Fall 2019
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Foreword: Vinyl Tap appears at every semester’s end like clockwork, somehow - Anonymous
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David “Memphis Slim” Lefkowitz circa 1897
Laura “Rock &” Reitze 1963
Emma “Peace Rocks” Shahin 1967
Laura “Hip To the Groove” Tutko 1977
Barrett “Format of the Future” Smith 1983
Eamon “Bill Clinton” Raftery-Sweeney 1989
Jack “Snow Miser” Stewart 1994
Brigid “Swaggy” Cryan 2001
Joseph “Tiktok King” Kim 2019
Isabel “I Come In Peace” Haber 3019
Tori “Mighty Overlord” McCaffrey
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This September marked 60 years of WCWM at William & Mary, our diamond anniversary. So, we took a welcome opportunity to delve into our history, as Vinyl Tap, and as a radio station. You’ll find some pieces about our well-loved basement station, and lots of photos discovered in Special Collections and brought to life by our design team. And, as always, we’ve got an excellent campus act feature. It is my second semester leading Vinyl Tap, and all I can say is that it’s been a joy working with such a creative tight-knit group of students. Without them, this issue wouldn’t exist. If you’ve made it this far, I hope you enjoy the contents within. Thanks for giving us a chance, this one’s for posterity. - Tori McCaffrey Editor-In-Chief
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Contents A Conversation With Vreschen
Vreshen talks artistic integrity, solo act struggles, and playing this year’s WCWMFest
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A Look Back At Old Vinyl Taps 16
Jack Stewart takes a peak at ye olde Vinyl Taps
Vinyl Tap: The Album Covers
Vinyl Tap goes back and fixes the covers of some albums we love
WCWM In Photos
A visual retrospective
In Event of Demolition
A love letter to a door
Album Reviews
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Our staff provides their collective two cents
Weyes Blood 38 Blood Orange 39 Ameer Van 40 Danny Brown 41 The Avett Brothers 42 7
Art by Brigid Cryan 8
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Words by Tori McCaffrey This November I sat down with one of my favorite campus acts, Vreschen, amongst the box towers of vinyl in the radio station. We talked about artistic integrity, solo act struggles, and playing this year’s WCWMFest. So I guess just to start with, a general introduction? How old are you, and when did you start making music? My name is Vreschen, or Jacob Daum, I’m 21 years old. I started writing music technically in 2013, though I started writing in earnest in 2014. What does that process look like for you? The process basically started when I found this acquaintance of mine from another friend who was writing music and putting it onto Soundcloud through Logic Pro X on a Mac. I really wanted to do that...this was in my freshman year of high school. But I didn’t have Logic Pro X which is like $200, and I didn’t have a Mac. I did have an iPad though, so I went on the app store, searched for some apps and I downloaded the Korg Gadget app. I’ve been using that one along with a bunch of other apps ever since. Are those all free apps? Or, relatively low-cost. Not the Korg Gadget one, the initial cost is like $40. A lot more affordable than $200 though..How would you describe the specific genre of music you make? For a long time I’ve always wanted to just say it’s electronic music, because I do so many different things. Recently though I’ve been focused more on a genre called minimal techno. It’s much more atmospheric, much more laid back than regular techno. Do you listen to regular techno? I don’t listen to a lot of stuff based on genre I’m kinda always just bopping around. I’d say I’m not well-versed in any one genre. Outside of your solo act, what are some of your musical involvements? I sing with the William & Mary Choir, I’m part of Radio Club. Does playing WCWMFest count? Yeah! There’s that too. Aside from that, I’ve tried to
write some tracks for people doing online video games and I think there was a commission or two. Aside from that, not too much. In terms of Vreschen, where does the name come from? What does it mean to you? Could you describe the process of figuring out you wanted to do a solo act and how that works for you? Well, I always wanted to do a solo act, that was never in doubt. I was just like Hey, I’m doing this! The name Vreschen actually came from me mishearing a lyric. You know “Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation? In the original version there are words spoken in the middle of it and I mistook it to hear Vreschen. I was like “Huh, that sounds pretty cool. I’ll use that.” So it doesn’t mean anything to me, but to me it’s just the main part of what I do.
