m
Zine 02: The Harmony Issue
M I R Ge favorites
Figures, a Reprise- Jessie Reyez, Daniel Caesar That Old Truck- Thomas Rhett Ride My Bike- Maude Latour ROS- Mac Miller The Morning- The Weeknd Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears For Fears Your Song- Elton John Super Rich Kids- Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt Ever After- Marianas Trench we fell in love in october- girl in red All Your’n- Tyler Childers Stay Flo- Solange
My
Rockstar Dad
written by Madison Hess
W
hen it’s time to leave a restaurant, the usual dad says, “lets rock and roll” and points out some finger guns. For my dad, Mike Hess, he really means it. From growing up playing with my dad’s drums to helping him with the lights in his doctor dad band, his life and mine were never boring. There wasn’t a band or musician he didn’t like. Our basement was always full of old records and CDs stacked way too high. My dad has been involved with music his whole life, gathering new experiences and fun times along the way. Other than growing up around music, Mike has played some cool events back in his day at WVU, while being with his Dad band, Albuterol and the Inhalers. College life for someone who was in a former KISS replica band in high school, a rockstar when it came to playing the keyboard and guitar, and grew up in the prime of music, is a life I wish I was in. From his first time at WVU from 1981 to 1985 my Dad majored and graduated with a business degree in personal management. He lived with his brother, sister and three or four others in a house on Forest Avenue. Mike said, “School was busy, but I took full advantage and had part time work. I would take blood for patients at the hospital, then eventually I started working for the Spruce Street Sub Shop a block away from where I lived.” He was also involved in student government and ran Mountaineer Week as a senior. For his music life, during his prime years of college, my dad was primarily good at the keyboard, which was a new invention at the time, but also the guitar. “I didn’t play much during my first go around at college due to being busy with school; I would mostly play acoustic guitar with some friends and I did a solo act for Mountaineer Week at the MountainLair, which I enjoyed performing.” During 1987-and90’s when he decided to go back to WVU part time and his keyboard skills advanced, he played for pick up bands, private parties, Pi Kappa Phi and bars on High Street. “The Pi Kapps needed a graduate adviser, and I needed a place for my band to play and practice, so I ended up initiating into their fraternity. It was great and always a fun time. They had a keg so we would just walk in, grab a beer and just start playing whatever we thought was cool at the time.” I wish frats still played live music today. “Once at a private event held on the side of a steep hill, we had to play the whole time falling over sideways trying to keep our instruments together.” He would also make commercial jingles through WVU. One for the children’s hospital and another for the education department. One of his favorite parts of the 90’s was playing for a blues band called Dennis McCulung and the Beale Street Band. “This was different”, he said, “ I was used to playing ACDC and Van Halen.” They would play downtown Sunnyside, High Street, at Gibbys and The 123. During his time with Dennis McClung he was also involved in a Grateful Dead cover band where he was once left by his bandmate to play alone in front of 400 people. “Thank god the guitar guy helped me out. It ended up being super fun, but I always got onto my friend Eddie for leaving me that night.” He would also play big events and bars with his buddies, jammin out to “Touch of Grey” and “Brown-eyed Women.” “It was all fun but what sucked is that I couldn’t afford a camera at the time because I was broke, so people would take polaroids and end up sending them to me if I asked.” Enrolling in medical school from 1994 to1998, Mike still got involved with many performances with his music friends, some at places we go to today to have a good time around High Street.
Life after medical school is when the Dad Band came to life. This is where the all time favorite era of Albuterol and the Inhalers all started to meet. “I can’t remember exactly when we met, but I met Matt Darmelio in Senior residency, Toni Catania in rounds in the hospital and knew John Police, Neal Aulickl in the ER,and David Hess during medical school. The band started off doing a performance for a place called Uno’s in Bridgeport, WV. They were such a hit during the night that they overcrowded the restaurant. The restaurant staff even had to start turning people away because of the crowd. Mike said, “They even turned away my own dad!.” After the first performance they got a check of $250. “I decided that I didn’t need the money, and my wife decided that we should give it away. This was the start of a Dad band that gave back to a charity, Camp Catch Your Breath. Ironically, the name of the band was Albuterol and the Inhalers, so it fit perfectly. They eventually started practicing in my basement. As a kid, it was insanely fun. I would walk half way down the stairs and look through the peephole and watch everyone have a good time. It was so loud that I would lay on the floor above the basement and feel the vibrations through my chest. I blame them for my taste in old rock and roll music. It turns out everyone loved their music and their cause, so they started to perform everywhere around town. My dad specifically played the bass guitar and sang vocals along with the rest of the band. After many performances, they started a yearly Halloween bash, where they would all dress up as a group and have money prizes for anyone in the crowd with the best costume. “This became one of our signatures”, Mike said. People went crazy dancing in the crowd. The guests would always have fun coming up with funky costumes.
Later down the road, Albuterol and the Inhalers continued to play at many more events like outdoor festivals, new years eve parties, and even private events. Even appearing in local news articles and magazines. “One of our biggest crowds was in front of 700 people. It was thrilling, and I wish I could go back and do it again.” The band has even come across Brad Paisley’s dad, who was at a concert and bought an Albuterol and the Inhalers t-shirt for Brad. He took a picture in it for the band and still has the shirt today. Another event that was my dad’s all-time favorite was a charity dance for kids with autism. “It was the most enjoyable time I had playing with Albuterol and the Inhalers. The kids with autism smiled so much and were obsessed with our music. We ended up just playing nonstop, no breaks, with no organization, just whatever came to us. These kids have never been to a loud event like this before, and I was so happy to be the reason behind their dancing. It was such a great night and for a great cause.” For me, I remember being at this event as a young girl. I helped set up the music and worked the lights while watching the crowd be flooded with happiness. After nine years of the band playing and collecting money, they totaled an amount of $250,000. They completely gave it away to 26 different charities over the years, making sure every penny counted. Mike has been playing music his whole life, including some good times at WVU as a college and medical student, but he says, “Playing with my buddies in Albuterol and the Inhalers was one of my all time favorite moments of my music career, nothing beats it.”
The Future Is
Female:
The Power of Female Music Collabs
From Lady Marmalade to WAP, the music industry is rich in strong, powerful women teaming up to create iconic songs that are ingrained in our memories and in our culture.
written by Kaitlyn McClung
B
ehind every one of these influential songs are strong, confident women. With the improvement of technology and social media sites like TikTok, songs are flying up the charts faster than they ever have. Even earlier songs have become popular again with the use of the original, and current artists remaking them. From Christina Aguilera to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande, their music has been extremely influential, and that influence will last for generations. These women hold a powerful grasp and influence over the music industry. This gives them a foothold in the music industry and allows them to exude the power they hold.
