Issue 38 by tastemakers

The Sound of Revolution | 21

Turn off the Bright Lights | 33

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | 38

northeastern students on music

an interview with

PALLBEARER

No 38

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The Team

President Dinorah Wilson

Staff Writers Terence Cawley Audrey Cooney Clarissa Cooney Tim DiFazio Tom Doherty Amanda Hoover Nick Hugon Anika Krause Jason Levy David McDevitt Cara McGrath David Murphy Timothea Pham Kelly Subin Jackie Swisshelm Marco White

Editor in Chief Ben Stas

Snapped some awesome photos at a concert? Email them to tastemakersphoto@gmail.com

Art Directors Stephanie Lee Emily O’Brien Amanda Pinsker

Heard an album that really got you thinking? Send a review to tmreviews@gmail.com

Marketing Director YJ Lee

Staff

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Features Editor Nathan Goldman Reviews Editor Mike Doub Interviews Editor Joey Dussault Photo Director Leah Corbett

Art & Design Ellie Fung Ally Healy Cara McGrath Ben Muschol Marissa Rodakis Brandon Siu Henni Sundlin Marketing Camille Frazier Deirdre Massaro Emily Good Kelsey Eng Kim Mecca Nate Hewes Rami McCarthy Sofia Benitez

Meet the Staff

About

Listening to

Quote

??? Position Staff Writer Major English Graduating Fall 2017 Favorite Venue The Paradise Tastemaker Since Fall 2013

Run The Jewels

“I did acid and it made me like Grimes”

Wreck and Reference

Grimes

Mike Doub Position Reviews Editor Major Psychology/Journalism Graduating Fall 2015 Favorite venue Royale Tastemaker Since Fall 2012

Run The Jewels Run The Jewels 2

“Whatever, I’m gonna get high and watch Angel”

Flying Lotus You’re Dead!

Jackie Swisshelm The Hotelier Position Staff Writer Major Journalism Graduating Fall 2014 Favorite Venue Soul Kitchen (Mobile, AL) Tastemaker Since Spring 2013

“Wait, I want a funny staff quote”

Fall Out Boy

The Good Life

Ben Stas Position Editor in Chief Major Journalism/English Graduating Spring 2016 Favorite venue Middle East Downstairs Tastemaker Since Fall 2012

Godspeed You! Black Emperor Drake

Father John Misty Bored in the USA

“I don’t even know what universe we live in anymore”

Krill

Photo by Ben Stas (English/Journalism)

Table of Contents Cover Story

Pallbearer David Murphy chats with Arkansas’ rising doom metal torchbearers

Reviews

Show Reviews

Album Reviews

Turn Off The Bright Lights

The Sound of Revolution

Krill Catching up with Allston’s selfprofessed weird-rock trio

Local Photos

New York City’s celebrated postpunk scene 10 years later

Musicians speak out on 2014’s controversial issues

The Most Punchable Faces in Music

Editorial

A Change in Voice

Thug Tears

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2030

YMCMB: The Best (Or Worst) 50 A rundown of the Young Money Cash Money Billionaires’ finest moments

Classic bands who have swapped lead singers, for better or worse

A scale of the saddest rappers in the game

Which contemporary bands might make the cut

Pow! Bam!

Reviews of Christopher Owens, Gerard Way, The Rural Alberta Advantage, and Flying Lotus’ new albums

06 Calendar 11

Kasabian, Black Lips, Neil Young and Perfume Genius

Local Talent

Features

Etcetera

The Mercy Seat is Waiting: A Beginner’s Guide to Nick Cave

Midlife Crises Breaking down the prolific songwriter’s 21-album discography

They can’t explain it, it’s a middle-age thing

Just a Taste of Blindspot

Calendar January Su

Mayhem, Watain Royale

Rustie The Sinclair

Future Islands Royale

10 The Devil Makes Three House of Blues

Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven Middle East

The Vaselines Brighton Music Hall Sam Smith Agganis Arena

Giraffage Brighton Music Hall

Motion City Soundtrack Paradise Rock Club

Billy Idol Orpheum

Reverend Horton Heat Royale

London Grammar House of Blues

Rockommends

Dr. Dog House of Blues

Future Islands January 6–7 @ Royale Come for the Letterman-approved dance moves and sporadic growling of this melodic synth-pop group’s delightfully dramatic frontman, Samuel Herring. Stay for the songs, which are catchy and danceable as anything. There’s a reason this band is riding a hype wave right now, and it’s because the obvious passion they bring to every concert makes them a can’t-miss live experience.

Terence Crawley (Biology)

February Su

Kevin Devine, Into it. Over it. The Sinclair Damien Jurado Brighton Music Hall

14 George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic House of Blues

Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic The Sinclair

Sleater-Kinney House of Blues

Dr. John Wilbur Theatre

Sturgill Simpson Paradise Rock Club

Ariel Pink Paradise Rock Club

Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse House of Blues Murder By Death Paradise Rock Club

Sturgill Simpson February 20 @ Paradise Rock Club

Sleater-Kinney February 22 @ House of Blues

Sturgill Simpson is one of the most inventive artists in the perpetually underrated genre of independent country music, channeling Waylon Jennings ruggedness in his unique rapidfire growl. Don’t miss one of country’s most authentic and exciting performers when his tour hits the Paradise this winter.

One of the Pacific Northwest’s all-time great punk/ riot grrrl/rock-in-general trios returns from the hiatus we’d all assumed was permanent in 2015, with a new album and a full-scale tour. 10 years removed from their magnum opus The Woods and subsequent disbandment, Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss will break from their respective side-projects and TV shows to make glorious noise together once again. It’s probably a safe bet to say they won’t have lost their touch.

Nick Hugon (International Affairs)

Ben Stas ( Journalism/English)

Show Reviews RIVAL SONS October 7 @ Brighton Music Hall

Reviews Fall 2014

With dedicated fans hanging onto every note, Long Beach rock band Rival Sons delivered an electrifying set at Brighton Music Hall in support of their June album Great Western Valkyrie. Despite this focus, the band still shredded through a set that included tracks from their entire discography. The set spent time at both ends of the speed and volume spectrums, but never strayed from the heavy, blues-influenced rock that defines their sound. They began their set with “Electric Man”, the rousing opening track from their most recent album. The first sound of Scott Holiday’s fuzzed-out guitar and Michael Miley’s heavy-handed drumming elicited wild enthusiasm in the crowd. Frontman Jay Buchanan soon added his exceptionally

strong yet expressive voice to the mix; over the course of just one song he effortlessly shifted from crooning to screaming and back again, a pattern which continued for the rest of the show. Each member of the band is undeniably talented, and together they combined to form a sheer musical wall. David Beste, who signed on as bassist last year following the departure of Robin Everheart, was steady, solid, and vital to the band’s intensity of sound. Todd ÖgrenBrooks, who is touring with the band as a keyboardist, also added a noticeable depth to the band’s playing. Both contributed to the distinctiveness of Rival Son’s sound: loud but with a certain degree of subtlety and attention to detail. After opening their set with the first five songs off Great Western Valkyrie, they then plunged into a mix of some of their most popular tracks and less frequently heard songs. The bands energy never dipped; even the ballad “Jordan” turned searing with

the help of Buchanan’s soaring voice and Holiday’s burning guitar. Throughout the show Buchanan engaged the crowd, reaching toward the audience and acknowledging individual members. Barefoot and bejeweled, he jumped, slinked, and danced around the stage, all while displaying his impressive vocal range. During the chorus of “Torture”, he stepped back and let the crowd do his work for him, which they did, with enthusiasm. The audience was wildly receptive of the show on the whole as well; the only time they stood still and relatively quiet was during the band’s poignant rendition of “Jordan”. Along with the crowd, it was equally obvious that the band members were enjoying themselves which only added to the show. The entire set was one of intoxicating hard rock, skillfully played and artfully delivered. Audrey Cooney (Journalism)

DAN DEACON October 27 @ The Sinclair I don’t think I can describe Dan Deacon’s work to my friends. “Electro-acoustic” isn’t a term that means anything to a lot of people, and the connotation of the word “electronic” brings to mind the easily-mocked EDMgenre. Moving from mind-melting sweeps to dance happy hooks, Dan was at his Deaconest that night, demonstrating what a Masters degree in electronic music can offer (YES, that degree exists, and honesty I want to see a lot more of it!). A central piece of Deacon’s live performances is audience participation, which was not lacking in the eager crowd packing The Sinclair that night. He opened with a bizarrely romantic monologue about the face huggers from Alien slowly and lovingly killing its victims (the audience) and

immediately started into “Of The Mountains” as the metaphorical monsters shoved their spiny tails down their victim’s throats. People began dancing immediately (some still with their hands covering their face to represent the face-huggers), with an odd combination of moshing and arm flailing mixed with grinding and typical crowd motions. Deacon treated the audience almost as an instrument on his complicated set-up. On multiple occasions throughout the show, he split the crowd down the middle, and gave them for specific orders such as the formation of an interpretive dance circle, where a person in the center made up dances for the entire crowd to mimic, with new leaders moving in and out of the circle to lead the party. Dan Deacon’s set took a break from the well-known to offer a wide variety of samples from his upcoming album. My impression: get excited. Deacon’s new material offered a feeling unlike anything we see in America or Bromst, an emotional impact and even

darkness in some cases that doesn’t detract from the collage of sound we’ve grown to love in Deacon’s work. He ended the show in a way only Dan Deacon could: an organic, authentic, and over-the-top presentation of all four parts of USA, the closing tracks on his 2012 album America. The twenty minute long track brought the rowdy crowd to a stand still, swaying with the electronic orchestra performing in front of them. The beauty, and frequently the most lacking aspect of electronic music, lies in itss size: the ability for one man to make sound so enticing and so out of this world that it raises you up to whatever the next level is. Dan Deacon demonstrated what a true mastery of electronic composition can bring, especially to a live performance environment as eager and excited as the crowd of The Sinclair that night. David McDevitt (International Affairs/ Economics)

< Rival Sons Sebastian Herforth (Mechanical Engineering)

TV GIRL November 6 @ Whitehaus

Reviews

On Thursday, November 6, LA electricpop trio TV Girl headlined a fouract bill at Jamaica Plain’s Whithaus, a DIY music collective that presents local and touring artists in the underground music scene. Multi-colored Christmas lights adorned the white cinderblock basement where the performances took place. The wooden pallet stage was crammed in among a hot water heater, a washer/dryer unit, dusty amplifiers and pieces from disparate drum kits. The performers were similarly eclectic, presenting a variety of experimental electronic sounds. Solo performer Woody opened the show. Clad in an orange prison jumpsuit, the self-described “sound manipulator” delivered pulsating electronic waves layered with unearthly, highly-sustained vocals. The songs lacked a driving melody, instead forming a shimmering wall of sound which ebbed and flowed progressively. While a few members of the audience seemed enthusiastic, most appeared