“They didn’t put my stage name down, and it was just me hooked up to speakers playing my music for 40 minutes.” That’s awesome! How long would you say you’ve been creating music that you perform as Vreschen? The music that I felt like could be performed started about a year after I started writing. I wrote something, performed it at a talent show, then I did that for the next few years at my high school. I have done one or two shows on campus or housing near campus where I play my music. The problem with my software is that when you switch between songs you have to switch between files. There is going to be some silence between them. I need to find an app where you can switch seamlessly between things. That’s why I’ve been doing mashup DJ-ing among other things. In terms of playing on campus, do you have a favorite performance that you’ve done, or a favorite place to perform? When I was in my freshman year, a month after I got here I was approached by I think, Meridian, or Meridian affiliates to play a house party thing for 40 minutes. It was really weird because they were not expecting an electronic act. They didn’t put my stage name down, and it was just me hooked up to speakers playing my music for 11
40 minutes. But people really enjoyed it and I enjoyed it as well. Would you say you like the act of performing? And the audience interaction that comes with that? I mean, I always love it when people like my music. Definitely hard to dislike that. Yeah, it was just a really pleasant surprise being my first gig here and really a great success. Where was it? At Meridian? It was not at Meridian, at a house south of Meridian. Oh, that’s awesome. Would you say you have a solid creative process fleshed out for your music? Or is it more sporadic than that? It’s a mix, but more sporadic. Usually what I tend to do is create the melody first and then base everything off that. One of my old music teachers said that a lot of what I do is based on phrases - where I repeat phrases and build off phrases over time. Yeah, there’s a lot of that but I don’t really have a process in mind. Do you have any musical inspirations? That’s an interesting question...a lot of my inspiration tends to come from my subconscious. There have been very few artists, probably that I can count on one hand, who have directly influenced me about stuff that I want to do, stuff that I want to write about. But, out of those...there was an artist by the name of Process, who influenced the fact that I wanted to write minimal techno music and that’s been something I’ve been writing for pretty much an entire year now. So that’s a pretty major influence. Brian Eno got me into writing more ambient music though I had already heard ambient-esque music through classical music and other things. There were some other artists when I was younger who not only got me into electronic music but got me into the things that I kind of write now. Those were more like subconscious. Totally. Do you have any favorite artists of all time? Process is one of them. He’s a really obscure English artist who was active in the late nineties to early 2000’s. I really like him but it’s also interesting because he kind of dropped off the face of the Earth. Brian Eno is one, though I don’t really listen to his stuff that much. Have you heard of 12
Of Montreal? They’re a favorite of mine, they’re really cool. Even though they don’t influence my music that much. They’re super fun. Another minimal-techno and tech-house called Ricardo Villalobos. He got me pretty much into electronic music. Those are some of my favorite artists. I tend to be very selective with what I listen to so it’s a really great thing if I can listen to an entire album and I like all the songs. What do you think is the greatest challenge of making your music and performing and what is the greatest reward? The greatest challenge comes in continuing to find ways to write music. In six years I’ve written over 300 songs, so at times it can be really hard to come up with a new idea, especially considering that I’ve really gotten a lot out of Korg Gadget software. I’ve used other things which is why I’m continuously looking for new apps, but I always come back to this one. The challenge is coming up with new ideas and trying to sustain that process. I consider it to be a disappointment if I don’t put out a song every month. Which, to other people, would be like “Whoa, okay.” My reward is finishing a song and finishing a song in a way that I just really enjoy. I can go back and listen to it over and over again. Because, creating music is something I hope other people will like but it’s also something that I want to enjoy as well. What was playing Fest like? Different than playing another venue? The first difference about Fest is, it’s probably the biggest concert I’ve ever performed at. Even when I was doing DJ-ing at other places, I was doing it at like AMP or Lodge 1 or the Meridian, it wasn’t that large of a venue. WCWMFest was a really massive stage and it was kinda like “Okay, a little bit more pressure.” It was also a lot louder. I could feel vibrations going through my chest continuously, I think I actually suffered some hearing loss. It was also different just due to expectations I put on myself, I tried applying for WCWMFest for the past two years and now that I’d come on it was like “Okay, I need to do this without any mess-ups.” Looking back, watching the videos my parents ended up taking I was like “Wow, that sounds really good.” immediately afterwards though, I was like “Eh, okay how good was it?”
Yeah, I feel like it’s kind of hard to avoid that immediate self-reflection and putting it on a grading scale. Yeah! So WCWMFest is something I’d love to do again, but it’s very different from a lot of things. I missed most of WCWMFest I’d say, just running behind the scenes errands, but I did hear the beginning of your set and I was like, “Wow, this is really cool.” Because I’d never heard you perform before, though a bunch of people have at Meridian but I never make it out to those shows.
So definitely something post-grad you’re still looking into doing? Yeah, definitely. I’m thinking about options, probably thinking about going to a music department someplace else. But I don’t want to stop doing what I’m doing. Is there anything big I’ve missed that you wanna cover? You’re kind of putting me on the spot! Oh, I definitely am.
I think me being more accustomed to DJ-ing rather than playing my own music, I think more people know me by that rather than “Oh, you create your own music.”