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera is a singer, songwriter and actress. She has won five Grammy Awards and a Latin Grammy Award. She started her acting career in the influential movie, “Burlesque.” She was also a coach on the TV series The Voice from 2011-2016. Aguilera’s top collaborations are “Moves Like Jagger,” “Feel This Moment” and “Lady Marmalade.” “Lady Marmalade” was originally recorded by American girl group Labelle in 1974. Its popularity resurfaced when it was featured on the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack. The cover was the beginning of the era of female collaborations. The song featured the likes of Pink, Lil’ Kim, Mya and finally, Christina Aguilera.
Cardi B
Cardi B, or Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, is an American rapper, songwriter. She was first known on the reality TV show, Love and Hip Hop: New York. She is known for her outrageous personality and clever comebacks. She has won multiple awards for her solo albums, including a Grammy for Best Rap Album. Her collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion has reached new heights thanks to Tiktok. This helped Cardi B expand her record as the female rapper with the most Hot 100 number-one singles.
Doja Cat
Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, or as she is more commonly known, Doja Cat, is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. She grew up in Los Angeles and started her music career on SoundCloud as a young teen. She released her first album at age 17 with RCA Records and Kemosabe Records. In 2018, she became an internet meme with her song “Mooo!”. Her music quickly took off thanks to the likes of the social media app, TikTok. Her hit song, “Say So,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remix featuring Nicki Minaj.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga, or as she is known by her family, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, has been a long-standing influence in pop culture. She has revolutionized the meaning of fashion with her “outlandish” looks. She staked her claim as an actress by playing a lead role in the hit television series, American Horror Story: Hotel. She further proved herself as an actress by giving a critically acclaimed performance in the movie A Star is Born. In May of 2020, she released Chromatica, along with a collaboration, “Rain on Me,” with Ariana Grande.
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion, or Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, is a rapper and songwriter. Megan got her start on SoundCloud and later released three EP’s. Her hit single, “Savage,” reached the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts, along with her collaboration on “W.A.P.” with Cardi B. She was also included on Time’s annual list of 100 most influential people in the world.
Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj, or as she is personally known, Onika Tanya Maraj, is a Trinidadian-American singer, songwriter and rapper. She quickly gained popularity after releasing mixtapes like “Playtime Is Over” in 2007. She became known for her courageous outfits, wigs and use of alter-egos and accents. She has received countless awards from the likes of Billboard, MTV and BET. Her collaboration with Doja Cat, “Say So,” became the first song by two female rappers to reach the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is a singer, songwriter and actress. Grande first got her start in 2008 in the Broadway musical 13. However, her big break was on the Nickelodeon show, Victorious as Cat Valentine. She also starred in a spinoff called Sam and Cat. She has won multiple awards for her hit albums: Sweetener and Dangerous Woman. She teamed up this year with Lady Gaga on “Rain on Me.”
TikTok
TikTok is a video, social media platform that allows users to create 15-second up to minute-long videos. TikTok has surpassed its predecessor, Musical.ly by a wide margin. It was released in September of 2016 and has quickly gained popularity. TikTok has over 800 million users worldwide. This platform has helped skyrocket many artists’ careers, especially Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. Haley Sharpe created what would be known as trending dance, in late 2019 to the hit song, “Say So.” The original video has racked up a whopping 19.8 million recreation videos. These videos include the likes of David Dobrik, Madison Beer and the artist herself, Doja Cat. Music has a powerful pull on our memories and feelings. Music helps us relate to one another and brings us together, but this is music in general. What does it mean for young girls and women seeing powerful women team up and make hit after hit? For example, Beyonce’s hit song, “Run the World (Girls),” is an anthem for young women everywhere to exude the power they possess. Equality is something that women have been and are still striving for in today’s society. According to Business Insider, a woman makes 81.6 cents for every dollar a man makes working full time on average. This speaks volumes about how much more work women have to do in order to make the playing field equal. The fight for equality begins at a young age. There is a social assumption and stigma that implies girls are put into a category as weak and emotional. It can be assumed that society’s stigmas and beliefs are strongly rooted in Christianity. In the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 14:34 states, “Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.” It is safe to say that Christianity still has a prominent role in stereotypes today. With the likes of Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga, they are active in breaking these stereotypes and forming new ones. Having young girls see women up on stage, succeeding at what they do, creates a sense of purpose and inspiration. This is why it is so important to keep supporting female artists. Throughout history, songs have been reflections of society at the time. With the growing power of female collabs, it’s right to say the feminist movement is making its mark on society and history. The #MeToo movement has been a marker for everyday women and famous female artists to come forward about the abuse they have experienced with men. Social media creates a huge booster for this movement, helping it gain momentum and finding supporters along the way. With the way women’s stories are taking place in social media,they are able to receive the support and access to resources they need. With the continuation of women supporting women, the future’s looking bright for women of all ages.
Brian Esperon created the famous WAP dance in August of 2020. The #WAP has over 300 million views creating one of the biggest trends on the platform. Esperon even got a tweet of his dance from the artist herself, Cardi B. TikTok has quickly gained popularity. It could be said that COVID-19 has helped its popularity and user count. Being in quarantine, locked in our homes, this app gave us all a creative outlet to help us feel connected when we need it most. For example, a relatively new all-female trio, Avenue Beat, has felt the success that TikTok can bring. The trio features the likes of Sam Backoff, Savana Santos and Sami Bearden. Their hit song, “F2020,” started at 6,000 views then suddenly skyrocketed to 13 million. The song has become the unedited and unapologetic anthem of 2020. As proven, TikTok not only helps current artists but gives a large platform to new artists that they never had before. Record labels have begun to scout the popular platform, watching for their next greatest star. One could argue that it is only because of social media that they have the fame they want, but this is not the case. Certainly, social media does not hurt the promotion of their music, however, the women in this industry are strong, resilient and versatile. They have a passion for their craft and continue to inspire those with that same passion. With more strong, female artists breaking into the music industry, the future is unquestionably female.
