ISSUE #1 // April 2014

ISSUE NO. 1 // APRIL 2014

ABOUT US: Continuum is a monthly music and lifestyle magazine dedicated to featuring passionate bands and individuals in the music industry.

Among copious other music publications, we strive to shed a new perspective upon the industry by emphasizing the passion behind artists, their creations, and those who work behind the scenes to make it all possible.

STAFF: editor-in-chief: clare kim managing editor: anam merchant public relations: sarah hoffman design: anam merchant and clare kim. copy editors: anna betts, avery fiftal, and lori gutman. contributing photographers: anam merchant, avery fiftal, clare kim, emily tantuccio, lexie alley, lori gutman, and sarah hoffman. contributing writers: anita nham, christina curtin, clare kim, emily tantuccio, emma andrews, jade smith, nic kosirog-jones, sahira zulkifli, and tyler topping. inside header by lori gutman.

CONTACT US:

continuummagazine.net continuum.zine@gmail.com

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sunderland, pennybirdrabbit, junior prom, o’brother, new beat fund, matt vogel, atlantic records, black panda pr, kickstand productions, red bull records, relentless artist management, scoop marketing, run for cover records, vagrant records, BMG management, and triple crown records.

INTERVIEW BY CLARE KIM

Quickly emerging onto the music scene is Pennybirdrabbit, a 23-year-old artist from San Diego that is most notably known f o r h e r c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h S k r i l l e x o n h i s h i t s i n g l e , “A l l I A s k O f Yo u ” . A f t e r s i g n i n g o n t o h i s r e c o r d l a b e l , O W S L A , s h e h a s since collaborated with numerous electronic producers to c re a te h e r E P s – t h e m o st re ce n t b e i n g “ fo r l ove,” w h i c h wa s r e l e a s e d t h i s p a s t F e b r u a r y.

YOU COLLABORATED WITH SKRILLEX FOR “ALL I ASK OF YOU,” WHICH QUICKLY BECAME A HUGE HIT. WHAT WAS THIS EXPERIENCE LIKE, AND HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOU AS AN ARTIST? You know, it was really just two people who care for each other making music together. There isn’t much more to the making of it than that. I had no idea it would impact my life the way it did. I also didn’t know it would open doors for me the way that it did. I feel really blessed to be a part of that music and that time in his life. I’ll appreciate it forever.

FOLLOWING YOUR COLLABORATION WITH SKRILLEX, HAS IT BEEN HARD TO SUPERSEDE THIS MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN ORDER TO INVENT YOURSELF AS AN INDIVIDUAL ARTIST? I don’t really think so, no. I put a lot of time and space between that release and my first EP, with the intention of not painting myself into a corner as a “featured artist.” I’ve grown a lot in the past two years—musically and personally—and I think it shows in the progression of the music I’ve put out.

DO YOU THINK YOUR SOUND HAS UNDERGONE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE SINCE YOU RELEASED YOUR FIRST EP, TREEHOUSE, IN 2012?

I think it’s progressed and developed, definitely, but I think at a good pace and in the right way. You have to find yourself as an artist, and sometimes that means publicly, through the growth of your sound.

ASIDE FROM MUSIC, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT? I really have grown to love making videos, and I’ve made all of my own. Just as much as I hope to continue that for the rest of my career, I hope to work with other artists someday, or write and create shorts.

FROM WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION? My life. I’m deeply affected by people and relationships, and I allow for that type of emotional stress because there’s always a well of nostalgia to draw from. The times when I have nothing to say are the times when I’ve been at home alone for too long. I need interaction. I need connection.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT AS AN ARTIST? MOST DIFFICULT? I think the most memorable moment would be the treehouse video as a whole.

I remember realizing that no one else was going to get things moving for me, that I had to be the one to fuel the train forward. I grew a lot over the five days I prepared for that video, and even more so while directing and editing it. You get strong when you learn to fight for yourself. I’m thankful for that.

The most difficult thing has easily been the struggle for balance between actual survival and creating. Everyone’s battles are different, and mine has just been a bit more financial based. “Starving artist” didn’t come from nowhere.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON, AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU IN THE FUTURE? I’m headed straight into the full length, which is exciting for me. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been building this record for the past three years.

CONNECT WITH PENNYBIRDRABBIT: pennybirdrabbit.com facebook.com/pennybirdrabbit twitter.com/whoispenny birdrabbit.tumblr.com soundcloud.com/pennybirdrabbit

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junior pro

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INTERVIEW BY CLARE KIM What prompted you guys to come together and form the duo?

Mark: We had been in typical band set-ups our whole lives. We wanted our music to be different so we figured the first step would be to not have a typical band lineup.

Erik: We were playing in a band before Junior Prom and after a while we both realized it wasn’t going in the direction we wanted it to, so we simultaneously quit and started our thing right away.

