimi Hendrix blues, but I’m not going to undertake the impossible task of trying to better label the Brooklyn artist’s sound in one word. On his latest project, This Charming Mixtape, Theo moves seamlessly through rock, soul, electro, postpunk, pop and new wave with an ease that leaves you a little confused and very enthralled after an hour of listening. It makes a little more sense once you find out that the man cites David Byrne, The Smiths, Brian Wilson, The Ramones, and Michael Jackson as some of his influences. Theophilus’ timing couldn’t be any more perfect. If he had been peddling this kind of music in the 90’s he would have been seen as an outcast by both Timberland-wearing hip-hop heads and greasy-haired rock fans. But things are changing. Jay-Z is going to Grizzly Bear concerts, Kid Cudi is harmonizing with MGMT, and nobody is going to give you a stink eye if you put Kanye West and Animal Collective on the same playlist. 2010 has an open mind and refined palate just waiting for someone like Theophilus. Theo’s latest single “Hum Drum Town”, a cleaned up and smoothed out track from his mixtape, is his most accessible song to date, proof that this wildly diverse artist can bring together his galaxy of influences to create a hit song that appeals to the masses. 2009 saw Theophilus building a beehive of buzz on the internet, touring with A-Trak, and capturing the attention of big name publications like Rolling Stone and The New York Times. What does 2010 have in store for him? There’s still no album release date announced (although he Tweeted me some inside information tonight: the album’s called I Want You), but there’s a good chance that you won’t still be mispronouncing his name in 2011.
Photo: Matthew Beedle
PIGEONS AND PLANES
“I started Pigeons and Planes in late 2008 because I realized how much effort it took to stay up to date on the music I liked. I couldn’t just go to the big hiphop blogs, I wasn’t satisfied with depending solely on the indie blogs, and there were thousands of things in between that I always struggled to keep up with. I started putting everything I liked into one place, whether it’s the starving artist or the industry darling - whether it’s polished mainstream hip-hop, an electro remix, or gritty indie rock. This is what I love. Pigeons and Planes.” - Confusion / www.pigeonsandplanes.com
Photo: Matthew Beedle
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hew ps
BOTH EYES CLOSED
“Love culture? So do we. The thing is, film and fashion are like those long lost ex-girlfriends you still have a soft spot for. Music is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. Both Eyes Closed is all about those moments, the moment in music that leave you with your mouth wide open, the moment that causes you to forget how shit your day has been, the moment that reminds you why you love someone. We are lost in the moment.” - Will Hines / www.botheyesclosed.com
10 songs in their first rehearsal session, whilst a dozen shows into their first tour, they were invited onto the Introducing stage at the 2008 BBC Electric Proms. Talent wins out.
Comparison is a cop-out. Case in point, on paper, London electropop trio Chew Lips could be a cash-in spawned by La Roux; electropop group, distinctive female lead with interesting hair cut, supported by shoegaze backing band. The comparisons end there. For starters, vocalist Tigs’ alto pipes are instantly more endearing and tolerable over an album than Ellie Jackson’s irritating screech. Crucially, Chew Lips decided to work with French label Kitsuné instead of signing to a major. It’s a given that 2010 will be their year, following a stratospheric rise to indie fame. After forming in Spring 2008, they wrote
This prolific, underground nature is a calling card, offering valuable ‘capital’ and an already extensive back-catalogue. This may see a second album/EP in the public domain before 2011, but it all depends on the potential of their debut, Unicorn. Success usually comes at a cost, with labels banging down the door and increased pressure. Fortunately, the band relish creative control and have other ideas. They consistently break the rules, leaving two of the strongest songs of 2009 (“Solo” and “Salt Air”) off their debut album, Unicorn. Their ‘living room’ sessions are hugely entertaining, recorded in bassist James’ box living room, which just about manages to accommodate their equipment for the impromptu performances. Blogotheque, eat your heart out.