5 underrated female artists to add to your playlist right now curated by Anusha Singh
Raveena
Noname
girl in red
Men I Trust
Is a first generation Indian-American woman from Queens, NY. Co-headlined the Java Jazz Festival with H.E.R and Toto. Lyrically, she explores sensuality, healing from trauma and spirituality; she also opens up about her experience as a sexual assault and abuse survivor. Top rated songs: If Only, Still Dreaming Check out: Lucid (Nectar)
Marie Ulven is a Norwegian indie pop singer-songwriter known for her “bedroom pop anthems about romance and mental health”. She makes her music from the comfort of her bedroom as a self taught guitar and piano player. Top rated songs: i wanna be your girlfriend, we fell in love in october Check out: bad idea!
Snail Mail
Is a poet and rapper from Bronzeville, Chicago. Noname gained wider recognition for appearance on the track “Lost” from Chance the Rapper’s mixtape, Acid Rap. She has her own book club focused on texts from authors of color. Top rated songs: Shadow Man, Self, Ace Check out: Song 33
Is a dream/Indie pop band from Montreal, Quebec. The lead vocalist and guitarist, Emmanuelle Proulx, also has her own solo project called Bernache. Top rated songs: Show Me How, Numb Check out: Oncle Jazz, Bernache
Is an American indie rock solo project of guitarist and singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan with a very reminiscent ‘90s sound. They gained fame touring with Beach Fossils and their influences include My Bloody Valentine, The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth. Top rated songs: Pristine, Heat Wave Check out: Lush (Golden Dream)
Girl Power Survivor- Destiny’s Child IDGAF- Dua Lipa Truth Hurts- Lizzo Beef FloMix- Flo Milli Boss Bitch- Doja Cat Woman- Kesha, The Dap-Kings Horns Dangerous Woman- Ariana Grande Gimme Brains- Bratmobile Girl on Fire- Alicia Keys Cool Slut- Chastity Belt Bad Girls- M.I.A.
written by Victoria Webb-Johnson
I
mmediately upon telling my hometown friends that I had officially committed to attend college at West Virginia University, the song started playing. Every opportunity they could find or any time the topic was mentioned, they would play the song. It was constant. I am sure without even mentioning its name, WVU students can identify exactly which song I am talking about: “Country Roads” by John Denver. I found it funny that the only association my high school peers could make to the state of West Virginia was that song, but to be honest, I was not much different. Coming from Massachusetts, I had no idea what to expect from my move to West Virginia, so I hoped that Denver’s lyrics would keep me afloat long enough to gather my bearings. The longer I have been here and the more I have learned about West Virginia, the more I wonder, what’s the deal with this song? Why has it become such an integral aspect of WVU’s culture? Why has “Country Roads’’ become so strongly associated with the state’s identity? For starters, the song contains many inaccuracies. The Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River only pass through a sliver of West Virginia. They are known much more for their prominence in Virginia. Maybe Denver confused West Virginia with Western Virginia? I guess there is credit to give for part of these geographical features at least being in some of the state, but if there are mountain ranges and rivers worth mentioning in a song about West Virginia, why not the Appalachian Mountains? The Kanawha River? The Monongahela River? West Virginia also almost missed out on being the central theme of the song. John Denver had never actually been to the state when he wrote the song, but rather chose West Virginia because it fit into the melody and one of the song’s writers, Bill Danoff, gained inspiration through childhood experiences receiving postcards from his Western Virginian friend and experience listening to a West Virginia radio station. The song was actually almost about Massachusetts, since that was where Danoff grew up and the name also fit into the melody pretty well. As a Bostonian myself, I am a bit disappointed that my home state missed out on such a catchy melody, but I can also not imagine the song being associated with any state other than West Virginia. Ultimately, the writers went with West Virginia because of the inspiration Danoff gained from the beautiful postcards he received as a child and the music he heard on the radio. The style of music he heard on the radio was especially influential to him. In an interview with NPR in 2011, Danoff stated, “I just thought the idea that I was hearing something so exotic to me from someplace as far away. West Virginia might as well have been in Europe, for all I knew.” And yet, WVU students and West Virginia residents alike continue to belt the song at the top of their lungs, especially after an exciting WVU football win. That tradition can likely be directed back to John Denver’s pregame performance of the song on Mountaineer Field in 1980. It was the first game ever played in the newly built Milan Puskar Stadium, the first game for a new head coach and the first game of the season. It was a new beginning for the West Virginia Mountaineers, and it was topped off by a song that was just for them. “Almost heaven” seems to be the phrase that resonates most with West Virginians. From the captions of Instagram pictures to the official West Virginia tourism advertisements, the phrase is seen everywhere. One trip to Copper’s Rock will tell you why. I will never forget pulling over on the side of the road on the drive from Pittsburgh airport to take my first tour of WVU. My dad and I couldn’t help but stop and stare in awe at the beauty of the rolling hills and the gorgeous greenery. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. There was something about the way the light hit the trees that felt much like the phrase suggests, divine. With that in mind, I think I have finally started to understand why this song is so loved here. Is it entirely accurate? No, not at all. However, it does speak to many aspects of the state’s charm. Yes, West Virginia has so much more to offer than “misty mountains” and “country roads”, but the state’s beauty and music are such a large part of its charm. Those are the things that inspired Danoff to write a song about West Virginia over his home state. It kicked off a new era for the Mountaineers, and to pay homage we will continue to belt it at the top of our lungs with arms wrapped around our friends. I do wish people outside of the state knew more about West Virginia than just this song, but I guess that information is for us to teach them.
local musicians to know.