STARS November 9 @ Royale On Sunday night, Stars stopped by Royale in support of their latest album, No One is Lost. On the second night of their 20142015 tour, the Montreal natives brought new disco-driven dance tunes along with the melodic, career-defining hits that span their 14-year catalogue and seven album discography. Opening with “From the Night,” the six-minute single off No One is Lost, cofronters Amy Millan and Troquil Campbell came on stage to begin a night of vocal duets and sharing the limelight. It’s both rare and commendable that two singers can carry a set with such balance, neither outshining the other at the end of an hour and a half performance. “From the Night” acted as a warm-up for the duo, each reaching for notes yet falling short and making Fall 2014

confused and restless for something more concrete; her avant-garde creations were intriguing but ultimately not engaging. The second act, Tellevision, brought more energy to the tiny stage. With percussion courtesy of a hat box and a snare drum, she looped, cut, and mixed guitar, harmonica, mixer, and her own vocals to create an impressive amount of sound to have come from one person. She managed to blend a diverse range of bangs and strumsinto coherent and melodic songs with startling agility, prompting appreciative head bobs and sways from the crowd. The night only became truly animated when Millionyoung, the stage name for Floridian Mike Diaz, started up his more straightforward brand of electronica. Although several of his studio recordings contain organic drum and guitar parts, his performance was entirely electronic, breezy vocals aside. His steady rhythms and fun, danceable beats got the crowd geared up and ready for the indie electronic-pop sound of TV Girl. The headliners opened their energetic set with the jingling bells and upbeat tempo of their 2010 hit “If You Want It,” then followed up with the also popular “Birds Don’t Sing”

from their latest album, French Exit. Their set featured numerous songs from French Exit, including “Daughter of a Cop” and “Pantyhose”. Their whimsical, 60’s popinspired melodies, bright rattling percussion and glittering synths contrasted with Brad Petering’s understated vocals and lyrics which sometimes explore unpleasant themes; “How could anyone ever say they really loved her / I feel sorry for her unborn kids” and “if you were to get caught / she’ll get a slap on the wrist and leave you in a cell to rot” come to mind. The group complements their eclectic sound with a large variety of samples, including Todd Rundgen’s “Hello It’s Me” and Bob Dylan’s “Shelter from the Storm, as well as fragments of spoken lines. With such a small venue, it would have been hard not to engage with the audience. Petering occasionally danced with the crowd, and the band finished their set by dancing through the audience and abruptly wandering off, a fittingly offbeat way to end a night of eccentric music and atypical atmosphere. Clarissa Cooney (International Affairs)

a somewhat disappointing debut. Overchoreographed moments did little to benefit the pair’s stage presence, and some obviously coordinated antics made the performance stiff. By the time the group started on fan favorite “We Don’t Want Your Body,” Millan and Campbell seemed to adjust, getting their groove back and hooking in the crowd for the remainder of the night. Still, throughout the show, one couldn’t help but notice that the group who rose to fame in the early 2000s and have now entered their early 40s may be losing their relevance. Despite their affinity and aptitude for crafting danceable beats, the band members aren’t so great at the actually dancing. Sure, Millan and Campbell refused to remain in one spot throughout the set, but arm windmills, finger guns and mimed texting could conjure visions of your parents dancing around the living room. As the band propelled through new tracks “No One is Lost” and “Trap Door,” both of which confront fears of failure, aging and death with a combative tone, it became

increasingly difficult to take Campbell’s lyrics seriously while watching him flail around stage and reminisce about the good old days before the Internet took over the music industry. Overall, Stars did better when they stuck to the hits. From the spirited “Take Me to the Riot” to the ballad “Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It,” it was obvious that fans preferred the old to the new. Nowhere is this more exemplified than on their 2004 career high “Your Ex-Lover is Dead.” The quintessential break-up song, split evenly between Millan and Campbell, has become a staple at Stars’ shows over the last decade and it seems like the still enjoy playing it as much as the audience loves hearing it. It’s clear that the two have a special chemistry and ability to bring love songs alive, and that capacity is what makes watching them on stage together worthwhile. Amanda Hoover (Journalism)

Local Photos

SBTRKT Royale, October 2014

Leah Corbett (Digital Art) 11

Diarrhea Planet The Sinclair, October 2014

Carly Goldberg (Communications)

Vance Joy Paradise Rock Club, October 2014

Sebastian Herforth (Mechanical Engineering)

Yuna Paradise Rock Club, October 2014

Josh Spiro (Information Science/Business) SBTRKT (bottom) Royale, October 2014

Leah Corbett (Digital Art)

Local Talent

KRILL Local Talent members

Jonah Furman Aaron Ratoff Ian Becker sounds like

The Pixies, Built to Spill r eco m m e n d e d t rac ks

My Boy Theme From Krill Purity of Heart albums

Steve Hears Pile In Malden and Bursts Into Tears EP Spring 2014

check out krill

wheretheresakrilltheresaway.bandcamp.com

Krill is a Boston band and they’re not afraid to wear that fact on their sleeve. Their last EP, released in February of this year, was entitled Steve Hears Pile In Malden and Bursts Into Tears; to clarify, that’s one Boston band referencing another Boston band playing in an area just outside of Boston. Describing their particular contribution to the Boston sound, the band says, “We’re on the label Exploding In Sound, where a lot of the bands on it are experimental or weird rock, and [we] think we fall into that as well.” Krill is comprised of Jonah Furman (bass and vocals), Aaron Ratoff (guitar) and Ian Becker (drums) and have been playing shows in the Boston music scene since 2010. To date, Krill have released two LPs, one EP and recently released one song on a four way split 7” that features tracks from LVL UP, Radiator Hospital and fellow hometown heroes Ovlov. Both of Krill’s most recent releases were recorded at Silent Barn Studio in Brooklyn with Carlos Hernandez and Julian Fader from the band Ava Luna on the boards, and were distributed by the “Brooklyn, NY with roots in Boston” indie label Exploding In Sound. According to the band, some of their biggest influences include bands like Deerhoof, The Pixies, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill and other Bostonians like Pile. Krill sound like a band with an appreciation of 90’s indie rock without being revivalists, as they

< all photos by Ben Stas (English/Journalism)

inject enough of their own strange style into the guitar/bass/drums rock three piece. Krill’s sound is defined by the very animated vocal style and driving bass lines of Furman, mixed with the alternately noisy guitar chords and intricate leads of Ratoff and the crisp drumming of Becker. The lyrics of many of Krill’s songs address personal anxieties and anguish, which couple with rambunctious instrumentation and an oddball sense of humor to give them a distinct and interesting sound. Krill’s own personal sense of humor permeates almost everything they do. According to online music publication AdHoc, as part of their distribution of 2013s Lucky Leaves, Krill placed a USB drive containing the album into a ball of Mozzarella and sold it for $100. The influence of Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse is clearly audible in Furman’s yelling or preparing-to-yell vocal style and elliptical lyrics like “If I find myself blaming myself, I’ve got no one to blame but myself” from Lucky Leaves’ “My Boy.” Other standout tracks from that release include catchy, autobiographical opener “Theme From Krill” and the free-to-download “Purity of Heart,” which contains lo-fi handclaps, stop-start dynamics and a catchy guitar riff.

Krill recently went into the studio again to record what will be their third full length, this time in Sonelab studios in Easthampton, Mass. with producer Justin Pizzoferrato, who has worked with Dinosaur Jr. and Boston band Speedy Ortiz. The as-of-yet untitled album will likely see release in February of next year. Krill also just completed the most recent of several nation-wide tours and are planning on touring Europe next year. Krill is certainly an active force within the Boston music scene and have a great appreciation for their fellow Boston bands. When asked what they most enjoyed about the Boston music scene, Ratoff responded, “Compared to somewhere like Brooklyn, it’s easier to get started and get shows and once you really start doing shows it helps you evolve as a band.” Marco Alarid White (Journalism))

Feature

YMCMB

THE BEST (OR WORST) 50 After staring at my screen for about five minutes, I decided that I had no suitable introductory remarks for what follows. So, please find below the 50 best lyrics scribed by Young Money Cash Money Billionaires’ most transcendent artists, Lil Wayne, Tyga, Gudda Gudda, Drake, and Lil Twist. • Nick Hugon (International Affairs)

Lil Wayne 1.

“No homo I got money out the anus” “Young Money Hospital” - Gudda Gudda ft. Lil Wayne

“It’s the days of our lives but my night just started / I pray the killer doesn’t take the life of the party” “Can’t Stop Partying” - Weezer ft. Lil Wayne

“Hello mothafucka, hey hi how ya durrn’? / It’s Weezy F Baby come to take a shit and urine / On the toilet bowl” “I’m Goin’ In”- Drake ft. Jeezy and Lil Wayne

Fall 2014

“You know I’m on that grass, don’t turn on tha sprinklers / Pussy on ma mind, on ma breath and on ma fingers / Niggas try to bite my style, but my style a jalepeno” “Days and Days” I Am Not A Human Being “Swagger tighter than a yeast infection / Fly, go hard, like geese erection” “Dr Carter” Tha Carter III

6. “Yeah we in this bitch like tampons / Dump you in the woods now get your camp on” “Gonorrhea” I Am Not A Human Being 7. “I don’t drink champagne / It make ma stomach hurt” “Bill Gates” I Am Not A Human Being 8. “I’m a diamond in the rough like a baby in the trash” “Megaman” Tha Carter IV 9. “I need a Winn-Dixie grocery bag fulla’ money right now to the VIP Section!!!!” “Got Money” Tha Carter III 10. “Cuz she ma honey bee, buzz buzz / Now I’m itchin’ and scratchin’, that’s that love bug” “So Special” Tha Carter IV • Tim DiFazio (English)

Tyga 11.

“Tell them bitches, fuck that / You with Aladdin, bet I got a magic carpet for that ass” “Hookah”

12.

“Got ya grandma on my dick” “Rack City” Careless World - Rise of the Last King

13.

14.

15.

“I give her a couple shots and then she turn alcoholic / Metaphorically or Rhetoric / And I’m shittin’ on your forehead / 2 girls 1 cup...YUP” “Bad Bitches” Black Thoughts Vol. 2 “This could leave her limp, nookie, rock and roll the pussy / Geno Smith, I’m no rookie, don’t push me” “Wake Up In It” Well Done 4 “I hate being sick, every time I throw up feel like I’m dying / Blaaaaaghhh” “The Nausea” Black Thoughts

17. “I’m a young nigga, these young bitches pay me / I ain’t payin’ for pussy / But I’ll put you on retainer / She said that’s the same thing / I said no it ain’t” “Now and Later” - Chief Keef ft. Tyga 18. “Watch out for fake shit / Rats on some snake shit / Give me rats for my statement / I’m that amazing” “Loyalty” - Birdman ft. Tyga and Lil Wayne 19. “Can’t see you niggas / You like a little germ / Bitches know I’m excellent like Mr Burns / See my dick like butter churn” “Muthafucka Up” Careless World - Rise of the Last King 20. “OK open up your Bubba Gump / Let me see your bumper / The booty so smooth can’t believe its not butter” “Bubble Butt” - Major Lazer ft. Tyga, Mystic & Bruno Mars • David McDevitt (International Affairs)

16. “Nigga, that’s Ben & Jerry dollars, watch a nigga make a stack house / Gingerbread man run while you can” “Senile” - Young Money ft. Tyga, Lil Wayne, & Nicki Minaj

Gudda Gudda 21.

“You’se a mother-fucking duck / Daffy-dill” “Willy Wonka” Back 2 Guddaville

22.

“And my hat? Polo. / Shirt? Polo. / Shorts? Polo. I’m all about my dough, ho” “Polo” Back 2 Guddaville

23. “I shape the cookie / Bake the cookie / Cook it proper / I’m the Cookie Monster” “Gettin to the Money” Guddaville 24.

“I got a whip the same color as Cool Ranch Doritos / Or a bag of hot fries” “2 Blessed To Be Stressed” Guddaville

25.

“Ugh, yeah she a ryder / Like a lady in a wheel chair” “She’s a Ryder” Gudda Grindin

26. “Lick two shots and I hitcha dog / Make a grown man shit in his drawers” “Spit That Hot Shit” Be-4 Tha Deal - Next Up 27. “My pockets shittin’ 50’s so my money got the runs!” “This Is How We Do It” Be-4 Tha Deal Next Up 28. “I ain’t nothin’ like the rest of y’all / Gotta keep my pockets chubby like cholesterol” “This Is How We Do It” Be-4 Tha Deal Next Up 29. “I just keep it movin’ like a U-Haul / Like a couple uncooked steaks, nigga I’m too raw” “I’m Back” Guddaville 30. “Potatohead niggas get mashed when I’m spazzin’” “YM Banger” I Am Not A Human Being • Nick Hugon (International Affairs) 19

Feature

31.

“But I never get attracted to fans / Cause the eager beaver could be the collapse of the dam” “Ignant Shit (Freestyle)” So Far Gone

32.

“She could have a Grammy, I still treat her ass like a nominee” “No Lie” - 2 Chainz ft. Drake

33.

“I’m perfecting my craft using more Sess / Tryna make some cheese off a single is a process / Get it? Kraft, single, cheese, process / Sit back and admire the talent that I possess” “The Presentation” Comeback Season

34.

“I know that showin’ emotion don’t ever mean I’m a pussy / Know that I don’t make music for niggas who don’t get pussy” “The Presentation” Comeback Season

35.

