The Wake Issue 2 Fall 2018

fortnightly student magazine

volume 18 — issue 2

Honoring Justice Ginsberg

p. 8

Q&A with Love Sequences

p. 16

Why is Art So Relaxing

p. 9

#UsToo

p. 20

Vinyl Highway

p. 11

AJJ and Kimya Dawson Love You

p. 22

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Art by Megan Smith

OCT 22—NOV 5

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 2 EDITORIAL: Editor-in-Chief

Tala Alfoqaha

Managing Editor

Chris Shea

Cities Editor

Olivia Hultgren

Voices Editor

Farrah Mina

Music Editor

Megan Hoff

Online editor

Becca Most

Copy editors

MaiLei Meyers Hannah Haakenson

Multimedia Editor

Sebastian Alfonzo

Multimedia Producer

Daniel Elder

Editorial Interns: Hannah Olund, Sylvia Rani, Esther Chan, Jimmy Cooper, Emma Chekroun, Mathryn Merta, Callum Leemkuil-Sherman, Abbi Kiesau, Autumn Sanders, Kelsey Bolander, Tosin Faseemo

PRODUCTION: Executive Director

Jamie Rohlfing

Production Manager

Olivia Novotny

Creative Director

Megan Smith

Finance Manager

Ella Hennen

PR/Ad Manager

Sophie Stephens

Social Media Manager

Macie Rasmussen

Art Director

Morgan Wittmers-Graves

Designers

Nicole Faouen Annie Judd Semira Mesfin

Web Manager

Nikki Pederson

Distribution Manager

Cassie Varrige

Production Interns: Jennifer Ta, Claire Redell, Jack Nachtigal, Madison Amland, Shay Jerabek Art Interns: Selena Philaphandeth, Emily Jablonski

THIS ISSUE: Writers

Grace Enfield, Esther Chan, Hannah Olund, Alexandra Larson, Sylvia Rani, Š2018 The Wake Student Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for students at the University of Minnesota.

The Wake was founded by Chrin Ruen & James DeLong.

Disclaimer: The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole.

To join the conversation email talfoqaha@wakemag.org.

Emma Chekroun, Megan Hoff, Maya Ulrich, Jimmy Cooper, Kelsey Bolander, Olivia Hultgren, Macie Rasmussen, Tosin Faseemo Art 1 Selena Philaphandeth 2 Megan Smith 3 Morgan Wittmers-Graves 4 Emily Jablonski 5 Brighid de Danaan 6 Jennifer Moss 7 Semira Mesfin 8 Grace Scherwenka Q&A photos courtesy of Love Sequences.

The Wake Student Magazine 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455

Bambi and Politics of Living art from original album cover.

Cover & Feature art by Emily Jablonski

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wink! one page magazine

WHAT KIND OF PERSONALITY DO YOU HAVE? 1) Your ideal coffee is

a. Iced

b. Latte

c. Frappuccino

d. No coffee 2) Which of these would be your dream job?

a. Artist

b. Wall Street Executive

c. Paleontologist

d. Senator

5) Which celebrity do you want to be best friends with?

a. Jennifer Aniston

b. Bradley Cooper

c. Cardi B

d. Tom Hanks

6) A perfect way to spend a Friday night

a. Hanging out at a coffee shop with your friends

b. Binge watching 90s sitcoms that aired on NBC

c. Goofing around in a fountain

d. Netflix

3) What kind of pictures dominate your Instagram feed?

a. Food

b. Landscapes

c. Selfies

d. Dogs 4) How do your friends describe you?

a. Thoughtful

b. Like Ross from the show “Friends”

c. Adventurous

d. The chill one

7) In your opinion, good friends are

a. Hard to find

b. Always hanging out in each others apartments

c. A group of people that include Matthew Perry

d. Also your sister played by Courteney Cox 8) Paleontology is

a. Lame

b. A pseudoscience

c. The best

d. Ross from the show “Friends”

If you answered mostly with: a: Ross from “Friends” b: Ross from “Friends”

c: Ross from “Friends”

d: Ross from “Friends”

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OCT 22—NOV 5

INSIDE

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Letter from the Editor

10/5—10/31

10/28

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Wilson Library 50th Anniversary

Haunted Basement

Mill City String Quartet

Immersie horror theater, created by a community of avant-garde artists

Lloyd Ultan Recital Hall

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Nordic Designer Brings Vibrant Colors to MPLS

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Vinyl Highway

16

Q&A with Love Sequences

18 21 23

World Music & Problematic Labels Angry & Credible: Women Can’t be Both Review: “Bambi”

Building 9 of 2010 East Hennepin Ave.

10/20—10/31 BareBone’s Halloween Extravaganza A Larger than life puppetry show by BareBones productions

11/11 Found Footage Fest

C

Showcasing videos found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters throughout North America Heights Theater

Hidden Falls Regional Park

10/23 Kali Uchis

B

w/Gabriel Garzón­-Montano First Avenue

A

10/26 Mitski w/ Overcoats First Avenue B

10/28 Festival de las Calaveras Twin Cities Latinx music and arts festival, family art day El Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Luca (CTUL) C

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Letter from the Director Hello friends!

With temperatures dropping, leaves falling, and Halloween approaching, we are in the heart of fall; both the season and the semester. There seems to be something magical about this time of the year.

Maybe it’s the changing colors of the trees and the crisp, chilly air we become graced with as we walk out of our midterm exams. Or maybe it’s the apple cider and pumpkin pie. Either way, I hope you are enjoying the present.

As I reach my final year here at the University of Minnesota and take on this role as Executive Director of Wake Magazine, I find myself looking at this idea of the present in awe. How did I get here? How did we get here? How did it lead up to the point that you found yourself holding this copy of The Wake and seeing the works of such a vast array of students from the U? In such a fast-paced world, so deeply focused on the future, it is often difficult to live in the present.

Many (myself included) spend each day waiting for the next. Waiting for the weekend. Waiting for a vacation. Waiting for the next big thing. We seem to forget to find and truly feel the present moment and live in the now.

Feel the chill of the breeze on your cheeks.

Embrace the times spent laughing until your stomach hurts. Take, at the very least, a few minutes each day to focus exclusively on yourself and relax. If we spend each day waiting for another day, can we really enjoy our lives?

That is my challenge to you. Live in the now. Be present. Find out what it means not just to be alive, but to truly live. As Dave Matthews Band said, “the future is no place to place your better days.”

