ISSUE 12, JANUARY 2014
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SUSY SUN
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MEDIA SHIFT
9 BEFORE I DIE I WANT TO PROJECT
MAGIC MAN
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SCHWINN BIKES
SOAP BOX
FIRE IS MOTION
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JAM CRITIC
EAR TO THE GROUND
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cover photo of the shard in london by mg photography ©
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magic man
With infectious melodies, youthful lyrics and dance-worthy beats, Magic Man is the one band you need to have blasting through your speakers right now!
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Your sound is the Can you sum up Magic Man in one sentence perfect blend of electronic, pop and so our readers can get to know you? rock and it’s very infectious! Who do Magic Man is five friends who play you guys listen to for inspiration? triumphant synth rock! We listen to a ton of different music. Take me back to the start of Magic Man. Right now we’re really into CHVRCHHow did it begin? ES and the new EP by Wet. A friend Alex and I have known each other since once called our music “the love child preschool and have been playing and of the Killers and the Postal Service” writing music together since we learned and I don’t know if that’s too far off, in how to play instruments, but we wrote terms of our influences. the first Magic Man songs the summer Many of your songs were written durafter our freshman year of college. ing your time in France. What kind of We were traveling through Southern influences did that have on your sound, France, volunteering on organic farms, if any? trading our labor for room and board, I’d like to say that we drew tons of inspiand we started working on some ration from the traditional French music demos on my laptop during the we were surrounded by but the truth is middle of the day, when it was too that the biggest influence from our time in hot to work. All we had was GarageFrance was the stripped down, DIY producband, an acoustic guitar that, at that tion methods we were working with. point, had 5 strings and the built in You were on tour with Walk The Moon remic on the laptop. But sometimes cently. That must have been an incredible limitations like that can lead to unexpected results.
music tour! Any crazy stories or memorable moments from it you can share? What was your favorite city or venue to play at? It was amazing. They’re an incredibly talented and inspiring band, but what’s more is that they’re all awesome people so it was really fun to get to know them and hang out. A particularly special show was the show at the House of Blues in Boston—most of the band is from the Boston area, so we’ve been going to shows there since it was a smaller venue called the Avalon and it was really a dream come to true to play there. All of our parents came and we had a lot of friends there, so it turned into a really fun night. Lately you’ve been doing a ton of remixes. What has been your favorite song to do? Any more remixes we can expect? Whenever we remix a song, we pretty much become obsessed with it—a side effect of listening to the song over and over again. We’ve been lucky enough to remix some awesome songs—our most recent remix of Alex Winston’s “101 Vultures” was particularly exciting as we’ve been huge fans for a long time.
Some of your latest music is available on NoiseTrade. Can you explain to our readers what NoiseTrade is and what made you decide to offer your music as free downloads? NoiseTrade is a platform that allows artists to give music away for free, in exchange for email addresses. We’ve always been a huge fan of free music—the first Magic Man songs we recorded and put online were all for free download, and we feel like it was a really important part of first getting our music out there in the world. I have to ask: do you guys know any good magic tricks? Duh! Plans for the future? Anything else you would like to add? We’re finishing up our as-of-now untitled full length album, which will be out sometime next year, and then in January we’re starting a cross country tour with New Politics, which I couldn’t be more excited about!
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YOUTUBE: A MEDIA SHIFT megan galema YouTube launched in the early 2000s and has since swept people off their feet. YouTube, as many of you know, is an outlet where people can share videos. It enables videos to go viral in days and it is an environment where people from all over the world can interact, comment, and subscribe with others. Along with the creation of other social media sites, YouTube has expanded our means of communication. Essentially we can communicate with people whenever, wherever and in large numbers. With the rise of the YouTube community, comes an increase of YouTube fame. Some videos have views in the millions! You might be familiar with the term YouTube “vloggers”, which is a shortened term used for video bloggers. Names such as Jenna Marbles, Caspar Lee, or Jack and Finn from JacksGap have arisen to YouTube fame. These vloggers are what the YouTube community considers “YouTube celebrities.” Millions of people subscribe to their channels, tune into their weekly videos, and follow their other social media outlets. In a matter of days these hot names in the YouTube community get thousands of hits. So, I have to ask: Has YouTube therefore just transformed into another version of an online television broadcast?
