Issue 11 by Edge Magazine

ISSUE 11, OCTOBER 2013

ALYSSA BLACKMAN

cardinal chase fever fever

awesome maps

9 12 15 you and me

gasan

eddie gomez

invisible people

signs for the homeless

robby hunter band

25 book review

ear to the ground

28 playlist

broadway

cover photo of all time low taken by mg photography ÂŠ

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This ambient rock band from Ohio will put you in a daze with their perfectly crafted progressive melodies ,contagious hooks and music videos that take place in the depths of mother nature.

EM: How did Fever Fever begin? Our singer, Drew, and guitarist, Wes, played basketball together for the JV team in high school. They decided that putting a band together would be more fun than spending their days playing basketball and got Vince and Sam to jump on the boat. That being said, we’ve been together for 8 years without many member changes. We’ve added a 5th member to our roster three different times, the most recent being Zack Taylor, who plays guitar, keys and percussion for us- depending on whatever the current situation calls for.

with a sort of ethnic world music undertone.

EM: If you had to describe your sound just to a random person, what would you say? It’s alternative rock with catchy melodies, building dynamic and fresh ambient sounds mixed

EM: You have acoustic versions of some of your songs. What made you do the stripped down version of songs like ‘On Top of the World’ and ‘Blue’?

EM: The latest EP “Native Color” is on Noisetrade so fans can download it for free. What’s the response been like? It’s been really incredible! Noisetrade featured us on their weekly music release and we got a lot of immediate attention. People have been downloading it from all over the world. We’re finding Brazil and Germany to be among the top nonEnglish speaking countries that have downloaded ‘Native Color’ numerous times.

music We love showing off the melodies and lyrics to electricity in scenic spots. We learned this lesson when we filmed Clouds Catch Fire in the Catskill Mountains and we’ve been addicted to the idea of playing our songs in the depths of mother nature ever since.

EM: Are most of the songs written and composed collaboratively or you each have your own parts and then put them together? We write all of our songs together, most of the time we all have a say in each part. Whether it be a guitar line, a bass riff, or vocal melodies. EM: Who are some artists that have influenced your sound? The list is endless but among the top are Sigur Ros, Future of Forestry, Mutemath, The Killers,

Phoenix, Paper Route and most recently Imagine Dragons.

EM: You’ve got two EPs and a full length album under your belt plus you’re touring. What do the next few years look like? We hope to sign onto a record label, get a solid management team, and just do what we’ve been doing on a much bigger level. We don’t have any plans of stopping soon, ever since we were sophomores in high school a career in the music industry has been in our sights and that drive is still pushing hard, probably harder than ever now that we’re starting to see the fruit of our labor. Most people don’t realize how hard it is to be in a successful band, we work really hard to stay afloat and we can’t wait to see and taste the fruit of the next few years.

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Cardinal Chase By Megan Galema This Canadian band has crafted the perfect combination of pop, rock and reggae jams with catchy hooks and smooth rhythms that will keep you clicking play. Let’s talk about how you came up with the band name. Cardinal Chase is a play on words of the street where I grew up. We used to be called Killer Green but when we had a few line-up changes we decided to rename. Since it was the street where we’d been jamming for so long we found it fitting.

If you could have a jam session with any artist, dead or alive, who would you choose? If I could jam with any artist... wow can I choose more than one? I think mine would have to be John Lennon (not very creative, I know) but imagine being in the room with that guy singing a song he just wrote, knowing how big it would be.

Can you give me a quick rundown of how the band got together? The band got together in grade 10 of high school. Jake is actually my cousin and the original drummer was a childhood friend. Our drummer at the time was going to high school with Sam who joined us on bass. This was the first line up of Killer Green the predecessor to Cardinal Chase.

Cardinal Chase opened up for Carly Rae Jepson, can you describe that experience? We did, it was a cool experience, a lot of teenage girls. Haha.

