Cake: A Music Zine, Issue 9

Bring On Blitzen Trapper Interview with Love and Logic

Reviews of Karen O and the Kids, White Rainbow, Devendra Banhart, and TiĂŤsto

Cake #9

Housekeeping And Such Cover Photo : Jade Harris Financier : Derek Rogers

Editorial

Layout: Brad Collins Title Design : Brad Collins

Hey everybody! I hope you all are Copy Editor: Alex Palombo gearing up for the last few weeks Photo Editor: Taylor McIntyre of the semester. I’ve been listening to the new Marina & The Diamonds Coloring Crew: Rose Cohen Westbrooke, Danielle Hendrickson, Taylor McIntyre single “Mowgli’s Road” and noticed that it was featured on Kanye’s Assistant Editor : Danielle Hendrickson infamous blog. It was funny how Editor In Chief: Ryan Bryant the “voice of our generation” was showcasing such a gem. Pop Special Thanks : Teal Garrels, Paul Canetti, Marissa DeVito, Kelli Southern music has been going through an interesting transition lately. Brit The opinions expressed within express pop is invading the US shores, and those of the individual writers or interview subjects and not necessarily those of the intelligent pop music is needed in a publishers of the magazine as a whole. sea of endless melodic monotony.

Brits like Frankmusik, Little Boots, La Roux, Mumford & Sons, and Marina & The Diamonds have added nice mix of catchy and inventive pop to the US’s current auto-tune apocalypse (see Britney Spears’ “3”).

-Ryan Bryant Cake Editor In Chief

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Must Download 1.

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“The Cave” – Mumford & Sons “Marrow” – St. Vincent

Delicious Music Video “Stranger Than Kindness” – Fever Ray

“The Getaway” – Athlete “New Fang” – Them Crooked Vultures

. “Smoke & Mirrors” - RJD2

Artist to Watch: The xx

If it’s musical treasure you’re looking for, The XX marks the spot. You’ve probably heard these New Wavers over the muzak at stores like Urban Outfitters, with laid-back grooves like their single “Basic Space.”The band hails from London and met at Elliot School just like Hot Chip and Four Tet, and released their first studio album, simply titled “xx” this past August. The band has gotten some spotlight from features in episodes of Cold Case and Law & Order, and iTunes picked up their song “Crystallised” as their fame-megaboosting Single of the Week. Hopefully UO hipsters and average listeners alike will clue into the band and enjoy.

-Alex Palombo

Courtesy of Rabid Records

Where To Be Saturday November 14th: Love and Love and The Scarlet Endings @ The Nines 10PM $5 Sunday November 15th: Dan Deacon and Nuclear Power Pants @ Emerson Suites 8PM $10

Blitzen Trapper

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By Cat Nuwer & Ryan Bryant Photographs by Jade Harris

Blitzen Trapper are a experimental folk rock sextet that is based in the music hub of Portland Oregon. 2009 saw the release of their “Black River Killer” EP. Vocalist and guitarist Eric Earley chatted with Cake about their work, zoos and superheroes.

Do you plan to continue in the style of “Furr” and “Black River Killer” or are you exploring a new sound?

Cake: You recently released the EP “Black River Killer” which includes hit “Big Black Bird” – I read that these songs were extra tracks from the “Furr” era – what was it like to finally get these great tracks officially released?

Cake: How was the experience of making “Furr” different from the production of past albums?

Eric: We usually play [these tracks] live, so people know them. It’s definitely like a B side compilation, so it was nice to get it out.

Cake: So Rolling Stone named “Furr” the 13th best album of the year out of 100 best albums (in 2008). What was it like to receive all that praise from the highest critics?

Eric: Yeah, it’ll be different in terms of production.

Eric: It wasn’t that much different, really. The songwriting is a little different on that album.

Cake: After this period of touring, you guys are going to work on producing another full album? Eric: It was inspiring. Couldn’t ask for much better.

Cake: I’ve heard you guys compared to Dylan and his work with The Band – how do you feel about this association?

Eric: It’s okay. Most bands get associated with certain groups. The next record is not going to have anything like that on it.

Cake: You recently played “California Stars” with Wilco onstage in Dublin – what was that like?

Eric: It was great, those guys are really cool, and it was a real honor.

