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ISSUE 13 editor-in-chief winnie surya assistant editor abbey toomey-fisk copy editor lauren lyford co-copy editor karmin yu photo editor winnie surya co-photo editor tiffany lam social media manager tiffany lam online editor courtney luzarraga art director winnie surya writers chloe hoy, nathan cornell, karmin yu, paula mirando, shelby kreiger photographers pauline nguyen, savana ogburn, kelsey hall, gabby mendoza, lilly nguyen, jennie tan social media website www.intothecrowdmagazine.com facebook www.facebook.com/intothecrowdmagazine twitter www.twitter.com/intothecrowdmag instagram @intothecrowd contact us intothecrowdmagazine@gmail.com message from editor Hello everyone! Happy autumn. Sorry it took this long to release our october issue! Things have been pretty hectic with school and work, but the issue is finally here. I had a chance to chat with Taylor and Matt from Local Natives last month; they were hands down one of the most down to earth people I’ve worked with. It was such a pleasure. I also managed to sit down with Nathan from WAVVES before their show in Toronto. That show was absolutely insane. I have never seen so many crowdsurfers at an indoor venue show before. Like ever. A funny highlight of that show was the dude who pulled his pants down on stage (kudos to you) and the girl who kept talking selfies onstage (like gurll I know you want cool photos to post to your Instagram, and don’t we all, but go do that elsewhere). As expected, WAVVES kicked them both off stage. Happy thanksgiving as well! I sadly did not get to have a thanksgiving feast, but I did get to spend the night with our co-photo editor Tiffany at the Mod Club watching one of my favourite british bands, the 1975, followed by Two Door Cinema Club’s show the next day. Pretty thankful for that. And for all you readers out there that make all of our hard work worth it!! From everyone here at Into The Crowd Magazine, we thank you! Well, it’s been a great autumn for me so far, I hope it has for you too! Stay weird and happy halloween.
winnie surya (@angelooey)
utors
contrib jennie tan
kelsey hall location seattle, wa twitter @kayjaybaby album of the year talon of the hawk by the front bottoms on repeat brand new, lorde and cute is what we aim for dream show jonas brothers behind the camera at bumbershoot 2013 It was a big thing and I loved working with small bands on the lineup mainly because they were so excited to be there just like I was. The festival was a lot of fun and stressful to say the least but I’m glad I got to cover it!
savana ogburn location atlanta, ga twitter @savanaogburn album of the year paramore’s self-titled on repeat manchester orchestra, the 1975 and bastille dream show bastille photographed for this month issue twin forks at atlanta
location los angeles, ca twitter @driverscoot album of the year modern vampire of the city by vampire weekend and trouble will find me by the national on repeat beirut, the national and arcade fire dream show st vincent photographed for this month issue stars at pomona
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grave matters 6 gus + scout 8 wavves 12 cover artist: local natives The flavr blue 26 bumbershoot 32
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What’s “IN” this autumn...
Something to keep you warm this fall..The Maine got a pretty bomb-ass crewneck that they sell at their show this fall!
hop ‘Tis the season for Tops ething halloween socks. Som th your cool to wear undernea favourite boots!
Autumn = best season to drink tea . Luckily, Davidstea will keep you r halloween spirit and treat you wit h their teas to haunt - spooky collec tion tea
PLAYLIST pompeii bastille skeletons this century forever halloween the maine luv, hold me down drowners apartment young the giant settle down the 1975 elevate st. lucia something’s haunting you she and him hudson vampire weekend grow old tom odell favourite worst nightmare arctic monkeys halloween ryan adams
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You just got the news you’ll be playing Capitol Hill block party what was that like to hear? It was fantastic. The lineup is always very in-tune to what’s new and exciting in music and it’s especially nice to play about ten feet from your practice space.