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TAKE A LOOK AT THESE FACTORS: TELEVISION • People tune in every week • Ratings of television shows escalate to the millions • The talent featured on tv shows has an acclaimed fan base and fame, nationally and often internationally • There is monetary reward for television series
YOUTUBE • People tune in every week, or keep up to date on upcoming videos • Ratings of famous vloggers have arisen to the millions • Celebrity youtubers have an established fan base from all over the world • They receive income for each video that is posted
It is evident that every social platform has been making a shift into the mobile and internet world. In fact, studies show that there is an increase in smart phone and tablet usage. Now, you might ask yourself, what does that mean? It means that online and social media platforms are literally in the palm of our hands. It is easily accessible, it is timely and most importantly it is convenient. Even today, networks post up recent episodes for viewers who missed the live airing. In essence, YouTube has mirrored the elements of a television broadcast. It has created a parallel world of ratings, subscribers, fans, celebrities and business in an online forum. So I ask again: Has YouTube transformed into another version of an online television broadcast?
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charity
Everyone uses soap, Through a simple, purchase, Soapbox empowers people to make the world a better place! Clean the world, one bar of soap at a time.
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charity
so why not use it for a good cause!
1 Bar of Soap = 1 Bar of Soap Donated 1 Bottle of Hand Soap = 1 Month of Clean Water Donated [with partner organization Raincatcher]
1 Bottle of Body Wash = 1 Year of Vitamins Donated [with partner organization Vitamin Angles]
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Her creative and unique music styles paired with her combination of eccentric and experimental vocals makes Susy Sun one of the most refreshing singers today!
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How did you get started in music? Have you always planned on be a recording artist? My second grade teacher invited my entire family (of eight) over for a potluck. She had a piano in the entry way and I was glued to it for the majority of the time we were there. My teacher asked if I wanted the piano and that evening my parents had it moved to our house. My mom had a teacher come over to give my two older sisters piano lessons. During their lessons, I would peer around the corner and sneak up to the piano to learn what I could. My mom eventually realized that I was clearly the one who wanted to do music and as they say, the rest is history! I did not always plan to be a recording artist. I didn’t grow up in an artistic family so I was never really sure what my options were growing up. In high school I started doing my first recording with a local rock band. This was my first taste of recording original music and I really loved it. I also dabbled with recording in college with another friend of mine. Nonetheless, it was not until a couple years out of college that I really decided to take the leap and dedicate myself to becoming a recording artist.
I cannot pinpoint any artists similar to you so who have you listened to and how have they helped shape your musical style? I grew up listening to a HUGE array of music. Classical piano; my favorites were always the romantic composers: Debussy, Chopin, Ravel. Church music was actually a large part of my upbringing. I grew up singing in church-- a lot of people would say that I sounded like an angel. I think that’s pretty silly, but sweet. I grew up listening to a lot of music that my dad was into: The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Elton John, Eric Clapton, etc. When I got into high school I started to begin listening to more female singers, including Norah Jones, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton and in college Regina Spektor, Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson- the Indie Pop. As a classically trained pianist, do the instrumentals come first when you start creating a new song? Generally, my song writing process is done with everything together. I sit at the piano, write the music, lyrics and melodies all together. Usually it starts off with either a melodic hook, strong lyric or instrumental line and then I kinda weave it all in together. It’s a very holistic process for me. The lyrics relate to the music and the melody needs to make sense emotionally with the lyrics. You worked with some amazing industry professionals on your most recent album, Wanderlust. What were some of the things you took away from working with them? Wanderlust was definitely a huge step up for me. I was fortunate enough to partner with some of Seattle’s best music professionals and it was a lovely experience. Shawn Simmons (best known for engineering/producing The Head and The Hearts Freshman and Sophomore albums) was the engineer/producer. With Shawn, I learned that if you want to create a record that is on point and good, it takes time. He was really involved in the details of everything. The finite little sounds of every thing had to be perfect. I’m not as detail oriented as he is, but I found that with that detail, comes a GREAT album. Another huge part of this project was Andrew Joslyn (best known for working with Macklemore on The Heist and currently touring with him), who composed and played the string arrangements on the album and also helped with a lot of the production aspects of the developing sound of the songs. Andrew’s ease on his instrument and ear for writing lush string parts