Being a band for just over a year, what has been the most difficult thing about getting started in the industry?

Mark: The hardest part has been getting on good tours. There are lots of politics at play and ultimately it has nothing to do with the strength of the music.

Erik: The earlier days were weird because we cooped ourselves up in a rehearsal space without ever leaving it, really. We basically wrote and recorded an entire album’s worth of music in there before we scrapped it and started working on new songs that eventually became the EP. It’s been a time of discovery, really... trying to figure out our sound and how we were going to do it as a two-piece.

Do you think that you have grown as musicians and people since you first started making music?

Mark: We’ve grown tremendously. We actually recorded an entire album and scrapped it. We decided to go in a different direction.

Over the course of continually writing/recording/playing live, we’ve developed our own sound and aesthetic. Nothing but elbow grease can get you there, really.

Erik: Absolutely. I think you should always be evolving as an artist.

And I think you grow as a person as you evolve in your creative endeavors. Your experience inherently affects your perspective and approach to everything.

You recently went on tour with Panic! At The Disco - what was the most memorable experience on the tour?

Mark: Every night was incredible. They have the most open minded, music-loving fans. The first night was probably the best. As soon as we walked on stage the crowd erupted, so from that point on you think, “It’s all good from here, let’s give ‘em a great show.”

Erik: The amazing crowds! We met so many nice people who genuinely love live music. I think we both found that very refreshing. The catering spreads were nice, too.

Who are your musical/general influences?

Mark: John Lennon , Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Bill Drummond, Kurt Vonnegut, Oscar Wilde, and Iron Chef.

Erik: Dave Grohl, Pharrell... people who get shit done and do it on their terms.

What’s in store for you guys and what can we expect from you in the near future?

Mark: Touring to promote our EP and then a debut album in the not so distant future. And of course lots of pithy tweets along the way.

Erik: More touring, a full length album and a cooking show.

CONNECT WITH JUNIOR PROM: junior-prom.com facebook.com/juniorprom twitter.com/juniorpromz

youtube.com/juniorpromtv instagram.com/promgramz

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O’BROTHE

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The Atlanta-based, post rock/alternative band, O’Brother, has captivated both fans and music critics with their unique, transcending, and haunting sound. Skillful musicianship, paired with powerful lyrics, has created a loyal and perpetually growing following. In this interview, Continuum was able to sit down with Michael Martins (drummer) and Tanner Merritt (lead vocalist and guitarist) to discuss their origins, their experiences, their future goals, and why they hate toilet paper that is not properly placed on the toilet paper holder.

INTERVIEW BY TYLER TOPPING

MM = Michael Martins TM = Tanner Merritt Give me a little bio about you guys.

MM: Well I guess technically the idea of O’Brother started around 2005, 2006 and we went through a small lineup change when Tanner and our guitarist Aaron joined. We got serious about it around 2008, 2009 and we just started touring and at some point Aaron left the band and Jordan joined and we’ve just kinda been touring ever since then.

So where are you guys from?

TM: All of us grew up around the Atlanta area, so I guess Georgia.

What is Atlanta to you guys and your band?

MM: I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I realized that I do after I started touring. I thought I was going to find a lot of other places that I’d prefer to live, and there are some other cities that I’d love to live in, but I really like Atlanta especially now with all of the music and things going on there.

TM: Yeah, its not too overwhelming and it has a solid music scene, so it’s a good place to be from.

When you first started touring, what gave you the drive to grind through the tours and all of those times?

MM: I think the drive, really, is that we didn’t have much. We all had jobs, so we quit them and got in a van, and I think we just wanted to do something different. Travel, play music, and just hang out with our friends.

TM: Yeah we definitely did a lot of really grungy touring for a few years. It still kind of is, but it definitely was just us without a whole lot of purpose in the beginning, just getting in a van and playing whatever shows we could.

MM: Just figuring it out. Half the part of becoming a band is just going through that stuff.

Since you guys have toured so much, you guys have probably spend thousands of hours together in the van. What do you do to pass time while in between shows?

TM: Nothing is serious. A lot of times it’s like people trying to catch up on sleep or trying to catch up on grunt work like emails or whatever - like talk on the phone and all of the things you don’t have time to do in the rest of the day. But yeah, a lot of alternating who’s driving and a lot of people taking naps and whatever. We listen to records all the way through together.

Your sound is very unique, you know, not too many people sound like you guys. Were there any bands that inspired you guys or helped form that unique sound?

MM: There are a few that definitely had a bigger impact on us, especially during the beginning. Bands like Torche and Converge, and even bands like The Sword and how they draw from bands like Led Zepplin and other bands. It’s kind of a culmination of everybody listening to different stuff and that’s how O’Brother has kind of happened.