What bands would you compare your sound to? The standard response to this is always “we’re so unique and different”, but everyone in the band brings such a different perspective that I feel that the end result is sort of hard to pin down as far as subgenres or band influences. Sorry, that’s a dodgey What’s your dream tour lineup? answer. Our sound is probably early LA punk Tough question. These questions always served over a bed of 70s & 80s hard rock. bring up a lot of hypotheticals and I can’t speak for everybody in the band, but I’ll go ahead and What is your favorite city to tour in? say Turbonegro, Mika Miko, and DEVO. Since I spent most of my life in Germany,
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G RAV E M ATT E R S they’re all pretty new, exotic, and exciting to anyone’s first time so it all went very fast me, but Spokane has to be my favorite stop. and that definitely makes the process more enjoyable. If you could change one thing about your favorite venue to play at in Seattle what 5 years ago, did you see yourself where would it be? you are today? I used to drink a lot before shows, nothing too No, not at all. I was just done with knee crazy, but enough that my show memories surgery, about to leave the Navy, and music are a bit hazy and I can’t think of anything was probably the furthest thing from my I would want to change about any of the mind. At that time, I probably hadn’t touched current venues. They all have their unique an instrument or eventhought about making quirks that make them endearing, but if music for about a year and half prior. The Funhouse was still around I’d say the jello shots. That’s a big reason why I can’t ----remember anything. Those things could start a bonfire. Do you have any other hobbies outside of music? I like to screw around on motorcycles and I’m really into cooking. Probably a good third of my disposable income goes to ingredients and kitchen tools. I really like the challenge of it.
Interview by Kelsey Hall Photo provided by the band
Who influenced you to play the instrument you play now? In Grave Matters I just sing, although most people identify me as a guitar player, but the motivation was the fact that it’s a bit challenging to write songs with a pop structure on the trumpet. You have a new demo cd coming out, was it fun to record? It was a blast despite that it was recorded on the tail end of a rough work day. Everyone involved in the recording process was a good friend, so that helps a lot. This wasn’t
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GUS + SCOUT
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ISSUE 13 Gus + Scout grew up together in the same street in Hailey, Idaho.; raised by the co-founder of Rolling Stone Magazine and a famous actor Bruce Willis. The love birds lost touch until one day they ran to each other at Brown University -- like its faith. Scout said that the day she sat on the steps of Gus’s dorm, it was the day she figured out that she was good enough to be what she wanted to be. She continues telling how magical it feels when they performs and writes music together even thought she didn’t realized her passion until she wrote their first song together that she really wants music to be her career choice. Gus and Scout started their band on 2011 and have been playing from small until large venues eversince. Together in music and together in love, Gus + Scout are sure to rock the music scene with their old school vibes.
enjoyed growing up? Gus: The Strokes. They went to Dwight which is right where I went to high school. This band called Vietnam; they were big in New York but they never broke through. Scout: Growing up in Sun Valley there werenever any band. Growing up in Idaho just a lot of country music.
Were there any certain moment where you decided that music was what you wanted to do with the rest of your lifes? Scout: It wasnt until I started playing with Gus that I took the idea of being a muscian seriously or that I could do it. I was walking to the library once during finals period and Gus was sitting on his dorm steps writing a song and he asked me to come help him. We sat there for 30 minutes and wrote our first song together called “Guilty Man.” ----There was something organic and beautiful about the way we wrote music together and that it was When I sat down with them, they let me into a something we both realized that we needed to little bit of their tour life and how it feels like to pursue. play a popular music festival in Settle. Here’s Gus: I think that moment and around that time what they said: that it made it really clear that Scout and I could have something special as far as connecting You guys have an old school feels to your together as song writers. I don’t think until we music, who and what inspired you guys? played at the Berkley School of Music in Boston Gus: The inspiration was a song we first played that I thought that it was something we could together and country music in general. really do as a profession. It was also the first Scout: Old school country inspired rock and show that I stopped caring about what people are roll. We’re both really big fans of Patsy Cline; going to think and just focused on the music and which is a big influence of mine in terms of vocal the performance itself. styles and the power and style of it. When we Scout: We started playing for us. We hadn’t were at SXSW we saw Sharon Jones and it was played that much before and that show we unbelievably inspiring for us. basically