With love, Jamie Rohlfing Executive Director

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OCT 22—NOV 5

CITIES

Through the Eyes of Latina Choreographers

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Northrop welcomes Latin Dance Company to its 2018-2019 dance season

BY GRACE ENFIELD Drenched in red light, the company members of Ballet Hispánico gracefully made their way onto the Northrop Auditorium Stage on Thursday, October 4th. The audience fell completely silent, captivated by the elegant and powerful movement. Each dancer was just as strong and agile as the next, with passion and dedication radiating from every inch of their body as they explored the stage. Their eloquent and emotional expression directly reflected Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro’s “vision of social equity, cultural identity, and quality arts education for all.”

During a quick pause in the first act, the Rehearsal Director, Johan Rivera Méndez, explained how each piece came to be. “Brazos Abiertos,” the first piece of the night, was choreographed by Michelle Manzanales. Her piece was inspired by her own experiences, such as being tangled up within two cultures: her native Mexican culture and her new American culture. Her integration of solos and duets within her large group sections explored individual stories of struggle, along with impactful additions of humanistic movements. The second of the three pieces, titled “Sombrerísimo,” intertwined the search for identity with the all-male cast.

Through a combination of traditional motions and more contemporary elements, the dancers suggested that there truly is a divide between the two worlds. Finally, “3. Catorce Dieciséis” (the number of pi, 3.1416 in Spanish) explored how life’s circular motion moves us all in various ways. Although Méndez described this piece as “an abstract concept,” it beautifully and clearly incorporated elements of everyday life.

What was most remarkable about this show was the sheer amount of students who attended the show. According to Northrop Artistic Director, Christine Tschida, approximately 500 Spanish Department students were in the audience among everyday spectators. Upon leaving the theatre, those very spectators seemed at ease, as though their busy academic lives didn’t exist.

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THE WAKE

Not Just a Building, but a Legacy Wilson Library’s 50th anniversary connects us to the past

BY ESTHER CHAN On September 23, Wilson Library celebrated its 50th anniversary. In the light of this milestone, it would be easy to spout out a list of what makes Wilson worthy of celebration— its resources, collections, spaces, collaboration studios, the list goes on. However, the anniversary’s significance lies in the intangible, something that cannot be reduced to a grocery list squeezed onto a brochure.

While researching for this article, I stumbled across photographs of students from 1968. With those grim expressions and heads bent over desks, it was a mirror image to the students around me.

Hunched over in the glaring artificial light of Wilson Collaboration Studio at 10 p.m., what struck me wasn’t the astounding knowledge of the resources available at my fingertips— no, what left me in awe was the realization that 50 years ago, another student sat in this building. Another stressed, confused about life, barely an adult, individual with books in hand, also exhaustedly plopped down at a desk in the name of higher education. The parallels teased my brain and made me wonder, “How many faces have these walls heard and seen?

How many triumphs, tragedies, losses, gains have intersected in this very building?” It was a realization that this 50th anniversary wasn’t just celebrating a building’s age, but its legacy.

With an open-house celebration on October 1, the library held events with games, snacks, button making, and more. An “Explore the Past Challenge” scavenger hunt led students and faculty down a timeline to 1968, including physical items from the year it all began. These celebratory events are evidence that for 50 years, Wilson library has been a valued institution. They are a testament to the fact that this library is now more than just an institution for loaning books. It is a sanctuary of academia, a gathering place for celebrations, a center for students to connect—it is a centerpiece for community.

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Honoring Justice Ginsburg, and Protesting Brett Kavanaugh The importance of speaking up and speaking out 2

BY HANNAH OLUND Two organizations came together to fight for gender justice and represent victims of gender violence at Northrop Auditorium on Thursday, October 4. The University Pro-Choice Coalition and Naral Pro-Choice America partnered to hold a viewing of the documentary “RBG” and a Night of Vigils. This night honored the accomplishments of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, all while protesting the election of Brett Kavanaugh. The mission of University Pro-Choice Coalition, who organized the effect, is to protect reproductive rights and freedom, as well as promote sexual health and education in the community. Naral ProChoice America, another contributor to the event, is focused on fighting for abortion rights, birth control, paid family leave, and ending pregnancy discrimination.

Before the Night of Vigils took place, pro-choice posters, anti-Kavanaugh posters, and battery powered candles were handed out to the small crowd gathered in the plaza outside of Northrop.

Before beginning, we took a moment of silence for victims of sexual assault, bowing our heads solemnly and listening to the chilly wind blow hard against us. While the Night of Vigils was a protest against the election of Brett Kavanaugh, it was also a protest against the possibility of overturning of Roe v. Wade. Leaders from both organizations spoke with passion about the importance of taking a stand against Kavanaugh and against sexual assault in entirety. A member of Naral spoke about how a woman’s choice and control over her body are essential, that there should be no second option. She stood proudly and said, “We are going to take the power back.” This statement stood as a reminder of the importance of standing for what we believe in.

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We had just gotten out of an inspirational screening of “RBG,” a documentary detailing the life and impact of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, before the Night of Vigils took place. The documentary was shown in a small auditorium that was packed to the brim. Every seat was taken, and people were still flooding in, trying to sit in every available space. The organizations hosting the event began with a brief introduction about who they are and their missions. The crowd played a quick round of Supreme Court trivia, and then the documentary began. “RBG,” or Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, still sits on the Supreme Court today as the second woman ever elected and the oldest member of the court at the age of 85. She has made monumental impacts on the social structure of America throughout her lifetime.

According to “RBG,” Justice Ginsburg effectively “changed the way the world is for women” today.

While attending Columbia Law School, Ginsburg was one of just nine women in a class of over 500. At that time, it was very uncommon for women to go to college for a bachelor’s degree and especially rare for women to pursue an even higher level of education. Because of this, Ginsburg explained, women were outsiders, constantly treated as weak and inferior. But that did not stop her. Ginsburg was extremely passionate and motivated by her school work.

While she was attending law school, Ginsburg’s husband was diagnosed with cancer. She managed to care for her sick husband, complete both his homework and hers, and take care of their two-year-old child. Because of these experiences, Ginsburg began to realize her ability to persevere.