Adam Yokum written by Catherine Wylie
During my freshman year, I remember going to my friend’s dorm in Boreman and meeting his next-door neighbor. I learned that he made music published on Spotify. I quickly became a fan; I listened to his music and even went to see him perform in a nightclub. I was amazed. I feel like everyone knows someone who tries to be a rapper and puts themselves on SoundCloud thinking that’ll do all the work for them. I’ve never met someone who actually wanted to put in the work until I met Adam Yokum. Yokum didn’t have the easiest childhood growing up. Being the youngest of five of a poor family from West Virginia, he can remember the struggles his family had with paying bills and getting by. However, he credits these experiences for giving them the hardworking mindset that he has today. He learned that if he wanted his situation to change, he was going to have to put in the work. This mindset followed him as he began making music. “I can remember being a little kid singing along to the radio in the car and thinking to myself ‘I want to be a rock star someday,’” Yokum said. Inspired by his older brother and rapper Eminem, Yokum started pursuing his music career at the age of 15. He started by rapping for his friends after school on the bus. “It became an everyday tradition. I became obsessed honestly. I couldn’t wait for the bell to ring at the end of the day because we would just play beats for the 20-minute bus ride and rap what we had written the night before,” he said. This everyday practice made him want to record his first actual song. He found a studio in Morgantown and booked a session. Yokum soon learned that it was too expensive for him to record at a studio and that if he wanted to make music, he was going to have to do it himself, and that he did. He learned everything by himself by watching YouTube videos and finding articles on the internet. His first equipment purchase was a cheap 4 channel mixing board and microphone. He even had to pirate the software he needed on his computer. As for soundproofing, Yokum would throw a blanket over his head and the mic when recording. As he went through high school, Yokum worked towards finding his sound and improving his audio engineering skills. He also slowly bought and upgraded his recording equipment. “I experimented and created a lot of really bad songs in the process. I actually leave all of them up and you can still find them on my SoundCloud. A lot of artists delete their old music, but I like to leave it up as a reminder of how I can improve if I put my mind to it. Admittedly, I’m still growing as an artist and I don’t think I’ve reached my ‘final form’ yet,” Yokum said. The now college student and rap/contemporary R&B music artist obviously takes great pride in his work. He literally does it all from the producing, writing, recording and mixing. All of his music is 100% made by him. “Now I basically have a whole recording studio in my house. I think it’s so backward when people call themselves ‘independent artists’ but they actually depend on (and pay large amounts of money) to producers and engineers in order to get their music created. That being said, I do have friends who are great producers, engineers, artists, and I love working in a creative space with them. I just wish more artists understood the importance of being self-sufficient,” said Yokum.
Instagram: @adamyokum
His journey is certainly far from over, as he has big plans for the future. Yokum plans on continuing his hard work and push his music career further. “I truly want it all. I feel like the sky is the limit regarding how far my talent can take me,” he said. Two years after he graduates college to get his undergrad in Music Industry, Yokum plans to move to LA and get into the music scene in that area. He hopes to one day start his own record label. However, his ultimate goal, regardless of where music takes him, is to be happy in life and take care of his family. Favorite thing about making music: “One of my favorite things about making music is sharing it with other people. If I can make a song that helps someone through something, or even just put a smile on their face, it’s a really great feeling.” Favorite song to perform live: “My song ‘Party on Me’ is definitely my favorite to perform because it always gets the crowd moving.” Favorite Artist: “Currently my favorite artist is J. Cole. He is an amazing artist and it’s been really cool to watch him grow and develop.” Favorite song of his own: “It’s so hard to pick a favorite song! It’s like telling a parent to pick a favorite child. I love them all so much and equally. If I had to pick though, I would say either Angels are Soaring, or I GOT IT.”
photographer: Nic Provenzano
photographer: Daniel Glifford
Fletcher’s Grove Kayse Ellis chatted with vocalist Ryan Krofcheck about touring in Colorado and the band’s versitile musical influences. Ryan Krofcheck: Lead vocals and guitar John Inghram: Bass Wesley Hager: Lead guitar Matt Marion: Percussion Tommy Bailey: Drums
Instagram: @fletchersgrove
Q: What is the origin story of Fletcher’s Grove? A: It started back when we were in high school. Matt Marion and I went to school together while the rest of the band went to a rival high school. Between the two schools, we each had a group of our own. Matt and I were focused on sing/songwriter duo music while the other group focused on jazz and instrumental music. Once we started seeing each other play, we all agreed that what each group was lacking the most was what each of us had. So, naturally, we combined forces and created Fletcher’s Grove. The name Fletcher’s Grove comes from a road that we used to frequent in our hometown of Hurricane, WV. We thought that Fletcher’s Road didn’t have the appeal that Grove would. So, we came up with that last minute before our first gig which was MORP (backward prom). Q: If you had to categorize your music into one specific genre, what would it be? A: We call ourselves Appalachian Jamrock which stems from the jam band genre but also gives it a little bit of that folk feel. Q: What has it been like creating music during quarantine? A: It has been challenging at times. A lot of us had to buy equipment so that we could record and share our ideas and songs with each other. It has been tough trying to write collaboratively. A lot of our music stems from improvisation. So it really makes it tough to collaborate and improv over each other’s ideas through a zoom call. Personally, I have been using this time to work on other projects. I am planning on releasing a solo album within the next year, so it has been nice to focus on that for a while. I know one other band member, John Inghram is also working on a solo album set to release soon. Q: What artists would you compare the sound of your music to? What artists do you look to for inspiration? A: A lot of times in the genre that we are in bands tend to compare themselves to the Grateful Dead or Phish. Some rather serious jam band enthusiasts and connoisseurs will only listen to one or the other but not both. I tend to love them both and they have really found their way into our songwriting style. Again, with our genre improvisation and genre-blending is key. These two bands probably had the most success out of the genre and continue to be an industry leader. Fletchers Grove is a rather diverse band when it comes to musical influences. What I like the most is that we each bring those influences to the table when it comes time to write. While I might be listening to a lot of Bluegrass and folk music, Wes Hager our guitarist listens to top 40 pop and jazz heavy artists. Q: Favorite song right now? A: I have had Sturgill Simpson‘s new Bluegrass record, “cutting grass volume one” on heavy rotation recently. The song that sticks out the most on that album is actually the first one, “all around you”. These are all songs that Sturgill has recorded in the past but done in a bluegrass style with a top-notch bluegrass band back in here. Q: Favorite/most memorable gig? A: I would have to say our Colorado tours always stick out in my mind when it comes to the most memorable were favorites. We have played out and around Colorado several times. The last couple of tours we did in Colorado were mostly based around Ned Fest or Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland, Colorado. Such a cool town with a lot of old West Virginia heads that moved out there. So naturally, we were welcomed with arms wide open. Q: What kind of support have you received from other local musicians, if any? A: The West Virginia music scene is small but mighty. A lot of us tend to help each other with booking gigs and either when we can’t play a gig we are happy enough to pass it to the next band. Through our festival, Grooving with the Grove, we bring a lot of the local bands and musicians together for the weekend. Being that we are a grassroots festival, each and every band is responsible for pulling their own weight and helping with ticket sales. This alone is a tremendous amount of support.