just said “fuck it”, It could be nobody in the audience or a packed room, we just wanted Who made you guys want to start singing? to play for us. Gus: It was probably Bob Dylan. I always thought Gus: It was also the first time we played to a I couldn’t sing. It was nice to idolize someone room full of strangers. whos music didnt focus on having such an amazing voice. He has one of the most amazing Do you have any advice for growing bands? voices though. Gus: I would say focus on making music. Its all Scout: Patsy Cline is the reason I started singing about how you sound and how much heart you in the first place. Strong country female vocalists give on stage. that didnt take any shit. Scout: Keep listening to the music you love and lead with the music. So many artists are going Do you have any hometown heros you for spectical and image. I think its important to
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october 2013 play the music just because you love it and are passionate about it. Gus: When you’re performing it dosent matter if youre playing to a packed room or one person. Scout: Play any gig thats offered to you. We played under an assumed name in Brooklyn to eight people. Its all practice. Its all about becoming better musicians. How was it playing in big popular festival such as Bumbershoot? Scout: We’ve never played a show where the crowd was so responsive. The energy we felt coming back. Gus: We haven’t played in a little bit so its been a second. The weather is beautiful and Seattle is such a cool city. It feels like home. Do you have any goals in the near future? Gus: The immediate one is to get together and write a lot of songs that reflect who we are as musicians which is a very different place then where we are from the songs were playing now. Go play, travel and record an album when were ready. ----Photos and Interview by Kelsey Hall
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WAVVES
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time now. This opportunity was really important for the vocalist because GTA is one of his favourite games.
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----URRENTLY ON TOUR with Jacuzzi Boys and King Tuff, Californian surfrock band Wavves’ Nathan Williams The Creation of Afraid of Heights: joins us to talk about touring and his Wavves’ frontman has worked on the album for a year and took a couple of months to record it current record Afraid of Heights. with a friend, John Hill. Some of the songs were already written a couple years ago and haven’t ----all made the cut for the record. If you’re ever wondering if these songs will ever see the light, Playing in Toronto: Wavves’ September show in the huge Canadian Williams doesn’t either since he doesn’t have any city was not their first time. They’ve played EPs to be released. at the Grove Music Festival before where they’ve opened up for a couple of bands such And the mastermind behind the artwork of as Phoenix. Williams’ favourite things to do in Afraid of Heights and the rest of Wavves’ Toronto are hanging out with friends and getting album is…?: some delicious poutine. However, he also notes A friend of the lead vocalist! that every time the band is in Canada, they leave ----the next day, leaving him no time to tour the city. What can fans expect from the tour? According to Williams, fans will be hearing a couple of new songs, but nothing too special nor specific. ----Grand Theft Auto V: Their newest hit, “Nine is God” has been doing very well. Not too long ago, the band scored a gig on Conan and not only that, they were also featured on that one video game that everybody’s been talking about, Grand Theft Auto V. And how did they even land their song on this popular game? Williams explains that Rockstar Games approached the band and asked them to write a song for them. What really landed them a spot on the video game playlist was that Williams has known the guys from Rockstar Games for a long
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Plans for the future: Williams tells us that sleep is very much needed because he and his bandmates have been touring since February and they plan to take November and December off. ----Coping with being sick on tour: When we spoke to him, the singer was sick. However, he doesn’t let that stop him from performing. ----Photos & Interview by Winnie Surya Words by Karmin Yu
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Natives
Keeping things local with...
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N THE FIRST DAY of rainy autumn, instead of staying home, drinking a warm cup of tea like what most people would do, I spend mine at a Local Natives show last September at Kool Haus, Toronto. ----
Los Angeles-based indie rock band talked to us about their new album and their current home. Local Natives, also was known as Cavil at Rest, all met back in high school and have been playing together ever since. The band met drummer Matt Frazier in college told vocalist Taylor Rice. “(Cavil at Rest) was our high school band and (we have) been playing together for a really long time. After I graduated college and so did Ryan, everybody had to decided to be a band really try to make music our fulltime kind of dream and passion,” continued Rice. Local Natives was a fresh start for them, even thought Cavil at Rest was tied to them the whole time. “We all moved in together and made our first record and it just felt so much for us; it’s completely new thing and a new start.”