“I’m special / Like kids in a graduating class / Having more trouble than others when adding basic math” “Special” Room for Improvement

36.

“OVO, man we really with the shits, boy / Really with the shits / I should prolly sign to Hit-Boy cause I got all the hits, boy” “0 to 100/The Catch Up”

37.

“And you don’t even have to ask twice / You could have my heart or we could share it like the last slice” “Best I Ever Had” So Far Gone

Illustrations by Elise Fung (Computer Science)

Drake

38.

“Last night I tried some raw oysters” “Draft Day”

39.

“Fuck her on the floor before we make it to the bed / That’s what your ass really call started from the bottom” “No New Friends”- DJ Khaled Ft. Drake, Lil Wayne & Rick Ross

40.

“And still I’m so chilly willy snowflake / These silly billies really fail to / Act as if they know Drake” “Comeback Season” Comeback Season • Terence Cawley (Biology)

Lil Twist

Fall 2014

41.

“Like Rodney King, we can all get along / 23’s on my feet what I’m sitting on” “Twerk”

42.

“Mindfreak, no Criss Angel up in this flow / Real magic, make a dollar touch to her ankles” “One Time” (Rise of an Empire)

43.

“Bust your fucking head, souvenir your brain” “Really Good” (Class President)

44.

“I got a condo in Miami and another in Atlanta and I’m stickin’ to the bread I’m all about the mozzarella” “At That Moment”

45.

“I’m so energetic bitch you got me workin’ like a diabetic” “Good Credit”

46.

“I’m bout’ to go nuts for fun, call it almond joy” “Inkredible”

47.

“Since a youngster gettin’ mad bread like a deli / Hit the club make it flood like a broke levy” “Godzilla” (The Golden Child)

48.

“I’m addicted to this life, my swag sharper than a knife” “Life Style”

49.

“I am poopin’ on ya’ll like I’m a fly (I’m fly)” “Really Good” (Class President)

50.

“A.I. no Wallace, your kids getting demolished” “YM Salute” (I Am Not a Human Being) • Timothea Pham (Communication Studies)

THE SOUND OF REVOLUTION: EXPLORING MUSICIANS ON THE GLOBAL ISSUES OF 2014 Across the ages, we have witnessed different artists and musicians express their opinions publicly on global issues: political, social, economic, environmental and beyond. From Public Enemy’s rhymes about America’s struggle with race to Thom Yorke’s rants concerning the Alberta Tar Sands Project, artists are constantly sharing their speculations and passions with their audiences. What makes these people so unique is not only their ability to access such a wide audience, but also to use music as a powerful tool in the world of social change. As our governments and social structures seem to be increasingly faltering, it is hard to imagine a space for music in the fight. 2014 has been particularly memorable in terms of protests and calls to action. But as we watch the dissidents on the front line in Ferguson yelling, “Hands up don’t shoot!” and follow the sea of yellow umbrellas for democracy in Hong Kong on one screen, we can’t help but notice the public voice of musicians and their use of music to create a sense of solidarity within the activist community on the other. Here’s a look at some artist stances on 2014’s major events.

FERGUSON, MISSOURI Feature Fall 2014

On August 9 in Ferguson, Missouri, an unarmed, eighteen-year old African American man named Michael Brown was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer. This incident caused a rise of protests throughout America. Again, the issues of police brutality and racial profiling had resurfaced into the public eye. When it comes to issues of civil rights and social injustice in America, we have become familiar with many musical sensations that utilize the power of lyrics to fight for what is right. Many of the artists who do speak of social change within their music raise awareness of these issues in everyday life. After the shooting of Brown, a trend of action and support emerged from the hiphop community. The powerful resistance exemplified by the “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” movement in America inspired artists to release songs that directly addressed the shooting. Renowned hip-hop artist J.Cole felt a social responsibility to stand with and support the people of Ferguson, and shortly after his visit to the suburb, he released the song “Be Free,” which directly addresses the issues of police brutality and racial profiling in this country. Another artist who released a song in lieu of the shooting was Ms. Lauryn Hill, an R&B and neo-soul singer most famous for her membership in the Fugees. Her song “Black Rage” points out the system of injustice that flourishes in this country when it comes to race, class and privilege.

TRACKS: J. Cole “Be Free” Lauryn Hill “Black Rage” Joyner Lucas “Dear America (Don’t Shoot)”

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE On June 12 in the West Bank, three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and killed. After about a week and a half of investigation, the Israel Defense Forces could not find the abductors. However, hundreds of Palestinians were arrested under suspicion. The conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians has been going on since the mid 20th century, and this is but one of many incidents that has drawn international attention. The violence constantly exchanged between these two states has caused the rest of the world to take sides on the issue. In this particularly divisive conflict, it is difficult for public figures, especially musicians, to come out and say what they believe. On one hand, popular artists depend on record labels, a strong fan base and a clean record to be “successful.” On the other, some are compelled to hold true to their beliefs and dedicate their efforts to a cause they believe in. On July 15, R&B singer Rihanna tweeted “#FreePalestine.” Within minutes, after receiving numerous threatening replies from the public, she deleted the tweet. After she deleted her tweet, Rihanna apologized to the public for offending anyone. In fact, she is not the only artist that has announced and rescinded her opinion about the conflict in the Middle East. A couple years before, pop singer Katy Perry was attacked on social media for posting “#PrayforIsrael.” Because of this, many of her followers identified the singer as being loyal to the Jewish state. Soon after, Perry came out with a public statement saying she is a proponent of peace, not violence. Clearly, when it comes to this conflict, many musicians that are in the limelight tip toe around the issue. However, for artists such as Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, Lupe Fiasco and Coldplay, it is clear in their music and lyrics that they will remain vocal about their alliances in this conflict.

TRACKS: System of a Down “Boom!” Lupe Fiasco “Words I Never Said” Matisyahu “One Day”

HOBBY LOBBY In June, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in the case Burwell v. Hobby Lobby that corporations were justified in denying their female employees contraceptive care. This caused people to mobilize and fight for the reproductive rights of women throughout the nation. Reproductive justice has steadily made a substantial impact on the way we understand music’s role in activism. We see pop singer Pink blogging about her pro-choice values, while Canadian poprocker Avril Lavigne invites her fans to support her “Raise Your Voice” campaign for the Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. Female artists, who identify with being proponents of the feminist movement, often use their music and public voice to merge their space in the music industry and the realm of feminist activism together. For those that believe Cyndi Lauper is no longer relevant, she certainly is when it comes to standing up for the reproductive rights of women. Also a writer for /The Daily Beast/, this pop singer openly criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling and wrote an article entitled “Girls Just Want to Have Birth Control.” With her iconic name and list of hits in her back pocket, Lauper has found a way to keep her head above water while influencing an extensive fan base through her music and writing.

CLIMATE JUSTICE 2014 TRACKS: Robyn “Giving You Back” Janelle Monae ft. Erykah Badu “Q.U.E.E.N.” Lily Allen “Fuck You (It’s Not Me It’s You)”

On Sunday, September 21, 2014, around 311,000 people participated in The People’s Climate March in New York City. People from all across the country traveled here to advocate for action against climate change. While there were sightings of public figures such as Sting, Mark Ruffalo and Al Gore, there was one musician in particular that stood out from the crowd. Political rapper Immortal Technique spoke in front a large audience at the NYC Climate Convergence, discussing environmental racism and how people of color are direct victims of climate change. For those unfamiliar with his work, Technique has always been an advocate for justice in all realms of global issues. From the fight for the rights of the indigenous people of Latin America to a prediction of the NSA’s intrusive practices, this artist rocks the heart of activism to its core.

TRACKS: Ben Harper “Excuse Me Mr.” Cake “Long Line of Cars” The Doors “Ship of Fools”

Today, with the click of a button, you will be able to download J. Cole’s “Be Free,” watch a clip of Sting marching at the People’s Climate March and read an article about Cyndi Lauper’s position on reproductive rights. Social media and the Internet are at their peak, and these advances in technology have provided musicians with a unique platform from which to spread their views on global issues. The concept of activism and our perception of these issues have been completely redefined by these shifts and how our beloved musicians have embraced them. Musicians will continue to use their music and public presence as tools of knowledge and influence; they ultimately have the opportunity to use their work to speak up for the masses and help them be heard. • Timothea Pham (Communication Studies)

Editorial

Jason Levy (Undeclared) Changing a bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lead singer is like walking on broken glass: always risky business. A band

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might start out as a group of starry-eyed high school students, best friends since their kindergarten days., but nothing good lasts forever; opportunities arise, infighting occurs, things go sour. With all of these band milestones come the inevitable lineup changes, which are particularly jarring when a lead singer is involved. For some bands, a lead singer change signals the end, while for others it beacons a fruitful new era filled with success. For these bands, a change in voice either meant a leap into superstardom or a tragic fall into obscurity.

HONORABLE MENTIONS You’d probably be hard-pressed to find someone who can name a Genesis tune pre1974, when vocalist Peter Gabriel officially departed from the band. After Gabriel left to forge a solo career, the remaining three quickly scrambled and auditioned over a hundred vocalists to claim the frontman position. But eventually they thought, “why bother?” and recruited then-drummer Phil Collins. Then, virtually overnight, lightning struck. Collins offered a punchy pop energy that brought the deeply conceptual prog-rock sound of Genesis to a grinding halt, and from this emerged a fast climb to superstardom. The band’s very next album, The Trick of the Tail, more than doubled the sales of their previous album, and a string of mega-hit efforts, including five consecutive UK number 1 records, followed for the next 20+ years. Both Gabriel and Collins even went on to have smash hit solo singles (“Sledgehammer” and “In the Air Tonight,” respectively); a true success story.

Verdict: Gabriel may have established the band as a technically proficient prog-rock outfit brimming with talent, but it’s Collins who’s the true voice of Genesis

Journey is second only to Electric Light Orchestra in their number of Billboard Top 20 singles without a number 1 (they have 18). But no matter, because who needs a number one song on the charts to garner eight multi-platinum albums and one diamond one? Not Journey. Throughout the 80’s, Journey was everywhere in popular music, and for the most part it was thanks to Steve Perry, their third incoming lead singer. Perry’s known as a truly emotive and powerful vocalist, who brings across all his inner feelings, sappy as they are, in every performance (textbook examples: “Faithfully” and “Open Arms”). But then it all went downhill: Perry left and Journey brought in Steve Augeri, a replacement that was his spitting image, yet it wasn’t the same. Journey was never able to attain the same status, and they slowly faded, but not before another two singers in Jeff Scott Soto and Arnel Pineda.

Verdict: If all you’re looking for is the bouncy, cheesy, saccharine synthpop that defined the 80’s, don’t even bother with anything pre or postPerry. Or maybe don’t bother at all.

Any rock snob can tell you the peculiar story of Syd Barrett, the former lead singer and songwriter of Pink Floyd. He was brooding, brilliant, and bizarre. But from sabotaging Floyd songs in the middle of live performances to acting aloof and distant at photo shoots and recording sessions, Barrett was never destined to stay with Pink Floyd. Interestingly enough, the new incoming member David Gilmore didn’t outright replace Barrett at first, but rather joined the band to make it a five-piece. Eventually, after becoming too much to bare, Barrett was asked to leave, and with him he took the sweepingly inventive instrumental pieces that defined Pink Floyd. But as history shows, it didn’t matter. The crew tightened up their lyrics and instrumentation and gave us all a fresh, stark and thoughtful look at British society by means of concept album after concept album, most notably their monster hit The Dark Side of the Moon (now the second bestselling album of all time).

Verdict: Syd Barrett was a genius, if a little crazy. But regardless, the David Gilmore/Roger Watersled Pink Floyd was a true musical triumph on its own.

Queen While not technically a lead singer change, Adam Lambert, who now tours with the legendary rockers, has gone on record saying that he doesn’t expect to be favorable in comparison to Freddy Mercury. Right you are Adam. Right you are.

Van Halen While 1984 was a hit with David Lee Roth, the band commercially stepped it up after Sammy Hagar took over, releasing four consecutive number one albums.