Cake: What’s another one of your favorite “on stage” memories?

Eric: A fond one was getting to play onstage with Stephen Malkmus from Pavement.

Cake: What’s up with that weird interview by Joe Rey and Luke Norby (http://www.vimeo.com/5329112) - were they framing you as the “ Black River Killer?”

Eric: I have no idea – there was a real interview, but they edited it all out. They were just messing with me. That’s the thing with the internet, people do whatever they want with what you give them.

Eric: Use what you have lying around. You don’t have to spend all kinds of money to make your Cake: If you could be any superhero, which one recordings. When we were starting out, we would you be? had all kinds of cheap stuff, and when we were recording, we made do with what we had.

Eric: The Silver Surfer – he’s got a great outfit.

Cake: Any last words for our Cake readers?

Cake: What zoo animal would you be?

Eric: Sounds like I’m dying.

Eric: The first thing that comes to mind is a Cake: If you were going to die right now, what monkey, because they get to throw all their shit would you tell the world? everywhere. I don’t know man, when you go to the zoo, they always look so depressed. Maybe Eric: That’s a very loaded question. I would say a bat, because they get to sleep all day and ‘don’t worry about what other people think. hang out with other bats. That’s kind of what I Just wear whatever you want – if you want to do anyway. wear the crazy hat, wear the crazy hat.’

Cake: Any advice for musicians and bands just starting up?

Cake: That’s good advice.

Eric: It’s simple and sweet.

Love And Logic

Love and Logic are one of the best upcoming bands in NYC. Paul Canetti, an IC grad, Dan Haller, Annie Kim and Derron Walker form the fabulous foursome. Their delicious brand of rock has been gaining popularity in the Big Apple. Cake chatted with the group about their origins, their upcoming tour and The Brady Bunch Effect.

Cake: What was it like playing at The Mercury Lounge?

Cake: How did the band come together?

Cake: You’re playing a small tour in New York. You excited?

Paul: The real story is about Facebook. Basically, I needed a bass player. I put out in my status that I was looking for a bass player. A random guy that I used to work with recommended me to Dan Haller. Dan was playing with me under my Paul Canetti solo act. Then, me and Dan wanted to expand the musical family. We decided that we wanted a cello player. I used to work with Annie at Apple. I saw in her Facebook status that she played cello, which I didn’t even know. As it turns out, shsatall got together.

Cake: What’s it like being a band in such a big city like New York?

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By Ryan Bryant Photographs by Alex Hankoff

Annie: Awesome.

Paul: It was really fun. It’s the beginning of the A-list venues in New York. It’s a big step for us to be welcomed into that circle.

Paul: Yeah, definitely. We’re excited to get outside New York. We love the city but we’re hoping to meet some new people and get some new listeners. It’s also just fun to drive around.

Derron: We have a good time. Last time we went to Union College a couple of months ago. We really didn’t have a lot. We had us, some music and some cars. We had a really good time. We like hanging out with each other. We love each other. Seriously, Love and Logic.

Paul: Traveling is a good time for us to hang out. Most of the time we see each other is playing. When we’re driving we have no choice but to talk to each other.

Dan: It’s tough. I think it’s fun. We obviously get to see a lot of different things, a lot of different people.

A lot of different weather changes happen in the city. Cake: That amazingly transitions into my next It’s hard to stand out. There are a lot of bands who question. What is your guys’ take on the whole Twitter, are trying to do exactly what we are trying to do. It’s Facebook and YouTube effect on bands? touch to stand out in a crowd. touch to make an impression on people, but I think were doing a pretty good job of that so far.

Annie: I love it! [Laughs] I love Twitter. I love all of those things. I love it a lot more than all of these guys combined. I have a personal Twitter account. I do the [band’s] Twitter. I have my own YouTube. I do our YouTube. I think it’s the most effective way to get to your fans. Some people might like Twitter but not like Facebook. Some people might like a video, some like 140 characters... It’s nice to be able to branch out to different types of people. I love it.

Paul: We are able to reach people in ways we never could and release our material in ways we never could. We released our EP the night we finished production. It’s like “We’re ready, let’s do it.”

Cake: If you had a book written about you, what would the title be?

Derron: Chicken Pad Thai.

Dan: More love than logic.