that make everything sound BEAUTIFUL was quite refreshing to work with. He is also one of the most productive and busy people I know-- always juggling a million different projects. It’s inspiring and motivating to work with someone like that. Someone else who I have learned a lot from working with, is Carlynne Morrison, who helps with my branding, styling and the aesthetic of everything. Carlynne directed the Forward Backward Video, styled the cover of the album and made me an original, hand sewn outfit for my album release show in Seattle. Carlynne’s creativity and knack for what looks good is refreshing to be around. It’s amazing working with someone who can always turn an ok idea into something REALLY, REALLY good and innovative. She has a flair for making everything fabulous and I am so grateful to have her on my team. What is the most embarrassing song you have on your iPod? Oh God, probably too many to count. Honestly, probably the old recordings of myself from when I was first starting to write music. 13 or 14 years old. Yeah, those would be embarrassing if someone else listened to them. You have a very free spirit, hence the name of your recent album. What is it that attracts you so much to that atmosphere and mind set? I have always feared the mundane. I think that can be a blessing and a curse in a way. That feeling has pushed me to do many exciting things in my young life thus far. Including, traveling for five summers in a row throughout Europe, teaching Music in London, WOOFING on a farm in Greece. It also fueled me to work several different careers already and then quit the corporate life to pursue a life long passion, music. It’s not even the big things that one needs to be free spirited in though because I think there is more beauty in finding roots, which is something that I am working on now. I never want to lose site of that freedom and zest for life that just keeps you moving, learning and active to grow. These are important things to me. With everything, there is balance though and I am still striving to find that balance. You are quite worldly having been to London, Greece, Spain and having a Swedish background. Has any country in particular affected your sound or lyrics? The traveling has definitely affected my music. It
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opened my perception to another world, which changed my perspective and made me a more thoughtful individual. The lyrics are stronger now because my mind is stronger. If you could go on a world tour with three bands tomorrow, who would they be and why? Lorde. I’m loving her new album and sound and she is such an interesting young person. I like that. The Beatles, if they were alive, because they are legendaryyyyyyy. The Civil Wars, if they weren’t broken up, their first album was the most beautiful performance and sound I have ever heard live. Tell us a fun fact about yourself! My favorite animal is the panda bear and I hope to write a children’s series and songs to go along one day. Plans for the future? Anything else you would like to add? I plan to do some touring, I have another music video that will be coming out for the second single on the album. Stay tuned for that in 2014!
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eclectic We first became intrigued with this question when we inteviewed the cast of MTV’s The Buried Life back in 2010. Now in 2013, Nicole Kenney is asking this question but in a whole new way.
Kenney founded BIDIWT with the hopes of motivating people to follow their goals by putting them down in writing and telling someone else - and by bringing back film photography!
The Before I Die I Want To... Project takes on a whole new meaning when it captures peoples initial response to the question with a the snap of a polaroid. That’s right. A polaroid.
This project is bringing back simplicity with film and a message.
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FIRE IS MOTION This up and coming duo who dream of traveling and touring, pull influences from every genre and lyrics from every aspect of their life. Where did the name Fire Is Motion come from? It’s a reference to a song by a band called Cap’n Jazz. The first two lines in the song are “Fire is motion and work is repetition”. We just fell in love with those lyrics and they were very symbolic to what we do creatively. How did you guys start making music together? We met in high school through other friends in bands and we’ve always worked really well together, even with our old band, Pilots in Orbit. When that started to end, we were discussing of what comes next. Fire Is Motion has been on the back burner but since things fell apart with Pilots in Orbit, we decided to start things back up with Fire Is Motion. Who has influenced you the most? We knew this question was coming! This is tough! Mute Math is one of our favorites and have been rotating a lot of Los Campesinos lately. We take a lot of inspiration from so many different artists, it’s always evolving. Right now Sigur Ros, American Football and so many others I can’t think of right now. We love so many types of music and hope we
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incorporate as many different types of those sounds into our music, without sounding too scatterbrained. How is the album coming that you’re working on now? We’ve got about four rough tracks, two are completely done. There’s some things we need to rework but it’s all coming together. We usually work pretty quick but this project is new and everything is so different because it is just the two of us. Also we don’t have a drummer so we spend weeks experimenting with different sounds and clips. We end up taking several steps forward till realizing that it won’t work and then we have to backtrack. It’s a very frustrating but amazing process. Can you define your sound? This is the hardest question and we’re still working on this one. It is very pop in the sense that it’s incredibly melodic but it’s in no way cookie cutter. It’s pretty ambient as well, and we’ve got some folky/acoustic inspirations plus some hints of electronic. There’s still a ton of experimenting going on because this project is so new but that’s the general direction we’re heading in. Dream-pop might be a good way to describe it.