Taken from the lyrics of their own song, “Columbia,” the band decided to name their album Hummingbird. “It’s symbolic for us - kind of this contrast that the album comes from; its kind of very personal and almost fragile in a way, but then it’s also very large and cathatic. I think each songs fell into a quieter place and there’s a lot more open space than we’ve ever had so there’s these softer moments,” explained Rice. ----
These quartet who’ve released three B-Sides for their second album explained that The National are one of those bands that they look up to especially since they just finished playing across the states with them earlier this year and the band got the chance to work with Aaron Desoner of The National on their record. Rice was so happy that they got the opportunity to performed at the legendary Red Rocks in Colorado. “The National aren’t only ten years older and ahead of us ... I (think) that they’re a band that continued to pushed themselves in different ways to always be artistic and have this chemistry together because I’ve gotten to know them a little bit. I look up to them and think they’ve The recent release, Hummingbird was done a really awesome job with their career and pretty different than their debut record; not based how they work as a band,” followed Rice. off their sound in general yet Rice explained that the songs from Hummingbird came out ---from a very personal space and its very dried to emotional cathanic record that they didn’t plan Being on the road so often, the band barely at all yet were led by their institution and their get to see their city, Los Angeles, very often even collaboration. thought they recently played at the famous Greek Theatre. “It was a dream of ours,” stated Rice ---about playing there. He explained how happy they were with their decision of moving to the City The recording process of their second of Angeles because it always feels like home to album is also different compared to their debut them, especially when playing a hometown show album; they got the chance to write the songs at when they feels like it is a different sort of intimacy home as opposed to on the road. Frazier said surrounded by people they love and their family. that when they were about to head to the studio to record it, the band got these question marks ---around them since they weren’t used with this steps before but in the end they got to do more Photos & Words by Winnie Surya experimental. Edited by Abbey Toomey-Fisk
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“...I think that success for me is when you feel that transfer emotion so when we’re playing a song live, you know that everybody in the room is kind of feeling the same thing at the same time. There’s kind of this amplified emotion to that -- whether it’s everybody going crazy or whether everybody is being still and quite and listening to a quite part. For the record, it’s sort of the same thing; just sharing that feeling through music is obviously, as a musician, the best and most rewarding feeling about it.”
- TAYLOR RICE
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THE FLAVR BLUE
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SAT DOWN WITH The Flavr Blue a few hours after they got off the stage from opening this years most-anticipated music festival in Seattle; Bumbershoot Festival 2013. -----
The Flavr Blue is a trio formed from three different projects. Their name came from a project they were working on called Blue Paper. Synth, piano sound and mellow voice mixed together -delivering sounds that kicked off the festival with a big surprise. After getting off the stage, lead singer Hollis who made a cameo on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “White Walls” music video told me that going to Bumbershoot so many times and finally being able to play Fishergreen to kicked off the festival was a privilege for her. Parker and Issac continued by agreeing that they couldn’t have started off the three-day festival in any other way. ---- These synth-pop trio continued talking about their upcoming EP entitled Bright Vices that will be released on October 15 and The Flavr Blue is definitely a look out – they’re really down to earth and so is their music in general. “Focus on your music, focus on the music you feel represent you and that you share with anybody -- then share it with everybody,” said Parker regarding advice to local musicians. Issac added, “Of course people would be making good music. It’s just like -- literally do that and then see what happens and see if people react to the music. I feel like there’s a recipe that people will think it will work and it’s just not true. It has to be based off of liking the music that you’re putting out.” They’re definitely one of the first band I’ve heard in awhile who actually talks about focusing on music and not the image of the band so I asked them about what age did they figured out that music is what they wanted to do with their life then both Hollis and Parker decided that they want to do it in serious way at the age of twenty four. Hollis continued: “I feel like I’ve been doing
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music for a very long time. It took me a big mental effort if that was what I wanted -- to make music. I knew that I was going to make music for the rest of my life but to prioritize it meant everything to me. After many years of making music in order for something to happen, I had to make that decision.” Parker jumped in, “It was an hour glass thing, where you know all the sand is gonna end up in the bottom but you just keep hoping. I just kept a foot in the door. After awhile I was like “dude all you ever do is make music, even if you tell yourself that you’re not!” and it was more like a shift in perception.” Hollis mentioned that when she’s talking to a friend, she often got lost by what she’s saying and barely able to find the right words, like its all scrabbles on her mind. “All I really want to do is art. I just want to make music and do nothing else but art.” I feel like a lot of people can relate to that scenario. It’s very hard to find something you’re passionate about and stick with it. ---- The band played their first show back in December 2012 and it only took in less then a year to get to where they are now -- such a huge accomplishment since Seattle is one of those cities where there are a lot of great local bands competitively waiting to get signed. “It was such an achievement that not even a year after our first show, we were able to open up Bumbershoot. We just want to keep working that hard. We’ve gotten more confident in the way we step on stage and in the studio. So we mainly want to keep building our confidence over the next year,” closed Hollis. The Flavr Blue gonna take over Seattle and the rest of the states soon. ----Photos & Words by Kelsey Hall Edited by Winnie Surya