Cardinal Chase reminded me of Sublime. How would you describe your music to a person listening to it for the first time? Our sound is constantly changing and evolving. Sublime was one of our favorite bands in high school, so inherently we were deeply influenced by them at the time. When I try to describe the music to someone who hasn’t heard it I usually say something like “its reggae, rock, with pop influence”. Not the most descriptive but it’s kind of in between all those, haha.

Who are your main musical influences? Our influences are literally everything. It sounds cheesy and easy to say we like everything but we honestly do. I work at a recording studio in Toronto so I’m working on all kinds of music every day which gives me a level of appreciation for everything.

What is your favorite thing about being in a band? My favorite part is just having a go-to outlet to release the music I write. If I didn’t have the band I wouldn’t have the medium. What does music mean to you? Music is everything quite literally. I wake up go to work (which involves listening and working on music all day). Then I leave work and either to go rehearsal or go home and work on even more music, that’s either CC or a record I’m producing. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to be honest, but then I chill, take an hour break, and can’t stop myself from getting right back onto my computer and working on more music. At what point in your lives did you know that you wanted to pursue music? I’d say when I was 15. It was when I first started the band. Honestly I never even thought about doing anything else since. If you weren’t pursuing music, what would you be doing?

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My mom tells me I wanted to be a lawyer growing up. I probably would’ve been a good one. I just didn’t ever care much about school, definitely never tried my hardest. So it would’ve been interesting. Never put much thought into that before though.

What’s your mind set when writing a new song? Everyone is different. Your train of thought is kind of what will dictate the vibe or mood of the thought. Aside from that, mine is generally “f*ck I need a line that works with this, and I pace around the room.”

Have you performed in the United States? If not, is that something Cardinal Chase is planning for the future? Funny you ask that, we’ve been planning a trip to the USA to play a couple shows for some time now. Stay tuned on our Facebook for details on that!

If you fast forwarded 5 years from now, where will Cardinal Chase be? We hope to continue doing what we love and hopefully we can achieve more success as the years go on! We plan on recording and releasing a new record within the next 12 months!

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art What exactly is Awesome Maps and how and why it was started? Awesome Maps are illustrated world maps with different themes. They show you the world you care about whether it is surfing, winter sports, football (soccer) or traveling. I started Awesome Maps after a surf trip I took. I wanted to pin down my whole trip on a map but regular world maps didn’t appeal to me and that’s how I came up with the idea. I then found Lars who does all of the illustrations and the rest is history! How do you begin to make one of these maps? How do you find all of the locations and sights that are included on the maps? It’s always a challenge. Being a surfing and snowboarding/ skiing enthusiast, I already knew a lot about these sports and how to find the information needed. For our latest map, the bucket list map, that’s still a work in progress. We turned to Kickstarter and asked globetrotters from around the world for their input. We received over 1,000 suggestions from all corners of the globe! What made you decide to take the crowd-sourcing route and where did the money you funded exactly go towards? We turned to Kickstarter because it’s a great way to reach an international, highly enthusiastic audience. Kickstarter helped us to fund the map but also to get ideas for the bucket list map. The feedback was overwhelming and we couldn’t be more proud of having the best backers ever! The money raised goes straight towards the printing of the maps. It also enabled us to make a cool scratch version of the bucket list map where you can scratch off a silver coating, just like a lottery ticket, to reveal the illustrations as well as adding a whiteboard coating to the maps which has been the idea of one of our backers. Without the campaign, these maps wouldn’t exist.