As she was working her way up the professional ranks, Ginsburg became aware that, because of the way society functioned, being a woman was considered an impediment. So, she set out to change this. Once Ginsburg became a lawyer, she started covering cases concerning sexism and gender bias. She had a strategy, and when implemented, she won case after case. She began chipping away at the wall society had built to hold women back. Justice Ginsburg stands today as a figure of female power and independence, wrapped in grace and femininity.

Possibly inspired by the courage of Ginsburg to stand up to the social norms during her time as a lawyer, during the Night of Vigils, many men and women took a stand against sexual assault. Person after person spoke about their direct experience, an experience in their family, or a close friend. Their powerful messages were respected and were always answered with, “We hear you, and we believe you.” It was clear just how important it is for us to fight to end sexual assault. Speak up. Speak out.

OCT 22—NOV 5

Nordic Designer Brings Vibrant Colors to Minneapolis Why is Art American Swedish Institute exhibit showcases Nordic fashion design and sustainability in Minneapolis So Relaxing?

BY ALEXANDRA LARSON During a week of rain and fog, stepping into the vibrant, “Gudrun Sjödén—a Colorful Universe” exhibit is a welcome rush of warmth and delight.

Gudrun Sjödén’s exhibit showcases the Nordic designer’s fashion designs, textiles, photographs, and writings and will be at the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in Minneapolis until October 28.

Greeted by giant cloth paint brushes suspended from the ceiling over a paint palette table, it feels like intruding on an artist’s studio. Bright floral watercolor paintings hang on one wall, and polka-dotted designs worn by more human-sized paint brushes line the other. Photographs and a desk take up space in the corner, showing Sjödén making her designs by hand in Sweden. Her bright white hair, colored glasses, and lively layered tunics make her look like a warm-hearted Nordic Mrs. Weasley, ready to make anyone a sweater.

The exhibit is part of ASI’s focus on “The Handmade” for its 2018 season. “With Gudrun, we’re honored to present the Midwest debut of an exhibition celebrating this innovative and internationally acclaimed designer and to delve into the connection between art and a forwardthinking company led by and inspired by women,” the CEO of ASI, Bruce Karstadt, said.

Continuing up the second and third level of the institute, the exhibit incorporates videos documenting Sjödén’s technique. One video shows the process cotton goes through. Another plays to folk music, displaying models dressed in wool and felt strapping on skis in the snow with Nordic-style braided hair.

“A Colorful Universe” tells the story of a designer building a sustainable and empowering fashion company through both successes and challenges. The mixture of whimsical colors, textures, videos, photographs and paintings is a pleasure for the senses. One museumgoer said it best when she exclaimed, “Oh this is really... cheerful.” Hours and admission info can be found on the ASI website, asimn.org.

Students pay $5 with an ID.

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Exploring the ways in which art can help students slow down

BY SYLVIA RANI In a fast-paced world of deadlines and social media, the University of Minnesota can be a highstress environment for students. Now more than ever, students are realizing the impact that stress can have on their well-being and seeking healthy ways to manage it.

The WAM Collective, the student group of the Weisman Art Museum, hosts regular study nights and yoga classes for students in the peaceful gallery space. The Weisman provides an oasis away from the pressures of the outside world.

It’s a place to unwind, relax, and reset. But what is it about art in particular that makes time seem to slow down?

The Weisman utilizes PERCEIVE cards to guide viewers to a place of understanding with the art.

The cards ask questions like “What do you notice?

Imagine using all your senses. What feeling do you get from the image?” “What does the image make you wonder about? What more do you want to know?” By asking these questions, students can ruminate on what the art means to them. This can be done individually or with a group, and ideas can be shared to grow a collective understanding of the artwork and each other.

Besides helping students explore the art, these questions serve another purpose—getting students’ minds off of stress. “In our ever-busy, cult-ofproductivity culture, we often get caught up in what we just did or what we need to do,” Katie Covey, student coordinator at WAM, said. “But viewing art slowly demands our full attention—that we live in the present moment.” Art is what the viewer decides it to be. One could go into the museum and quickly pass over each painting or sculpture, thinking little of the colors and shapes that fill the space. Or, one could go into the museum and spend hours looking at a single piece, finding respite in the brushstrokes and ascribing meaning to each curve. It is in this way that one can de-stress from the outside world while gaining an understanding of the things in front of them.

For students who are under pressure by deadlines and exams, the museum offers a tranquil setting where the present moment is the only moment that matters.

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ART

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Art by Samantha King

OCT 22—NOV 5

FEATURE

VINYL HIGHWAY An audiophile’s guide to the LP galaxy EMMA CHEKROUN

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FEATURE

It’s a hard job spending all afternoon sorting through records, having great coffee, and talking to passionate music lovers, but someone must do it. I have graciously sacrificed myself to this cause, to review some of the more popular record stores in the Twin Cities area.

Whether you are only now trying to get into collecting records or have been collecting since your dad passed down all of his old Led Zeppelin LPs, this brief list will, hopefully, serve as a start to finding your new vinyl paradise.

CAYDENCE RECORDS & COFFEE One of the few record stores in the country to pair espresso and vinyl, Caydence is a hole-inthe-wall you can’t afford to miss out on. The St. Paul neighborhood where this beacon stands is up-and-coming and not entirely where you might expect to find great coffee and music, which makes it all the better.

Upon entering Caydence, a Thin Lizzy playlist filled the background, setting the tone for the shop.

There was so much energy in this empty (save for two punk dads) coffee shop. Chad Medellin, one of the owners, buzzed around behind the counter airing his opinions on the shop to someone who can only be assumed was a regular customer and/ or friend.

The shop is intimate to say the least, and it is not hard to tell Medellin is fond of what he does, just from watching the way he lovingly delivers each customer’s drink to their table.

The youth of this shop lends it a fresh, hopeful feel that can be hard to find in larger chain record stores, or even some of the smaller ones. It doesn’t take much talking with Medellin to understand that this shop is a product of passion.

“Coffee pays the bills, records pay us, and it’s cool right?” Medellin testifies. “Who doesn’t like records?”

When asked about his most notable record find, Medellin leapt up like a kid on Christmas, and bounded to the basement only to return with a truly odd synthesizer sex duet from the early 1970s.

Just to give you a taste of what you can find here.

Not only will you find great top 500 records as well as eclectic bops here, shop patrons can also look forward to hardcore music shows, concerts, and chitchat. This month alone Caydence already has 11 shows scheduled, which go from Thursday to Sunday most weekends.