music Where do you ultimately want Fire is Motion to take you? To the Grammys! Haha! That would be nice, but in reality we would just really love to travel. If we could pack up a van or head out on a plane and go somewhere new and play for a bunch of new people all the time, that would be awesome. There’s so many countries we want to visit especially Europe, Japan and Australia! Why should people listen to your music? Because we want to go tour the world! Help us live our dream! Honestly, you can listen to whatever you want to listen to but we just hope at some point, our
music crosses paths with listeners and they can relate to it, dance to it, laugh to it or anything else. We’re making music for us and if it catches anyone’s attention, then all the better! Any advice for future bands? If your intrigued by it, keep doing it. Even if you’re bad at it, keep doing it. Do it because you want to do it, not because it’s cool. Do it because you truly want to make music for yourself. Everything after that is secondary; if people like your music that’s awesome, but don’t go out of your way to please others or conform to a certain sound. Do what you want to do.
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critic’s top albums of 2013 by josh forrest
chance the rapper, “acid rap” Chancellor Bennett has released one of the best hip hop albums of the year…as a mixtape. With excellent beats that, like Chances’ flow, fluctuate from spastic to mellow, Chance the Rapper has proven himself a master of wordplay and an excellent up-andcoming artist at the ripe age of 20. If you haven’t picked up this tape, go for it; it’s free.
daft punk, “random access memories” Not only is this the first new full length record from French house duo Daft Punk since Human After All, but it’s a damn good one at that. Full of the funk/disco revival that has recently been reemerging (with a many thanks to platinum single Get Lucky) and plenty of guest artists, the robots still manage to insert their own techno/house touches that make the record as well-rounded as possible.
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justin timberlake, “the 20/20 experience” Justin Timberlake and Timberland both prove their finesse in pop music song crafting here. From the shimmering strings in the intro to Pusher Love to the dark mature finish of Blue Ocean Floor, the album entertains completely and absolutely.
kanye west, “yeezus” A polarizing pick to most, the album is without a doubt very different from every other record on this list. I loved the production (some of which is done by Daft Punk) and the stripping down by Rick Ruben, and Kanye proves yet again that he is on the forefront of hip hop with biting social commentary and his infectious and often ridiculous bravado. Love or hate the man, he’s convinced me he’s an exceptional musical force since he released College Dropout, and this record far from breaks his stride.
atoms for peace, “amok” Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s side project with his producer Nigel Godrich and Chili Peppers bassist Flea released it’s first album this year. It did not disappoint. Yorke’s ethereal croon floats above some the most ambient instrumentals and grooves released this year, with each track concise in focus and length. Do yourself a favor and give this record a listen, especially if you happen to be a Radiohead fan.
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do you have a bike? Bicycling is a simple, affordable transportation solution that reinforces the need to create safe, appealing places to ride. It’s good for your wallet, good for your health and even better for our environment!
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eclectic CONSIDER GETTING A SCHWINN! Schwinn is known for building some of the best bicycles of all time. They are the memory of first learning to ride as a child and the freedom of pedaling around the neighborhood before you were old enough to drive. Now they are providing another century of innovation and performance to people of all ages! Schwinn has bikes with steel or aluminum frames, timeless styles, high durability, vintage designs, classic saddles, track grips and mechanical disc brakes. From urban to road, to hybrids to tandems, and to the classic cruisers, there is a bike for everyone.