Cherri Valace Savanna Shriver sat down with solo artist Cherri Valace about musical family ties and the unique function of his side project “Cedar Parc.�
Instagram: @cherrivalace @cedarparc
Q: What is the origin story of Cherri Valace? A: Cherri Valace is a character from a book I loved when I was a kid, The Outsiders. She was just really useless and emotion-filled and that was just the way that I felt at the time when I took the name. Q: How did you begin making music? When did you start taking it seriously? A: Growing up, my father and my grandfather were both in bands. My grandfather actually toured with Bob Marley, but that’s besides the point. There was always music around the house and so I spent a lot of time with them. I try not to take it too seriously because, for me, it takes a lot of the fun and the beauty out of it, but probably around highschool, I was in and out of a few bands. Then, my senior year I started recording [music] as Cherri Valace. Q: If you had to categorize your music into one specific genre, what would it be? A: I’d categorize my music as indie because it’s a very big genre with a lot of different sounds. Also, because I’m an independent artist. Q: What has it been like creating music during quarantine? A: It’s been very drab. I take a lot of inspiration from traveling, seeing new things, and just interacting, but I haven’t been able to do as much of that as I want to, but I’m making it through. The technical stuff is still the same, though. I make music in my bedroom, so that setup hasn’t changed at all. Q: What artists would you compare the sound of your music to? What artists do you look to for inspiration? A: My older music I would compare to something like The Marias, but my new music, I’m not too sure. For inspiration, I look to my bandmates from Cedar Parc. They’re always releasing amazing new music that just challenges me to push myself further. It’s like perfect friendly competition. Q: You said you’re in a band. How long have you been in it? A: I’ve been in Cedar Parc for about a year, maybe two. Q: How did you guys get started? A: We met on different social media sites. We met online and just decided to become a band. So far, we’ve released an album, called A Day In Cedar Parc. Now we’re putting together a single before our next album. There’s 7 other members from, some are from the east coast and some are from The U.K.. I love them like family. They’re all pretty cool. Q: Favorite song right now? A: Currently my favorite song is “Five Years” by David Bowie or “Where’d All the Time Go?” by Dr. Dog. They’re both just kinda long and perfect. You can feel the energy in the song and the recordings. It’s just how I like music. Q: What kind of support have you received from other local musicians, if any? A: Not any so far. I’m just starting to get into the local music scene. I don’t know what all’s really going on because I never played gigs or got out to meet or know the other bands, but I’m hoping and planning on getting to do all that soon.
photographer: Nick Haynes
Mother of Earl Olivia Gianettino talked with Mother of Earl about the challenges of making music during quarantine and some of their most memorable live shows. Alex Nanni: Lead vocals and supreme leader Ross Weidman: Drums Milo Levine: Bassist and dad John Kolar: Guitarist and producer
Instagram: @motherofearl Check out their EP “Planet Earl� wherever you stream music!
Q: What is the origin story of Mother Earl? Where did the name come from? Ross: It was September or October of last year, and I was like “I want to start a band.” I started drumming again, made fliers and put them up around campus. Alex contacted me through that, and we got together with two other dudes. Those guys quit. We recruited John from his other band, and John knew this guy who played bass, and we got Milo. Alex: It took us forever to come up with a name. Ross and I were recording demos in my apartment late one night drinking earl grey tea, and I think Ross said something like Evil Earl. I had been working on a weird demo called Mother of Pearl around that time, and I said “what about Mother of Earl?” Q: If you had to categorize your music into one specific genre, what would it be? Milo: Confused rock. (laughter) Alex: Alternative rock. Milo: But you have to call it alt-rock because then it sounds cooler. John: Confused rock sums it up. Q: What has it been like creating music during quarantine? Ross: We put out an EP a month ago. We recorded drums in February. Everything got shut down because of the quarantine, and we all were at home, so we basically had drum parts of some demo-y guitar stuff, and it kind of went on hold for a while. John: I did recording for it, so from March through June we just didn’t make any music. We started recording back up in early summer. Milo: We were all trying to be as safe as possible. We ended up just going to John’s studio space, keeping six feet apart, and recently, we have been [recording] one or two people together at a time. It’s definitely a challenge, and it takes a lot more communication. Rome wasn’t built in one night, and neither are kick ass albums. Q: What artists would you compare the sound of your music to? What artists do you look to for inspiration? Milo: The strokes Alex: Yeah, we get compared to a lot of early 2000’s alt rock bands. Milo: The fact that we do have different music tastes does come through in our music. Alex: The first thing Ross and I bonded on was U2. Ross: Kings of Leon is probably one I default to. We like catchy songs. We want to write catchy songs, and that’s a lot of alternative rock. Q: Favorite song right now? Ross: “Fruits Of My Labour” by Lucinda Williams John: “Angelina” by Pinegrove and “Never Meant” by American Football Milo: “Astrovan” by Mt. Joy and “Whole Wide World” by Bahamas Alex: “Boys Don’t Cry” by The Cure Q: Favorite/most memorable gig? Ross: Last december, we all wore hawaiian shirts at a double house party on Union. I remember that show being a lot of fun because all of our friends were there. Milo: Wine class (laughter). Alex: We played at John’s wine tasting class while they were taking their final. We wore suits for some reason. Milo: That was a lot of fun. There was one at 123, and we showed up, and there was nobody there. We played our first song, and then all of the sudden people just started coming in and it was like a full house. Q: What kind of support have you received from other local musicians, if any? What bands do you interact with? Ross: Number one, Brian Spragg. He’s very big in the scene in Morgantown-- a super encouraging, standup guy. He helped us get shows in the beginning, too. Tony From Bowling-- those guys gave us some shows, especially house shows. Oxford Comma and She’s A Wizard we’ve played lots of shows with, and they’re super nice and enthusiastic. And Natural Rat. Those are the people who stand out to me. Milo: Seeing Oxford Comma, they’re always super positive, bought our merch-John: stayed for the whole show-Milo: cheered, danced, brought their friends, gave us stickers. They’re really awesome. Alex: I will say though, I feel like we were kind of an outlier in the Morgantown music scene just because it feels like every band is like a punk or metal band. Milo: But it was never “you guys can’t play here because you’re too different”
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A Fine Line. Exploring album covers as everyday looks.