Rage Against The Machine After Zach de la Rocha peaced-out from the iconic 90’s metal group, the rest of his band mates enlisted Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell to front the unconventional alt-rock supergroup Audioslave.

INXS Here’s possibly the most embarrassing attempt to re-grasp the spotlight: after INXS tragically lost its lead singer Michael Hutchence, they hosted a 2005 reality competition show, Rock Star: INXS, in order to recruit a new singer. The winner was later fired in 2009.

Even before AC/DC even released their debut album, you’d need a score chart to keep track of their line-up changes. That said, singer Bon Scott was there for their first album that attained true international recognition, Highway to Hell. But soon tragedy struck, and Scott suddenly died of alcohol poisoning in 1980. AC/DC considered disbanding, but instead brought in singer Brian Johnson of British rock foursome Geordie. Now, take the success story of Genesis after Collins came in, crank the switch up to 11, then rip it off entirely, and you pretty much have post-Bon Scott AC/DC. With their next album, Back in Black, AC/DC proved that nothing could stop them. Stylistically not much changed, but Johnson’s absurdly powerful set of lungs propelled each track from mighty rocker to bona fide anthem status, dead set on ringing in teenagers’ headphones for decades to come.

Verdict: Purists will argue this one to death. While Back in Black became AC/DC’s biggest album to date, as well as the fourth best-selling album of all time, nobody can deny the impact of Bon Scott. This one’s up to the listener. 25

Cover Story

an interview with:

PA L L B E A R E R With a sound that lumbers on like the funeral march for a great mythical leviathan, Little Rock-based Pallbearer is one of the foremost up-and-coming doom metal outfits on the scene. Their first album, 2012â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sorrow and Extinction, was widely acclaimed well beyond the span of the doom microcosm, earning a spot on numerous end-of-year best album lists. Two years and a new drummer later, Pallbearer has released a new album, Foundations of Burden, that looks to match and even exceed the hype that has grown around this dark quartet. Joseph Rowland (bass), Mark Lierly (drums) and Brett Campbell (guitar/vocals) took some time before their October 26 show at Great Scott to talk with Tastemakers about their new album, the Arkansas metal underground and Halloween costumes. â&#x20AC;˘ David Murphy (Psychology)

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“

BOTH RECORDS ARE PRETTY INDICATIVE OF WHERE WE WERE IN OUR JOURNEYS IN LIFE DURING THE PROCESS OF MAKING THEM

”

Tastemakers Magazine (TMM): You guys just finished up your first tour through Europe. That’s huge. How was it? Mark Lierly (ML): Great. Brett Campbell (BC): As good as it possibly could have been. TMM: Did you notice a difference from American audiences? Joseph Rowland (JR): It’s actually different from place to place. It seemed like culturally, some audiences would be really rowdy – like in Sweden, partying like crazy. ML: They were rowdy as shit. JR: And then in Norway everybody’s really stoic. Basically they would applaud at the end of the set for all the bands. We played a festival there and they would just stand there real statuesque the whole time. BC: They were obviously into it. They just didn’t move, really. JR: It’s definitely in some ways different than over here, but not incredibly different. Everywhere is a little different.

where we were in our journeys in life during the process of making them, because they both took about two years apiece to make, writing-wise and recording. We were going through pretty drastically different scenarios. A lot of the time the most inspiring stuff is when we’re dealing with – for me at least – really troubling times in my life. BC: We were 23 or 24 when we started the band, and then by the time I was writing my lyrics for this one I was 27. It’s not that big of a difference, but that’s a pretty fast change. My life’s been super tumultuous in general for the last several years, but particularly between the time of the last album and this album, things have changed quite a bit. ML: You guys started hanging out with me. BC: Yeah. It’s just whatever came naturally. I’m glad it’s not a darker record, because if it had gotten much darker there might never have been a second record or a third record [Laughs]. So you know, it’s just dealing with whatever stuff is on our minds philosophically. Maybe not even personal stuff, but just whatever we’re thinking about.

of the time. We’ll spend upwards of at least a year working on a particular song. And sometimes not – I know some of the ones Brett has composed have been really quick. BC: Some are ridiculously fast and others are ridiculously slow as far as the time to write them. There is no true method. Whenever the songs are done, we know it. But there is no real method other than just, like, write. It’s kind of hard to explain. We write stuff, and when it’s good enough and it makes sense as a song, as a single piece of music, when everything flows and feels like each section has a purpose within the song and it’s not too long or too short or whatever, and then it’s done. It may be two weeks or two years, you know? JR: We’re never really like aiming for a specific length or anything. It just so happens that a lot of them end up being almost the exact same length [Laughs]. It’s not like we sit down like, “Alright, we’re going to write a 10-minute song.” BC: Yeah, if we were trying to write really long songs that’d be a whole ‘nother thing, but we’re not really trying to write long songs.

TMM: You guys also got to work with Billy Anderson [producer of Sleep, High On Fire, Melvins]. How did that work out? JR: It was great, man. He’s like a mad scientist. We love Billy.

TMM: You think you could pull a Dopesmoker, 60-minute thing? JR: [Laughs]. BC: Maybe one day.

TMM: When you’re writing songs that can average around 10 minutes, what is the songwriting process? How do you come together to make those kinds of epics? JR: It’s just like a slow sculpting process a lot

TMM: In most bands’ cases, it’s the 10-minute song that’s the experimental outlier. For you guys, it seems like it’s “Ashes” at three minutes. How did that song come around? BC: That was all Joe.

TMM: Foundations of Burden feels a lot less bleak than Sorrow and Extinction, and seems a little more symphonic and philosophical. What happened between the two? BC: Basically between the two albums we dealt with a lot of things that had been holding us back in life – like, emotionally and philosophically – and just grew a bit. A lot of the problems that were problems while the first album was being created were switched out for different sets of problems for the second one. JR: Yeah, both records are pretty indicative of

Photos by Ben Stas (Journalism/English) » Cover Story

JR: Yeah, I had the idea for it. [I] wanted to do something that felt like it still fit our overall sonic palette within the band, even though it’s not really heavy in a tonal sense. Like, it’s not metal at all but still felt like it was something that totally fit within what we do – just a slightly different approach. TMM: Joe, I read an interview in which you said you had a pretty strict classical music upbringing. Do you think that works into your songwriting? JR: Yeah, man. At least subconsciously it’s kind of seeped in. Growing up, my parents were very, very strictly religious and I wasn’t allowed to listen to anything other than specific stuff. ML: DC Talk, shit like that? BC: [Laughs].

JR: No, it was only classical music. Even DC Talk and shit like that was… it was not like normal church things. TMM: Sorrow and Extinction was super well-received – pretty much out of nowhere for a first record. What did you do to avoid the sophomore slump? BC: Literally nothing [Laughs]. JR: We just made another album that was what we felt came naturally to us. There was no intent of making a “highly acclaimed follow-up” or whatever. Fuck all that. BC: We just made another album. If you start worrying about that shit too much it’ll get in your head like, “Fuck, I don’t know if everybody’s going to like that.” I like it when people like it, but if you’re writing for an audience you’re not going to ever do anything

“

THERE’S ALREADY SORROW AND EXTINCTION. WE CAN STILL PLAY THOSE SONGS FOREVER, SO WE DIDN’T WANT TO MAKE THE SAME ALBUM AGAIN. WE JUST FOCUSED AND TRIED TO MAKE ANOTHER ALBUM THAT WE LIKED PERSONALLY. SAME PROCESS AS THE FIRST ONE.

”

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interesting. You’ll just start repeating yourself. I couldn’t do that anyway. I’d be writing different versions of the same songs and there’s no point to that. There’s already Sorrow and Extinction. We can still play those songs forever, so we didn’t want to make the same album again. We just focused and tried to make another album that we liked personally. Same process as the first one. TMM: Pallbearer is originally based out of Little Rock. Is there something particular about the Little Rock scene that informs your music? ML: For the size of the city, it’s really awesome. For being a smallish Southern city, it’s got a big history of awesome punk and metal and shit. A really connected scene. BC: We were kind of nurtured by a really badass metal scene. JR: It’s very tight-knit. Everybody there is like a family, pretty much. Like, it’s always the same people at every show, and they’re almost all in bands. ML: It’s not huge, but it’s super supportive and everybody is buddies and stuff. JR: It’s way more like the punk scene than a lot of other metal scenes that I’ve encountered. BC: It’s not like, “How fucking cool is your patch jacket.” There aren’t really even patch jackets to be seen. Everybody’s just more or less normal. JR: Bass Pro Shop hat [Laughs]. ML: More like ghillie suits. People pulling up to shows with dead deer in the back of the truck. JR: Nobody’s trying to like look cool. There’s not any sort of posing to be the most badass scenester. BC: Like, “Who’s the most metal?” There’s no bullshit like that in Arkansas, or at least the part of the metal scene that we’re involved in. There’s some deathcore shit and crap like that there everywhere, but the real metal that’s in Little Rock is kind of unique in the sense that it’s not even… I mean, it’s metal, but there’s no urge to just, “be fucking metal.” We’re playing heavy music because that’s what we like to do. ML: I’d say, not to brag, but a lot of it is more creative or something. Different. Weirder. Like, Rwake is fucking weird as hell. Weird band, but really awesome. BC: Really bizarre. They’re a unique force in music in general and we got to watch them. We’ve seen them fuckin’ hundred times, probably. Being surrounded by people who are pushing music in their own interesting,

fearless directions is inspiring. I mean, it kind of lights a fire under your ass. It’s like, “Well, we need to be at least half as good as them.” We want to try to be as good as the other bands we’re surrounded by. We just have to be surrounded by really awesome bands. JR: And that was kind of mine and Brett’s intent in starting Pallbearer – our own contribution to the Arkansas sound. Like Mark was saying, it’s really creative and really weird, but epic. ML: It’s just unique, I think. Like, you can go to a lot of mid-size cities and see a lot of great bands that might all be in one kind of… JR: There’s no Kyuss rip-off. ML: Yeah, yeah. JR: Every band in Arkansas that plays in the underground metal scene is doing something really unique, and they all have similarities with each other. ML: Have you heard Deadbird? TMM: I haven’t heard Deadbird. ML: Deadbird’s fucking awesome. You should check them out. JR: A lot of the bands share members with each other, so there ends up being threads where you can hear aspects of one band in another band and it all ends up being this big miasma of weird and really crushing, proggy metal that doesn’t sound like anywhere else.

Coming from our other band that had been way, way different – not even metal at all really, but it was heavy – we just wanted to do something that was the Arkansas metal style, but with our own take on it. Brett doing the clean vocals, because most of the bands there have harsh vocals. BC: A little more semi-European or whatever. TMM: Anyone you’re listening to right now that more people should hear? JR: The new Martyrdöd album is really killer. BC: There’s uh, I guess it’ll be coming out next year, but there’s a project I’ve just become involved with. It’s a really sweet band. They already have a bunch of material. It’s called The Slow Death, and their third album is coming out in January. And then Beneath Oblivion from Ohio is one of my favorite bands. ML: A really cool Little Rock band that’s on the up-and-up, starting to get some stuff from blogs and shit – they’re about to put out a release – is Napalm Christ. BC: Yeah, Napalm Christ. And Apothecary. ML: Yeah, death-doom stuff. BC: Seahag… JR: Not Little Rock related at all, but there’s a band called Adrift from Spain that we played with while we were overseas.

ML: Crusty-ass prog... BC: Like, Keelhaul-type stuff. JR: They were fucking awesome. TMM: Last one: what are you going as for Halloween? BC: Well, we’re playing on Halloween. I was going to bring a morph suit and play in that, but I couldn’t find it. I have this morph suit where it’s like, there’s no skin, so it’s just all musculature and ligaments and stuff. It’s really insane. JR: Yeah it looks really bizarre. BC: I couldn’t find it. I mean, I know where it is, but I couldn’t get to it. JR: Yeah, it was packed up. ML: I think I’m going to be Where’s Waldo. JR: [Laughs]. You could shave all your hair like you were talking about and just leave the moustache and be Where’s Baldo. ML: Where’s Mustachio Man. BC: Dude, you with no hair and just a moustache would be… insane. ML: It’d be a nightmare in the club with the ladies, dude. Foundations of Burden is available now on Profound Lore Records.