Did you get lots of locations you wouldn’t have otherwise had from the backers? The response was fantastic and we received so many ideas from backers who have actually been to all these crazy places which totally blew our minds. We put the locations up for vote and got about 20,000 votes from our backers which was a response we would have never anticipated. The bucket list map is packed with hidden gems and that is all thanks to our fantastic backers! So what are some things on your personal “bucket list map”? Making these maps is a constant reminder of all the great things out there. My top three right now are: 1. Hiking the Appalachian Trail (or at least part of it). 2. A road trip around the ring road in Iceland. 3. Something I already did but would love to do again visit Easter Island. You’ve made a west coast map but since Edge Magazine is based in New Jersey, I have to ask: will there be an east coast map? Regional maps are always a much requested product. Seeing all the great suggestions for the bucket list map we could not include in the final world map made us wonder if it would be a good idea just to make a bucket list map just for the US. We’re thinking about it! What’s next? Any new maps you’re working on? Right now we have 3,000 maps to roll up and label to get to our backers in time and then we will think hard about the next map. There are so many great things that deserve a map and the bucket list map most certainly won’t be our last one!

to learn more choose a destination:

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ROBBY HUNTER Hip-hop, soul, funk, pop, rock and reggae. They have it all, plus silky vocals and killer beats. You’re going to love them. First off, how did you three come together? Pat: I actually met Robby about 15 minutes before playing a gig with him. It was a regular Friday night bar gig that rarely paid more than $30 a head. Most weeks it didn't pay, but it was always worth its weight in free beer and rowdy, drunken adorers. When I moved in with John, he joined the band, and the three of us played at this place just about every Friday for a year, often times for an hour or two longer than we were even "booked." We made up cover versions on the spot and basically just had a blast more or less rehearsing in front of a... well a pretty forgiving crowd.

Your sound is pretty funky. Any specific artists that have influenced it? Pat: Oh man, well, every song of ours gets put through our collective meat grinder. So, it can sometimes be hard to trace anything specific. I think the choices we make production wise are informed by a combination of what we’ve each been musically imprinted with over the years and what we’re all listening to at the time. Robby might know how to play through every Sublime song. The same can be said for John and The Beatles. That’s imprinted stuff. As for inspiration while making the album, Good

Kid, M.A.A.D City might’ve had something to do with the outro of “Fire.” Acid Rap and a few Jai Paul bootlegs definitely dissolved my aversion to using 808s (as a drummer). You’ll notice a bunch tucked into the grooves of “¿Qué Pasó?” and “Fire.” Probably the most inspirational thing to drop while we were working on our album was Channel Orange by Frank Ocean. It was important for our songs to belong together and flow along in a certain way like that. We also love anything that Mark Ronson’s had a hand in, which is perhaps why we pounced on the opportunity to include some horn funk in “Running With Wolves.” What is your songwriting process like? Lyrics or instrumentals first? John: It really can go each way. Sometimes Pat will have a beat he made sitting at his parent’s piano while visiting for Christmas, and that will be the beginnings of something fresh. Other times, Robby will send us an iPhone memo of a melody and chords he’s thought up at some point in the day, and we’ll create a new song built on that foundation. The best part is that you can actually hear bits of the original memo recordings that Pat then sampled and used on the album. He’s a bit of a genius.

The debut album came out back in July. How’s the response to it been? Robby: It’s been something else. This is definitely our first rodeo with thousands of strangers knowing and supporting any of the music we’ve been a part of. It’s crazy that we literally watched the upload bar fill out in our studio (a.k.a Pat’s bedroom), and now, by word-of-tweet and via several very gracious music blogs, our album is being enjoyed on every continent but Antarctica. More people are discovering it everyday. We found out via Twitter just a couple weeks ago that “Treat You Right (feat. GhostWridah)” is on the training playlist of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Crew Team. Have any songs you would be embarrased if we found on your iPod? Robby: Oh jeez, if I deny it, shuffle will surely prove me wrong. I put out an album on my own about seven years ago that is difficult to listen to now. Pat likes to kind of “RickRoll” me with songs off of it occasionally. So Robby, were you actually told to “leave or play in a real bar” before. What happened after that? Robby: This is true. I was busking on the street corner for a year, stealing electricity. I would climb up an awning, plug in, and play for passersby. Sometimes I’d draw huge crowds, looping beatbox and covering Sublime and old school hiphop songs, but the cops shut me down. I ultimately found sanctuary at the Barracuda Bar where, over the years, I've had a few band lineups until this trio stuck. If you three weren’t doing music, what other career paths would you have taken? John: Robby actually studied acting for three years as an undergrad, so I imagine he’d be breaking hearts in movies about hip gringos in Miami. I’ve got a degree in Math, and I teach

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during the day; so, I guess I would be doing my best Good Will Hunting impression. As for Pat, he’s in pretty deep with this music thing. His room is mostly a studio with a bed he lofted himself. We cut the whole album in that room. But I bet he could’ve take his brain and his handiness and have been a great audio engineer or astronaut or something.