Do you ever feel like you ever want to draw too much attention to yourself? Like “Hey, buy my music it’s on Bandcamp or Soundcloud.”
“The greatest challenge comes in continuing to find ways to write music. In six years I’ve written over 300 songs, so at times it can be really hard to come up with a new idea”
On the one hand, I want people to know my music but on the other hand, I don’t want to pressure you to buy my music or like it if you don’t want to. So that’s always just been something I have trouble with.
What would you say your end goal for Vreschen is? If there is one? I have some goals in mind, I’ve been trying for about a year now to get onto a label. I kind of am but I need to put out music for it. I guess the continuous goal right now is to get more well known while still creating music that I like. I’ve been in situations before where I’ve tried creating music for people and I’m thinking “This isn’t really something I want to do.” Or even “not exactly something I want to do.” Definitely, like maintaining that true artistic integrity. Yeah, and I’ve told people that and they completely understand. So, the current goal is to keep writing, get more well-known while keeping true to myself. I don’t always want to write music that other people need to hear. I want to write music that I want to be able to listen to.
I feel like that’s definitely a struggle for anybody who’s producing content in that way.
Yeah, for sure. I think it’s hard to find the line of like promotion and then tasteful promotion, especially on a campus this small, where it feels like you’ve already run into most of the people who are going to know what you’re talking about. It is really hard sometimes to kind of do music in a bunch of different genres and then look at other acts and think, “Is it true that I’m a jack of all trades, master of none, because I don’t want to be?” I want to be able to do all types of music and be at least competent in them. Yeah, and that’s a benefit to being a solo act rather than a campus band as we’ve known them. Staying within one genre isn’t a bad thing, just not something I really want to do. You can stream Vreschen at soundcloud.com/ vreschen and buy his music at vreschen.bandcamp.com
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Art by Brigid Cryan 15
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Words by Jack Stewart Art courtesy of Vinyl Tap Archives
The opening line of the very first Vinyl Tap, published in the fall of 2012, reads “Calm the fuck down! This one’s mine.” A jarring but intriguing start to a magazine that seems intent on irreverence. The line is actually a quote from Action Bronson, the headliner of the show that was written up to open the issue. Alex Cousins, the writer in question, seems to really enjoy the fun of putting swear words in his article by simply quoting someone else who swore1, a really lovely loophole that I plan on using often in the future. The magazine is short 2, and consists mostly of free form concert write-ups of shows that weren’t even in Williamsburg3. In fact, it seems that many of the writers on Vinyl Tap’s inaugural issue spent the summer of 2012 attending concerts in New York City, the capital of cooler-than-you music writing. The first feeling engendered by the articles really is a certain type of jealousy. I think the best thing a concert write up can do is make the reader wish they were there. Suddenly PBR4 soaked nights at swanky NYC bars becomes the ideal summer, and if nothing else I’d like to have been a fly on the wall, just to see the man that Cousins was looking at when he imagines the archetypal man as a “bespectacled and flannel-clad double-fister”5. The writing that stands out the most in these pieces is the brief and almost-poetic ways that the writers attempt to invite you into the space that music is forced to exist in. I don’t know how much the music matters once you’ve spent 80$ on drinks on a rooftop bar overlooking Manhattan.
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I’m also doing this.
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Or at the very least shorter than the current iteration of Vinyl Tap
I think my favorite article in the magazine is written by Caitlin Goldblatt. In fact, I even decided to copy her style of in-text footnotes6 as a little cheat to say whatever I want. Her article asks an interesting question: Is Music Even Good? There are few things I find as attractive in writing as the crushing self awareness I find in Goldblatt’s article. All of this7 is sort of silly,
I think this article provides us with a kind of thesis about what Vinyl Tap is: a bunch of kids deciding they want to make something, even if it is a little silly. and Goldblatt knows it. I think that music writing needs to make fun of itself a little bit to be salient to any audience, and I think this article provides us with a kind of thesis about what Vinyl Tap is: a bunch of kids deciding they want to make something, even if it is a little silly. They want this thing to be theirs. And it is. Vinyl Tap hummed along for another four and a half years after it’s first issue, publishing its final issue in the Spring of 2016. The magazine is even more sparse than the issue years prior. There aren’t any show write-ups or album reviews. Instead, the magazine is mostly populated with pretty little vignettes, lively meditations on what music really means to the writers. Rachel Smith’s article “A Great Meditation On Being Alive”8 reads like a poem to me. She calmly, carefully describes the end of Beethoven’s life 9 and his struggle to
Although ironically most of the show reviews are from the CMJ Festival, a recently defunct New York City music festival that took place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Or maybe there were simply Williamsburg folks present? It’s unclear. 3
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Pabst Blue Ribbon, a beer company from Milwaukee
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In the interest of full disclosure: I’m wearing glasses and a flannel as I write this. I’m not double fisting.