Do you have any words of advice for small bands trying to make it bigger?

TM: Be willing to work really hard and for as long as you can, play as many shows as possible in front of however many people. Those people just tell people and it grows. That’s the only way I’ve seen it work.

MM: Yeah - especially if you’re trying to be a band with substance of any kind. You know. I was shocked when I first found out that buying onto tours existed and stuff like that. Taking that short cut and thinking that you’ll have a lasting mark on the music scene is just not the case, in my opinion. And if you want something - especially in this industry – there are a lot of thing you have to know how to do well, without knowing how to do them. Just be nice with all of the people you come into contact with. You play the same venues on the way up as you do on the way down and there’s no point of being a dick. It’s stupid.

Is there any message in your music that you want to convey to your listeners?

TM: I think that the music we create is like an embodiment of who we are as people and like Michael said, the only message we try to portray in our music and our actions is to treat other people with kindness. I think the idea of kindness is what I would want people to get from O’Brother.

MM: I also want people to know that it’s okay ask questions. None of us are perfect and we will never be perfect. All of us come from some sort of failed life experience in one way or another and it makes you curious as to how you got to where you are, and how you’re going to get to where you want to be.

Do you have any pet peeves as far as performing goes or people in general?

MM: You know, I’ll tell you: I hate it when there’s no toilet paper next to the toilet and someone just puts a brand new roll on top of the holder, you know, because you’re taking a shit and you can just pop the old one out and put the new one in and – BOOM – there you go! That’s probably my number one pet peeve. It’s the worst one ever, man.

How about as far as people in the crowd?

TM: I just don’t like it when people are like rude to other people when they go to a show. A show should be somewhat of a kinship thing, where everyone’s trying to enjoy something together and more often than not, people just get to be assholes. I wish it weren’t so but, yeah.

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Has having members in different parts of the country made it any more difficult to be a band?

TM: Mostly, no. As far as normal, day-to-day band life, we communicate everything we need to over email or phone and then Anton flies down before a tour to rehearse. The only thing that was cool (about everyone living in the same city) is if someone got an itch and we just wanted to write one day when everyone is at home we could just gather everyone together and work on something. We can’t do that now, so we have to plan our writing which leaves less room for spontaneity. Other than that, it’s been fine.

MM: I also think it’s harder at times in the sense that our group is very tightly knit. All of our girlfriends and fiancées and wives are all really close. It has made it a little more special now when Anton and his wife can hang out when we are all together. Other than that, it hasn’t changed much.

What period of time or what specific thing has been the biggest struggle for you guys as a band?

TM: I think the struggle changes. As we grow, things kind of get easier from an outside perspective, just looking at it.

You know, touring is not as rough, I guess. But at the same time, we are all getting older so we have more bills and we’re more invested in relationships and stuff like that. But it just makes you want to work that much harder.

What do you think about how far you’ve made it so far?

TM: I’ve gotten to do some things that I’ve never thought I’d be able to do.

MM: Its easy to get lost in the moment but I feel like we take as many healthy look backs as we can. There are definitely things that, like Tanner said, I never thought I’d be able to do. Things like getting paid to go to different countries and to tour with bands that, until the phone call that tells you that you’re going to be spending time with them on the road, you never thought were real people - kind of like with anybody you look up to. And now the fact that they are in my phone as friends is pretty awesome.

Jordan said that when he was fifteen, he would have gone crazy to see his album in Hot Topic (you can buy O’Brother albums from Hot Topic now), what were you guys listening to when you were fifteen?

TM: I think I bought a Thrice record when I was fifteen and just listened to it over and over again that one summer. That was something that was cool, when I found out later on that we would be able to tour with them. You know, there are so many moments that I feel, during touring, that we become kind of softened to the excitement. You know there are times when you are just like, ‘Man, fifteen or sixteen year old me would have probably flipped a shit to play with these guys.’

MM: Fifteen, sixteen year old me AND twenty-seven year old me did flip my shit when we played one show with Saves the Day. That was AWESOME! You know, hanging out with Chris (lead man for Saves the Day) and the other band members was sweet. You mentioned Hot Topic; I remember walking in and seeing Through Being Cool and not even knowing who Saves the Day was and just listening to it in the album previewer and that record defined, partially, who I am for sure. Myself, Anton, and Johnny for sure. You know, its pretty crazy. Its definitely easy to not think about those things because you’re tired and you have to get up at 7:00 AM to drive or whatever.

Seeing you guys on bigger tickets each year, like Lollapalooza, where would you like to see the band a few years from now?

TM: I think with as much stuff everyone gets to do, everyone just lives for playing shows and like seeing your shows grow, and being able to put money into production and make this thing more than it is. So I think that is what I want to look for in the years to come is just having a larger following and being able to do cooler shit.