To say that 2009 was a busy year for New York City’s softspoken front-runner Prince Terrence would be definition number two in the dictionary for overstatement. From appearing behind the drum sets for Santigold, Spank Rock and HEARTSREVOLUTION on tour stops around the world and incessant party hosting and DJ sets every step of the way, January 1 to December 31, 2009 were three hundred and sixty-five days of ceaseless working. But in looking at Terrence, he doesn’t ever come off as if any of this was anything less than the most fun he’s ever had. But 2010 is a bit different now for the 28-year old who grew up in Louisville, Kentucky and made his way to the Empire State. He’s still got parties to throw--like his new Thursday night affair at New York City's Darkroom called "Circa"--and DJ sets to appear at (not to mention whatever is to come in the future tense for Santi or Spank Rock or the HEARTSREV kids). The work isn’t letting up at all though, as last month Terrence debuted to the world his newest project: a solo affair that meshes New York City’s past, present and future tenses of rock ‘n’ roll--be it the Max’s Kansas City scene, the no wave skronk of James Chance and DNA or the Sunday punk/hardcore matinees at ABC No Rio and all of the socio-cultural contextual lines that run between them. The project, wherein he plays all of the instruments, penned all of the arrangements and lyrics, truly is a “solo” work, one that he’s dubbed Hussle Club. The music itself is rather different from the markers of his previous bands, a sort of dire New Wave full of hooks, songs that never seem to finish where they had begun, brimming with distorted guitar lines and step-step-step strutting married with lyrics that are, in
hus sle clu b
few words, full of substance. “My lyrics are a reflection of my journey, of life. I'm still young and have lots to learn but the things I've experienced thus far are projected through my music.” He continues, “It's a very simple concept. Cause and effect. Everything we've done, all of the good decisions, all the bad ones and all the sacrifices we've made have led us to where we are now.” It’s not disaffected, but rather clearly, affected. Which is weird for any sort of post-punk, new millennium music emanating from the downtown set here in New York. It’s the melancholic lyrics mixed with a triumphant arrangement on lead track “I Have High Expectations For What I Want To Be But In The Mirror I Don't See Them Staring Back At Me” that really works almost instantaneously and the empty spaces in “Loose Tights” are just as important as those that are filled with cinematic instrumentation and confessional lyrics. With lines like “Just look back, think about where you been“ on “High Expectations” and “This life is the best, but it’s killing me fast”, taken from “Loose Tights”, one can instantly sense the themes of fate and choice, of what Terrence has described as cause and effect. Of those, Terrence says, “Everyone can apply that to their own life, no matter what their passion is. If you look back at the timeline of your life you begin to realize that you've been on a path that seems destined and everything suddenly starts to make sense.” It doesn’t look like the remainder of 2010 will be any less busy for Prince Terrence and Hussle Club than 2009 was, what with so much praise and adoration that’s been coming his way since the new project debuted last month. Terrence’s journey, it would seem, is far from finding its end.