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Which I’m sure she borrowed from someone else. We all stand on the shoulders of giants.
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Life.
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Specifically the poem Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota by James Wright.
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deal with the fact that he was going to die soon. She tells us the story of how a still sick Beethoven produces his 15th string quartet, specifically the third movement. Smith describes the piece as “a prayer of thanks after his illness”, a sort of offering to the musical Gods. It’s long10 and it has varied pacing 11, which Smith says makes it a daunting piece to perform. All of this is communicated efficiently and with a tremendous amount of care, a sort of matterof-fact love letter to a piece of music. At the end of the piece, Rachel says “i was an inpatient for a week last semester, and when i got out of the hospital, this movement was the only thing that could get me to feel anything”. This is starting to feel like the whole point to me. A lot of the articles I read in the older magazines feel almost jumbled upon first read. On the surface there is no thru-line, and the style and format of the magazine over the semesters is only consistent in its inconsistency12. But still, it’s filled with a lot of little beautiful, alive moments that remind me what music writing should be. Whether I am taken to a rooftop concert in New York City or I can try to understand another’s pain through a Beethoven symphony, the old Vinyl Taps give a shit. They feel something about music, and they want us all to know. In my eyes there is no sin in the flailing attempts we all make to get someone else to see how we feel. This is all that music writing 13 can really hope to be, even if the words don’t come out right the first time.
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Plagued by health issues, familial struggles, and social alienation.
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About 17 minutes.
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In fairness it doesn’t seem particularly complex. But I know nothing about classical music so I could be completely wrong. I welcome hate mail.
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I know this is a cliche. I welcome hate mail.
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Anything.
Vinyl Tap: The Album Covers Vinyl Tap - Abbey Road (2019)
The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)
Vinyl Tap - Queen II (2019)
Queen - Queen II (1974)
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Madonna - Like A Virgin (1984)
Vinyl Tap - Like A Virgin (2019)
Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) (1993)
Vinyl Tap Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) (2019)
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The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
Vinyl Tap - White Blood Cells (2019)
Lucy Dacus - No Burden (2016)
Vinyl Tap - No Burden (2019)
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Art by Laura Reitze 23
WCWM: Then & Now
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Radio arrived at William & Mary 60 years ago, and it hasn’t left since. Swem Special Collections has a deep well of photos and flyers from WCWM’s long and storied history. Here are a few highlights: 25
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... and, 60 years later,
not much has changed.
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In Event of Demolition A Love Letter to a Door
Words & Photos by David Lefkowitz
Sprawling across those hallowed, oh-so-heavy station doors, the stickers make up a sort of oral history of WCWM. The story they tell is sparse, “ass appeal” symbolic, mysterious even. Something between a prehistoric cave painting and bathroom stall graf“Life’s a toilet! Drink it!” fiti. Like any ancient history, the names of those who wrote it have been forgotten. I don’t know who was Music Director in 1984. I don’t know when we got our hands on that Fahey Christmas Amen. record. Hell, I couldn’t even tell you how old half our furniture is. But I do know that at some point, someone went to see a band called “Revolting So read the hallowed words of our forebears, Cocks” and liked it enough to slap a sticker on the the words that greet every DJ upon their first arriv- station doors. Isn’t that better anyway? al to the station. The words that wave them goodThe story they tell is sparse, bye as they breathe their last breath of that cool, faintly musty basement air and step out of Camsymbolic, mysterious even. pus Center forever, never to return again. They Something between a precover the station doors: short, to the point, even eloquent in their own special way. Some say that historic cave painting and if you read them all aloud without interruption, bathroom stall graffiti. all former WCWM station managers, living and dead, will appear in the studio at once. Almost everyone has a favorite sticker someAlright, fine, that last one may be debatable, but where around the station. “Front Porch Society,” whether you choose to believe that Ted Hunnicut “Michael Cera Palin,” the “Save the Vinyl” sticker can be summoned by ancient magicks or not, it is smart-assedly slapped up on the CD shelves. My undeniable that these stickers mean something to personal favorite is not the aforementioned “Mass all of us. Labels long-gone, bands you’re pretty Appeal” sticker missing its first letter, but that ersure you’ve heard your uncle talk about, a long- rant little “m” hiding in an entirely different locastanding laundry list of albums listened-to and tion. Every time I see it makes me chuckle and gigs gotten-to. Plenty of those stickers are older look around for its crasser older brother. I wonthan me, some by a pretty hefty margin. Slapped der how the original culprit would feel, knowing together so haphazardly, however, there’s some- that somewhere, some kid is laughing at a joke thing less tangible that hangs over them, some- they made before he was born. The story these thing far greater than the sum of its parts: a story. stickers tell is not a history of events, but of people. It’s made up of little moments like these, jokes Our story. between friends, snippets of laughter still hanging in the air decades later.
