WHO WE ARE
Owner - Danielle Ellis Head Editor - Daniel Zewde Creative Director - Betsy Schuller Assistant Graphic Designer - Rebecca Melanson Senior Photographer - Stephanie Tacy Photographer- Chris Maldonado Photographer- Cristobal Arellano Photographer - Hunter Lohr Photographer - Jessica Padover Photographer - Kimani Graham Photographer - Jake Tovar Photographer- TJ Martinez Reporter - Gabealla Jasso Contributor - Traci Schubert Contributor- Kris Lori
2
STAFF MUSIC PICKS Till I Get Found - Marc E Bassy Afterimage - Hate Drugs Watch - Billie Ellish Facts - Phora Afraid - The Neighbourhood This Was A Home Once - Bad Suns Jello - Brockhampton Superstar - Lauryn HIll Happy Ending by Hopsin A Moment Appart - Odesza On My Mind - Jorja Smith Cold Shoulders - Gabe Fleck Glorious - Macklemore Best Friend - Sofi Tucker Spice Girl - Amine The Man - The Killers Talk Is Cheap - Chet Faker Sorry - Halsey See you Sweat - Injury Reserve
3
4
IN THIS ISSUE
Who We Are.................................2 Staff Music Picks..........................3 Bat Fest.........................................6 Khalid............................................7 Olivia O’Brien..............................8 Pretty Girls Like Trap Music........9 Jake Miller................................. 11 Bumbershoot............................ 12 Nas & Lauryn Hill...................... 14 River City Rock Fest.................. 15 Hard Ep..................................... 16 Charlie Puth.............................. 17 Mac Demarco........................... 18 Austin City Limits...................... 19
KHALID
The American Teen, formally known as Khalid, manifested his dream of reaching a broad audience as a musician right out of high school. Having a hard time feeling as if he fit in, the outsider made found himself int the outsider city of El Paso, TX.. Best known for his debut single, Location, that was recorded a week before his senior prom, peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It is certified platinum along with Young Dumb & Broke, giving the 19-year-old emerging artist two platinum singles under his belt early in his career. His emotional transparency is grounded in his music with such a soft low voice that makes for a beautiful cadence. The journey onto being a household name has just begun for Khalid, but he is off to a great start. Cover & Pages 4/5 photographed by Anthony Campusano 5
SHOW REVIEW: BAT FEST Photography and Writing by: Stephanie Tacy
What started out as an unorganized event was saved by the music. Hundreds gathered on Congress bridge for this year’s Bat Fest headlined by Scott Stapp and Bone Thugs N Harmony. Other featured artists include Adelita’s Way, Trapt, Sick Puppies, Dharma Kings, Scott Stapp, and Paul Wall. Trapt performed hits such as “Head Strong.” Sick Puppies and Dharma Kings followed suit getting the audience set for Scott Stapp. Meanwhile on the other stage, Paul Wall brought along King Kyle Lee and C Stone the Breadwinner on stage with him to perform Houston anthems “Break ‘em Off”, “Sittin’ Sidewayz”, and “Chunk Up the Deuce”. Meanwhile on the other stage Scott Stapp of Creed performed some of his hit songs including “Bullets”, “With Arms Wide Open” and “Slow Suicide”. Despite technical difficulties, Bone Thugs N Harmony were the highlight of the night. Drawing hundreds of people they performed hits including “1st of tha Month”, “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” and “Weed Song”. They also took time to pay homage to some of hip hop’s heavy weights including Tupac, Biggie, and Eazy E doing their own renditions of their songs.
6
SHOW REVIEW: KHALID
Photography and Writing by: Jessica Padover
Twenty-four hours before winning VMA’s Best New Artist, Khalid brought fans together in Los Angeles for a night of dancing and soulful music. At only 19 years old, Khalid already has a double platinum single and a gold-certified album to his name. He is best known for his smooth R&B songs with incredibly relatable lyrics about navigating love, heartbreak, and finding a voice at a young age. His American Teen Tour, which sold out 25 cities this summer, has been a hit with not only teenagers, but also adults all over the country. Although this was only his second tour, Khalid was a natural on stage, interacting with fans screaming his lyrics while showing off his talent singing and dancing.