Paul: Pretty good. The Tinman got his heart. [Laughs] Cake: What inspires you musically?

Paul: Everything. Every new sound we hear or conversation we have somehow finds its way into our music.

Dan: Derron just had a very inspiring trip to California.

Derron: My favorite drummer in the world is Longineu Parsons, the drummer from Yellowcard. Paul gave me an idea one day when we first started out with the band.

I told Paul I really wanted to write him and he said, “You should write him.” So, I “friended” him that night on Facebook and I wrote him this long letter. He wrote me back and he kept in touch. He was checking up on the band and one day he just told me to give him a call. He invited me out there, and Paul and I went out there and spent a week with him.

Cake: Any advice for bands starting their own projects?

Dan: The only thing is, you’ve got to do it all the time and as hard as possible all the time or else it’ll never happen. We work extremely hard at what we do and we have our struggles like any other band. All you can do is put your best foot forward all the time. Keep working as hard as possible and hopefully you’ll be successful.

Annie: Be respectful to your band mates. Just Paul: I can guarantee there will be a song about meeting because you disagree, doesn’t mean you argue. You are a family. your hero in California at some point.

Cake: Any songs that you can’t stop listening to right now?

Derron: “Lisztomania”, Phoenix.

Annie: That was playing on my headphones yesterday.

It was raining. My boots were wet. It went though my boots and my feet got wet. But, I didn’t care because that song was like “Do do doot do.”

Paul: I call it the Brady Bunch Effect. It can pretty much make you happy no matter what.

Paul: You have each other at the end of the day so you want to make sure you have at least that.

Cake: Any last words?

Derron: Spread the word about Love and Logic.

Facebook.

Annie: I always write back on Twitter and YouTube.

Paul: Keep reading Cake.

REVIEWS New Clouds - White Rainbow

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apturing White Rainbow’s (Adam Forkner) sophomore release,“New Clouds”, into words proves difficult. I don’t say this to excuse my review from any critical analysis: it’s easy to pick apart the instrumentation, structure, and production. However, with this particular release there seems to be more of an emphasis on the subjective rather than the objective. “New Clouds” is a vehicle for a highly personalized musical experience. At no point does it beg for the listener’s attention. In fact, as “All the Boogies in the World” demonstrates so deftly, the steady synth drones seem to urge one’s thoughts elsewhere: an ethereal place of memories or emotions. There is something so primal about the tribal drums or rhythmic chanting, a quality that only helps in building a primitive Courtesy of kranky atmosphere that is impossible to deny.

The musical prowess Forkner demonstrates isn’t negligible, however. “New Clouds” builds, shifts, evolves, and diminishes along the steady drones, working hard to neither break the intense trace it encourages nor become dull or repetitive. Unlike his debut, Forkner opts out of the shorter compositions, focusing on creating four fully realized tracks ranging from twelve to twenty minutes. Don’t be discouraged by the length, though. Their transient, organic nature never allows the underlying drones to overwhelm.

The real experience of “New Clouds” is the one that occurs within the listener. Those willing to totally give in to Forkner’s lengthly, droning compositions are in for something unique and personal. What starts as an upbeat tribal romp, thanks to the noteworthy opener “Thursday Rollers and Strollers”, becomes a slow and calculated descent into the subconscious. By the end of “Monday Boogies Forward Forever”, you’ll be ready to start “New Clouds” all over again; to once again be filled by its warmth.

- Derek Rogers

Kaleidoscope - Tiësto

The Dutch aren’t only good for their cheese, as DJ

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7/10

will please his fans. “Feel it In My Bones,” featuring Tegan and Sara, lays Tiesto’s beats behind Tegan and Sara’s smart-pop sensibility – it is the best of two music worlds. And his collaboration with Nelly Furtado on “Who Wants to Be Alone” is nothing less than sexy, with Furtado’s seductive voice and lyrics enhancing Tiesto’s percussion.

Fans will be surprised by this album, because it’s totally different from Tiesto’s typical beatheavy songs. That said, the tracks still pulse through your bones. They are just tweaked with lyrical sophistication and dance vibes. Pop and elcontronic fans will be in awe when they hear this.