“One Tribe”
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the view from the hallway
an interior view of the same door
america’s favorite rock & roll bands
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an earnest request
the studio door contains multitudes
well played, stranger 32
Perhaps the most poignant message etched across those doors, however, isn’t a story at all. Scrawled in green Sharpie, barely legible among the chaos, it appears in the same spot on both doors. “Donate to Special Collections in event of demolition.” The words seem oddly serious amongst the carnival of oddities that surround them. Yet, sooner rather than later, we all may be thanking the radio gods for putting them there. In a few years, the station will likely be moving again, downsizing to a new, still-hypothetical wing of the Sadler Center. It’s a stark reminder that, long as all of this has been here, none of it is permanent. The walls of vinyl and graffiti, the knick-knacks and oddities scattered throughout the station, and yes, even the doors – none of this will be here forever. So slap up your stickers while you can, ‘cause within a decade your chance might be gone. As for the doors, those people’s museums of WCWM’s first 60+ years, rest assured that they’ll be safe: this time in a real museum.
clearly candidate maloney had some friends on the airwaves
words to live by 33
Art by Brigid Cryan
Weyes Blood Titanic Rising Sub Pop/April 5 Before we begin, it’s important to know that Weyes Blood comprises only one person, and that person is Natalie Laura Mering. When she was fifteen years old, she performed under the name “Wise Blood,” which she took from the novel “Wise Blood” by Flannery O’Connor. Later on, she changed the name to “Weyes Bluhd” and then, finally, to “Weyes Blood.” One interesting fact about Natalie is that she was born into a very Christian family, and she believes that church music heavily influences her music. She does not draw inspiration from the content, or the idea of God, but, instead, the concept of a “sacred space” and being able to express the “sound of your soul” in this space. Now, let us paint a musical canvas. Imagine something fantastic for me. Natalie Mering has a voice with a timeless quality to it. Her tone is reminiscent of the melodic pop legend, Karen Carpenter. The two singers’ voices share a warm, inviting timbre that flows like silk. Their voices may be smooth, but they will not retreat into the background because beautiful voices demand to be heard. Accompanying Mering’s voice are instrumentals as groovy and mind-numbingly hypnotic as the music of Alvvays and Elton John. Try listening to “Harmony” by Elton John and then “Andromeda” by Weyes Blood. You may be caught in a stupor for several minutes, trying to sort out the many layers of theme, emotion, and production. That is what psychedelic rock and dream pop is all about, baby. Thematically, Weyes Blood’s music is representative of ‘the present’ in its truest form. Although the album contains many nostalgic characteristics, the album simultaneously incorporates effects that are typically associated with elements of futurism. For example, this album includes a myriad of synthesizers. Additionally, Weyes Blood discusses the danger of a potential apocalypse in the future but seems to believe we can stay optimistic, joyfully looking up to the sky, while catastrophe destroys our apparent reality. As Pitchfork discusses, Titanic Rising alludes to the scene in the ’97 film, Titanic, where the string quartet continues to play their music until the ship is completely submerged into the deep, dark ocean. I did a little more delving into the film, and 36
discovered that the song the string quartet performs is called “Nearer, my God, to Thee;” a 19th century hymn. Consequently, one of the songs on Titanic Rising is called “Nearer to Three,” and it is one of the only instrumental pieces on the album. It is also an orchestral piece, which provides a deep connection between the two songs. “Nearer to Thee” also mirrors many of the chord progressions heard in “A Lot’s Gonna Change.” Wowza, one could even argue that this is a concept album! Weyes Blood seems to claim, through many of their songs, that living in the moment is necessary; especially when impending doom may lie ahead. Basically, nothing matters, so we might as well have a great time. Natalie Mering, in “A Lot’s Gonna Change,” sings about how “a lot’s gonna change in your lifetime,” and that we should “try to leave it behind.” If we do not leave it behind, we will waste the few precious moments left before the end of the world (as we know it). The idea that there is a fine line between existentialism and humanism continues throughout other songs on the album as well. “Everyday” by Weyes Blood sounds super upbeat and lovey -dovey, but Natalie is actually talking about how she is terrified of loneliness to the extent that she will accept bad love. She loosely describes interactions with others who also ruminate over the social implications of love. This song’s deception reminds me of “Care of Cell 44” by the Zombies, as the lead singer of the Zombies, Colin Blunstone, sings about how excited he is to see his girlfriend again after a long time. The entire song sounds happy if one does not pay attention to the lyrics. However, as the song progresses, the listener finds out that his lover is in jail. Titanic Rising provides themes that are not entirely black or white; the present reality exceeds simple categorizations, stereotypes, and overgeneralizations. The future, similarly, is unpredictable and not worth thinking about. The overwhelming weight involved in living every day is effectively represented throughout the entirety of this album, and that is why every human should invest 42 minutes in listening to it. -Emma Shahin
Blood Orange Angel’s Pulse Domino/July 12 Blood Orange’s new mixtape, Angel’s Pulse, pulls you straight from your bedroom and spits you out into the 1990’s. While Freetown Sound and Negro Swan succeeded in setting up a vibe Blood Orange would mold himself around, this new addition played around with a different theme. Songs like “Gold Teeth” make me envision a red-hot convertible driving through the suburbs, bumping to old school rap while the car skims the blacktop. “Dark & Handsome” paints the scene of a kick-back at a friend’s backyard, teens drinking warm beer they managed to nab from their parent’s stash. There’s a distinctly nostalgic feeling that Angel’s Pulse imparts on listeners of all ages. Although technically a 90’s baby (1998 represent), I didn’t get to experience the songs of MF DOOM or Lauryn Hill in their prime. This album rebuilds that connection, sampling iconic soundbites layered over beats. Strong female vocals (features) mixed with Dev’s hauntingly smooth voice form this alternative rendition of 1990’s/2000’s R&B.