MM: And also to be able to be proud of why we do those things. Making decisions that the five of us want to make.

facebook.com/OBrotherMusic obrothermusic.net obrother.bandcamp.com twitter.com/obrothermusic youtube.com/obrotherpodcast

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WHAT PROMPTED YOU GUYS TO COME TOGETHER TO FORM THE BAND? We all really enjoy pizza, so we figured may as well be in a band together too :) HOW HAVE YOU GROWN AS A BAND SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED OUT? When we first started we were jammin in a garage and getting the cops called on us. Now we’ve traveled the country 3 times over. It’s a trip, I think we’re finally hitting puberty.

IF YOU HAD TO EXPLAIN YOUR MUSIC TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER LISTENED TO IT BEFORE, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT? G-PuNk bEACh FuNk. West coast Cali goodness you can bump with your friendz on the beach or while sippin horchata under some palm trees during a lovely make out sesh.

FAVORITE THING TO DO WHILE ON THE ROAD? Meet the people of the places we visit and explore of course. And get drunk and run around naked in public like Will Ferrell in Old School.

DO YOU HAVE ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS? WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM NEW BEAT FUND IN THE NEAR FUTURE? Album! Going in to the studio next week with our homie Matt Wallace to bang this beeetch out. Gonna blow your mind, then your mind may want to blow us. Then touring the globe and get really good at running from the police in our burfday suits. Peace & Luv! 11 // CONTINUUM MAGAZINE

newbeatfund.com facebook.com/newbeatfund newbeatfund.tumblr.com twitter.com/newbeatfund

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HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PURSUING PHOTOGRAPHY? I’ve been shooting for about five years now, with the last year being my first spent touring. Before touring, I worked for a number of publications while attending school.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INVOLVED WITH CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY? I never really had friends that were in serious bands. Still, I decided to go out to local shows and, at one point, I guess I decided I wanted to bring my camera.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST BAND YOU SHOT, AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE IN THE PIT? The first non-local show was Straylight Run and Lydia. There definitely wasn’t even a pit there, and my pictures turned out pretty bad—well, at least compared to what I think is good now. It was an awesome show though. Both of those bands are great.

WHAT GEAR DO YOU USE MOST OFTEN? WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO SETUP? My go-to is the 35mm 1.4L on a 5dmkii, but I’ve been expanding outside of that a bit more lately. On my last tour, I was with a band called Our Last Night. We played a lot of smaller club shows and I experimented shooting really wide (Tokina 11-16 2.8) with a flash, and narrow (85mm 1.8) while trying to get a consistent look to the photos.

YOU’VE BEEN SHOOTING MUSIC FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? That’s a good question. I think some of my favorite moments have just been having fun with the people I’m working with.

This last tour with Our Last Night had some great moments that came from playing so many unique places and meeting so many new people.

WHAT’S THE MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT OF WORKING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? Like in probably any other industry, there’s not always a ton of money. A photographer is a disposable team member for a lot of bands, so there’s not a whole lot of work out there.

That’s always tough. The upside is that bands that value having a photographer out with them will always find a way to hire you.

IF YOU COULD WORK WITH ANY MUSICIAN—DEAD OR ALIVE—WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? I feel like the generic answer here would be The Beatles or The Rolling Stones or something. But honestly, I would say that working for Underoath would have been really cool. I feel like their music matches the mood I want my photos to convey so it would have been cool to experience that.

ASIDE FROM THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, DO YOU (OR HOPE TO) PURSUE ANY OTHER TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY? I’m not sure. Right now, I’m pretty happy with where I’m at! I’m getting some great opportunities that I want to savor, and I don’t want to look too far down the road.

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HAS THERE EVER BEEN A MOMENT WHERE YOU’VE BEEN TOTALLY SATISFIED WITH YOUR WORK? WHAT ABOUT THE OPPOSITE? Never! I doubt I’ll ever experience that feeling. In the past six months or so, I’ve finally become happy with my abilities and have been consistently pleased with the work I’m putting out. I think everyone has times where they feel the opposite, too. Sometimes it just feels like I’m terrible for one night, and sometimes longer, but usually I can snap out of it fairly quickly.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE A CREATIVE BLOCK? I keep an awesome inspiration folder on my computer at all times for situations like this. I really like looking at other people’s work—though rarely concert photography—and it gives me ideas.

WHAT OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS DO YOU LOOK UP TO? I always love to see Adam Elmakias because he’s a master of his trade and I learn a ton from him every time I run into him. And if he doesn’t know something, he’s not ashamed about it. He just wants to learn as much as he can. That rules.

ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS? Just keep shooting! The more you shoot, the more people see your work, the more people you meet, and the more opportunities you get.

DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR WORK HAS SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? HOW SO? I definitely had phases I went through where my work became a lot different. It was mostly my editing style that changed and not really the nature of how I shot, I think. Since around 2012, I think my style has become more consistent.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE FUTURE? DO YOU THINK PHOTOGRAPHY WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF YOUR LIFE? I hope I take photos in some aspect for a very long time, but I guess I’ll just have to see where life takes me! For the near future, I’m pretty happy taking photos on the road.

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Zach Grace – vocals/guitar McKinley Kitts – guitar/vocals Dylan Bauld – bass/vocals Kyle Hill - drums

A few years back, Sunderland was founded as a typical small-town band from Hood River, Oregon. As a newly emerging band into a highly competitive and vying industry, the band started out in an archetypal setting as any other high school band had done – playing in a garage. Fast-forward to today, and they have already released 3 EPs and a full-length album, and have also toured with some of the world’s most prominent artists such as Weezer, Panic! at the Disco, The All-American Rejects, and Boys Like Girls, among many others.

With a flawless coalescence of both infectiously catchy beats and relatable lyrics, the band offers a musical style that appeals to all demographics, regardless of age, gender, and so on. Many of their tracks focus on the universal themes of love and personal heartbreak, which further corroborate their widespread appeal and popularity among both fans and critics. Although the foundations upon which they initially built their musical ventures remain consistent, as the boys have been maturing throughout the years, their music has been similarly progressing along in congruence.

So how exactly did they get to where they are now? Throughout the past few years, the band has been touring nonstop, which has proved to be advantageous as illustrated through their loyal, passionate, and exponentially growing fan base. It is visibly clear that McKinley, Dylan, Zach, and Kyle have never lost their ambitious, dedicated mindsets that have made their success up to this day possible. Sunderland is living verification that the common phrase “hard work pays off” is not simply another overused cliché.

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WHAT PROMPTED YOU GUYS TO GET TOGETHER AND FORM THE BAND? We started as a typical high school band in a garage.

Eventually we realized that music was pretty much the only thing we were good at and passionate about.

DO YOU THINK YOUR MUSIC HAS DEVELOPED AND CHANGED SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED OUT? Of course! The difference between our first EP and the Blue Light EP is enormous. We’ve grown as songwriters, musicians, and people, and that growth affects the songs we create. Every change has been natural though, which is awesome. We never want to stop growing and changing. It helps keep everything fresh and creates better music for everyone.

ARE THERE ANY BANDS THAT HAVE HAD A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON YOUR SOUND? From the beginning, Jimmy Eat World has been a big influence lyrically and melodically. More recently, though, we’ve been inspired by these amazing alt rock bands like The 1975, Imagine Dragons, and Twenty One Pilots breaking into the scene. We love the electronic/rock hybrid they create and have adapted that element to our original sound.

YOU GUYS HAVE TOURED WITH SOME HUGE BANDS—WEEZER, THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS, AND BOWLING FOR SOUP. WHAT WERE THOSE EXPERIENCES LIKE? It’s an amazing experience to share the stage with acts that we’ve grown up listening to.

Bands that have had that much success typically are amazing live, and it pushes us to want to get to that level. Bowling for Soup was especially great because they were so open about giving us advice. During that tour, a lot of our equipment was stolen, and they let us use their stuff without hesitation. Super cool of them.

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WHILE WORKING IN SUCH A COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY, WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO FACE THESE CHALLENGES AND CONTINUE TO MAKE MUSIC? We’re all pretty ambitious about our music. We believe in what we do and what we create, so we think it deserves to be heard by people. At the end of the day, aside from media, press, and all that, it comes down to the music you write. We focus on what we know and work hard at it. Hopefully it all pays off.

YOU JUST RELEASED A NEW EP AT THE END OF MARCH—CONGRATS! HOW DO YOU THINK BLUE LIGHT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE’VE HEARD ON YOUR FIRST FULL-LENGTH? Blue Light is a very different feel from all of our previous releases. While much of it is guitar backed, we’ve been using way more synths than before. I’d say it has more of a “modern” feel now, but with some big 80’s influences. Lyrically it’s on the dark side, but we balance that out with some big choruses and hooks.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A YEAR FROM NOW? Well, we just released another EP, Blue Light, in March. It’s a big change for us, and a major step forward. We would love to do one more big support tour promoting that EP, and then hopefully do a headliner next fall.

sunderlandrock.com twitter.com/sunderlandrock instagram.com/sunderlandrock youtube.com/sunderlandhr

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blue light artist: sunderland release date: march 22, 2014 review by emma andrews Sunderland, an alter-

native rock band hailing from Hood River, Oregon, released their new EP, Blue Light, in March. Blue Light hosts four main tracks, “Blue Light (My Generation)”, “Brighter Days”, “Every Night”, and “Hold On”.