7
SHOW REVIEW: OLIVIA O’BRIEN Written and Photographed by: Jessica Padover
Olivia O’Brien, best known for her collaboration with gnash on their hit song “i hate u i love u”, played her first sold out headlining show in Los Angeles last month. More attention has been on this 17-year-old singer-songwriter after she released another ear-catching single, “RIP,” earlier this year. Throughout the show, Olivia was honest and open with the crowd, admitting how nervous she was. Her down-to-earth nature was clear throughout her performance, and her fans seemed to admire her genuineness. Her supposed nervousness, however, was unclear when she began belting out some of her emotional melodies to a cheering crowd. Olivia closed out the night with “RIP,” an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like the person they once loved isn’t the same person anymore. In case you missed the show, be sure to check out Olivia opening up for Jack & Jack on one of their twenty stops on tour this fall. 8
PHOTOSET: PRETTY GIRLS LIKE TRAP MUSIC TOUR Written and Photographed by: Stephanie Tacy
Hundreds gathered at Emo’s to watch one of the livest concerts of the year featuring Young Dolph and 2 Chainz. After a dj set, Young Dolph emerged behind the stage curtain on a throne. He performed hits including “100 shots” and “Get Paid.” After Dolph’s set, the trap choir took to the stage building anticipation. Moments later 2 Chainz was rolled onto the stage by a fly nurse. (Despite having surgery for a broken leg, 2 Chainz decided to continue his tour.) 2 Chainz was able to build an unyielding energy from the seat of a trap house pink wheelchair. A feat some performers cannot accomplish without those limitations. With the help from a trap choir and back up dancers 2 Chainz performed an array of tracks both old and new. Though most songs derived from Pretty Girls Like Trap Music including hits “4am”, “It’s a Vibe”, “Blue Cheese”, and “Big Amount,” he tapped into some older hits. He threw it back with “Birthday Song,” “I’m Different,” “Watch Out,” and “Fuckin’ Problems.”
9
MARC E BASSY RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM GOSSIP COLUMNS OUT EVERYWHERE NOW
TRACK LIST 1. Black Jeep 2. So Simple ft. G-Eazy 3. Til I Get Found 4. Plot Twist ft. KYLE 10
5. Made Love First ft. Kehlani 6. Heroine 7. Let Me Rock 8. New Ting
9. The Season 10. Bondage 11. Don’t Let Her Go 12. Gossip Columns ft. Bobby Brackins
13. Westside Love ft. YG 14. You & Me ft. G-Eazy 15. Real One 16. Plot Twist - Remix ft. Hailee Steinfeld
PHOTO SET: JAKE MILLER Photographed by: Jessica Padover
11
PHOTO SET: BUMBERSHOOT Photographed by: Jr Gonzales
12
13
SHOW REVIEW: NAS & LAURYN HILL Written and Photographed by: Stephanie Tacy
Hundreds gathered at Austin360 Amphitheater for what would turn out to be a concert of a lifetime featuring two of hip hop’s most notorious rappers, Nas and Lauryn Hill. The concert began with performances by Nick Grant and Jamaican band, Chronixx. Around 9pm the entire crowd was on their feet with anticipation as Nas took to the stage. He performed songs from various albums throughout his career. In fact he just about performed his 1994 album Illmatic in it’s entirety which features hits “New York State of Mind,” “It ain’t Hard to Tell,” and “The World is Yours.” Nas also made
14
sure to highlight other hits of his career including songs “Hate Me Now,” “You Owe Me,” and “Ether.” After about 30 minutes, the crowd was amped. There was a brief DJ set before Lauryn Hill graced the stage equipped with a full band. Lauryn performed adopted versions of her hit music ranging from her solo career to her time with The Fugees. She featured songs from her hit album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill including “To Zion,” “Doo Wop,” “Everything is Everything,“ and “Lost Ones.” She went onto include songs like “Killing Me Softly” and “Ready or Not.” With the crowd singing along, Nas and Lauryn alternated 30 minute sets before finally joining each other on stage to perform their 90s hit “If I Ruled the World.” A song whose words still rings true today. It is safe to say no one left the show disappointed.
SHOW REVIEW: RIVER CITY ROCK FEST Written and Photographed by: TJ Martinez
Bands and fans came together in San Antonio, TX for the 5th annual River City Rockfest hosted by Bud Light. The Memorial Day weekend festival hosted over 20 bands on three outdoor stages for over 11 hours of live music. The 2017 lineup featured Def Leopard, The Offspring, Godsmack, Papa Roach, Three Days Grace, Taking Back Sunday, The Pretty Reckless, In Flames, Buckcherry, Rival Sons, Black Stone Cherry, Dorothy, Goodbye June, Kyng, School of Rock, The Heroine, Lynnwood King & The Revival, Badflower, Wage War, Fozzy, Norma Jean, Nothing More, and Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow Revue. There were various activities taking place during the day aside from the concert including artists painting on canvases, body art stations, vendors, a sideshow circus, and meet and greets with bands. A plethora of energy was present throughout the day despite the 100° weather. Many bands thanked our current and fallen soldiers
and troops during their time on stage and a few even paid tribute to fellow musician, Chris Cornell who was the lead singer of the hit band Soundgarden.