“Although technically a 90’s baby (1998 represent), I didn’t get to experience the songs of MF DOOM or Lauryn Hill in their prime. This album rebuilds that connection, sampling iconic soundbites layered over beats”
Noteable Songs: Benzo: Not only do I think this song slaps, but Dev himself thinks it slaps as well. The song transitions from being slower and pensive, to more upbeat and hopeful. In an interview with Genius, Dev said “This is one song where I think the mix matches the mood.” And listening to the track, you’ll fully understand. It’s about knowing that the people around you don’t see your worth, but by thinking that, you realize that mindset only contributes to this lack of self-worth. So, instead of getting hung up on that idea, it’s better to not care. Birmingham (ft. Kelsey Lu, Ian Isiah): While most of Dev’s songs off of Angel’s Pulse are upbeat and groovy, Birmingham takes a different feel. In this song, Dev references the church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama during the 1960’s. This somber song is filled with anguish- pain drifting throughout the lyrics. It mourns the children lost, lives shattered, and the sense of peaceful community destroyed. The lyrics are actually a poem called “The Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall. It’s truly beautiful. Good For You (ft. Justine Skye): This song emulates the R&B that reels me into the 90’s, with smooth female vocals by Justine Skye. It signals the stress of a failing relationship, especially after personal growth/change. I personally found this song notable because the instrumental taps very well into what I believe his overall vision was- a revival of R&B with an alternative edge. Gold Teeth (ft. Project Pat, Gangsta Boo, Tinashe): This song has been on repeat ever since I binged this album. It’s distinctive from the other tracks, because it deviates from R&B and leads more into the Hip-Hop of the 90’s. Not only this, but it features Gangsta Boo, which is a female rapper who kicks ass (& because representation). This style of rap stems from Dev’s obsession with Three 6 Mafia, which is an iconic rap group from the early 90’s. -Emma Burleigh
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Ameer Vann Emmanuel Vagrant/September 18 It’s nearly impossible to talk about this new Ameer Vann EP without briefly mentioning the tumultuous history of its creator. Vann first came to prominence in 2017 as a member of the hip hop boy band BROCKHAMPTON, who released three albums that year to critical acclaim, with many fans perceiving Vann as one of the most pivotal and prominent members of the group. Just six months after the release of their third album, Vann was kicked out of the group after sexual misconduct allegations came out against him. The band later addressed and expanded on his departure in their latest album, Ginger, accusing him of setting up a mutual friend to be jumped in the early days of the group. Throughout all of this, Vann has remained completely silent, until now. Emmanuel represents a comeback, a reset, a chance to clear his name. It’s a shame, then, that this EP is not very good. It starts with the title track, which features a simple, dark beat and Vann taking the time to address some of the allegations that got him here. The beat isn’t all that interesting and the verses are only okay on this song, but at least he attempts to apologize. While it’s decent of him to start like this, it’s the only time he exhibits any remorse for his past actions. For the remaining tracks, Vann comes off whiny and self-serving. On the song “Los Angeles”, he says that he “lost his friends to Los Angeles” as opposed to his shady behavior. This is a dumb line in its own right, but it pales in comparison to “Sunday Night” where he whines that his friends should’ve stuck with him. To me, it doesn’t seem like he understands why people are as mad as they are. Besides the painfully awkward lines about the allegations, he raps about more or less the same thing he always rapped about during his BROCKHAMPTON days: drug use, his “demons”, selling drugs, and occasionally a line about money or depression. The hooks across the board are complete garbage. His rhymes are only so-so and his flow should sound very familiar to fans of the Saturation trilogy. Going into this EP, I was hoping to hear some growth from Vann, but it seems as though he’s treading water. The only song I find somewhat promising is “Glock 19”, which features a passable hook and some fun lyrics as well. 38