Feature

Sometimes a person is cursed with a set of facial features that sets us off. Just looking at a picture of them invokes feelings of aggravated aggression that can be remarkably strong given that they didn’t actually do anything. This is the phenomenon known as a punchable face. For your benefit, Tastemakers has compiled some of the countenances of the music world that hold this quality at its strongest. Faces will be ranked on a scale of one to five Seth McFarlanes. T I M D I FA Z I O ( E N G L I S H )

EMINEM

Eminem is an interesting figure as far as punchable faces go. While he possesses some fairly aggravating features, he’s probably the only artist on this list who actually uses it to his advantage. His perpetual sneer and generally unpleasant appearance only adds to the aggressive and shocking nature of his music, making him a person you would want to listen to but decidedly not grab a drink with.

Pharrell, unlike many of the people on this list, seems like a pretty decent person. He’s genuinely appreciative of his fans and not completely obnoxious about copyright, which makes it pretty difficult to be hard on him. However, his smug smile and generally strange facial features result in a divisive face that some people find friendly and others find horribly, tragically punchable. Side note: Pharell is also in possession of the world’s most punchable hat, which Fall 2014

makes it difficult to objectively rate his face.

PHARRELL

CHAD KROEGER

Ah, Nickelback. How quickly you rose from a standard in the post-grunge haze of 2000s radio rock to one of the most hated bands on the planet. It is this writer’s belief that much of this hatred, which long ago surpassed anything actually bothersome in their music, is due to the sheer unbridled punchability of their lead singer’s face. Looking at him, it can be so difficult to take his side.

E D KOWA LCZ Y K

Lead singer of Live and master of prayer hands, Ed Kowalczyk shows us just how emotionally overthe-top the 90s often were. In a band flooded with forced religious imagery, he stands out with his unnecessary vocal affectations, horrible rat tail, and of course his obnoxious face. He currently likes to cover Imagine Dragons, which is a band whose members are, incidentally, all fairly punchable themselves.

WIN BUTLER There’s really nothing particularly wrong with the Arcade Fire frontman as a person or musician. He just happens to have a combination of unpleasant facial expressions and horrific taste in haircuts.

Feature

N O R M A L LY

IN ANTI-SEMITIC COSTUME

MACKLEMORE

It seems like white rappers tend to have an inherent punchability about them. Whether this is a coincidence or not we leave up to you. Macklemore is a particularly easy target, whose extreme self-righteousness bleeds directly into his appearance. That being said, he generally seems like he has decent intentions until you see the picture of that costume he donned to perform “Thrift Shop.” Tastemakers does not condone unprovoked violence unless it is performed on this person in this costume.

BOTH MEMBERS OF

BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Okay, this just feels like cheating.

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Chris Brown’s face is so overwhelmingly punchable that I can’t speak objectively on the subject. He is among the worst people in music and that personality shows in every aspect of his appearance. I am entirely confident that if he were to set up a booth where people could pay to punch him we would end world hunger within the week. Chris Brown has one of the most punchable faces in music and, I might add, the world at large. Is he an easy target? Yes. Do I care? No.

CHRIS BROWN

Over the past few decade, music scenes have been very reactionary to one another. The wholesomeness of the 50s was replaced with the sleaze of the 60s, the gloss and polish of disco and new-wave of the 70s and 80s fell off to make room for the grunge movement of the early 90s. The early 2000s witnessed a similar set of reactions. As pop music had become increasingly electronic and hyperactive during the late 90s, a snap back to tradition was almost inevitable. The post-punk revival scene soon emerged, drawing heavily from garage rock sounds and meant to be an authentic alternative to the nu-metal and hip-hop/rock crossover bands crawling through the Billboard charts. Starting in the year 2002, the movement would soon be staking a massive claim over the mainstream and alternative rock scenes.

• David Mc Devitt (International Affairs/Economics)

NEW YORK’S POST PUNK SCENE 10 YEARS LATER

The post-punk revival drew heavily from small clubs in cities like Detroit, London, and Sydney. But as Woodstock served as the cultural core of the hippy movement of the 60s, the post-punk revival was truly birthed and amplified in the Lower East Side of New York City. It was centered around a handful of clubs such as the Mercury Lounge and the original Bowery Ballroom. The lights of the city may never fade, but the fire of the Lower East Side post-punk scene needed to eventually. It has been 10 years since the major breakthroughs, and what we see today is very different. A good number of the bands have broken up, like Detroit’s rock gem The White Stripes, but most certainly all of them have aged, loosely clinging to the youth and energy that defined them as a scene. Here we take a look at some of the biggest bands to come out of the Lower East Side and how well the past decade has treated them.

Feature As the post-punk revival emerged from the rabbit holes of cities across the globe, it began to spread its arms to take up influences from many disparate genres, most frequently from dance music. A handful of post-punk revivalists combined garage rock with the speed and energy of dance music to break through to the mainstream, the most famous among them being British indie group Bloc Party. But the road for electronic dance music to mix with post-punk was paved by The Rapture. Founded by Vito Roccoforte and Luke Jenner in Brooklyn, The Rapture designed a sound that led the charge of fast-paced dance beats and synthesizers into the post-punk revival. Their single “House of Jealous Lovers”, anchored by Jenner’s grimy shouting, launched their debut album Echoes to prominence. 10 Years Later: The fate of The Rapture seems to be a common one amongst the breakout bands of the post-punk revival. The biggest names to come out of New York were able to hold a career together even after the infectious energy of the scene wore off, but those with a less than meteoric rise fell back to Earth when the eyes of indie turned away from New York. The Rapture released three albums during their tenure as a band, each met by positive reviews from the media but not so much commercial success. The recording process of their third and final album caused a tear between band members, resulting in a quiet dissolution and no hints at further solo endeavors.

THE RAPTURE

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10 Years Later: Fever To Tell became the New York Times album of the year, was nominated for a Grammy and multiple VMAs, and was placed on multiple year end lists including Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and NME. It was praised for being an album of extremes, with the insanity of tracks like “Ticks” giving way to the loving warmth of “Maps” (written about a romantic relationship with Liars frontman Angus Andrew, who had also relocated to New York to be a part of the active scene in the Lower East Side). “Maps” was labeled one of the best tracks of the decade by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. Each of their albums since has shown the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in a different place. 2006’s Show Your Bones was sincere but lacked the highs and lows of their debut, while 2013’s Mosquito was an audible mess - a confused album suffering from too many ideas being crammed into such a short period. Frontwoman Karen O has built a profile for herself outside of the band, involving herself heavily in the New York fashion scene with designer Christian Joy and releasing a lo-fi solo album titled Crush Songs about the romantic troubles of her late 20s.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS

Karen O met her counterpart in the formation of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Zinner, after transferring to New York University following a brief stint at Oberlin College. The two formed an acoustic duo that eventually transformed into the abrasive rock sound of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The band suddenly found themselves supporting The Strokes and The White Stripes when they came to the Lower East Side, only a few songs into their career. The sudden publicity forced them to record a self titled EP, which ended up at #2 on NME’s list of best singles of 2002. The band signed with Interscope, and released their debut album Fever To Tell in 2003.

The New York scene would not exist without The Strokes. The appearance of their unique style of garage rock sparked one of the largest bidding wars in record label history and countless imitators spanning over the past decade. The band was formed by frontman Julian Casablancas with friends he had made throughout his childhood in New York and Sweden. They put together a set and started performing frequently around New York’s Lower East Side at venues like The Spiral and Luna Lounge. After a show at the famous Mercury Lounge, booker Ryan Gentles quit his job to become the manager of the band. In 2001, The Strokes put out The Modern Age EP, sparking the bidding war that resulted in signing to RCA Records and the release of Is This It. 10 Years Later: The post-punk revival probably would not have had the influence it did if not for The Strokes leading the charge. The release of Is This It kicked off the talk about the New York music scene, bringing it to magazine covers and inspiring a wave of bands moving towards a more raw garagerock influenced sound. The Strokes have put out four albums since Is This It, and although their sound has migrated a little bit, they don’t seem to have lost the magic entirely. Each album has resulted in some scale of commercial success, though not without a bit of critical backlash as they’ve moved away from the raw sound of their debut to a more varied ensemble, especially on 2011’s Angles. Casablancas, meanwhile, has proven to be from the same breed as Keanu Reaves, as he has not visibly aged over the past decade. He looks and sounds like the exact same messyhaired rocker he was in his early 20s.

THE STROKES

10 Years Later: The past decade has treated Interpol relatively well. Have they ever topped the monumental success of Turn On The Bright Lights? No. Can they still produce a solid album? Most of the time, yes. Their follow-up to Turn On The Bright Lights, Antics, was an excellent album with a little more rock to it, though it lacked the awe-inspiring emotional wrecking ball of their debut. In 2014, Interpol released their fifth studio album, titled El Pintor. It was a record that didn’t stretch their creative limits but was a definite step up from the trainwreck that was their 2010 selftitled, which ultimately caused the departure of bassist Carlos Dengler. After Dengler’s departure, frontman and former teenage heartthrob Paul Banks (who has aged to become a man two steps away from a Russian gangster) took over as bassist, lacking the magic that Dengler brought to their sound but keeping the band afloat.

INTERPOL

Interpol was formed while frontman Paul Banks, bassist Carlos Dengler and guitarist Daniel Kessler were attending NYU and started garnering attention after shows at the Bowery Ballroom and the Pyramid, and hanging out at Bar 13 in Greenwich Village with a large portion of the New York indie scene. Packed with lyrics about crippling attraction, abandonment, dependence and disappearing into the dark corners of New York, through its frantic moments and its solemn ones, 2002’s Turn On The Bright Lights is an emotional rollercoaster of an album that catapulted Interpol to the top of the indie rock scene after topping multiple year-end album rankings.

Fall 2014

Kelly Subin (Marketing/Interactive Media)

NAS

EMINEM

On the second track of Earl Sweatshirt’s critically acclaimed album, Doris, Vince Staples asks his friend, “Why you so depressed and sad all the time?” Earl uses the rest of his album to answer, with eloquent, droning verses discussing issues with his father, battling addiction, and his mysterious three year absence from OFWGKTA. Earl is the third Odd Future member to appear on the scale, illustrating that there’s a lot of heavy content hidden behind the tie-dye and donut logos.

EARL SWEATSHIRT

MAC MILLER

ATMOSPHERE

CHILDISH GAMBINO

KINDA SAD

TYLER THE CREATOR

Is sensitivity finally cool in hip-hop? The genre may have taken a delicate turn in recent years, with artists more willing to express themselves emotionally. These days, artists have been able open their hearts and find success through lyrical content like loneliness, breakups and angst, as opposed to increasingly tired subjects like money, power and women. See how these sentimental artists measure up on the sadness scale.

A Scale of the Saddest Hip Hop Artists

THUG TEARS:

Editorial

Drake has been quoted multiple times saying that he’s fed up with his reputation as the saddest boy in Canada. But unfortunately for Drake, we just have too much fun exploiting his sensitivity into internet memes and GIFs of him looking somber at award shows. Despite the criticisms of being “soft,” Drake’s compelling emotional capacity and affinity for gloomier beats have allowed him to reign supreme both on the charts and in critical acclaim. So what if the world thinks Drake’s the type of guy who dots his “i”’s with hearts? It works for him.

DRAKE

Frank Ocean has a way of making melodrama cool, with his sultry, dream-like voice and emotionally rich lyrics. His second album, Channel Orange, came across more as a series of back-seat taxi confessions, with Ocean discussing everything from the perils of unrequited love to the pressures of drug dealing. With such somber lyrical content, Frank Ocean would be kind of a bummer if he didn’t make such beautiful music.