15
SHOW REVIEW: HARD EP BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD Written by: Betsy Schuller
The Neighborhood surprised its fan base by releasing new music for the first time in two years. This unexpected EP consists of five songs that emit the same beach rock sound that the Southern California native band is known for. Through out the whole album you are engulfed in a sad story that grows within each song. A few of my favorite that really stand out on this EP are actually the two very first songs. The deeper meanings behind them truly give this unexpected EP something special for the fans as well as a look into the minds of these artists. The first two tracks on the EP are titled, Roll Call and You Get Me So High. Roll Call dissects the feeling of being stuck in one position where you may not have a say in what you want to do, as if you are being directed by someone who does not have your best interest, possibly in reference to the very controlling entertainment industry that wants 16
to market artists a certain way in which they feel correct. High All The Time references the feeling of losing something or someone which they regret not doing more but wishing they could rewind time and fix what was done. Yet, since that is not possible they escape to being high in order to fill the void felt because of lacking connection with a certain person. Both of these songs speak to me in different ways because they talk about real issues that real people could possibly deal with which is very important in music because it is often used as an escape from the real world and to be able to relate to the music is very helpful to many people, especially myself. Overall, this surprise EP drop was executed perfectly by The Neighbourhood and we should anxiously await for the drop of an incredible album.
ARTIST TO WATCH: CHARLIE PUTH Written by: Cristobal Arellano Camacho
It’s no debate that Charlie Puth’s voice is an instrument of its own. The 25-year-old is making a buzz once again ever since his latest single How Long made its debut on October 5, 2017. Following his first single Attention off his second studio album Voicenotes, set to release on January 19, 2018. How Long could be a bigger hit than his platinum single Attention, but it is already ranked as the most added song to pop radio. The track showcases Puth’s vocal range and marks a slight shift from his pop sound from his debut album Nine Track Mind and How Long is a direction more towards the funkier sounds of R&B. It’s impossible to stay still once the song comes on. “Can’t you blame my head and not my heart? I was drunk, I was gone, that don’t make it right, but promise there was no feelings involved,” is Puth finding himself apologizing for cheating. The chorus is then followed by him singing from his girlfriend’s perspective, “How long has this been goin’ on? You’ve been creepin’ ‘round on me while you’re callin’
me baby.” The track has the lyricism of being the follow up to Attention and picking up where it left off. Attention was released on April 21, 2017 followed by a huge success on the pop radio for Puth as well as being certified platinum. That still wasn’t enough Puth got fellow label mate, KYLE to jump on for the remix four months later. The track has a chunky bass, followed by a steady rhythm, guitar and funky drums. KYLE starts the intro with, “Mh, who knew it, I’d have to see you as a threat. Now I just wanna see you less,” followed by Puth’s original verse. KYLE finishes off the third verse with his upbeat voice, being a great overall feature for the remix. Who would’ve thought both these artists would go so well together. This isn’t puth’s first huge success for Puth in 2015 he wrote “See You Again” which he co produced and preformed with Wiz Khalifa as a tribute to the late Paul Walker, he also charted at #9 in the USA and reached in the top 10 in over 20 other countries with “We don’t talk anymore” featuring Selena Gomez. 17
SHOW REVIEW: MAC DEMARCO Written by: Betsy Schuller
Mac DeMarco opening for The Flaming Lips was odd yet totally understandable. Each artist brings their whole personality to the stage and basically does what ever the hell they want and it made for one great evening of live music. DeMarco brought his unique sound of indie slow rock to Comerica Theater in Downtown Phoenix on October 5th and did not disappoint his large fanbase who brought the average age of the concert attendees down quite a bit. The mixture of a popular underground, hipster goofball that is Mac DeMarco with the eccentric, 18
David Bowie-inspired early 90’s band, The Flaming Lips created an atmosphere that everyone could feel welcomed and themselves in. With a softer yet deep voice Mac’s voice filled the auditorium with a vide that was hard to resist. He brings the “I don’t care” vibe together perfectly with the “I want to love you vibe” which is notoriously famous with our generation. Overall, if you have a chance to see Mac DeMarco, take a cute date, wear a nice outfit and enjoy a show that’ll woo you and that special somebody.
PHOTOSET: AUSTIN CITY LIMITS Photographed by: Danielle Ellis
19
PHOTOSET: AUSTIN CITY LIMITS Photographed by: Danielle Ellis
20
PHOTOSET: AUSTIN CITY LIMITS Photographed by: Danielle Ellis
21
$ @ELLISMUSICMAG ( @ELLISMUSICMAG !
@ELLISMUSICMAGAZINE
WWW.ELLISMUSICMAGAZINE.COM 22