For all young collegiates, there is no need to fear as these concerts are open to all ages, something Medellin and the other owners strove for when opening the shop. The goal sounds almost heroic when Medellin talks about the “void” in this neighborhood for coffee and music, and the admirable intent of creating a space in this neighborhood that they love; a sentiment almost as heartwarming as the strong coffee.

The bottom line is, if you like good strong simple coffee, top 500 mixed with diverse one-off used records, and a warm music-loving crowd, this gem is for you.

The room reeked of that beautiful used dusty cardboard scent you only find when you put a perfectly scored, used copy of Bob Dylan’s “Blonde” up to your nose.

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ELECTRIC FETUS Just a highway drive away, Electric Fetus lies right outside of MN 65, resting on the outskirts of about any drive taken to get off of the University of Minnesota campus. From the outside, Electric Fetus resembles one of the dozens of curio shops and antique stores you may see at any given time in any given part of the country, with its barred windows holding a myriad of fake plants and mismatched props. Fitting, as the shop has been around since 1968, but that sense of nostalgia fades the instant you enter the store.

Greeted by pursed smiles, a nauseatingly sweet candle aroma and row upon row of placid shrink-wrapped vinyl, my heart sank.

Before I scorn the shop too harshly, I must admit; yes, there are a lot of records, yes, they are not poorly priced, and yes, most are new. Electric Fetus has all the stereotypical makings of a record store with its array of incense and stash cans but it feels less like a record store and more like an overpriced giftshop superstore.

It felt like I was promised the hip beatnik 60s and received the capitalist Reagan 80s—it didn’t help that there was not one, but two older businessmen frequenting the shop.

Even the store describes this on their website, which mentions how it relocated in 1972 when the country experienced a “dissolution of the ideals of the alternative dream” and “The Electric Fetus followed with the sign of the times.”

I don’t entirely fault the shop for keeping up with the times, and even with these changes, it is still owned by one of the original owners

OCT 22—NOV 5

FEATURE

and his family. Electric Fetus could be a great resource for more casual music fans, or anyone looking to drop a little extra cash on some oddball music themed gifts, but I just don’t believe this is a place of sustenance for die-hard music lovers.

HYMIE’S VINTAGE RECORDS Walking into Hymie’s Vintage Records, I understood in that moment what it must have been like for Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” when Beast revealed his huge library. The room reeked of that beautiful used dusty cardboard scent you only find when you put a perfectly scored, used copy of Bob Dylan’s “Blonde” up to your nose.

In case it’s unclear, this place is absolutely massive.

In fact, the store has been featured on Rolling Stone’s website for its intense collection.

Owned by couple Laura and Dave Hoenback, this nearly 40-year-old store rests between Minneapolis and St Paul, and is meant for music lovers on the prowl who don’t mind setting aside a day to find a long sought-after Hüsker Dü album, complete with tables to sit and rest while you take in your record bounty. The overall atmosphere is relaxed and quiet — again, almost like a library but with records.

The categories at Hymie’s extend well beyond dad rock to everything from folk to “Make out Music,” a category created by the store featuring “The Sounds of Erotica” vinyl, and so many other interesting sections.

The deals on records are equally as creative as the categories, and the weekly specials when I visited included 20 percent off of a song title including the word “sunshine” and 10 percent off of a song title with the word “rain.

Hymie’s also features several small areas dedicated to memorabilia and books, but unlike most record stores, it works them in very casually.

Giving space to those maybe not as interested in vinyl. If all that were not enough, Irene, the owners’ beautiful blind dog, graces the store with her presence every day. Really if the records aren’t enough to sucker you in, this sweetheart will.

HONORABLE MENTION: EXTREME NOISE For all of the die hard punk and metal fans out there, you are not forgotten. This is your one stop shop.

Extreme Noise possesses almost every iteration and genre relating to punk or metal. There are zines, spikes for sale, and dozens of band t-shirts hanging from the ceiling. If you aren’t in the market to branch out and you know what you like—and if what you like is punk, metal, or alternative—then this place is worth at least an afternoon.

“We like to bring in all sorts of folks who like all sorts of music,” said Laura Hoenback.

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ART

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Art by Jennifer Moss

OCT 22—NOV 5

ART

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Q&A

Love Sequence Plaid pants, love, and humor: Love Sequence delivers on all three fronts

BY MAYA ULRICH AND MEGAN HOFF We traveled deep into Como to chat with the members of Love Sequence, a genre-fusing pop group. They’ve been jamming together for over two years, with Bobby Rethwish and Nolan Sawyer Watts on guitar, keys, and vocals, Grant Gabriel on drums, and Marcus Findley on bass, synth, and vocals. A self described “drop-out band” trying to make music their top priority, we knew these guys were a serious bunch from the moment Bobby greeted us in plaid pajama pants.

: How did you guys meet?

GG: The social network. Me and Bobby met on Facebook... I literally messaged him because I liked his guitar.

BR: With Marcus and Nolan... [they joined] after being friends.

NW: They found me in a wicker basket on Bobby’s front steps.

: Who are your biggest musical influences?

MF: Prince, Michael Jackson...

NW: Styx! [everyone laughs] BR: We all have our individual influences, but as a group, it’s like Prince, Michael Jackson, The 1975, LCD Soundsystem, The National, Bon Iver.

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: How did you come up with the name “Love Sequence”?

MF: We came up with “Love Sequence” because we wanted a name that could stem through different genres… eventually we just wanna do everything we love about music… We also like the name “Love Sequence” because… you’re going through, like, an up-and-down cycle with love, with yourself, with the world, with the environment, people around you… it’s just a phrase put to life, I guess.

: How did you come up with the name AYVAH? A: I wanted to start a band when I was at college and one of my friends was like, “If you keep the band your name you should spell it AYVAH.” I like it, and it’s a little more dynamic on paper, too.

OCT 22—NOV 5

Q&A

: Were there any other names you considered?

: How do you think the Minneapolis music scene is helping your growth?

NW: Some bad ones!

GG: It’s crazy because, like, the music scene in Minneapolis… no matter what kind of music you play, everyone’s gotta respect what you’re doing because they’re doing it, too. There have been shows where we played with rappers, and it’s a totally different genre, a totally different fanbase… we can still recognize, “Hey, your show is great.” In the music scene, when you continue to play and meet more bands and play with those bands again, honestly, it starts to become almost like a family.