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By Kelsey Hall
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Gus & Scout
The Flavr Blue
Kendrick Lamar
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The Grizzled Mighty
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Washed Out
The Physics
Watsky
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KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY By Chloe Hoy
We’ve all heard of The Jackson 5 – the group (comprised of five Jackson brothers, including the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson) was well known for their hit soul songs, “I Want You Back” and “ABC.” Other notable family musical acts include The Bee Gees (“Stayin’ Alive,” anyone?), The Osmonds, America’s “MMMBop” band Hanson, and more recently, The Jonas Brothers. I’ve got to say, I love me some good music with any musical act. However, there is something special about ones whose members are keeping it within the fam. With the rise in social media use, many up-and-coming musicians are looking towards YouTube, Twitter and Facebook as platforms for sharing their music to the masses. Here’s a rundown on some of the acts (strictly related) that have caught my attention.
Megan & Liz consists of Megan and Liz Mace, fraternal twin sisters who are now based out of Los Angeles. The Michiganborn duo uploaded their first YouTube video in 2007, an original song entitled “This Note.” Since then, they have posted over 80 covers (their version of “Stereo Hearts” has over 7 million views), released enough original music to span a few EPs, garnered over 950,000 channel subscribers, started a beauty channel (focusing on style, beauty and miscellaneous tips) and recently headlined the American Rag Tour across North America. Their debut album, Look What You Started, which has taken inspiration from their broad musical interests including Florida Georgia Line, Skrillex and Marianas Trench, is slated to be released later this year.
Kings of Leon isn’t exactly new to the scene. The alt-rock band (consisting of Followill brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared, with their cousin Matthew) was formed in 1999, and released their debut album, “Youth & Young Manhood,” in the summer of ‘03. Let’s fast forward ten years; the group has since released four more albums, won a Grammy Award for their chart-topping “Use Somebody,” taken a sabbatical following band tension, and is now back with their sixth album, Mechanical Bull. The new release, whose songs could be described as “all across the board,” (with influences from Sly and the Family Stone to Queens of the Stone Age) will be released on September 24th.
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october 2013 Aussie brothers Keith and Michael Jeffrey form Atlas Genius. The indie-alternative band formed in 2011, with their debut single, “Trojans,” peaking at number 4 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. Soon after, they had gained the interest of many different record labels, and ultimately chose to sign with Warner Bros. Records. The group’s debut album, When It Was Now, (which has been described as “Phoenix-like dance pop”) was released earlier this year. They can next be seen headlining a North American tour from late September to mid-November, and then working on some new material early next year. This group of six is no stranger to the powers of YouTube. The Cimorelli sisters (Christina, Katherine, Lisa, Amy, Lauren and Dani) began uploading videos to their channel in ’08. In 2010, they hit 100,000 subscribers. To date, they now have over 2 million subscribers (and counting), a record deal with Universal Music’s Island Records, won a Teen Choice Award, performed on Good Morning America, and have released 4 EPs. Their latest, Made in America, contains four of their originals, which all but proves their strong harmonies (after all, they did get their start by posting a capella covers). Echosmith hails from California, and features Sierota siblings Jamie, Noah, Sydney and Graham. The young band (their youngest member is 14) spent the past summer playing for large crowds on Vans Warped Tour, and recently opened for Owl City on his Midsummer Station Tour. The siblings, who “grew up in a super musical household,” take inspiration from Joy Division, The Smiths and Coldplay – if that gives you any indication on how sweet their music sounds. Their debut album, Talking Dreams, is slated to be released October 1st via Warner Bros. Records. Brothers Alejandro, Fabian and Daniel Manzano are Boyce Avenue, an acoustic-alternative band based out of Florida. They began posting covers on their YouTube channel in 2007 (their version of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” has over 10 million views), and quickly gained fans worldwide. Unlike the acts above, the group releases music through their very own record label, 3 Peace Records (they signed English singer-songwriter Hannah Trigwell last October). The “most viewed independent band in the world” released their newest album, Live in Los Angeles, in August, and will be embarking on a world tour this fall.