FRANK OCEAN

“She just wanna run over my feelings Like she drinking and driving in an 18 wheeler” on “Connect”

“I pop bottles because I bottle my emotions” on “Fear”

Saddest lyrics

REAL SAD

LITTLE PAIN

DANNY BROWN

“It's a bad religion To be in love with someone Who could never love you” on “Bad Religion”

“You don't know how little you matter until you're all alone” on “Crack Rock”

Saddest lyrics

Yung Lean, aka King of the Sad Boys, is pessimistic royalty. While not nearly as popular in his home country, the eighteen-year-old Swedish rapper has built himself a cult-like fan base of Arizona Iced Tea-drinking young adults in America and the UK. Yung Lean embraces the sadness, combining mumbled lyrics of social anxiety and loneliness, with pop culture references most of his fans are too young to get (i.e. Nintendo 64, Space Jam and R. Kelly’s greatest hits). Ten years ago, we would have called him “emo.” Today, Yung Lean is leading an internet-based movement for “emotional shawtys” everywhere, demonstrating that it’s okay to cry sometimes, as long as they’re Arizona tears.

YUNG LEAN

Sixteen-year old Spooky Black came out of the snowy Minnesotan forest earlier this year, donning a du-rag and an angelic voice that could break your heart upon first listen. His debut ambient R&B album, Black Silk, is haunting and features Spooky crooning about the woes of young love over drowsy beats. He’s one of music’s biggest mysteries right now, but all we can do is hope there’s enough angst in Lil’ Spook for him to keep creating tracks for us to drive alone and cry to.

SPOOKY BLACK

KENDRICK LAMAR

“Yoshi city we burn it down I guess it's my turn now Smoking loud I'm a lonely cloud” on “Yoshi City”

“Lean steady depressed bruh Emotional boys in the VIP section. 1 million plants in my room, my walls are melting” on “Emails”

Saddest lyrics

“From my hands you left You broke my heart right there, all I do is stare, no you'll never fuckin care” on “Without U”

“I thought that I could be saved by you Never thought id be betrayed by you” on “Break My Heart”

Saddest lyrics

Editorial

ROCK & ROLL H A LL O F FA M E CLASS OF 2030 In Cleveland, there’s a glass wall adorned with 726 signatures. John Lennon, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry’s names glow, paying tribute to the untouchable legends who helped to create various dimensions of what we call rock and roll. In between the iconic names sit a lot of blank spaces, waiting for the autographs of a new generation to illuminate the hallway. Fall 2014

■ Amanda Hoover (Journalism)

boys will be one of the five to 10 performers inducted in the spring of 2015, possibly stealing slots from The Smiths or even Lou Reed, who has been nominated three times but has yet to receive enough votes. For the next few years, nominees will include artists who grew to fame during the ‘90s – a time when alternative music was first rising to prominence, but did so via radio hits, artsy music videos on MTV and platinum album sales. The buzz surrounding Radiohead, Pearl Jam and Beck (all eligible before 2020) as possible additions is already audible. While even the harshest critics are unlikely to debate the legitimacy or influence of any of these acts, it’s important to remember that each cemented their fan base and fame before the digital age altered culture and modern music indefinitely. In the last 15 years, MTV has shifted its regular programming from 120 Minutes of alternative music to 12-hour marathons of The Jersey Shore, and listeners hit the power button on their computers to illegally download tracks more often than the dials on their radios. As the many genres under the grandiose title of rock and roll disperse and evolve, fewer acts rise to the status of those ‘60s superstars. Now, it’s harder to predict who might be considered a timeless act, and who might earn recognition from the Hall of Fame.

Since 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has honored influential artists whose work has molded the music industry and driven generations of artists and listeners alike. It’s funny, though, to confront the fact that this year’s nominees attained their legendary status during our lifetime (although most of us were probably too occupied with Nickelodeon and nap time to take notice of Nirvana), rather than in the those unattainable, iconic ‘60s and ‘70s decades that set the current path for modern music and the bar for an induction into the hall. To gain admittance, artists must have resumes that date back 25 years, so this year’s 15 nominees released their first album in or prior to 1989. This lone qualification makes Green Day, the band that initially became known for whining in the ‘90s, eligible to be mentioned in the same breath as artists like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. So far, industry experts predict that the Bay Area

For some of today’s biggest names, it’s obvious. Voters know that overlooking Beyoncé for induction in 2028 would upset a whole generation of pop worshippers, that being another genre that has over time made its way into the rock and roll category with inductees like Madonna and Michael Jackson. While these larger-than-life personalities may seem removed from the likes of Led Zeppelin, they’re still artists whose sound shaped popular music and influenced numerous aspiring artists, rock and otherwise. But what about artists who influence smaller, more obscure genres that don’t even land a single on mainstream radio? Will stadium kings like the Black Keys (eligible in 2026) and Jack White (eligible in 2024) overshadow the artists who dwell in cozier venues by default? As history shows, the answer is probably yes. While the hall claims it nominates and inducts based on overall influence, the fact that Björk, The Smiths and The Pixies have been snubbed repeatedly while KISS and Hall and Oates snagged spots deems that qualification questionable. Some of the most beloved and influential bands from 2000 on that didn’t

achieve superstar status will probably make the selection process increasingly murky in years to come.

“Now, it’s harder to predict who might be considered a timeless act, and who might earn recognition from the Hall of Fame.” It’s hard to predict who might make the cut more than 10 years from now. Keeping the hall open to acts like The National (eligible 2026), Kurt Vile (eligible in 2028) and maybe even Vampire Weekend (eligible in the distant 2033), provided that they continue to evolve and influence listeners, seems justifiable in a shifting music landscape. Right now, artist and industry voters seem content to leave out-there acts like The Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr. on the other side of its doors, and it’s hard to predict who today could exemplify the hall’s standards. Arcade Fire won Album of the Year at the 2010 Grammys – is that enough to qualify them for a spot on the wall? As the pool of noteworthy performers grows and shifts further from the early definitions of rock and roll, more of these modern day forces could be overlooked. Maybe these artists don’t care about the status and the snubs – it’s unclear how many really treasure the honor. When The Sex Pistols were inducted in 2006, Johnny Rotten sent a letter calling the hall a “piss stain” in place of the band’s presence on stage. In reality, it’s not a perfect system. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wasn’t built big enough to house all of the talent, and just because someone’s name isn’t enshrined on the wall doesn’t mean they’re forgotten. 39

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2014’s BEST

MIDLIFE CRISES Or, “this year’s complete list of weird shenanigans perpetrated by middle-aged white guys”

E Fall 2014

arlier this year at the nascent Ottawa Folk Fest, the artists behind two of the most acclaimed albums of this year simultaneously performed on different stages. On one stage, the War on Drugs touring their new record Lost in the Dream: an inspired reinvention of 80s Springsteen with psychedelic flourishes. On the other, Sun Kil Moon – a pseudonym of singersongwriter Mark Kozelek – was touring his death-centric breakout record Benji. Poor sound management on the part of the festival drowned out Kozelek’s set, and in jest Kozelek labeled the War on Drugs “beer commercial rock” and suggested that the band fellate him. This comment was generously expanded upon when Kozelek released a 7-minute song a week later titled “War on Drugs: Suck My Cock.” The song, musically a continuation of Benji’s bare-bones acoustics, was exactly as good as one might expect a song of that

title to be. In other words, the song’s pretty arrangement was dragged down by Kozelek’s uncomfortably mean-spirited sentiment. War on Drugs, mercifully, remained silent throughout the sordid affair. It’s only the latest from Kozelek this year, which has also seen the folk veteran instruct concert attendees to quiet themselves (“all you fucking hillbillies shut the fuck up,” he notably commanded a North Carolina audience). Considering the series of autobiographical meditations of death on Benji, one could interpret Kozelek’s lashing out as a midlife crisis. According to Wikipedia, this term refers to people in their 40s or 50s who have “come to realize their own mortality.” Granted, Kozelek and I have never met, and likely never will meet, and as such this is all supposition. Nonetheless, Kozelek is 47, and his acting out in the public sphere more than fits the bill of the “significant life changes” (previously Kozelek,

though obnoxious to his fans, operated on a lower profile). Moreover if a midlife crisis is a recognition of one’s own mortality, then an album like Benji more than supports the claim. Kozelek’s (supposed) midlife crisis has offered the music-listening public some spectacular songs, and some seriously cringeworthy antics. His, however, is but one of several that graced 2014 with grumpy pouting. Here are the rankings, and make no mistake: there was some stiff competition here.

• Mike Doub (Psychology)

5 THURSTON MOORE The erstwhile Sonic Youth frontman and former husband of bandmate Kim Gordon disappointed fans of his band and love when he and Gordon announced their divorce in 2011. This separation understandably put Sonic Youth on an indefinite hiatus, and Moore has stayed productive with several projects in the interim, among them his one-off as Chelsea Light Moving and brief participation in black metal band Twilight.

Like Kozelek he’s also mouthed off at various targets of his ire, declaring that “black metal is for pussies” and labeling feminist website Jezebel “gender fascism.” Along with Moore’s new relationship with a woman over 20 years his junior, a midlife crisis might be a likely cause. That said, it’s hard to begrudge Moore his own happiness, especially given his postdivorce albums have held up artistically.

4 JACK WHITE Another recent divorcé, White’s also been vocal about when he doesn’t like something this year. That negativity encompassed a lot – his thoughts on Rolling Stone, the continuing saga of his low opinion on the Black Keys, how former bandmate Meg White didn’t high-five him enough. And the list goes on. These comments might have been hilarious had they been accompanied by a modicum of self-awareness, but White has been too busy to consider that maybe Lana del Ray didn’t

actually rip off Amy Winehouse. In between releasing the fastest record ever made and including a hologram in the deluxe vinyl of new album Lazaretto, White also helped rock legend Neil Young record a covers album in a telephone booth. White’s focus on older recording technique suggests a man out of time, and that amongst his outbursts might suggest a midlife crisis. What else would explain that new haircut?

3 MORRISSEY When I mentioned my plans to name Morrissey in this piece to a friend, he made a prescient observation: hasn’t Morrissey’s entire life seemed like one long midlife crisis? True, David. Morrissey’s historically nasty takedowns of former bandmates and his radical pro-animal activism could come from a fear of obsolescence. Even so Morrissey’s antics reached a spectacular high this year, with the 55 year-old singer lashing out and anyone who dared get close. This includes his label Harvest, who dropped him, former opener Kristeen Young, fired for being sick

at the same time as Morrissey, and fans, longtime victims to the singer’s trademark tour cancellations (which continued with aplomb this year). His new album, World Peace is None of Your Business, is similarly vitriolic: an album-length screed that lays out why humanity doesn’t, in fact, deserve world peace. Is it a midlife crisis? Maybe. Morrissey has apparently received multiple cancer treatments this year, and that brush with death could be influencing his outlook on the world and how he interacts with it. Get well soon/stay mean, Morrissey.

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2 MARK KOZELEK “She said I seemed distracted and asked what was going on with me / I said I can’t explain it and it’s a middle age thing” – Mark Kozelek on Benji closer “Ben’s My Friend,” tacitly confirming any midlife crisis speculation.

WAYNE COYNE

The singer of the Flaming Lips takes home this crown by a wide margin. Since his 2013 divorce Coyne’s questionable antics have been a constant staple in the indie rock tabloids. Among these antics was Wayne’s firing of longtime Lips drummer Kliph Scurlock, after Scurlock questioned Coyne’s inarguably insensitive donning of a Native American headdress. In matters that simply offended good taste, Coyne’s irrepressible Instagram (banned and risen again multiple times) full of psychedelic nudity and his dubious friendships with multiple blonde women in their early 20s (Ke$ha, Miley) are paramount. Then again, maybe none

of this would matter had Coyne delivered the goods musically. Though The Terror was a triumph for the Flaming Lips, the band’s subsequent releases – a misguided album-length cover of Sgt. Pepper, an even worse attempt at the Stone Roses’ debut and some mediocre meanderings as the Electric Würms – don’t inspire confidence in the band’s approaching fourth decade of existence. If that all doesn’t earn Coyne his ranking here, there’s one more sin he committed worse than all the rest put together: he’s retired the giant hamster ball in concert.

HONORABLE MENTION

RZA Better luck next time, bud.