“The beat isn’t all that interesting and the verses are only okay on this song, but at least he attempts to apologize. While it’s decent of him to start like this, it’s the only time he exhibits any remorse for his past actions. For the remaining tracks, Vann comes off whiny and self-serving” Vann works with new producers on this EP, and the sound is a departure from that of BROCKHAMPTON. Overall the beats on this project are pretty good, with a highlight again being “Glock 19”. The beat has this vocal sample throughout the song that I like quite a bit, and there’s a lot of energy in both the track and Vann’s voice. I also like the trippy, bouncy, and growling beat on “Sunday Night” pretty well too; if the lyrics weren’t total garbage I might even consider this a good song. I find little pleasing about Emmanuel. Even if a few beats are catchy and fun, Vann’s cringey bars, terrible hooks, and recycled flows make a grating, awkward listening experience. Only the most hardcore Ameer fans will enjoy this EP. -Eamon Raftery-Sweeney
Danny Brown uknowhatimsayin? Warp/October 4 Danny Brown is one of the most unique rappers making music right now. His insane production, his yelpy vocals, and his descriptive, dark, and sometimes downright hilarious lyricism make projects like his breakout album XXX and 2016’s Atrocity Exhibition some of the most haunting and grittiest hip-hop of this decade. This album feels so different, yet familiar to some of Danny Brown’s other projects, and I think this has to do with uknowwhatimsayin¿’s lack of sonic or thematic cohesion. The lack of any binding force makes the album feel less strong as a complete work, but it doesn’t make it any worse. Uknowwhatimsayin¿ is much more fun and diverse compared to other works by Danny. The album opener, “Change Up,” is much more low-key than some of his previous works. The beat here is eerie, but not haunting. The same goes for the lyrics, as there isn’t as many gritty details that have made Danny’s work challenging at times. In fact, the same goes for several of the songs on here. Yes, they involve the highs and lows of Danny’s come up, but they never go into the extreme detail of his life with the exception of the album’s lead single, “Dirty Laundry.” This track shows Danny divulging the details of his many bad sexual encounters, which also act as a clever metaphor on sex addiction. To Brown, these encounters are just about putting another load in. Not only do the lyrics stand out on this track, but the Q-Tip produced beat makes the track so vibrant and standout. The next track, “3 Tearz” features verses from Run the Jewels as well production form JPEGMAFIA. The slide guitar sample, El-P & Killer Mike’s verses, Brown’s delivery all come together to create one of the best singles that have come out this year. The great features don’t stop there. However. Flying Lotus and Thundercat which includes a juicy bass line and a high tempo, jazzy beat. Peggy also shows up to deliver the hook, which sounds like a Pharrell impression. It still fits on the song, nonetheless. Danny brings a steady and smooth flow on the next track, over a spacey and ambient production on the next track, “Shine.” Blood Orange ties the song together on the chorus.
The lyrics on this album heavily focus on Danny Brown’s come-up and the dangers he put himself in, which is weird because never in the album did I ever feel any type of urgency and danger. This comes from the fact that most of the stories Brown tells are merely stories and remain in the past, best highlighted on the track “Best Life.” The beautifully-produced track is simultaneously a reflection on the past and celebration of the present, but he most importantly, he assures his audience that despite the lyrical content of his previous work, he is in fact, living his best life.
