EMMIE Magazine Fall 2011

EMMIE JAILL

HOWLER DAS RACIST YOUNG MAN ATMOSPHERE THE HEAD & THE HEART

YOU CAN ALSO FIND US: ONLINE Read past issues and supplemental articles at:

www.emmiemagazine.com

RADIO

Tune in to our WSUM radio show Sunday 4 PM on 91.7 F.M.

WANT TO JOIN? If you like music and want to write about it, or help put together the layout or website, we’d love to have you! Come to our weekly meetings, Thursdays at 8 PM TITU, or contact emmieeditor@gmail.com

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Director: Gayle Cottrill Advisor: Jim Rogers

EMMIE FALL 2011

CON TENTS 04 05

EDITOR’S NOTE STAFF

08 10 12 14 15 16 18

JAILL INTERVIEW CONFESSIONS OF A FANSON BON IVER LOVE VS. HATE HOWLER WHITE ARROWS YOUNG MAN INTERVIEW BIFFY CLYRO INTERVIEW

22 24 26 28 30

LOLLAPALOOZA SOUNDSET PITCHFORK NORTH COAST BONAROO

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 46 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 55

ATMOSPHERE BASSNECTAR GIRLS CYMBALS EAT GUITARS BORIS BLIND PILOT CUT CHEMIST SEBADOH DAS RACIST DEADMAU5 DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 GANG GANG DANCE THE HEAD & THE HEART HERE COME THE MUMMIES MORD FUSTANG PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART PHANTOGRAM HOWLER 14 THE TYPE PRIMUS WOOD BROTHERS

FEATURES

FESTIVALS

SHOWS

ALBUMS

JACKS- IF YOU’RE YOUNG 58 STATIC BON IVER- BON IVER 59 HANNI EL KHATIB-

WILL THE GUNS COME OUT TEDDYBEARS- DEVIL’S MUSIC 60 THE ANTIPRISM- AGE OF WONDERS 61 STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS MIRROR TRAFFIC 62 GOAPELE- BREAK OF DAWN HALLOWEEN, ALASKA- ALL THE

NIGHTS THE CALLS CAME IN 63 EVIDENCE- CATS & DOGS YELLOW OSTRICH- THE MISTRESS 64 FEIST- METALS TWIN SISTER- IN HEAVEN 65 FLORENCE & THE MACHINE CEREMONIALS BLACK MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS HEART 66 SEBASTIAN- TOTAL 67 SURFER BLOOD- TAROT CLASSICS

JAILL 08

YOUNG MAN 16

THE HEAD & THE HEART 47

DAS RACIST 42

ATMOSPHERE 34

EDITOR’S NOTE Hi Everyone,

Emmie Magazine is UW-Madison’s student-run music magazine, an outlet for passionate students to write about music in all its rhythms and rhapsodies. At Emmie, writers are encouraged to follow their muses, and so content covers the musical spectrum from subdued to sublime, from effacing to emphatic, from graceful to grating. These meditations take the form of album reviews, show reviews from the areas of Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago, and feature articles addressing the music that plays such a central role in our lives.

Appearing in this issue are a testimonial to the hysteria Hanson induces, an opinion piece that drenches Wisconsin’s own Bon Iver with honey and vinegar (or rather battery acid—the disapproval is pretty scathing), and an interview with Rhymesayer staple Brother Ali (see Soundset), among countless others that provide a snapshot of what’s making us nod, shiver, dance, scream, or just plain enjoy ourselves.

This issue’s artwork was skillfully done by artist-in-residence AJ Becker, with a vibrant geometric style that mirrors the enthusiasm of all on staff.

Thanks for picking up a copy and check out our website emmiemagazine.com for more content. Also, tune into WSUM 91.7 FM on Sundays at 4pm for Emmie Radio Hour.

Best, Matt Christie

EMMIE STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF MATT CHRISTIE

EDITORS JOYCE EDWARDS TYLER FASSNACHT KYLE GREIBER CHRIS MADSEN LIVI MAGNANINI KAITLYN SCHNELL ERIC WALTERS

LAYOUT EDITOR JULIE JARZEMSKY GRAPHIC DESIGN AJ BECKER PROMOTIONS EDITOR EMILY GENCO

CONTRIBUTORS: MEHER AHMAD MIKE ANDREWSKI HANNAH BULGER PAT CASSIDY ZACH CHERNY ALLEGRA DIMPERIO SAM EICHNER LISA FOX ANTHONY LEE RYAN LEHRMAN LISA KOHLMANN DANA LANGE SEAN MANNION ALY PAVELA SARA PIERCE GENA RIEGER ALEX ROSS MOLLY TREROTOLA ANDY WILK

FEATURES

JAILLBREAK Milwaukee’s Jaill plays the kind of home-grown jangly garage-pop your best friends would make in the basement, complete with catchy guitar melodies, pop hooks and plenty of rock n’ roll grit. After almost a decade, Milwaukee band Jaill finally caught the attention of Sub Pop Records, who released Jaill’s latest album, That’s How We Burn, in 2010. While on their tour supporting Man or Astro-Man? I was able to talk with singer/guitarist Vinnie Kircher, bassist Andy Harris and their merch guy John Mayer.

How did Jaill start?

Vinnie: Well, it was just playing in bands…. I started Jaill a long time ago, but it wasn’t too serious.

Then when Andy joined about four years ago we started to get more serious. He had so much touring under his belt and was able to offer so much wisdom that he said “we should probably tour” and we said “oh man, that’s a good idea.”

John: Band 101 Vinnie: Yeah, so then we started touring and now we’re huge. (laughs) So at what point did Sub Pop come into the picture?

Vinnie: Oh, when we were already huge (laughs).

John: Yeah you better cash in.

Vinnie: No but, it was the end of 2009. We went on a tour of the west coast. It was our first west coast tour and we had been emailing back and forth, and then they came out and we met and hung out for a while. I mean I don’t know, they

8

lehighvalleylive.com

were really impressed with us.

Andy: Because we brought them fancy donuts.

Vinnie: We did! We spent like $20 on five donuts and they were hooked (laughs). It was like jimmies and sprinkles on the same donut…

Andy: And nuts! And filling.

Vinnie: and then they were like (dons a mouthwatering voice) “oh filling, get these guys the paper work! Sign ‘em up!” (laughs) “their songs are so…sweet.”

Was the record deal a surprise?

Vinnie: Oh yeah. Of course, we didn’t expect anything to happen.

Andy: I mean, before they were in contact with us they were sending boxes of records to Vinnie’s house. Or maybe they were CDs? Vinnie: Definitely CDs. The day the mailman arrived, he came up to the steps and he had this package and I saw him, but I didn’t know what was in it. So I was like “Oh, I’ll come on down [from the balcony]—actually just throw it up.”

And the guy had the weakest arm ever and he tossed it up and hit the railing and it fell back down onto the ground, so I was like “Oh, throw it harder!” So he whipped it up and I caught it and it was full of CDs. (laughs)

Do you think there is a certain “Wisconsin” sound in terms of the bands coming out of the state?

Vinnie: I definitely think there is a Wisconsin sound.

Andy: Yeah, I think there is a Wisconsin sound, but I don’t think we are necessarily part of it, maybe some would disagree. I think Wisconsin tends to be pretty folky and rocky.

Sort of like Bon Iver?

Vinnie: Yeah, but he’s more northern Wisconsin. Back where we’re from in Milwaukee, it’s like “Hey, we drink and we don’t have enough money to own a van, therefore there is this Wisconsin sound that never makes it out of Milwaukee. Not because they aren’t good enough to do it, it’s just the means and necessity and the kinds of jobs people have don’t allow people to leave to go on tour for like two months.” It just seems like other people are living dreams, like “Yeah, I’m just gonna hop in the van with

Surgeons in Heat] There are definitely some younger bands there that, even where we’re at, we are jealous of. Like Sat. Nite Duets, Surgeons in Heat, the Fatty Acids… they all seem to be doing really cool things. They are sort of doing the things we were doing at that age, but better (laughs). It’s obvious that these guys will have a good future as long as they stick with it, which is what it really comes down to. It’s just having shitty things happen and you keep doing it because you’re an idiot, then all of sudden maybe something good will happen.

Is that the mantra of Jaill?

Vinnie: Yeah! (laughs) But seriously, I think it is for all bands, unless you’re that band that has reason to get huge immediately, you are going to play shows to eight people over and over again and then it’ll just become this cycle where coffee, weed and beer are all really good consolers (laughs). There is nothing like a house with a bong and some video games and a nice hotel room out on the road. Both will sooth your mind really quickly after a shitty Monday night show.

How is the tour with Man or Astro-Man going?

Andy: Fantastic. It’s a dream come true, really. I personally have liked them for a really thecreativeintersection.blogspot.com long time and they put on a these guys.” (laughs) Milwaukee is more killer show, which we are missing right like people are working and paying their now (sighs jokingly). rent and just making cool music on the John: We can see them tomorrow…. side. It’s harder to get out of town, which Vinnie: Or you can go back now. you need to do if you’re from Wisconsin.

Andy: No no, I’m not like…that’s not what I meant! (laughs) Do you think it’s easier for bands in big Vinnie: But seriously, they’re great. cities?

They’re really nice too, which is really Vinnie: Yeah, in L.A. or New York it refreshing when a band is so outgoing seems like you’re really close to people and nice and complimentary and they who have connections to music, TV, give good hand jobs…. (laughs) movies, other cool people like actors…

It’s all part of the scene that’s there. That How did the tour come together? is just not how other places work.

Vinnie: I don’t really know.

Andy: I think their booking agent might Do you guys have any contemporaries have submitted a list of bands to them to in Milwaukee who haven’t been able to pick from, or maybe they put together a get out? list, but they picked us out of a list.

Andy: Well, John is pointing to himself Vinnie: So we were picked? (laughs). [John is the lead singer of Andy: We were picked.

Vinnie: Fuck yeah! (laughs) Andy: It’s because they liked that music video [for the Stroller].

Vinnie: I think so…that music video is pretty cool…it’s very conducive to Man or Astro-Man? picking us.

Andy: Yeah, because it’s like a really low budget version of a music video they did about fifteen years ago (laughs). But they said they liked ours more.

Vinnie: Oh, so they brought it up?

Andy: Yeah, more or less (laughs).

Is there a lot of pressure opening up for a band that is known for their crazy live shows?

Vinnie: No, I think opening, you are expected to not have all that stuff, which is perfect because we don’t have that stuff.

I mean we’ll eventually be adding more to our show besides sweating and smiling.

Andy: No smiling.

Vinnie: I smile all the time! (puts on a huge smile) Hey everybody!

Do you guys play differently when you headline?

Vinnie: Not really. It’s all pretty monotone (laughs).

Andy: The only difference would be one or two more songs we would play if we were headlining.

Vinnie: I hate that! You are always saving the best songs for the encore that isn’t asked of you…like sometimes after you finish the sound guys put on a CD and you’re just like “Aw, I guess we’re done.”

So, what is in the future for Jaill?

Vinnie: It’s all so fast and exciting…it’s hard to describe (laughs). Well, we have a couple more shows with Man or AstroMan? then we go home. We’ve recorded our next record, and now it is in the process of being mixed and mastered.

It should be out by the end of spring.

Then we’ll just tour like crazy. Then at that point, John here will be a member playing with us, and then we’re getting another guy, so get ready to hear that full sound that everybody has been craving— we have a lot of work. tyler FASSNACHT

9

FEATURES

sgnsgss.blogspot.com

dailytrojan.com

freshpics.com

kenphillipsgroup.com

My friend and I were frantically opening random doors, looking for the magic one that would lead us to Chicago’s House of Blues’ underground parking garage. We rode down an elevator that led to nothing; down a hallway with a dead end. Our hopes were starting to diminish.

CONFESSIONS OF A

FANSON

We decided to check under the venue’s metal grate driveway and looked through an opening in the concrete wall when we finally saw it, the prized treasure of our frenzied hunt: Hanson’s tour bus.

The only problem was the 30-foot drop from our location to the dark, dank parking garage.

I turned to my friend, “So. Close. How the hell do we get down there? We could jump, but I guess we’d break a leg or something.

Damnit.”

We reluctantly walked out to the sidewalk when we ran into

10

a young man who my friend recognized as a House of Blues worker. She sweetly confronted him, batted her eyelashes, and squeezed some information out of him.

“You can go down the ramp by Harry Caray’s over there and stand by the entrance, I guess, and see if they come out,” he said.

We sprinted away and eventually found the elusive entrance.

As we walked down the ramp, we crossed paths with Hanson’s backup bassist, tried acting cool to no avail, snapped some pics with him and joined the line of fans who found the secret bus location as well.

I soaked in the panorama of our surroundings—dim, flickering lights, huge standing puddles of black water, overflowing dumpsters and filth covering every possible surface.

A girl with electrifying blue hair informed us to beware of the jerks who sped up while driving past to spray muddy water from the massive puddle nearby.

Then my friend screamed out, “A RAT! Oh my God. It’s an f-ing rat!”

Indeed, there it was in the distance, a fat, scampering, garbage-consuming rat. And there were about five more where that one came from.

We waited two hours in the chilly September night next to two obnoxiously drunk girls who asked us several times to take their picture and reacted to every shot by saying, “Oh mah gah, we’re sooo pretty.” They insisted on taking our pictures as well, again with the same reactions.

“Why am I here again?” I thought to myself. “Dear, God, just keep your eyes on the prize.”

The opening act, Meiko, finally came out and drove off without talking to the fans.

Hanson was sure to come out soon, right?

Wrong.

We waited another 25 mintues. Then another 10. Then 15 more. Finally, the door opened and out walked Isaac and Taylor. Fans cheered. Taylor waved.

Hanson went into the bus.

“Are you frickin’ serious?” I said.

“Want to wait for Zac?” my friend asked.

I decided against it, and we trudged back to the car around midnight for the 2 hour and 45 minute drive back to Madison.

This wasn’t the first time I had waited after a Hanson concert to get pictures and talk with them. In fact, it was the seventh since 2007, with a majority of these occasions ending successfully. And as I drove home that night, I wasn’t as angry as I had expected.

“Well, you win some, you lose some,” I thought. I was definitely not going to let one disappointing night crush my spirits.

There were going to be plenty more concerts in the future, I was sure of that.

And the guys were usually very courteous towards and thankful for their fans.

Thus is the thought process of a diehard Hanson fan—or fanson, as we are known.

Fansons are a breed of their own, where every one of us are so-called “number one fans.” Everyone is a little crazy, does a little stalking, spends their paychecks on concerts and fan club memberships. But it’s what fansons do. It’s all for the cause, it’s all for the music.

Recently, while cruising the inter-webs, I perused the Hanson.net forums. I clicked on a thread titled “You know you’re a Hanson fan when…” I read. I chuckled. I nodded in agreement. Yes, I have 2.4 days worth of Hanson music on my iTunes.

Yes, when I intend to watch one Hanson YouTube video it often turns out to be 30.

Yes, I won a meet and greet with them in high school and said unwise things relating to stick people drawings, saving the world together and gorilla costumes.

But it’s what fansons do. It’s all for the cause, it’s all for the music.

Why was this band so addictive? It’s a bit difficult to pinpoint exactly. I asked one of my fellow fansons for the answer behind Hanson’s crazed following: “I think it’s that these are people for whom the band played a big part in their teenage and adolescent years, the fact that they’re still performing, they’re still coming out with new material regularly, and the fact the band is always posting things on the Internet for fans to follow,” she said. “What makes them different? I feel like a lot of the fans are holding onto a lot of past memories, it’s become a part their aging, not just Hanson’s.”

and the cute (admittedly girly, at the time) long-haired boys.

I confess, my love affair with this band goes a bit too far sometimes, but I always tell myself a Hanson obsession is at least better than becoming a drug addict or alcoholic.

But I can’t help but notice that every time Hanson does an interview, Isaac will say, “What’s actually interesting is…” and Taylor will butt in with a know-it-all “but the thing is…” while Zac whines, “You know…”

I know exactly which quote will come up next while watching my large collection of Hanson videos, and I know what song they will play next at a concert after hearing just one note.

I know that when someone mentions Tulsa, Oklahoma, my heart will beat a little faster because, well, that’s where Hanson lives. And it is, afterall, somewhat of a Mecca for fansons.

My non-fanson friends and family think I need a life, but I tell them I’m just passionate. And as my good friend Oprah Winfrey says, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

Don’t mind if I do, Oprah.

Afterall, it’s what fansons do. It’s all for the cause, it’s all for the music. kaitlyn SCHNELL

It was true. I had fond memories of being an awkwardly cool seven-year-old and jamming out to their “Where’s the Love” music video on MTV with some of the same friends I go to concerts with now.

And it was what fansons did. It’s was all for the cause, it was all for the music …

11

FEATURES

Bon Iver: Best Wisc Why I love Bon Iver—or should the question be why I love Justin Vernon?

We’ll stick to the group “Bon Iver” as a whole, mostly because so few people know the difference between Bon Iver and its frontman Justin Vernon. There’s an immense blend of talent that defines the group, hence why I’ve devoted much of my concert going and study sessions to the music—no, the artistry—that is Bon Iver.

Bon Iver is indie-folk with a hint of rock. The group is comprised of two drummers, an absurd amount of guitarists between Vernon and the band members, and the group even has an instrumentalist who can beat box AND play the trombone.

Vernon’s eerie falsetto climbs above most male folk-singers’ range, with Vernon’s occasional use of auto-tune.

Honestly, I don’t hate the use of faux vocal range one bit when it comes to Bon Iver. Why not get creative and mix auto-tune with indie-folk?

Listen to Bon Iver’s “Woods” and you’ll learn that auto-tune is more than just “T-Pain attempting to sound like a singer.”

point:

LOVE

as much as I do, then I’m sure it’s not hard to understand that the beauty of Wisconsin weaves in and out of Bon Iver’s music. Bon Iver’s freshman album, For Emma, Forever Ago, was famously written in Justin Vernon’s woeful and lonesome cabin in Northern Wisconsin, so naturally half of the album’s lyrics entail details of Milwaukee, the woods up north, and even the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire’s dorm “The Towers” where our man Vernon lost some dignity and innocence, if you know what I mean.

But Bon Iver has branched out from Wisconsin since For Emma. The group flew out to Hawaii to record with Kanye West on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and they’ve been featured on Grey’s Anatomy countless times.

www.justout.com

It’s fair to say that Justin Vernon is the heart of the group; he writes the songs, lyrics and all. He sings, and he crafts a sound that makes Bon Iver unlike any other group. In essence, Vernon is the cake. His band members are the icing. Yet Vernon doesn’t call his group “Justin Vernon Band,” or simply “Justin Vernon.” He incorporates the entirety of their sound into a common name, and for that I love the group more than, say, Dave Matthews and his band. What the hell does “Bon

12

Iver” mean, you ask? The nom de plume means “good winter.” Surely that name would be accurate considering Vernon is a native Wisconsinite.

Pitchfork Media has given the self-titled album a 9.5 out of 10 and Rolling Stone Magazine deems Vernon “one of the most prominent folk artists of our era.” But Vernon’s not our typical superstar who basks in the glory of fame and wears designer everything like his collaborator Kanye West. He started his career as an isolated man writing about love and loss in a cabin in the woods, and has since transformed into a confident Wisconsin hero www.vibetothis.com who, despite being engulfed by media, a tour, and fans worldwide, dresses in flannel and has a beard If there’s one thing that Wisconsin’s that cries “I’m too humble to be shaved.” known for, it’s the winters that inherit He’s great in all of his ordinariness. pounds of snow and memories up North in a cabin on a lake. Ah, the classic image sara PIERCE of Wisconsin. If you love this great state

onsin Has to Offer?

When considering which famed Wisconsin musicians deserved their own holiday, Bon Iver was certainly an unworthy choice. Among suitable contenders would have been the Violent Femmes from Milwaukee who have had eight top records since the early 1980s, or, say, Les Paul who is from Waukesha and actually invented the electric guitar, making rock music a possibility in the first place.

Simply put, Bon Iver is the most overrated and oversensitive band in recent history and has still yet to earn their praise that is heartily dished out by a plaid clad army of momma’s boys.

Sure you can turn on Bon Iver when you’re taking a nice lavender scented bubble bath while wiggling your toesies and wondering about how ‘meta’ nature, life, and pure existing is.

Just live and let live, ya know? Kind of like Justin Vernon living in a north woods shack and becoming the second coming of Grizzly Bear for no reason other than the fact that him and his buddies like to harmonize in falsettos while giving each other back massages in the dark.