Know of any good artists you’ve been listening to lately that we should check out? John: For sure. A good friend of mine plays in this killin’ Afrobeat band EMEFE in New York. We sent them a demo of ‘Running With Wolves’ to lay down some horns, and the parts they recorded were so good that we had to rewrite our parts to be on par with their contribution. Then there’s The Politix, my favorite band in Miami. We’re all buddies with the guys in the band (Pat was a founding member), and their MC’s charisma is only matched by the musicianship of the players. We’re working on putting together a doublebill show with these guys real soon in Miami. And briefly, these guys I used to play in a metal band with back in high school have this raucous (nonmetal) band Gunther Doug out in Nashville. I just heard their new tracks, and the songwriting and energy they're producing is pretty amazing. Oh, and a given is our frequent collaborator, dope MC, and all around good guy GhostWridah. `

How is the rest of 2013 going to look for you guys? Pat: We form a pretty able, self sufficient team and have some pretty stellar management so, there’s a lot in the works to get our music to more ears. We haven’t stopped writing new music since the album dropped, but our priority right now is performing this stuff live for as many people in as many strange and unfamiliar places as possible. Basically, we’re looking to spend very little time at home for the rest of this year.

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eddie gomez Eddie Gomez is soul, pop, a bit of folk and has hard hitting beats in his first single, “Someday”. It’s a combination of sounds you would be crazy to ignore!

When did you first get interested in music and decided to make it a career? My parents traveled throughout the country as paid folk dancers, so music, entertaining and performing are in my blood. I have always enjoyed music, but there’s one experience that comes to mind -- when I had that “A-ha!” moment and realized I wanted to make a career in music. I was 16 years old when I was asked to perform at my high school assembly. The experience leading up to that event, and the emotional journey that I went through on the day of the performance (I was anxious, nervous, scared, and excited, all at the same time). All of these emotions were fueled by such a major adrenaline rush. I enjoyed it too much not to go throughout life without experiencing this major rush again. That high school performance really solidified music as a career choice for me. Tell me about your EP that released in August! Yes – it was released on iTunes last week and I couldn’t be more excited! (link: https://itunes.apple. com/us/album/no-ep/id690255008). One of the advantages of being an independent artist is that you have the ability and freedom to make each song different. This is something that I really wanted to take advantage of, so I came into this EP making each track a reflection of different emotions I experienced when producing them. You can expect to hear an eclectic range of sounds, including blues, pop, rock and more. I am thrilled to hear what people have to say about it, I always appreciate feedback and constructive criticism. Are there any specific songs on it that you’re most excited to share? Not to dodge the question, but I am really stoked about all the songs, really. If I had to answer with one, I would have to say “A Little Bit of Candy,” because I was pleasantly surprised with the final product, and I hope you are too! “Someday” is your first single. How has the response been to that so far? It’s been amazing! More than I could have ever expected. Within the first 24 hours of the release, people were very receptive, reaching out to help in any way possible. And through the success of “Someday” I’ve gained the confidence to launch a fundraiser called Change4Change. Growing up, I was bullied a lot for my speech impediment (I have a stutter) and I decided that I wanted to try to use my voice to support bullying prevention awareness, especially after looking into the facts and statistics. I was shocked at how many kids are bullied each year, it’s astounding! Next month I am throwing a major benefit concert in Los Angeles with 100% of the proceeds benefiting PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, a non-profit organization that unites, engages and educates communities nationwide to address bullying through creative, relevant and interactive resources. Also, 100% of the album sales from my EP will also go directly to PACER from the August 27 release date through the month of October, which is National Bullying Prevention Month. Details about the event, the cause, and the non-profit organization are all available on my website, which will constantly be updated as we get closer to the concert date. Also, you can make donations to PACER directly from my website as well!