“The lyrics on this album heavily focus on Danny Brown’s come-up and the dangers he put himself in, which is weird because never in the album did I ever feel any type of urgency and danger. This comes from the fact that most of the stories Brown tells are merely stories and remain in the past” If Atrocity Exhibition puts the listener in the middle of Danny Brown’s addictionfueled hell, uknowwhatimsayin¿ puts the listener in Danny’s state of reflection on what he went through to get to where he is at now. Even though this album isn’t as frantic or experimental as others in Brown’s discography, it still stands out and is one of the best rap albums of this year. -Barrett Smith
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The Avett Brothers Closer Than Together Republic/October 4 After nearly twenty years of producing albums filled with love ballads and selfreflexive ponderings, The Avett Brothers have shifted their style, not in terms of musical genre, but in regards to the messages their lyrics portray in their new album, Closer Than Together. Perhaps their well-established foundation is what they needed to feel comfortable enough producing such a blatant sociopolitical record, despite their assertion on social media that they “will probably never” make such a thing. As an avid fan of The Avett Brothers, I feel quite conflicted about this album. It took a few listens for me to get used to the spoken word interruptions in songs like “High Steppin’” and “Tell The Truth,” and for my toes to tap to the varying beats, ranging from passionate rock and upbeat pop to the band’s signature sound of tranquil folk pickings and piano ballads. After digesting the underlying morals of each song, one notion is assured: this album marks a shift in the band’s changing style, age, and social agenda. Following a three year hiatus after the release of True Sadness, the band’s previous album, it was gratifying to finally hear the full version of “C Sections and Railway Trestles,” a song featured in their recent documentary, May It Last, as a tribute to Seth’s newfound fatherhood. This song accompanied by “Who Will I Hold” reflects the struggles of band members like Seth and Scott Avett, as well as others, who are practicing letting go of their growing children. Ballads like “When You Learn” and
“In contrast perhaps to their past endeavors, this album is not only a reflection of the band’s political standings but a portrait of their growing age, marked by the trepidations of fatherhood, especially in light of America’s contemporary social issues. I agree with their efforts and assertions and support what they are doing, but I worry that their message was a little too cynical” 40
“Tell The Truth,” also carry this notion of loneliness and deep reflection, showing the sadness the brothers feel in their middle age. Staying in the realm of personal narrative, songs like “Bang Bang” and “New Woman’s World” offer the personal political opinions of the band, without any artificial stories to hide behind, or frankly, any tunes to sing along to. “Bang Bang” offers a sad and jaded perspective on the entertainment industry’s focus on violence, asking people to turn off their “bang-bang shoot ‘em up movies.” Although this song’s lyrics are relatable and pacifistic, I don’t find myself wanting to belt out the somber lyrics. Similarly, in “New Woman’s World,” the band aligns itself with the growing presence of social and political female leaders. However, with lines like “I can’t wait to see what [girls] do with what’s left of the world” and “I know we are giving you a lot to straighten out” because “It used to be a man’s world but we ran out of steam,” the song feels cumbersome, as if they are shifting the burdens of the world onto women rather than supporting them, feasibly lifting the blame off of themselves. In a similar vein, the Avetts offer their observations of societal themes, in part by reflecting on the stories of others. For example, after a long-winded acoustic narrative of John, a boy dealing with the brokenness of his family, “Long Story Short” ends rather tersely with “Long story short, best I can tell, children can’t be left to raise themselves.” This statement, of course, ties back to the concerns of parenthood that the brothers face while moving towards a more political artistic message. Additionally, “We Americans” provides a general reflection on the scars of colonization and slavery that are still present in society, stating that “accountability is hard to impose of ghosts of ancestors haunting the halls of our conscious.” Although haunting, this song is the bluntest and most critical approach to American society that the Avetts make on the record, especially since they recognize their own faults in contributing to the problems that plague modern society.
Overall, Closer Than Together is self-reflexive and poetic, home to the familiar sounds of the brothers’ guitar picking and harmonies -- but is it comparable to the previous work of The Avett Brothers? In contrast perhaps to their past endeavors, this album is not only a reflection of the band’s political standings but a portrait of their growing age, marked by the trepidations of fatherhood, especially in light of America’s contemporary social issues. I agree with their efforts and assertions and support what they are doing, but I worry that their message was a little too cynical. The heavy and thought-provoking lyrics of their ballads are not ones to sing along to, but rather to reflect upon. However, this reaction may be exactly what The Avett Brothers were going for.
responsibility for their intentions. Despite all of this commentary, the optimistic, Avett-loving fan in me, however biased, likes to view this album as one filled with love songs focused on what America could be, or should be, rather than ones that focus on past lovers and pretty girls in airports, because for The Avett Brothers, it is ultimately all about love. -Laura Tutko
Furthermore, the band’s denial of the album’s sociopolitical nature seems like a cop-out. Seth Avett even said in his online statement that “The last thing the world needs is another piece of sociopolitical commentary.” Did the band want to save themselves from any blame they may have for contributing to the polarizing shifts in the country’s political scene? Although their clever crafting of an album is intriguing, it might have been easier to enjoy if they had taken full
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Art by Brigid Cryan
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Haiku Reviews Harry Styles Fine Line never was a big fan, but something about this one I can’t help but love. - David
Free Nationals Free Nationals free national’s groove helps lift up my winter mood better than fine line - Laura T
KAYTRANADA BUBBA long awaited noise many impressive features good, not life-changing - Tori
Brockhampton GINGER deep thoughts in sick rhymes samples as good as ever who needs ameer vann? - Laura T
DJ Shadow Our Pathetic Age twenty six songs run the jewels, dave east, pusha attention seized - Tori 43
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