According to Sunderland frontman Mckinley Kitts, Blue Light is comprised of darker lyrical content than past releases (including their 2013 release, “Closer Now”), a progression consistent with their maturation as both artists and young adults.

Sunderland’s ability to maintain their foundation of catchy hooks and juxtapose it with more intense lyrics is a great measure of how far they’ve come musically.

Kitts commented, “It comes from the heart, you know. everything is done by us… no one else has a hand in this besides us. It’s our art, it’s our creation.”

TRACK BY TRACK:

every night:

The opening track, “Every Night”, has such a fast paced and catchy tune that you’ll be sure to have it stuck in your head for weeks. At only two minutes and thirty three seconds long, the song somehow is able to feature great lyrical content (i.e.

“Take me as I am/I’ve got scars to show”), a haunting hook , clapping – and most importantly, cowbell.

my generation (blue light):

Dancier and more anthemic than the other tracks, “My Generation” features chanting/group vocals, as well as lyrics you can just imagine yourself screaming out in a passionate adoration for the millennial generation. Lyrics like “We are the hope/We are the love/We are the heart and lungs” as well as “Not gonna work/Not gonna hurt, invincible and dumb” cultivate an emotion similar to that of Mayday Parade’s 2009 single “Kids in Love”. In the last half of the song, the music shifts to a more acoustic, deeper sound, with a more serious tone present in the lyrical content (i.e. “It’s gonna hurt/You’re gonna work until the morning comes/And only then you’ll find yourself.”). Overall, this track is a great showcase of not only the hunger to fully live that our age group holds, but the desire to accomplish our dreams with a fervor that so many older adults overlook in our millennial generation.

brighter days:

The third track, “Brighter Days”, has a much darker, almost menacing feel to it than most of Sunderland’s more popularized songs. This is in large part contributed by the echoed synth noises and creeping bass in the opening of the track. With lyrics like, “You know how it makes me feel/When these darker days keep the light away from me” and “Look at me now/So far removed from the memory/Of who I once was” demonstrate the growth of the band both musically and lyrically that frontman Mckinley Kitts previously commented on.

hold on:

According to Sunderland, the fourth track, “Hold On”, is about “ the thrill of a relationship that is probably too much for you to handle, but too much fun to give up.” The track opens with synth and haunting melodies, reminiscent of the darker dance jams of the 80s. The halted rhythms of the hook, as well as the echoing of certain lyrics like “Come hell or high water”, place emphasis on this special closing track that is so unlike any other Sunderland has ever graced our ears with.

cavalier youth artist: you me at six release date: january 27, 2014 review by emma andrews You Me at Six’s long awaited fourth full length

album, Cavalier Youth, dropped January 27, 2014. Youth has been highly anticipated since the band’s 2011 release, Sinners Never Sleep.

As the title of the album suggests, Cavalier Youth is dripping with themes of growing up and coming of age, while still maintaining a passion for living to the fullest and always pursuing your dreams. Lyrics like “Carpe diem till the very end / I have no regrets/ carpe diem till the bitter end” on the track “Carpe Diem”, as well as “Can we learn to love again / can we learn to feel again / cause we’re too young to feel this old” on “Too Young to Feel This Old” urge listeners to keep hold of the spirit of carefree, impassioned youth, even amidst the trials and tribulations that come with getting older.

While there is still a strong presence of songs lamenting about the triumphs and pitfalls of romantic relationships, it is made clear that the focal point of the album is finding one’s own identity in life, rather than sharing it with someone else.

Youth not only sings of aging, but also proves that You Me at Six, as well as their fans, have been doing some maturing of their own in the over two year time period between albums. While the pop-punk roots of the group are still prevalent, Youth, in combined effort with Sinners, has expanded the genre they cover to a much wider, more anthemic rock sound. The musicianship, as well as lead vocals by frontman Josh Franceschi, has consistently been improving – becoming more refined and confident, undoubtedly demonstrated by this final product.

Upon listening to Cavalier Youth in chronological order, it appears to be a cyclical journey. While the album starts with apathy towards one’s current situation, the album closes with a much different attitude, a shift in perspective that is sure to make anyone want to go out and seize the day with all of their might. Putting your all into every moment; what You Me at Six has seemingly done, as they’ve taken what’s so rightfully theirs – the number one spot on the UK charts.

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A late summer’s nostalgia drenched

reverie lagoon:

music for escapism only artist: seahaven

in heat rising up off the pavement, waves crashing on the shore, with a luminescent California moon hanging overhead - that is most likely where listeners will envision themselves while soaking in Seahaven’s Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only. Being only the band’s second LP after their 2011 full-length release Winter Forever, it is clear that there is a progression towards a stronger emo influence, mixed with a subtle tinge of the band’s California roots in comparison to their previous records. For music fans that are able to keep an open mind without imploring a band for straying from their previous sound, this album will be highly satisfying, acting as a unique release that sets this band apart from the rest of the music scene’s pop punk brat pack.