music You’ve got quite a unique sound that’s a combination of soul and pop. Where have you pulled inspiration from? My influences in music are Lauryn Hill, Boys II Men, John Legend, Amy Whinehouse, Adele, and Gavin Degraw. Something I learned from a mentor of mine is that you can take something good from any style of music; you just have to open your mind to it. Do you remember the first concert you ever attended? Yes, and I am slightly embarrassed to admit that it was an *NSYNC concert. In my defense, my sister “made” me go. Have any go-to karaoke songs? Ironically, I am a horrible karaoke singer, but I do like to try all different kinds of tunes when I attempt it. Any artists out today that you would recommend? Anthony Hamilton, Anthony David, Drake, J Cole, and Miguel. What are your plans for the rest of the year? Right now I am trying my hardest to get the word out about the Change4Change initiative and to really put on an unforgettable benefit concert. I also hope to sign a record deal, get out there and start touring by the end of the year. I am ambitious!

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WHO IS GASAN? GIVE A SHIT ABOUT NATURE

an advocate for environmental issues They advocate for various environmental issues through social media. What started as a simple Facebook page in 2012 has now just about 300,000 likes! Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got an online shop selling t-shirts and faucet aerators which help to lessen your water use.

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When you buy something from the store, multiple trees are planted. Simple as that! So far they have planted over 30,000 trees in partner with another organization called Trees for the Future. “In the face of a changing climate and insecure energy futures, it has become imperative that we each have a stake in the conservation and proper management of our shared resource.”

Whether they are posting about solar power, pollution, climate change, recycling, animals’ well being, natural resources, conservation or anything else about the environment, they’ve got the one Facebook page you need to give a shit about.

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You and Me

James and Valerie, also known as recording artists You & Me, is a folksy, funky and bluesy duo from Canada who have traveled across the United States for an epic 30 long month journey in their VW van. They criss-crossed the country passing through Michigan, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, New York and Louisiana. In between playing shows in major markets including Hollywood, New Orleans and Santa Monica, they took the opportunity to explore the Grand Canyon, hike amazing trails in our national parks, marvel at the California Redwoods, canoe in the Colorado River and see the sun set on both coasts. Their account of their journey might just spark the inner wanderlust in all of us!

There is so much to say about our incredible road trip that I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where to begin. James and I had been dreaming of such an epic road trip since our teenage years. This trip surpassed our dreams. It was even more epic than we imagined it would be: 30 months in a 1984 Blue Westfalia (which we named Victor the victorious Bluesummer) with our beloved dog Blondie, our canoe, our bicycles, our musical gear, a telescope, our backpack and some good hiking boots! We literally drove all around the USA, hiking in as many National parks as we could and more! We saw so much. We felt the heart of the wild America beating under our wheels. Since we were in no hurry and had a home on wheels, we were able to spend as much time as we wanted in any one particular place to really see all what we wanted to see which was really awesome! It was such an incredible feeling of freedom! So let me try to sum up our most beautiful souvenirs for you. There is the time we spent in Theodore Roosevelt National park in North Dakota which we were so amazed to have the chance to see actual wild buffalos and real wild horses. That was magical! As was the time when we howled with the coyotes in the Mojave Desert while pedaling our bicycles in the dark night of Joshua Tree National Park after a wild day of discovering some ancient gold mines that were hidden in the back country of the park. We also spent quite some time at the Grand Canyon; it was a must for us to hike to the bottom of it and we did! That was some serious hiking! We actually slept one night in the bottom of that gigantic canyon before climbing back to the edge. We had found some cascades on our way out and went for a swim too! The Grand Canyon is very impressive- there are no words to describe it besides spectacular! One very cool adventure was our canoe trip on the Colorado River, in the Black Canyon. We spent about a week exploring that special canyon and camping on the river banks. What we would do most of the time with our canoe was first to paddle upstream and study the river a bit and then go downstream. In that particular canyon, our dog who canoed with us went running after a rattle snake. Luckily, James shouted loud and quick just in time to make her stop! We also saw one morning while paddling slowly in this canyon a coyote bathing and coming out of the water right in front of us! We had an incredible time too in Utah! Utah is something else, looks like another planet: pink canyons, red and copper cliffs, the nature there is like nowhere else we saw and there are some old ghost towns from the wild, wild, west. There are lots of amazing parks in Utah, but our favorite one was Bryce Canyon National Park. One of the most beautiful places we saw! One amazing thing we will never forget is that afternoon when we were canoeing in Morrow Bay and a dolphin came swimming eight feet beside us! The entire