GG: “Rising Action” BR: “Lypofuckion”

: Your EP Sexual Enlightenment is very thematically centered. Are those your favorite subjects to write about or are there other topics that you focus on?

NW: I know Bobby should definitely answer some of this question… but I feel like we all could speak from experience… or experience we haven’t had… on that subject and especially with the state of the world we’re living in right now. We wanted to… say things that haven’t been said before… because there seems to be a particular vernacular that’s used in pop music when it comes to talking about sex and spirituality, and we wanted to put them together and form something new.

BR: Yeah, it was all about trying to create a new perspective on sex… it just felt like what had to happen. It’s not necessarily like, “We are sex band.”

There are other things that we have to talk about.

It’s just a reflection of what’s going on with us. You know, we might write a whole EP or album about, like, geopolitics or something… we love themes.

We love having projects that all kind of fall into the same kind of narrative… I think people are just expecting us to be “sex band” from here on out.

But, like, there’s much more to what we’re gonna do. The stuff we’re writing now is not so much about sex as the last EP. It’s not something we’re backing off, like, “Oh, that didn’t work.” It’s just like, we did that, and now it’s time to do another thing.

We’re not gonna repeat ourselves.

GG: I think we’re not gonna write about sex always, but… part of our band and our writing is gonna be talking about how we really are… how people are living and how they go about certain topics, whether it be sex, love, or whatever.

: How would you say your perspective and upbringing makes your music different from other bands in the pop genre?

BR: I think a big thing is that we make pop music because we love it, not because we wanna be “cool”… Like growing up and being in public school… I never felt “cool.” I guess I just accepted that I wasn’t gonna be “cool,” so I just want to make great music. I think it’s a status thing for a lot of pop bands, and for us it just comes from a very sincere love for the music we’re making.

THE WAKE

BR: It’s also very competitive, in some ways. So there’s hints of cattiness involved sometimes, but that also pushes you to be as good as you can. But it is a very supportive scene. It’s definitely treated us pretty well.

: Do you have any plans to experiment with other instruments?

GG: When Bobby says, “Hey, check out this song idea,” and you put on those headphones, there’s no telling what you’re gonna get… if it’s going to be like a big pop banger or subdued, trippy vibes…

I don’t think there’s any limitation in the things we’re willing to use, as long as they sound good and they work.

NF: I feel like we aren’t really a “plans” kind of band… we just wanna keep moving forward and evolving and coming up with new ways of creating old sounds.

BR: It’s never gonna stay the same. We’re not gonna keep being the same band. Ever. There’s so many opportunities for good songs and good sounds.

MF: An infinite supply of sounds.

: I know you guys said you don’t make plans... but if you were to make a plan, where would you see yourselves?

MF: Six feet under.

BR: I think we just want… to share it [our music] with as many people as possible. So it’s just gonna be a process of trying to play really great shows, put out really great music, take care of everything else so that it can reach the people that it needs to reach. The goal is not to be the biggest band in the world, necessarily. It’s just to try and do this for a living, try and get it to the people who need it, and do whatever it takes to get it to them. However far we get, great. We’re pretty happy right now making music and playing.

GG: It’ll be exhilarating if someday we’re playing a bigger venue… but I feel like if the same feeling we get from playing a great show with a group of like 25 people… as long as that feeling continues…

I think we’ll be happy. : You’ve released two EPs so far. What’s your next project?

BR: The world shouldn’t know yet.

NW: We were actually thinking like a mural, downtown. Forget songs. We’re just gonna paint a mural.

: Do you want to release an album?

MF: Oh, for sure.

GG: We don’t even really talk about it that much… it’s in the back of our heads... it’s cooking.

BR: I think when it shows up, it’ll be amazing... We already have songs for it that we’re saving… we just want it to really hit the spot.

MF: Mmm. [rubs belly] NF: It could just be a really big mural, too.

: Any upcoming shows?

BR: Oct. 27 at the Depot.

MF: We’re opening for Night Moves at 7th Street on Halloween.

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VOICES

World Music and Problematic Labels 3

For the People of Dinkytown How the increase in crime has impacted students in the area

BY MADISON AMLAND Whether you live there, work there, or are just visiting friends, you would know that Dinkytown is a lively hub for many students and young adults.

Its streets which come alive at night have made it a weekend staple for students on campus. But as fun as the area can be, it can prove to be just as sketchy.

Recently there seems to have been an increase in crime and violent activity in the area surrounding the University of Minnesota. In the last month, Minneapolis police responded to two shootings and a stabbing in the Marcy-Holmes and Dinkytown area, as well as multiple robberies.

Given the crime in recent weeks, I wanted to know: do students feel safe? “I think as long as you are aware of your surroundings and aren’t glued to your phone, it’s safe,” University of Minnesota student Kaitlin Machina said.

Many of the students who live in the area are living on their own for the first time, which makes being mindful of safety all the more crucial.

“I think it’s important to realize that not only now, but always, we should be aware of our surroundings. I live and work in Dinkytown and always find myself texting my friends to make sure they made it home safe,” said previous University of Minnesota student, Nora Van Aartsen. “I also try and take safer ways home, even if that means it takes a little longer.”

I know that at times I personally feel unsafe in the area, especially at night. The best way to overcome those fears is to stay alert and be smart about your actions. Dinkytown isn’t going anywhere. Continue going out and having fun, just be aware of the world around you. If you see something, say something.

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Limiting labels are creating constraints in how we interact with diversity

BY MAYA ULRICH

In an ever globalizing and technologically advancing world, it seems natural that music from many different countries, cultures, and influences would seep into the playlists of this generation’s contemporary audiences. However, there seems to be a limited amount of room in popular culture for sounds and languages that white, eurocentric industries deem to stray too far from the universal pop aesthetic they are trying to push onto the masses. What gets pushed out of this very niche, very Western definition of music has been coined as “world music.” In creating such dividing confines and limiting spaces for what is “in” versus the unknown, the music industry has created a very polarizing place for musicians who are trying to create a sound that reflects cultures white people have always tried to silence.

This dissolution of world music or non-white music from popular culture perhaps reflects a greater ideological phenomena that has been happening as long as white people have been trying to control, well, pretty much everything. This mentality is much like our views on people and cultures outside the walls of our own ethnicities, nationalities, and experiences. It is creating borders literally and figuratively in our countries and in the music we are introduced to. We, as an American culture, have had our ears persuaded into accepting a certain stylized, aesthetically white, and culturally clean sound as the norm.