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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 Wood Brothers - The Muse - Harmony - Filled Americana Album of 2013 Candidate It’s not every day a music writer gets a chance to hear such an accomplished band that can still be considered “on the rise.” The Wood Brothers, an Americana and/or folk rock band fronted by Boulder, Colorado natives Chris and Oliver Wood, have deep jazz influences on what feels like a distinctly American album. From serious heartfelt reflections to whimsical dance tunes, the Wood Brothers offer a true listening experience in their latest release, The Muse. It’s an album sure to please the widest of audiences. What immediately struck me about the sound of the band is the solid and unique lead vocal. From there, the fantastic instrumentation serves to fill in a distinctive and delightful sound. The bluesy “Wastin’ my mind” that opens that album gets listeners in the mood for what is to come. It reflects brilliant artistry, clever song writing, and a toe-tapping overall sound. It introduces what’s sure to be a crowd-pleasing album and band. The second track “Neon Tombstone” is the stuff of legend. “I’m not ready for heaven, so let me off of this train.” The whole concept is about wanting to give life another shot. In a musical world ripe with complaints about the difficulties of life, it’s refreshing to hear a message that embraces life so tightly. Musically the horns really make the track, providing a tension-building crescendo that really highlights the
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gospel-inspired vocal harmonies. It’s an instant “song of the year” track for me. The calypso beat on “Sing about it” is a true musicians lament. “Sing about your troubles and it just might pass.” Even though these boys are from Colorado, there’s a clear New Orleans jazz influence on the track (and tucked away throughout the album). The interwoven lyrical and musical components of this song, among the others, is just so well conceived. When artists ask me how they can improve song writing, this is how. Write songs that connect the emotion with the words. It’s not easy, but the Wood Brothers figured it out on “Sing about it.” I challenge listeners of this album to hear “Honey Jar” without picturing everyone’s favorite honey addict, Winnie the Pooh. “There’s a honey bear after your spoon…” It’s decidedly non-child-friendly song, more about desiring love, but it’s still about a bear desiring honey. It’s cool. The following title track has a different musical quality, beginning with an acoustic guitar instead of the full blues band. But one of the highlights of the album is that it’s so versatile and so phenomenally well written. There’s an accordion part that blends with the bass line so well it’s spin tingling. This is the kind of song that needs to be playing on popular radio. It’s the second “song of the year” candidate… on the same album… by the same guys. Amazing.
“Keep me around” is a feel good jam song about love and relationships. It’s a nice change of pace on the album and sonically just, well, feels good. It’s got a plodding rhythm that seems like it could provide the backdrop to walking the Appalachian Trail or something similar. I guess it’s adventurous… which might be representative of adventuring through life with someone you love. It’s a good song. “I got loaded” is a nice cruising song. It has some understated but great vocal blending that help to complement the “feel alright” key lyric. It’s a song, essentially, about getting drink or high, but there’s an equally high chance that these guys are just loaded on good music. From the aggressive acoustic guitar to the brilliant harmonica, it’s a song that defies simple description. It’s both relaxing and powerful. It works really well. The minor chord that starts “Who the devil” is unsettling, intentionally so I would imagine. It continues to develop out an unconventional sound that sustains the song through a jazzy and transcendent track. “Yeah, you’re stuck with the blues… who the devil spins the world around?” It seems like the kind of bouncing song that would keep a dance floor bouncing even with an unconventional sonic structure. “It is what it is because the world’s gonna keep on changing.” I’m not sure of the philosophical root of the song, but it seems to be casting a vision for perseverance in the midst of a confusing life. I can get on board with that. Oh and the drum solo… nice! “Do
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you gotta be lost to be found?” Good question. The concluding song is “Firewater,” an Americana track reminiscent of something Mandolin Orange might produce, it’s a wonderful roots country lament. The harmonies are incredible, the overall sound is endearing, and it’s the perfect end to a fantastic album. The storytelling ethos of the song, complete with backing stand up bass and horns, just feels distinctly American. This is a song of the people and makes for the third “song of the year” candidate on the album. I’ve not been so thoroughly impressed by a full album in a long time. There are no “skip” tracks and it reflects true artistry. These guys aren’t trying to sound like any other bands. They truly own the art of the music styles they reflect and they’ve made them their own. If the readers of this review happen to be in a band of their own, I encourage spending some real quality time with The Muse. It’s a classic for this age. If anyone reading this review is a voter for national awards, please please give The Muse consideration for best new artist or album of the year. I know it will be a contender for album of the year for me. If you’re a fan of Americana, folk, or roots music (basically everything we write about on this site), please give this album a listen. If we rated albums with numbers, I would give this the max score. It’s fantastic from beginning to end. Please give it a listen and share with friends.
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