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drive down the west coast was incredible and we made sure we always took the road that was the closest to the ocean. Sometimes it was really winding and impressive like around Big Sur, where it gave us a smile to think that Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassidy drove on that exact same road and took those exact same curves we were taking! In Big Sur, we also stopped at the “Henry Miller Library” which is a small little house that was owned by one of Kerouac’s friend. We could picture in our heads all those famous beatniks sitting around the fire stove sipping tea and having a crazy night! Kerouac is the one that gave me the dream of rolling all across America when I was 15 years old reading his famous novel “On The Road.” Other beautiful memories are the hikes we took in the Redwood National Park, walking among the 2,000 year old giant trees. Before leaving LA we had bought a small digital multi track recorder and turned our van into a rolling solar powered mini recording studio for a month. It was quite an adventure because we had to find a quiet place, which we found by a river in Utah near Zion National Park. We solar charged our battery during the day and record through the silent nights till the sun would come up. What we were recording was a demo we were working on sending out to a producer from Sony we came in contact with. It took about a month before we were ready to send in our demo but in the end we didn’t get signed to Sony. We had discovered the art of recording music and we liked it a lot, and got better at it (I’ll let you judge by yourself with our new album which was entirely recorded and self produced by James). Another musical adventure worth mentioning was our time spent in New Orleans. We spent a Christmas there and truly had a blast! We made sure to play some blues while we were there- especially French blues in the French Quarter! Our exploring in Arizona is also worth mentioning. Arizona is a great place for anyone who is interested in archeology and native American history. There are so many archeological sites we went to but the best, and most mysterious, site was one that wasn’t advertised: an old man told us about some cliff dwellings that were across the Verde River which we could maybe get there by canoe. So following his indications, we canoed looking for those cliff dwellings and after a little while we found them. We went exploring them by foot, entering inside the dwellings; it was like a trip in time. The ceilings of the caves were still black from the smoke of the fires that burned there about 1,000 years ago- that was some real exploring like we like! Alright, I will stop myself here because this might get too long to read! Nonetheless, the 30 months had to come to an end so we could get back home to Montreal because we had to start recording some new music and of course see everyone we’ve missed the past 30 months!

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our roa

all photos taken

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ad trip

n by you and me

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SIGNS FOR the homeless The Signs for the Homeless is a project that turns cardboard signs into works of art all in an effort to put a face to homelessness. Graphic design artist, Kenji Nakayama and creative innovator Chris Hope, joined forces and have created something very unique. Kenji started hand-painting the signs in 2011, swapping dilapidated boards for spiffed-up renditions to draw onlookers to their needs. A year after the project started, Chris reached out as a fan of Kenji’s and an advocate for homeless residents in Boston, MA, saying the project could do so much more. As Chris offered to chronicle the homeless peoples’ stories, taking a before and after picture of the signs and releasing the vignettes, it turned into a blog and has since drawn both national and international attention. These signs aren’t about getting homeless people more money panhandling and Chris and Kenji aren’t in this for a profit either. They pay the subjects in the project $20 each for the signs. It’s a paltry sum for someone trying to eat, but it’s more of a token than an effort at direct aid.