The discography of Bon Iver, all two albums, spans the emotional rollercoaster of a dry leaf falling into a tiny puddle. All flavor, excitement (re: personality) is sucked dry from said leaf and what remains is a collection of songs that do little more than recreate the howling sounds of a Wisconsin winter in the north woods and sometimes Milwaukee.

You might be thinking, what about those actually good songs, “Monster” and “Lost in the Woods” that Kanye produced?

Well, for that there is a rather simple answer, which is that Kanye produced them.

Iver whether they are conscious of it or not. Such oblivion is a symptom of what is known as Bonivitis, or rather, the assumed mental condition of overly sentimental and stunted music tastes.

Ultimately, the “easy listening” factor of Bon Iver is an excuse not to listen to Bon Iver while actually listening to it. People may say, “Oh it’s really great music to do homework to.” However, listening to Bon Iver while doing homework simply means Granted, Bon Iver is easy listening, sort that it’s great background music to be of like a male Enya, and for that there ignored. is an audience. Normally, music of the Metal heads, punx kids, rock aficionados, rappers, soul singers, shoot anyone with a knowledge of music history and a basis for individual decision making, are cognizant of this overly sentimental garbage that is infecting the ears of youths and even those who should know better. Pitchfork, a huge victim of Bonivitis, gives Bon Iver a perfect score, but that’s expected, isn’t it? Those of us who cradle warm glasses of milk before bed, play Apples to Apples until dawn and really enjoy listening to http://tashanderson.wordpress.com Bon Iver while completely ignoring it may not agree with my recantation of factual evidence, but that may also be a symptom of the Bonivitis.

counter-point:

HATE

Case in point, Bon Iver is an unworthy recipient of Wisconsin’s praise. joyce EDWARDS

sunsetintherearview.com

“easy listening” genre is restricted to dentist offices, elevators and the Lifetime Network; however, populations of listeners have gravitated towards Bon

13

FEATURES

H

O

W

LER

MIDWEST KIDS CROSS THE POND Bands like the Clash, the Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks inspired the attitude Gatesmith channels in writing music for Howler. According to bassist France Camp, Howler creates music that explores political themes sarcastically.

“When I write a song, it’s not about being a sad bastard that hates everything, it’s about taking the subject at hand and making fun of it completely,” Gatesmith said. “For me, feeling unsatisfied brings out ways I can take a feeling and create a sarcastic safe zone, and then I tend to feel better.”

Courtesy of WIKI Noticia.

The British are coming! Actually, this time it’s the Americans. In late November, Minneapolis band Howler will cross the pond to open for The Vaccines on their highly-anticipated U.K. tour.

In 1775, widespread panic met the arrival of the British on American soil.

Lanterns were lit: one by land and two by sea. Paul Revere made the greatest sacrifice of all and rode around during what modern-day folk call “bar time.”

Things will be different when Howler touches down in the U.K. NME, the British equivalent of Spin or Rolling Stone, introduced Howler’s jangly guitar meets seventies punk sound to the people of the isle, and they can’t get enough.

“A lot of people like us in the UK,” lead vocalist and guitar player Jordan Gatesmith said. “We sound Brit rock.”

A few months ago, Howler maneuvered the Minneapolis music scene in relative obscurity, compared to the British media buzz following them now. One fateful CD release party at Seventh Street Entry changed all that. In rapid-fire succession, an NME freelance writer heard the band

14

and tipped off a rep from Rough Trade, the same label that signed The Strokes.

Shortly after, Rough Trade served Howler with a record contract.

“NME was the first publication to give a fuck,” Gatesmith said. “Since they’ve started pushing [our music], things have fallen into place. We haven’t had something like that in the U.S. a Spin or Rolling Stone or anything.”

“When I write a song, it’s not about being a sad bastard that hates everything, it’s about taking the subject at hand and making fun of it completely.”

NME has since ranked Howler third in their list of the “50 Best Bands of 2011,” and after sampling Howler’s EP This One’s Different, British critics are chaffing to hear the band’s first fulllength album “America Give Up” due out January 17 in the States.

“It sounds totally political, but it’s not political at all. I like to confuse people,” Gatesmith said.

Howler abandoned the indie pop sound they explored on their EP in favor of a more rock-driven sound on their fulllength, because rock has more longevity, according to Gatesmith.

“Pop music is still important to how I write. For the full-length and how we’re writing right now, it’s more based in rock and roll. We want to create pop songs that are a little more dirty,” Gatesmith said.

Dissatisfaction also shapes the music Howler creates. Electronic and shoegaze drive current musical trends, according to Gatesmith.

“I’m sick of Casio rock everywhere,” Gatesmith said. “We’re trying to keep it very stripped down rock and roll with, maybe, My Bloody Valentine guitars.”

With their fall U.K. tour, Howler seems poised to turn international attention on the Minneapolis music scene, the same cultural melting pot that spawned punk rockers and musical reference point the Replacements.

“Howler’s trying to stand for rock and roll, in a more purist sense, more anxious, more dissatisfied and a little edge of punk,” Gatesmith said. emily GENCO

how easy it is to release material online for people to hear, then one person talks to someone else. It’s just the game of telephone with

you’re surrounded by all these people who like what you like, so it’s like a community within itself in some random location that normally wouldn’t have these people in it. It’s a nice feeling. I can say that too as someone who goes to music festivals as a fan; I know how it feels.

Are you guys going to be able to hang around after your set?

Mickey: Oh yes.

S E W T O I R H R W A

Who are you excited to see?

Mickey: well we’re going to see everyone friends we can. We’re going to see Chromeo, Twin telling Shadow, Skrillex… friends telling Rob Banks (guitar): Best Coast! friends until Mickey: Oh yeah, Best Coast. We just dailydownload.blogspot.com it’s at the point saw Young the Giant. There are just so Up and coming psychedelic pop-rock group where we just many bands that I know by name that I’m White Arrows made some time in their toured with Cults and then we just did finally going to get to check out. There’s schedule to talk with Emmie Magazine some dates up here with White Denim, just so many! I’m just going to go around prior to playing their first real festival who are also playing the festival, and now checking bands off my list. gig. Singer and chief songwriter, Mickey we’re playing the festival and next we’re Church explained White Arrows’ origin, going on tour with Those Darlins, so it’s You commented earlier on the the importance of a music community and just kind of accelerated. There’s not one community aspect of music festivals. Do playing in space. thing to pinpoint really, but just a lot of you think that type of thing is important little things to contribute to becoming a for music these days?

How long has White Arrows been a band that’s good enough to play the Yeti Rob: Oh absolutely. band?

Stage at Sasquatch!

Mickey: Yeah, that’s the way you become a Mickey Church (guitar, singer): Well big family. I did that and I think it helped White Arrows has been a music force Are you guys going to be stopping at any to shape what I wanted to do and what I for about two years, because the songs other festivals this summer? currently do. It’s just meeting all the people existed as recordings before there was Mickey: Well the rest of the summer hasn’t with your same interests and rocking out a band, and we’ve been a band officially been booked yet, but we will mostly be together, sharing water, food… for about a year and a half… I made the focusing on recording at this point and Rob: Bodily fluids… recordings two years ago in New York, but writing and finishing our album, as well Mickey: Drugs… when I moved back to LA I assembled a as the dates with Those Darlins. Our Rob: Herpes… band, which now consists of six people, first official release is coming out midMickey: Yeah! That’s what it’s all about including my brothers.

July with Ooh la la [Records]… it’s very (laughs). exciting. It’s going to be vinyl pressed in Wow, only a year and a half and you guys the US and then the songs we have up on So after the summer of writing, are already playing at Sasquatch! That’s the internet are coming out in the UK on recording and releasing music, what pretty impressive.

Three Syllables [Records] around the same other plans does White Arrows have for Mickey: Yeah, it’s not bad. We’re definitely time… So we’ve got a lot of stuff coming the future? stoked… We couldn’t be happier playing out. Then from there we just want to keep Mickey: Keep putting stuff out…We’d like at this festival with bands that fill up my touring. Hopefully we’ll come to Madison! to be the first band to play on the moon entire catalog on my iPod. I’ve never even been to Wisconsin. or another planet, I mean, as space travel becomes more accessible it’s not going to Emmie magazine is based in Madison, Are you guys used to playing these big be as expensive to go… We’d like to just be Wisconsin, and out in the Midwest not festival crowds at all? the first band to play in orbit even, as long a lot of people have really heard of you Mickey: No, this is actually our first. After as there isn’t gravity. Basically we’re just guys. How did you garner this popularity this we’ll be used to it. Well we’ve played waiting to tap that market. Besides that on the West Coast? a couple “festivals” like SXSW and we though, just to keep playing and putting Mickey: Well, I’ve never even heard of played festivals in Texas surrounding that, out music. What else can you do?

Madison, Wisconsin., so it’s a mutual but nothing quite the caliber of Sasquatch. feeling (laughs). But it’s just little by little.

But we love playing festivals. It seems the tyler FASSNACHT It’s crazy how quickly things can happen people there are just all about the music these days with the internet and with so you can just set yourself free because

15

FEATURES

YOung Man IntervieW This past August I sat down to chat with the members of Young Man backstage at Lollapalooza. Sitting on plush sour cream and onion bean bag rocking chairs, the exceptionally charming men of Young Man talked to me about their new album, Ideas of Distance, British Skins, and Justin Bieber.

come out in like February or March. And then Volume Two is the last record and that comes out in like July.

Are you guys planning any more music projects after Volume Two? I don’t know. I mean, I think if I were to stop right now I’d do some like ambient,

Hey guys. I’m excited to have this interview with you on the cusp of your new album Ideas of Distance that came out in September. Is your stop at Lollapalooza part of a tour for the new release?

We’re not really on tour right now; but it’s our first Lolla. But I mean, most of us just graduated so we’re capable of really touring now. We’ve done short tours— we’ve been to Europe a couple of times.

And you guys just recently graduated from Loyola University in May, right?

Yeah, well Jeff graduated last year; he’s an old man.

photo by Gino DePinto

An old man in Young Man? [Laughs] Yeah an old man in Young Man. Lolla is a pretty big deal each year in Chicago. Have you seen anyone that you’re really excited to be on lineup with?

No, I haven’t actually come before and this is our first time here, but we played with Pain of Being Pure at Heart last night and they’re really nice guys. They’re playing too so that’s cool.

Sweet. I read that you intend on making five Young Man albums, can you tell me more about that?

There will be four total including the EP. So one comes out in September and we just finished tracking the next one, it’s called Volume One. And then that will

16

photo via blogcertified.com

more minimal music. But that’s just kind of where my tastes are right now. I’d like to drum in a band again.

So I have some insider information on you guys since we share a mutual friend, and I heard that you were perhaps in a Ska band in high school.

Can you tell me more about that?

Yeah! I’m like really old friends with him.

[Laughs] But no we had rival bands in high school. He was in the Ska band we were in the stupid blues-rock band. Both awful bands, but yeah I was not into Ska. I can say that.

[Laughs] So no Ska, bummer, but so you’ve changed up your sound a bit since high school which goes with the theme of transition from youth in Boy to more of an adult stage now.

Yeah a little bit.

So youth to adulthood, is that the idea?

Yeah, I mean the Boy EP was like an introduction to introduce the concept of talking about youth and different concepts. I just used the perspective of a young kid. But now it’s all about like right now. There’s not like 8 years old and one album is 14 or something. They’re all dealing with things now, except for Boy. You’ve said that your songwriting is like writing a paper for a class. What do you mean by that?

Like the standard pop structure is the verse chorus bridge verse chorus, something like that. And our songs aren’t really like that, they’re like parts that move to one another. So generally a song will open up with an intro and there will be parts in between, and an end will conclude it in some logical way. So it’s kind of like a paper where you set up an argument, you have an introduction and then you discuss different things within the body and then the conclusion has to tie it all together kind of. But like tricks, hmm…I don’t know.

Do you have any writing rituals, like do you have to wear comfy toe socks when you write?

No, I don’t think any of us have any good luck charms.

would choose? Also, specifically what would they be made of? Like, for instance, I would have lamb-kebab sandals. Oberhofer said he would have Brie ankle socks.

Cheese is bad on hot days, and meat is great on hot days. Meat shoes would be fine. Some type of jerky. Jerky would make a good stitch to have a nice slab on the bottom. I guess I would have to go with some Colby Jack loafers with jerky laces. So both, can’t just have one, a little bit of flare.

photo by Brendan Shanley lostinconcert.com

Your song “Up So Fast” and a couple others were featured on American Skins. Have you ever watched the American Skins TV show?

[Laughs] Yeah yeah.

Do you guys have a preference with either American or British Skins?

You know, I watched American Skins when the songs were on. It’s like the worst TV show ever. It’s like the provocative, promiscuous teen thing. It was just a terrible show. It would be one thing if the writing was good and it was funny in the right ways, it was just like raunchy and lame.

Yeah. I mean I’m guilty, I’ve watched British Skins and a lot of it goes along with the British humor.

Yeah I’ve heard the British one’s great.

But it’s cool, whatever. Yeah the songs were used out of context. I mean “Playtime” was used while this girl was just like laying on her bed.

used. One article said, “Young Man is the Justin Bieber of the Indie world.”

How do you feel about that?

[Laughs] Yeah, I mean I think that’s sort of understandable because I started on YouTube or whatever. I think now it’s a little silly...but I mean that’s so funny. I mean I look up to Justin Bieber. I write him fan mail. ‘Dear really popular me,’

Do you guys have any plans to play in Madison this Fall?

Yeah we played a house show there, the cops came, it was a bummer. But yeah I would love to. I like Madison a lot. But yeah, soon.

Is there anything you’d like to say to UW students?

Keep up the good work (laughs). Be patient with the new sound, because each album is different. And then also, go Badgers! joyce EDWARDS

“I watched American Skins when the songs were on. It’s like the worst TV show ever. ” yeah no he doesn’t write his own music so. Wait I don’t know, he probably doesn’t.

A little different than Boy. A little different than Boy yeah yeah.

You could incorporate dance moves into your live performance to be more like the Biebs.

Yeah. Jeff has the two-step going on sometimes. A couple moves waiting in the corridors. Collabo with Usher, we can be his next protégés.

When I was researching your new album, the Skins website kept coming up talking about your music that was

Time for my favorite Emmie question.

If you had to choose to have socks made out of meat or cheese, which

17

FEATURES

BIFFY CLYRO AT

After a pummeling set on Day 1 of the Sasquatch! music festival, Ben Johnston, drummer of Scottish arena-alt-rockers Biffy Clyro sat down with Emmie to talk about the differences between UK and US crowds, why Kings of Leon is so damn popular and touring with the Foo Fighters.

I’m going to start with a question that I’m assuming you guys get pretty often…

Uh oh, I know what’s coming.

What is the origin of the name “Biffy Clyro”?

Well it was kind of a childish school thing. We had a name already, which was Screwfish, but we hated it because, well because it was a terrible name (laughs) and we wanted to change it. There’s a relatively famous person in Britain called Cliff Richard who sings gospel songs. He’s a bit of an idiot.

Anyway someone imagined having a Cliff Richard Biro pen, which is a kind of pen you get in Britain called a Biro, so that would have been called a Cliffy Biro. Then we switched the letters around to make it “Biffy Clyro.” We wanted a name that wouldn’t conjure up any particular style of music like Death Force (said in a deep grunt) or something. We wanted to be a little aloof with the name. It definitely worked and we wanted to confuse people and that definitely worked as well. We’ve kind of been striving to confuse people since the start of our career.

Back in the UK, you guys are used to playing to much bigger audiences, right?

Correct.

So why do you think there is such a difference in popularity here in the US? Because we don’t come from here (laughs). Sometimes it’s just as simple as that. We’ve made these big crowds come see us back home because we tour

18

relentlessly up and down the country and the rest of Europe as well. I mean, we’ve been a band for 15 years and we have released five albums and we’ve been spending all that time playing in Europe, so I think that’s the reason we have the crowds. We’ve really only played a handful of tours in America and mostly support tours. We’ve only

you know? and there’s no national radio where you can get to everyone with one go. It’s almost like a lot of little countries in America, so it takes a long time. It’ll happen though.

It seems like there is a big separation between the UK and the US. Well there’s a big pond between us.

Well you get bands like Kings of Leon, who are huge over there.

Oh yeah, they are enormous.

But that was way before they got really popular in their own country.

Yeah, that happens so many times and I feel like there’s no good explanation for it. It’s kind of just like the right place at the right time and the right person on the radio believes in you or that particular country might just have an appetite for that kind of music at the moment… there are so many factors in there that can contribute to the success or otherwise of bands. Yeah it’s kind of strange that American bands can be huge over in this tiny little country called the UK http://www.media.wmg-is.com/ and then no one in America can come see them, but hey, [Kings of Leon] are now huge in America too.

“We wanted to be a little aloof with the name...We’ve kind of been striving to confuse people since the start of our career.”

Yeah, maybe you guys will be next.

Exactly! It’s that whole reversal thing, that’s how it happens.

recently started doing headlining shows, which are growing steadily and going really well. We’re really happy though.

Like you said, they are smaller audiences, but we really thrive on those small club shows. That’s where we cut our teeth and that’s what we did for years so we still enjoy doing that. It’ll change though, you guys will catch up (laughs). It’ll just take some time. It’s a big big country

Besides sheer numbers, do you think there is a difference between US crowds and UK crowds?

Not so much to be honest. We’re all similar kind of folks. You guys love your music just as much as we do back home.

There’s possibly more enthusiasm from American crowds. You like to whip in between songs a lot like “Yeah! Woo!” and there’s a lot of that going on, but not so much back in Britain, not so much

SASQUATCH 2011

yee-haw-ing, but then again you guys were cowboys so I guess that’s where it comes from (laughs). Generally when the music gets started though you guys act the same as the crowds back home, which is great because it makes us feel at home.

amazing.

Are you going to be able to stick around?

Unfortunately not. We’ve got some www.antiquiet.com

Do you prefer the bigger audiences to the small club shows?

I prefer the bigger audiences I guess, but who doesn’t like playing in front of thousands of people? It’s such a massive rush, but with that many people they are farther away from you, you can’t really see the whites of their eyes, you can’t catch someone’s eye and have a connection, which can happen at small gigs. But, big shows are just fun because they’re big.

You guys are in the US supporting the Foo Fighters. How did that come about?

Dave [Grohl] just saw our band and I guess he liked us. He was playing with Them Crooked Vultures and they were touring around Europe the same time as us and our paths crossed a couple of times. Once at a festival in Norway, I was up there playing drums, as I do, and I turned around and Dave Grohl was just crouched beside the monitor rocking out. It was like an instantly shitting myself type moment. He’s just my absolute hero.

I can definitely hear a Foo Fighters influence in a lot of your songs.

Yeah, big time. We grew up on that stuff, like Nirvana and then the Foo Fighters. They both played a huge part in influencing our music especially earlier on in our career. I mean how can you not sound like the Foo Fighters when you are playing cool melodic rock music? That’s just what they do really well.

How are you liking Sasquatch?

Oh it’s just gorgeous. I wish this microphone had a camera. What a backdrop for a festival! It’s really well run too and the bill is amazing. This is just the first day but the bands are just

www.antiquiet.com

headlining shows in the next week, so we’re going to head off.

If you guys could stay, who would you be most excited to see?

Well you’d have to get a list out for me.

I just remember there being so many, Wilco! Oh fucking right I want to see Wilco. Oh man, you shouldn’t have said that! Now I’m just raging that I’m not

going to be here! I’m raging! (laughs) I love Wilco so much. That’s a real shame we’re going to miss them, I guess I’ll go with that for my number one pick.

How would you compare Sasquatch! to other festivals?

Well we haven’t played many really, but I can’t imagine Lollapalooza or Coachella being quite like this. It’s just a really cool vibe. There’s something really unique about this festival.

What about in comparison to European festivals?

Well in Europe the festivals are all run with supreme efficiency, very hygienic, very to the number. It’s definitely more relaxed here, but it’s great to get different vibes, like a European vibe and an American vibe and a Japanese vibe, now that one is even crazier! You get treated like royalty over there, it’s just unbelievable. It’s always going to differ from country to country because we’re just all different people by nature. It’s got a real European vibe here though because of how beautiful it is. In Europe we like having festivals in really pretty places.

That is so nice. Like if you go to Lollapalooza, it’s just in the middle of downtown Chicago.

Yeah, it just feels like a car park. Oh I can definitely compare this to Warped Tour, which is just a bunch of car parks, or parking lots, that’s what you guys call them right? But yeah, it just sucks balls (laughs). I mean, it’s like thank you for having us on, but we would not have played one day longer. We wanted to leave after the first day it sucked so bad.

It just sucked so bad. It’s basically a strip mall for bands to sell t-shirts to kids and no one gets a good show. None of the bands get value for money, none of the kids get value for money. The whole thing fucking sucks… but anyway, you don’t have to hear that! tyler FASSNACHT

19

FESTIVALS

LOLLAPALOOZA L

Turns 20

ollapalooza celebrated its 20th anniversary this past August and I was in for a completely different experience this year after scoring a press pass. High security gates magically opened, Black Lips stopped to chat, and all-you-can-eat Crave Cases became standard. Distant memories of mile-long water lines and being caked in other people’s sweat quickly faded as lacquered chaise lounges and free Silver Jeans flare pants filled my periphery. It soon became obvious that my seventh Lollapalooza would top the rest with an all access pass to my favorite bands and furthermore, the best lineup in years.

popping and getting to eat some famous Charm City Cakes cake all before 9:30a.m. Attempting to play it cool I said, “..Heyy..” to Mr. Farrell and went to check out the festival grounds before the crowds got there.

photo by Kristin Burns

I arrived early Friday morning to hit up the pre-festival press junket with the notion that there would be a ‘special guest.’ My predictions ranged from delusional to practical with Kim Kardashian (fingers crossed), Dave Grohl and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell topping my wish list. Surprisingly shy as if coddling his immensely successful festival in his arms, Farrell’s waif figure expertly tailored in true rock n’ roll apparel appeared on the small press platform. His presence elicited a series of cheers as he howled his famously made up word, which he pronounced <Luhhlah-poh-lOOza> to the confusion of many, however, if he says it that way it must be correct. Farrell then announced plans for the new Lollapalooza in Sao Paulo, Brazil this upcoming year and recommended the festival’s lobster corndogs (good call Perry). The curious black curtain off to the side was finally pulled to reveal the entire cast of Ace of Cakes and they presented a rotating Lollapalooza cake that featured fondant miniatures of Jane’s Addiction rocking out on top of Chicago’s cityscape.

Cue about sixty bottles of champagne

22

Photo via thefalconsnest.com

Enormous doesn’t even begin to describe this year’s festival, with eight stages that spanned the length of Lake Shore Drive.

Thinking back to the two main stages and one baby stage across the street at Lollapalooza 2005, it’s incredible how much the festival has expanded since arriving in Chicago seven years ago.

Not only is Lollapalooza a music festival, it’s actually one of the largest contributors to Chicago charities.

Farrell has teamed up with the Chicago Parkways Foundation to ensure the

restoration of park grounds post-festival and funding for a multitude of Chicago youth programs and the new Berklee College of Music Lollapalooza Endowed Scholarship. There’s a lot more going on at Lollapalooza these days with Green Street promoting environmentally friendly alternatives aimed to reduce the tons of garbage produced throughout the weekend. After being super casual poking around while final touches were placed on stages, I grabbed an extra piece of cake and went off to seek out some tunes.

FRIDAY On Friday afternoon Grace Potter and the Nocturnals played some soulful girl rock that immediately contradicted my preconceived notions of the group. With the appearance of a 60’s super model, a voice reminiscent of Janis Joplin, and the dance moves of a lunatic, Potter put on an amazing show to start the weekend. Afterwards I stopped by to see former Emmie Magazine covergirls, the Smith Westerns for a swoon-worthy performance, and then sauntered over to check out The Kills. Now, I love The Kills, but the two-piece left something to be desired this time around. Their performance was missing that element of grit and blues that someone who turns bands into supergroups and established a name for two-pieces years ago can only provide. Of course I’m talking about the one and only Jack White who was noticeably missing from the festival lineup this year. Sure The Kills put out a decent album with Blood Pressures this year, but knowing what Mosshart and White can do together in the Dead Weather makes it hard to settle.

Despite the void that Jack White fills in my heart, Friday continued over

at Perry’s DJ stage. With the growing popularity of dubstep and electronica in college towns across the country, Perry’s featured a massive white overhang tent that hardly disguised what was actually a weekend long frat party. Yes, there was whooping and barking at The Bloody Beetroots, Death Crew 77, and Skrillex, but such acts pale in comparison to Goth goddess, Alice Glass, of Crystal Castles.

Typically known as an act that blows speakers and sears eardrums, I treasured every second of the Crystal Castles show as Glass teetered on top of the crowd

Black Lips put on a solid show that spanned their discography but was comparatively tame for their live performances.

When chatting with Black Lips later that day they bantered happily about their notorious tour in India and their upcoming feature in pregnancy-comedy What to Expect When You’re Expecting with Cameron Diaz and Chris Rock. With much anticipation and little time to spare, I ran photo by Kevin Mazur

Was there even anyone else playing at the same time? That would just be cruel.

photo via fuckyeahprettygirls.tumblr.com

with barely audible screeches over the stomach-wrenching bass. For me, Friday was all about Crystal Castles, and I enjoyed the rest of the night lounging between the trees first at Muse and then at Ratatat...while Chris Martin of Coldplay crooned somewhere off in the distance.

SATURDAY It’s not even up for debate that Saturday was the best day at Lollapalooza this year with solid entertainment gold from start to finish. In the wee morn I brushed shoulders with a very angsty Taylor Momsen (known for Gossip Girl fame) of The Pretty Reckless as she channeled the sourest pout she could muster while straight up wearing underwear in public.

After dodging the dark vortexes of Momsen’s eyes I went to check out Black Lips across the park.

over to see Death From Above 1979 for their first performance since 2006.

Throughout the show, the punk noise/ rock duo scowled and channeled their hatred for each other into an angst driven but totally awesome performance.

The reason why Saturday reached over the top perfection was mainly because of rap maverick Eminem. With the fiercest attitude and pure crazy lasers beaming from his eyeballs, Eminem hit the stage spitting a non-stop stream of hateful poetry with hits off of his comeback album Recovery. Ankle-deep in mud yet undeterred, tens of thousands of fans turned up to see Eminem put on a damn good show. Mixing old favorites with songs from his new endeavor Bad Meets Evil, Mr. Mathers knew exactly what he was doing as he interacted with the crowd with smart quips and commanded the attention of everyone in attendance.

SUNDAY Sunday started with Titus Andronicus and Fences playing some solid shows that drew relatively big crowds for an earlier set. Around this time I started moseying over to Perry’s to check out The Cool Kids for a quick “Basement Party” before heading to one of my favorite new groups, Young Man. With a sweet voice and even sweeter Sweet Tea in hand, I thoroughly enjoyed their set after sharing potato chips with the group during my interview with them prior to the show. Quickly brought out of my dreamy disposition, Damian Marley and Nas almost started a revolution during their performance, with Rastafarians waving the Jamaican flag and Nas rapping over the reggae beats of Damian and the late Bob Marley.

Amidst the call to one love, the sky started to churn overhead and the set ended with a finale of thunder.

Around this time the sky literally turned green and it became clear that the weekend’s sunny weather wouldn’t last much longer. After a detour to the press tent for refuge, I ended the festival at the Foo Fighters show in a torrential downpour under the dry armpit of my big brother. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better end to the festival with Dave Grohl singing over the pounding rain and the weird Silver Jeans swag keeping me dry. joyce EDWARDS

23

FESTIVALS

SOUNDSET: MCS Soundset traces its roots back to the late nineties, when a small number of local DJs and emcees gathered in a South Minneapolis warehouse to perform in front of a handful of people. This past May, over twenty thousand hip hop fans crowded into Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota to take in what has become one of the country’s largest hip hop music festivals. With over thirty musical acts spread across two separate stages, Soundset promised to offer a diverse array of artists to reach hip hop fans across the board.

We arrived at Soundset about an hour or so after the first performers were scheduled to take the stage. Fortunately we were able to bypass the lengthy ticket lines and secure a spot close to the main stage. Due to a heavy barrage of rain the night before, the grass we were standing on squished beneath our feet. And while my recently purchased Vans (in retrospect, a terrible, terrible choice) quickly became mud ridden, the conditions got better as the day carried on.

Walking up to the main stage, we were able to catch the last couple songs of the Zion I and the Grouch set-a shame we couldn’t hear the set in its entirety, but with such a solid line up to come we figured it wasn’t the end of the world. Next up was Grieves, one of the artists I had made note not to miss. After performing at SXSW and being added to the Rhymesayers label, this dude definitely had garnered some well-deserved attention. A large portion of the set was devoted to his upcoming album Together/Apart which was set to drop just a few short weeks after the festival. However, I was psyched to catch a few tracks off of his 2008 release 88 Keys and Counting an album which had been in my rotation for quite some time. While Grieves held down the mic, his multi-instrumentalist/producer Budo laid down and endless series of beats. Splitting his time between trumpet, guitar and piano, Budo’s versatility was

24

one of the highlights of the set.

After taking in a few performances, we

decided to explore what else Soundset had to offer. The festival is held in a giant grass field and includes a main stage, a smaller stage, a breakdancing tent, half pipes for skaters, and a giant wall for live painting and graffiti art. Even if you didn’t shell out the extra cash for a VIP ticket, there was a good chance you could still catch your favorite artist at their merch tent, meetin’ and greetin’ with eager fans. photo: popwreckoning.com We decided to make our way back to the main stage after wandering about for a solid half hour or so. Performing next was Slaughterhouse, the hip hop super group comprised of Crooked I, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, and Royce da 5’9”. While the sheer logistics of having four different

rappers performing on the same tracks may seem tricky, Slaughterhouse managed it well, as each member took up the mic for a verse during “Microphone.”

Up next was Mac Miller, a scrawny nineteen year old from Pittsburgh, PA. As his set got off to a start, the audience turned from chill to shrill as we were swarmed by and endless number of high school fan girls. Mac’s brand of carefree frat-rap definitely struck chord with a majority of the audience, especially the teenage crowd. Frequent references to partying and smoking didn’t hurt his cause either (he is signed to the same label as Wiz Khalifa after all).

With over thirty musical acts spread across two separate stages, Soundset promised to offer a diverse array of artists to reach hip hop fans across the board.

We decided to dip out halfway through the set and make our way over to the secondary stage to check out one my favorite emcees, Macklemore. Despite performing on a decidedly smaller stage, Macklemore put on a fantastic show. The small stage gave his set a more intimate feel, something rarely found at outdoor music festivals. After performing hits like “Otherside” and “Wings” (a moving commentary on American consumerism), Macklemore ducked backstage only to return a short time later dressed as “Raven Bowie”, his David Bowie-inspired alter ego. The set closed with “And We Danced” a high energy track that had everyone in the audience jumping around and dancing along. I would not be surprised to see Macklemore performing on the main stage next year, as he was definitely one of the crowd favorites.

IN MINNEAPOLIS By this point in the day, the sun was starting to go down and my legs were feeling a little weak from the constant standing. But there was more music to be had, so we trudged our way back over to the main stage just in time to catch the beginning of Brother Ali’s set. For those unfamiliar, Soundset is put on by Rhymesayers, an independent hip hop label based out of Minneapolis. The two biggest acts on the Rhymesayers roster are Brother Ali and Atmosphere, both of which perform near the conclusion of the festival. On stage, Brother Ali was his usual calm and collected self. Sporting a throwback Minneapolis Lakers basketball jersey, Ali was the epitome of effortless swag. One of the coolest moments of the day occurred near the end of the set, when he busted out a notebook and shared a brand new track with everyone in attendance. Brother Ali ended his set by performing “Take Me Home” and my personal favorite “Fresh Air” both of which had the crowd bumping along.

After laying down what was arguably one of the best performances of the day, Brother Ali sat down with Emmie to talk about the evolution of Soundset and his plans for another album.

How does Soundset compare to other festivals, specifically hip hop festivals that you have performed at?

I’ve played at a lot of festivals; I’ve played at Coachella, Rock the Bells, Sasquatch, all the big ones in the states and all the big ones in Europe too. And as far as hip hop goes, it’s right up there. Like the Rock the Bells is able to get a lot of legends, which is great. I mean they kill it. But I feel like Soundset is the best hip hop festival in terms of it just having a good vibe, great performances, you know what I mean.

You’ve performed at every Soundset so far. How has the festival evolved and changed over time?

It’s just getting more and more, you know evolve is a great word. I mean everything we do at Rhymesayers like we have an idea and we just do it. We try to plan it as good as we can, we try to prepare as much as possible. But the reality is that Rhymesayers is a bunch of artists, but there’s only like four people that work in the office. In terms of like main people that really really make things happen, its four guys. So you know we just do shit. We do the best we possibly can, we put as much work and thought into it as possible.

Rhymesayers is one of the bigger independent labels, what are some of the benefits of staying with Rhymesayers as opposed to a bigger label?

It is true that we have complete creative control; it’s true that we’re not pressured to make radio singles and stuff like that.

But none of us really have that as our talent. That’s a specific talent that will.i.am has, that Jay-Z has, that Kanye West has, that T-Pain has. You know, these people know how to make a radio single, and it works on the radio and at the club. I respect that, there’s an art to that. But it’s just not what we’re good at. And a lot of us, if I could make a radio single I would, if I could make a good one, that was like really who I am and all that stuff I would do it. But it’s not my talent.

One last question for you. Your last

album Us was released almost two years ago, and we heard on stage you mentioned you were heading back to the studio pretty soon. So what are your future plans in terms of recording an album?

I’m making an album with a different producer. I made all my other albums with my best friend Ant (of Atmosphere).

And you know he just spent a whole year making new Atmosphere stuff, they just put out two things, a double EP and then an album, it’s a lot of music. And now they’re on tour all year, so it’s like, ah man, just our schedules didn’t work out. So the whole month of June we’re gonna spend writing and recording a new album. I wrote a lot of it already, it’s not completely written. And put it out in the fall.

The swelling of the crowd surrounding the main stage meant only one thing, Atmosphere was finally due to perform.

We fought our way through the drunken masses in hopes of securing a sweet spot to take in arguably the most anticipated performance of the day. Slug walked on stage to massive applause, “Whoa. I just realized how many fucking people are here tonight. Let’s get some solidarity, put a fist up in the sky.” Atmosphere wasted no time jumping into the hits, starting off their set with “Guns & Cigarettes,” “God Loves Ugly,” and “Puppets.” I was ecstatic to hear classics such as “Guarantees” and “Sunshine” performed with the backing of live piano and guitar, it made the songs that much better. Atmosphere closed their set with a touching rendition of “Yesterday” which Ant dedicated to the late Rhymesayers artist Eyedea who died of a drug overdose earlier in the year.

Till next year Soundset. chris MADSEN

photos by: Jules Ameel flickr.com/photos/rhymesayers/sets

25

FESTIVALS

Pitchfork Music F

How To Dress Well

Superchunk Yuck

or Pitchfork Music Festival’s seventh year at Union Park in Chicago, and my first time in attendance, the lineup was huge, the number of stages was small, and the heat index was enormous. Between hand printed posters, more healthy food options than naught, and a relatively small park with only three stages, I immediately realized that this festival is about as polar opposite as fellow Chicago fest and my veteran jaunt, Lollapalooza. Factor in the notion that this is the place where new performers are likely to be the next big thing and that I was rubbing elbows with teen blogger Tavi and Smith Westerns’ Cullen Omori, and this Pitchfork newbie had a grand ol’ time.

Over the course of the weekend I was able to check out both old favorites and bands I’ve never heard of before. I saw Guided

by Voices perform an impromtu collaboration with Neko Case and Robert Pollard high-kick better than most cheerleaders.

Superchunk showed newer bands how it’s done with their awesomely loud set that rivaled Baths’ set for audience attention while the newcomers of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All showcased their new material as Tyler The Creator crowd surfed despite a bum leg. Of course standard festival showmanship occurred too, such as Ariel stomping off stage prematurely and Kurt Vile’s luscious locks blowing above a strategically placed fan.Clearly, my first trip to Pitchfork Music Festival was a major success. joyce EDWARDS

26

Deerhunter

OFWGKTA

Cut Copy Animal Collective

photo by Francis Chung

Festival 2011 Neko Case

Guided by Voices

HEALTH

photo via billboard.com

photo via youaintnopicasso.com

Kurt Vile

TV on the Radio

Guided by Voices photo via newcitymusic.com

Ariel Pinkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Haunted Graffiti

photo by Meghan Brosnan

Gang Gang Dance

photo via metromixchicago.com

27

FESTIVALS

NORTH COAST

“IN ONLY ITS SECOND YEAR, THE NORTH COAST MUSIC FESTIVAL THREW DOWN LIKE A SEASONED VETERAN.”

tamarasusa.com

“Summer’s last stand” was the slogan.

In only its second year, the North Coast Music Festival threw down like a seasoned veteran. From Friday to Sunday the Chicago festival had an eclectic lineup containing mostly DJs, dubstep, jam bands and an unforgettable touch of hip hop. As my friend and I rode the L-train into the heart of the Windy City on Saturday, we were a bit skeptical if the overcast sky would save its rain for another day. But once we walked through the gates at Union Park where the show was located, the chest-rattling bass from RJD2 with BreakScience made all else unimportant. I had seen just RJD2 play on the Madison Terrace the year before, and for being a decent fan of his soulful beats, I was a bit disappointed at the performance. But with drummer Adam Deitch (from Lettuce) AKA BreakScience by his side, I couldn’t help but get my groove on. The way the live drums mimicked the computer beats was particularly awesome.

After wandering around the park, I was pleasantly surprised at how close the four stages were to each other and yet the park did not feel over-crowded by any stretch.

There were dozens of food vendors lining

28

the fences that came in handy later in the day.

We arrived early to get a good spot for funk-masters Lettuce on the next stage over. Front row and center, yeah I think I’ll take that. Watching keyboardist Evan Neils and guitarist Eric Krasno set up and test their levels with a mini jam was enough for me to get my rage face on.

Then the rest of the band came on stage and opened the set with a track from a new album coming out in the winter.

Deitch, still sweating from D2’s set, laid down a pocket drum groove while the horns covered the high end. No vocals, no matter. That shit was funky enough to knock you into bad health.

The band members met in their teens at Berklee School of Music in Boston, and cite their influences from a variety of artists including Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire, and the new jazz funk of Herbie Hancock and The Meters. All of their

heavemedia.com

tracks kept the crowd moving, I mean, its funk, how could they not get down?

Krasno had numerous face-melting guitar solos, but unfortunately Evans’s keys weren’t quite loud enough. Lettuce played most of their material from their two albums, RAGE! and Outta Here, with a refreshing live twist of extended jams.

However, Big Gigantic was playing at the same time, which attracted a major portion of the fest’s attendees. Regardless, when Lettuce ended their only one hour set, I was craving more.

Rusko was up next, and for the first 10 minutes, the heavy dub and laser light show kept me entertained. But maybe because it was still daytime, or more likely because I was not rolling on Ecstasy like the majority of the crowd (which in my opinion says something about the music), I could not get into a man tapping buttons on his computer for an entire set. So after a few thrashes when the beat dropped, my

friend and I left and headed over to the reason we came to the festival: Chi-City native, the one and only Common.

Hands-down my favorite rapper and the man who brought me into the world of hip hop, I was burning with anticipation of finally seeing lostinconcert.com him, now at his homecoming!

In his 8 albums from 1992 to present, Common’s “conscious rap” explores the hardships of street life, heartbreaks and blooming relationships, and gaining self-awareness especially as a black male in a white system. The fog flooded the stage as a full band—drums, bass, DJ, two keyboardists— readied themselves.

Then the soulful beat came pounding through and Common, faceless in the thick yellow mist, ran to the lip of stage.

As the flurry of wild sounds settled, I realized it was none other but the song “Be” from the ground-breaking album titled the same. Common bounced around, spitting unrivaled flow and the crowd only fed off his brimming energy.

When the blow-up beach volleyball flew on stage, he took it and dribbled while going from speaker to speaker rapping.

Track after track came from Be, leaving the audience mesmerized. He traded a drum solo for a verse on “Testify,” and choruses changed to fast jazz swing in “Faithful.” But everything built up to his hometown tribute “Chi-City,” and the

crowd erupted as he held up two hands curled into C’s. The DJ scratched a chorus almost overpowered by the audience’s collective voice, “And ya say Chi-City!”

The night air was electric. At one point, the drummer got off his kit, grabbed a

mic and rapped while the DJ took center stage and started break-dancing. Then off an older album came the ode to hip hop, “I Used to Love Her;” Common’s lines were as potent as ever. My arms were raised in the air, maybe pulsing with the beat, maybe saluting, I don’t remember.

He ended with a booming “Universal Mind Control” and when Common and his band disappeared back stage I, along with the rest of the crowd, was left in awe.

From day to night, North Coast proved what kind of heart Chicago has, its vibrations still resonating as I left Union Park. ryan LEHRMAN

partyline-chicago

29

FESTIVALS

Pure Heaven & Pure I had been to music festivals before, but in my mind Bonnaroo was THE festival, the closest any new age hippie child would be to reliving the Summer of ’69.

It became a journey comprised of thousands of miles, hundreds of thousands of people, hundreds of acts, all forming a week of pure heaven and pure hell. But it was just what we were looking for.

We arrived at the exit for Manchester around midnight, and we were elated.

Having been in the car a 19 some hours, we were strangely looking forward to our sleeping bags and tent. Hitting almost 100 degrees by 8 am, June in Tennessee seemed like the devil’s playground. The compound is immense, a 700-acre farm, littered with tents as far as the eye can see. Over the next four days, it would become an imaginary magical world where no one showered, clothes were minimal, no real food was consumed, and the biggest dilemma was what the next band we would see.

Thursday we kept it simple. Best Coast was first, and the girly surf rockers from California were not as chill as expected.

Bethany Cosentino’s performance was

30

peppy, an interesting contrast from her typically languish style. Later, we headed over to see the Walkmen with a bunch of rowdy Canadians. I had been waiting to see them since middle school, so expectations were set too high to be satisfied. But they almost redeemed everything with their mystical performance of “We’ve Been Had,” using tambourines and wind chimes to recreate the sound.

My seventh grade soul was at peace.

“Dog Days are Over” were the favorites, getting the whole crowd singing in unison. Arcade Fire had almost the whole festival in their presence, and I can understand why. Even though I was in back of the very back, I still felt front row. Having our hearts set on seeing dubstep dreadlocked king, Bassnectar, we left early. But we couldn’t handle it, too many people, too loud, too close, and too late.

Friday was the hottest day of the festival, so we didn’t actually leave the safety of our canopy and coolers until 5’oclock.

Florence and the Machine was divine, with Florence Welch holding long powerful notes that carried over to the very back of the crowd. “Rabbit Heart” and

We were fully prepared for Saturday.

Chiddy Bang brought enormous energy, Wiz Khalifa seemed a young pro, and Mumford and Sons were unforgettable.

One of my favorite musical moments from the entire week was their gorgeous rendition of “Amazing Grace” as the sun was setting. Honestly, we cared about seeing Buffalo Springfield than anything.

I may or may not have cried. Eminem was epic, squashing my skepticism. He had so much raw energy, passion, and desperation to prove something, it was exhilarating albeit a little terrifying.

Another skeptic bit the dust at Gogol Bordello, the gypsy punk genius from Ukraine, who got me dancing like a maniac following a man dressed as a wizard all the way up to the stage.

Hell: Bonnaroo 2011

We woke up Sunday morning to jam sesh with G. Love and Special Sauce, one of the best sets of the week. G. Love is great live, running around blowing on his harmonica and banging his guitar in a crazy dance, creating a show that is charming and fun and silly. The rest of the day was preparation for the true reason I was here…the Strokes. A quick word about my favorite band: I’ve been in love since I was 11. Befriending fellow fans, I ended up being pushed to the front gate as close as I could without being VIP. The second they came out, I

lost all control and almost jumped the barrier. Playing a mere 55 minutes, I was only grateful for hearing what to me was well worth the five years wait since I had last seen them. Their performance is up there with my favorite concert experiences of all time.

mertime memory of good music, good friends, and good living. livi MAGNANINI

Bonnaroo was THE festival of festivals, an experience that superseded just the music, it became a life experience. Living in a tent city, with neighbors from everywhere and in between, we were in our own little bubble of musical bliss. It was the journey we were seeking, a sum-

“...Bonnaroo was THE festival, the closest any new age hippie would be to reliving the Summer of ‘69.”

31

SHOWS

U

ATMOSPHERE

ntil now, I don’t think I’ve ever had a firm grasp on the concept of a truly mild late summer night. The September air in all of its crispy but slightly balmy glory is the perfect element to further nourish my pre-Atmosphere excitement.

As I strut towards the bright, familiar lights of the Orpheum, I quickly anticipated how this night will be the antithesis of my usual rap concert endeavors.

“Alex’s Favorite Atmosphere Song.”

of Atmosphere lovin’.

Still maintaining my rhythmic swaying as accurately as the space will allow, I pick a spot in the crowd to stand and study the Blair Witch Project-esque backdrop of the stage. The bare trees and red-accented

I want to dole out special props to Sean Daley, a Minnesota native, for fronting Atmosphere with his gritty rhymes but being anything but the archetypal white male rapper. His stage presence and connection with his audience during his songs and even between them is magnetic. This is most likely due to his ability to craft his emotions into relatable, allegorical lyrics. The end product is a collection of rap songs that are actually very beautiful. A steady guitar line soon supports rhymes in “Trying to Find a Balance,” an obvious crowd favorite, as everyone begins to sing along to the entirely empathetic words:

Sure, the bass will blow out my eardrums and there will probably be an abundance of hats obstructing my view, but I eagerly passed through security and claimed my ticket with the assurance that I’m in for a night of high-quality, balls out hip-hop. I join forces with two friends in the lobby and head straight towards the stage on which Atmosphere is already dropping “She’s Enough,” a track off the band’s newest album The Family Sign and the first song of the night.

With my biddies on my left and right and customary whisky sour in hand, I made my way into the crowd just as the first two piano chords of “Puppets” begin to resonate throughout the venue. And when I say piano, I actually mean a real, live keyboard (played by Erick Anderson) as opposed to synthesized instrument sounds.

“Doesn’t take much and that’s messed up/Because these people do a lot of simple shit to impress us/ While everyone was trying to outdo the last man/I was just a ghost trying to catch some Mrs. Pac-Man.” www.blog.peacemagazine.com

The full drum kit, guitar, and keyboard are just a few things that further validate Atmosphere as not only a hip-hop entity but also validate them as a full-fledged group of talented musical artists who all contribute to the overall Atmosphere experience.

The bluesy riffs and deep back-up vocals only make Sean “Slug” Daley’s rapping even more powerful; “Puppets” ultimately ascends to the level of what I like to call

34

snow is a surprisingly good compliment to the atmosphere (!!!) of the show. The crowd ranged from university students to high school companions in the throes of lust to middle-aged pool sharks, all united in the mission to get a little taste

It’s completely apparent just how emotionally and artistically invested the members of Atmosphere are in their music by just taking a second to watch them perform. Aside from the mind-altering powers of “Yesterday,” “This One’s About Alcohol Too,” and “Guns and Cigarettes”, Atmosphere establishes a reciprocal exchange of energy between its members and the audience by means of talent and pure human emotion. The twosong encore gave me even more justification to swoon http://dedica.la over this phenomenon of hip-hop ecstasy and was the perfect end to a perfect combination of bare-all rhymes, simulated debauchery, and musical genius. Cheers to you, Atmosphere. alex ROSS

photo by whitelabelnation.com

BASSNECTAR When trying to place Bassnectar (aka Lorin Ashton) into a genre, concert reviewers, fellow DJs, and fans alike have struggled. He is not straight dubstep, doesn’t fit neatly into house music and is far from trance, jungle, drum and bass, and industrial. Yet somehow, he draws fans (affectionately dubbed “freaks”) from each of these genres and more.

Crowds for Bassnectar shows include 14-year-olds on drugs, bracelet-wearing candy kids, computer nerds, neoRastafarians, drunken frat boys, and thirty-something show addicts (some “normal” people show up, too). His show on October 1 in Bloomington, IL was no exception.

Bassnectar managed to sell out the U.S. Cellular Coliseum- no big surprise given he played a college town. What did come as a bit of a shock was that to get more fans in, floor tickets were limited and about half the 7,000 ticket buyers were designated to stadium seats. I was lucky enough to have unknowingly bought a floor seat (there was no choice on Ticketmaster), and my friends who weren’t so lucky simply hopped the fence—along with hundreds of other people. While props should be given for trying to give more fans the chance to be in the family photo (a crowd shot snapped at every show), EDM shows should never be watched from seats.

Those in the seats did have a unique perspective, though, as they got to see the crowd on the floor move as one (even the ones having sex in the stands or

being carried out on stretchers – it was an all-ages show). From the moment the bass dropped the crowd was pulsing, a motion that became exaggerated with each familiar wobble. Regardless of personal reasons for being at the show, each person was united in a love for the music (or at least an impulse to dance), something which every electronic show strives for.

Less dedicated bass heads may have been unfamiliar with his set as the majority of it came from his new album, Divergent Spectrum. Most fans will become familiar with the album’s instahits “Upside Down,” “Above & Beyond,” and a remix of Ellie Goulding’s “Lights,” but for nostalgia’s sake, he did throw in “Timestretch,” “Cozza Frenzy,” and “Basshead.” He also included ‘Where Is My Mind’ and ‘Pink Elephants’, two unreleased tracks which have become Bassnectar show staples.

I have seen Bassnectar play two tours in Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, and Bloomington in the last year. Each time the set has been different, and the lovely Lorin even accepts requests in advance. But as Bassnectar’s press team (or whomever writes the copy on his website) likes to point out, his shows are not simply about the music; they are “as physical as [they are] auditory”.

To make good on that, a dedicated light tech operates the video, lights, and, in this case, balloons and confetti. I must admit I’m a sucker for confetti at

shows—the lights make it look like it is snowing glitter, but I digress. While there were no lasers in Bloomington, Lorin didn’t have a spotlight on his dreaded head, making him green, blue, and purple. While it is nice to see Tiesto’s or Skrillex’s eyes, something about a neon green DJ fits more with the scene. At this venue, the light crew received some help in creating an atmosphere from the audience: the crowd was for once not asked to discard their glowsticks (gum, however, was snatched immediately by security). The combination of balloons, body paint, glowsticks, and sequins made for quite the pretty family photo.

While the Bloomington show came nowhere near to Bassnectar’s infamous show at Red Rocks or his own festival Bass Island, it was pretty damn good for a show in a hockey arena. Though the front half of the crowd was ebbing and flowing shoulder-to-shoulder (or bodyover-head), the back half provided a more complete view and room to dance.

Freaks in seats seemed to be making the most of it, dancing in the aisles and on chairs. While there was massive variation in types of people, once the music started everyone jibed well together, a notalways-typical Bassnectar experience.

All told, the two hour set wasn’t nearly long enough, but they never are. If it’s an experience you want, Bassnectar delivers with a smile and a whip of his mile long dreads. Here’s hoping another Midwest tour date is in the works. allegra DIMPIERO

35

SHOWS

A

Girls Gone Mild

fter bouquets of flowers had been adhered to all of the mic stands with electrical tape, the night’s headliners Girls walked out on stage to a volley of screaming female fans while the other half of the audience cooled off from the energy-draining performance of Nobunny. Had you no previous knowledge of the group, including lead singer Christopher Owens’ history of drug addiction and involvement with a Children of God cult during his youth in San Francisco, the stage would have reminded you of something out of Disney’s Enchanted Tikki Room, not a pastoral metaphor for the decay of beauty under a California sky. But the stage was “pretty,” to say the least, and was a fitting ambiance for a band more concerned with the presentation of sentiment than actual entertainment.

Like wading into a pool of chamomile tea, Girls began their set dreamily with popular hits from 2009’s Album such as “Lust For Life” and “Laura”, with half the audience taking hold of a significant other and slow dancing as the other half tried to readjust themselves to the band’s melodious tempo. When compared to the high octane energy of the night’s previous set, lead-singer Christopher Owens seemed complacent as a statue, crooning behind angst-stained bangs as the rest of the band swayed like flower petals in a summer breeze. After two or three songs, many crowd members began to leave; disappointed in ways they couldn’t quite express in the walk form the dance floor to the door.

The night began in a similar fashion, when openers Papa, comprised of various members from the night’s headliner, set the anesthetic tone for the evening with a performance that struggled to capture the attention of the room. Although competent as

36

photo by Sandy Kim

musicians, a prevailing chatter from the audience accompanied the band’s set like unwanted static on a scratched CD. During their finest moments, Papa was able to elevate itself above the rabble with a strong, pop-infused rhythm section and four-person harmonies that at the very least forced audience members to raise their voice if they wanted to have a conversation. But for the rest of their relatively short set, I found myself mostly distracted, drawn between the grave, searching look of the group’s bassist and a few younger members of the audience as they were escorted out of the theatre like drunken flies. Which is to say it was hard to sympathize with the band when the venue’s staff was more animated in their handling of underage drinkers.

Like a splash of cold water to the face, the set that disrupted the whole weepy affair came second with Nobunny, a self-proclaimed trio “from the future” with crazed, lead-singer Justin Champlin tearing the audience out of its lull while wearing nothing but his customary black leather jacket, man panties and a tattered bunny mask. Equal parts pop, punk, garage-rock and stand-up comedy, the band’s sweat-inducing performance was

the kind that has in the past inspired novices to quit their day jobs and buy an electric guitar. Hopping along to favorites such as “Blow Dumb” and “I Am a Girlfriend”, Nobunny was a pleasure to die-hard fans and at the very least a curiosity to those new to their offkilter brand of music.

Maybe it’s unfair to pit two bands of such differing music sensibilities against each other, but then again, it seems odd that the night’s headliners would seem unaware of the drowsy effect their music has after following a band like Nobunny. How, after all, do you follow a thunderstorm with a whimper? And while Girls by no means gave a bad performance, they also didn’t go beyond what you’d find on any of their studio albums. For the rest of the night, the audience remained split depending on what they expected from a live show.

You were either a long-standing Girls fan who wanted to hear your favorite songs replicated in a live setting, or you were falling asleep on your feet, waiting for more than just a jukebox personified. marilyn WATERS

cymbals eat guitars When I first saw Cymbals Eat Guitars perform in Madison they were a bunch of bright-eyed kids bursting with energy. I’m so glad they haven’t changed. The band returned to Madison for their second show of the calendar year, this time playing as the headlining act. Their first studio album Why There Are Mountains was very well received by critics and fans alike and now the band is on the road once again to promote their second album Lenses Alien which was released just a few weeks back.

We arrived at the venue with enough time to catch the first of what would be three bands performing that night. Bear Hands, an experimental indie rock group out of Brooklyn got things started with a few of their tracks.

Despite looking like they hadn’t seen a shower in months, Bear Hands piqued crowd interest with some palm-mute heavy songs featuring plenty of drums (which were positioned towards the front of the stage). I have to give this group respect because oftentimes during the opening acts the audience tends to either passively sit back or else talk straight through the performance and that was definitely not the case during their set.

Next up to perform was Hooray for Earth, a New York City based band built around the basement recordings of singer and multi-instrumentalist Noel Heroux. The group quickly powered through their musical catalog, performing a relatively short 45-minute set.

Blending psychedelic elements with pop and electronic sounds, Hooray for Earth brought to my mind such groups as Yeasayer and Active Child. Besides a few words to the audience here and there, the band mostly let their music do the talking.

Personally, I thought the group could have brought some more energy and emotion to their performance to warrant a warmer

reception. But then again perhaps their style is to remain distant and aloof while on stage.

By the time Cymbals Eat Guitars had taken the stage to perform, we had been at the venue for a couple of hours already.

The audience, who I had gauged to be almost exclusively Cymbal’s fans was growing impatient and began crowding the stage and I was slightly disappointed at the relatively low turnout. Granted it was a chilly Thursday night, but I had figured Cymbal’s would have been a big enough name to garner more support than was present. Regardless, none of that mattered once the band took the stage and began playing music.

Cymbals began their set with the deceptively upbeat “Indiana,” a track off of Why There Are Mountains. This got some heads in the audience bouncing as the die-hard fans in the crowd sang along. It became apparent over the course of the next few songs that Cymbals was intent on plugging their recently released album, as the next four or five tracks were relatively unknown to the majority of the audience.

Cymbals Eat Guitars was originally formed in Staten Island, New York.

Despite its close proximity to the hipster haven of Brooklyn, Staten Island is miles apart when it comes to the types of artists and groups each area produces.

Describing this band’s sound still perplexes me even as I write this review.

On one hand Cymbals can be described as noise rock, incorporating heavy doses of distortion and dissonance such as on “And the Hazy Sea.” On the other hand, the band often downshifts to quieter, more melodic songs such as “What Dogs See.” Part of what makes Cymbal’s shows so entertaining is the behavior of lead

iheardin.com

singer/guitarist Joseph D’Agostino. He is seemingly obsessed with tuning his guitar, usually three to four times per song. He also changes guitars more frequently than any other front man I have seen before, proving the fact that you can never have too many Fender Jazzmasters in the waiting.

One of my favorite parts of the night came about midway into the set, when the band embarked on the track “Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name),” an eight and a half minute track on record. On stage, the band played an even more enhanced and drawn out version complete with an expansive guitar solo by lead D’Agostino. During the course of the solo, he somehow ended up doing a partial headstand, unstrapping his guitar in the process, an action that drew a large cheer from the crowd.

The band ended the show with “Wind Phoenix (Proper Name)” which features lyrics that range from making love to inanimate objects to Notre Dame football.

In spite of its somewhat odd lyricism, this track was above and beyond the crowd’s favorite.

Bands like Cymbals Eat Guitars are the type worth listening to and investing your time into because they are consistently pushing boundaries within their range of musical genres. All night I had been looking forwards to hearing “And the Hazy Sea,” and judging by the vocalized requests of those around me I was not alone. When the band left the stage without playing it, I was admittedly a bit disappointed but I wasn’t about to let a minor disappointment bring down what was otherwise a great show and a great night of music. chris MADSEN

37

SHOWS Forming in 1992, Japanese experimentalmelodic-noise-metal band Boris has been around for quite some time, and with 17 albums, three of which came out this year, they have yet to slow down. For fans over here in the United States, a Boris tour is always a treat, and Tuesday night’s show at the Majestic Theater, especially since this might have been the first time Boris has played in Madison, was no exception.

Whoever booked the bill for this tour, be it Boris themselves or their manager, is a genius. All the bands were different enough to the point where it was interesting and engaging even for people who were just there for Boris, but similar enough that they all were able to play to the crowds and get a good reception. Also, they all were awesome.

Southern heavy-punk outfit Coliseum played first. I missed the first couple songs from their set due to the fact that they started right on time at 8:30, something I don’t usually expect at concerts. All the bands were actually very timely in terms of set up and starting, which was great. Prior to the show, I had never really listened to Coliseum, only hearing their name from friends and blogs, so missing a couple songs wasn’t a big deal, especially since most of them sounded very alike. This is not to overly criticize them though, because the sound they have is fantastic; loud drums, distorted bass, and down tuned, monster riffs made each song fun, catchy, and conducive to head banging (my neck was incredibly sore the next morning). The trio only paused once from their pummeling assault so singer/ guitarist Ryan Patterson could say some supportive words to the audience against Scott Walker. After ending his little speech with “this country was built on the backs of the working man,” the crowd gave one of the loudest cheers of the night until the headliners hit the stage.

to pull off at the degree to which these guys are writing and performing their music. As only a three-piece, Tera Melos’ set had the largest amount of different sounds coming off the stage the entire night. Both the bass player and guitar player had their own pedal-board and they were tapping their

BORIS

toes just as much as they were playing their actual instruments. Abrupt stops, melodic buildups, sounds with unknown origins: everything combined together to create an incredible performance of songs that weren’t only enjoyable to listen to, but were jaw-dropping to watch.

As Boris set up, it was really interesting to listen to the audience. This band has one of the most devoted fan bases I’ve seen. Guys were bragging about how many times they had seen Boris or how

forums.penny-arcade.com

far they traveled (one guy came from Scandinavia to follow them on this tour) as well as discussing possible set lists and noticing new guitar pedals the band was using. Even before they hit the stage, I knew it was going to be amazing by how dedicated these fans were. The band, made up of bass/guitar player Takeshi, guitarist Wata, and drummer Atsuo, all of Up next was Tera Melos. Some people whom sing, and touring guitarist Michio might be a little tired of throwing around Kurihara, took the stage dressed in black the term “math-rock,” because yes, it and, without a word, immediately dove doesn’t really describe a sound, and yes, into the doom-riffing of “Riot Sugar” off most bands under that genre sound exactly this year’s Heavy Rock From that point on, the same. However, Tera Melos is one of the noise barely stopped. Focusing mainly the most interesting math-rock bands on tracks from Attention Please and the around. This group is making some crazy aforementioned Heavy Rock, both released innovations that seem almost impossible this year, with a couple fan favorites like

38

“Pink” and “1970” thrown in, the set felt so fluid, with songs weaving into each other, that it was hard not to become entranced with the performance. Sometimes Boris sounded like Explosions in the Sky and at other times like Motorhead, meaning they were simultaneously beautiful and

AT THE MAJESTIC

bad ass, and each song stood out as unique and engrossing because of this strange combination.

Each band member also added their own personality and charisma to the mix, with Wata playing with a stoic face the entire show (even when she pulled off her shredding solos), Takeshi rocking out with his long hair covering his face, and my favorite member Atsuo wearing thick eyeliner and yelling into his head set microphone randomly. Even behind the drums, Atsuo acted as front man, being the only one to speak to the audience and jumping up on his kit to egg on the crowd and to bash the huge gong behind him.

With his enthusiasm and demeanor, it was almost as if David Lee Roth became a Japanese heavy metal drummer. They ended their set with the fifteen minute epic “Aileron”, which finished with one of the most dizzyingly loud noise jams I have ever heard. My whole body buzzed as the mosh pit behind me took a brief pause so that everyone could pump their fists in unison to the trudging finale. The long haired guy standing next to me turned after the band walked off the stage and just said “Dude…,” and I agree that there are few other ways to really convey the experience. tyler FASSNACHT

wildislandview.com

My first experience with Blind Pilot hearkened back to my early high school years. As some of you may remember, iTunes used to have a nifty free download for a “song of the week,” and it just

acknowledging that Blind Pilot was actually the opener for Brett Dennen, himself a frequent opener for renowned artists Jack Johnson and jam bands such as Dave Matthews and O.A.R. That being

Blind Pilot so happened that Blind Pilot was up in the rotation. Unlike most of the drivel, squawk and noise, Blind Pilot’s track “Oveido” was a charming track that perfectly showcased the band’s humble small-time roots with its minimalistic and rustic production value. At the time, Blind Pilot consisted of only two members, Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski, natives of Portland touring the Pacific Northwest with only the equipment that two bikes could carry. With the advent of their new album We Are The Tide, Blind Pilot has evolved beyond simplistic harmonies towards brighter and fuller orchestral sounds. Their ensemble has now grown in numbers to reflect this growth and they have added four touring members: Luke Ydstie on the upright bass, Kati Claborn on the banjo and dulcimer, Ian Krist on the vibraphones, and Dave Jorgensen playing the keyboard and trumpet. Israel and Ryan, the core creative force, play lead guitar and drums respectively.

I feel obligated to take a moment to preface the actual concert review by

granadatheater.com

said, Dennen’s performance was strange and awkward as he plucked reggae rhythms and danced across the stage in a way that only an abnormally tall and lanky 31-year-old red head could. I admit that I know very little of his work, but it was just not our cup of tea.

Going back to the beginning of the night, Blind Pilot performed their first single “Oviedo” for their cold open, a choice that was met with a warm reception from the audience. It is worth noting that the relatively small venue and ornate décor of the Capitol Theater enhanced both the acoustics and folksy appeal of the band.

As the night progressed, a mix of fan favorites and new songs were showcased on stage. Not surprisingly, having the full presence of a band created a much more full-bodied sound than on the album recordings. I was also pleased to hear the full band’s renditions of old songs that had previously lacked many of the supporting instruments on stage. However, the most pronounced difference was how piercing and focused the trumpet was as it bellowed its warm brass tones. For

their title song “We Are The Tide,” Kati and Ian joined their drummer Ryan in pounding a driving samba-like beat into floor toms set up around the stage while Dave alternated between the trumpet and a mounted accordion. The combined efforts of the upright bass and driving drums provided a Phil Spector-like wall of sound feel and demonstrated the bands energy and versatility. In fact, over the course of the night Israel broke the strings on his guitar twice.

Halfway through the set, the band took a break to just simply have a conversation with the audience. Israel recounted his day spent at a local Madison cobbler and once again displayed an authenticity that few musicians these days tend to have.

The very fact that he even went to a cobbler says enough itself. Apparently, the only cobbler he could find on such short notice was a short old man that heralded the lost age “when music was good” and then proceeded to flit about his store while singing along to his old Sinatra 45s. I am sure that if the old cobbler had come to the show tonight, he would recognize that there are still musicians that have character.

The night came to a close as Blind Pilot took advantage of the Capital Theater’s acoustics and played their last song unplugged. The lights were dimmed, drumsticks were swapped out for brushes and the mournful chords of the vibraphones filled the theater as a small number of loyal fans sang together with Israel for their song, “3 Rounds And A Sound.”

Overall, the set was an elegant display of the passion and musical diversity that goes towards making an original sounding folk band.

Their new album We Are The Tide was recently released by Expunge Records and is available for sale on their website www.blindpilot.com. anthony LEE

39

SHOWS

Cut Chemist

“We are not a rap group… we’re a metal band, and it’s about to get real heavy in here.” With these words Lucas MacFadden, better known as DJ extraordinaire Cut Chemist, fired up his turntables and kicked off a mind-blowing show at the High Noon Saloon on Oct. 6th. Rewind to last summer, when The Audience’s Listening (2006) was played on the daily in the kitchen I work at, and it’s a bit of an understatement to say that I’ve been looking forward to this show for a long time. I’ve always viewed photo courtesy of cherryghost.tumblr.com Cut Chemist as being right up there with DJ Q-Bert as an artist that continues to redefine DJ-ing as an art form and push what’s possible with two turntables and a crate full of funk records.

The show was supposed to start at 9 o’clock, but as I walked in at 10:30 the first opener, Madison local DJ Vilas Sniper had just started his set, which I’m glad I didn’t miss. As I sat at the bar watching breakdancing videos being projected behind the stage, VPS spun a set featuring the likes of KRS-One, Naughty By Nature, Gangstarr, Jurassic 5, ODB, Biggie—each song flowing seamlessly into the next in a veritable checklist of the best of 90’s rap. Second act Man Mantis, another Madison local, played a set that proved to be a little too down tempo and trance-y for my taste after an hour of block rockin’ at the hands of VPS. He didn’t really seem to be getting people pumped up for Cut Chemist, with only two tripped-out

40

spinning Jurassic 5 classics like “What’s Golden,” and “Day at the Races,” Brainfreeze/Future Primitive Sound Session-era funk/soul workouts, and even what he called his “new sound,” performing a track of hardedged punk abrasiveness that is soon to be released.

young professionals slide shoeing their way across a mostly empty dance floor, but gradually a crowd started to gather.

Towards the end of his set, Mantis managed to build up a bigger crowd that was in tune with his particular brand of slow-down and build-up electronica.

Soon after, Cut Chemist and his stage partner, a white-haired 40-something gentleman who could only be described as a “visual DJ,” took the stage.

Starting with his Audience-era work, with a visual accompaniment of 70’s educational films and kung-fu movies straight out of a feverish acid dream, they proceeded to get the bounce out of what was a surprisingly small crowd of 40 or 50 people. As the “If I get killed, F**k it/People get ready, the Robots are comin’” opening of “(My First) Big Break” dropped, the crowd was transformed into a sea of head bobs and frantic soft-shoe tribal dancing, which much continued as Cut Chemist worked his way through every facet of his career;

Then things got surprisingly clubby. “You guys earned some shitty college rap…you ready to get loose?” said Chemist before transporting the audience into a crowded basement party full of snap-tracks and boom-bass.

A highlight of this journey was definitely the sonic-ping beat of Chris Brown/Busta Rhymes/Lil’ Wayne collab “Look at me Now” (Cut Chemist expertly skipping to the part where Busta Rymes punks Chris Brown on his own track).

The coolest thing about Cut Chemist is that he uses such a diverse palette of sounds and styles—hip-hop, funk/soul, world music, punk—to craft his sound, incorporating it all into a style that is both mind-bendingly complex and at the same time has a seamless and organic flow. When an artist starts a show with songs on the underground legend-status tip and ends it with bottle-poppin’ clubhit neck-snappers, it’s a pretty good sign that they can’t be pigeonholed into a particular style or genre. It’s this ability that makes Cut Chemist an artist who can only be defined by his kaleidoscopic vision and his incredible skill in making a world of sound with two hands and a couple of decks. andy WILK

Halloween Night with

Sebadoh

Photo via Subpop

T

he costumed crowd that lurched into the High Noon Saloon Monday for Sebadoh was in for a real treat as lo-fi high priest Lou Barlow, clad in cassock robes, presided over the soulless for an evening of amplified jolts and bonerattling beats. Though the show started with Barlow’s blessing and the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, it certainly turned sacrilegious as the guitars began to howl.

With a few skeletons and a maniacallooking Merlin sitting at the bar, Barlow channeled the mischief of the night as he picked up a guitar that had been balanced against a light-up zombie doll and, without a moment’s hesitation, started playing “Too Pure.” Referencing

the group’s large pool of short songs, Barlow dryly stated, “One down, 52 to go.” This was followed closely by the screech of an amp and a succession of Bakesale favorites including “Skull” and “Rebound.”

The indie-rock pioneers of Sebadoh are currently touring in commemoration of the reissue of the albums Bakesale and Harmacy. Known for exceptionally abrasive yet tender songs, the group came off as endearing yet unapologetic as it reverbed in and out of songs during its nonstop set.

At some point it became obvious that the crowd had long ago drank the

Kool-Aid from the Church of Barlow.

Limbs started to flail, and a dance move Barlow called “the drunk Frankenstein clap” became pandemic as “Dreams,” “Not A Friend,” and “Together Or Alone” played, and the audience convened like brain-hungry monsters at the front of the stage.

After one of many crowd-hyped Jäger shots, Sebadoh commenced the first of three “fake encores,” which essentially tacked on an additional set. There were no complaints as werewolves and dads wearing visors muttered along with the lyrics that were barely audible over the simultaneous guitar riffs and epic distortion. By the end of the night, the entire discography of both re-released albums had been played along with some less recognizable yet still awesome improvisations.

The calamity ended with a cover of something that resembled the chorus of a Black Sabbath song, though with lightup zombie doll eyes flashing onstage and the crowd furiously Frankenstein clapping, it cannot be certain what it was. But clearly, by the end of the night, Sebadoh had scared the cobwebs off of the walls and all but exorcized the crowd, which repeatedly called out, “Thank you, Father!”

“Just call me daddy,” Barlow replied.

joyce EDWARDS

41

SHOWS

Das Racist: At THE HIGH NOON that would later ensue. Danny Brown performed part of his set wearing a tiger-striped overcoat, and Despot enticed the audience to imitate his dance best described as a blurry rendition of the YMCA blended with the running man.

Das Racist entertained the crowd with their antics as well as their music. The video montage playing in the background embodied the height of a psychedelic trip. It featured a swirling array of colors, the opening credits from “Law and Order Special Victims Unit” and a woman sporting Bin Laden’s face, as if the

Has Vazquez drank too much of his own Kool A.D.? Is the group trying to distance itself from viral stardom to emphasize their music? head of the world’s most notorious terrorist was a mere fashion accessory. To add to the chaos onstage, Heems distributed shots to audience members and played air guitar intermittently during the set.

Courtesy of feministe.us.com.

Fans expecting to hear a live version of “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell” when Das Racist played the High Noon October 19 probably left disappointed and a little hungry after standing for more than three hours packed into a sweaty hoard. Instead, Himanshu Suri (Heems), Victor Vazquez (Kool A.D.) and their hype man Ashok Kondabolu (Dap) treated fans to comparatively more complex material and a video montage that would leave even Freudian scholars slack-jawed and stammering.

Some material was notable in its absence. Das Racist didn’t play “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell,” arguably the most anticipated song of the night. Their ode to fast food released in 2009 helped them gain a cult following on the Internet. To add insult to injury, the MCs baited fans by introducing it several times and then launching into something else. Has Vazquez drunk too much of his own Kool A.D.? Is the group trying to distance itself from viral stardom to emphasize their music? No. That’s just what Das Racist does best, rip apart fan expectations and leave them clamoring for more. emily GENCO

The trio from Brooklyn kick-started their set with the single “Who’s That Brooown!” The robot-rap chorus whipped the audience into a frenzy of shouting and jumping bodies as if Biggie himself was spitting on stage. The MCs later segued into material off their fall release “Relax” including “Michael Jackson,” “Brand New Dance,” and “Rainbow in the Dark.”

Das Racist’s opening acts gave fans a taste of the mayhem

Das Racist treated fans to comparatively more complex material and a video montage that would leave even Freudian scholars slack-jawed and stammering.

42

Courtesy of thefastertimes.com.

Deadmau5

Rests On Sensory-Pleasing Laurels

Exactly one year ago, Deadmau5 took the stage for two nights of sold-out shows at the Congress Theatre in Chicago. Coming off the high of playing the VMA’s and preparing to release his fifth album, last year Deadmau5 played a show that had a feeling of newness and excitement. It was on this tour he donned the ghost costume and introduced Skrillex to the masses.

One year, many tour dates and no new tracks later, he returned to Chicago to sell out another pair of shows as part of his Meowington Hax tour.

for fans who have already seen him this year.

While Deadmau5 hasn’t done much beyond a few remixes to spice up set lists, Saturday’s set was drawn largely from his cube and light show have consistently 4×4=12, an album with songs significantly grown more awe-inducing. Saturday’s eerier than most popular electronic. There cube was in four pieces, with the DJ were times when the enthusiastic crowd booth making the base and three chunks had no choice but to lower their pumping suspended overhead and to either side. fists and simply sway for several minutes The images on the cubes went from the in anticipation of the next buildup. Songs basic colored moving objects so adored like “Strobe” and “Sometimes Things by those on drugs to the classic Rubik’s Get, Whatever” were met with a sort of cube to the complex video of Deadmau5 confusion from the crowd, but “Some as a Super Mario character, with lyrics of Chords,” “Ghosts N’ Stuff ” and “Raise “Play Us Out” and spinning knobs filling With the bass making my knees shake Your Weapon” rallied spirits. Sofi’s live the space in between. The massive video and a cosmic combination of video and performance of “One Trick Pony” and screen behind him picked up where the lights before me, it was clear that the “Sofi Needs A Ladder” deemed the word cubes left off.

Deadmau5 that played this weekend is “ecstatic” the only appropriate term for not the same Deadmau5 that played the the audience.

Visually dazzling, eardrum satisfying and VMA’s. The MTV-ready dance tracks emotionally gratifying, the Deadmau5 that cinched his popularity have been It was during Sofi’s performance that show was all that is good about EDM, yet replaced with moodier, more technical, Deadmau5 did the unthinkable: he I have no desire to see him again before and less mainstream songs. However, the took off his mouse head. It was Joel his new album comes out. As talented and Deadmau5 that played the Aragonis is the Zimmerman who gulped down water at original as Deadmau5 is, it will take more same Deadmau5 that played the Congress Sofi’s side: Deadmau5, this time with a than an improved light show to convince a year ago, and certainly the same cheese-themed mouse head, was clutched me to join the masses of Jersey ShoreDeadmau5 that played this year’s Ultra in the vocalist’s hand. Coming from watching, “dead-mao” pronouncing, “I and Lollapalooza festivals. For the most the man who wouldn’t pose for a photo came here to get fucked up” types that part, his set list has stayed consistent. without any of his dozens of heads, each flock to the MTV award-winning DJ. If time this happens (read, every show) is his new album sets out to appease those Though 2010’s 4×4=12 came out after the a shock for the audience caught in the masses, the final sound in the set of the Congress show, many of the tracks were Deadmau5 character. While the short rattlesnake in “Strobe” will have proved to released beforehand as singles and were break in character was jarring, with the be the death rattle for my love affair with played in his set. Though we are promised heat I can’t say I blame him. Max capacity my mau5y friend. a new album by the end of the year, the at the Aragon is 4,500 people, and every über-popular DJ has vowed not to release one of them was dancing, throbbing, and allegra DIMPERIO any singles beforehand, a move that builds spewing body heat. There wasn’t a dry anticipation for the album but does little head in the house.

fromdjs4djs.com

43

SHOWS

Death From

Grant Park, Loll

I have never felt nervous before a show.

Excited, sure, but never nervous. As I worked through to the front of the crowd for Death From Above 1979’s set at Lollapalooza, it dawned on me that the butterflies in my stomach were the result of not just excitement but fear. I was ready to have the shit kicked out of me, both figuratively and in reality.

Once I settled comfortably in front of an odd mixture of bros and metal nerds, I slipped my long earrings off in anticipation of the filthy mosh pit this show guaranteed and surveyed the crowd. There were a lot of smaller girls near the front who I assumed were there because their boyfriends forced them to leave Taylor Momsen’s set. At 5’4” I wasn’t much taller, but I could tell they had no idea what spawn of Satan fury was about to be unleashed.

Lollapalooza was one of the final shows on Death From Above’s surprise reunion tour, and DFA hadn’t seen the likes of a stage like this since their breakup in

UnstoppableNarwhal.flickr.com

44

2006. During that time, I have turned to their two feature albums Heads Up and Romantic Rights for everything from

consequenceofsound.net

angry release during emotional crises to walking through a bitter Wisconsin snowstorm. Having memorized every word of their songs featuring frantic metal bursts, I was ready to experience what I had imagined every time I embarrassingly jumped around my room blasting their music. Alone and surrounded by DFA fans, I asked the guy to my left if he’d been to their show before. He said he saw them at the Metro two days before, a show that he described as a “blissful mosh pit.” I lie and tell him I saw them at SXSW, a fib I could back up only because of the number of articles I read about fans jumping the chain-linked fence there to catch a glimpse of the famed Canadian metal duo who were later met by Austin’s mounted police. I feel a sense of respect from the increasingly sweaty guys around me, as if going to that show has made me somehow wiser.

Finally, as drummer and lead vocalist Sebastian Grainger dressed in all white with a bleached head to match, and bassist Jesse Keeler in his usual all black attire (which I reference for my personal fashion statements) walked on stage, the “DFA! DFA!” chanting from the audience turned into a steady scream.

“...they had no idea what spawn of Satan fury was about to be unleashed.”

The grating guitar in the beginning of “Turn It Out,” the first song from Romantic Rights, infected the crowd like a hyper-mutated monkey disease. All the smaller girls I was eyeing earlier quickly departed as the front of the crowd solely became sweaty, muddy diehard fans.

Everyone around me knew every word to every song, and instead of muttering lyrics under our breath with arms crossed, we shouted them while pushing one another in a frenzy. I made eye contact a few times with a guy whose shirt seemed to be covered in poop (probably mud). We collectively shouted the lyrics to “Losing Friends” directly at one another: “My hate was born in the club that’s why I’m leaving/This place is more than a lie, you should believe me/I am not happy here/ You’re not grown men, you’re just kids playing.”

Above 1979

lapalooza 2011

thesilvertongueonline.com

I got pushed away, we kept screaming.

Someone tried to push in front of me and I elbowed him directly in the gut.

Instead of giving me the stink-eye, the greasy, longhaired man in question gave me an understanding smile. No way he’d let me get in front either. I crowd surfed away, over the fence, and ran back in to the front. The same sweaty longhaired guy gave me a pat on the head as if to say “Glad you made it, kid.”

Two songs, several punches and another crowd surf later, the security guard told me to cool it down, or at least that’s what I understood a flat palm slowly moving downward while mouthing “COOL IT DOWN” to mean. I took his advice, against my gut, and walked towards the back of the crowd. From afar, Grainger and Keeler sounded just as ungodly and furious as they did from 20 feet away.

They played through their two albums, pausing for a brief, sarcastic interlude

of “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC and some typical crowd teasing. But while they played, they fucking played. Keeler held his bass like a baby lamb he was preparing to slay, with Grainger playing his drums with the same intensity he was spitting out every word he sang.

But the show was made great not because

“I feel a sense of respect from the increasingly sweaty guys around me, as if going to that show has made me somehow wiser.”

of their spot-on performance, which was everything and more than I could ever have expected a live metal show to be, but because of the collective experience the people surrounding me were going through. This wasn’t some James Blake “I’m, like, reaching an epiphany about my life, or something” shit. No, this was pure, unfiltered, raw emotion. Clearly, anyone who has listened to every song these Canadian nut jobs have produced enough times to mimic the bass with vocal imitations should be proof they’ve linked some sort of emotional period of their lives to it. Maybe that’s a wild mischaracterization of Death From Above listeners, but I can only speak for myself. The longevity of their music is explained in the two opposite emotions this band fulfills: fury and happiness.

Only DFA makes “I hope I die when I am old/I hope that you have fun/Ooh, I’m so sick of it here” a lyric you can shout with a smile.

Being the only girl, and really the only smaller person in the front of the crowd, the people I was swapping blood, sweat and spit with were not my typical peers.

Overweight and longhaired, they were the guys I’d avoid in the lunchroom and occasionally tease. But this was the most comfortable I’ve felt at a show, despite the pounding heat and faintly poopscented mud. Perhaps my penchant for Hot Pockets with tabasco sauce could have brought me to the same conclusion, but as I shouted along with my chubby, metal-loving brethren, it dawned on me that this was who I am inside. It might not look pretty, but damn it feels right. meher AHMAD

45

SHOWS Seeing Gang Gang Dance on a cold, blustery fall evening during the week was a little bizarre. The trippy, experimental world-music-fused jams along with the ever-changing visuals made it feel more like a steamy jungle. Relying heavily on percussion, synths, and samples, the band tore right into the songs, which heavily featured tracks from their great new album Eye Contact, hitting the standouts like “Mindkilla,” “Chinese High,” and the long, strung out “Glass Jar.”

GANG GANG DANCE

interviewmagazine.com

onethirtybpm.com

Even though the venue wasn’t packed, it was obvious that most of the small crowd was very invested in the band. Gang Gang Dance are definitely big players in their niche of music and after Taka Imamura, who I believe is what the band calls their “spirit guide,” hit the stage half way through the first song and received some of the biggest applause of the night, I knew that the people there loved this band. As a fan of their strung out, warped grooves, I thought the concert was great, but I realize that it would not be for fair-weather attendants . Almost all the songs started off with sonic collages and slow repetitive beats that turned into hyper, polyrhythmic freak-outs and the similarity between them might be a bit much for some. Clearly, Gang Gang Dance is not your average group.

Something probably overlooked by most is the incredible musicianship of the band. Many go to trip out, others just to dance, but if you pay attention to what’s going on in these songs, it is crazy. The keyboard/ sampler was never doing less than two things at once, and both the bass player and guitar player had their own pedal boards that made some crazy sounds. The drummer especially would switch from one rhythm to another with almost comical ease, changing tempos and moods as often as lead singer Lizzi Bougatsos picked up sticks to add accompanying percussion (which was a lot). One of the more interesting members was the aforementioned Taka Imamura, who carried around a drum, which I believe he only held up for other people to hit, and moved about the stage, dancing more for himself than for any sort of performance. He and Bougatsos also played with this huge crown made of a bush that was several feet long.

By the end of their set, the dancing had spread to the whole front of the crowd and it was definitely more engaging. A concert like Gang Gang Dance really benefits from people letting go of that awkward “Oh, I don’t want to be the only one dancing” feeling that goes through the minds of most people, and it’s a good thing that the music was so easy to get lost in. All in all it was a pretty good concert and a nice break for the middle of the week. tyler FASSNACHT

46

We arrived fashionably late and made our way up to the front, to that undesirable gap in the crowd near the stage but face-to-face with the speakers. The show began with a rousing set from The Devil Whale, a five piece from Salt Lake City. Despite being the first opener, frontman Brinton Jones proved to be an excellent songwriter, leading the band in tunes ranging from slow, heart-felt ballads to riff-driven pop songs, instigating a collective sway throughout the crowd. Though each song started out tight and precise, the band eventually let loose, rearing unique instrumental breakdowns that made their recognizable choruses more pertinent upon their return.

Next up was Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. Thao looks like her name sounds, and her voice sounds exactly like she looks. Playing a majority of her songs off her last two records, 2008’s We Brave Bee Stings and All and 2010’s Know Better Learn Faster, Thao provided the necessary feel-goodness the crowd needed to prepare for the main attraction. Adorable in a Thai, Avril Lavigneesque way, Thao mixed classic folk guitar with frivolous melodies, feigning innocence with mastery over a voice at times controlled and melancholic, and at others liberated and wistful. The band shined while playing their most popular—and my personal favorite—song, “Know Better Learn Faster”, the title track off their 2010 record. Thao shouted like a teenage girl who’d lost her voice during the chorus, capturing the spirit of the entire set in just a few imperfectly delivered words.

Finally, The Head and the Heart meandered on stage, looking road weary but nonetheless ready to play. What the Majestic lacks in timeliness (the first opener came on an hour later than expected) it makes up for in atmosphere.

Even with a sold out crowd, the venue commands a sense of intimacy between its performer and its audience.

Consisting of six members, The Head and the Heart’s debut self-titled album (which they played in its entirety) is a concoction of folk-rock goodness, featuring catchy sing-a-long melodies, tender harmonies, and the ability to sound both like a big band and a smaller, more traditional folk band. A couple songs like the piano driven “Ghosts” really got the crowd dancing and singing along, achieving the ever-essential element of all great concerts, which is making the audience feel like they’re a part of the show versus mere observers. On “Lost in My Mind,” members of both opening bands joined The Head and the Heart on stage, playing a variety of random instruments and lending the song a more epic sound that resonated well with the crowd.

At times, The Head and the Heart’s performance reminded me of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, another hearty, big folk band. Yet while Edward Sharpe’s attempts to connect with the audience were more obvious, The Head and the Heart managed to bond with us through the jaunty tone of the songs, themselves.

Josiah, the front man, rarely addressed the audience, but in a rare feat of musical prowess, the band made us feel

like they were playing for us at a neighborhood barbeque, or on a dim, candle-lit porch at dusk, sipping stale Sangria and catching fireflies. They’re the kind of band whose songs make you feel at home, even though you’re standing with hundreds of strangers whose melodies pacify you like lullabies whispered before bed, even as the guy behind you is spilling backwashed gin and tonics all

midbynorthwest.com

over your shirt and shoes.

THE HEAD AND THE HEART

The Head and the Heart closed with “Rivers and Roads,” one of their slower songs, and one they chose to strip down piece by piece until there remained only a parade of voices, led by Josiah and violinist/tokencute-hipster-girl-member of the band, Charity. (Am I wrong to assert that all girls in male rock bands are cute, but cute in similar ways? A sort of bashful, subtle, offbeat type of beauty? Either way, they never fail to intrigue me.) As the crowd sung along, the voices on stage eventually died out, resulting in a grateful eruption of applause. It’s unusual to find yourself worn out after a folk concert, but my friends and I were completely spent. The Head and the Heart induced dance moves I never knew I had (and probably should never employ again), forcing my body to droop from the warm weight of satisfaction. These days, it’s become increasingly rare to see a crowd so invigorated by the type of acoustic rock The Head and the Heart play—their performance was a welcome reminder that, despite evidence to the contrary, folk is alive and well. sam EICHNER

47

SHOWS

HERE COME THE

MUMMIES

If I ranked all of the genres of music according to my preference—and that includes esoteric subgenres like industrial jungle pussy punk—funk would be somewhere in the bottom half. I have tried listening to prominent bands like Parliament and Funkadelic several buffablog.com times, and though they have some catchy songs, I keep focusing on how everything from the bass lines to the lyrics is exaggerated to preposterous levels. So when someone suggested that I spend my library-free Friday night with him at a show by a funk band called Here Come The Mummies, I was understandably hesitant. My reluctance grew after a quick internet search brought me to their “punny” website; admitting that the band members wanted to keep their identities “under wraps”, the site highlights each member’s nom de crypt and corresponding backstory, features which made me want to take a Rosetta stone to the head. Nevertheless, I relented after constant pressure/irritation (think about that old episode of The Simpsons: “Can we have a pool, dad?”), and that’s how I found myself completely sober with seven other people at 8:00 PM waiting in line for a concert which I felt needed more than quirky costumes to impress me.

Thankfully, my cynicism abated as soon as I inspected the audience a HCTM show attracted. Unlike the usual crowd of college students sporting American Apparel v-necks and screaming about how the last intro psych

exam was brutal, I was surrounded by people who looked like they belonged at an eighth-grade graduation ceremony. Or a Bachmann-Turner Overdrive covers show. Or a taping of Antiques Roadshow (I think you get it, they were old). But though they looked like they would be slipping a babysitter an extra $10 for staying past midnight (OK, I swear I’m done), they knew how to create a memorable atmosphere; before the concert began, three people offered to buy me PBR, four fights almost broke out, and the dude to my right (I think his name was Carl?) was constantly getting groped by two cougars in suits which were no longer ‘juicy’. There were even twenty people in their own homemade mummy costumes, some of whom were getting blazed in a corner—it looked as though they were trying to travel back in time, so they made sure they looked inconspicuous.

That’s a pretty neat concept for any show, let alone one which seemed uneventful only a few minutes prior.

After the opening band Hypnopotamus channeled the Greek God/yellow pokémon from which they derived their prefix and put the audience to sleep for forty minutes (nice guys, I’m sure, but better suited for muzak than the Majestic), I learned how intense this atmosphere would become for the ensuing two hours. When the lights were finally killed, the loud, spondaic chants began: “Mummies! Mummies! Mummies!”

Suddenly, a legion of rabid fans besieged my personal space as they jostled toward the front of the room and prepared for the first instrument to blare. It was too strong a current for me to fight, and soon I washed ashore of what seemed to be a round, odorous island who told me that the “Mummies were the best band in the history of bands”. The only thing I could do to preserve my sanity was focus on the microphones which decorated the platform in anticipation of the heavily praised group.

But while hundreds stared along with me for ten minutes, the nine men—all dressed in faded, bloody gauze—fooled everyone tdjsa.com

48

and cheekily emerged from the second floor emergency exit, marching down the stairs and through the audience while playing ‘Believe (In Things You Cannot See)’.

in my necktie honey/I’m so excited I hope that I don’t come to soon”) illustrate that they are more interested in the latter half of the label “undead libertines” (trademark pending).

Now, even before they sauntered into the venue, I had heard enough of their songs to understand their musical skills. So when half of the band members flaunted their virtuoso abilities through energized solos during this first song, I remained placid. However, the members of HCTM must have had similar concerns, because it clearly wasn’t enough for them to only be good with instruments in hand. They were committed to putting on a show every single minute they were bathed in the spotlight—not only were breaks between songs minimized or completely absent, but every member was constantly moving and interacting with the audience, especially when not the center of attention.

During ‘Freak Flag’, a raucous big band melody with a Gaga-esque message, I didn’t know where to look—at two of the mummies who danced with massive flags in the middle, or at any of the other seven members as they frolicked amidst a laser light show and harmonized during the chorus. This flurry was carried into subsequent songs like the jazz-infused ‘Eye of Horus’ and ‘Wonders of the World’, each captivating me with the reverberating bass lines, the strident brass and guitar melodies, and the bevy of dance moves.

It was enough to satiate the most methylphenidate-deprived ten-year-old boy without overwhelming anyone.

This sexually-charged atmosphere was another thing compounded by the tremendous conviction of the band. While some members were attaching cowbells to their junk, others were rubbing their nipples, licking their lips, and hip-thrusting in the faces of screaming fans. And even these actions seemed tame compared to the antics of one mummy’s lothario alterego, Libido Knievel (aka sexual stuntman). Adorned with a bright red cape and matching belt and codpiece, Libido strutted around stage like Mick Jagger or James Brown (even singing and engaging in a call and response like the latter), got caressed by at least five different women in the front row, and even convinced the audience to place both of their hands on their neighbors’ asses and squeeze during the refrain of his song (be gentler next time, whoever stood on my left side). I felt ridiculous, but I overcame my disdain for all things funk and rocked out harder than I had for the entire year; someone probably made an embarrassing .gif of me doing this with the words ‘PARTY HARD’ in a multicolored font flickering above my head.

Of course, you would be forgiven for thinking that a band called HCTM would have an idée fixe when it comes to songwriting, especially if you read the outlandish backstory they created to explain their genesis. But outside of a few stanzas and song titles like ‘Ra Ra Ra’, allusions to Egyptian mythology and even supernatural phenomena are sparse in their catalog (and rightly so, in retrospect—I doubt they would procure such an intense following by singing about Hatshepsut or the Battle of Actium).

Instead, songs resplendent with double-entendres such as ‘Dirty Minds’ (“If you want it, come and grab it/Life’s too short for silly games”), ‘The Rub’ (“She won’t stop grinding/it’s getting pretty thick”), and ‘Pants’ (“I’m coming in my pants, shined shoes,

Even after expending a supernatural amount of paradigmlive.com energy for two hours, the band returned for a twentyminute encore before resurfacing a third time to interact with every audience member personally. And boy was it personal—I lost track of how many women made out with any mummy they could meet after a group of young, busty co-eds monopolized the trumpeting genius Testa Verde. But the fact that they bothered to acknowledge the public so thoroughly is a testament to how they much they care about doing what they do. It was a nice touch for a band which put forth more effort during the opening half hour than most bands contrive to show during their entire set. And I think that the preceding sentence nicely sums up everything you need to know about a HCTM show. So if you ever want to have a funky experience so enjoyable that you want to preserve the feeling forever, check them out whenever you can. kyle GREIBER

49

SHOWS

Mord Fustang face. So besides anticipating hearing his music played in a live environment, I was eager to see what this wiz of electronic music looked like.

On October 2, 2011, Estonian DJ Mord Fustang made a stop in Madison, Wisconsin to play at Segredo. With chart-topping singles on Beatport and DJs from all over the world praising his material, it was a pleasure to be able to witness this massively-hyped, spoonerism-monickered DJ. Besides his chart-topping singles on Beatport and praise from other DJs all over the world, there has been very little information about Mord Fustang online due to his limited interviews.

I was trying to find a picture of what Fustang looked like and I was left emptyhanded. Similarly, his tour posters and pictures on Facebook and Myspace show him with an iPad obscuring his

50

As I entered the concert, I was surprised by the relatively small crowd size.

Within the past year and a half, electronic music has blown up in Madison, so most electronic thehivemusic.wordpress.com concerts have been filled with people ranging from fraternity bros to hardcore electronic scene kids. However, at Mord Fustang this aspect seemed to be missing (in my opinion, it’s because it was booked on a Sunday, but I digress).

Although I have enjoyed the huge ragers in the past, the smaller crowd created an amazing environment, with room to breathe and an ample area to dance. My friends and I were able to enjoy ourselves and not be separated like most shows.

Similarly, it provided more than enough space for the true bass-heads to bob pack and forth and head bang as if it were a heavy metal show.

In all, the environment was great and the music was on-point. Mord Fustang’s music can be categorized into the same

genre that Skrillex and Wolfgang Gartner can be clustered into. Their music is filled with funky disco bass lines, heavy sub-bass womps, glitch effects, and arpeggios. This music hits you full force in your ears as well as your body; you can feel the bass trickle up your feet and echo in your brain. Mord Fustang dropped many of his classics including “Lick the Rainbow,” “Milky Way,” “Magic Trooper,” and “Super Meat Freeze.” Also, according to a recent Twitter/Facebook update, he has also been testing soonto-be-released and untitled material. As the show went on, he continued to mix songs to perfection and drop interesting sounds in between like opera samples and iconic Super Mario Bros sounds.

Essentially, Mord Fustang came to Madison and did what he was supposed to do: play his tracks, keep the party going, and keep people dancing; he not only fulfilled these requirements, but passed with flying colors. zach CHERNY thefreshnew.com

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART AT THE HIGH NOON

lo-fi haze that enveloped the High Noon.

Synth lines added a fizzy finish to the group’s sound complimented by Peggy Wang’s delicate vocals for flavor. The result was sonically delicious.

The Pains drew extensively from their March 2011 release “Belong” and played songs including the title track “Heart in Your Heartbreak” and “The Body.” As the band jammed, so did the audience. One fan commanded the entire front row hopping like a wind-up toy approaching the sound barrier.

“This guy was at our last Madison show,” Berman said from stage. “I’m glad he came back.”

Courtesy of aheartisaspade.com.

Fans move differently when they’re grooving to a band’s sound.

The foot tappers keep it real without overt displays of effort. The knee shakers have the most kinetic potential, jouncing to bust a move as soon as the song breaks down. Pains of Being Pure at Heart fans upped the ante at the band’s September 26 High Noon show. They proved lovers of lo-fi could fist pump as well as the most obnoxious “Jersey Shore” cast members.

There’s no question The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have cultivated a rabid fan base in Madison. When the band left before the encore, fans rushed the stage to snag every copy of the set list as mementos. Good thing Pains members have good memories…the show must go on. emily GENCO

The group’s sound has been described as sugar pop. Arguably, the band creates ear candy more akin to the sour and sweet burst of a warhead sucker.

New Jersey foursome Big Troubles opened.

Thirty seconds into their first tune, it was clear why they were touring with The Pains.

Dreamy vocals and fuzzy guitar lines situate both groups firmly within the realm of shoegaze. Vocalist Alex Craig’s voice slithered through the airwaves. Big Troubles often took a running start into the songs they played with an explosive drumbeat. Sam Franklin tenderized the drum set like a prime cut of meat providing a solid backbone to otherwise ethereal melodies.

Amid cries of “Peggy we love you!” The Pains of Being Pure at Heart took the stage. The group’s sound has been described as sugar pop.

Arguably, the band creates ear candy more akin to the sour and sweet burst of a warhead sucker. Guitar melodies created an electrifying

Courtesy of rokbun.com.

51

SHOWS

PHANTO GRAM Walking through the doors of the High Noon Saloon, I was expecting a relatively average turnout. It was a Monday night after all, and I myself had shrugged aside the demands of a midterm the following day to enjoy Phantogram’s return to Madison.

Upon my arrival the venue was packed to the walls; apparently my calculations had been a bit off.

My friends and I squeezed our way into a clearing and took in the last few songs of the opening act Reptar.

A self-described “breakout sexy groove machine,” the Athens, GA based group energized the audience with their infectious synthesizer based rhythms. Drawing from a vast pool of influences, Reptar’s songs ranged from noise rock to surf pop, with dashes of reggae sprinkled in for good measure.

After hearing three or four tracks I was adequately prepared for the band we had all come to see, Phantogram.

With a positively received debut album Eyelid Movies under their belts, Phantogram were on tour promoting their soon to be released EP Nightlife. After seeing them give a solid performance at the same venue nearly one year earlier, I had this date marked down for quite a while.

Hailing from upstate New York, Phantogram is comprised of Joshua Carter (guitar, vocals) and Sarah Barthel (keyboard, vocals). Their songs set infectious street beat rhythms against ethereal indie pop instrumentals and vocals, creating tracks that are ambient yet at the same time danceable.

The doors and exterior of the venue were plastered with signs warning concertgoers of the intense lights,

52

strobes, lasers and fog machines that would be used during their performance. Such caution just made me more anxious for the show to begin. After a short, melodic intro during which the band members took to the stage, the band jumped into their official set list.

Phantogram kicked off their set with “Don’t Move,” a recently released single off of their forthcoming album. Blending layers of keyboard and horns with a catchy hip hop sample, the opening track got everyone moving and acclimated with Phantogram’s unique sound.

Next up were a few tracks from their debut album, which included “Bloody Palms” and my personal favorite “Mouthful of Diamonds.” Despite being comprised of just two musicians (plus a drummer for live shows) Bartel and Carter were able to produce an expansive sound much greater than their two individual parts.

The band took the next couple of songs to give the audience a taste of what to expect when their next album drops. The entire audience was engaged, and judging by their ferocious applause, were big fans of the new material Phantogram had to offer.

Perhaps the funniest event of the night concerned a group of bros who had camped themselves out directly in front of Bartel’s keyboard, seemingly there to bathe in her attractive looks.

While their consistent fist pumping and dog barking (the hell?) seemed a bit out of place, I was nonetheless excited that one of my favorite band’s music was able to reach such a broad audience.

Throughout the show, both musicians laid down consistent and catchy riffs.

The musical chemistry between the two was clear. Despite possessing an airy, dream-like voice (think Emily Haines of Metric), Bartel’s vocals were solid throughout the set. My only gripe, albeit minor, was being unable to hear with much clarity the vocals sung by Carter with his voice often being drowned out by booming bass lines.

The band closed out their set with “When I’m Small,” another hit track from their first release. They exited the stage to an avalanche of applause from an obviously satisfied audience.

As we left the venue and embarked on the walk home, I couldn’t keep the band’s infectious melodies from dominating by thoughts, but I really did not mind. See you next fall Phantogram. chris MADSEN

E P Y T E TH

On September 30 I had the pleasure of being invited to a show at the Inferno featuring a band named The Type. This is a local band whose first album This Is What We Sound Like was released in 2008 and was nominated for a Madison Area Music Award. At the Inferno on this particular evening they were celebrating the release of their second album, Sirens and Storms. Both albums were released on Stupid Baby Records. The members of the Type are Jeri, Aly, Josh and Tim. I have always been a sucker for a band that flexes its musical muscles and performs all instrumental songs, especially a type of band like the Type who performs many poppy, punk songs; I just didn’t expect it. But sure enough, this is a band that seeks to impress, I am convinced, and impress me they did with their sweet instrumental, “IOTAS.” Overall, this band got me super pumped. The melodies in “A Stranger’s Curiosity” and “Golf Balls” are fun and accurate; The low lows and the high highs which Aly and Jeri belt out, all while jamming on their stringed instruments, are perfect!

It is a real smorgasbord of variety, this band.

The dark, sultry undertones coupled with their mighty and powerful lyrics on “Danger Sign” send goose bumps up my arms. Well done you guys! Well-f***ing-done! lisa KOHLMANN

53

SHOWS bandswallpapers.com

An Evening With Primus Here we come!” they sang, and I think that all the Primus fans in the audience came. This evening went beyond the usual lionizing of Claypool Junkies all the way to the beginning of a new era in music: The Primus Era. C’mon, let’s get serious with ourselves. Prior to 1989 no one had ever procured a sound with bow driven double bass and funk laden guitar noodles to precipitate an all out riot swarm of a mosh pit, especially when they’re singing about puppies. And let’s not forget the duo of other musicians that comprise Primus: Larry Lalonde on guitar and Jay Lane with the beats, equally as talented as Les if you listen.

The intimate setting of the Orpheum was the perfect stage for Primus’ astronaut laden show, complete with the unsatisfied gaze of of Les in the form of a giant inflated astronaut. His glare was so disapproving at the blatant display of stranger camaraderie. Honestly, I’m sure a social disease was contracted through the constant passing of doob-age.

As I was saying, the show began with “Here Come The Bastards” which created the foundation for the following musical delicacies to follow. This was a time for fans old and new to establish their levels of dedication through properly timed fist bumps and accurate recitation of lyrics.

If you’ve listened to Primus you’ d know the kind of off time signatures and rather loquacious lyrics that are necessary for memorization significantly parts those who have tenderfeet. Following ‘Bastards’ was “Fisticuffs” and “Them Damn Blue-Collared Tweekers,” each fueling reminiscence of a time when music was

54

at a creative zenith in relation to the latest amalgam of today’s record label stock cookie-cutter radio “hits”… *cough* (GaGa). If you’re a big fan of the albums Antipop and Tales From The Punchbowl, this probably wasn’t the show for you.

Instead Primus played almost the entire albums of Sailing The Seas Of Cheese and The Brown Album with specks from Pork Soda and only the title track “Frizzle Fry.” The thundering armada of double kick drums echoed through the masses of flailing bodies during “My Name is Mud”; Lane lit it up with every opportunity to do so. Ultimately, this first set was enough for a complete set on an average night, but this was a “Night With Primus!”

An intermission followed the first set and soon a slightly more sedated crowd returned for a second helping of utter gratification and combative jettisoned gesticulations of transforming kinetic energy. This second set was composed entirely of songs from Primus’ newest release Green Naugahyde, yet even for those who hadn’t found their way to purchase the new album, this set proved the new album is just as chunky and at times darker and heavier than any of their other material. The crowd reeled as “Last Salmon Man” vibrated through everyones’ spine to jiggle and wiggle them bones. And they continued to wiggle as the new hit single “Tragedys’ a’ Comin” materialized, beginning with that driving metal barrage of hammerons and pull-offs from Mr. Lalonde and continuing into that funky sound we all know as unique to Primus.

Things weren’t always so metal and calculated though; rather, Primus showed the extent of their music diversity by delving into irregular tonal progressions particularly more chaotic than their normal legerdemain. These mildly queer songs like “Moron TV” and “Jilly’s on Smack” maintain that Primus can write an incredibly weird tune while defining an edge that renders an even higher peak to an already over the top sound.

Fear not if you weren’t that familiar with the new album, there was still an encore to finish the night! Following an incredibly short break this time, Primus once again entered the stage domain for their final appearance of the night. The crowd stood restlessly waiting for the initial strumming of notes to recognize the impending song. Slowly the plucking began to reveal a story of the toil to achieve the blemished “American Dream” which put the cherry on top of the mountainous pile of satisfaction Primus had been building throughout the night.

I feel bad if you didn’t make it out to this show. Actually, I can’t be responsible for that. There are a lot of good bands that come through town, but there aren’t any bands like Primus. Although I can understand ticket prices after taxes and corporation pickpocket, it was mildly a bargain. Then again, this was the first tour on a Primus full-length release in twelve years, and there aren’t many tours like that hittin’ the Madison scene. mike ANDREWSKI

The

Wood Brothers

“If the spirit moves you”, by all means get up and dance. That seemed to be the all-encompassing theme Sunday night, October 2, at the Majestic Theater.

Colorado natives Chris and Oliver Wood graced our city’s presence yet another time since joining musical forces less than six years ago. The coasts separated the brothers during college, and for fifteen years the brothers played apart. Bassist Chris then formed Jazz sensation group Medeski Martin & Wood while Oliver rocked bluesy folk guitar down south.

men strolled out from the right side of The Majestic stage: the brothers and guest drummer John Ricks. Everyone was silent in anticipation until they started their first song “Stumbled In” from new album Smoke Halo Ring. It was the perfect opener to set the mood. Oliver sang and Chris played bass with cool swagger.

Every time Chris tapped the bass strings, the vibration penetrated the room.

Even when the pair would switch up the rhythm, they fluidity never broke; the brotherly connection was in full swing.

Although the pair has been jamming out bluesy riffs together seemingly since birth, they only debuted their first joint album Ways Not To Lose (2006). But since then the brothers have kept a steady stream of new material with new albums in 2008, 2009, and 2011. Their newest one, Smoke Halo Ring, came out this past summer.

Another song from Smoke Halo Ring, “When I Was Young”, ignited the audience’s desire to dance. One by one, people would slowly rise and dance towards the stage like it had some magnetic pull, almost as if their actions were involuntary. Chris and Oliver had clearly not planned for a dance concert; at one point Oliver asked the dancers to sit down so the sitters behind could see.

The dancers complied for only ONE slow song, and then as soon as the brothers picked up the beat and swing again, they were right back on their feet grooving to the music.

Oliver eventually embraced the crazy crowd with enthusiasm. “Let’s get creepy on a Sunday night” he said. Although

The night began with “supporting act” Clay Cook from the Zac Brown Band.

A seated performance from Cook fit nicely with the intimate atmosphere of the audience. Cook picked his steel guitar and softly sang the popular song “On Mountain Time”. The mood was considerably relaxed, especially when Cook forgot the words to his own song.

In a potentially embarrassing situation, Cook played it cool by laughing it off- no sweat, shit happens.

Although seated, the audience repeatedly showed great appreciation for the music. Like call-and-response, when Cook belted, the audience would hoot and holler back for encouragement.

They went especially crazy when Cook played “No Such Thing”, a song which he co-wrote with and then gave to John Mayer. After all, “I want to run through the halls of my high school…” ironically sounds better in Clay Cook’s voice than Mayer’s.

I don’t think the show was especially creepy, it was definitely funky. I witnessed dancing, swaying, hugging, kissing from very eccentric people, none of whom seemed to care if others were watching.

It was clear that Chris and Oliver felt more comfortable with the craziness as the concert went on. Who knew an older crowd could be so much fun?

Chris and Oliver played a good mix of songs from the new album like “Shoofly Pie”, “Mary Anna”, and “Blue and Green”.

The brothers tossed in a few old favorites like “Where my Baby Might Be” and “Luckiest Man”. Additionally, opener Clay Cook returned on stage for a few numbers like “Made it Up the Mountain”. The Brothers made a point of labeling Cook “supporting act” instead of “opener” since he was clearly a much bigger part of the show.

The best part of the show was their performance style. They didn’t perform— they just played music for themselves and for others to enjoy if they wanted.

They placed more importance on playing great, authentic music than having a gaudy performance. It was refreshing and soulful.

Although the Brothers played for an hour and a half, when they show was over the audience had clearly not had enough. After an extended cheer for more, the pair returned to play a much-appreciated double encore. Unfortunately, I don’t remember which songs they played at the end because I was grooving to the music and soaking in the experience with the other WB fans.

The moment which can sum up the evening was when one super-fan grabbed my hand as we all danced and said, “Love here. Only love”.

The spirit had definitely moved me. molly TREROTOLA

After a quick switcheroo of some equipment, and an announcement that the show was being recorded for a live album (so cool, I know), it was time for the Wood Brothers to do their thing. In no time, three

55

ALBUMS

STATIC JACKS

If You’re Young [Fearless Records] 7,520

What started out as a garage rock band jokingly named after the way water charmingly disappears down the toilet (Waterdown Clockwise) has become the best thing to happen Jersey music since Springsteen.

(Okay, I’m totally exaggerating…we’ll go with Titus Andronicus.)

With their voracious songwriting paired with their tumultuous energy, the Static Jacks cling to their garage rock sound of earlier days, expanding it into a cleaner, tighter, and bare bone sound on their first EP If You’re Young.

In the vein of the New York indie scene, their sound has remnants of The Strokes, mixed with a British sound somewhat like the Artic Monkeys, and a punk edge reminiscent of The Replacements or The Misfits. “Defend Rosie” kicks off the album with a shock: it’s energetic and you know it’s going to be a good freaking time. Lead Singer Ian Devaney’s voice is passionate and unrestrained, carrying the whole band with what seems like a battle. “Girls Parts” is another favorite, utilizing female backup vocals, while retaining the same dangerous angst.

We Can Work It Out).” The hidden gem for me, however, is the gorgeous melodic (it reminds me of The Cure jamming out with The Kooks) “Mercy Hallelujah,” coming to the same conclusion over and over again, “we’re screwed.” The Static Jacks spit fire and energy in their performance, but you can hear the masked vulnerability in their delivery. Nearly every song taps into their relationship trauma, intimate questions about their own lives and how the world works.

It’s like you can hear them asking all the questions you were thinking but you wouldn’t say. It feels real and honest, what music should be like.

The Static Jacks debut If You’re Young is like the final product of a sound that has been maturing for two years. It’s a record about being young, with all that angst and nervous tension building up into a battle war cry, a pure and honest testament of their youth. With all their raw and unadulterated passion, something tells me that youth won’t be fleeting for these boys. livi MAGNANINI

The boys mix it up a bit with slower tempo songs and the more rhythmic dancing songs “This Is Me Dancing” and “Sonata (Maybe

BON IVER Bon Iver [Jagjaguar] 9,300

The honeymoon period is over; it’s time for number two. The first record is usually an accumulation of experiences and emotions built up over time, carefully constructed over years in some cases. It is the work that initially lures its audience. Coming up with a follow-up to such a hook can be extremely difficult and sometimes impossible.

When Justin Vernon began recording Bon Iver, I don’t think he had any of this in mind. With his self-titled second LP (following For Emma, Forever Ago), he ventured into a realm that was not only unfamiliar to those accustomed to Justin’s other work, but also the entire music world. This unfamiliarity is rooted in the 80’s style synths and ambient sounds found on most of the tracks. Although he resurrects sounds reminiscent of the days of New Order and Depeche Mode, this new construction does not take away from where his true sound lies; Justin still manages to hold onto that unique melancholy mood, only this time he’s plugged in. As always, he strokes emotions

58

in a way that others don’t reach. He somehow avoids the helpless tones that we see in Elliott Smith or Nick Drake and steers us in a different direction. His tenderness is merely thoughtful and, at times, hopeful.

Some of this new experimentation can be seen on the Blood Bank EP, but as the record opens up with “Perth,” you find yourself checking the cover to see whom you’re really listening to. He quickly brings us back to familiar territory with the powerful track “Holocene.” The album closes with probably its most ambitious track, “Beth/Rest.” The overall production of the track leads in all directions to the last slow song of a high school dance in 1986, but for some reason it’s perfect.

It closes an album that, like a dance or a perfect summer night, we wish would never end. sean MANNION

HANNI EL KHATIB

Will The Guns Come Out [Innovative Leisure] 7,450

Hanni El Khatib’s debut album Will the Guns Come Out is positioned at the intersection of garage rock, Americana, folk and soul. As described by the artist, “These songs were written for anyone who’s ever been shot or hit by a train. Knife fight music.” The San Francisco-raised artist born to Palestinian and Filipino immigrants grew up skateboarding daily and listening to an eclectic mix of doowop, classic Americana, soul, surf, and British rock. The heavy beat and the full sound that persist throughout Guns seem indicative of a large band, although the only additional member of the band is a high school friend Nicky Fleming-Yaryan on the drums.

unrecognizable from its jazzy counterpart. “Heartbreak Hotel” is transformed into a much darker and more ominous tune than Elvis Presley’s original.

El Khatib’s early influences culminate in Guns, eleven raw and visceral tracks narrating breakups and homeless outcasts. The album as a whole brings to mind a pack of cigarette-smoking, leather jacket-donning greasers in L.A. in the 50s, which is the culture El Khatib was drawn to as a child. It opens with the title track, which sounds like a sad jumping-rope rhyme. The album peaks during the 50s-inspired “Dead Wrong,” reminiscent of the Black Keys and White Stripes, and is the nicest song ever written telling someone they’re wrong. On “Wait Wait Wait” Khatib puts his knife back in its holster and painfully croons of lost love. Three of the tracks are covers, in the loosest sense of the word. El Khatib’s dark and rocking version of “You Rascal You” originally performed by Louis Armstrong is almost

The most interesting part of El Khatib’s act is his glaringly Middle Eastern name (which he stuck with for the band name) accompanied by his affinity for 50s American culture, a time and place neither he nor his parents grew up in. It’s a bold move and he has the talent and the sound to back it up, but it might be interesting to see if El Khatib chooses to incorporate his own experiences more into his future music rather than the knife fights he’s never been in or the trains he’s never been hit by or the gunshots he’s never been wounded by. But for now, his music is convincing enough to pretend for a while that he is just that badass.

El Khatib has enjoyed success in 2011 playing festivals like Bonnaroo this summer and South by Southwest in March, and joined Florence and the Machine on her North American summer tour, garnering international attention. His updated version of the classic, groovy tune “I Got a Thing” earned a spot in a Nike global campaign advertisement this year.

lisa FOX

TEDDYBEARS Devil’s Music [Sony Music 2011] 2,600

At the top of the promotional letter which accompanied Devil’s Music is the following sequence about Teddybears: “Who are they? What are they? And Why?” I have only listened to this LP and its predecessor Soft Machine, but I can easily answer all three questions: this is, quite simply, a band which recycles ideas done years ago and done better—mainly by acts such as Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, and even Smash Mouth—on every album in the hopes that at least one song will yield commercial gains. The only reason that Teddybears could afford to take their five year sabbatical from music after releasing Soft Machine was because their “magnum opus”—the hackneyed and annoying song “Cobrastyle”—took it like a champ as it was passed around by TV and movie producers like a cute, naive boy who moved to the big city to try and become an actor. And Devil’s Music will provide two similar sources of income for the evidently

cash-strapped Swedes: the soulful, double-entendre-laden “Cho Cha,” which features both Cee-Lo Green and the B52’s, and the Robyninfused “Cardiac Arrest,” a song which made me feel like I should have donned a white t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “I’m not a misogynist” just to make sure that anyone looking on wouldn’t get the wrong idea. I’m already wondering how large the check will be once one is inevitably used in a Nissan commercial or an episode of Grey’s Anatomy or something. My guess is enough to cover the costs of production of this album, a lot of Cheap Monday jeans, and their rent for another lengthy spell away from music, something which they should consider making permanent. kyle GREIBER

59

ALBUMS

THE ANTIPRISM Age Of Wonders [Barbarian Records] 7,666

The Antiprism are a local 4-piece metal band who I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing until they opened for Howl, Junius, and Valient Thorr last year at The Frequency. I showed up late; about halfway through their set, because, let’s face it, I wasn’t expecting to miss much. But they were different. They were up on stage, in their hooded black capes and aviators, 30 or 40-somethings unleashing a seismic assault of aggressive, undulous riffs, giving zero fucks about everything but their craft. It was badass. If they had merch there I would have totally bought it. Instead they just kind of disappeared after their set, so I never got to tell them how awesome they were.

Fortunately, I got my chance when they released their new album, Age of Wonders, Oct. 22 at the Willy Street Pub and Grill. I picked up the new album after the show, convinced it was going to be fantastic, especially after they played a bunch of the material off of it. For the most part, it delivers on my expectations.

doing just to savor some chugging riff or raw vocal wail.

The Antiprism experimented a little with some new vocal styles on Age of Wonders, featuring the harsher screams of their percussionist, Krisine Drake, mixed with the throatier offerings of the lead guitarist, Alex Drake. Alex also tries out a more “Dracula” style of vocals somewhat reminiscent of Type O Negative on several songs, including the title track ”Age of Wonders.” It’s easy to tell, after jamming their older work, that they really put more effort into making more memorable vocal melodies, and I think where they’re going in that direction is excellent.

Unfortunately, it appears The Antiprism have been dropped from Barbarian Records due in part to their reluctance to tour, and an absolutely scathing (unnecessarily so) review in Terrorizer of their self-titled LP. The good news is this hasn’t affected the production of the new album, which is every bit as good as their old, but it Age of Wonders leaves behind a lot of the more sluggish riffing and means you can’t simply order Age of Wonders off Amazon or iTunes confused song structure that predominated their enjoyable previous or anywhere else you normally “purchase” your music. You’ll have effort (The Antiprism, Barbarian Records 2009), and brings a more to get it at one of their local shows, which they play every other olde-school metal approach to bear, evoking comparisons to legends month or so. Check their Facebook page for dates. Each album is Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Pentagram. Overall, only $10, so for a small price you can support a sweet local metal act, Age of Wonders is a faster album, but it’s still slow by most metal and get a great album to boot! If you’re a fan of classic/black/death/ standards. The riffs have a more organic feel to them, and while doom metal, I guarantee you’ll find something rewarding in Age of they may wear their influences on their sleeve, and a lot of the song Wonders. writing sticks to popular convention, the album is a really satisfying listen. There are parts of each song where I’ll look up from what I’m pat CASSIDY

60

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS Mirror Traffic [Matador Records] 6,501

However, perhaps Traffic is rather a difficult but necessary transition for the elder indie-man, providing a place where he can test the personally unknown open doors and limitations of being middle-aged.

Where “Stick Figures In Love” is packed with a certain adolescent angst unflattering in other arenas, Malkmus’ age does him favors, smoothing out the usually self-indulgent bumps of such music and validating it with the authority that forty-five years of life experience brings. The result is an accessibly stoic track that artfully tangles the leisurely gallop of Pavement with new rhythm and a vibrant guitar hook that expresses more in one song than the feeble phrases from above do in an entire album. It also helps that Malkmus seems to be aware of his ripeness—“Forever 28” bounces on muted notes, declarWhile the Jicks do try to make something distinct on Traffic, much ing “I was made to mock charades, to call spades spades, when will of it misses the bar. One criticism of the Jick’s albums with respect to it level off/Such a buzz kill, yes I am, I kill momentum when I can,” a Pavement is that they’re simply less lively. While Malkmus is master woeful self-deprecating toll in realization of his current state. Once of dovetailing phrases and melodies so tight they fit inside a breadagain, the wisdom of age harnesses these sentiments to produce a box, the force that pushed them out of confinement was Pavement’s coherent, pointed introspection that’s catchy at the end of a day. An boldness and imprecision. As if still trying to find some element that old dog might not be able to learn new tricks, but vintage wine tastes will bring the Jicks’ work off the page, Malkmus loosens some of his better. prized lyrical knots in an attempt to put forth more forward strings of words. But old habits die hard—the transformation is only halfTo compare Stephen Malkmus and Bob Dylan is tempting in that complete, leaving purportedly more mature and meaningful topics their later careers ended up making good music for people who in an unclear and uncommitted limbo. Sings Malkmus, “I know what remembered their great music—the label “Stephen Malkmus and the senator wants/what the senator wants is a blow job,” a line which the Band” surely carries some allure. But perhaps a more accurate balks in comparison to the sprightly say-everything-say-nothing response is a shudder for the subconscious ties that equate Malkmus gymnastics of past works, some of which are other Jicks albums. with Pavement, a smile for the bag of tricks he still carries around These lyrics in tandem with the old-boy classic rock harmonies of from latter days, and a comfortable sigh for the befitting wrinkles “Brain Gallop” turn Traffic into a midlife crisis in which Malkmus that make Mirror Traffic rise above the surface of the page. unconvincingly proclaims he’s still got it. matt CHRISTIE It is an inescapable and unfortunate fact that a musician’s previous work molds the audience’s reception of subsequent releases. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks’ Mirror Traffic suffers accutely from this, further cementing the band’s place in the drooping gentleman’s club of long-established artists struggling to assert their creativity under the specter of shimmering histories. For readers unfamiliar or only recently acquainted, the Jicks’ decade-long tormentor is Pavement, the 90s band where Malkmus first helped to blend the slacker aesthetic with an uncanny amount of expression. However, Traffic offers just enough rearview mirrors and reinvention to keep the band afloat on the River Styx of rutted giants.

61

ALBUMS

GOAPELE

Break of Dawn [Skyblaze/Decon Records] 7,500

In an industry already occupied with a plethora of dominant female artists, genuine musical talent is a must for a woman who wishes to showcase her pipes and do it successfully. Luckily for Goapele, a San Francisco-based soul singer who unleashed her 3rd album, Break of Dawn, on October 25th, exposure and exposure shouldn’t be an issue. With a troupe of established artists (including Kanye) backing her up, Goapele has made a name for herself and continues to entertain a growing fan base throughout the country by performing at small venues and even opening up for Alicia Keyes. Although I feel that the term “sultry” tends to be too loosely used to describe female soul voices, I completely feel that it accurately sums up Goapele’s vocal styling: a smooth, audacious, positively seductive voice that lends itself to a whole range of emotions. This became even more obvious during my journey through the tracks of Break of Dawn.

Nine Inch Nails. Modern synth lines lead in the sexy romping song “Play” and also add spice to “Undertow,” another lusty ditty that plays up Goapele’s dynamic range. The ambient, understated backgrounds of these songs allowed a different light to shine on them and made them stand out among the bunch of soulful pieces.

Among the prevailing themes of love and lust in this album is the undertone of a plea for social reform. This made the album more effective for me in general by adding substance to lyrics that already have a lot of aesthetic appeal. In addition to the depth of the lyrics, the impressive selection of song genres really drew me to Break of Dawn. The title song as well as “Milk and Honey” are two tracks that draw on diverse influences from 90’s bands such as Ace of Base and

Break of Dawn is just another way that Goapele validates herself as a truly talented singer-songwriter by bringing us into her world of powerful lyrics and body-melting vocals. Do yourself a favor and take a listen to this album.

My favorite track on Break of Dawn is, hands down, “Tears On My Pillow”. Once I got over the awfully melancholy title, I was completely won over. The female background vocalists play a strong part in the track but always remain sensitive to the essence of the song, a feat that I highly admire. An organ/electric guitar combo slowly guides the lyrics through a maze of heartbreak and confrontation, while Goapele steadily puppeteers the words with her emotion, creating what I believe to be one hell of a sob story.

alex ROSS

HALLOWEEN, ALASKA

All the Night the Calls Came In [Ambledown Records] 4,900

62

I don’t want to admit it, but I was initially intrigued by the band name. (What is Halloween like in Alaska? And why do we care?) But after listening to All the Night the Calls Came In, what I came up with was that these Midwest boys want you to think their music is lonely or isolating enough to hint at the vast state, or that its eerie enough to make you think of that particular holiday. It may just be.

Ironically, all the songs suggested by their record label were not the ones I liked. “Analogue” and “More to Come” balanced a break between heavier rhythms and whispering lullaby breaks. “Empire Waist” and “Dance by Accident” were repetitive pop-formulas, not significant when put into perspective. “The Jealous Ones” rounds out the album and gives it a finished albeit mediocre sound.

This is the fourth album from the group and they have had time to develop their sound and work between the genres of indie pop into indie rock. All the Night the Calls Came In is mostly quiet and calming, mixed with heavier riffs and laced with electronic synthinduced beats. Initially, I had the image of Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Phil Collins sitting down in a silent, dark room, pensively working each piece out. But that bizarre mix might even be better than this album.

The problem with Halloween, Alaska is that their sound may be a little too faded to the point that they themselves are fading into obscurity, from what little standing they had. This album seems that it’s fighting to be recognized, yet their songs feel a little ignored and maybe that’s because they are. They may be a pleasant, engaging one-time listen, but when the most they got going for them is a weird name, you have to wonder, will they be forgotten before they were even recognized? livi MAGNANINI

EVIDENCE

Cats & Dogs [Rhymesayers] 6,160

Cats & Dogs, the latest album from Dilated Peoples triumvir Evidence, is a difficult album to draw definite conclusions from.

On the one hand, the album is Evidence at his most cohesive and personal, his patented “slow flow” style shows itself to be particularly effective on a number of expertly produced tracks featuring a wealth of features and collaborators, both behind the mic and behind the boards. On the other hand, the studied precision of Evidence’s flow can render some particularly cringe-inducing lines even more noticeably so (“I’mma tell you who I are!?”), and for as often as the production crystallizes into that perfect gangsta-frown, head-nod sound, it also at times come across as messy and overblown. In the end, both the diehard Evidence/Rhymesayer fan and the casual listener will find plenty to enjoy about this album—and certainly will find more and more to enjoy about it on subsequent listens— but those looking for their next favorite rap record might have to continue the search.

Cats & Dogs (a reference to Evidence’s “Weatherman” moniker) suffers from an oft seen problem in the modern hip-hop album, namely the difficulty in maintaining a level of

consistency and unified theme throughout the course of a 17 track long-play album. In the tradition of Janet Jackson and De La Soul, the cats-and-dogs-rain-theme is kept up via “found sound” and radio clips sprinkled between nearly every track that—just as in De La Soul’s Three Feet and Rising—don’t often add anything to the album itself. The album comes across as a beginning-heavy affair, the first 11 tracks—with negligible exceptions—perfectly exemplifying Evidence’s hard-hitting “bang any MC” style married to a necksnapping deep funk undercurrent, best exemplified by the Raekwon/ Ras Kass-featuring “The Red Carpet,” DJ Premier-produced “You” (In my opinion the best Evidence solo track on the album), and the soulfully ethereal “Late For The Sky.” These 11 tracks could have made up a more solid and cohesive album, as the insufferable belchbeat of “Where You Come From?” marks the beginning of a largely forgettable 5-track march toward the end of the album. What the album comes down to it this: when it clicks—which it often does— it’ll put that lean in your car seat, but when the overambitious nature of Evidence gets the better of him, the result can be lightweight fare that’ll get the skip almost every time.

YELLOW OSTRICH

andy WILK

The Mistress [Afternoon Records] 7,000 Wisconsin native Alex Schaaf, also known as “Yellow Ostrich”, highly impresses in his 2011 album The Mistress. I was automatically addicted to Yellow Ostrich’s quirky, varied sounds and impeccable harmonization across the songs. At first listen, I was unaware that Schaaf is a solo artist, as several songs feature multiple voices. But in fact there is only Schaaf ’s voice; he artfully loops over his vocal tracts which are combined to create alluring sounds.

The Mistress is Yellow Ostrich’s most recent LP release, added to his repertoire of three LPs and four EPs. The new album is consistent with Schaaf ’s unique acapella-like style from previous albums.

However, he bumps it up a level from other albums by mixing in more variety to the songs. His previous release Fade Cave, excluding the drum machine, is all vocal. In contrast, The Mistress includes more variety of instruments. Although many songs like “Libraries” and “Hahahahaohhoho” are similar to his earlier tracts being mainly vocals, Schaaf twists his style with new guitar riffs and simple bass drum beats.

Yellow Ostrich’s combination of impressive harmonizations (with himself) and catchy rhythms creates perfect pick-me-up songs. It’s difficult to prevent tapping your foot or walking to the beat when listening to the catchy track, “Hold On”. I listened to this album on loop constantly for a couple weeks and never got sick of the music, mainly because of the variety on display. Each track contains its own style, ranging from barbershop quartet sound in “Hate Me Soon”, to more soft rock in “WHALE”.

But what remains consistent throughout the album is the lyric style.

Schaaf balances the complexity of varying sounds with simplistic lyrics. For example, the first track on the album, “I Think You Are Great”, contains just as many words as there are in the title, but so what? The depth of the lyrics is insignificant to the range of Schaaf ’s melodic voice and musical talent. Yellow Ostrich is not trying to be Shakespeare, just a good musician. This is his best release thus far.

Bravo, Alex. molly TREROTOLA

63

ALBUMS

FEIST

Metals [Arts & Crafts Productions] 8,678 After four long years of patient waiting (okay, maybe not so patient on my part), Canadian-American singer-songwriter Feist has proven herself yet again with her fourth studio release, Metals. With her sweet, folksy sound, Feist still manages to offer fresh material that’s indicative of her growth as an artist.

Metals makes me want to slow down, go swimming in a clear pond at dusk and think about life. All of the songs contain beautifully scripted lyrics that allow you to either get lost in dissecting the meaning behind them, or simply sit back and enjoy. Some of the songs are quite straightforward in their interpretation, like in “The Bad in Each Other”: “When good man and good woman/Can find the good in each other/And good man and good woman/Bring out the worst in each other.” Other tracks are more shrouded in poetic tidbits, like in “Graveyard”: “I held your heart, a giant wand; all tell of sorrow/And history begins to be brown and blue eyes.” If it’s not obvious already, I’m a big fan of good lyrics. I think they can make or

break a lot of songs, and Feist executes her lyrics with her impeccable balance of delicate emotion and raw, soulful power.

“Caught a Long Wind” is bound to be an instant favorite on this album. The slow-build up of guitar leading into an acoustic piano number (with touches of violin scattered throughout) makes the song flawless. Feist collaborated with Mocky (fellow Canadian composer known for experimental work) on this one, and the track ultimately lends itself to an ethereal and almost unworldly sound. It’s a good representation of what the entire album has to offer to its listeners.

Overall, Feist’s formula for Metals is a winner. Every song is distinct on its own, yet each track seems to flow into the next and unifies the whole album. It works, and I don’t doubt that Metals will resonate with you long after you’re done listening to it. dana LANGE

TWIN SISTER In Heaven [Domino Records] 8,000

Alt-rock veterans Pavement once proclaimed that heaven is a truck, but the members of Long Island indie pop quintet Twin Sister would probably disagree. Their full-length debut In Heaven provides the soundtrack for an afterlife filled with lounge chairs, roller-skating, and anything else generally considered chilllll.

Unfortunately, the album comes to a clunky halt immediately after these two retro delights. “Saturday Sunday” is the first track that feels a little too derivative. It sounds like we’ve already heard these opening synth lines a few times on the album, and the lyrics take a strange Rebecca Black-like detour (“Saturday, what a day/Saturday, Sunday, Tracks like “Stop” and “Kimmi in a Rice Field” are dripping in 80s both of these days”). Blame it on lyrical exhaustion, but by the time dream pop and echoing synths, but Andrea Estella’s breathy and ex- the bridge rolls around, Estella and fellow band member Cardona are pressive vocals stop them from feeling like tired retreads. Her ability reduced to simply repeating those two best-ever days of the week. to convey such an affecting type of melancholy empowers songs that could easily become ambient background grooves.

Besides this misstep, In Heaven is a solid release that shows an increased sophistication and cleaner sound than their previous EPs. Although it is clear Twin Sister are well versed in the Cocteau Twins Although nothing quite reaches the laid back disco perfection of “All catalog, the two standouts on the album are influenced by genres a Around and Away We Go” off of their Color Your Life EP, In Heaven is few decades older. “Spain” is a sharp departure from the rest of the the perfect album to spin at your next groovy pool party or at least to album, using dark surf guitar riffs and a lower register to transform listen to while lying on your bed wishing you were there.

Estella from bittersweet lover into a tempting seductress. This 1960s vibe continues with “Gene Campi”, a song that immediately transgena REIGER ports you to the back of a moped zipping around Fellini-era Italy.

64

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE Ceremonials [Island Universal Records] 8,850

If it wasn’t clear before, Florence Welch is a force of nature, a giant blustering Venus, a beast. Ceremonials is the sophomore response to the ultra-popular Lungs (2009) and goes deeper than ever, plunging miles and miles deeper than any pop song could even hope to go.

Somewhat more joyous but no less fierce, the beast is back.

croons “And all this devotion was rushing out of me,” and you believe her, you know just how hard she is working to make you feel her music.

The strength of Ceremonials could also be its flaw; there may be almost too much of a showcase of vocals and not enough Ceremonials opens with “Only If For A Night,” a glorious entrance instrumental differentiation. At times, songs begin to blend together into what sounds like an album completely immersed in light, and although the sophomore release differs in feeling from the comprised of her a mix of her typical power ballads and fluttery debut, it may not differ that much within the album itself. Songs like dance numbers. The previously released singles “Shake It Out” and “Seven Devils” escape this statement, a séance-like and eerie ballad, “What the Water Gave Me” give two dynamics of the album: fast making it the biggest risk on the album. As an artist, she seems to be paced joyful celebratory jams (think wedding) and darker, deeper, expanding into other territories but hasn’t quite deviated from her chilling pieces (think funeral). The album is built upon mixes of these traditional sound. dynamics: a little bit of electronic, pop based melodies, church-like gospels, all blended together with a more organic sound.

Sophomore albums are the musician’s biggest test, especially when the debut gains as much acclaim as 2009’s Lungs. The British fashion Florence is known for her all-encompassing stage power, totally and and music icon has excelled thus far by doing what is weird, utilizing completely immersing her audience in the amazing lung power of a sound that is big, all encompassing, and forceful. Her return in her earlier work, but she uses it this time in a more innovative way Ceremonials is a definite transition, but not complete. She is playing this time around. Transitioning from loud yells, to childish screams, between the dynamics of light and dark, joyous and tormented, and even war cries, she makes use of her voice as the most powerful powerful and gentle. Did we expect anything less? instrument in the whole ensemble. You can feel it all in her voice, all the pure emotion she wants you to feel. On “Never Let Me Go,” Flo livi MAGNANINI

BLACK MOUNTAIN Wilderness Heart [Jagjaguar] 8,250

I had heard a few clips from Black Mountain’s Wilderness Heart before its release, but I really didn’t think it could hold a candle to their excellent In the Future. Then I saw the album cover. INSTANT PURCHASE.

It turns out that the album actually holds up quite well to the expectations laid down by the cover art, and surpasses whatever sound clips I had heard before actually giving this a spin. To be perfectly honest, this is a better record than their previous work, even if many people maintain they prefer In the Future. Everything is much more polished, from the production to the songwriting and even the pacing of the album. They still sound distinctly like Black Mountain, but they trade some of the spacier-psychedelics for some more olde-school fuzz intertwined with that indie-folk sound they’ve cultivated.

While In the Future was more or less hit or miss (largely hit), each song of Wilderness Heart has something that helps bring the album together as a whole. There are pieces of each song that I truly, truly enjoy, and I am loathe to ever skip a track. That being said, there aren’t really any immediate ‘stand-out’ tracks for me, like something a la “Stormy High” or “Wucan” off In the Future. After jamming Wilderness Heart a bunch, however, I would probably have to choose ”The Way to Gone” and “Sadie” as my lasting faves, but honestly, the whole thing is really, really solid. pat CASSIDY

65

ALBUMS

SEBASTIAN

Total [Ed Banger Records] 7,400

There I was, lost in a bizarre firefight of synthesizers, drums, and slamming drops of bass, an hour of frantic pounding rhythms making me feel as if I was stuck in a video game I’d never escape.

But I kind of didn’t want to; in fact, French DJ/Producer SebastiAn’s debut album Total feels mind-numbingly, just-feel-the-music-andstart-dancing…good. Creating an electronic sound comprised of pop, disco, garage rock, and even funk influences, the album hosts a vast array of mellow dance music and slower beats with a few intense, head-thrashing bangers.

I was skeptical of Total at first. I enjoy few of the various genres that fall under the electronic music umbrella, mainly the heavy dubstep produced by Deadmau5 and Bassnectar, the alternative electronic sound of Cut Copy, and the mainstream party anthems of David Guetta. But SebastiAn seems to be doing something completely different, like using more distorted orchestral sounds with minimal vocals and deviating from fellow Ed Banger acts like the indie-rockinfluenced Justice. It feels less finite and finished than the projects of other electronic groups, almost like a mix of everything. Yet as SebastiAn explores these different combinations of sounds, he creates a messy cacophony of beats that just kind of works.

SebastiAn’s collaborators are also quite strong, most notably the funky sound of Mayer Hawthorne on “Love in Motion” and the raw

66

punk energy of M.I.A. on “C.T.F.O.” However, unlike other electronic acts, SebastiAn’s sound isn’t overshadowed by the other artists which litter his album; a perfect example of this is his first single “Embody,” a robotica serenade with firm R&B roots and crooning, soulful vocals built upon layers and layers of electronic sound. Yet even some of the best tracks on the album merely serve as a component to a much more complex piece, emphasized by some of the ensuing songs.

Definitely unafraid of risks, the DJ not only breaks up the album with 30 second clip songs that add personality—“Cartoon” and “Water Games” being the real winners—but he also utilizes bizarre instruments, such as the French harpsichord on the whirlwind song “Tetra.”

Debuting under the Ed Banger Record label famous for the likes of Justice and Chromeo, SebastiAn had a lot to live up to in the name of French electronica. At times, the product may not feel finished—it combines sounds that are too radically different to be pulled together in a messy sequence. But Total is a fitting name for his work, a testament to all sounds and moods of electronic music that he wants to explore. He brings edginess and risk to the dark dance halls of our minds. livi MAGNANINI

SURFER BLOOD Tarot Classics [Kanine Records] 8,500

“If you’re moving out to the west, then you better learn how to surf,” the chorus of the first track on Surfer Blood’s 2010 debut commands.

It’s an excellent example of a great band getting by just fine without having much to say. Not that the lyrics on “Astro Coast” were bad, in fact I always sort of loved that surfing line, but it was always clear that the real reason it made such a splash last year was the catchy and intricate guitar interplay between front-man John Paul Pitts and guitarist Thomas Fekete.

At the end of their new Tarot Classics EP, Pitts repeats, “At least I know who my friends are.” The lyric ends with a vocal drone that is uncharacteristic for the band musically. The “Astro Coast” vocal melodies are fleet and concise, and emotionally, where previous subject matter kept a respectful distance with vagaries and fiction, Pitts has now added spite, regret and sadness to his palate, though he manages to use them sparingly. The new release is only four tracks long, but in fifteen minutes it shows serious development for the band on several levels.

Maybe I’m waxing a little poetic. This is still upbeat riff rock. No wheels have been reinvented. But you can feel Surfer Blood’s bag of tricks expanding. On the endearingly three-chord “Miranda,” we

hear what feels like their first true guitar solo, which breaks ranks just enough to be refreshing without threatening to slow the pace.

Rollicking opener “I’m Not Ready” immediately finds Pitts stretching his falsetto talents pretty thin, straining for the highest pitches. It has an excellent effect. He instantly sounds more sincere than ever before, strangely reminiscent of Motion City Soundtrack’s Justin Pierre. The highlight “Voyager Reprise” has a better lead riff than anything on “Astro Coast” and the vocals follow suit. But it really shines when subtle harmonica, strings, and synth are added to the mix. These soften the sound for the sorrowful song without compromising Surfer Blood’s 90s college rock inspired aesthetic.

Thus far, 2011 has been great for the EP (Jens Lekman, Dom, Dum Dum Girls), but Surfer Blood’s Tarot Classics is probably the best of the year. In four songs short songs, it connects them to the strongest parts of their debut and distances them from the weakest. Those who used “promising” to describe the band a year ago will be happy to see the potential they saw fulfilled. Tarot Classics is an EP that will be stuck in your head for weeks. You’re going to love it. hannah BULGER

67