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TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB @ Mod Club, Toronto, Canada by Winnie Surya ISSUE 13
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STARS @ The Glass House, Pomona, California by Jennie Tan
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@ Merriweather Post, Columbia, Maryland by Lilly Nguyen
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THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
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@ Mod Club, Toronto, Canada by Winnie Surya
THE 1975
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TWIN FORKS @ Atlanta, Georgia by Savana Ogburn
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REVIEWS ARTIST: Miley Cyrus ALBUM: Bangerz RELEASE DATE: October 4 TRACKLIST: 1. Adore You 2. We Can’t Stop 3. SMS (Bangerz) ft Britney Spears 4. 4x4 ft Nelly 5. My Darlin’ ft Future 6. Wrecking Ball 7. Love Money Party ft Big Sean 8. #GETITRIGHT 9. Drive 10. FU ft French Montana 11. Do My Thang 12. Maybe You’re Right 13. Someone Else REVIEW BY: Nathan Cornell
If you came looking for another Hannah Montana record, then you are in the wrong place. With this album Miley Cyrus completely pulls herself away from the image set for her by her years with Disney. This image change has gained her a huge amount of buzz. Whether you like what she is doing or not, Miley is just being Miley and it is working to her advantage. Her new image shouldn’t be too shocking though; I mean, she did warn us back in 2010 that she cannot be tamed. Bangerz begins with two of the album’s strongest tracks“Adore You” and the lead single “We Can’t Stop.” “Adore You” is a great, very heartfelt, possibly bittersweet love song. The verses are fairly straightforward and sweet, but in the chorus, she sings, “When you say love me, know I love you more. When you say you need me, know I need you more” These lyrics could just be an ode to how in love she is, but with her recent engagement being called off it makes you wonder. Next, of course, is “We Can’t Stop” which we’ve all heard about a million times by now because the song is everywhere. This is a very straightforward and solid party track- the title basically tells you all you need to know. It’s honestly one of the catchiest songs I’ve ever heard in my life, which is essentially what a radio pop song hopes to accomplish. “We Can’t Stop” is pretty much just an updated version of her previous hit, “Party in the USA.” After this, the album starts getting weird and falling apart with “SMS (Bangerz)” and “4×4.” “SMS” features a guest appearance from Britney Spears and it really does not do much for the song. “4×4” is a very awkward country club tune that is comparable to her old Hannah Montana song “Hoedown Throwdown,” but somehow worse. Both songs contain some of Miley’s most ‘out here’ lyrics such as, “They ask me how I keep a man; I keep a battery keep” from “SMS” and “Driving so fast, I’m ‘bout to piss on myself.” This is definitely not the Miley of years past. Things get a little better with “My Darlin’.” Miley borrows some lyrics from the Ben E. King hit “Stand By Me.” This is a song about her disengagement. It begins with “I walked through a pool of water and I saw the shadow of a broken girl. I pictured us walking
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october 2013 down the altar for better or for worse.” The song starts pretty strong, but it kind of loses what makes it special when Future comes in because it sounds like he just drunkenly slurred some stuff into a microphone and then auto tuned it. You can really hear the pain in Miley’s voice when she sings the line “Take me as I am or not.” The ballads on this album are really where Miley shines. The album’s second single, “Wrecking Ball,” comes after this. This is another one of the better moments of the album. It is a very bittersweet love ballad. Listen to it without the video though, because the video will ruin it for you. The album kind of starts to fall apart again though. The song “Love, Money, Party” features the most obnoxious instrumental on the entire album and lyrics that are even worse. Oddly enough, Big Sean’s verse is the most enjoyable part of this song. “#GETITRIGHT” isn’t much better. It sounds like the cousin of Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” but not as good, musically. The lyrics are incredibly lazy and it’s a very forgettable song in my opinion.