Fall 2014

Album Reviews RUN THE JEWELS Run the Jewels 2 Release date Oct 24 2014 Lable Warp Mass Appeal Genre Electronic / Experimental Tasty Tracks “Jeopardy,” “Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck) (feat. Zach de la Rocha),” “Angel Duster” In his autobiography, legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis suggests that the hardest thing for a musician to do is sound like themselves. This idea has been cited by Annie Clark – aka art rock goddess St. Vincent – in recent interviews as inspiration for the name of her new album, and St. Vincent is also proof that a musician sounding like themselves can lead to artistic highs. The album, with its noodling guitar passages and angelic vocals, has aided Annie Clark’s arrival as nothing less than the Bjork of Gen-Y. I don’t know if Killer Mike and El-P, the complimenting halves of rap duo Run the Jewels, have read Davis’ quote or regularly think about the artistic merits of identity. I’m not sure if they’ve listened to St. Vincent or Davis either (as unthinkable as that might be), but Run the Jewels 2 is an embodiment of the principle. With it the two have made something utterly singular, and an album that sounds like the summation of both rappers’ careers. It rules. As its title implies Run the Jewels 2 is a sequel to last year’s brutal, damaging Run the Jewels. Over that record’s lean 10 tracks Mike and El rapped about their untouchable cred, their thoughts on “fuckboys” and their penchants for bad behavior. It was a blast of the “roll down your windows” variety, but Run the Jewels was held back ever so slightly by its devotion to escapism. Run the Jewels 2, conversely, has heft. The beats run heavier, and though there’s no shortage of brags and threats, most songs feature a political bent mostly absent from the debut. On “Early” for example, Mike and El return to the opinionated character types of their 2012 opuses. Mike falls victim once again to police brutality as on the R.A.P. Music standout “Don’t Die,” and El embraces the role of the seen-it-all cynic that offered Cancer for Cure its biting social criticisms. Both archetypes also seep into the duo’s expert shit-talk. Killer Mike encourages prison riot on album highlight “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” and Run the Jewels 2’s first single “Blockbuster Night Part One” sees El-P supposing that “the fellows at the top are likely rapists.”

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It’s this immersion of id and ideals that proves one of the biggest differences between Run the Jewels 2 and its predecessor – the difference between momentary fuckboy annoyance and anti-fuckboy ideology, really. The other is the beats, which harken back to Cancer for Cure’s layered lushness. Opener “Jeopardy” sets the tone, after Mike’s version of a Rocky pep-talk, with creeping synths and dying saxophone and trumpet (over Mike’s and El’s verses, respectively). “All Due Respect” pummels with precise percussion, courtesy of Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and the smothering bass on “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” makes the song El-P’s most potent banger since “The Full Retard.” The sonic makeover is a good look for the duo, and its enlarged scope positions Killer Mike and El-P into the limelight both have long toiled on the fringes of. When Hans Zimmer-esque strings sweep in near the end of closer “Angel Duster” it’s an appropriately grandiose finale for the record’s ambitious aspirations. Whether affirming its own greatness (“Jeopardy”) tackling ills (“Crown”) or getting it on (“Love Again (Akinyele Back)”) Run the Jewels 2 never deals in half measures.

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Even with this take-no-prisoners approach, the two guys at the center of Run the Jewels 2 are eminently relatable. Run the Jewels rap with an inclusive “us vs. them” mentality that extends to their extra-musical activities – they release their albums for free, and they’re impressively in touch with their fans. It packages their message well, and in light of Ferguson and NSA overzealousness (that’s in this year alone) the M.O. is especially relevant. Just as Mike provided the lone voice of reason in his CNN interview amidst the Ferguson riots, Run the Jewels can seem like the answer to myriad problems: how to balance menace with reflection, how to craft a great rap album in 2014 and above all how to build on an excellent debut to make something even better. If Run the Jewels was the sound of Killer Mike and El-P starting a movement, then Run the Jewels 2 is ultimately their triumphant manifesto. Your move, fuckboys. • Mike Doub (Psychology/Journalism)

We publish album reviews online too! tastemakersmag.com

Album Reviews SCOTT WALKER + SUNN O ))) Soused Release date Oct 21 2014 Label 4AD Genre Experimental Rock Tasty Tracks “Brando,” “Lullaby”

Reviews

A match between drone-metal giants Sunn O))) and unclassifiable avant-garde crooner Scott Walker is simultaneously one out of a fringe music fan’s dream and everyone else’s deeply unsettling nightmare. Though they ostensibly operate in very different scenes, the two acts have earned similar reputations and acclaim for their explorations of artistic extremes. Sunn O))) have spent the past 16 years mining the depths of skull-rattling bass frequencies at sub-glacial tempos, while Walker, once a singer of pop ballads, has retreated from the public eye since the mid-1980s and sporadically released increasingly challenging records of modern classical compositions, bizarre experimental flourishes and his operatic vocals. The union of these purveyors of the dark and demanding on a collaborative LP felt something like destiny, but also posed the threat of becoming the first piece of recorded music to open an actual portal to Hell. Surprisingly, then, Soused is actually a rather accessible listen relative to its pedigree. One won’t mistake the five-track effort for easy listening by any stretch of the imagination, but at a fairly lean 48 minutes, the record sees its creators refraining from excess and distilling their sounds into a cohesive and approachable piece of work.

TAYLOR SWIFT 1989 Release date Oct 27 2014 Label Big Machine Genre Pop Tasty Tracks “Clean,” “Bad Blood,” “Out of The Woods”

Fall 2014

If TSwift wasn’t purely pop before, she damn well is now. But if you’ve been paying attention to Taylor Swift at all within the last 2 years, this “reinvention” doesn’t come as a shock. In 2012 she had “I Knew You Were Trouble.”

Still, opening track “Brando” wastes no time in immersing the listener in Soused’s warped universe, whether they’re ready or not. Nary a half-second is wasted before Walker’s voice, bellowing about the “wide Missouri,” crashes forth flanked by a bright guitar riff, stalked by the unmistakable growl of Sunn O)))’s low end moments later. It’s a brash introduction to a record that’s rife with dramatic, careening shifts in sound. Eerie whistles, whip cracks, staccato drum beats, bells and various unidentifiable sounds populate these songs, lending them an unpredictable and vaguely dangerous air that’s reminiscent of Walker’s most out-there material. In both the arrangements and the nearconstant presence of his sonorous voice, Walker is undeniably the focal point here. His dense, disturbing lyrics are somehow cringingly literal and frustratingly cryptic at once, luring the listener into a maze of demanded beatings, foot binding and babies hidden away. So singular is Walker’s presence that it’s sometimes easy to forget that Soused is supposed to be a proper collaboration. Sunn O))) are no strangers to the format, having co-recorded records with Boris, Nurse With Wound, Ulver and others over the years, but here they seem more in danger of being overshadowed by their counterpart than ever before. Still, the record does possess satisfying moments in which the full weight of the duo’s massive low-end roar makes its presence known, and their sound is a welcome addition to the palette Walker has been exploring in his 2000s work. A lingering sense of imbalance does hamper Soused in places, but its strengths ultimately outweigh its shortcomings. There’s something perversely delightful about hearing Walker’s

voice over a bed of down-tuned distortion, and the brooding atmosphere of the whole affair is satisfyingly palpable. Song-for-song, Soused is also strangely catchy. One hesitates to say that Walker sings hooks, exactly, but there’s certainly an earworm factor to something like his bellowing of the title on “Lullaby” (also noteworthy for being the song least suitable to the title “Lullaby” since The Cure sang about the spider-man having Robert Smith for dinner back in ‘89). Front to back, Soused is a record full of conflict and paradox. It’s frightening, unsettling and bleak, but it’s also weirdly accessible and alluring; not an experience that extends comfort, but still compels frequent revisiting. It might not be the perfectly balanced blend of its creators’ best qualities, but it is a genuinely unique and engaging piece of work that could have come from no one else. • Ben Stas (Journalism/English)

She experimented with the EDM sound. She collaborated with Max Martin. She dyed her hair. She was bold. But Red was still, for the most part, played (or at least demoed) on an acoustic guitar. With the synth-heavy, 80’s glamourinspired pop compilation that is 1989, Swift has changed her sound and her public perception, but not at all her themes. She’s still belting about love, loss, and big dreams. But 1989 is Taylor like she’s never been heard before. She’s indulgent, but she’s vague. Her lyrics aren’t as personal, and she’s channeling the aesthetic of an 80’s Swedish/American pop star.

Either that, or she’s drawing inspiration from her more alternative, 80’s inspired contemporaries like Lorde ( just listen to “New Romantics”). “You Are In Love” sounds like it was pulled straight from Tegan & Sara’s 2013 LP, Heartthrob, which comes as no surprise considering Swift asked the Canadian duo to be her guest performers on last year’s tour. But the thing is, TSwift is known for drawing inspiration from her personal life, for being honest and specific. And In 1989, she’s does none of that. She’s strayed from this personal, storytelling style of songwriting, as on “Style,” for example, which is a track that just reiterates

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an easy cliché about being rich, white and on trend. “Blank Space,” is just as ambiguous; another song about knowingly pursuing a bad boy. “Bad Blood” is catchy, but bland. And almost every track on the album is loaded with repetition—that is, a lot of echo-y belting, and recurring choruses. For all intents and purposes, “Shake It Off” reads as the outlier on 1989. But of course, she pulls it off. Swift is indisputably a master of marketing, and whether you love her or hate her, TSwift is one of the most influential and popular women in the music industry. And, technically, yes, the album is solid. An album that sells over a million copies in the first week is going to be a “successful”

album. But then, why does 1989 feel, somehow, unsatisfying? And why isn’t Swift putting out music that sounds new? Perhaps, it’s because Swift has collaborated with more producers on this album, notably with Max Martin, than on any of her other releases. In that sense, 1989 feels more produced, more edited down to mass-consumable content, than any of her pervious works. Swift’s usual quirky metaphors are lost to the easy, familiar, formulaic sounds of synth ballads like “Wildest Dreams” and “This Love.” In terms of musical content 1989 is just as listenable as Red, but it’s not nearly as relatable. • Jackie Swisshelm (Journalism)

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so successful in the first place. In the buildup to the release of Everything Will Be Alright In the End, Weezer promised a return to their roots. Many fans were afraid to believe them. From the first chords of “Ain’t Got Nobody,” it becomes clear that they intended to deliver. Everything Will Be Alright In the End is clearly inspired by their early work; you have the zany catchiness of The Blue Album, a fair bit of Pinkerton’s lonely, self-deprecating lyrics, and even a little taste of Songs from the Black Hole on “Go Away,” a lovely duet with Best Coast. Things are also brought back to their roots instrumentally. Deceptively simple power chord riffs often give way to complex breakdowns and manic guitar solos in completely different keys. Of course, they still maintain the pop sensibilities that have been present since day one. Standout tracks on the album include “Da Vinci,” the energetic “Cleopatra,” and the prog-influenced “Wasteland” trilogy that closes the album and is unlike anything Weezer has attempted before. Though it contains many elements of the old Weezer, EWBAITE is more than just a throwback album. Rivers makes countless references to his current situation, discussing why, even when Weezer had received all of the commercial success he had dreamed of, he was left feeling lonely and empty. Despite being the most honest album Weezer has put out since Pinkerton, however, Cuomo still occasionally misses the point here, implying on “Back to the Shack” that his fans began to leave because Weezer was no longer a rock band. The album also lacks the same “exposed” feeling that was seen in Pinkerton, with the songs and narrative

Everything Will Be Alright in the End Release date Oct 7th 2014 Label Republic Genre Alt Rock Tasty Tracks “Da Vinci,” “Cleopatra,” “The Futurescope Trilogy” Weezer is one of the few bands that could, without hyperbole, be described as heartbreaking. They broke out of the haze of the grunge movement with the incredibly catchy pop-rock anthems of The Blue Album and followed that up with Pinkerton, one of the most deeply personal and honest records in its genre. After that things changed. Driven nearly insane by Pinkerton’s initial lack of success, frontman Rivers Cuomo locked himself away and tried to deduce the most effective way to make successful pop songs. What followed was a long series of albums packed with somewhat successful hits, but distinctly lacking in the inspiration of their early work. For a long time, Cuomo denounced their first two albums, saying that anyone who knew what they were talking about should prefer their most popular hits. But as their commercial success faded and the early classics garnered more and more attention, his opinion started to change. From releasing some of the demo tracks of their lost concept album Songs from the Black Hole to performing Pinkerton in its entirety live, he began to connect with the hardcore fans of what made the group

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arc being very clearly planned out and polished. However, it’s still a gigantic step in the right direction for a band that almost everyone had given up hope on. It shows that despite age and despite an incredibly rocky past, Weezer isn’t quite done carving out their place in music history. To many fans, this album and its implications are nothing short of a miracle. • Tim DiFazio (English)

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If you would like to submit a review to be considered for publishing in print or online, e-mail: tmreviews@gmail.com

THE MERCY SEAT IS WAITING: A ABEGINNER’S BEGINNER’S GUIDE GUIDE TO

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Nick Cave is 57 years old. Earlier this year, the pseudodocumentary 20,000 Days on Earth surveyed all 57 of those years by following the Australian songwriter’s busy day of working on his unfinished-at-the-time 2013 record Push the Sky Away, hanging out with bandmate Warren Ellis, reminiscing about his mid-90s Kylie Minogue collaboration, recalling his junkie days and talking about his dad witnessing a particularly drunken late-80s Birthday Party gig. To say that Cave has led a colorful life would be a serious understatement. He’s fronted four bands, written two novels, soundtracked a number of films and covered musical ground from piano balladry to savage nowave abandon. Submitted for your approval is an attempt to corral all 21 Cave-fronted studio albums into a mere four pages, and pick out the very best among them.