The band fades the listener in gradually on the first track, “Fifty-four”, with vocalist Kyle Soto’s haunting drawl embedded within an ambient track of seagulls, rolling waves, and inaudible conversation review by in the background. Transitioning seamemily tantuccio lessly into “Andreas”, the tone seems to brighten for what is easily the most upbeat-sounding song on the record - though providing a stark contrast for the band’s typically dark lyricisms, including “Come to me, come to me, I’ll be your friend / You’re sitting alone at home, with your open wrists that bleed all over.”

Although, considering the fact that grappling with demons and the devil isn’t exactly new subject matter for Seahaven, listeners won’t be shocked by any of the darker stories told through this record. Track 7, “Highway Blues”, is a standout track with a sweet acoustic melody that would most likely sound best as a sad serenade for a lost lover. Pleading with an old flame to let him know when he can come see her again, Soto questions whether God would be cruel enough not to grant a man’s only wish as he makes promises to his girl that he’ll never be too far if she decided to come back home.

release date: march 25, 2014

In comparison to where we left off with the band in Winter, the lyrical storyline seems to have progressed from a place of agonizing, torturous depression to a state in which the mourner has come to terms with their loss - though that does not necessarily mean that they have moved on. The seasonal symbolism from the darker, punk, and hardcore influenced undertones of Winter Forever to the euphoric, lighter, summery vibes of Reverie Lagoon leaves one with no choice but to assume that the band’s change in sound was far more calculated than any outsider could ever really understand. It just had to happen in order to tell the story of a beautiful lost love, suffering in heartbreak, and the conciliation between the two exactly as it needed to be heard. This record was a refreshing change and deserves to be played on repeat for many warmer nights to come.

you’re gonna miss it all artist: modern baseball release date: february 11, 2014 review by emily tantuccio If there’s one thing fans should

know about Modern Baseball, it’s the fact that they make these awkward coming-of-age, quarterlife-crisis inducing college years sound way cooler than anyone else ever has.

Following up on the release of their 2012 LP Sports, which was recorded in true modern day DIY fashion utilizing the studios Drexel offers to its students, You’re Gonna Miss It All is everything a sophomore LP could hope to be: musically matured, yet still providing fans with the lyrical storytelling that makes this band so easy to love and relate to in the first place.

Upon really giving the songs a close listen, it would be easy to assume the MB guys have a lot to stress out about from rehashing mistakes in past relationships to tearing apart personal flaws instead of finding sleep at night. But it is that raw honesty embedded within the twelve tracks that makes this record play out more like a memoir of navigating the young adult world than their previous LP - a quality that will definitely bode well with potential listeners when they embark on their full US run with The Wonder Years this spring. Starting off with “Fine, Great”, Lukens confesses his anxieties about the future and his uneasiness about late night phone calls to the tune of an uncomplicated yet infectious guitar track. Track 4, “Apartment”, recounts a situation of being too anxious to approach a pretty girl at a college party, while Track 8, “Notes”, gives listeners an acoustic ambience that sounds as though it may have been written to a voice mail confessional, serving as a laundry list of character flaws that might have caused a previous relationship to crumble.

Though each song built off one another with flawless transition, it was Track 10, “Your Graduation” that really served as the stand-out of the entire record. An unrestrained bitterness towards an ex is broadcasted loud and clear with Lukens’ vocals expressing a grittier, less discreet type of anger than his usual style, letting listeners know that although Modern Baseball might feel down sometimes, they are most definitely not out. Modern Baseball’s unique blend of emo and punk rock influences combined with an indie-rock undertone is something that definitely has the potential to bring this band to the forefront of the music scene this upcoming year.

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Released in September 2013, The

1975’s debut self-titled album proves to be an idyllic consummation of their past EPs, in that it sublimely coalesces the distinct, yet collateral, sound of each former EP. In a manner, their former EPs had aided the band in developing their comprehensive sound. Matty Healy, vocalist of The 1975 stated in an interview - “We wouldn’t have been able to release the album without putting out the EP’s first, as we wanted to make sure we could express ourselves properly before dropping this long, ambitious debut record on people.”

the 1975 artist: the 1975

release date: september 2, 2013

The album emulates an ethereal style that surpasses the conventional archetypes fabricated by the music industry. While the classic themes of sex, love, and drugs permeate throughout the entire album, each song is distinctly and audibly anomalous from the others.