kind of like the beat during the chorus. Miley tries to get soulful, but it sounds astoundingly fake and forced. Again, the lyricism is terrible and lazy.
way through, stick with Katy Perry’s One of the Boys, but if you want something to just have fun with, Bangerz is for you
“Do My Thang” is another song about Miley being Miley. It’s a horrible song, but it is so much fun. Miley shows off her inner Southern belle and gets pretty redneck with the second verse that starts off with, “Bang, bitch. It’s bananas like a fucking ‘rangutan, bitch.” Miley ends the next track, “Maybe You’re Right” by saying, “Let me go to the top one more time” and then the final track, “Someone Else” starts playing and it features some similar melodies and chord progressions to the opener “Adore You” and the album kind of ties itself together that way.
ARTIST: Sleigh Bells ALBUM: Better Rivals RELEASE DATE: October 8 REVIEW BY Jennie Tan
Twenty-thirteen has Miley is just being Miley illustrated a shift in dance albums, and sometimes it works and particularly from indie artists. other times it doesn’t at all. She While some bands succeeded, has definitely given herself a others fell flat. Fortunately, Sleigh Bells falls into the former new image though. category. The noise pop duo’s The album’s lazy lyricism take on a more polished and and Miley’s tendency to sound melody-based album revealed like Mike Will Made It’s puppet that Sleigh Bells are far from are the main downfalls of being a one-trick pony. Bangerz. In response to the After the release of their lazy lyricism though, pop music sophomore album, Reign of “Drive” is another isn’t meant to make you think, balladesque song, but it doesn’t which is unfortunate, it is meant Terror, Sleigh Bells immediately do very much for me compared to make money and be the began working on even more to the other songs like it on the background music to whatever new material. In comparison to album, but it isn’t awful. you are doing. Bangerz has its their previous releases, Bitter solid moments, but when it’s Rivals has a more cohesive I have really nothing good bad, it is really bad. If you want sound. It’s clear that vocalist to say about “FU” except for I a pop album that is solid all the Alexis Krauss and guitarist/
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ISSUE 13 producer Derek Miller not only spent their time wisely, but had fun. Sleigh Bells’ third installment continues to highlight Krauss’ vocal range as she effortlessly interweaves abrasive yells with light crooning in songs such as, “Minnie” and “Sing Like A Wire.” Harsh guitars still play a huge role in each song, maintaining that Sleigh Bells-esque sound, however there’s a blend of kitschiness found throughout the album. From animal sounds in title track “Bitter Rivals” and “Tiger Kit” to giggles at the end of “Sugarcane,” this attention grabbing record is full of subtle nuances as well. Accompanying the incredibly poppy melodies are affecting lyrics, especially in “Young Legends.” Krauss sings, “Young legends die all the time/but I don’t mind, don’t close your eyes/don’t say goodbye, I’ll be your kind/ don’t do it, don’t do it,” leaving a haunted yet reflective feeling. The mellow track “To Hell With You” is both solemn and tongue-in-cheek with lyrics such as, “don’t turn your back on me/wait and see/I’ll go to hell with you/here’s the proof.” Although it seems like Sleigh Bells have rushed into a new album, they have proven to be capable of the fast-paced life style.