By allowing the broader industry of music to remove representation and diversity by packaging it into something as easily definable as world music, we are perpetuating the sense that non-white, non-Western music is somehow both homogeneous and exotic at the same time. This makes it more easily commodified and consumed by a white audience, but it also makes it easier for a white industry to keep world music in its place, and even more ironically, off of the world stage.

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OCT 22—NOV 5

VOICES

Comedy is always changing - and that’s a good thing When used correctly, comedy is a powerful tool.

BY CHAD FAUST Comedy can be a powerful tool for both change and hate in the world today, and it is not always easy to spot. While some humor provides insight or useful social commentary, there is just as much humor that is used to hurt and put others down.

Comedy is generally designed to lift people up, not bring them down, so why do we see so much of that in both our past and our present? It’s crucial that we keep this in mind when we are exposed to it, and it’s important that we hold our comedy writers and comedians to a higher standard today.

There’s an ongoing debate that has captured pop-culture society over the past few years about political correctness, particularly with comedians or funny movies that toe the line between what is and isn’t okay. Oftentimes in the comedic industry, offensive comedy is labeled as “edgy” or “raunchy,” which is an easy way to say that not everyone will be laughing. When people are laughing, it’s more likely than not that it will be at the expense of others. Some people will argue that offensive jokes are just jokes, and that you can’t think of them as much more than that. However, there is data that shows that some humor can be really damaging to the confidence and wellbeing of individuals.

Comedies are highly dependent on the time period they’re made in. Humor that made us laugh 10 years ago may not make us laugh now.

From cult classics like “Ace Ventura” or “Superbad” to stand-up specials from comedians like Ricky Gervais and Daniel Tosh, comedy does not always hold up. If we say it does, we often overlook things that are uncomfortable or inappropriate by saying that “it was funny back then”. This is often difficult coming to terms with because of the emotional attachments that come with experiences that make us laugh. If that’s the price to pay for a culture and society more capable of using humor that doesn’t denigrate, it’s worth it.

THE WAKE

When it comes to entertainment in general, we should be thinking about what makes everyone laugh compared to what makes only some people laugh. In today’s society, it is becoming more and more understood that sexism, racism, and homophobia, to name a few social issues, are not as accepted in comedy as they once were. Films that we grew up with, that are considered classics and comic gold, are laced with offensive ideas and derogatory behavior. It creates a certain discomfort when re-watching some of these cinematic masterpieces we held in awe years ago.

How did we think this was funny? Why did we think this was okay?

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The reality is that it’s important to create commentaries like this on humor that we idolize.

If we don’t expose comedy for its flaws, society will cease to grow, and comedy will fall into the same pattern of mistakes. Comedy writers and comedians should be mindful of the best way to create politically correct humor. The best talent will find ways to create content that can make anyone laugh, while producing comedies that can stand the test of time.

VComedy is always changing - and that is a good thing. For comedy to be successful it needs to evolve with society and move with culture.

Complacency in joke-telling and comedy writing will only result in reinforcing stereotypes and harming others, setting us backward. We need to hold our comedy to a higher standard in the world we live in today, so that years from now we can look back and be content with the humor of our time. Our society is growing everyday, and it’s crucial that our comedy grows with it.

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VOICES

#UsToo

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Transgender Lives in the #MeToo Movement

BY JIMMY COOPER Note: This article is about sexual violence from a transgender perspective. There are mentions of transphobia and the perceptions around gendered bodies. Take care of yourself. This is an upsetting time and topic, and I don’t want to put anyone in an unhealthy place. I’d like to note that not every transgender person’s experience is the same, and that this is written based on the experiences of people in my communities.

The #MeToo movement has shed light on assault in ways that many other awareness campaigns haven’t been able to. The issue of assault is finally becoming real for people. Survivors are learning to share their trauma and in turn, heal from it.

Some claim men are worried about being falsely accused. It’s a national discussion; everyone has something to say about it, whether that be uplifting or criticizing, inspirational or fearful.

This is all very harrowing for survivors, particularly when they’re so fetishized right now. There’s an image of the brave survivor taking a platform, almost always white, thin, heterosexual, cisgender, an “innocent” in the eyes of society.

This is not to detract from their stories—it’s just alienating. Sexual harassment and violence are indiscriminate. Fat girls are in the community of survivors. Black men are in the community of survivors. White boys with larger muscles than necessary are survivors, stone butch lesbians are survivors, disabled folks are survivors, and goddamnit, transgender* people are survivors too.

47 percent of all transgender people are sexually

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assaulted at some point in their life. For Black trans people, 53 percent. American Indian trans folks?

65 percent.

We, trans people, survive this—at alarming rates—but we don’t get to talk about it, for many reasons. Our bodies are fetishized and inherently sexualized by many people. There’s a focus on genitals: whether or not we’ve had “the surgery,” if we can have children, how we have sex… I have legitimately been asked, many times, generally by cisgender men, “Do you have a penis?” This in itself, is incredibly invasive and dehumanizing.

When we are in cisgender communities, then, the goal is often to not talk about these things, to make ourselves into more than bodies.

There’s also the issue of “corrective rape,” which is a horrifying concept but unfortunately not uncommon in the LGBTQIA+ community. There is the idea that a queer person can be “fixed” if they just have sex with a cishet person, presumably because it’s “just that good.” No one should have to be told that that’s not true, yet here we are. So though LGBTQIA+ populations are more vulnerable to sexual violence (the population most likely to experience sexual violence, by the way, is transgender women of color), it’s talked about the least.

Here’s where gender comes in: For transgender men, masculinity can be complicated. I know I fell into the trap of toxic masculinity when I first transitioned and still

struggle with what it means to be a man on the regular. Cisgender men already face stigmatization as survivors. They’re told that they should have fought their attacker off, or that men don’t get raped, or it makes them gay, or a whole host of other toxic arguments. Transgender male survivors are told that their trauma is what made them trans, or that they are only becoming “part of the problem.” Then coupled with the expectations of stoicism on men, trans male survivorship is bleak.

For transgender women, the world constantly belittles their existence as a woman and tries proving that they were “men” all along, and as discussed, there’s a lot of stigma to unpack there.

Because society frequently doesn’t even see trans women as women, they’re not always “legitimized” as part of the movement.

