Five Cent Sound Spring 2019 Issue by Five Cent Sound Magazine

Vol. 6

Five Cent Sound

Spring 2019

2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019

Staff 2019 Editor-in-Chief

Allie DiGennaro

Managing Editors Caitlin Smith & Sarah Hope

Design

Design Director: Sam Kiss Designers: Meghan Hockridge, Tripp Rams, Liz Lavender

Photography

Director of Photography: Nicole Salvatore Photographers: Letao Chen, Brae Lamontagne, Jae Suk Lee, Liz Lavender

Copyediting

Head Copyeditor: Julia Larosa Copyeditor: Hannah Lemke

Features

Editor: Chad Bauer Writers: Dani Ducharme, Ian Vidal

Around the World Editor: Grace Galarraga Writers: Tripp Rams, Cassandra Yany

Live & Local

Editor: Sarah Hope Writers: Josh Merkin, Sarah Hope

Entertainment & Culture Editor: Lily Hennessy Writers: Andrea Williams, Keenan Whitman, Liz Lavender

Reviews

Editor: Allie DiGennaro Writers: Owen Murray, Zachary Greenstein, Dylan Hearn

Blog

Editor: Joy Freeman Writers: Katie Marks, Allie McGlone, Hanna Marchesseault, Soleil Easton

Dear readers, My time on Five Cent Sound isn’t even over and I already feel nostalgic. I found this magazine in an email blast six days into my Freshman year. For those of you who know me you’ll already understand my predilection to become the Reviews Editor, and for those of you who don’t, it’s because I can be a touch, what’s the word? Opinionated. I knew I could edit the stream of critiques—SZA’s latest album, the appropriation of genre, the age old question “can an artist change their sound?”— and justify it as a service. And yet, in my overzealous mind it still wasn’t enough. I spent the next year as Managing Editor and Features Editor, a trend you’ll see I continue this semester. And many people have asked me why. I am amazed at being Editor, seeing all the pieces moving. I am honored to watch and support all the wonderfully talented and dedicated writers, designers, and photographers who make these pages possible. Yet while I am amazed, I am not fulfilled. As Editor, you touch all the pages, but you don’t hold them. You appreciate them, but you don’t live in them. So I make it a point to be an editor as well as an Editor. And nothing beats returning to your roots. These roots include controversial analyses of “auditory contempt” to the cultural mainstays of the 70s with Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary. Our writers pull inspiration from several corners, never afraid to offend, persist, and most importantly, believe. The reason this magazine works—the reason it’s written and read—is because we all believe that music matters. We enjoy listening to it, struggle making it, easily judge it, and ultimately, make it relevant everytime we believe in a lyric.

Keep believing. Five Cent Sound Editor-in-Chief, Allie DiGennaro

in this

issue: p. 22

p. 27

p. 14

Features 8

Ghost in the Machine

Youtube Music: Why?

Ian Vidal

Dani Ducharme

around the world 14

K-Pop in America: the How and the Why?

UK Grime: A New Sensation

Cassandra Yany

Tripp Rams

p. 20

Live and Local

p. 16

Ugly Mane Gets Intimate

The Space Cade7s Get Ready for Takeoff

Joshua Merkin

Sarah Hope

Entertainment and Culture

p. 36

Poetic Hatred: Bad Blood Brewing

Woodstock Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

Through the Looking Glass: 70s Music Today

Keenan Whitman

Andrea Williams

Liz Lavender

Reviews

p. 25

p. 28

Cult Leader on Evaluating Patience

Watskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Words of Welcome

Yves Tumor is Keeping You Safe & Loved

Spring 2019 Playlist

May Concert Schedule

Dylan Hearn

Zack Greenstein

Owen Murray

Feature Feature Feature

s s s

By Ian Vidal

Ghost in the Machine

“This is a tape we recorded during a vacation in New York in the 1980s,” she said. “I was around 40 years old.” Last June, Elsie Roman, 82, found a box of old cassette tapes. Among the dozens of albums of assorted Latin ballads, she found a tape she recorded herself. One day, she played it back. “That’s the voice of my father,” she said. “He died a few years after that.” That was her father’s voice. That snippet of audio rendered unintelligible through decades of decay, contained the only audible remnant of a man who’s been dead for almost half a century. That afternoon it felt as if he were actually there—a ghost caught on magnetic tape. It was different from looking at a picture of the man. A person is flesh and blood, a photograph is film and ink. A sound, however, is waves vibrating in the air, all but eternalizing them on a strip of magnetized scotch tape in a tiny plastic box. Years later, she would play that tape and those same sound waves would reverberate once more, distorted by time but holistically the same. From the inception of gramophones to the advent of streaming, recorded media has become the most widespread form of listening to music. Furthermore, it’s no surprise that music is an effective trigger of nostalgia. Decades

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later, the songs of artists long deceased can be played back, impeccably reproduced. For people who remember listening at a younger age—either when the piece was released, or in some unrelated past—hearing it back years later provokes images of the first time they heard it. They are assailed by a feeling of nostalgia: an unexplained longing for the past and the memories it conjures. There is a style of music whose practitioners seek to elicit this feeling purposefully by drawing on a shared cultural memory. This is hauntological music. Hauntology is a term coined by French philosopher Jacques Derrida in his analysis of Karl Marx and the “ghost of Communism.” As a musical term, it was first used around 2006 by writer Mark Fisher to refer to the music of UK record label Ghost Box, started by graphic designer Julian House and producer Jim Jupp “for a group of artists exploring the misremembered musical history of a parallel world.” Their exclusively English roster consists of projects like The Focus Group (the avant-garde sound collages of Julian House), Belbury Poly (Jupp’s kitschy throwback to the electronic mood pieces of the ‘70s), and the Advisory Circle (Jon Brooks’ warped take on the library music of his youth).