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The purpose of Signs for Homeless is not to solve homelessness. The first phase of this project is to engage certain individuals who are homeless and to give them a platform to tell their stories. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using art as an invitation to narrative and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genius.

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Casey Karger writes about music where emerging artists in the folk, indie rock, and roots country genres are featured. If you dig this piece check out ETTG’s site and be sure to share with friends!

The Deadly Gentlemen - Roll Me, Tumble Me - Bluegrass for the Masses By Casey Karger Bluegrass music is not for everyone. Often, the fiddle, the banjo, and/or the mandolin can be abrasive to people who don’t like this style of music. What makes a bluegrass band extra special, in my mind, is when they can create music that is everything that bluegrass is and still appeals to every kind of music lover. The Deadly Gentlemen is that band. With five instrumentalists that can all sing, you get supremely talented musicians and vocalists creating layered, mellow, and just damn good bluegrass music. Since Carry Me To Home, The Deadly Gentlemen have shown some interesting growth. Where that album contained a lot of shouting and call and response singing, this album features a lot of harmonizing, 2, 3, 4, and sometimes 5 part harmonies. It’s actually pretty incredible how well these guys all sing together. “I Fall Back”, on top of featuring some excellent banjo work, has no words that aren’t sung by more than one voice. It’s a great example of how vocals are always stellar and and different instruments stand out in every song. “Bored of the Raging” is an excellent song lyrically that features stellar fiddle work. “Bored of the raging, I’m bored of the feeling./ It only takes you up from the floor to the ceiling./ Tired of just living, I’m tired of the real thing./ Up and down all day, from the floor to the ceiling.”

The title track on the album is a great example of the band’s old sound and how they’ve transformed that into something that everyone will love. It’s nearly a call and response song, one that says, essentially, you can do to me whatever you’d like. “It’s ok, you can bewilder me, be wily./ Be good to me. Be bad to me. Be kindly.” It’s a great idea and it’s awesomely executed. “A Faded Star” is a faster, fiddle and banjo driven tune. With a line like “Fate itself is the strangest force./ Change yourself and you change its course”, it’s a song that takes a lot of listens to understand. It’s almost a mantra to not take your life for granted, “I will burn till I’m faded, gone.”

music “Beautiful’s Her Body” is a slower, love song. Unrequited love can be so difficult, but this song makes it beautiful. “Beautiful’s her body and savage is her mind./ Do I have to wait forever through the ravages of time?” As far as songs that show off instrumentals, “All the Broken Pieces”, while being a song full of words, would work almost as well as an instrumental, especially the banjo/mandolin combo. “Working” is old school The Deadly Gentlemen. It’s a call and response type song about work and how it’s not as bad as it seems. “Work’s not bad and work’s not hard./ I don’t kill chickens or break rocks in the yard.” The tongue in cheek lyricism almost masks the seriousness of the words. The last two songs are two of the most poignant songs, one that’s don’t try to hide their emotionality. “Now is Not the Time” starts with the line “I’ll be leaving in the morning as I tend to do” and doesn’t stop there. It’s a song that sounds forlorn, very effectively using the fiddle and mandolin to give it that sad, parting sound. When it finally ends with “I left so many days, so many years ago./ Now, one at a time, I’m running out of years to blow”, its clear that this song hits as hard as any we’ve heard this year. “Falsehearted Anthem”, the album’s last song, is a song that sounds both remorseful and hopeful. It starts slow and builds in tempo creating a musical effect that mirrors the lyrics. “You can beg me, borrow me, steal me away,/ how could tomorrow be better than today?/ I don’t care how you come, baby come true./ So many dreams don’t do that, maybe some do.” The Deadly Gentlemen have created a masterpiece with Roll Me, Tumble Me, a bluegrass album that will surely please everyone that listens. If you like harmonies, banjos, mandolins, lyrics, there’s something on this album for everyone. It’s clear that these guys aren’t just masters as individuals, but really have found a groove as a group that has enabled them to craft an incredibly unique and nearly perfect album.