In the eyes of the media, within the contemporary music industry, the tunes are only half of an artist’s identity. Each day, with each tabloid spread or Snapchat article, more and more of popular culture is becoming drizzled with ‘who wore what.’ Today’s musicians are at the center of fashion trends and conversations, and there is no better place to capture the intersection where music meets fashion than at the album cover. The image plastered on the front of an album serves as a lasting standard for what is at the pinnacle of conceptual and fashionable clothing trends and often sticks with the listeners for years to come. (Think Michael Jackson’s white suit on Thriller or Stevie Nick’s flowing robe on Rumors. Iconic.) But why should musicians have all the fun? If our pop stars today are following in this quintessential standard of fashion, shouldn’t we follow in their footsteps? In this shoot, see how two of the hottest albums of the year were transformed into inspired fashion statements that follow in the stride of today’s fashion effortlessly. Using vibrant pinks and whites at the core of these looks see how Harry Style’s Fine Line and Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia have jumped into life. Curated and Written by Adam Payne Photography by Joseph Lucey Modeled by Chidera Nwoko
Love Letter to
Lorde
written by Adam Payne and Kasey Lettrich
As the previous track’s soft lull of violin fades, a triumphant, sure voice bellows: “In my head…” A quiet, twinkle of piano kicks up, and the voice reverberates: “I play a supercut of us.” Softly, the keys repeat their sparkle melody as the voice hauntingly remembers: “All the magic we gave off All the love we had and lost And in my head-” The bass’s heartbeat pulses into focus. The synth sparks. The piano bubbles. And we’re off. For the next minute-and-a-half, New Zealand pop musician Lorde with her song “Supercut” uses a powerful blend of spilling, overlapping voices and harmonies; clusters of pulsing, intersecting melodies of piano and rising synths; and a poetically profound, repetitive drive of non-stop lyrics. The build is insistent and swirling until the 2:20 mark where all of that is stripped away. The listener is left with a near a cappella Lorde echoing the song’s core lyric “In my head I do everything right” through “Wild and fluorescent, come home to my heart.” She then rejoices, crashes, dives, explodes into a swell of cathartic cacophony that is softly folded into nearly an entire minute of atmospheric, transcendent pulsing that I can only describe as floating through outer space. In just a few minutes, Lorde has somehow captured a rare fusion of intricate storytelling with a potent, intentional longing towards something nostalgic, something tangible, that evokes a feeling in a way no other artist can. Thus is the magic interwoven into the core of songs like “Supercut,” and drifting like memories into her debut and sophomore albums, Pure Heroine and Melodrama. Lorde has the ability and tenacity to create shared experiences of so many, yet inherently emotional and personal for herself. And it is in her poetic lyricism and dark, ‘dream pop,’ ‘indie-pop’ soundscape that she paints these memories. What is perhaps most substantial about Lorde’s impact on pop culture to my generation is that, well, she is a part of it. As she is set to release her next work, Lorde is only 24, but at the time of the composition of her first smash album, she was just meeting her mid-teens. (Making her one of the youngest Grammy-award winning artists of all time amongst a number of other broken records and awards, notably). Part of Lorde’s success stems from the fact that she writes from the same perspective of the people who are listening, serving as an undoubtable testament to her appeal with our generation. Lorde possesses the unique experience as a songwriter having grown up with her listeners, and as a result, she so candidly captured aspects of ‘coming of age’ that so many miss. In Pure Heroine, we listened, firsthand, as a teen grappled with growing up and moving on, conformity and popularity. While simultaneously critiquing the world of fame and pop culture she was about to unknowingly step into, Lorde discovers her own identity, her own voice, as she melts from childhood into adulthood. In Melodrama, we listen as a now young adult experiences her first relationship, her first love, her first heartbreak and her first resurgence. Her lyrics are intimate and poetic at times, at others straightforward and simplistic, teeter-tottering her adolescence against her maturity as she traipses through her late teens and early twenties. All the while, Lorde’s listeners (in my generation at least)
are getting into their first relationships or leaving home for the first time or dancing alone right alongside her, with a new memory to be found in each adjective or melody. In a song like “Perfect Places,” Lorde writes, “I hate the headlines and the weather/ I’m nineteen and I’m on fire.” In so few words she effectively captures the trials of teenage angst, speaking directly to millions of teens listening, with eager ears and fraught with their own fires. In 2017 when Melodrama was released, in the span of that year I graduated high school, moved to a foreign city to start college, and experienced the spectrum of catharsis and loneliness that accompany such a change. The search for romance, for purpose and for identity began, and what I found was that Lorde’s words transformed from catchy pop into a very personal, very poignant soundtrack for a coming-of-age film uniquely mine and richly everyone else’s. It is in this magic--to speak directly to both a memory so intimate to her listeners’ individual experience and to the ubiquity of a shared experience that we all must go through, that threads us all together--where Lorde truly shines. Within her small but growing discography, it is clear that Lorde demonstrates a definitive dexterity in her poetic writing and sonic fabrication, and it is through that mastery she is able to decipher one of the most challenging patches of life and put it into words. Not many people can tread this tightrope of familiar and universal as effectively as Lorde does, but it gives way to a space where lyrics like “You buy me orange juice,” and “We might be hollow, but we’re brave,” (“400 Lux”) can exist with within the same universe and it doesn’t seem strange. In short, Lorde speaks directly to the young generation, because she is writing through it. She is one of us. She just so happens to also be a gifted singer-songwriter and fervent observer of life’s idiosyncrasies. It is through these observations that Lorde offers our generation a ‘supercut’ into swelling feelings, dynamic emotions and visceral memories that arrive exactly when we need it most, and to continue to serve as a diary, a love letter, a time capsule and a soundtrack to our growth for years and years to come. And for that, I am grateful. Next up, Kasey Lettrich is going to take a closer deep dive into some of the themes and structures that music’s “Lorde and Savior” uses throughout Pure Heroine and Melodrama to engineer her magic. Read onward!