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An obscure little LP from 1979 entitled Door, Door and credited to The Boys Next Door marks the very first Cave release. For anyone with any familiarity with Cave’s later work, it’s a disarmingly upbeat bit of Gang of Fourstyled 70s post-punk. Door, Door is worth a listen for the novelty, and for the haunting closer “Shivers,” but it’s far from essential. The Boys Next Door, which featured guitarist/ songwriter Rowland S. Howard and longtime Cave collaborator Mick Harvey, would almost immediately change their name to The Birthday Party, and that’s where the story starts to get interesting. For three albums and two EPs over the course of five years, The Birthday Party would reign in terror over London with increasingly unhinged recordings and violent live shows. Their self-titled 1980 debut trades in Door, Door’s pop aspirations for something weirder and wilder, but it registers as a minor stepping stone record in comparison to the following year’s Prayers on Fire. Opener “Zoo-Music Girl” is a hurtling mess of tribal percussion and an increasingly deranged sounding Cave that sets a blueprint for the dissonant, lurching madness that the band would fully embrace for the rest of its career.

Make no mistake: you’re entering a world of darkness by choosing to explore this particular corner of the Cave discography. Make no mistake: you’re entering a world of darkness by choosing to explore this particular corner of the Cave discography. The whole thing is a world of darkness, really, but it’s at its most pitch-black in the early 80s. Cave howls about being a “fat little insect…in his birthday suit” over woozy pinch harmonics and a weirdly groovy brass section on the essential “Nick the Stripper,” and outraces the rhythm section as the entire band seems poised to come off the rails on “King Ink.” Prayers on Fire is an

exhilaratingly weird 35 minutes that stands as The Birthday Party’s high-water mark, though their somehow-even-noisier 1982 follow-up Junkyard puts up worthy competition. The dual 1983 EPs Mutiny and The Bad Seed (which opens with the charming inquiry “HANDS UP, WHO WANTS TO DIE?”) are also worthy of note for fans of the sound. Cave and Howard would part ways that same year, with Cave taking Harvey, touring bassist Barry Adamson and guest guitarist Blixa Bargeld along to form the earliest incarnation of the still-active Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Though Cave was the personality at the forefront of The Birthday Party, he shared songwriting duties with Howard. With this new project, he was fully in command for the first time. The band’s 1984 debut From Her to Eternity, a gothic refinement of The Birthday Party’s fiery mayhem, is a classic. The brooding cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Avalanche” that opens the record heralds a shift in Cave’s own lyrics, away from the surrealistic mania of the previous project and toward a more literary, narrative focus. Atmospheric centerpiece “Saint Huck” and the skin-crawling stalker narrative title track are highlights, but the whole thing casts a spell that never lets up. A productive 1985 and ’86 saw the release of three new records demonstrating Cave’s rapidly expanding interests in American blues and gothic atmosphere. The seven apocalyptic minutes of “Tupelo” that serve as The First Born is Dead’s opening salvo constitute an all-time classic Bad Seeds track, while the following year’s more melancholic Your Funeral…My Trial boasts the genuinely creepy “The Carny” and an utterly stunning title track. The covers collection Kicking Against the Pricks is ultimately an uneven listen, but a take on The Velvet Underground’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties” is worth seeking out. Two years later, Cave and the Bad Seeds delivered one of their career high points with Tender Prey. The previous few albums’ worth of genre exploration had helped the group grow into a sound of their own: an amalgam of post-punk, rock and roll and good old fashioned balladry that would characterize

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much of their work from here on out. Opener “The Mercy Seat” is a harrowing, stream-ofconsciousness death row fever dream that’s become one of Cave’s best known songs (a high-profile cover from Johnny Cash didn’t hurt). The highlights abound though, from the satanic cabaret of “Up Jumped the Devil” to the riotous Bonnie and Clyde narrative “Deanna” and the ominous “Sugar Sugar Sugar.”

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worth of genre exploration had helped the group grow into a sound of their own: an amalgam of post-punk, rock and roll and good old fashioned balladry that would characterize much of their work from here on out.

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1990’s The Good Son is another solid outing, if something of an unexpected left-turn following the brooding Tender Prey. The focus on soft, piano-driven songs is heavier than ever before, and the lamenting opener “Foi Na Cruz” is almost jarringly tender. Elsewhere, Cave offers one of his finest-ever ballads in “The Ship Song” and a sweepingly pretty closer with “Lucy.” Cave and the Bad Seeds would soon enter the finest streak of their career, beginning with 1992’s Henry’s Dream and its 1994 follow-up Let Love In. Both records build on Tender Prey’s eclecticism and literary songwriting, blending the band’s aggressive and more nuanced tendencies with some of Cave’s most evocative lyrics. Dream is a fiery 40 minutes of story-songs that may or may not be based around a loose, dream-logic story, bookended by two apocalyptic catalog standouts in “Papa Won’t Leave You Henry” and “Jack the Ripper.” For all Henry’s strengths, however, the grandeur of Let Love In still bests its

predecessor. Indeed, a case could be made for Let Love In as the Bad Seeds’ finest hour on the whole. From the propulsive bass line that opens “Do You Love Me?” straight through to its “Part 2” album closer, everything coalesces perfectly here. The menacing groove of “Red Right Hand,” popularized by Wes Craven’s Scream franchise but plenty noteworthy on its own, has rightfully become a signature Cave song. He’s rarely sounded meaner or more savage than he does on the murdered tourist narrative “Jangling Jack,” the selfloathing “Thirsty Dog” or the downright evil “Loverman,” but the record has its tender side in “Nobody’s Baby Now” and the almost-title track “I Let Love In” as well. And that’s not to mention the histrionic and darkly humorous funeral dirge of the penultimate “Lay Me Low.” Let Love In represents all of Cave and the Bad Seeds’ strengths in full force, and at an easily replayable 45 minutes, it’s likely the best starting point for the unacquainted. Less appropriate for a Cave newcomer would be Let Love In’s 1996 successor Murder Ballads. This hour-long collection offers exactly what its blunt title implies: 9 tracks worth of bloody mayhem, punctuated by a perversely ironic cover of Bob Dylan’s “Death is Not the End.” The songs range from darkly humorous (see the world’s most profane rendition of the traditional “Stagger Lee” and the 15-minute pub massacre centerpiece “O’Malley’s Bar”) to genuinely eerie (opener “Song of Joy”), with several settling somewhere in between (try to resist getting a chill down your spine when you realize who’s doing all the killing in “The Curse of Millhaven”). This one’s an essential part of the catalog, but perhaps not for the faint of heart. Cave and the band would switch gears again the following year, with their quietest and most emotionally resonant album to date in the tormented The Boatman’s Call. Written in the immediate wake of Cave’s breakup with similarly-celebrated U.K. musician PJ Harvey, Boatman’s Call sees him in a raw and uncharacteristically personal songwriting mode. The sparse, down-tempo arrangements, which lean heavily on Cave’s mournful piano, follow suit with the subject matter. “Into My Arms,” “People Ain’t No Good” and “Far From Me” constitute the record’s most heartbreaking moments, but

the whole thing flawlessly embodies the mood of rainy days and lonely nights. It’s a romantically devastated masterpiece. Following the longest gap between records of their career to that point, 2001’s No More Shall We Part returned to a more character-driven narrative style for Cave, and a broader palette of sounds for the band as a whole, but retained its predecessor’s air of melancholy. It’s a slightly ponderous listen at a sprawling 67 minutes, but some of its lengthier tracks (“Hallelujah,” “Oh My Lord”) are its best, and it maintains a moving sense of gravitas throughout. It’s a worthy follow-up to an imposing predecessor. The same can’t be said, unfortunately, of 2003’s strangely underwhelming Nocturama. For perhaps the first and last time, Cave simply sounds uninspired here. Apart from the barnstorming 15-minute garage rock vamp of a closing track in “Babe I’m on Fire,” little about the record makes an impression. The following year’s double album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, the band’s longest to date at 82 minutes and 17 songs, would thankfully reverse this downward trend just as quickly as it started. Abattoir/Orpheus is imperfect, as albums this long tend to be, but its many highlights and renewed sense of experimental spirit render it a consistently engaging listen. Veering from bombastic gospel rockers (“Get Ready for Love”) to lovestruck ballads (“Breathless”) and spooky left-field contributions (“Fable of the Brown Ape”), this double set offers something to represent every side of Cave. Other highlights include a highly amusing retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice legend in disc two’s title track and the anthemic seven-minute closer “O Children.” In the wake of Abattoir/Orpheus’ release and subsequent touring, Cave, along with Bad Seeds Warren Ellis, Martyn P. Casey and Jim Sclavunos, would break off to form the sideproject Grinderman. A blend of the previous double album’s harder rocking tracks with a Birthday Party-esque sense of wild-eyed malice, 2007’s Grinderman found Cave growing a moustache, picking up an electric guitar for the first time and howling lascivious come-ons. Fittingly, its signature song was entitled “No Pussy Blues.” Three years later, their second eponymous album doubled down on the mini-Bad Seeds’ fascination with six-strings and distortion pedals. Grinderman 2’s Sabbath-indebted psychedelic stomps (the show-stopping “When My Baby Comes,” in particular) one-upped the band’s first effort with ease, delivering their masterpiece before

they ceased activity as a side-project in 2011 The Bad Seeds would reconvene in between Grindermans 1 and 2 for Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, yet another late career highlight that found them invigorated by their alter ego’s noisy influence but returning to more literary-minded songcraft. The title track, and loosely the album as a whole, are based on a retelling of the biblical story of Lazarus, while the closing “More News from Nowhere” reworks the tale of Homer’s Odyssey with some meta Bad Seeds backcatalog references into a uniquely Cave-ian epic.

Embracing yet another unexpected stylistic shift for Cave and the band, Sky is the hangover to Grinderman’s unchecked debauchery. The 2011 dissolution of Grinderman brings us at last to Cave’s latest project: the 2013 Bad Seeds album Push the Sky Away. Embracing yet another unexpected stylistic shift for Cave and the band, Sky is the hangover to Grinderman’s unchecked debauchery. The record is restrained and hushed, but in a more unnerving way than anything to come before. Warren Ellis’ ghostly instrumental loops form the backbone for the majority of the songs, while Cave explores abstract musings on Wikipedia, Miley Cyrus and Robert Johnson amid fables about mermaids and vaguely threatening missives like “We Kno Who U R.” Sky is the 21st studio album to feature Cave at the helm, and somehow still among the most singular in his massive catalog. It’s a testament to one man’s strange and unpredictable genius that such a thing is even possible. • Ben Stas (English/Journalism)

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FIND BIEBER We’ve hidden Justin Bieber somewhere in this issue. Find him and maybe something cool will happen...

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