More than growing a roster of disparate voices and influences, Ghost Box focuses on developing a small, tight-knit group of like-minded musicians who share a similar cultural memory based on the off-kilter sights and sounds of mid- to late-twentieth century England. “There’s not so much of a deliberate purpose here,” Jupp said. “It’s just that our artists share a sensibility for a timeless parallel world, of maybe an imaginary past. We use the label to tie all these influences and styles together.” Following their manifesto, these artists seek to paint a sonic picture of the past, not as it was, but as they remember it. “In general, Ghost Box artists draw on a variety of influences. It’s not stuff from any particular time period, but we imagine a kind of all-at-once world spanning from the mid-sixties to the mid-eighties,” Jupp said. In their music, they channel the distorted remnants of their own past; “Early electronic music, folk, psychedelia, library, and soundtrack.” Though they’re chiefly an insular label, they don’t abstain from collaborations. Said Jupp, “Our series of singles, Study Series, and Other Voices have provided a kind of sideline to the label where we can work with other artists whose work we love but may not quite fit into the Ghost Box world.” Through these series they’ve put out collaborations with Moon Wiring Club, Mordant Music, and Broadcast. “The process of collaboration with artists outside our immediate circle is very satisfying,” Jupp said. “It’s a way to experiment and take more chances than we could with albums alone.” Their chief focus remains on albums. However, the mediums they use don’t always pertain to the digital side of music. “Physical releases have always been most important to us,” Jupp said. “We feel that the design and imagery that goes into each release give it more context than the music alone can give.” As a label that focuses on crafting temporal forgeries, a tangible medium is necessary to convey their misremembered past.

A Ghost Box record is like reading a dusty book found in a forgotten section of a library, watching a degraded VHS tape of a 1992 nature documentary, or playing a cassette tape of a late relative. If one believes in the idea of ghosts caught on tape, then Ghost Box is having a séance.

Features 11

YouTube Music: Why? By Danielle Ducharme Over the past five years, social media has taken off. While some platforms are used simply for sharing photos with friends and family, others have the ability to put people on the fast track to fame and fortune. YouTube is one of them, being a creative space that allows videographers to express themselves to larger audiences. YouTube has created a new type of celebrity: the “YouTuber.” Over the years, major talents have been discovered on YouTube, from Justin Bieber to Shawn Mendes to James Bay. These stars made their claims to fame by posting melodic covers and tasteful renditions of popular songs on YouTube; some artists have even displayed their own songwriting talents. However, these artists don’t fit into the category that I am going to discuss. We are here instead to discuss those “musicians” on YouTube who create music solely for clout or attention. “YouTube music” is an established genre by today’s standards and is generally defined

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as content created for views with absurd lyrics and catchy beats. The birth of YouTube music can be traced back to the death of the social media platform Vine. When Vine died, many people and creators (especially the younger generations) were left without an audience. This created complications for these “suddenly famous” individuals, so they quickly flooded other social media platforms with their content. This migration to YouTube first happened slowly, then all at once—their followings quickly regained by loyal fans. They were now given a new platform to share their content, opening a world beyond Vine’s six-second videos. And while most turned to variations of vlog-style videos or “challenge videos,” the emergence of music videos from these creators was almost inevitable. This ultimately raises the question of why did people turn to music of all things? Is it seen as a joke? Or are these “stars” actually trying to make a name for themselves? Almost everyone has heard of Jake Paul, having left a lasting impression in 2018. His insane stunts and somewhat interesting vlogs have attracted 17 million subscribers. In addition to this, Paul’s music career started by releasing his song “It’s Everyday Bro.” The music video for this song has a whopping 217 million views. But why? The song itself is uninteresting—with the video featuring a gaggle of teenagers flexing their wealth and lyrics that sound like they were written by a spoiled thirteenyear-old. Following the release of “It’s Everyday Bro,” Paul proceeded to release more music, for example, the song that he wrote with his girlfriend entitled “Jerika,” which was followed by a series of diss tracks directed at his brother. This music proved to be rather awkward and very cringy to some viewers. Yet, the YouTube star kept releasing new songs. “Jake Paulers comin’ thru/Jake Paulers with the views,” sings Paul in one of his other songs, “Jake Paulers,” which talks about the loyalty of his fans who support his music and put more than 2 million dollars a month in his pocket. Another Youtube sensation who exploited the music industry is RiceGum. His 10 million

subscribers, who have become used to being subjected to his insane wealth and incredibly idiotic stunts, have now become immersed in his infamous diss tracks. This has driven RiceGum to become a controversial creator and has gotten him involved in bouts of YouTube drama. Most recently, he has antagonized Jake Paul with Paul’s ex-girlfriend, Alissa Violet. The duo wrote a retort to “It’s Everyday Bro,” creatively entitled “It’s Everynight Sis.” While most YouTube music creators (like Jake Paul and RiceGum) create more comical music pieces, some vloggers and video creators have used their following to try and establish a more serious musical presence. YouTuber Gabbie Hanna, who also got her start on Vine, has since used her channel to promote and establish her music career. She has used her once vlog channel to now post music videos and other content related to her up-and-coming singing career. Hanna is not the only one doing this. A mysterious YouTube personality, Poppy, has also used her following to begin a career in music. Poppy has become the center of many dark conspiracy theories in the YouTube world due to her monotone voice and odd content, with some of her songs even believed to be a sort of satanic worship when played backwards. Nevertheless, she has truly flourished with her music. In 2015, she even secured a deal with Island Records. There is no singular answer for why YouTube creators turn to music so frequently. The most basic reasoning that I can come up with for the emergence of this genre is that YouTube creators are thirsty for views; with more followers, the more rich and famous one has the ability to become. Even if the music is created as a joke, people fashion bigger conversations surrounding the singers. Whether it is for the attention of views or because of a serious interest in music, I am still here asking the same question: Why?

Features 13

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K-Pop in America The How and the Why? By Cassandra Yany Korean pop music seems to have suddenly invaded the American music industry in recent years, and music lovers everywhere are totally here for it. From nationally broadcasted award shows to concerts here in Boston, K-pop groups have increased their presence within American music culture. These groups have developed large fan bases that haven’t been seen since perhaps the beginning of Justin Bieber’s career in 2010. While K-pop has gained a large following in the United States, many music fans are left perplexed by the overwhelming popularity of the genre. This poses the question: how has K-pop become the musical force that it is today? One group in particular that has been in the spotlight of the K-pop scene within the past couple of years is seven-member boy band, BTS. Formed in Seoul, South Korea in 2013, BTS made their US television debut performing at the 2017 American Music Awards. During the elaborate performance of their song “DNA,” viewers from home heard the loud screams from fans in the crowd and saw them dancing along. Some were brought to tears by the performance. For many people unfamiliar with K-pop, this award show was their first experience with the genre and with BTS. At first glance, it is evident that part of BTS’ popularity comes from their appearance. Each member looks flawless, as if permanently covered by a Snapchat filter. Upon closer inspection, however, one would see that their fame also comes from their high level of talent, especially in their live performances. Not only does BTS sing powerful melodies, but each song is also accompanied by a choreographed dance,

16 Five Cent Sound

creating a multidimensional, electrifying experience. Moreover, many of the band’s lyrics are not sung in English, exemplifying their universality of melodies and the power that their music has to be able to reach mass audiences despite a language barrier. Since the 2017 American Music Awards, BTS released their third Korean studio album, Love Yourself: Tear, featuring the lead single “Fake Love.” The group has attracted a huge following on social media from their BTS Army, topping Billboard’s Social 50 chart for 2018. They also landed the number two spot on the 2018 Top Artists – Duo/Group chart and were Spotify’s second most-streamed group in 2018. Most recently, they received a Grammy nomination for best recording package for Love Yourself: Tear. Other notable K-Pop groups include MONSTA X and the all-female group, TWICE. Both groups also claimed a spot on Billboard’s Social 50 chart for 2018 along with BTS, coming in at number eleven. Recently, MONSTA X closed the show for Boston radio station Kiss 108 at its annual Jingle Ball at TD Garden. K-pop has become a wave, with its popularity cresting in ways that seemed unlikely just two or three years ago. The fame of K-pop groups is very reminiscent of the boy band craze of the ‘90s and early 2000s, with groups such as the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. The synchronized dancing and catchy music make for entertaining and enjoyable performances. When comparing *NSYNC’s music video for “Bye Bye Bye” with the video for BTS’ “Fake Love,” viewers can see many similarities. Both feature a group of polished young men singing about love.

Another similarity of ‘90s boy bands and the K-pop groups of today is the masses of passionate fans. However, one influential difference is the way in which these groups are able to connect with their fan bases in today’s digital world. Part of BTS’s success during their American debut was the fact that they already had a huge social media following behind them. They were the top retweeted artists on Twitter in 2016, then went on to debut at number ten on the Billboard Top Artists chart the next year. The power of social media allowed them to have success in America before they even promoted themselves in the American market. K-pop groups bring the performance elements of traditional boy bands to the next level; the Backstreet Boys on steroids. This

delivers something new and exciting. The oneof-a-kind entertainment experiences these groups create can provide an explanation to the immense success and popularity of the genre. The recent rise of K-pop in American music exemplifies the power and connection music has, allowing it to unite many different cultures.

Around the World 17

A New Sensation By Tripp Rams In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the United States experienced the emergence of a music phenomenon known today as rock ‘n’ roll. As the genre rose in popularity, ultimately taking over the music industry, many British artists became a large part of the rock scene in the US. Acts such as the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin were all England-born superstars. Hip-hop was started in the United States in the 1970s, but the United Kingdom has not

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had the same global impact on hip-hop as they did on rock ‘n’ roll. US rappers seem to appear at alarming rates, but the most famous British-born rapper might just be 21 Savage. However, the UK does have a more underground rap scene, with a very unique sound: grime— which is growing rapidly in popularity. Grime music is a genre of experimental hiphop electronic music in the UK. The genre began to bud in the early 2000s, but it wasn’t recognized as a genre in England until 2005. The way the story goes is that jungle and reggae artists were trying to make UK garage music and somehow messed it up. Jungle music is a genre which emerged as a subgenre of underground rave music in the mid 1990s in Great Britain; Reggae is a slower genre unique

to Jamaica. Grime takes the reggae-style sub bass and the jungle energy at a garage pace (140 bpm) to create its signature sound. Like hip-hop’s origination in the United States, grime began as a DJ-centered genre where MCs were simply another instrument. Lyricism has since evolved to bring a voice to the streets similar to rap. Now, grime artists are considered rappers and have been appearing more and more often as guest features in albums. Skepta, a popular grime artist, has been seen on albums by A$AP Rocky. The leading single off of A$AP Rocky’s 2018 album Testing, entitled “Praise the Lord,” contains a hook and verse by the British artist. Drake’s 2017 album More Life also contains a track with Skepta, entitled “Skepta’s Interlude.” Grime sales have increased in the UK over the past year, with physical sales increasing by 109 percent and streaming by 138 percent. Grime is rapidly growing in popularity in the UK and is even spilling over to the rest of the world. One of the most popular artists on the grime scene currently is Giggs: a frequent collaborator in US rap music. Popular American artists have begun incorporating grime in their own sounds. The English rapper Stormzy has appeared on songs with Little Mix, Ed Sheeran, and Linkin Park, none of whom make hip-hop music. The influence and mastery of a genre this young remains to be seen, but it is skyrocketing, and hopefully by 2020, even people like 21 Savage will know what grime is.

Around the World 19

L ive &

Local

Ugly Mane Gets Intimate

22 Five Cent Sound

By Josh Merkin

On November 7, The Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, transformed into a haven for the Richmond rap scene with an electrifying set from Lil Ugly Mane. The artist delivered an emotionally intense performance, leaving the crowd with outstretched arms and chanting for an encore. Lil Ugly Mane, also known as Travis Miller, from Richmond, Virginia, came to prominence under the Ugly Mane moniker in 2012 with the release of his album Mista Thug Isolation, a project indebted to the wave of late ’90s and early 2000s southern hip-hop that inspires many modern rappers. While Miller has released several mixtapes and albums since then, such as 2015’s Oblivion Access and a 2017 project released under the alias Bedwetter, he stuck to the hits at his Cambridge show. After running onto the shallow stage to a squeaky noise track—reminiscent of his harshnoise sound collages featured on 2015’s THIRD SIDE OF TAPE—to introduce the DJ and numerous rappers who performed prior to him, Lil Ugly Mane launched into “Serious Shit.” This acid-jazz tinged jam made the crowd move immediately. As soon as the chorus came in, Miller switched between overlaying his actual voice above the down-pitched vocals featured on the track and passing the mic through the audience so that others could sing the hook. The rapper then played the first part of “Uneven Compromise,” a ten minute track that he would later bookend with the second verse. With a beat that perfectly exemplifies the hazy, yet aggressive, style that he’s known for, Ugly Mane strained his vocal chords to rap every line. His triplet flow created a tension in the crowd that felt as if he was trying to prove himself innocent of a crime committed earlier that night. With no breaks in between songs, he then lead directly into a stream of other hits from his debut, with thunderous, ethereal beats shaking the room and creating a thick fog of samples and bass that made the floor tremble, all with Ugly Mane’s lyrics careening in and out of the rhythm being propelled from the speakers. During tracks like “Wishmaster,” “Cup Fulla Beetlejuice,” and “Bitch I’m Lugubrious,” the artist implemented himself into the churning

crowd: leaning in the faces of those in front of the stage and shouting every lyric with strain and hellfire, his neck muscles seemingly bursting at every chant of “don’t you wish you could be me?” With Ugly Mane thrashing around on stage to a pumping group of college students, the crowd wished we could be him. Miller then dove headfirst into the second part of “Uneven Compromise”—a narrative flow over a chopped up vibraphone jazz sample thick with classic turntable scratches. With the emotional vulnerability present and his voice recounting a true experience of reconnecting with a strung-out friend, the set suddenly felt cautionary. Laying down on the stage, propped up against the monitors, knees to the floor, hands covering his face during the verses, Miller performed a song fans wouldn’t expect: “Stoop Lights” from his project as Bedwetter. The emotionally charged and raw song detailing his struggles with alcoholism and depression ended with Lil Ugly Mane standing up and addressing the crowd directly, saying “If you ever need help, talk to someone you love. It’s okay to get help. Talk to someone if you need it, please.” But Ugly Mane—in the true spirit of the internet rap that gave him prominence—wouldn’t leave the audience on a low note. He closed the set with “Throw Dem Gunz,” immediately thwarting the negative energy of his last track and replacing it with the sloth-like fuel of his most known song. With a spectacular flow almost drowned out by the thickened bass and staggering violin samples, Lil Ugly Mane dove into the crowd, accentuating his performance— merging audience and performer. Lil Ugly Mane’s attitude of vulnerability with the crowd allows him to achieve nothing short of greatness in his performance. The so-called “Break the Stage Tour” made a house party out of a venue—interacting with us amongst the broken tables and crushed beer cans. Ugly Mane was able to transform an almost sold out show to an intimate experience, leaving the crowd captivated and stunned up to the last second.

Live & Local 23

The Space Cade7s

Get Ready For

Takeoff By Sarah Hope

A performance by the Space Cade7s brings fans on a galactic exploration of truth and meaning. The Cade7s are more a collective than traditional band, consisting of three Emerson alumni: Malachi Mcdonald, Tyler Yassky, Elliot G. Hall, and two Maryland natives: Lord Keo, and Rico Luichiano. Mcdonald, also a Maryland native, met Luichiano and Keo in high school and brought them on board after he met Yassky and Hall at Emerson. Each member writes and produces music outside of the group, either solo or with collaborators, but when the collective vocals, lyrics, and beats of the five core members come together, the music thrives. The Space Cade7s didn’t come together overnight; their formation came in phases. Mcdonald, Keo, and Luichiano started making music together in high school. “I would either

24 Five Cent Sound

write in my notebook, or if I had a working phone I’d write on my notes and match those lyrics onto a beat,” Mcdonald said of the early years. When he started school at Emerson, he found a partner in Yassky. He recalls nightly sessions with Yassky in the Little Building dorm, rapping back and forth over a drum pad. Nights like those paved their creativity with their flow steadily building. As they started to take their music more seriously, Mcdonald introduced Yassky to Keo and Luichiano. Meanwhile, Hall was making music with a few bands as a producer. After ending a longterm relationship, he was able to dedicate more time to refining his craft. “I kind of had to rediscover what my passions were and what I had to let go of.” He was trying to recruit friends for a battle-of-the-bands event. From there, they started doing shows together, with

everything beginning to fall into place. “I’m just really fortunate that I’ve got all of these guys because I like making the sounds but you’re not gonna hear me on a mic, it’s just not my position,” said the producer, who then admitted he sometimes entertains with the occasional late-night line. Writing and producing is a process that looks very different for every artist and for every project. “A lot of it is just notebooks,” said Mcdonald. “I’ll write a verse, add a beat without any song behind it.” When Hall and Mcdonald lived close together, they bounced ideas off of each other, sometimes starting with a concept, sometimes with a beat. There are five minds at play here, each artist bringing something to the table. “We’re still figuring out what the music under our group name is gonna be like because each artist has ideas about what they like individually and that’s what enables us to have so many branches,” Hall said. “What exactly do we want it to be like? I think we want it to be all of these things, so it’s just finding the best way to package them for people.” Hall has been a key factor in “packaging” the band’s brand. Of course, it’s the music that elevates listeners to fans. The Space Cade7s bring out true human expression in their music by tapping into unexplored parts of their emotions. “In writing, it’s been a lot of fleshing out things I wouldn’t want to bring up in the past or experiences I wouldn’t want to deal with—just being as honest about things as I can be,” Mcdonald explained, adding “not to get so deep.” But it’s exactly that depth that fans show up to see. On stage, the Space Cade7s are captivating. The dynamic of a Space Cade7s show doesn’t operate based on a stage-down energy flow. As Mcdonald explained, the best shows are those in which the energy is being equally distributed throughout the ven-

ue. This was the case when I went to see the group perform in the Middle East’s Sonia room in December 2018. A good vibe is everything at shows, but is only achievable with the musician-fan connection that emotional depth enables. Mcdonald explained, “Even though we’re so caught up in our differences, I think a group of humans all experience the same kind of emotions.” Mcdonald emphasized, “It just takes maybe breaking through your walls of thinking.” The Cade7s do what they can to catalyze this connection, prompting the audience to come closer to the stage and getting fans to interact. If all else fails, the music is what ultimately sets the vibe. Yassky, Keo, and Mcdonald, the poets of the Space Cade7s, create the metaphysical connection between the audience and the performers. In a song called “Love & Drugs,” Keo recites “Competition? Nah, what’s that?/ I’m on my own craft/And if you ever doubted me I’ll get the last laugh.” He not only recalls a moment many have experienced, but makes a call for unity, for artists to set aside competitive thoughts, and to look at their work as their own original creation, as opposed to comparing it to the work of others. Layered on a live band of two guitarists, a bass, and Hall on the drums, the lyrics carried even more weight when they were uttered by Lord Keo at Sonia that night.

Live & Local 25

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I C A & T E T R N E E T M N U I C EN A & T R T N E E T M N N I E A T R E T N E C & T N E M N I A T ENTER

E R U

There’s an appetite for violence, hatred, and drama that lives in the stomachs of rap fans and artists. A piece of musical art is crafted from feelings within the artist’s heart—those feelings often resonating with its listeners. When passions between two rap artists intersect, a fire is created, leading to “beef” between those artists. If you listen closely, you might hear songs with poetic hatred containing lyrics directly aimed at another musician in an attempt to damage their ego—a “diss track” if you will. O’Shea Jackson Sr., known professionally as Ice Cube, was a rapper in the group Niggaz Wit Attitudes from 1986 to 1989. Ice Cube left the group to pursue success on his own terms, leaving N.W.A. in the dust. Ice Cube’s decision to opt out of this brotherhood created a rift between the group that would prompt N.W.A. to fire shots—comparing him to the traitor Benedict Arnold in their song “Real N*ggaz” on the album N*ggaz4Life in 1990. Silence didn’t work for Ice Cube; instead, he responded to N.W.A. on his next album Death Certificate in 1991. One of Ice Cube’s most popular hits, “No Vaseline,” has lyrics targeting Ruthless Records (his previous label), N.W.A., and their manager Jerry Heller. The hatred is poetic in Ice Cube’s words, “Callin’ me Arnold, but you Beena-dick/Eazy E saw your ass and went in it quick,” or “White man just rulin’/The Niggas With Attitudes, who ya foolin’?” Ice Cube’s lyrics verbally flatlined the group. In a fit of hatred, both Ice Cube and N.W.A had gone for each other’s throats. In an interview on The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Ice Cube would celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of his diss track, “No Vase-

line.” “It’s hard listening to those songs because we cool… I love those guys,” Ice Cube said, referring to the group he once loathed, publically and on record for all time. Fueds such as these are a mainstay in rap and hip-hop with another notably tumultuous rivalry: Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G., or Biggie Smalls. Tupac pulls fire lines on Smalls, “Biggie, remember when I used to let you sleep on the couch/And beg a b***h to let you sleep in the house.” The stories we hear now have diss tracks ranging in genre, intention and perspective, but it still hits hardest in rap. Rap empowers, revolutionizes, and rediscovers deeper and with more intensity than many other spoutlines; it has the ability to flow like water or blood, read like poetry or song. Diss tracks are nothing new to the game today, but in the ’90s, when the rap scene was new and still inventing itself, these raw lyrics left artists and fans bleeding and hoping for some poetic justice.

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Entertainment & Culture 27

Woodstock Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary By Andrea Williams

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Fifty years earlier on August 15, 1969, over a half million people swarmed a small farm in Bethel, New York, to embark on a three-day musical experience filled with mud, seas of people, and, of course, music. It’s no secret that music festivals have been an important aspect of music culture since they came into being. Even today, there are some music festivals that are cemented in our minds: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, SXSW Music Festival, Lollapalooza Chicago, and, perhaps the most infamous of all, Woodstock. Almost fifty years ago, one of the biggest music festivals that would ever occur took place on Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, New York. Co-producer and founder of Woodstock, Michael Lang, wanted to bring Woodstock back once more to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. In order to recreate this vision, Lang wanted to bring some of the biggest names in pop culture today to the festival. In his official statement, Lang said, “The Woodstock 50th Anniversary will be about sharing an experience with great artists and encouraging people to get educated and involved in the social issues impacting everyone on the planet.” While the official lineup hasn’t been announced as of right now, rumors of big-named artists such as Bon Jovi and The Who, and even artists like Chance the Rapper and Imagine Dragons, are circulating. On the official Woodstock website, an article boasts that this festival will bring “more than 60 of the biggest names and emerging talent in rock, hip hop, and country.” On August 16, 2019, the fiftieth anniversary of Woodstock will take place in Watkins Glen, New York. While many thought the festival would take place in the original location, Lang said, “The original site in Bethel is wonderful, but much too small for what we’re envisioning…Watkins Glen International gives us the ability to create something uniquely Woodstock.” While there is no question that the fiftieth anniversary of Wood-

stock is going to try and emulate the feel of its predecessors, it is important to understand why and how Woodstock has become such an historical event for music. Fifty years earlier on August 15, 1969, over a half million people swarmed a small farm in Bethel, New York, to embark on a three-day musical experience filled with mud, seas of people, and, of course, music. This festival became known to the world as Woodstock. With countless people gathered around a stage swaying in unison to the sweet melodies or partaking in some of the most large-scale drug usage history has ever known, Woodstock tried to market itself as a place driven by peace and where all were welcome. A writer for The New Republic named Hedrik Hertzberg recalls going to Woodstock in an old Volkswagen “driving slowly, because of the traffic…piled with people catching a ride. We came over the crest of a hill, and there… was a huge natural amphitheater covered with the biggest crowd any of us had ever seen. We inched down…abandoned the car…sat down, and waited.” This festival brought thirty-two acts together who were spread out between two stages. Attendees walked around the muddy field to the music of legends such as Janis Joplin and The Who. The fans who stayed the day after the festival was supposed to end would wake up on Monday morning to Jimi Hendrix shredding out one of the most iconic performances of the national anthem to date. However, even though Woodstock went down in history as one of the craziest and biggest music festivals to ever happen in the United States, that doesn’t mean it went down with-

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out any problems. In 1994, Woodstock ’94 came about to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the festival. This time, the celebration took place on August 12, 1994, in Saugerties, New York, with artists like Metallica, Aerosmith, Salt-NPepa, Bob Dylan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and even Green Day showing up to perform. However, this festival would come to be known as the “forgotten festival” because of the disaster that came with Woodstock ’99 (the thirtieth anniversary). Many organizers wanted one more goaround considering the amount of money lost on Woodstock ’94. So in order to right their wrongs, they put on Woodstock ’99 five years later in Rome, New York. Woodstock ’99 took place in the hot month of July on a field about one hundred miles away from the original Woodstock location, and it was planned to span the days of the twenty-second through the twenty-fifth. During Woodstock ’99, HuffPost writer Joshua Ostroff, at the time, was writing for a newspaper called The Ottawa. In one of his articles, he says hundreds and thousands of people showed up to this festival which we now know to be around 400,000 people. The Woodstock of 1999 had many more controversies than previous installments. In a Rolling Stone article written in 2014, Woodstock ’99 was dubbed as the “day the Nineties died.” In the aftermath of the festival, many sexual assault allegations came to fruition, with people forced to acknowledge the violence that took place during Woodstock ’99. In addition, there were many instances of rioting, looting, and arson. Chaos ensued after the set of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers when people noticed small fires around the festival grounds. Everything from merchandise to water and even ATMs were stolen from the festival grounds. The Rolling Stone article detailed, “The riot continued for hours, growing ever more insane as people danced in the fires, climbed the speaker towers, and destroyed everything they could until finally, the police made their move.” While Woodstock did have many controver-

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sies surrounding it, when most people think of the iconic festival, they think of peace, love, and music—a sense of belonging in a world ridden with uncertainty. This feeling is something anticipated to be brought into the fiftieth anniversary of Woodstock, a lasting moment in a year of turmoil.

1969 Set List Jimi Hendrix ▪ Keef Hartley Band ▪ Joe Cocker Creedence Clearwater Revival ▪ Grateful Dead Paul Butterfield Blues Band ▪ John B. Sebastian Sha Na Na ▪ Blood Sweat And Tears ▪ The Who Jefferson Airplane ▪ Arlo Guthrie ▪ Janis Joplin Melanie ▪ Sly & The Family Stone ▪ Sweetwater Johnny Winter ▪ Richie Havens ▪ Bert Sommer Country Joe McDonald ▪ Richie Havens ▪ Quill Country Joe & The Fish ▪ The Band ▪ Tim Hardin Incredible String Band ▪ Santana ▪ Ravi Shankar Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ▪ Ten Years After Leslie West & Mountain ▪ Canned Heat

2019 Set List Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats ▪ Jay-Z Dead and Company ▪ Young The Giant ▪ Dawes John Sebastian ▪ Soccer Mommy ▪ Miley Cyrus Chance the Rapper ▪ Country Joe and the Fish Halsey ▪ Michael Franti & Spearhead ▪ Santana Cherry Glazerr ▪ Earl Sweatshirt ▪ The Lumineers The Raconteurs ▪ Portugal. The Man ▪ Boygenius Imagine Dragons ▪ Courtney Barnett ▪ Hot Tuna The Head and the Heart ▪ Cage The Elephant Run the Jewels ▪ Anderson East ▪ Princess Nokia Janelle Monae ▪ Taylor Bennett ▪ Brandi Carlile Judah and the Lion ▪ Vince Staples ▪ Black Keys Greta Van Fleet ▪ Margo Price ▪ the Zombies Maggie Rogers ▪ Canned Heat ▪ Gary Clark Jr. Pussy Riot ▪ Rival Sons ▪ Common ▪ The Killers John Fogerty ▪ Leon Bridges ▪ Sturgill Simpson Robert Plant ▪ Emily King ▪ Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes

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Through the Looking Glass: 70s Music Today By Liz Lavender The 1970s was a decade filled with tumultuous events: ranging from the Watergate Scandal to the Vietnam War. Protestors lined the streets and filled them with chaotic violence, however, when people think of this decade, they often view it as “peaceful.” After searching Twitter, I found many teens who wished they were alive in the ’70s because of its peaceful vibe. This connotation surrounding the ’70s could have come from the offshoot of the hippie era, but for many, it stems from the music that was created during that time period. The ’70s were a time for creative liberty; many musicians took this freedom and ran with it. Los Angeles became the

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main hub for the music scene. Places like the Troubadour, a famous nightclub, became a starting point for some of the most well-known artists. During this decade, the famous “California Sound” arose. Institutionalized by artists like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, The Grateful Dead, The Byrds, and many others, this sound was relaxed—eliciting the sensation of a day at the beach. All of these artists created music that sparked a feeling of freedom and revolution. America found solace in this music because it blocked out the racist, economic, and political issues that the country faced. Music was more important than

ever, demonstrating the power to highlight what actually could be important. This phenomenon was never more apparent than with the release of “Take it Easy” by The Eagles. The song hit the market in 1972, during a time of political and social disorder, and automatically gained popularity because people needed something, anything, to resonate with and unify them as Americans. Music served as a placebo; Americans would turn on their record players and radios and, all of a sudden, the outside world and all its wickedness no longer existed. Similar to the unrest of the 1970s, America is currently experiencing an uneasy social and political atmosphere. The behavior of our current government and society is reflective of the 1970s, with protests for civil liberties and movements for equality, like Black Lives Matter and anti-gun legislation. Music continues to settle our unrest, even fifty years later, with younger generations listening to the same music that was popular in the 1970s. I constantly see posts regarding Stevie Nicks or Fleetwood Mac’s music on my Twitter feed; Nicks’ influence, so

far, has reached a multitude of outlets. Alex Brown, a student at Emerson College, enjoys the likes of Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, and Joni Mitchell. “I am inspired by the ’70s as a whole, and when I listen to these artists, I feel as if I am a experiencing a time period that I wish I was alive for,” Brown said. Many artists today create music that is reflective of this time period, allowing listeners to create a modern version of the era. Concerts are also becoming more reflective of the ’70s; Harry Styles’ debut album was influenced by Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, and Paul Simon. His songs “From the Dining Table” and “Meet Me in the Hallway” are similar to that of Pink Floyd’s grunge sound, whereas songs like “Carolina” and “Ever Since New York” reflect Fleetwood Mac’s softer and folkier sound. Today, people have turned to the music of the 1970s to calm their anger, lower their tensions, and allow them to be present. Like the 1970s, people found comfort in the California sound—evoking a feeling of security and happiness in a time of uncertainty.

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Reviews Reviews Reviews Reviews Reviews Reviews Reviews Reviews Reviews Reviews Reviews

Cult Leader on Evaluating Patience By Dylan Hearn A Patient Man is the second album from the Utah-based chaotic hardcore band Cult Leader. The album builds off of the disorderly sound introduced in their first album, Lightless Walk, by implementing stronger instrumentation and experimenting with more melodic elements. While the results aren’t genre-defining or revolutionary, A Patient Man is a strong, if unfocused, release. One of the most immediate observations that can be made is that the songs are not easily approachable. Production for the album was headed by Kurt Ballou of Salem’s GodCity Studio, lending to a dense, grimy, and overtly loud sound. The band’s blend of various subgenres of metal and hardcore punk lend well to Ballou’s production style, though it may sound too frenzied for some. Ultimately, whether or not it will appeal to the listener is revealed within moments of playing the album’s opening song, “I Am Healed.” While heavier music is not usu-

ally synonymous with catchy tunes, the opener meshes its anthemic qualities with torrents of blast-beats, crushing guitar riffs, and lead singer Anthony Lucero’s terrifyingly-inhuman vocals. The two songs that follow, particularly “Isolation in the Land of Milk and Honey,” are excellent as well, with both creating their own atmospheres amid the frenetic instrumentation. The fourth song, “to: Achlys,” offers a reprieve from the unrelenting ruminations of the first three songs by abdicating any semblance of aggression. As it meanders across six minutes of hypnotic, reverb-heavy guitars and simplistic drum beats, Lucero eschews his vocals for a unique, baritone croon. After the first four tracks, however, is a decidedly underwhelming midsection that feels more derivative than anything else. The fifth track, “A World of Joy,” sounds identical to the previous song to such a degree that one could be forgiven if they thought the same song played twice. Moreover, while the next three songs—“Craft of Mourning,” “Share My Pain,” and “Aurum Reclusa”—see the band return to their trademark blend of auditory violence and misanthropic contempt, they too sound imitative of their own music. Though multiple listens will reveal subtle nuances, the songs are only notable for their lack of notable moments. The last section of the album is composed of two slower, more drawn out tracks that make up for any of the aforementioned gripes, as well as show the most evidence of the band’s maturation in sound. The title track is particularly haunting, as the inflection in Lucero’s crooning feels more sincere than most metal or hardcore vocalists would venture to attempt, let alone succeed in pulling off. While the songs certainly won’t appeal to anyone seeking out cheerful, they stand as the most realized ballad-esque songs that the band has done thus far. A Patient Man has some of Cult Leader’s strongest music to date, with some of its most forgettable songs interspersed in between. Despite its shortcomings, A Patient Man stands out within a genre riddled with typecast releases.

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Watsky’s Words of Welcome

The day before releasing “Welcome to the Family,” Watsky’s first new single in two years, he took to social media to address his notable lack of presence online. Watsky wrote that he has not been inactive, but rather was taking time to improve as an artist so he could give his fans his best work. This song proves that his time off has been impactful. “Welcome to the Family” demonstrates Watsky’s growth as an artist while highlighting areas of improvement for rap as a genre. Rapper and Emerson College alumnus, George Watsky first emerged into the limelight in 2011 when he released a video on YouTube

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By Zack Greenstein

entitled “Pale Kid Raps Fast.” This video, which showcases Watsky’s machine-gun-like flow, went viral, landing him a spot on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Since then, he has gathered a cult following and released four studio albums. While he has become known for his fast delivery and semi-sarcastic energy, these traits have also been his biggest weaknesses. Watsky has developed a comfort zone throughout his career, and it was thought that he wouldn’t be stepping out of it. Until now. “Welcome to the Family” shows Watsky breaking out of this comfort zone; and it is paying off handsomely. Dropping his carefree de-

meanor to deliver a more personal love song, he talks about two imperfect people who care for each other despite their imperfections. In the first verse, Watsky sings, “…you mean to tell me, tell me, tell/You’re tough to love when you don’t love yourself.” The woman he’s addressing is battling depression and fearing she will be abandoned for her flaws. Watsky replies simply, “Welcome to the family.” By this, he means that he, too, isn’t perfect, and that’s okay. Everyone has problems, but no one is undeserving of love. Watsky spends the rest of the song opening up to his potential partner. His extended metaphors (a house fire; a theater full of people) describe the struggles they each face and the empathy Watsky shows her. These personal and intimate lyrics encapsulate the whole of his discography and paint a detailed picture filled with pathos and compassion. Watsky, also, seems to have refined his performance skills, and it’s this delivery which serves to embellish his lyrics. In his previously mentioned social media post, the rapper also admitted he had been taking voice lessons. Watsky showcases this transformation by singing the majority of “Welcome to the Family” instead of choosing to rap for most of the song. In a style completely his own, George Watsky doesn’t belt any outrageously high notes or exhibit any substantial range or runs. However, this isn’t a negative; the song works better with his softer voice. His timbre is warm and safe like embers gently crackling in the night, perfectly fitting the song’s themes of love and vulnerability. Even when he uses his signature rapid-fire flow, it’s less abrasive than his previous work. On other songs, one would get the sense that when Watsky raps fast, it isn’t because of his need to harmonize with the lyrics, but to prove the point to his audience that he can. On “Welcome to the Family,” he waits to use this delivery until the third verse, marking a noticeable diversion from previous performances. It stands out from the rest of the song, vibrating with excitement and anticipation. Watsky’s flow makes sense here. The way his voice speeds

up matches the feelings that come from asking someone out for the first time, or from being rejected. It’s enthusiastic and energetic while retaining a relatable softness. Fittingly, the production of “Welcome to the Family” is also noticeably different from the rest of Watsky’s discography. His earlier albums are full of live guitars and drums, giving the rapper’s music a certain rock ‘n’ roll inspired energy. Had he continued this trajectory for his most recent single, the themes established throughout his lyrics would have no sonic support. Luckily, producers Ryan Spraker and Chukwudi Hodge help create the song’s intimacy. The live drums have been traded in for electronic samples. These are softer and less abrasive, keeping the beat steady without overpowering the track. The main feature is the medley of various synths and pianos which all play variations of the same arpeggiated chord progression. The resulting sound is warm and welcoming, just as the lyrics suggest. When combined with multipart vocal harmonies and a fuzzy, humming bass, the resulting product is a wonderful conglomerate of emotions. It is grand, yet unassuming; animated, yet tranquil. This song and its sound are very unique for 2018.

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Yves Tumor is Keeping You Safe & Loved By Owen Murray Yves Tumor is a musical project from Tennessee that refuses to be pinned down. Calling Safe in the Hands of Love an electronic album would be incomplete, calling it an alternative sells it short, and calling it experimental is simply lazy. This solo project of Sean Bowie’s draws influence from numerous genres, displayed more clearly than ever on Safe in the Hands of Love, a sonic odyssey that remains engaging from front to back, through all its twists and turns. The album’s opener, “Faith in Nothing Except In Salvation,” is the sonic equivalent of being submerged in a warm bath. Distorted horns and drums swell, fittingly introducing the album’s part-natural, part-synthetic atmosphere. The song doesn’t build or change, but the booming, powerful, melodic loop is all that’s necessary to plunge the listener headfirst into the album’s textured, layered sound. Here, like many songs on Safe in the Hands of Love, Tumor uses words buried under sounds to express his emotional message. Safe in the Hands of Love is somewhat of a misnomer, as the album’s one clear

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love song, “Licking An Orchid,” describes an anxious, unhealthy, unrequited love. The noise and distortion in the latter half of the song use sound to express intense emotion where words seem to fail. Instead of dealing with love, most of the album deals with grief, trauma, and injustice. Being “safe in the hands of love” is by no means a reality, but instead a distant goal, a motivational thought in the background. On its more electronic cuts, Safe in the Hands of Love bears some similarities both to Flying Lotus’s electronic R&B fusion and Sophie’s avant-garde techno, but the unconventional mixing of these tracks sets Yves Tumor apart from their influences. It would be hard to gain a full appreciation for these songs without listening through headphones due to the unusual way in which they are presented. “Noid” is the album’s first ray of light, and, sonically, one of its standout tracks. Contrasting with the song’s sparkling synths and spattering drums, Tumor delivers an unsettling verse on police injustice, establishing one of the album’s most

lyrically driven tracks. While the bulk of Safe in the Hands of Love is structurally unconventional and obtuse, “Noid” stands out for being more accessible. It retains an electronic feel and remains well within the album’s sonic pallet, but it also has many of the characteristics of a traditional rock song, bringing with it a welcomed change of pace. Towards the album’s second half, it sounds less like an album and more like an experimental art presentation. While the album has its interludes and bursts of experimentation, it commits to the chaos on “Hope In Suffering (Escaping Oblivion & Overcoming Powerlessness).” Haunting strings and dark synths combine with the building roar of flies buzzing and machine guns shooting on the nearly structureless song, creating a bed for some of Tumor’s darkest lyrics. Dramatically spoken through lower pitch and shifted and distorted vocals, Tumor paints a catastrophic picture of personal and widespread suffering. The result is unnerving, to say the least. There are many points on the album where Tumor delivers a needed breath of fresh air; a break from the chaos and catastrophe. “Recognizing the Enemy” is a slow burner featuring echoing acoustic guitars that offers a change of scenery while still remaining deeply unsettling. It’s not the album’s only track in this vein, but it contrasts more starkly with the chaos of the songs which surround it. “Recognizing The Enemy” also stands out as one of the album’s few melodic songs. Tumor rarely has melody as the main focus on Safe in the Hands of Love, making the few ear-grabbing melodies that do

turn up in the flood of abstract sound all the more powerful. Safe in the Hands of Love closes with a two-song finale of electronic sonic experimentation. “All The Love We Have Now” sounds like a house anthem twisted to conform to Tumor’s menacing sound. To finish, Tumor dips into the industrial on “Let The Lioness In You Flow Freely.” For five minutes, the song rages on, but the rage isn’t the same as that in the rest of the album. It’s more powerful than ever. The chaos and injustice of the world blend as common motifs throughout the album both sonically and lyrically. “Let The Lioness In You Flow Freely” is the first time this rage is effectively combative. Through all the anger, pain, and resentment, Yves Tumor expresses the possibility to extract a glimmer of hope from the seemingly uninterrupted darkness. But this hope doesn’t come freely. And these optimistic ideas cannot be obtained without the brutal fight for recognition depicted in Safe in the Hands of Love’s chaotic character.

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Spring 2019 playlist Some may say this playlist takes too many liberties. To that I say, you are right. From the far-reaching corners of my mind, I bring you a cocktail of new lyrical sensations, old sing-along classics, melodies you’d never think could lift your spirits, and a mirage of what my mother fondly refers to as “loner music” to wallow with.

Criminal Talk Hold Me Huddle Formation Lick the Palm of the Burning Hand Paris is Burning Jesus of Suburbia She Will Be Loved Sunflower Ask Washed Out Publisher Glory Box Stick the Kettle on Dancing Queen

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Fiona Apple Khalid Janine The Go! Team Zola Jesus St. Vincent Green Day Maroon 5 Post Malone The Smiths New Theory Blonde Redhead Portishead Lucy Spraggan ABBA

May Concerts 5

Royale

Sinclair Music Hall

Paradise Rock Club

House of Blues

Sinclair Music & May Concert Hall

Lil Pump & Lil Skies

Brighton Music Hall Meat Puppets

House of Blues

Middle East

Lizzo

KT Tunstall

The Drums

8 Zara Larsson

4 Paradise Rock Club

Santigold

Black Pistol Fire

House of Blues

Brighton Music Hall

FKJ

7 The Dandy Warhols

Passion Pit

Born

Yesterday/ Runaway

Agganis Arena

The 1975

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Photo by Liz Lavender, 2019