At 16 years old, Lorde released a debut album that encompassed the minds of every teenager in America, and arguably the world. Pure Heroine romanticized every aspect of teenhood from riding around on your bike in the suburban summertime with your friends to craving an escape to adulthood but fearing the change. The boom that accompanied the song “Royals” was just the start of it and comes nowhere near the romance that surrounds the album as a whole. With Pure Heroine, Lorde established the feeling of “main character syndrome” that every young adult strives for. It’s about living in the moment and taking the time to understand each emotion, each rush of energy and each night out before you’re too old. The album begins with the song “Tennis Court” which mentions the substance-lacking high school games of being the “class clown,” “beauty queen” and “showing people how little we care.” While all of this is going on and Lorde is living her life as a 16-year-old, she understands that it’s not going to stay this way for long, and she’s preparing for her departure into the real world. She questions what it means to be 16 years old and known by the world saying “how can I f*ck with the fun again when I’m known” and “Pretty soon I’ll be getting on my first plane. I’ll see the veins of my city like they do in space.” Lorde is primed to be someone, but isn’t prepared to leave the carefree high school world behind suggesting that they “go down to the tennis court” where the popular crew hangs out and there is little pressure beyond being the “class clown” and “beauty queen in tears”. This song sets up the themes for the entirety of the album without coming out and saying it. The first line of “Tennis Court” which starts the entire album says, “Don’t you think it’s boring how people talk.” The album ends with the lyrics “Let ‘em talk.” This choice represents the story of the album as a whole and depicts Lorde’s fear of letting go of her young, buoyant self and welcoming the voices of the masses. The second song on Pure Heroine titled “400 Lux” reminds me simply of riding my bike around in the summertime with lyrics like, “I love these roads where the houses don’t change and we can talk like there’s something to say.” Following a song about Lorde’s fear of moving on from her teenage self, “400 Lux” perfectly encompasses the feeling of summertime in the suburbs with no obligations other than time with your friends, drinking and being reckless and blithe. With lyrics like, “got a lot to not do,” “We’re never done with killing time” and “you pick me up and take me home again,” you are immediately transported to a time when there were no commitments beyond nighttime with your friends. “400 Lux” is followed by “Royals”, the most straight-forward song on the album. After talking about the beauty of being a carefree teenager, Lorde moves on to “Royals” where she obliterates that nostalgia with a powerful drop into the fantasy of being the queen and everyone knowing her name. However, immediately after “Royals,” she transitions to the nostalgic song of our generation, “Ribs.” The intent of these transitions is to represent Lorde’s confusion as she moves, without a chance to take a breath, from one extreme in her life to another: being a carefree 16-year-old to a worldwide pop star.
Of all of Lorde’s music, “Ribs” means the most to me and captures that exact nostalgia that every main-character-teenager experiences as they face the reality of getting older. The song begins with a transcendent rise into the first lyric, “The drink you spilt all over me.” It’s as if she’s realizing what she needs to say as the song is beginning, and when the first lyric hits, she understands the existential pain of growing old. She says, “It drives you crazy getting old” and “ I’ve never felt more alone. It feels so scary getting old” as if she is fearing the inevitable but coming to terms with it. She throws the most empathetic lyrics at her listeners while the soft beat takes you back to a time when you were young. For me, every time I listen to this song, I’m immediately 16 years old and afraid to leave the good old days and my hometown friends. Again, Lorde transitions from a song about nostalgia to a song about fantasy as she moves into “Buzzcut Season”. This song depicts the fantasy of summertime, but not the hesitation that comes with moving on from that incandescent summertime feeling. She says, “So now we live beside the pool where everything is good” and “I’ll never go home again.” Lorde shows us the jovial summertime where there isn’t a fear of growing old, there is simply amity and fun times with the people you “tell your fears to.” “Team” is a powerful song with a powerful beat that shows her coming to terms with the concept of aging. There isn’t a dread surrounding it, just growth and acceptance as she says, “I’m kind of older than I was when I reveled without a care.” Lorde is coming into her own and taking charge of the situation as she looks back on the “cities you’ll never see on screen”, but we are all still on each other’s “team” as we grow and go our separate ways. Following “Team,” “Glory and Gore” gets dark as Lorde grabs that success by the throat and allows it to consume her as the spilled blood and broken ties that come along with success become apparent. She says, “We’re slipping off the course that we prepared” while she enters the adult world, which appears to be just as reckless as her juvenile world with shiners and broken glasses. Lorde loses all sense of her old self as she welcomes the pain and power in her success; it’s as if she’s gone insane. She finishes the song by saying, “victory’s contagious.”
''Well, summer slipped us underneath her tongue, Our days and nights are perFumed with obsession.''
After Lorde loses her mind in the chaos of success, she moves into a song titled “Still Sane” where she, yet again, transitions from fantasy to nostalgia. She promises to return to her roots, riding around on bikes in the summertime she says, “we’re still sane” and “promise I can stay good.” Lorde was prepared to jump feet first into the success of a worldwide pop star until the rushes of nostalgia materialized. She begins the song by saying, “Today is my birthday, and I’m riding high. Hair is dripping, hiding that I’m terrified.” She is immediately thrown back into the pains of getting older that she felt at the beginning of the album. This song is a grounding agent that humbles us down to our roots. She promises to never become the woman “tripping over on stage.” In other words, she will stay good, she will remember her roots and she will never again be consumed by fame as she was in “Glory and Gore.” Rather than reminiscing in nostalgia of her carefree teenage years in the next song titled “White Teeth Teens,” she grabs those years by the throat, similar to how she seized fame in “Glory and Gore.” She talks about how she was never one of the “white teeth teens,” the popular group who could make anything happen for them, and she’s okay with that reality. She wants to hold on to what she has and no longer feels the need to “go down to the tennis court” where the “white teeth teens” come out to play. Lorde completes her debut album with “A World Alone,” a song about the ugly and hateful people that she feared in the adult world. She no longer fears them and after bringing herself down from the fame and back to her roots she says, “let ‘em talk”: the final words of Pure Heroine. Lorde understands the reality of her fame, she no longer needs to be the “queen,” she can seize the fame as herself. She doesn’t need to leave her younger self behind, she can have it all. With the words “let ‘em talk” she allows the haters to spew their words, but they will no longer affect her as she grows into the artist that we know and love today. Pure Heroine takes several twists and turns on its way to the conclusion, but each twist is important. It represents the chaos of Lorde’s mind as she becomes the worldwide pop star that everyone knows as the humble queen. She goes back and forth between nostalgia and fantasy before she grabs fame by the throat. It’s all-consuming and, eventually, she has to come back down. When she lands on the ground, she understands that she can make it in this world as herself, despite the words of the people who say otherwise.
''it Feels so scary getting old.''