All survivors should be, though. Everyone should be able to share their story, should they want to.

They should receive support without fear of others lashing out because they don’t fit the narrative of “survivor” that’s been so constructed for us. Listen to one another, love one another, and hold one another up. We’re all in this together. *Transgender, as I use it, includes ALL people whose gender does not align with the one they were assigned at birth, which includes nonbinary people. I apologize for my use of clear-cut gendered language.

OCT 22—NOV 5

VOICES

Angry and Credible: Women Can’t Be Both What the stark differences between Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanagh’s testimonies tell us about sexism.

BY SHEA SWENSON The last thing Dr. Christine Blasey Ford did before delivering her opening statement was lean forward.

“Is that good?” She asked.

Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Charles Grassley had asked Ford to move the microphone closer to her so he could hear her voice, which was quiet and controlled - but the microphone was unmovable.

“I’ll just lean forward,” Ford said, immediately bending and accommodating herself to the process of the hearing.

Ford spent the majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing answering questions directly, a lot of the time in simple, one-worded answers.

Combined, Ford delivered the answers “yes,” “correct,” “ok,” and “thank you,” nearly 100 times.

When her answers were longer and more detailed, they were transparent and cooperative, containing sentiments like, “I’m just happy to describe them if you wanted me to and I’m happy to not. It’s just whatever you want.”

When asked about taking a break Ford asked, “Does that work for you? Does that work for you, as well?”

Even though Ford admitted to being terrified, she remained calm and accommodating. She had to.

Ford was seemingly doing everything she could to be direct, to suppress her emotions and keep them out of her answers. As a woman, anger was not an option if she wanted to remain credible.

Displays of anger from women are often considered unnatural or unfeminine. It is

THE WAKE

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considered more “natural” for a woman to cry than it is for her to express the same emotion through fury.

the night before, his response was, “It’s — you’re asking about, you know, blackout. I don’t know.

Have you?”

Interrupting, blaming, or yelling from Ford would have been considered unacceptable. In our patriarchal society, an angry woman cannot also be a rational one.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Friday, Kavanaugh claimed it was his emotions that were responsible for the defensive and aggressive way he delivered his testimony and answered questions. He said he was frustrated with the allegations and distressed about the “unfairness” of how it had been handled.

“Women in Western history have been aligned with emotions and therefore deemed irrational, even hysterical kinds of creatures,” said Dr. Michelle J. Garvey, a Teaching Specialist in Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies at the University of Minnesota.

Admitting to being at the whim of one’s emotions is an excuse that would never fly for Ford or any other woman.

Women’s emotions are so often used as weapons against us, to revoke our credibility, to question our rationality, and ultimately, to dismiss our messages.

The ability to be considered both emotional and rational is rare for women.

So, Ford’s testimony was direct. It was void of emotion wherever possible, regardless of the terror she was feeling. Instead of drawing on her emotions, she calmly stated what she did and did not remember and used her scientific background to explain what she could.

“The gendered binary of emotion (coded as feminine) versus reason (coded as masculine) has been perpetuated to the detriment of some and to the benefit of others. That is something that decades, if not centuries of feminist theory and historicizing has taught us,” Garvey said.

Kavanaugh’s behavior during the hearings was starkly the opposite.

He started his opening statement angrily and by the time he finished, he was fuming.

When women do display outbursts of anger, they are much more likely to be defined by them.

The “angry woman” is collapsed into a category of incoherence and instability. She is deemed untrustworthy and altogether overly emotional.

Kavanaugh’s emotions were at the forefront of his testimony. They were present in many of his responses. When answering questions, he was dismissive and evasive, avoiding many Democratic senators in particular. Simple, direct answers from Kavanaugh were far less frequent. He was combative, sometimes even turning questions back on the senators themselves.

When asked by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., if he had ever drunk so much that he didn’t remember

But Kavanaugh has the privilege to be seen as angry and defensive without it becoming him.

He has the privilege to be furious and enraged without being immediately dismissed. Because he is a white man, he has the privilege of acting wildly inappropriate at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing investigating his alleged sexual assault of three women, while still securing all of the votes needed to become our new associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

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SIX REVIEWS

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8 3

AJJ and Kimya Dawson Love You The Captivating, Oxymoronic “Black KkKlansmen”

BY OLIVIA HULTGREN “A Black Klansman.” The phrase itself borders on ridiculous, and that is exactly what director Spike Lee runs with throughout the near entirety of “BlacKkKlansman,” a film based on a true story. Enter early 1970s Colorado, where white supremacy is evident and the only Black man on the Colorado Springs police force is Ron Stallworth, whose awkwardly shaped afro aptly matches the time. Played with nuanced form by newcomer John David Washington, Stallworth manages to infiltrate the local Klu Klux Klan chapter by sending in a white police detective (Adam Driver) to pose as himself. It’s a compelling story, told through stunning cinematography and a witty, tonguein-cheek script that makes blatant references to America’s current presidential situation. The KKK is certainly not a laughing matter, but one can’t help but gawk at the caricatured Klansmen, who all have sketchy mustaches and flaunt ludicrous claims of white superiority. A mustachioed Topher Grace plays famed KKK leader David Duke, who insists he can tell the difference between a “White” voice and a “Black” voice, yet is fooled by Stallworth over the phone. The entire film showcases the chronic problem of white supremacy and Blaxploitation. However, the epilogue takes this several steps further, displaying a montage of the 2017 protests in Charlottesville. It’s a chilling kicker that cements the relevance of the Black Klansman’s story into audience’s minds—a reminder that lingers even after they leave the theater.

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BY JIMMY COOPER Arizona folk-punk band AJJ (short for Andrew Jackson Jihad, a play on Americans’ propensity to call people of color terrorists) took the Varsity Theater stage with Shellshag, Laura Stevenson, and Kimya Dawson.

The openers alone made the show worth it. Shellshag is known for their unusual stage configuration: the two members face each other rather than the audience, with the drummer wearing bells one might see on a belly dancer and thrashing around for emphasis. Laura Stevenson played a sweet variation on pop punk with fantastic lyrics. Kimya Dawson nearly stole the show, opening with a sea shanty, throwing some children’s songs in for good measure, and making every hardcore punk in the room cry during “At the Seams” and “Loose Lips.”