The first track, “The 1975”, instantly fabricates the ethereal realms in which the rest of the album further delves review by into. Following up, “The City” is clearly defined by its clare kim infectious, blithe beats, as well as its exceedingly catchy chorus with its recurrent line “if you wanna find love then you know where the city is.” Track 3, “M.O.N.E.Y.” is heavily comprised of irresistibly appealing synth-pop harmonies and rhythms. If one of these songs must be accredited as the impetus for the band’s rise to mainstream prominence, “Chocolate” is the one. The underlying meaning of the song itself, which deals with a drug-filled youth, becomes rather latent due to the unbelievably infectious beats and vocals of the song. “Sex,” with compelling vocals and rugged guitar lines, is eponymous as it deals with sex inherently fueled by lust. With a busy and somehow beautifully erratic rhythm, “Talk!” is distinguished by Healy’s beseeching line “Why you talk so loud?”, as well as bassist Ross MacDonald’s defining notes. Despite its lack of lyrical substance, “An Encounter” is no less captivating than the rest of the tracks; this instrumental interregnum reaches the acme of the ethereal ambience that the entire album is inherently derived from. With a harmoniously anthemic disposition, both “Heart Out” and “Settle Down” are quintessential syntheses of rhythmic drumbeats, recurrent guitar lines, and infectiously catchy choruses. In juxtaposition to the former two tracks, “Robbers” proves to be much more tranquil and halcyon, despite its heavily personal lyrical content. “Girls”, the 4th single off of the album, effervescently epitomizes the carefree and rebellious essence that so strikingly defines the ephemeral youth. “12” is another instrumental interlude with hauntingly celestial qualities that rings throughout the entire minute-long track. Although strikingly similar to a few of the other tracks off of the album with its catchy and repetitive chorus and guitar riffs, “She Way Out” possesses unique qualities that set it apart from the others. With an instrumental introduction that lasts about half the song, “Menswear” may lack captivation at first, but the upbeat vivacity that permeates throughout the entire record

instantaneously returns with Healy’s quick paced vocals and George Daniel’s dominating drumbeats. Although archetypically scintillating, “Pressure” has a much more sedated and placid tone to it with jazzy undertones. The final track off of the 16-song record, “Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You”, possesses a completely disparate quality to it than any other track from the record. This introspective piano ballad, defined by deeply emotive lyrics, offers a track stripped down to a barenaked vulnerability that intrinsically resides within us all.

The album has frequently been referred to as a soundtrack for the youth in that “feeling a lack of identity and the searching within oneself to acquire a real understanding of what you want to be is something that loads of people can connect with,” quoted by vocalist Matty Healy. As an album, co-produced by Mike Crossey (who has previously worked with the Arctic Monkeys and the Foals), it clearly earned its rightful place at #1 on the UK Albums Chart.

for love

artist: pennybirdrabbit release date: february 11, 2014 review by anita nham Quickly emerging onto the music scene is Pen-

February.

nybirdrabbit, a 23-year-old artist from San Diego that is most notably known for her collaboration with Skrillex on his hit single, “All I Ask Of You”, which was released in 2010. After signing on to his record label, OWSLA, she has since collaborated with numerous electronic producers to create her EPs – the most recent being For love, which was released this past

For Love distinctly strays from the conventional standards that have been laid out by the music industry. Instead of creating music that conforms to modern day hits, Penny fabricates her very own musical style that allows listeners to escape to an introspective, intimate, and dream-like utopia.

The first song off the EP, “maybe”, creates an ambience that seems to be idyllic for those pensive nights filled with incessant thoughts. With a slightly quickened pace, “look for love” has a blithe and blissful quality to it, tied together with a highly catchy chorus. Penny’s strong and crooning voice permeates throughout “earthquake”, and with its unique sounds and drops, a beautiful track is created for any restless night. The fourth song, “cheap goodbyes”, carries a confident tone as Penny bids farewell to a former lover while singing “save your cheap goodbyes because I know that I’m worth more”. In addition, this tune is accompanied by soft xylophone sounds that perfectly contribute to the overall sensation of the song. “Time”, the fifth and final song off of the EP has a captivating and contagious beat that impeccably brings the EP to a beautiful end.

Throughout the course of the EP, listeners are exposed to the inner machinations of Penny’s psyche, as she chronicles her experiences with both love and life. For love in its entirety offers dreamlike electronic ballads, defined by Penny’s gentle yet compelling voice that creates a sublime musical realm through the period marked by the 5 tracks.

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KITTEN PHOTOS BY CLARE KIM

PHOTOS BY CLARE KIM

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

PHOTO BY ANAM MERCHANT

PHOTO BY ANAM MERCHANT

PHOTO BY ANAM MERCHANT

PHOTO BY EMILY TANTUCCIO

PHOTO BY LORI GUTMAN

PHOTO BY SARAH HOFFMAN

PHOTO BY SARAH HOFFMAN