ARTIST: Arctic Monkeys ALBUM: AM RELEASE DATE: September 9 REVIEW BY Karmin Yu
If we move forward a bit, we land on “No.1 Party Anthem.” Although the title may lead us to think about LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” it should be noted that the Arctic Monkeys‘ party anthem is anything but After a couple of long electropop. Ditching the heavy awaited months, British indie electric guitars for the acoustic rock band the Arctic Monkeys ones, this song is slow and has finally released their fifth relaxing and even sounds like studio album, entitled AM. This a The Beatles song. Thus, the album has been out for quite toned down vibe of this anthem a while now and if you haven’t makes it stand out from the rest heard it yet, you should. AM is of the album. also perfect for those of you who are looking for something Then, we have “Why’d totally new and funky to spice You Only Call Me When You’re up your playlists. High?” This track is returns to This record introduces its psychedelic vibe with the track “Do I Wanna Know?” Featuring a series of feet stomps, handclaps and a groovy guitar riff, this opener successfully hypnotizes and kidnaps the audience into this whirlwind of songs that they’re about to listen to.
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continuation of “Do I Wanna Know.” In this song, the band continues to explore the depths of this “kaleidoscopic” sound. By this song, you’re wondering if the quartet chose to adopt a “heavy metal/grunge” feel for this fifth record. Not to worry though, they haven’t completely strayed from their “classic” Arctic Monkeys sound, they’ve just added this dark groove to the latter and a couple of their other songs.
“R
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Mine”
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the psychedelic style of AM. It’s not so “grungy” in terms of heavy guitars, but there’s more of a “groovy” and blues-like component to this song due to the accentuated bass guitar. The albu, ends with “I Wanna Be Yours.” Alex Turner sings about love and wanting to be that “it” man of a certain love interest. This track is the perfect one to tie the whole
album up. It’s a slow blend of all the different styles that the band was experimenting with for this record. This final song leaves an addictive aftertaste that forces fans to replay the whole CD over and over again.
And now we are onto their third full length, the self titled, MGMT. If you are expecting an album full of the radio ready singles Oracular Spectacular had, you have come to the wrong place.
MGMT starts off with the Finally, AM is a very strange “Alien Days.” This great representation of the one of the strongest tracks on Arctic Monkeys‘ potential of the record. The song is about incorporating new elements enlightenment, staying open into their music. It is definitely to ideas and feeling guilty for the band’s most mature album feeling bad about yourself when to date. others have it much worse. The second song, “Cool Song no. 2,” keeps the strangeness going. It is a simultaneously upbeat and dark song. “Mystery Disease” is another dark song with a very prominent drum beat and layers of whirling synthesizers.
ARTIST: MGMT ALBUM: MGMT RELEASE DATE: September 17 REVIEW BY Nathan Cornell
october 2013
“A Good Sadness” and “AstroMancy.” They are both dark sounding repetitive sounds. In my opinion, “Astro-Mancy” is the weakest point of the album; it kind of just goes on and on even though it’s only five minutes. “I Love You Too, Death” comes next and it is one of the few tracks I really enjoyed despite having a needlessly long intro. It is very psychedelic and the vocals are kind of awkwardly whispered, but for whatever reason it seems to work here. “Plenty of Girls in the Sea” is a very fun and catchy song with a lot of goofy lyrics. This is another one of the albums better moments.
The album closes with After “Mystery Disease” “An Orphan of Fortune” which there is a cover of the Faine ends up being more of the same Jade song “Introspection.” To slow, slightly dark, repetitive me, this is one of the better weirdness. It works better on moments of the album which is this track than many of the a little disappointing considering others, but it is still nothing that it’s not even their song. really catches my attention.
Next is the annoyingly catchy and repetitive “Your Life is a Lie.” This song is a lot more happy and sunshiny sounding than any of the previous tracks which is a nice break, but it’s MGMT is a psychedelic lyrically nothing impressive indie pop band from Connecticut. and nothing aside from the They made their name after instrumental and tone of the achieving a great amount of song stands out and the tone success from their debut album only stands out because of its Oracular Spectacular. Their placement on the album. next album, Congratulations, was met with mixed reviews. The next two songs are
Overall, this was a very disappointing listen for me. I completely respect how ambitious this album is, but it just doesn’t seem to work. It’s a bit too repetitive, lacks direction and ends up just being weird and confusing without anything that really brings you in. The production on this album is very compressed and ends up making all of the songs sound very flat and lack a bit of dynamic.
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