THE CULTURE OF ME “THE CULTURE OF ME is a music, art, news, mp3, and nightlife photography web site based in New York City. The focus is to consume for the consumer, provide resources of all kinds for the culturally needy, and document the lives of the people who would read the site. Think demographically of a VH1 Celebreality viewer who happens to peruse Paper magazine and seeks out open bars and killer DJ sets as often as possible.� - Jeff Meltz / www.thecultureofme.com
spencer jenkins
WE LISTEN FOR YOU
the pass
“We Listen For You is a music blog with opinionated writers with an equal passion for the stuff we like and hate. The meaning of We Listen For You is not as pretentious as it sounds. It simply means that we act as a filter, listening to five new albums a day (yes, five) and pass on to the reader what we like...and what we don't. We’re approaching our third year and refuse to litter our site with advertising…instead we personally make banners for things we love. We started to help people find out about smaller bands and nothing makes us happier than connecting a listener to a band they might not have ever heard about.” - Zach Hart / www.welistenforyou.com
Discovery is one of the greatest pleasures in music. Be it flipping through the vinyl stacks and finding that rare gem, stumbling upon a fantastic band’s myspace page, or showing up early for the headlining band’s opener that blows you away…it’s these serendipitous moments that makes music a spectacular experience. Standing in a dive bar a band began to pound away at their synths and immediately my toe began a tapping. As the artificial smoke cleared, my favorite band of 2010 was revealed: The Pass. The Pass is a Louisville band with great affection for 80’s synth music and sounds like a Phoenix and Passion Pit music smoothie. They self recorded a five track EP titled “Colors” that will be released Feb 23rd on iTunes and are currently recording their debut LP that will be mixed by Alex Aldi who has worked with Tokyo Police Club, White Rabbits, Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes and the Walkmen. With these two releases and an east coast tour in the works, The Pass are definitely my band to watch in 2010. The only thing better than the music is their high energy live shows that has people flocking to the dance floor like zombies to _______ (mall, amusement park, any crowded area where warm blooded individuals are shacked up). The Pass describe their sound as a“neverending quest for a balanced perfection of synthesizer pop and dance-floor psychedelia.” They’re a good bet for rising band of 2010 because they live in that comfortable nook where indie kids, pop lovers, dance maniacs, power jazz, free funk, chillwave fans…the point is, the band’s sound has a piece of happiness regardless of your genre preference. While discovery is an amazing part of music, sharing the discovery is even more invigorating. That’s why we started We Listen For You and I can’t think of band that I want to share more in 2010 than The Pass.
500 Days of Summer is a coming-of-age film about an aspiring architect, Tom (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) dealing with one of the last rights-of-passage before becoming a man...having your heart ripped out of your chest and smashed with a hammer (played by Zooey "cutest girl ever" Deschannel). Everybody has that one break up that destroys their reality for what at the time seems like eternity, and this film explores that experience in great detail. Think, Forgetting Sarah Marshall meets Garden State or a romantic comedy perceived through the eyes of the biggest hipster you've ever met...but in a good way.
The screenplay was written by two first timers (Scott Neustader and Micheal H.Weber) who have produced an amazingly well paced, structured and honest script. The other rookie attached to this refreshing film is Marc Webb, this being his feature directorial dĂŠbut. Before now he has been most famous for his work with My Chemical Romance, (say what you want about their music but you have to admit they have some nice looking videos like Helena, Black Parade, It's Not Okay) all directed by Marc Webb.
The directing, writing, and performances were all great, and we definitely recommend watching it if you haven't yet. The one, one, small quam I had with it was, it's pretty obvious this movie is targeted towards the artsy, American Apparel wearing, Pitchfork reading generation of today, which is fine, it's just some of it bordered on clichĂŠ. Both of them love the Smiths and in one scene they are shopping for Belle and Sebastian on vinyl while wearing a Joy Division Tshirt - like c'mon, really? They name drop indie references more frequently than Seth Cowan. Regardless of that one small complaint its still a great film, and to be honest I would watch a 4 hour movie of a girl doing her taxes if that girl happened to be Zooey Deschannel. Damn you Ben Gibbard! Rating: 81 -Matt Unsworth
Internet
The
Music Industry
and its effect on the
(And how you can save it)
The business world has evolved around us, and continues to evolve each and every day. Ever since the internet exploded onto the scene, businesses have been adapting in order to keep up with the fast pace environment which has been created among us. The Internet has opened up several doors, such as convenience, speed, accessibility but on the other hand has also caused several problems, most of which find themselves in the ethical department. For the music industry, the internet has brought the accessibility of any music only a click away and has created such empires as iTunes, Amazon Music and Pandora, but also has seen the collapse of record stores and other such downturns.
Photo: KWG73 on Flickr
The Internet has become one of the most useful and most important pieces of technology that has been utilized in order to advance the opportunities of a business. With the world developing into a place where speed is becoming something that is valued so highly, the internet has fed the fire of the consumers. Someone does not even have to leave their house anymore to mail something, make purchases, pay bills or even have business meetings. It has become so much easier to do almost every aspect of a business because of the Internet and because of this it has left the businesses more time to adapt and change other parts of their corporation. There is a place for everything a business has to do somewhere on the internet.