Tiësto’s “Kaleidoscope” shows. The Netherlands born artist released his fourth record on October 6th under the American Independent Electronic Dance label Ultra Records. On the album, Tiësto collaborates with dynamic artists ranging from superstars like Nelly Furtado to lesser-known alternative-pop acts like Tegan and Sara to produce an album that has topped charts globally.

Tiësto surprises fans with this album by incorporating more lyrics and alternative dance undertones.

Songs like “You are my Diamond” featuring Kianna are nothing like Tiësto has ever done before. The the song is more similar to dance artist Cascada, and the romantic lyrics may seem a bit corny to Tiesto’s usual audience. “Louder than Boom” is more familiar to Tiesto’s trance style and Courtesy of Ultra

-Meghan Dailey

8/10

Where The Wild Things Are OST - Karen O and the Kids

Where the Wild

Things Are changed our generation. The in-depth study of anger offered in the book has drawn praise and criticism from parents and critics. When the modern film adaptation started to grow close this Courtesy of DGC Records year, a lot of people questioned how the movie would expand the short story that is the book.

It’s hard to separate the music from the film. The soundtrack draws heavily from the source material. Listening to the album feels like a journey through the book and film.

Karen O handles the music here, with an all-star cast of supporters including members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Bradford Cox, who go by the name the Kids. The pop influence flows through the entire record, from the slower songs that draw heavily from Cox’s influence to the action packed sequences, such as “Rumpus,” that draw more heavily on the sounds of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O’s regular gig.

The music brings out the childish aspects of the movie and book. The album moves from anger to excitement to peace in the matter of minutes. The use of a children’s choir helps to emphasize the focus on the experience of being young.

The use of acoustic guitar and the vocals remain consistent through the entire soundtrack, including strange and primal sounds. The weakness of the album sometimes comes from the vocals being too primal and too inaccessible to the average listener. The sound fits better in the context of the film, and less so on it’s own. An example is the fear driven “Animal,” which ends in howls after a drawn out riff of unmelodic acoustic guitar.

The strongest tracks on the album are the most upbeat. “Rumpus,” “All Is Love” and “Heads Up” all feature simple song structures that are easy on the ears compared to some of the more experimental tracks.

The album has a few pop gems, but also has a few tracks better left in the film. Over all, it’s a great addition for fans of the movie and Karen O, but it’s not the breakout sensation of the year.

-TJ Gunther

7.5/10

What Will We Be - Devendra Banhart

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“ hat Will We Be,” Devendra’s seventh album and first album under a major label (Warner Brother Records), is a medley of hits and misses –it begins Courtesy of Warner Bros. strong, but weakens after the third song.

“Can’t Help Smiling” starts the album with a grassroots Brazilian vibe, featuring cheery lyrics (if you couldn’t tell from the title) and riffs reminscent of Devendra’s early work. The next track “Angelika” turns from folk ballad to jazzy Spanish music midway through the song, showing us that Devendra still has some quirky tricks up his sleeve. “Baby,” the masterpiece of the album, is similar to hit “Lover” from 2007’s “Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon.” It starts with a few simple chords and leads into a up-tempo beat, accentuating drums, tambourine, and stylistically silly lyrics (“You’re givin’, itty bitty years of gigglin’”).

At this point, the album heads downhill. The fourth track “Goin’ Back” mixes semblances of country and Woodstock-era rock, not fitting with the tracks of Spanish dance groove. “First Song for B” and “Last Song for B” are depressing and dull, lacking any fire behind the lyrics. “Chin Chin & Muck Muck” sounds unpolished, but not like in the gorgeously bare tracks from past albums. Rather, it’s purposefully messy, but misses the “raw” mark. “16th & Valencia, Roxy Music” imitates scenester club-jams with heavy, crunching electric guitar – it’s the sell-out song of the album and attempts to go beyond the album’s boundaries.

The most original part of this album is the stunning artwork on the case and in the booklet. Devendra’s art, highly stylized and evocative of Picasso and Native American art, is perturbing, but fascinating.

The best tracks off the album are entertaining, but still lack the introspective beauty of classic Devendra ballads like “Now That I Know” from 2005’s “Cripple Crow” and “It’s a Sight to Behold” from 2004’s “Rejoicing In the Hands.”

I would recommend picking up these timeless albums before investing in this one.

-Cat Nuwer

5/10

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