Issue 28

issue 28

Cover story Music Education at Zumix 16

Also featured Q&A with Zammuto 10 / Singing in Sign 24

STAFF QUOTES: “It's not hyperbole when I say that I would have no friends without Tastemakers.

I love these nerds.”

Alyssa Mastrocco (English)

“I'm 95% estrogen and 5% love”

Dinorah Wilson (Journalism)

THE TEAM: President Jeff Curry

Reviews Editors Leslie Fowle, Bill Shaner

Editor In Chief Emily Cassel

Photo Director Jenna Ross

Art Director Dave Tschiegg

Video Director Christina Spleen

Web Design Edwin Morris

Copy Editor Tom Casey

Marketing Director Caitlin Kullberg

Staff Writers Shea Geyer, Nathan Goldman, Sammy Kaufman, Ryan Kehr, Darien Lombardi, Cara McGrath, Erica Moser, Lauren Moquin, Mackenzie Nichols, Dayton O’Connor, Colin Peters, Katie Price, Allison Walker, Carolyn Willander, Dinorah Wilson

Contributors Kristin Annon, Bryan Berlin, Melanie Bertoldi, Nick Calvino, Jeff Curry, Nick Hugon, Alyssa Mastrocco, Jenna Ross, Chris Stoppiello Marketing Staff Nathan Goldman, Sachin Mitra, Carisa Tong, Hollen Zimmerman, Hope Wierzbicki

masthead “They let me write something. They must be desperate.”

Brian Cantrell (Graphic Design)

Features Director Alyssa Mastrocco Features Editor Colin Peters

Interviews Coordinator Chris Stoppiello Interviews Editors Nick Hugon Reviews Director Suzie Conway

“If you have friends, you're doing it wrong.”

Christopher Stoppiello (English)

Art & Design Chris Bowers, Brian Cantrell, Ellen Duff, Abbie Hanright, Kelley Johnson, Anne Latini, Steve Olimpio, Casey Price, Carisa Tong, Xue Ao Zhang

GET INVOLVED:

GET MORE:

Want to become a tastemaker?

Click the "Get Involved" button on tastemakersmag.com

Can't get enough? Check out more original content at tastemakersmag.com

Snapped some awesome photos at a concert? Email them to tastemakersphoto@gmail.com tastemakers music magazine 434 curry student center 360 huntington ave boston, ma 02115 tastemakersmag@gmail.com www.tastemakersmag.com © 2012 tastemakers music magazine all rights reserved

Become a fan on facebook at www.facebook.com/tastemakersmag Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tastemakersmag

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

THE COVER: Photos by Steve Olimpio (Graphic Design) Design by Steve Olimpio & Dave Tschiegg (Graphic Design)

WHAT’S INSIDE: 04 28 14 06 Calendar

High on This

Alternative Hip-Hop's Newfound Obsession with Drug Culture

Under 21

Show Reviews

16

30

08 TOC

Guitars not Guns

Local Photos

Music Education at Zumix

The True Popstar Breaking it Down

10

32

Keep on Playing

Welcome to the Machine

Q&A with Nick Zammuto

12

Video Killed the Video Star

Music Education Meets the 21st Century

20

The Art of a Scandal

21

CD Reviews

24

Singing in Sign

26

From Sound to Screen The Impact of a Soundtrack

34

Just a Taste of With Midnight Snack

35 Etcetera Find Biebz!

May 2 The Shills w/ Art Decade BMH

3 Bear in Heaven w/ Blouse, Doldrums BMH

4 The Shins WT

5 Horse Feathers w/ Brown Bird BMH

6 Andrew Bird w/ Patrick Watson HOB

7 Neon Trees / Awolnation PA

8 M. Ward w/ Lee Ranaldo Band HOB

9 Spiritualized PA

10 Star Slinger / The Hood Internet PA

11 Neon Indian w/ Lemonade PA

12 Active Child / Balam Acab BMH

13 Mark Lanegan Band w/ Sean Wheeler, Zander Schloss PA

14 Beth Orton w/w Selah Sue BMH

15 Ingrid Michaelson w/ Scars on 45 HOB

16 Father John Misty w/ Har Mar Superstar BMH

17 Haymakers for Hope HOB

18 Maps & Atlases MED

19 James Morrison w/ honeyhoney RY

20 Rancid w/ Razors in the Night, Tenebrae HOB

21 Rancid w/ Madball, Ducky Boys HOB

22 The Polyphonic Spree PA

23 Sinead O'Connor HOB

24 DJ Ian Carey, DJ Bamboora MED

25 Langhorne Slim & the Law w/ Ha Ha Tonka MED

26 Thrice w/ Animals as Leaders, O'Brother RY

27 Blue Man Group CP

28 Gambiza w/ Friends of Yours, Hevy Sol MEU

29 Radiohead w/ Caribou CC

30 Curren$y PA

31 Great Lake Swimmers w/ Cold Specks MED

ROC

KOM ENDS check out the latest dates online at tastemakersmag.com/calendar

4

1 Eric Hutchinson w/ Graffiti PA

Andrew Bird

Radiohead

Maps & Atlases

Feeling stressed? Life's trials and tribulations too much for you to handle? Don't fret! There's a cure!

Simply go see Andrew Bird at the House of Blues this May! Chill out as Bird's clever lyrics and laidback folk tunes whisk you away for the night. His whistling alone is enough to put any mind at ease.

Face it, by now tickets are long sold out unless you want to pay some scalper an arm and a leg. But it's Radiohead, and worth at least one limb.

Even if you're not into maps or atlases, you should take the time out to see Maps & Atlases at the Middle East Downstairs on May 18th. Touring this summer to promote their new record /Beware and Be Grateful/, out April 17th in the US, the quartet will hit major cities throughout the US and UK.

5/6 @ HOB

by Ryan Kehr (Undeclared)

5/29 @ Comcast Center

by Brian Cantrell (Graphic Design)

5/18 @ Middle East Downstairs

by Alyssa Mastrocco (English)

June 1 Jonathan Coulton PA

2 The Parlotonee w/ Ryan Star BMH

3 J. Lye w/ Lisa Bellow, Dutch Rebelle MEU

4 The Clean w/ Times New Viking BMH

5 The Cult w/ Against Me!, the Icarus Line HOB

6 The Decent Lovers w/ Seer Group MEU

7 The Temper Trap HOB

8 Tim Barry w/ Josh Small, Julie Karr MEU

9 Victor Wooten w/ Club D/Elf PA

10 Jonny Lang & Buddy Guy HOB

11 Queen Extravaganza HOB

12 Keane w/ Mystery Jets HOB

13 2:54 w/ Widowspeak TT

14 Balkan Beat Box PA

15 Deer Tick w/ Turbo Fruits PA

16 Marillion w/ Sun Domingo PA

17 Face to Face BMH

18 Michael Kiwanuka BMH

19 Matthew Sweet PA

20 Destroyer PA

21 JEFF the Brotherhood TT

22 Built to Spill PA

23 Jon McLaughlin BMH

24 Silk Road Ensemble w/ Yo-Yo Ma BSO

25 Donora w/ TeamMate MEU

26 Japandroids BMH

27 Portico Quintet C9

28 The Voic Union w/ Dave Hillyard, Ruby Rose Fox GS

29 Fountains of Wayne w/ the Winterpills PA

30 Codeine BMH

Thrice

5/26 @ Royale

by Emily Cassel (Journalism) First, to state the obvious: Thrice is awesome. Like, mind-blowingly awesome. But that’s not the only reason to come out to this show! With support from Animals as Leaders and O’Brother, you have no excuse not to arrive early and experience an all around awesome evening of music.

Key Brighton Music Hall BMH Boston Symphony Orchestra BSO Cafe 939 C9 Comcast Center CC Club Passim CP Great Scott GS House of Blues HOB

Middle East Downstairs MED Middle East Upstairs MEU Paradise PA Royale RY TT The Bears TT Wang Theater WT

5

COMMUNION TOUR:

Austin to Boston @ Cafe 939, March 31st

Written by Colin Peters (Journalism) Alli Gabbert (Sociology/Education) Photos by Bryan Berlin (Media Studies)

As evidenced by the tour name, Boston was the last stop for a group of artists from Communion Records, a U.K. label co-founded by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons. The tour started with a showcase at South by Southwest, then continued north by northeast in a caravan of Volkswagen camper vans.

The show was packed full of eager listeners, with most waiting to see headliner Ben Howard.

The audience was quiet and attentive for the opening set by Bear’s Den. Singer Andrew Davie, formerly of Cherbourg, was clearly comfortable in front of the sold out crowd. Their short, halfhour set was full of new material. The group is a three-piece folk-rock outfit with mellow music and tender lyrics. Davie’s funny observations on American culture lightened the mood between somber songs and strengthened the already engaging environment of Café 939’s Red Room.

Nathaniel Rateliff, the lone non-Brit of the tour, followed Bear’s Den with a solo acoustic set.

Clearly influenced by American folk and country, Rateliff possesses a raw quality in his voice that focuses attention on his writing. Bouncing between gentle finger picking and aggressive strumming, there was a subtle urgency to his music that was quite captivating.

The Staves had the third set of the night and definitely made an impression. The sisters from London are fresh off a tour supporting The Civil Wars. With only an acoustic guitar, ukulele and three strong voices, The Staves filled the room with soaring harmonies. Their music is soft and delicate, yet powerful in its precision. They played their Mexico EP, as well as some newer songs and a rousing cover of “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens.

The quiet audience found their voice when Ben Howard finally took the stage. Between shouts of “I love you Ben!” and “Have my babies!” the audience also sang along to many of his songs. Accompanied by a cellist and a multitasking drummer/bass player, Howard’s warm, soulful voice sounded great live. He opened with “Promise” from his debut Every Kingdom, and quickly followed with lead single “Old Pine.” Howard seemed to enjoy himself on stage, beating the exhaustion of 13 shows in 16 days spread across the country. The show ended with the funky, foot-stomper “The Fear,” for which Howard invited the opening acts onstage. Humble and appreciative, he noted the importance of the American tour, “We’re all going to remember it for a long time; it’s been amazing.”

6

Ben Howard at Cafe 939

Justice

@ House of Blues, March 19th Darien Lombardi (Undeclared) There is a part of me that cannot stand Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, the duo behind “Justice.” It seems as if the air they so apathetically exist in is stale with cigarettes and haughtiness. Sure, they created such memorable hits as “D.A.N.C.E” and “We Are Your Friends,” but as I entered The House of Blues on March 19, I was afraid I couldn’t look past the persona with their rock-star attitudes and middle fingers directed at the audience. I was afraid I would just keep thinking, “Dudes, you’re playing electronic music, can you not?” I would find out that, like all electronic acts, whoever’s on stage is irrelevant

(no matter how douchey they are), it’s all about the music, and man, the music was great.

The symphonic thumping of “Genesis” rang apocalyptically throughout the venue while igniting the iconic cross at center stage. My heartbeat felt synched to the beat it was that invasive. Soon everyone around was doing the ‘d.a.n.c.e.’ (reference!). Justice’s sound is definitely one that is recognizably dark and viscous, almost as if you were wading through a thick gumbo with a subwoofer at the bottom. As the set progressed it evolved from a more breakbeat atmosphere with songs like “Phantom” and “Helix” into a more disco-rock with “D.A.N.C.E” and “New Lands.” I can’t say that I fully enjoyed

We love shows as much as you do. Want to review or snap pictures at a concert?

Email us: tmreviews@gmail.com

Oberhofer

@ House of Blues Boston, February 3rd Written by Allison Walker (Journalism/Cinema Studies) Photos by Christopher Stoppiello (English)

Oberhofer (top) You Could Be A Wesley (bottom)

‘And I’ll be here a short while/ just long enough to say goodbye just to say hey/ and I’ve been travelin’ across the country/ that’s why I’m here today’ sang Brad Oberhofer to a small yet lively crowd of no more than 50 people. The lyrics are a perfect depiction of Oberhofer’s current lifestyle. The band played a gig in New York City the night before Boston and was headed to Montreal the next morning for basically back-to-back performances until May including a Coachella debut. Based on their performance at Brighton Music Hall, their non-

the set however. The entire experience began to grow stale towards the end due to the constant high intensity and repetitive instrumentals in each song. It felt like one long churning bass-y remix with little melodic elements to keep a noticeable differentiation between songs.

What also followed a progression was the set itself. The light design evolved over the course of the show, starting with pale, stark, industrial colors illuminating the steel carcass of stage equipment to an array of purples and greens as the audience fell deeper and deeper into the sonically industrial atmosphere. The stage itself split apart at the cross to reveal a piano during “D.A.N.C.E” where Gaspard Augé stepped down

stop tour does not drag down the quality of their live performances. There are only a few bands that have the ability to make their music more enjoyable live in comparison to LP format−Oberhofer is one of them.

Boston University’s local, You Could Be A Wesley, was the first act to unveil their classic, garage rock styling to the venue. Australian, indierock band, Pond, followed and will continue to open for Oberhofer throughout most of the tour. Pond’s lead singer came off seemingly incoherent but that didn’t stop the performance from being enjoyable to watch and offer some download-worthy, groovy songs.

Two hours after the opening acts began, Oberhofer took the stage. From that moment on, the entire audience was bouncing on their feet belting the lyrics to their 11-song set. The band opened with the youthful melodies of “Gotta Go.” Afterwards, Brad announced that he was already warmed up and preceded to strip off his sailorlike windbreaker. He would need the freedom for the eclectic dance moves he introduced in the second song, “Tour Dreamz.” Throughout the bouncy, staccato tune, the lyrics mentioned earlier revealed the tribulations of being on tour. Brad would continue to slide and jump about the stage whenever his duty wasn’t to the microphone.

“My Own” was the next song followed by two tracks off their new album, Time Capsules II: “Landline” and “Haus.” The two are love songs that emit a surf-rock vibe and are definitely high points in the recent release.

“Cruisin’ FDR” is another track off the new album, and its erratic composition fits well with the band's optimistic and upbeat tempo. Then it was

from his remix throne to play the piano line for the song. It was a nice respite from the disco-tech war machine that is the Justice sound.

To my surprise I didn’t hate them as much as I thought. Despite how many times they gave us the middle finger and stood there silently with no enthusiasm they still came out at the other end of the show with smiles and gratitude, as did we.

During the encore the crowd began to chant “We are your friends. You will never be alone again, so come on!” It was one of the most memorable encore chants I think I will ever participate in.

a flashback to their hit “o0Oo0Oo.” A song that literally thrives on its ‘oh oh ohs’ and transports you to the barrel of a big wave surfing competition.

The best performance of the night had to be “Dead Girls Dance.” The tumbling guitar and rat-a-tat drum beats were slowly climaxed as Brad walked over and tapped a small metal speaker with his foot every once and a while. This created a pulsing clash vibrating throughout the venue and the taps soon became kicks, which turned into jumping on top of it. This unique sound made it seem like we were in the center of two cymbals crashing together. Then came the vocals and heavier guitar that left the audience standing on their toes once the song ended. Then, of course, they quickly turned around and walked off stage.

After a few “Brad” chants, they were back to play their hit “Away Frm U.” A catchy song that takes you both lyrically and instrumentally on a rocky journey with a boy going through a break-up but who remains hopeful he can move on and start fresh. The last song played, “Gold,” is another off their new album. It had the crowd jumping and catching along easily enough to belt the chorus.

Once their show ended, the band casually stripped themselves of their instruments, hopped off stage, and walked right through the crowd to the back room. Just like that. The concert seemed too short but was concentrated with brilliant music from each band member and each song, from start to finish. Oberhofer has proved that they can make an audience truly appreciate live music whether it’s performed at a sold-out festival or a quaint crowd of college students in Boston.

Check Out more show reviews online at tastemakersmag.com!

7

L O C A L P clockwise from top left: Twin Atlantic

by Jenna Ross (Music Industry) Foxy Shazam

by Jenna Ross (Music Industry) Delta Spirit

by Ryan Kehr (English) Gotye

by Kristin Annon (Graphic Design) ---------Snapped a shot worth showing off?

Email it to TastemakersPhoto@gmail.com ----------

8

P H O T O S

9

Keep on Playing

A Q& A with Nick Zammuto

Interview by Christopher Stoppiello (English) Photos by Alyssa Mastrocco (English)

Nick Zammuto has suffered one of the worst things that can happen to a musician. His band, The Books, has broken up after ten plus years of endearing sound collages. A less talented and driven man would sink in to obscurity (or in this case, carpentry), but Zammuto is forging on with a new band, which performs under his surname. Nick Zammuto sat down with Tastemakers before his February 6th show at Brighton Music Hall. With only two previous shows under the band's belt he seemed enthralled by the prospects of his new sound despite its bittersweet inception.

Tastemakers Magazine (TMM): So just to start, why this particular project?

Nick Zammuto (NZ): Well, The Books ended so this is the continuation of my music career‌ or at least an attempt at one. I'm not exactly sure if it's going to work yet but so far so good.

TMM: What's behind the name?

NZ: I just wanted to be next to Zappa in the stacks. [laughs] No, I came up with a lot of names and rejected them all after liking them for like an hour each. I like Zammuto because it doesn't

mean anything. It's just my dad's family's name. It could be Japanese, it could be Sicilian, which it actually is. It has this sound to it. It's not meant to be an exercise in ego.

TMM: Tonight's only your third show with the new band. How's the chemistry been?

NZ: It's been absolutely amazing. I love these guys. We're all on the same page and it feels great to have a unified band. Everybody's here for exactly the right reasons TMM: And working with a drummer?

NZ: It's the best. Everything is a bit meaner and louder. I've wanted to go in that direction for a

10

long time but The Books kind of precluded me from doing that. I'm kind of trying to figure out how to build a new sound out of live percussion.

I'm really lucky to have found Sean Dixon. He's kind of one in a million I think. The more we work together the more in common we find we have in terms of how we think about rhythm and its role in a composition. He's great on a rock kit but his true passion is polyrhythmic stuff, you know African for the most part, and so he can take a rock idiom and transcend it really well, which is a unique thing for a drummer to be able to do. He gives the show a very particular awesomeness.

TMM: You're a seasoned musician. Do you get nervous going on stage with a whole new band?

NZ: Oh yeah it's great. It's not so much fright as it is excitement at this point. For a while The Books set was so worked out that I didn't feel much before going on stage, but now I get excited. I just want to play. It took me a long time to get comfortable on stage but now it's like riding a bike. I sort of crave it.

TMM: You're known for having a very delicate voice. Why, then, have you decided to use so much vocal processing and effects with Zammuto?

NZ: It's just time. There are some new boxes that

do some really wild, interesting things and I feel like this is my shot at experimenting with them before they become dated. I guess that's one part of the answer: I feel like there is a frontier there that is pretty interesting. The other part of the answer is, like you said, I have a pretty shy voice and so getting something radically different back from a processor makes me give more.

In order to be able to sing over the drums it's sort of a key thing to be able to do that. I can't whisper over the drums; that's just not possible.

I had to figure out a way to give more without exposing myself too much, because it would have been psychologically tormenting. So the effects become partially a curtain and partially a way for me to sing out more and make everything more satisfying.

TMM: What previous misconceptions would you warn Books fans not to carry over for Zammuto?

NZ: [laughs] I don't know, expectations lead to disappointment as they say. We were worried about it. We were like, 'oh man we're going to play in front of a Books crowd essentially at first and they might all walk out.' They could easily say this stuff isn't for me, but so far it's been the opposite. Every body comes up to me after the show and says this is a step forward. I've been waiting for this in a way. It feels really good. But you know, given the fact that there are live drums and I'm playing electric guitar, I wouldn't say it sounds like rock and roll because it's usually not in 4/4 and it doesn't have rock attitude, but it's definitely the same type of instrument. It's a show that you can stand up [for]. We want to play in front of standing audiences because right off the bat that changes the expectations of the show.

We're not exactly aiming for the lower chakras but it's nice to be able to go there once in a while.

TMM: Will you be carrying over the visual aspect from The Books' live show?

NZ: I am although I'm in the early phases of it so for this show we're more interested in seeing how fans work without video to get a sense for where video can be useful down the line. The experiment right now is to leave it out for the most part and really try to feel where it's going to work [to] start building that seriously over the next couple of months so that when we're doing serious tours we'll have a polished multimedia component.

Right now there's just a couple set pieces.

TMM: Not long ago you told Pitchfork you had considered quitting music. What would you do if you did?

NZ: I've got a lot of interests bust mostly I like building things. I've done a lot of carpentry. I built my own house essentially. I feel like I could have a lot of fun just building houses. I especially like rough work like framing. I could definitely see myself working on a framing crew. I also have been making these kind of crazy sculptures for

a while. Every one that I've made has sold kind of instantaneously. I might give that a shot if the music career goes flop.

TMM: Did you hear about Solid Sound taking 2012 off?

NZ: I did.

TMM: Any opinion on that?

NZ: Well I was really hoping to play Solid Sound this year so [the news] was a little disappointing.

I actually have gotten to know Wilco over the last couple years. During that first Solid Sound The Books played a set and it turns out that [Wilco singer, Jeff] Tweedy knows our records backwards and forwards. It's amazing. And he was really keen on getting to know our process a little better and perhaps working with us. So I think that door is kind of still open with them.

Maybe it might not be appropriate to say that in an interview, but I love Wilco and I've loved them for a long time so it's an honor to have gotten to know them and see what they are made of – their inner workings a little bit. They're all very stand up guys and great musicians. It turns out that one of their managers has a child about the age of my kids and we've been hanging out. I bounce ideas off him a lot, he's been really generous about telling me what will fly and what won't.

TMM: Maybe this interview can re-open that door. Thank you for your time!

NZ: You're welcome.

The new self-titled album by Zammuto is available now on Temporary Residence in Vinyl, Digital, and CD.

11

written by Suzie Conway (Communications) art by Chris Bowers (Graphic Design)

The virtually complete transition of music videos from TV to the Internet has given artists an incredible artistic freedom.

Bold, creative ideas for videos have made the production of music videos an art form. However, a common theme emerging is a new genre of music videos that could be classified as “rape chic.” It’s a ridiculous term, but it’s not entirely an exaggeration. I’m not one who gets offended by much of anything, but it would be reasonable for any number of fair-minded people to be put-off or worse by these videos.

A new music video, starring every man-boy’s dream girl Aubrey Plaza from Parks and Recreation, debuted recently by the heretofore-unknown Father John Misty. A project of Fleet Foxes former drummer J. Tillman, Father John Misty’s music seems like relatively straightforward indie rock—percussive acoustic guitars tossed in with a few tambourine hits. But the accompanying music video to the song “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” could ruffle a few feathers. It features Plaza, blitzed out of her mind on an assortment of pharmaceuticals, destroying everything she touches at a house party. This is relatively normal for a music video, until she strangles a girl outside and wakes up

12

bloodied on an abandoned road. Tillman then tosses her into a van, where she is left screaming as he casually lights up a cigarette, where the video abruptly ends.

The video is shot well and the vision is executed well.

But after the shock value subsides, where does that leave the audience? In our increasingly media literate culture, it seems fewer people are taking messages at face value.

However, the video seems to glorify violence in general and against women, specifically. And we can’t expect everyone to deconstruct this video after watching it.

Though this concept is not new, the graphic nature and lack of innuendo in these videos is, at least relatively. Rap songs clearly have their lyrics and themes rooted in violence.

So much of the heyday of rap focused on the riots of the early 90s against the police and the east coast vs. west coast rivalries. Despite all that, a lot of popular rap videos have hit the Internet that portray or imply murder, suicide, torture and rape.

The opening shot of Kanye West’s “Monster” is of a woman (or a mannequin?) dead, hanging from the ceiling.

And that’s one of the tamer images. Others include people getting eaten and women being sprawled out and lifeless.

Nicki Minaj even tortures herself in this wall-to-wall gore fest. But the content of the song and borderline cartoonish

depictions of violence make it hard to take seriously. But then again this “dark and twisted fantasy” is still justifying unjustifiable behavior.

In some ways, it feels like many artists’ goals are shock value rather than art. Where many other videos go for the grandiose and over-the-top imagery, Justice’s video for “Stress” is shocking in its realism. It features teens terrorizing strangers, all while being filmed in a simulated documentary format. It’s minimal in flashiness, but that’s what makes it all the more unsettling. There can still be a sense of detachment from reality with most of the other gory videos, but with “Stress,” you’re sucked into the chaos, feeling like you’re the one dropkicking strangers.

It seems that by calling out this violence, whether it be in reverence of it or in disapproval of it, the mass audiences are not going to all consume it the same way. Conservative critics have always said dark or violent music is ruining our children. While that is definitely going over the deep end, violent music and music videos certainly doesn’t help.

Oftentimes the backgrounds of serial killers include an affinity for so-called violent music, like Jared Lee Loughner’s listening of Drowning Pool’s “Bodies,” before shooting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and several others last year. There’s no way that any artist can take responsibility

for their work, hoping nobody will take it the wrong way.

However, it begs the question of whether we are oversaturated with this and other such representations.

This imagery is created time and time again by many different artists in a range of genres and with varying levels of popularity. Lana del Rey’s video for “Born to Die” shows an abusive relationship where del Rey dies at the end, being carried off by her presumed killer. Tyler, the Creator’s “Yonkers” ends with him dead by hanging. And Eminem’s depiction of an abusive relationship in “Love the Way You Lie” has been viewed over 430 million times.

Individually, the videos’ impacts are probably minimal, but when processed together over time, determining meaning and values become tedious. And it’s not that violence has no place in music or art, because it does. Violence is a part of our culture and society whether we like it or not, consuming our TV, movies and unfortunately, our real-life news broadcasts. But when millions of people glaze over any meanings in these videos and just see the sexual objectification of women, or the fantasy killings, what are we letting ourselves be ok with as a society? What is our limit and have we reached a point of no return?

13

Written by Erica Moser (Journalism)

Much of society has the schema that musicians under the age of 21 must be teen pop stars. People connote youthful artists with Justin Bieber, “child prodigies� on America’s Got Talent and the teen pop sensations Disney mass produces, such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. It is an unfortunate stereotype for under-21 musicians who do not fit the pop star mold and are instrumentally as well as vocally talented. It is also unfortunate that most are unknown, as they display abilities rivaling their elders and should therefore be taken seriously. These musicians make listeners believe that youth is not wasted on the young.

14

King Krule

With his red hair, concave jowls and slight physique, 17-year-old Archy Marshall simply looks like an Archy Marshall. But with his deep, slurred voice−which has a Morrissey-like quality−he sounds like his new moniker, King Krule. Marshall previously went by Zoo Kid, and then changed to King Krule−supposedly inspired by the Donkey Kong character King K Rool−in July of 2011. He released his five-track self-titled EP in November. It opens with the bass-heavy instrumental “363N63” before transitioning into “Bleak Bake,” in which the first vocalism is a cough. The vibe of the album is like floating in a mind-twisting, trippy haze, evident in lyrics about “spastic gyrations in abbreviated bathing suits” on “Portrait in Black and Blue.” In “Lead Existence,” he sings, “I lost my soul to the blues a long time ago,” and it’s haunting that a 17-year-old can sing this and sound earnest, not angsty.

Sarah Jarosz Modern bluegrass musicians are not prominent, let alone one who is 20 years old. Jarosz is in her junior year at New England Conservatory and has released two albums: 2009’s Song up in Her Head and 2011’s Follow Me Down. She sings roots/acoustic ballads and plays mandolin, octave mandolin, clawhammer banjo and guitar. She sings lyrics such as, “time moves forward and time moves back / like a mixed-up engineer on a railroad track” on “Song Up in Her Head” with soul. Follow Me Down was nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, and Jarosz will be performing at Bonaroo Music Festival this year.

Avi Buffalo

Avi Buffalo is an indie pop band founded by 20-year-old Avigdor ZahnerIsenberg. Throughout their 2010 self-titled release, they display elements of shoegaze and lo-fi, channeling the XX, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and The Shins. The latter is most evident in Avi’s voice, which often sounds like that of James Mercer at his higher register. Their raging hormones of youth and ruminations on life are evident in lyrics such as, “Oh, I can tell that you feel alive, and I won’t disturb you in your time of rebirth,” sung in a sexy falsetto. Avi Buffalo captures youth in a way youth often cannot, through their misplaced angst and lack of mature writing skills.

Jake Snider A Philadelphia native, 20-year-old Snider has been playing piano since age five. His accomplishments include placing in the top four in the national College Battle of the Bands and opening for The Roots. He describes his sound as “piano-powered jazz-inflected face-melting folk funk,” a seemingly accurate hodgepodge of words minus the exclusion of “blues.” This is evident in the aptly titled “City Blues,” a track on his 2009 self-titled album, which is his second release. On different songs, one can describe Snider’s voice as soulful, sassy, and whimsical, but regardless, it always seems to flow and melt, making his music easy on the ears.

Smoosh The sister trio of Asy, 20, Chloe, 18 and Maia, 15, has come a long way. On their first album, 2004’s She Like Electric, they showed instrumental potential, but the vocals (and a cringe worthy rap attempt on “Rad”) of a pre-pubescent 12-year-old can have its shortcomings. The same can be said for songwriting at that age. Yet on their third LP, 2010’s Withershins, Asy’s voice has matured in tonality; its quality is airy and mysterious, resonant yet with emotional vulnerability. The girls amp up their level of sophistication with ethereal harmonies from Chloe, a trumpet solo on “In the Fall,” and better layering of piano, drums and guitar. The songs are darker and it works for them.

Dominique Young Unique Dominique Young Unique, a 19-year-old rapper from Tampa Bay, certainly knows how to make an impression. On her second of three mix tapes, she opens by saying, “Wassup? Dominique’s world. It’s me, Dominique Young Unique. Where the fuck I been? My turn” and proceeds to electronically sample some of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” on the chorus. It seems she’s got the whole talented-but-pretentious rapper thing down−and this was before she met Kanye West modeling in a London Fashion Week show in October. On her three mix tapes “Domination,” “Glamorous Touch,” and “Stupid Pretty” she raps underneath electro beats and exudes sass and confidence that is edgy yet refined. The girl is fierce.

Birdy English singer Jasmine van den Bogaerde, known by her stage name Birdy, rose to prominence with her cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love.” On Nov. 4, the 15-year-old released a self-titled album of 10 alternative/indie rock covers and one original song, “Without a Word.” Birdy’s voice has a blend of effortless sweetness and soul, sometimes cracking in impassioned Adelelike moments. Her vocal talent counterbalances the album’s conglomeration of depressing songs, along with her apparent unwillingness to smile. Yet, there is something very relatable about her: she is just a teenaged girl who loves listening to and playing music, no strings attached, no massive ego, and no gimmicks.

15

Music Education at

ZUMIX

Nestled in East Boston and housed inside a formerly abandoned fire station, Zumix is a not-for-profit that provides kids – mostly teenagers – with after-school music lessons in order to build community and keep them off the streets.

16

Written by Leslie Fowle (English/Journalism) Visuals by Steven Olimpio (Graphic Design)

I feel as though I'm sitting in the living room of a stranger's family home as I wait to speak with the director of Zumix for an interview. There are comfy couches and armchairs piled high with pillows while backpacks and lunchboxes are strewn across the floor. High fives are exchanged easily between children and adults. I can hear a band practicing in the floor below. No one seems to be paying much attention to me−an outsider− until I hear a small voice pipe up behind me, “I like your piercing, is that gauged?”

As I turn around to inform the voice that indeed, my ear is not gauged−how could a child even know what that meant?−I quickly realize whom I am talking to. Awaiting my reply is a boy whose face is punctuated by several piercings−one on his lip and several on his ears. In fact, his ears are gauged. I’m usually pretty inept at guessing ages, but this small, freckled boy cannot be more than 12 or 13.

We chat briefly about our plans for future body modifications; he wants to stretch his ears more and I’m working up the courage to pierce my collarbone. Suddenly, I am part of the family.

I never caught the name of my pierced acquaintance, but I wish I did because he is just as unorthodox as Zumix is as an organization.

Nestled in East Boston and housed inside a formerly abandoned fire station, Zumix is a notfor-profit that provides kids−mostly teenagers− with after-school music lessons in order to build community and keep them off the streets.

“If you put a guitar in a kid’s hand, chances are they won’t have a gun in their hand,” says Corey DePina, teacher, songwriting and performance coordinator at Zumix.

It makes sense that I felt I was in someone’s house while at Zumix. The organization literally got its start in a tiny living room and has tried to maintain that feeling of home since, despite several location changes. After five years and millions of dollars in renovations, in 2010 Zumix moved into an abandoned fire station on Sumner Street. Finally their participants had enough room to play and learn.

17

“We’ve only been here for two years, but it’s starting to feel like home,” said Kimberly Dawson, program director at Zumix. “For new folks hopefully it feels welcoming and cozy and comfy.”

Zumix got its start in the early '90s in response to a huge wave of crime and youth violence in Boston at the time. 1990 and 1991 saw some of the highest homicide rates the city had ever endured. To combat this, co-founders Bob Grove and Madeleine Steczynski started with a bank account of $200 and a group of 24 kids in their living room. What started as a simple summer songwriting program quickly expanded.

Today, Zumix serves around 400 youth every year, and has a waiting list for their private lessons that is about the same size. These are not just your basic piano lessons either. Participants at Zumix have an array of classes to choose from, ranging from African drumming to music video production.

The classes are divided into four sub-categories: traditional instrumental music, songwriting and performance, music technology and Zumix Radio.

18

Zumix’s most popular program is a class called Hi-Def, where participants not only write a song, but also learn to create, direct and edit its music video for it. “You get to learn how to write your own music so it’s a program where you can show your creativity and show who you are,” says 17year-old Lois Aponte, a participant at Zumix who is currently taking Hi-Def. After all its change, growth and success, Zumix and its mission still remain the same.

That is, to utilize the power of art and music to empower youth and build community.

“There are a million ways that you can transform a community, but I think that the arts are the most powerful way,” says Dawson. “I think they’re a powerful tool for youth development because they are the perfect balance of structure and freedom. You learn the rules and then you break the rules.

And you break them on your own terms.”

“ There are a million ways you can transform a community, but I think that the arts are the most powerful way,” says Dawson. "I think they're a powerful tool for youth development because they are the perfect balance of structure and freedom."

“ You learn the rules and then you break the rules. And you break them on your own terms.”

19

THE

A F O T R A

With all the public indecencies by artists such as M.I.A. and Adele, it may seem that artists have perfected the art of concocting a scandal.

When they must recuperate and own up to their misbehaviors, however, the question remains: was it worth it? This question can be answered simply with the notion that no publicity is bad publicity, even if it costs an artist’s reputation.

The most recent obscene gesture that artists have used to conjure up some sort of reaction from their viewers is giving the middle finger. At this year’s Superbowl, for instance, artist M.I.A stole Madonna’s spotlight by flipping the bird, causing an uproar of angry viewers and a potential fine from the FCC. With the threat of a fine and a few slaps on the wrist from fellow Superbowl performers Madonna and Nicki Minaj, it seems that M.I.A will probably bounce back without any problem.

Just a few weeks after M.I.A’s bird-flipping incident, a more surprising middle finger decided to make its way into the public eye. After being cut off by Brit Awards Show host James Corden during her acceptance speech for Best Album, Adele unleashed her girl power and flicked off the cameras. She responded to her wrongdoing by saying “that finger was to the suits at the Brit Awards, not my fans,” and instead of

facing a fine like M.I.A., the broadcaster of the Awards ceremony actually apologized to her for rudely cutting off her speech. You go, girl.

Obscene gestures are not limited to the middle finger, however, and indecent exposure seems to be the next most functional way for an artist to get attention. Going back to Superbowl performances, the infamous Janet Jackson nip-slip should be at the top of the list for most embarrassing and in turn, most popular. When Justin Timberlake caused Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction back in 2004, exposing her breast to millions of people over national television, CBS was fined over a half a million dollars by the FCC. Both Jackson and Timberlake’s careers did not halt there, seeing as they have both remained in the public eye, their reputations seemingly untarnished.

Indecent exposure incidents can be traced even back to the late 1960’s when Jim Morrison of The Doors supposedly exposed himself to a crowd in Miami, Florida. Morrison was found guilty of misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure and profanity. He was sentenced to six months of labor and a $500 fine for indecent exposure and another 60 days of labor for profanity, but he died in 1971 before his appeal could be heard.

In 2010, however, The Florida Board of Executive Clemency pardoned Morrison of all charges, showing his fan base is still as prevalent as ever.

Despite the charges and trial, which Morrison’s widow said was “a publicity stunt to begin with” and that Morrison did “nothing to be pardoned for,” this obscene gesture ultimately fueled the star’s publicity and eventually was overlooked.

More recently, the notoriously vulgar trio known as Die Antwoord headlined a show at Paradise Rock Club this February.

Female vocalist Yolandi Visser lifted her shirt and grabbed her bare breasts, followed by another middle finger to the audience. Perhaps Visser’s outburst was a publicity stunt to trump other artists in the industry, a way to further promote the band’s unconventional vulgarity.

The audience members gave loud roars of approval after Visser’s blatant misbehavior, a polar opposite reaction in comparison to both M.I.A and Morrison’s scandals.

The argument could be made that the size of the event changes the amount of repercussions, as there is a wider audience when an artist performs on national television. Regardless, the publicity that an artist receives from potentially offensive public obscenities is worth the embarrassment. In the end, an artist will clearly do whatever it takes to get that extra push into fame.

Written by Mackenzie Nichols (Music Industry/Journalism) Art by Xue Ao (Graphic Design) 20

[cd]

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

Fanfarlo Rooms Filled With Light Release Date: February 28, 2012 Label: Atlantic Genre: Indie Pop Tasty Tracks: Deconstruction, Shiny Things, Tightrope Spring has sprung and the air is filled with an unmistakable scent of fresh flowers and new LP’s. Indie-pop troupe Fanfarlo is

back with the release of their sophomore album: Rooms Filled with Light.

Fanfarlo had a strong three-year run touring their first album, Reservoir, which was released back in 2009 to critical acclaim. