yipee article secret attraction q&a lifeguard photo essay vet trip q&a blacklisting article contents have a nice day photo essay broken bone poem a spring mix playlist wallows album review when in tempe drawing crumb show review hot flash heat wave photo essay her’s in memoriam
contents
about
Sara Windom editor in chief Kiera Riley editor
contributing this month: jake monger, mia gilling, zo hird, marlee mcdowell
As Ponzo would say, ‘give it a shot.’ If you’ve been keeping up with Aaron Ponzo, you probably know that Coca-Cola’s new Orange Vanilla flavor is “honestly really good”, and that Eegee’s Lucky Lime slushee is also “pretty good.” And if you know the hottest new goss on soda flavors, chances are you’ve listened to Ponzo’s newest EP S/T II released under Yipee!. And if you haven’t, well, as Ponzo would say, “give it a shot.” Just like, the numerous sodas and slushees tested by Ponzo, S/T II embodies a sense of experimentalism, which comes as a welcome change. Formerly known as The Expos, the name change and new releases represent a shift into the more abstract. “The Expos kinda just felt a little like a box. Like, you know what kind of band this is going to be,” said Ponzo, “Yipee! felt more ambiguous and like it could be a band or it could be solo and that it could be anything.” Yipee! first hit the scene in mid 2017 with the release of Perfect. Hard and heavy guitar contrasted with optimistic undertones, Ponzo shifted from grunge to pop to straight rock n’ roll. A few months later Ponzo released Singles, a compilation of songs written months prior. “They’re kinda old news now. At least to me,” said Ponzo, “I feel like I’ve gotten better at writing lyrics and coming up with cool instrumental parts in a song that are
different than what I use to make. But still the same I guess.” Now, nearly a year after Ponzo’s last release, S/T II reflects simultaneous growth and habit. S/T II still speaks for itself. Ponzo starts the EP by delivering quick high energy bursts in “Steve Nash” which quickly slips into the more introspective, “Jock.” Ponzo picks up the pace again in “Snowbirds,” and finally launches into “South Dakota Premium.” Each song seems to build on one another. And though a distinct midwestern basketball theme shines through in the song names and the cover art, the lyrics implicitly and explicitly grapple with some sense of identity. Aside from extrapolated meaning, the songs on S/T II are dynamic. Ponzo himself classifies his music as “Twee Pop’s Straight Edge Answer to Van Halen.” Now, as Ponzo takes Yipee! on the road, he intends to rock out songs from his newest EP. “All the songs on S/T II are my favorite to play to be honest and “Grill” off of Perfect,” said Ponzo, “I still like the others, but some of the songs I’ve been playing since 2015, so it’s time some of them be put to rest.” Yipee! embarks on another tour on April 26th, this time trekking to Chicago with San Diego based band, Neutral Shirt. by kiera riley
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secret What was the best show you have ever played? My favorite show I’ve played so far was the Gus Dapperton show at Rebel Lounge last year. The response from the crowd during my set and after the show was something I didn’t expect at all. Really appreciated that. It was unreal How do you get shows with notable bands like that? What’s it like playing with them? I’ve been getting lucky with booking these shows, I think, but I have to thank Stateside Presents for these opportunities. It’s pretty rad getting to open for anyone really, but especially bands you listen to on the daily. Then getting to per-
form your own music in front of their fans, I don’t know, it’s something I look forward to a lot. It’s rewarding for sure. You just released Blush. What was the inspiration behind it? What was the process like? I wanted to make an album that could be the soundtrack to an ‘80s-modern romance or suspense film. I finished the album cover super early on and went off that look alone which really helped shape everything. I think the title Blush just fits with the overall sound and feel of the album. Blush is my very first full length album. Not sure why I waited so long but it was worth it. Are there any personal milestones
you’ve reached as Secret Attraction so far? Actually finishing and releasing a full length album and being able to share it with everyone. What are you looking forward to in 2019? What are you aiming towards this year? I’d really love to tour this summer. I’m currently working on a new EP to help
tattraction promote that tour on top of Blush so we’ll see. What music/artists do you find inspires you to write? A lot of ‘80s and ‘90s songs for sure. Been meaning to make a spotify playlist of songs that inspired the new album. With such a unique sound to you, how do you find your niche in the local scene? By just getting out there and playing you’re throwing out a sound that a lot may be familiar with and others photos by sara windom
probably not, but in the end, you’re doing what you love in hopes of gaining at least one new fan at the end of the night, maybe selling an album or two. Do you think your synthstyle is making a comeback? If so, how have you seen that in the scene? I’ve never thought about this, but if what I’m doing sparked that question then I don’t know, I hope.
When did you first start making music? What was it like early on? I started messing around with music 4 years ago. I bought a copy of Reason and a cheap midi controller and produced my first EP, Desire. I think prior to that I released my first single with Stratford Ct., the label I’m currently on now, and basically had to come up with a name for this project because I didn’t like what I was going by when they approached me. So yeah, I landed on Secret Attraction for my love of ‘80s movies, it just sounded cool to me I guess. And now here we are.
VET TRIP a q&a with susan rossi and thomas blank
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austin-based shoegaze two-piece evolves with nostalgia How did Vet Trip get started? Any funny quirks, mishaps that you feel define your origin story?
Tom and I actually met via the ol’ Craigslist. We started with the idea of just myself singing and Tom only playing guitar. He shared his postpunk tracks with me to work with, and I shared a song of mine that he eventually recorded my vocals and laid the music track to. We knew that we had a similar vision, knew vocally and sound-wise that it was flowing, just not quite sure which direction we’d be taking it. We both had jobs, though. That was important. Vet Trip serves as a perfect name for a dream-pop/ shoegaze band, but what led you to choose the name? Oh, where do we begin? Actually, we didn’t even think of naming our project until Finland was written. For some reason, that name just sounded like us. We had a drummer and second guitarist working with us at the time and started to consider becoming a band. Those two weren’t in love with “Finland” as a band name, though. And it turns out, after looking up to see if there’s already a band with that name, we stumbled across a YouTube video of a band called “Finland!!” and noticed the lead guy had passed away suddenly. We thought we’ll just leave Finland right there, as a song. Didn’t feel right to take it over
as a band name. Long story short, it was back to just Tom and myself. I remembered a track he had, called Vet Trip, that I always said I loved the name of. It was obscure but short and sweet. It makes me think of a veteran’s crazy ride. Tom liked it, too, and we figured it’s best we just pick something that at least the founding members liked, and stick with it before someone changes our minds! What were some of the musical styles/ideas you started with? How did your sound evolve from there? Starting out, we dabbled in the Mazzy Star realm, with more ambient, dream-poppy sounds. There was a lot of postpunk influence from Tom and a folky yet ‘80s pop-structured mindset from me. So it was like taking this spacey wide-open instrumental horizon and laying standard lyrical format over it, to sustain melody. We’ve definitely evolved from that earlier idea. There are so many tracks we never finished developing, and then we’d jump right into more new songs, many reflecting more of an indie rock-ish sound while naturally falling within the elements of shoegaze and dreampop. It’s nearly impossible not to, that’s just where our heads are at. But the postpunk-‘80s-folk influence is there, and the ol’ ‘independent’ sound. But I’ve been influenced by so many bands across decades. You are a product of your time, no question. And that plays out
in your music. And we let it. We aren’t trying to fit a mold. We go from dreampop to ballad to indie rock to indie pop to shoegaze to ambient, all in one album. That’s just what panned out. Though the two tend to blend together, what do you find yourself focusing on more -- lyrics or sound? I’m personally inspired by the sound of the music. That’s what inspires any lyrical melody I create. Then once the melody is established, the lyrics usually flow. With the focus of the lyrics inspired by a general theme that feels right with that sound. And then song is created. Typically, I write about more philosophical underlying meanings, where Tom tends to write with a more playful tone. Each is really simply a story. What projects are you working on right now? What are some goals Vet Trip has for the future? Just finished recording a single. But plan to really delve in and hit the songwriting heavily. Life has been so busy as of late, and we’ve been putting songwriting on the backburner. But we’ve hit another wave and are ready to see what comes of it. If it works out, we’ll develop another LP but don’t want to sell ourselves short if we only get a few songs completed. We’re totally down with releasing EPs in the interim.
blacklisting... DIY-music venues allow fans to get up close and personal with underground artists and meet attendees with similar interests, but the dangers that come with attending local shows are often left unspoken. Blacklisting, or the act of preventing known abusers and threatening persons from appearing at shows, is a common practice among venue owners. While it is a form of safety used to protect those in the crowd, the term ‘blacklisting’ itself seems to cause a looming effect on showrunners and their employees as soon as it is spoken. Dusty Winter is no stranger to the word. Involved in the local scene since the age of 15, Winter got a job at The Rock, a hard-rock music venue based in Tucson. In 2012, he moved two hours away to Phoenix, now, at 25, he runs Sideroom Sessions out of his house and runs merch, photographs and roadies for shallou. One of his greatest concerns when he started hosting shows at his house was blacklisting. He realized that he would be allowing 30-plus people he had never met into his home and worried about the possible implications of that. Winter has his friends serve as security guards due to this. They participate in the shows while also keeping an eyes on those around them them to ensure the highest level of safety possible. He has not blacklisted anyone thus far from entering his house shows; however, he does keep a list of misconducts that would warrant blacklisting someone. “When it comes to attendees, behavior is a huge way to get blacklisted,” Winter said. “If you act like an idiot, cause a scene during the show, disrespect others
around you, that’s a quick way to get x-ed.” MP Mullarkey, a former volunteer at Trunk Space, sees it all the time. While they have since relocated to Florida, Mullarkey is still involved with the local music scene there, and recalls the countless instances of blacklisting during their time in Phoenix. According to Mullarkey, at Trunk Space, specifically, there was a man who was about 30 years old who was known for sleeping with minors. While he did not meet the women at Trunk Space, all volunteers were aware of him and were prepared to kick him out if he showed up, as a majority of the venue’s audience is underage. “There was also a person who was known for trolling on the internet, personally attacking people, often with racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic language,” Mullarkey said. “If I remember correctly, he was not allowed to play The Trunk Space, though if he showed up to attend, he’d be allowed to enter, but would be closely monitored to make sure he didn’t harass anyone.” Blacklisting is not just for established venues. It is also practiced among house show venues. Kenneth Kite and Peter Resendiz, who run Tobacco Row out of their home in Tempe, have also had to monitor suspicious behavior during performances. One time, Resendiz recalled, a man stood very close to a woman he clearly did not know. When she made a face after he said something to her, Resendiz broke in and asked her if the man was ‘acting weird’ towards her. Most recently, the band TOSO from Tempe came under fire in a Facebook post that alleged the
band would say racial slurs and homophobic insults around friends that identified as homosexual. In an apology post on Facebook that has since been deleted, the band wrote in reference to the individual who penned the original post calling TOSO out, “This person has used drugs around us … it clearly affected their behavior based off the person we’ve known them to be.” The band’s response sparked even more controversy, as many fans accused the band, which is known to use drugs, of being hypocritical and pushing the blame onto other people. In Kite’s experience, drawing attention to other factors or avoiding accepting blame can be detrimental to a person when called out. “The dead giveaway is pointing the finger right back. People are almost never called out for no absolute reason, so you should almost always be ready to accept some sort of guilt in that situation,” Kite said. Blacklisting has been in existence for years, but as #MeToo went viral in 2017, venues came under a greater amount of pressure to hold bands and attendees accountable for their actions. The #MeToo movement sought to display the obvious, yet ignored, misuse of power within the music, film and political industries, and it gave victims a way to share their stories with the world. “Who you are outside of shows plays a huge role. Social media has a huge effect on people,” Winter said. “The local scene is smaller than you think. Word will get around fast, and if you’re doing it over social media where people can see it, it’ll spread super fast.” Posting past experiences with bands and ex-
posing them online can alert the masses rather quickly; however, this can be permanently damaging when the report turns out to be false. Although, only around two percent of rape and sexual assault claims are proven to be false, according to Stanford’s Men Against Abuse Now. For venue owners, it can be difficult to sort true from false. This can be even more arduous when booking bands that are touring from other states. While fans and friends of local bands can defend abusers due to their personal experiences with the group, attendees in a foreign city may not know an abusive band’s history. With all the uncertainty that comes with hosting shows, how to deal with abusers in the scene is left up to each individual venue’s discretion. During Mullarkey’s time at Trunk Space, the owner made the final call, determining which people make it onto the list. This role has since been passed down to the board of directors. House shows are a different story. Some may choose to run doors themselves to ensure certain people do not come in, others have physical lists. For instance, at Tobacco Row, Kite chooses to add a phone number in case he misses something during the showcase. With the DIY scene’s complicated relationship with law enforcement, when to involve police in a situation can be a difficult decision to make. While standalone venues may choose to leave it up to the victim to assess their situation, at house shows, where underage drinking or usage of illegal substances are common, attendees are often expected to police themselves. by sara windom originally published in the state press
by jake monger
arising in the early hours of the morning i lay and though only thirty minutes have passed since i first fell into slumber i have grown older my toes peek out of the covers arms extend and i am alive by sara windom
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ding dong ditch , gymshorts hunny bunnies , beach goons montery , dinner time goldfish , sea ghost lilac , dovi alone too , nanami ozone pink showers , deeper chicken coop , ovlov moria quirk , the bantams where did my pets go? furnsss bike dream , rotsam baptist trauma , mothers dorothy , her’s time2shine , ale$$ndra zamora
After several singles and a twitter petition by fans to kill off Clay from 13 Reasons Why so “Wallows can thrive,” Wallows has released their highly anticipated full length album Nothing Happens. Some may say the band has grown in popularity thanks to singer and bassist Dylan Minnette, who also happens to play a lead role in the hit Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, however, Wallows’ fast paced popularity may more likely be due to the way they perfectly encapsulate the carelessly beachy sounds home to Los Angeles, California. With over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and plans to play Coachella, 2019 is the year for Wallows. Nothing Happens begs you to dance with every track. “Are You Bored Yet?” which features a staple to the bedroom pop scene, Clairo, ties melancholy synthesiser to upbeat drum fills, creating a strange feeling of both satisfaction and longing all at once. Wallows has a way of displaying the energy they carry in person through the speakers. Sharp guitar leads command you to convulse to the bouncing beat of the drums. Tackling subjects like a difficult relationship, body issues and memories of hanging out with old friends, Minnette paints a picture in listen-
ers minds throughout songs. His personality shines through lyrics like this line in “Scrawny,” “I say the wrong shit at the right times... See that I’m a scrawny motherfucker with a cool hairstyle.” “I’m Full,” the second to last track on the album, is the perfect rock song, which makes sense, as members cite The Strokes, Arcade Fire, and Led Zeppelin as some of their biggest influences. Like many
of the bands that have inspired Wallows themselves, Nothing Happens epitomizes the teenage experience. Having the best years of your life with your best friends, going on adventures, surviving thick and thin, only to grow up and grow apart. However, Wallows eases the fear of aging out of youthful years into adulthood, making you hopeful for the future. by sara windom
by sara windom
I was angry. My dream to finally take a spin class at the fitness center had been crushed. Dejected and without a bike, I moped to the gym just to discover I had forgotten my headphones. So in my gloomy walk back to the dorm, I felt nothing could assuage my feeling of defeat. I even passed up the opportunity to get my jump on in a bouncy castle. It was a disheartening blow, one I felt I could never recover from. That is until about three minutes later. Now, I’m not one to invoke the phrase, “everything happens for a reason,” but some otherworldly force was at play that night. I didn’t get a bike, I didn’t bounce on a large inflatable fortress, but I did end up seeing one of the best shows I’ve seen in a while. After receiving a surprise invitation to see Crumb, a Brooklyn-based shoegaze four-piece, at Valley Bar, I found myself hauling ass down Central Avenue wearing the bike shorts I intended to spin in. Approaching Valley Bar, a small line wrapped around the back of the building. The glow of the red neon sign bounced off the concrete as bouncers checked bags. And after getting X’d and checked myself, I wandered down the steep set of stairs and into the crowd. First, Secret Attraction, a solo local synthwave act, oscillated across the stage. He swooned ever so slightly against the audience, occasionally swaying into the light that hit the screen behind him. Following a short set came Hyperbella, another local band, igniting the audience into a jazzy, neo-soul set. With humming keys and a strong lead harmonies, the band contrasted with the shoegaze style of the other sets, but somehow synthesized the divide.
Finally, the moment I didn’t know I had been waiting for. Lila Ramani, (guitar and vocals), Brian Aronow (synth and keys), Jesse Brotter (bass), and Jonathan Gilad (drums) all stepped to the stage. In a single somber note, the four waded into a mesmerizing soundscape, beckoning the audience to follow along. They did. I did. The music seduced each person into a slow sway. Behind them a blue-tinted backdrop oozed and split, one audience member remarked, “do you guys see how fucking trippy that is?”
“It truly was ‘fucking trippy.’” And though I assume only a small portion of the audience members were on some type of psychedelic, it truly was, “fucking trippy” to listen as Ramani’s voice melted and poured over the room. Rolling from song to song, Ramani only stopped to introduce a song or two in a low, lulling tone. And as the band finished the final song and the trance wore off, eyes widened. The crowd waited a dazed second before demanding an encore. Finishing off the set with acclaimed favorite ‘Locket’, Crumb satiated an already contented crowd. With a quick stop by merch, the abating effects of the show failed to wear off. And spin class seemed to be the furthest thing from my mind. by kiera riley photos by sara windom
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(with friends: gymshorts, diners)
by sara windom
photo by marlee mcdowell
Her’s played rebel lounge on March 26, 2019. On their way to their next show in Santa Ana, California, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Audun Laading and their manager, Trevor Engelbrekston, were killed in a car accident. Fans remember Her’s for their bright personalities and the beautiful indie-pop music they created.
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