The Internet radically changes our ideas about how firms communicate with customers, and vice versa. Not only did it change the way that firms communicated with customers but also how they communicated with other firms. International contact no longer made travel necessary and a board meeting or business transaction could be as simple as opening up a video conference over the Internet. The Internet has also changed the way pricing is given out. Such websites as Ebay, and Amazon and many more have come to open up an auction type way of selling, as well as selling used items for a discounted price. The Internet wasn’t only good for the expansion of businesses, but also for the reduction of many costs,
primarily in the supply and demand chains. While the music industry differs in some ways from the regular businesses that are out there, they do share a lot of the same problems and successes as well as several other endeavors. Out of all of the businesses that are out there, the music industry might be arguably the one empire that has changed the most because of the advancement of the internet and technology. The development of the mp3 was possibly the greatest invention in the music world to this date. Mp3 allows music to be transferred through the internet which caused the creation of such programs as iTunes. But the creation of the mp3 goes so much
further than just the easiness of getting a hold of music. The mp3 has single handedly opened up every single door that has been opened in the technology age as well as closing all of the doors that were closed. The Internet cleared the way for mp3’s to be developed as an easy way to implement music into the Internet. The mp3 enabled the production of mp3 players which then led to the creation of mp3 playing programs on computers, and mp3 downloading programs. The more people enabled using this format, the easier it was for companies to benefit from this boom. Apple was at the forefront, creating both the iPod and iTunes which are two of the leading music related products out there. iTunes has created a database which is an
have full albums on there, one can also pick and choose what songs they want to buy for 99 cents which is a step up from how music used to be. Slowly, iTunes has expanded itself to also sell games, and movies, which has made the iPod so much more than just music. It used to be that one would have to buy an entire album in order to listen to the music that they liked, but what if there was only one song that was wanted, the customer was still stuck with the entire album, until now. With iTunes came the iPod which has become a worldwide symbol for music. Anywhere one can go, it is hard to not see someone with those white ear buds in their ears and an iPod in their hand. If it isn’t an iPod it is some other form of a device that plays mp3’s. But for those who still want hard copies of music, there are several sites that sell albums and cd’s for sometimes a cheaper price then they would get if they went to a record store, which has almost eliminated the need for these album stores. Lastly, the internet has created such services as MOG and Pandora, which enable a user to access a large database of music for a monthly fee. This removes the hassle of always having to worry about updating a music player, or consistently buying new music. The database keeps up with the most popular music, and both MOG and Pandora are now upwards of 6.5-7 million songs. They enable a user to compile a music library and also create playlist on their sites so that they can always come back and enjoy their favorite music. The possibilities of what is going to be available in the future are endless and the Internet will no doubt create a whole new world for music on top of what it already has. When entering into something, like the Internet, it will always have its consequences and the Internet has lead to piracy and illegal downloading which is turning out to be the main downfall of the music’s involvement with the internet. The combination of piracy along with the move to mp3’s and electronic purchase of music caused the closing of records stores left and right and even the closure of one of the most noted record stores, which was the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, New York City. The outside image of music has been collapsing around us, with record stores becoming basically