Enjoy.

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INVISIBLE DEDICATED TO BREAKING THE STEREOTYPES OF

“Invisible People is an innovative storytelling organization that inspires action by curating thoughtful content and networking individuals, brands, and organizations to change the way we think about people experiencing homelessness.” -IP

THERE ARE NO STATISTICS. JUST R 23

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E PEOPLE HOMELESS PEOPLE AND THE WAY WE SEE THEM Founder Mark Horvath started Invisible People in 2008 as a way to share their stories and make the invisible people, visible again. He had been homeless himself and was all too familiar with the feeling of being ignored and passed by on the streets. By engaging with the homeless and learning about them though up close and personal videos, we start to really see them and can then break that invisible boundary.

REAL STORIES FROM REAL PEOPLE. 24

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BOOK REVIEW BY MEGAN GALEMA

The Fault in Our Stars isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly your typical cancer novel. This New York Times best seller reels your heart in page by page; quite frankly itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to put the book down! Seen through the perspective of Hazel Lancaster who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, you follow her through the journey against time. Her honest and blunt truth about life captures the attention of Augustus Waters who is recovering from osteosarcoma.

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After these two meet at a cancer support group sparks fly instantaneously. Hazel and Augustus take you on a journey through life and make us realize the simple beauty that this chaotic world has hidden for us. The humor and wit that both characters possess makes this cancer story a comical one. Nonetheless, it addresses the many struggles and worries that cancer patients face every day. This is far more than a tragic cancer book or your clichĂŠ love story. It is a mixture of bittersweet realities and philosophies that almost everyone comes across in their lifetime. John Green gets a big thumbsup for capturing my heart and making the list of my top favorite novels. Spoiler Alert: It might get hard to read the second half of the book; your tears might get in the way. Also, stay tuned in for the movie adaptation that will be released sometime next year!

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BROADWAY

BOUND BY ALYSSA BLACKMAN

“They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. They say there’s always magic in the air.” But, what happens when you head north on Broadway? When the glitz and the glamour fade away and all that is left is a long, traffic-jammed, unknown abyss? I am still struggling to answer this question with confidence, but I know exactly what lies on Broadway between 116th and 120th street: my new home at Barnard College of Columbia University: Class of 2017! New York City. Wow, I could never imagine that I would be lucky enough to attend school and live in the greatest city in the world. Growing up in a suburb of New York, I have always had a fond love for all the city has to offer. However, there has always been one particular aspect of the city that I have attained a deep love and appreciation for over the years and that is Broadway theater. Coming from a family who produces musical theater, I have grown up with show business in my blood. I was raised singing “Defying Gravity” and “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” in my squeaky, off-key voice. So I was not destined to be a Broadway actress but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy my seat from the audience. Over the past 18 years I have been lucky enough to see 30 Broadway shows. They have ranged from Beauty and the Beast to Motown to Next to Promises, Promises. Of course, I have all-time favorites which include Wicked, Ghost, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Les Miserable. Although I prefer musicals, I am open to all that Broadway has to offer. So that is why I am starting this column. I am going to take advantage of every discounted ticket I can lay my hands on and go out and see as many Broadway shows as humanly possible. I guess you could say I am becoming a theater critic! However, this column isn’t just restricted to Broadway. There will definitley be the occasional piece about something completley different; perhaps about living in the big apple or a societal issue that needs to be addressed and maybe some features about being a new college student and what I stumble upon in this next chapter in my life. For now though, I’m going to see what tickets are available for shows next weekend!

music this road with you by big little lions fire escape by imaginary friend 1957 by milo greene crosses by jose gonzales horses by high highs stubborn love by the lumineers shape of love by passenger and boy & the bear where are you now by mumford and sons stole you away by benjamin francis leftwich just a boy by angus and julia stone lost in my mind by the head and the heart lead me back to home by joe purdy at the hop by devandra banhart beggar in the morning by the barr brothers into the woods by the lower 48