Known for their wacky, political lyrics and nonsensical demeanor, AJJ did not disappoint. Singer Sean Bonnette moved like an anxious teen seemingly unsure of where to go, but his voice was full of heart that touched everyone. They brought out the hits but also played a brand-new song, “Night of the Long Knives,” an unambiguously political track that also totally rocked. For their final song, “Big Bird,” Sean did somersaults and lay on the ground. He drew everyone into the fear and experience of his struggles with mental illness, something that makes this band so dear to its fans. Everyone in the room sang and screamed along, faces screwed up or crying, pushed up against each other in love or sheer drunkenness, and felt a little less alone for a moment.

“Iridesence” Brockhampton

BY MACIE RASMUSSEN The main concern that fans seem to have about BROCKHAMPTON’s new album, “iridescence,” is that the title is hard to spell. This release follows the “Saturation” trilogy that propelled the group into dominance of the rap scene. All three projects were released between June and December 2017.

Kevin Abstract, the unofficial leader of the group, tried informing fans through a tweet that they should not expect another “Saturation”-esque album.

It’s true, “iridescence” lacks the consistently catchy hooks that drew many to “Saturation.” Yet, it’s clear that the themes on this album are more cohesive, probably because this is the first album in which the members have lived through the same things.

The tracklist kicks off with “NEW ORLEANS,” which is a smooth transition from the group’s previous work. The song seamlessly transitions to the soft, groovy “THUG LIFE.” “WHERE THE CASH AT” is a grungy-sounding track led by Merlyn. “J’OUVERT” features a startlingly intense verse from group member Joba. “SAN MARCOS,” maybe the most beautiful song, includes the London Community Gospel Choir singing, “I want more out of life than this.” In usual fashion, the group turns down the energy and ends the record with “TONYA” and “FABRIC.” Though it’s not the most exciting song, “WEIGHT” could be the most important on the album. It details the pressures that have come with the group’s quick ascension to fame, along with some vulnerable lyrics from Abstract. The project is another trilogy, so more new music from BROCKHAMPTON is on the horizon.

OCT 22—NOV 5

SIX REVIEWS

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“Peppermint”

BY TOSIN FASEEMO “Peppermint” stars Jennifer Garner as Riley North: a hard-working banker, mother, and wife struggling to balance her work and family life. Early in the film, she witnesses her husband and daughter brutally gunned down. Following an unjust trial in which her family’s murderers are declared innocent, she resolves to seek vengeance by any means necessary.

The plot essentially stops there. For the next sixty minutes, audiences are subjected to numerous scenes of gratuitous violence ranging from shootouts to knife fights and everything in between. Dialogue between the characters acts as the only interruption to the bloodbaths that make up much of the movie.

Additionally, the words exchanged between characters fail to carry significant weight, as they are typically spoken during cliché scenes, like the moment in which a cop’s allegiance is tested, and he shows his true colors. Predictability is a guiding force for the film. Each and every “plot twist” can be spotted from a mile away. This contributes to the dullness of “Peppermint,” which could easily be told in a movie half its length.

More flaws can be found in the protagonist. Riley is initially a sympathetic character, driven mad by the stunningly quick loss of her family. However, as the film progresses, it becomes unclear as to whether she is driven by vengeance or pure bloodlust.

It is obvious that “Peppermint” seeks to be an exciting action film for those who believe in the power of justice. Unfortunately, its attempts to capture any positive attention fall flat.

THE WAKE

“Politics of Living” “Bambi” Kodaline

BY ESTHER CHAN Released on September 28, Kodaline’s “Politics of Living” surrounds listeners with surreal alternative rock. With an amalgamation of nostalgia, hope, and angst-like urgency, the Irish band’s latest album depicts life’s losses and triumphs.

The journey begins with “Follow Your Fire,” a recollection of teenage freedoms and sweethearts. Personified by quick tempos and scintillating synths, its themes of nostalgia and underscoring restlessness linger throughout the setlist. Accompanying this lyrical motif, Kodaline celebrates comradery in “Head Held High” and “Shed a Tear.” In “Brother,” they profess in a battle cry of brotherhood, “I’d give you my lungs so you could breathe.”

A calming breath in the midst of upbeat instrumentation, “I Wouldn’t Be” chronicles an ode to friends and family. Featuring the reminiscent melodies of bagpipes, the band pays homage to their Irish roots through this lethargic, church-like track. With “Angel,” a tribute to a teenage fan who passed away in a crowd mid-performance, the song unveils the band’s heartbreak as lead singer, Steve Garrigan, laments, “Tonight we send an angel home.”

The album culminates with “Temple Bar,” referencing Dublin’s iconic pub. It bleeds pain and confusion—peculiar for an album that preaches hopeful perseverance. As the final notes dance through the air, Kodaline’s broken plea, “Where did it all go wrong?” resonantes all too well with listeners. If this album is a depiction of life, perhaps there is no better way to portray its reality than admitting that there are no true answers to life’s questions, only hope.

Hippo Campus

BY KELSEY BOLANDER Hippo Campus’ sophomore album, “Bambi,” demonstrates their uncanny ability to parallel the growth and experience of their coetaneous audience. Where the band’s debut album, “Landmark,” succeeded in its vibrant optimism, “Bambi” reconciles success and uncertainty in an exploration of the quartet’s emotional growth. It’s punctuated throughout by staccato synths that act as the firing synapses of the album’s emotionally intelligent brain.

“Bambi” begins with “Mistakes,” an otherworldly track of layered vocals that deals with the reckoning of one’s capabilities with others’ expectations, and leads into “Anxious” with the swell of horns.

Both “Anxious” and “Doubt” contend with frustration; the former is a look into the burden of anxiety upon contemplation and social interaction. The latter attempts to resolve the sunny infatuation of a new relationship with the doubts that accompany it. The title track, “Bambi,” is a dreamy groove; its upbeat nature stems from an encouraging drive towards positive mental health practices and social consciousness.

“Why Even Try” is a fuzzy, distant track that works as a sonic whisper, with lead singer Jake Luppen singing, “I will miss your voice in my ear.” While most of the album maintains steady hooks, “Bubbles” devolves from that steadiness into wonderful, chaotic percussion. Final track “Passenger” is a gentle yet desperate reach for sentimentalism that ties the album together.

“Bambi” is an impressive move away from the “let me entertain you” qualities of earlier albums, and becomes a testament of self-reflection and finding comfort in the humanity of emotions.

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OCT 22—NOV 5