KING KHAN
& THE SHRINES CITIZEN COPE
HEREWEGO MAGIC PRIMAVERA
WIZKHALIFA
BLITZENTRAPPER
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FEATURES
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR Funded in part by the Associated Students of Madison. ASM does not necessarily endorse the beliefs
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TABLE OF TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS
Editor’s Note: 4 5 Features: 6
Primavera: 34
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FEATURES Hi Everyone,
few. This issue also encompasses a wide variety
Madison with consistently updated content at copy! Bis Bis, Joyce Edwards
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EMMIE STAFF EMMIE STAFF
Editor-in-Chief: Joyce Edwards Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Meher Ahmad
Josiah Savary
Layout Editor:
Jennifer Beth DADA Tyler Fassnacht Alex Grossman Allison Hicks Olivia Jakiel Emma Jelley Katherine Kehoe Renee Kramer Luke Krause Rusty Lalkaka Ryan Lehrman Jay Luthar Kaitlyn Schnell Marilyn Waters
Lindsey Kennedy
Features Editors:
Katherine Kehoe Ryan Lehrman Eric Walters
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FEATURES
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photo by: peter ALLEN EMMIE ISSUE***.indd 7
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FEATURES
KING KHAN and the shrines Whether he is yelping along with garage-psychedelia in a
army, and went world.
brothers, and yeah, we used to listen Chinese music, you know, all sorts of
type of music, I try to mix it up a lot, was kind of thrust upon me. I mean, I
Yeah, actually it was, yeah.
in a punk band called the Spaceshits when I was about
Okay. They should have enema awards. people that I really loved, and who, you reasons, you know, and Scabies Award.
rock and soul band.
“
�
hatred and, you know, shit, and they would kind of
music. So I think that, you know, I try to approach our music in the same way, me. No, uh, I was born in Montreal, Cana da. And then I wound up miraculously in Germany, and then made a home
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when I met the Spaceshits, my other
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concert. My parents were from India, they came to Mon treal in like the... My dad the Shrines and the They are two, you know, (Mark Sultan, Spaceshit
My mom actually came to
half of BBQ), it was like,
shows, and we played in this really crappy bar called Key West Club in Montreal, and I was, I
two of us, and also, you
photo: quarterlifeparty.com
much like family. It was really kind of you know, for me, at least this year,
“
had a table set up in the front,
”
Defenders and kind of BBQ and the
and he took a was like “Fuck you!” and then took a
lot, and I pros and cons to every
and spat on everyone in the front row, and my mom
actually Lou Reed invited us to the Sydney Opera House, that
the front. And I was in the back, and I was like, really pissed
awesome. And then we broke up.
like 3 days. Actually and yeah, Lou Reed
to kill my friend. But then, when I looked at my mom and
excited. with Lou Reed and Lauri Anderson for
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that show, when we played, they moved
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FEATURES actually reminded me quite a bit about a lot of Montreal.
me in the bathroom.” And then I went in the
it used to be really cheap but now because of all these yup
to happen everywhere, would happen in Berlin, but slowly, it happens. Like these business types, like “Oh! This
Yeah, I mean, you know whenever I see her, her not to check me out on the internet, but
lot of Turkish families, poor
it. I even asked my brother, I was like, “Does
No! Not even in German. raise my family... I have two wonderful children, and my wife at
“ You know,
At least, you know, people in the audience... I
” Saucer full of secrets...
by meher AHMAD & tyler FASSNACHT
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The National Rallies Madison Fans When I found out that Barack Obama was bench more than learned to accept when they turned out to be true. Not my favorite band, but the President of the
The band hit the with a heavy
Photo: Whatspikelikes.com
would rise to the occasion. “Runaway”, immediately followed by a the hindrance of my physical ability to make it from the rally to the Orpheum on
at the theatre exhausted. I knew the
his customary fashion: keeled over, talk
with him. The band was not to leave so
but had never heard of him prior to the exactly how honest the statement was. perfectly, and a powerful performance of “Mr. November”, a nod to the President,
forced to drop the name due to trade
ist Bryce Dessner preceded “Slow Show”
main event. I had been front row for the
son crowd would be tame. As it turns
cert of a band whose members know how
JELLEY
bros started to barrel their way to the
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FEATURES
BLITZEN TRAPPER act as their own roadies. in the fact that not only was I in a prime
Photo: Esquire.com
of folk that slowly serenades you into
“The hardest working band in Rock n’ Roll”
and Fast Bullets” a track which, despite some sound problems early in the set,
later when the sextet played their head
such a feat). Shore. everywhere, “Lola.”