Themes and Theories oF Melodrama Like Lorde’s first album, Melodrama isn’t just a collection of songs, it’s a story from start to finish. It’s intentional the way Melodrama is arranged, in fact, many fans theorize that it is written as one night out at a house party. She could’ve written a breakup album like anybody else, but instead, she wrote it in a way that we would all understand: the worst feeling in the world is running into someone you used to love at a party. Lorde begins her second album with the song “Green Light.” This song represents her getting ready for the party, doing her makeup and being excited to get out there and have fun. When “Sober” comes on, the second track on the album, you realize that she made it to the party, but she made eye contact with the last person that she wanted to see. You know the one, the person you were trying to stop thinking about, the one you used to love. She says, “Oh god, I’m clean out of air in my lungs. It’s all gone. Played it so nonchalant.” If you’ve had your heart broken, you recognize the feeling. The one where you see them for the first time in months, you lose all air in your lungs, your heart drops to your stomach and everything else stops. In “Homemade Dynamite,” Lorde loses her mind as she’s adjusting to the fact that she’s partying with him, the one that broke her heart. Next, is “The Louvre” where she’s remembering how good they had it before everything fell apart. This reminiscing is too much to handle. When “Liability” follows, it hurts. It’s the I’m-crying-in-a-bathroom-at-a-party-with-makeup-running-downmy-cheeks feeling. It feels as if she doesn’t know how to cope with the pain of seeing herself crying in the mirror with her ex just outside the bathroom door.
''I ride the subwa y. read the signs i let the season s change my mind. i love it here since i'v e stopped needing you.'' `xoxo
For the next several songs, “Hard Feelings/Loveless,” “Sober II (Melodrama),” “Writer in the Dark” and “Supercut,” Lorde is remembering her relationship, the good and the bad. She reminisces and hurts and realizes that this whole time she’s only been looking at a supercut of the relationship, the best of it all and not the reality of it. When “Liability (Reprise)” comes on, Lorde rearranges her thoughts. No, she is not a liability and no, she will not suffer like this. She deserves more and she will demand more. She says, “But you’re not what you thought you were.” “Perfect Places” is the sun rising as you walk home, mascara down your cheeks with your heels in your hand. She says, “It’s just another graceless night” as she muses over her experiences and tries to provide us with the hope that there are perfect places beyond the parties that bring out our most fluorescent and pure selves. She ends the album with the lyric “What the f*ck are perfect places anyway?” This lyric hits hard because while you are partying, you’re looking for that rush, that perfect place where you are wholly happy. But is it even possible? Is a party where we’ll find that place? Or, will we keep looking forever for the ultimate happiness that we seek at the bottom of a bottle while we dance with our friends?
To deny that the two of us place Lorde, as an artistic force, on somewhat of a revered pedestal would be far from truthful, but I can firmly say that Kasey and I are not alone in this adornment. Thousands upon millions of fans hold Lorde at the same level of wonderment, idolization and care as we do for both her and the high standard of quality she has set for herself. As her third studio album is set to be realized early next year, if one thing is certain, it is that her fans, now older, are expecting something to be just as radical and personal as her last two. By skyrocketing to success with her earliest albums, and doing it with such remarkable, impassioned creations, the expectations for what her next album may hold are monumental. What song choices and sentimental baggage that album will capture has yet to be determined. But if we know anything about Lorde by now, it is that she will once again deliver an album that will surprisingly, poignantly capture the emotional complexities that accompany our exact stage in growing up.
Filth and Fury. written by Sydney Keener
P
unk music is one of the most controversial-and arguably most interesting-- genres of music. It has a rich history of angst, anarchy and fashion statements that shocked the masses. The attitude was the center of the punk movement-being ‘punk’ meant not caring about what you were expected to do. It was about anger-- about politics and making a statement. It’s more poetic and meaningful than it may appear to some on the surface though. There’s a lot of debate about where punk truly started; was it in New York City or London? In the late ‘70s, bands like the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned and The Buzzcocks were exploding in London. At the same time, The Ramones were leading the punk movement in NYC at the legendary CBGB venue. They were also accompanied by acts like the New York Dolls and The Velvet Underground, creating a brand new subculture of their own. Punk was bad, objectively. Musically, it was pretty awful, and many historians and punk-rockers of the times themselves will speak to that. Punk was rock-n-roll stripped to its barest bones-- it was barely considered music by many people during that time period. But that didn’t matter because that wasn’t the point. The point was to make a statement, to express the anger and frustration they felt with everything going on in the world. Especially those damn hippies-- they hated the hippies. Punk is all about the attitude, which is apparent in the way it exploded into popular culture in the ‘70s. The Sex Pistols were last-minute guests on Bill Grundy’s Today Show, and they spewed profanities on television that outraged the public. Newspapers were filled with headlines about the “filthy” Sex Pistols, and plenty of people were truly disgusted by their behavior. But plenty of people were enticed, and the punk movement grew exponentially from there.
Self-described “punks” were concerned with appearances and aesthetics, but most important to them were the ideas behind the movement. There are many veins of ideologies in the punk realm, but the most popular and widespread would have to be left-leaning. Anarcho-punk was very common in the ‘70s in an exaggerated opposition to the governmental conditions at the time. Punk bands were boldly making a statement against cultural norms and the way working-class people were treated, and they were doing it loudly. Ideas central to the punk subculture were that of individualism, rebellion, nonconformity and anti-authoritarianism. These themes can be heard clearly in songs like “God Save The Queen” by the Sex Pistols or “London Calling” by The Clash, and countless other examples. As punk became more popular, so did this term “poser.” People in the punk scene were not keen on people who they thought didn’t embody the ideology. Anyone who was deemed as adopting punk as an aesthetic rather than a lifestyle or belief system was deemed a poser. Along with that, any band who got big and changed their style or signed with a big label was coined as a sellout. In the punk scene, these were two of the worst things you could be. Outside of the punk subculture-- out in the “normal” world-- people were afraid of the punk movement. It was the first real example of “low culture” growing and making its way into “higher culture,” and people really didn’t like that. Many were afraid that punk values that were so out of the norm would make their way into the mainstream and change the way life operated for the masses. But punk didn’t go away-- in fact, it kept growing, and eventually, some aspects of the punk subculture did make their way into the mainstream, such as elements of style and fashion like skinny jeans, military-style boots like Doc Martens, plaid pants and chains, to name a few. Punk is not dead. As long as injustice lives, then punk music will live on with it. Punk is rock-n-roll stripped down to its bones to communicate a message; they won’t roll over and take it. Punk is loud, fast and angry, but most importantly, punk is persistent. And it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Glitter- BENEE Sunday Best- Surfaces prom dress- mxmtoon Buttercup- Jack Stauber Make You Mine- PUBLIC Marlboro Nights- Lonely God Crush-Tessa Violet Crystal Dolphin- Engelwood Prom Queen- Beach Bunny Falling for U- Peachy!, mxmtoon Chinese New Year- SALES