invisible to the up and coming generations. As each new generation comes forward, they are thrown into the vast technology age that we are in and learn to live their life by the Internet rather than through outside resources. It is fairly easy to obtain any piece of music that a person needs over the web, just by simply searching for it on any search engine. The easiness of finding this music for free has been highlighted, and more and more people are starting to follow the trend. More highly concerning than anything, is that of the internet piracy. It is no strange fact that CD’s, songs, and any other collection of music are being illegally downloaded all over the place which was never possibly before the introduction of the Internet. It has become a constant struggle for record companies and the sale of CD’s and other music to become profitable through the Internet era, and constant research and work is being put in to find some way to create revenue for themselves. While such ventures as iTunes, Pandora and MOG are generating ideas that generate the most revenue among the down falling music companies, music downloads are causing a substantial decrease in music sales. The rate at which people are illegally downloading has just continued to grow from year to year and is starting to reach a breaking point where we are at in today’s society. What tends to be the main reason behind the illegal downloading craze is the simple fact that the music is free. While music is mainly downloaded by the younger generations, where money is a main problem, they are reluctant to spend the money that it takes to buy every song and album that they have in their possession. It is extremely hard to prosecute and first off all catch every single person who downloads illegally or shares their
files, but some have been caught and prosecuted in attempts to try and make an example. There are new ways popping up left and right for the consumers to get around the legal barriers of obtaining music which creates the persecution of illegal Internet pirates to be caught. While the record companies and that side of the music industry are struggling to survive the Internet age of music, artists are equally being affected but they seem to be the only ones who are coping and adapting to how the Internet has affected them and their music. While the majority of artists are still not making anywhere near the amount of money that artists used to make before the Internet came into play, they are still managing to find ways to create revenue and profit among themselves. A lot of musicians are going along with the illegal download phase and offering up a lot of their music for free, or at least some to create a buzz around them so that loyal and dedicated fans will eventually pay their dues and support them. The more an artist can connect and does connect with their audience, the larger following they obtain which in turn causes the eventual support to come and then sometime down the road the money will catch up with them for the most part. Most artists survive along sponsorships, concerts and eventual album sales. Even though it seems like the Internet is making the music industry a dying art, there are people out there determined to save it and continue to support the music.
What the artists, themselves are doing is the first step for the music industry. There has been constant on-going research onto what the music world can do in order to not only stop piracy but along with that save themselves. Ideas upon ideas are being thrown around every day and while we started taking steps towards an effective future, it is clearly being seen that music is a far leap away from conquering these problems of piracy and declining profit. It has only recently that more effective solutions have been introduced into the business world, and only growth can come from these processes. While the Internet has turned the music industry into a whole new powerhouse, with music becoming a primary source in many peoples’ lives, it also has caused the struggling slow decline that it has been entered into. Going deeper into the Internet, it not only has been able to transform the music industry into the more effective giant that it is today but the Internet has been doing to this business upon business from continent to continent, all over the world. -Chris Rogo
Photo: PieroVis’ciada on Flickr
John
jupiter
BJ jake
HEALTH:
John: Fuck, these chocolates are really good. BJ: Yeah, the one I had was really good. Jupiter: I’m allergic to chocolate but I’ll eat one anyways. BJ: You couldn’t have ruined my dinner even more, I’m eating chocolate and drinking beer! Willis: Have you guys eaten dinner yet? John: No, what’s good around here? Willis: There’s a good café called The Blue Plate 4 blocks from here and a good sushi place just down the block called Japanese Village.
When HEALTH came to Edmonton for a show, we had to track them down and chat with them about subjects like their future projects to Jay Reatard. Absent during the interview was Jake, who wandered off before we even started the interview (were we boring?). We gave them a box of chocolate, of course.
The Interview
Photography and interview by willis hip & JASMINE SALAZAR
Willis: What made you guys want to form a band, and what was the concept behind it? John: It’s not terribly interesting, we get asked that a lot. When we started we just wanted to be a band. We didn’t like how we sounded so we tried experimenting and then we came up with our concept. Willis: Where did the name HEALTH come from? John: We just thought of everyday words. Willis: Were there other names that you wanted to use? John: NUMBERS, MEDICINE, both of which were taken. Jupiter: Satellites. John: That was a joke, remember? Willis: What’s it like living in LA and touring to a place like this, especially in the middle of our winter? John: Oh, it was pretty mindblowing. I mean, looking at this (points to outside the window) BJ: (while chewing on chocolate) This was mindblowing right here (pointing to the window), all the snowcaps and stuff. And look at the Flamingo! (there was a plastic flamingo outside with snow covered over it) John: I’ve seen all of this before and it’s always fake. There are like, fake dioramas that look just like this. Willis: Being on the road you must meet interesting people all the time. What was your craziest encounter with a fan? Jupiter: That last time we’ve been in Edmonton there was a guy dressed up as a wizard and it was around -20 outside, and he was drunk as fuck. He was waving his arms out because he needed a ride. BJ: Meeting Nine Inch Nails was pretty crazy. Willis: How was that? It seems like a big deal, how’d you score touring with them? John: I don’t know! Willis: I heard some crowd members threw things at you. John: They threw bagels at us. But it was in Jersey so if they’re not throwing pretzels at you then there’s something wrong with them. Willis: What are some of the best upcoming artists right now? John: PICTUREPLANE, Go Panda.
Willis: So for ‘GET COLOR” you guys held a contest where you snuck in 66 golden tickets into CDs and one winner gets a chance to party with you in L.A., while others were a lock of your hair or a poster autographed with your own blood. John: I think 20-something tickets are still out there to be claimed. BJ: Jupiter’s mom is actually a psychic, so one of the prizes was for her to read your shit on the phone. Willis: Did you get that idea through Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? John: Pretty much. Willis: Did anyone win the big prize yet? John: Yeah. That’s Daniel Walsh from Brooklyn, New York. We’re going to the All Points West Festival at the end of March. Jupiter: We’re going to give him the time of his life. BJ: We’re going to surprise him, he’s gonna be the honorary drummer for the year of 2012. John: We’re going to videotape it all and it will definitely be on the internet.
Willis: So you guys are debuting an internet TV show titled HEALTHvision, tell me about it. John: Yeah, that’s going to be a wild of works. I think we made some mistakes saying stuff that we were gonna do, that we’re definitely going to do, but slowly. Willis: When are you guys planning to actually release it? I’m really curious to see this all come together. John: Probably sometime later this year. We just have a lot of heavy touring on the way, so yeah. Willis: So I’m curious to what this project to be about. Is it a reality show? John: No no, the opposite of a reality show. Kind of like a reality show I guess, but we’re going to write scripts. BJ: Skits. John: There’s no format to it. The first episode will be kind of like a reality show but from then on we’re going to break it. BJ: Will Ferrell is actually guest starring in it. He’s actually producing it. Willis: (only I didn’t get the joke) How’d you manage that? BJ: Just kidding! You guys we’re like ‘wow…that’s amazing’.
Willis: Tell me about your clothing line. When is it out? John: It’s going to be a one-of-a-kind shirts. But that’s not coming out until December. Willis: What kind of influenced you to do that? John: Wu-Tang. Willis: You guys posted a tweet on Twitter on October 9th of last year: “thinking bout the next album. totes done w aggressive/sad classic rock vibez. melodic dubstep blisscore // hip-hop influenced noize 4rlz”. What is this about? John: I didn’t write that. Did you write that? Jupiter: No, I didn’t. BJ: What? Jupiter: Sometimes we don’t sign out of our Twitter accounts on other computers and people will mess around with that. John: I thought you wrote that? Jupiter: Maybe Alex wrote that? John: I remember we got a couple of comments about that so I guessed Jupiter wrote that. We were in Amsterdam that day, I think. Willis: Does this have anything to do with a new album? John: We’re working on our remix album. HEALTH DISCO 2, which is going to come out in June. Willis: Who did you collaborate this time for this project? John: We’ve got Javelin, BJ: CFCF, Tobacco. John: We’ve got a lot of remixes. What we’re doing now is making sure that we’ve got enough of remixes to make a good album, make sure it flows, and sometimes there’s some good remixes that we can’t put on there just because it doesn’t flow.
Willis: I also read that you guys are going to play a couple of shows with Die Antwoord in France. How did you guys hear about them? John: The way we heard about them was like “Hey, you’re playing a show with them in France, you’ve got to check them out”. And then I think one or two days later they exploded on the internet and everyone was talking about them. Apparently, on Twitter today everybody was talking to me about Die Antwoord. Jupiter: So how did YOU hear about them? Willis: Just on blogs and Twitter. John: Oh, so like everyone else. Our booking agent sent us this thing and then our manager twittered to find out about this and then that was retweeted by our manager’s friend and then from there it snowballed. And now everyone including us is crazy about Die Antwoord. Willis: Are you guys fans of Jay Reatard? John: Yeah! We didn’t know him that well. I think the first time we met, we played Pop Montreal. We never knew him really. Willis: Dead or alive, who would your dream collaboration be with? John: Umm…some classical composer. Not that I want to work with them so much but that he’s from the past that I want to wake him up and it’s like a fish out of the water movie and I show him my car and computer and shit and he freaks out. Jupiter: I think I would want to do a duet or side project with Jesus.
Willis: How would you describe your sound in one word? John: CLAAAANG. BJ: CRRRRRR Willis: We found a comment on some blog and they were describing your sound as ‘sex music’. Do you think this is relevant? John: That’s actually pretty true. BJ: I’m actually a sex drummer. You guys think so? Jupiter: Sure. John: I felt your sex through my ears. Jupiter: We actually have stories. I don’t know if they’re appropriate… BJ: Well let’s just say we got rid of the bongos for a reason. Willis: When you guys first started out, Crystal Castles collaborated with you guys. Do you think they helped build up your fame to what is is today? John: Yeah. BJ: That’s actually how we came here in the first place, we went to Edmonton for the first time with them. Jupiter: Without Crystal Castles we would not be talking right now. John: Yeah, that’s true. We wouldn’t have been anywhere near Canada. We went to Regina, Quebec, Montreal, etc. BJ: That’s also how I figured out it was pronounced Regina (Ruh-juy-nah) and not Re-gee-na. Willis: What do you guys think of Hipster Runoff? John: Oh, I always like that blog. I think it’s really funny and that it’s really interspective with all of its questions. The only thing I don’t like is that the site doesn’t take a
stance on very many things, and I would love it if they actually took a stance on a specific opinion. Willis: 3 songs that have to be on your iPod playlist for roadtrips? John: “Country Roads” by John Denver, BJ: “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I’m not saying that’s my pick, I’m pretty sure that would be a consensus.. John: Usually for road trips pop music is the best music to listen to. BJ: Oh, and Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska”.
Willis: If you guys weren’t in the music industry what would you be doing? Jupiter: I would be a fourth grade teacher. Willis: Why 4th grade? Jupiter: Because they’re still cool. They’re not a total asshole yet, but they’re smart enough to talk to them. I was a substitute teacher before this. Willis: Do your exstudents know that you’re in a band now? Jupiter: I’d like some of them to were like, “Yay! Mr. Keyes is here”, and now they’re listening to the band. Willis: If your music could be converted to a type of food, what would it be? John: Burritos. Or nachos. BJ: Burritos are pretty good.
BRAVING THE Photography Creative Director Stylists Hair & Makeup Models
Shaun Scade Willis Hip Jessica Wu & Tallas Lauren Tallas Lauren Deanna from HiHi-Fi Models, Kayleigh
Fur vest by Zara, Belt by Guess, Dress Stylists Own
Fur vest by Zara, Fur Coat Vintage, Belt by Guess, Shoes
Stylists Own
Dress by H&M, Belt Stylists own, Fur Jacket Vintage, Mink stole Stylists own
On Deanna: Deanna Fur Jacket Vintage, Leather Gloves Stylists own, Necklace Stylists own, Tights Models own. On Kayleigh:h Dress Stylists Own, Skirt by H&M Fur Vest by Zara, Tights Models own, Boots Models own
Shirt Models own, Tights Models own, Fur vest Vintage, Belts Vintage & Stylists own