Trapper, but was fairly solid none the less.
prepared itself for a band talented “Gold For Bread,” the concert developed
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Conquers the High Noon Saloon that chummy ambience that smaller foster.
recently debuted. When that sort of musical kismet oc
to the homemade charm of an apple the show. Drummer Brian Koch decided to con Photo: Vancouverconvertaddicts.com
who hopes to win the heart of one very
into the crowd, he politely asked that the crowd not steal his $3 purchase.
that the band served up and asked
treasure. ber.
staples and crowd clichés. Just like how
The band played such a consistently solid stream of music that, by the end
of the party who shouts out “Freebird!” when asked for requests, each concert
Pearly Gate Music had called them “the
KEHOE
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The Rise and Fall of Georgie Fruit Barnes has revealed that much of the album was written during
Photo credit: facebook.com/ofmontreal
Between Of Montreal’s last three albums, Hissing Fauna, are You the Destroyer?, Skeletal Lamping, and now False Priest, listeners have been getting familiar with lead singer Kevin Barnes’ alter ego Georgie Fruit. False Priest marks what could be the end of Georgie Fruit, and leaves listeners wondering where Barnes will go next. A black, cross-dressing, pansexual socialite, the fantastical Georgie Fruit was a necessary escape for Barnes from his very real personal battles with depression and detachment from humanity. Hissing Fauna began with Barnes struggling to cope with his emotional issues while trapped by the burden of his own self aware insecurities and intense chemical depression. During the course of writing and recording the album, Barnes was adapting to his newly prescribed anti-depressants: the way they changed his mood, his thought process, and especially his comfort with writing personally. The pills likely saved his life, and have drastically changed the way he’s approached songwriting.
separation from his wife Nina. As she had been a massive creative and emotional support for him, it is easy to see how his lonely stay in Norway would lead to the kind of lyrics found the beginning of the album. Between concerns about his self image (“… Trying to restructure my character/ Because it had become vile to its creator”), adjusting his personality through chemistry (“So am I erasing myself? Hope I’m not erasing myself”), personal authenticity (“All the party people dancing for the indie star/ But he’s the worst faker by far”), and rampant mood
up this time/ Know you bait me way more than you should/ And it’s just like you to hurt me when I’m feeling good”), it was clear Barnes was feeling crushed under the weight of his psyche. His desperation reached a breaking point in the 12-minute “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” when he blamed his despair on forming a connection he had no control over, and shouted the passionate verse, “Let’s tear this shit apart/Let’s tear the fucking house apart/Let’s tear our fucking bodies apart/Let’s just have some fun!” From then on, the album became Georgie’s nonchalant falsetto atop electrifying, funky bass, and painted a picture of a bizarre and
hedonistic social scene with Georgie at its center. While it was unclear if Kevin and Georgie were co-existing or if Georgie had taken fully over, it was obvious the songwriter in the latter half of the album was in a very different mindset from the former. If Hissing Fauna was Georgie Fruit’s birth, then Skeletal Lamping was his coming of age and midlife crisis rolled into one. Starting with declarations of “I’m a motherfucking headliner, bitch you don’t even know it,” true, don’t wanna be your man, just wanna play with you,” Georgie Fruit was thriving in his new and glamorous life. The album was not without signs of inner turmoil though, best summarized in “Death Isn’t a Parallel Move” in the verse, “The identity I composed out of terror has become oppressive now/ I must defy this dark assignment/ I’m over it now/ I’m so over it now.” An interesting facet of Skeletal Lamping is that Barnes did not distinguish when he was singing as himself versus Georgie. In an interview with the blog You Ain’t No Picasso, when asked whose point of view the album was supposed to be taken from, Barnes replied, “I don’t even separate them in my mind. The Georgie Fruit character is not separate from Kevin Barnes. I can’t really say ‘oh that was just this role I was playing,’ because it’s just a part of my personality. All of it is just a part of me anyways.” If this is the case, then the part of himself he was revealing had stayed fully hidden before. Prior to Skeletal Lamping, it would be hard to picture of Montreal having songs featuring lines like,
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“I’m so sick of sucking the dick of the cruel cruel city,” “You’re the only one with whom I would role play Oedipus Rex,” or “We can do it softcore if you want/ but you should know I take it both ways.” Besides the controversial sexual topics, the album also marked a major stylistic departure from of Montreal’s previous albums. Barnes wrote the album not on a song-bysong basis, but more as dozens of roughly one minute movements that
the arrangement does not suit him. The joyous opener ‘I Feel Ya Strutof a happy Georgie on the album. Mostly, both his relationship and ego seem to crumble around him as the album progresses, culminating in the heartfelt pleading of “Famine Affair” cries of, “You marginalize me/ You sabotage me/ Go away, go away, go away” and, “You’ve ruined me, you’re a terrorist, I’m a casualty of you” are given tremendous gravity tained through the previous albums. Throughout the album, the narrative is punctuated with jarring outbursts bordering on the non-sequitur, which seem like they arise from somewhere between the real and imagined lives of Kevin/Georgie. Individually they make little sense, but together they lend the album the feeling of a constellation made from many separate stars of affection, manipulation, and hedonism.
Photo credit: youaintnopicasso.com
abruptly collided and overcame each other. The soul-baring, intentionally startling approach taken to Skeletal Lamping was, Kevin revealed in the same YANP interview, partly a response to the backlash over the band’s Outback Steakhouse commercial. Amid longtime fans accusing the band of selling out, Barnes decided to go well outside his, and everyone elses’, comfort zone. False Priest continues the tensioned Kevin/Georgie duality, but has evolved both musically and narratively. While Georgie Fruit once seemed to be the model of promiscuity, False nogamous relationship. Simply put,
Musically, False Priest sounds like a more mature Skeletal Lamping. The arrangements have somewhat dialed back the spastic stylistic jumps, and and excellent guest performances by Solange and Janelle Monáe. The even in the throes of severe identity confusion, of Montreal can still make catchy and dance-worthy pop songs. While the format may remain a little disjointed for some, the delivdisjointedness is certainly less than Skeletal Lamping. Barnes said in an interview with The Boston Phoenix that in False Priest he aimed to lose the collage feel of Skeletal Lamping while maintaining the unpredictability. scriptor for the album, and the songs do conform to a pop composition more than the majority of Skeletal Lamping.
The emotional breakdown near the end of the album is capped by the Do Mutilate?” which raises many questions for the direction of the next of Montreal album. Though ambiguous, it seems like Georgie Fruit may have been eliminated by amid the emotional fallout. Still, the question remains if of Montreal will leave the alter ego behind entirely going forward. Hopefully the album concluding in a robot voice proclaiming, “If you think god is more important than your neighbor/ You’re capable of terrible evil/ If you think some prophet’s words/ Are more important than your brother and your sister/ You’re ill/ And you’re wrong,” doesn’t mean that Barnes is segueing from Georgie Fruit the sex icon to Ethicstron the secular humanist robot. Given his newfound comfort with setting poignant introspection to catchy pop tracks, it seems of Montreal could produce a more satisfying album by leaving the surreal alter egos behind. As a hint of what’s to come, Barnes said in an interview with The Aquarian Weekly in September that the seemingly random lines at the end of “Faberge Falls for Shuggie” (“Skeletal lamping/ The controller sphere/ False priest”) were taken from writing exercises he had done, and would be the titles of the next three of Montreal albums. Given this, it seems probable that the next album, The at least in Barnes’ mind. Whether this will still feature Georgie Fruit or a return to strictly Kevin remains a mystery. Hopefully in some way Barnes will continue his relentless push forward lyrically and compositionally, and 2011 will see the release of yet another entirely new side of of Montreal.
eric WALTERS
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Here We Go Magic not to NY at least on our home turf. All
prefer not to make a schedule and try
When Here We Go Magic arrived at the press tent, the sun had just peeked out
-
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ent than you were before. Those are monumental, and those are happen
actually have one in Paris that was really of the show in Paris, we were shocked at how many people came and it was really hot and sweaty and one of those Photos: Julie Jarzemsky
kind of spacious rock and it was kind of and pressure made it feel like a band that had been a band forever, you could feel it in your body that you were have a full band but we were on the
-
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ATMOSPHERE the DJ table to keep himself on track,
broken heart, and what could have been more like a novelty act.
cent of the best episodes of Cops:
As has been their custom over the last
limit by forty miles�
ist, a keyboardist, and producer Anthony Davis AKA Ant on the turntables.
With such name drops and the amount of support the Madison com My Friends Tour� to a sold old crowd at the Orpheum theatre, which in
the crowd to rap to the faces of individ to choose from, the performance includ
Grieves and Budo, and Blueprint. Due to what I later understood to be
announced to the crowd that he had
Photo: Marilyn Waters and wrist bands were collected, we walked into the crowded theatre to the announcement of Blueprint and DJ Rare Groove. mance for myself and many of those
I was then surprised to hear him delve
Blueprint, it pains me to say that the performance was not what I would have hoped for, least of all from one of label
future travels take them on a road back
months before a play, when the actors
and travels of a rapper on the road. We
ers. Like an unprepared comedian at a
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A Very Sad Night as it was in the days of the barefoot hip pie dresses.
the dot. When in the history of music has
as an innocent Boston teen, I fell in love
four years here I have never been to a not the early bird special at Bluephies. than intended, about ten twenty, but
Of course, “Paris (Ooh La La)” had to
and the band have clearly pulled for mar
adore forever (somehow “Paris (Ooh La
learned to further dismay that the open er had played a half hour set, followed by a ten minute set break, at which point
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KNOCKED SIDEWAYS
@CITIZEN He walked on clad in a loose button-down, hair tied back in dreaded ends. Overhead, blue lights shone down on the twostory backdrop with the image of his new The RainWater LP. His bearded face looked worn yet enduring; everything about him matched his name, Cope. Last spring was the first time I saw singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Citizen Cope, whose real name is Clarence Greenwood. The performance was so amazing I was later found breathing spasmodically out of a brown paper bag after the show. His eclectic blend of hip-hop backbeats combined with flown melodies is unequaled. When I heard he was coming to Madison, it was a given: I was going.
Photo: citizencope.com
I made up my mind that there would be nothing less than front row, no matter the elbows I would have to throw or screaming girls I would have to brush out the way. I met up with my brother and another friend at the Union doors, checked tickets and went into the theater. Astonishingly, it was not crowded. We walked straight up to the front of the stage, curling around it to watch the instruments glimmer under the lights. People trickled in. Two girls next to us had made the trek from Green Bay to witness Cope for
COPE
the first time. They came three hours early because they thought lines would be out the door. Open seats were everywhere. The girls and I could not understand it. Cope and his band, consisting of two talented keyboard players, a bassist who keeps better time than Big Ben itself, and a pocket drummer took the stage a half hour late, naturally. I couldn’t help but imagine that the vacant upper balcony was a bit disappointing for them. However, they kicked open the first set with the apt ‘Off the Ground’ from their The RainWater LP, which released earlier this year. Within moments, the upbeat organ hits and percussive rolls pulled my body into a soothing sway. Cope sang without his guitar, his hands earnestly wrapped around the mic as though he were confiding in a close friend at a coffee shop. Soon stenciled light projections flashed over the backdrop as Cope strapped on his Martin acoustic and jumped into one of their older, better known songs, ‘Bullet and a Target.’ Backward-hatted frat-bros, hippy girls in long pattern dresses and an adultlescent woman wearing a questionably lowcut shirt were all chiming together, “What you’ve done here is put yourself between a bullet and a target.” There wasn’t a single person around me who didn’t have their feet moving. Cope, however, moves in his own modest and minimal
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Cope-kind-of-way. When he sings, his mouth barely opens and his lips are still; melodies ring out with an air of utmost ease. Only his wrist moves as he strums sultry guitar chords, his fingers drawn in unique shapes upon the frets. Standing back, he is stoic and telling. Not only Cope but all the band members move and lock down their own groove. The music seems to both harness them in their own pocket and tie one another together. Seconds into ‘Holdin’ On’ I could see this intriguing bond materialize: grounded by the drummer’s gunshot snare the bass player sweetly plucks, carrying the pop licks of the keyboardist as the overarching organ holds take wing; Cope, lifted in more ways than one, ties it all back in. An electric ‘Son’s Gonna Rise’ suddenly broke loose. I peered through the jumping bodies to see my friend with a wide smile and hands skybound. A premature breakdown sent the crowd screaming for more, but before we knew it Cope and the band unleashed the chorus. They ended their first set with energy levels high.
Photo: blogs.suntimes.com
When Cope re-emerged, it was just him on guitar. He began with a soft yet powerfully evocative piece called ‘Salvation,’ which connotes Cope’s struggle against a drug-related betrayal. The solemn mood continued for a while in the acoustic set until Cope debuted an unreleased tune that even by its title ‘One Lovely Day’ (Bill Withers, anyone?) was refreshingly uplifting. My mind began to swim in the vocal reverb and major chords.
The band returned on stage and as any good Cope fan would expect, he let the drummer kick. His weaving of woodblocks and tambourine hits into the robust groove gave an ambient edge to hip hop style beats. Ghost notes, which are soft unaccented hits, and explosive snarecracks alike reverberated through the audience. Then, the soundtrack to oh so many of my summertime car-rides and late freshman nights started to play. ‘Sideways,’ one of their last songs of the night, blew from Cope’s guitar into me and if I could’ve stayed in that euphoric musical coma, I certainly would have opted to. Cope’s music affords a new understanding once you see him. His songs are lucid reflections of himself; his urban roots and poetic command shine through what he writes. Cope & his songs are still yet moving. Simple and truthful. He is stripped down and reminds me of a musical version of Ernest Hemingway. Despite Madison’s unpronounced turnout, Citizen Cope graciously approached the lip of the stage shaking hands with everyone who could get close enough; and after a night of Cope-ious melodies, front row, and a handshake, I, amongst others, was left ‘knocked sideways.’ by ryan LEHRMAN
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FEATURES
Hit Fans With A Dance-Punk Jolt! all the unstoppable force of a punk band
Those who arrived early were treated to For those already addicted to the boom “Cameras”, I can promise that the rest headed fans. from Madison staple F. Stokes. He rapped with such enthusiasm that the
can only be described as Madisonian, produce. The band played some catchy
ism and honesty that is rarely seen
voice , the audience remained
mainstream rap. By the end of the set,
same amount of cheer as when “All I Do is Win” played over the sound system in between sets.
expectant crowd. crowd that he and Kim had been record was ready to cut loose.
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“That’s great honey, but get down from there before you kill yourself!”
The Brooklyn duo has been described
of the band, the audience seemed to
spots near the one individual who had
“Just A Friend”.
Photo: Pampelmoose.com
dance to!
The band pulled out all the stops, play
Photo: Citypages.com
The show also featured the spontane
Kim played the part of the concerned mom, with an expression that said “Holy
known for. Kim walked into the audi ence, supported by only their hands.
from there before you kill yourself.”
perfect chord between badass and ador able.
descended into the beer and sweat drenched audience for what seemed
KEHOE
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WIZ KHALIFA LIGHTS UP MADISON listened to his recorded music before, his set only consisted
Sounds like a plan. If
on the bill at the last second to put in to the show and to
and Baken” tour stop in Madison.
now that F. Stokes
claim my surprise that this show was in fact
here. Unfortunately, maybe because of the circumstances,
that is not usually done at the Orpheum unless you are Ween or Deadmau5 appar ently. Several factors probably contributed
of rap shows, most
with such a short from what I could make out, his lyrical
basically repeated lines of “Lets party”
another chance be cause I like the idea was local MC Smokes, who mostly raps
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more of his own shows.
some comparisons to Eminem, however, he really shares more in common with the likes of Lil Wayne and recent col
FASSNACHT
out weird lines about a roadmap almanac. Honestly, if words could spark, Yelawolf would have burned the house down, but fortunately he
made obvious when some people in the front
call, “yeah, I know, I am excited for him too.� His
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Iron &Wine Sam Beam.
At The Pabst 10/13 Smoke” is hushed and understated, but on Wednesday, it had a lively, bluesy beat. Some of the
Beam was undoubtedly at his very best. vocalist Rosie Thomas, Beam played an
liked to hear “Boy With A Coin” and
latest record, as well as a few from earlier records , to
Dog ounce of space is consumed by
I would venture to say that The Pabst is the favorite venue of most Milwaukee
piece band, it was atypical to
and historic, and the
there, from Colin Meloy to M. Ward, comments on how phenomenal the venue is. On Wednesday
If I had to choose, my favorite Photo by Kyle Dean Reinford
“Upward Over The Mountain,”
for a more perfect setlist. cited to hear “He Lays In The Reins” for
love our Pabst Theatre, too.
Calexico.
Milwaukee local Heidi Spencer (of The Rare Birds) opened the show. She spoke The Pabst as a child, and how wonderful
In my opinion, Sam Beam is one of very ward Over The Mountain” and “Woman
the shows on his next tour. she was the perfect pick to introduce
For example, on the record, “Cinder And
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Ode to
Katy with her braids and she was in love with neath the recess slides and never knew.
A Girl.� She had the same black hair, the same sweet and sultry innocence.
it. That was all I needed to hear.
Photo: Hublon.com
doll. Yet worst of all, the track “Califor
The scar on the middle of my forehead is from a drunken encounter with a man pick and choose my miracles.
the braids for cherry lip balm.
parents. They sit and stare at me, silent as marble statues. In between us on a na, on top of which several tarantulas
decay, an ambulance rushed him to the
from her overhead bin as she bent No need to ask me if I feel bad about it,
a doctor who was a woman came in, explained the fracture of his pelvis by woman to lower her voice. I looked at
CD and DVD of the performance. It was my Christmas present to myself. In it, Katy looks like a pink wood nymph sur
thief for you, Katy. I kneel before you forsaken.
Too embarrassed to purchase it, I stole
- DADA
If you were to ask me what I think of the
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FEATURES
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F E S T I VA L S
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ROBYN
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
MEDIUM
DANCING LEVELS HIGH
“HEY, CHICAGO!
Crumpled schedule in my pocket, press pass around my neck and friends in tow, I headed in to
SO MANY OF YOU GUYS TONIGHT!”
James Murphy of LCD nailed his set which included old faves & new hits. Modest Mouse, the last
DELOREAN
as expected. The band had muddled & messy in all myriad of ten ster heaven. Whereas crowds like
of the day. With her revamped electronic sound won over the crowd at her
DELOREAN Delorean
KURT VILE
was not the case at Pitchfork. Not despite the Kurt Vile
of the music, but the camaraderie between the crowd,
Folkster Tallest Man
both played the shady “DO ME A crowds who FAVOR AND GO were happy to SEE MY SISTER ROBYN”
REAL ESTATE
of the sun.
example of the comradery between
FRIDAY
30
THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH
S AT U R D AY
PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL
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RAEKWON CROWD
MAJOR LAzER
CD IS ONLY 33 MINUTES AND
SLEIGH BELLS
WHOLE THING! GO SEE PAVEMENT!”
BIG BOI
OUT OF CONTROL
Raekwon & were rewarded with a lively show and a
worthy set that amped up
“I CAN SEE ALL OF YOUR FACES NOW! TO BE SO STAND OFFISH EARLIER.”
WOLF PARADE
NEON INDIAN LOCAL NATIVES GIRLS
FLATSTOCK POSTER FESTIVAL
BEACH HOUSE
“SAY HI TO TAKING VIDEO
ST. VINCENT HERE WE GO MAGIC
CHILL
PANDA BEAR One of the more
L
S U N D AY
resembled a lullaby it was so ambient.
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FEATURES
Welcome to
Northcoast O
Chi-town’s Newest Festival
teers, by Saturday the kinks were worked out and
psychedelic, experimental electro.
All Photos: Liza Burkin
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Virgin Free Fest L
At Merriweather Pavilion
et me start by saying that the weekend of Virgin Free Festival involved a ridiculous amount of time in the car. It took us 15 hours to drive from Madison to Baltimore, Maryland, home to Merriweather Pavilion, the location of the free festival. The daylong jam of bands ranging from throwback acts like Joan Jett to the one-album-in artist Sleigh Bells was well worth the drive. The first act, Jimmy Eat World, set the mood for the day. The energetic band had the whole pavilion singing along and throwing hands in the air in no time. Folksy buzz band Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros kept the crowd engaged— so much so that one fan clutched onto lead singer Alex’s hand for a good 2 Chromeo started playing in a stage known as minutes. the “dance forest.” The stage lived up to its name as Chromeo’s 80s beats and synthesizers There were however, some less enthusi- sent fans grooving about. astic reactions to the artists. Yeasayer, despite keeping up with their usual The evening acts of the festival came with high-energy performance quality, some mishaps. The dance forest was so could hardly get people to bob their heavily danced-upon during Sleigh Bells that heads. Not sure if it was the heat or kicked-up dirt filled the air in monstrous dust simply the “East coast brat” attitude, cloud. but I’m sure the rigidity of the crowd would shock anyone who went to the Though seeing Alexis Krauss thrash & twirl band’s show in Madison last spring. to her guitarist’s catchy riffs was probably The strange paralysis of the crowd at worth it for fans, most were coughing up dirt Yeasayer was quickly broken when by the end of the show. M.I.A, the very artist
who signed Sleigh Bells, was surprisingly disappointing. Starting several minutes late and with a prolonged DJ intro, M/\Y/\’s act was hard to put up with. Luckily LCD Soundsystem’s set gave us an excuse to dip out on the noise being produced on M.I.A’s end of the festival. James Murphy. Now there’s a man. He succeeded in reviving my friend who nearly had an allergy attack in the dust cloud. Dancing underneath a giant disco ball in the pavilion, embedded in fans throwing glow sticks, was an excellent way to tie up this priceless (sorry, couldn’t resist) experience. by julie JARZEMSKY
All Photos: Julie Jarzemsky
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FEATURES
too serious, so we wander over to see
spot for Broken Social Scene. Our
Day One to Primavera Sound I stop dead in
Apparently I have stumbled into a System (members of the Elephant
painful double bills: do I see Built To Spill, as close as possible for Pavement,
camera over to a band member and camera works for minutes. The lon able I become with my skinny arms
am here at the fabled Primavera Sound. I catch up with my drunkards I met at
crowd.
Pavement was a pipe dream I kicked
These are not fairytales. I know there is an Eden it sprout from the beach of Barcelona in late May.
Blood. They are the perfect companions for
of compulsive psychosis sloshed
school, not that happens in reality. They launch the crowd into a fever by open
is happy to be there. They seem to
they need a note from the principal hipsters to catch The Fall, whose Myself with Ira and Georgia Kaplan of Yo La Tengo. The guy from the Circulatory System doesn’t know how to use a camera. (Yes, my fly is open.)
Primavera is mythical. You hear the Mediterranean Sea. These are not fairytales. I know there is an sprout from the beach of Barcelona
atre bowl that overlooks the Mediterra nean Sea, we take in The XX. The show is Pavement!
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Spanish band that keeps my head bob
with a no complaints set. I leave early
harmony immediately send me in to a
Ira of The Condo Fucks (Yo La Tengo)
Frank Black of the Pixies.
CocoRosie make me think someone
Mouth a Desert” and Monotonix
“Coco” and Sierra “Rosie” wear
they pretended to be a punk called The Condo Fucks. The
I so love to hear from Ira. to entertain bored veterans punk. Sea breezes.
Steven Malkmus being silly.
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FEATURES a technical mishap takes out the whole band. In response, out of the hat when confronted with a problem leaves me impressed.
Spanish become wild beasts Espanol. Frank Black is quiet wounded yelps of “Me voy!� start for Isla De Encanta, the
Bradford Cox of Atlas Sound
Day Three
the sweat on their shirts. The crowd is shamefully small for the quality of the performance. lyrics with kindred spirits. The
CocoRosie
mere meters from the Mediterranean Sea will have a special place in my memory for years to come.
hold it anymore and we are across the Mediterranean sea. The set is unearthly, The drummer Christopher Bear unloads in live perfor
I swear Grizzly Bear are aliens.
Stormtroopers throw great dance parties.
Lloyd Hayden, the drummer of Florence + The Machine who
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with the ques
responds with
who in the band us a story about accidentally
Day Four
Christopher Lloyd Hayden, the drummer of Florence + The Machine
his hotel room but a towel and “a hard on the
The Almighty Defenders (AKA the Black Lips and King Khan and the BBQ Show)
Park. Real Estate sound like a Feelies record played at half
I sit in the back of theatre for Sunny
to rub this in the noses of my emo friends back home.
Stories and Photos: peter charles ALLEN
one let loose a bunch of southern Pentecostals hopped up on
killer set of bluesy, punk rock.
our way back to the hostel.
The Moon rises over the Mediterranean Sea and Sunny Day
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LOLLAPALOOZA I fell into synch with my now standard
an opportunity to kick people in the face ablancas, I was more than dead set on
from fellow veterans. The Metra was
like war paint, and speed walked to the train as I considered a baseline of insan ity for the weekend events. Will Arcade Fire and Phoenix live up to all of the
I MET in the pit for Wolfmother, Rusko, and The end, we headed across the park to catch I met up with my bros from Louisville an easy yet precocious vibe that carried pinnies, pastel shorts, and Ray Bans to the contrast of my all black uniform, we
Black Keys.
by any stretch of the phrase, my day was completed with some full body exorcism at Rusko and a solid performance by the frenchies of Phoenix.
“But let’s get real for a second. Friday was all about the whole Strokes vs. Gaga debate.”
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“The standstill moment when I MET PERRY FARRELL.” SUNDAY: this band that their name has already been taken by the
pyrotechnics were out of control literally, and they had me for the rest of the day. But seriously, they RAWKED so
All Photos: Joyce Edwards
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ALBUMS
0 DISTURBINLY BAD
SUBSTANDARD
GOOD
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10000 AWESOME
DISTURBINGLY GOOD
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NO AGE Everything in Between 9,050
An immediate word that comes to mind when you listen to
Despite their reliance on only a handful of instruments (whether resourceful or out of necessity), the band created a visceral experi
ous success.
and Pavement, bands that were never daunted by the con
of their DIY past and future.
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Revival, the track released to those who downloaded and
DEERHUNTER
with this band.
Halcyon Digest total loneliness and painful awkwardness has been seen
9,950 walls made of concrete�), this solitude is in an open sea, with
lems with leaks (two Deerhunter albums were leaked close to a year before their release dates), the band kept this record air not remember me.� does have a weird pedophilia vibe to it. (It starts out with this album.
AHMAD
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MERIDENE Something Like Blood 8,220 In their sophomore album, the lyrics take on a sound features the unique and memorable instru
ously.
rock vibe on their premiere album
Each track relates to the current economic crisis, remains relevant to the lives of listeners today.
lent base to work from for future albums.
BETH
JOSHUA RADIN The Rock and the Tide 8,111 rhythm. The Rock and the Tide. And with the widespread success of his last
Comparable to the likes of James Taylor and Paul
his voice, it is clear that his life experiences share melodies. The Rock and the Tide deserves musical study playlist. SCHNELL
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THE BOOKS The Way Out 8,008 New York duo, The Books, fourth album,
spectrum, however, on
of Pink, they used recorded voices, supposedly found on tapes their music, on
TH
albums, but honestly I think that this is more of a statement about the band than the album.
a few others on the album, lacks replayability. On the other
FASSNCHT
MAJOR LAZER vs.LA ROUX LazerProof 7,389 takes an already excellent Skream remix of In for the Kill and
e
al mixtape opens with their take on Bulletproof, a vibrant remix
ELL
LALKAKA
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ALBUMS
LIZ PHAIR FunStyle 5,000 but alienates me, and likely most work is appreciated so much because yes, a rap (“Bollywood”) is peppered with humorous In fact, when I found out that my mid with each other. LONG
spect, what else could she have done to
BLACK MILK Album of the Year 8,400 focuses on the snare drum. It all seems reminiscent of a Roots record.
Produced by Black Milk himself, the album is marked by live
end of “Black and Brown” also takes a poke at the naysayers by not, wish to listen to live instrumentals and intricate samples. YEUNG
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BELLE & SEBASTIAN Write About Love 7,380 Despite the similarity in sounds between the
vocals masterfully. And for those who lean the Life Pursuit, this album will be another hit. last work, The Life Pursuit, released 5 years
remain a popular band within the
help but tap your toes to the cutesy chord melodies.
pop synth tunes. “The Ghost of Rockschool” on the new album echoes “The Dress Up in
the movie
. On top of that, the
sounds the kind of music you hear on radio
SUFJAN STEVENS The Age of Adz 8,889 creeped out. What seems to stand out the most is the ironic con
pushes his previous topical boundaries with this album, explor
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HOLY SONS Survivalist Tales 6,987 and a solo. As the instead of Fatalist Tales. However, the
and Om band member Emil Amos. If Eddie Vedder had
desperate measures when there are nofast food restaurants or
The Wild,
by speech samples that transparently lecture on sadism and
into the rural expanses of open country. them.
is not survivalism. This album is for someone who plans to do
smell the clover via a piano part that approaches soulfulness Previously, Ida Jo has done many record
the album incorporate only violin, drums chorus. “These Days” and “Eileen” are similarly upbeat and my favorites on the album. Unfor tunately, some tracks are more successful than
IDA JO Providence 7,800
her lyrics, which focus and the complica most notable aspect of Providence, how ever, is the violin, which she plays in a mend to anyone. masterful and unexpected fashion. Rather
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CHROMEO Business Casual 7,070 ay,
sents his true feel too proud to con front her about his mistakes,
allusions to the music of Hall and Oates are apparent in their
to their other releases, but much more polished.
Clearly, the concept of irony is not lost on the duo, as every
A
freshest band around. made Friday “Wacky Tie Day� in order to fool everyone into learn a lesson from Steve: kitsch is only a veneer that cannot
a few months, or any other Chromeo album.
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OBERHOFER
more at NYU, has that certain boyish charm
o0Oo0Oo
of the album is “Dead Girls Dance,” where space noises and Corey Mathews screams
8,383
and mimic the whistles and howls of Brad
KEVIN MORRISON Of Whom I Am only way to express my love for the simplicity of Southern California, released his debut album Of
8,501 mend our minds we patch up the sorrow.” “Another Shade of Blue”, despite its seem smooth vocals and simple per bob your head to. Like, “Cry”, which has a
talent possessed by Morrison and follows with solid, standout tracks. “Hold on” is full of raw en
heartbreak. JAKIEL
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DARLING Lights That Last Forever 6,600
ere will be appreciated by those
ms
ancholy for the sound, especially since the theme they follow is
worthy of a few spins to make your head spin. LONG
BAD RELIGION The Dissent of Man 8,575
their thirty year anniversary sounds clean and crisp without
mature feel that suits the band well. Instrumentally, Dissent is a fast and powerful mix of rock and
is an excellent album, and recommends itself to listeners, be
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GO TO
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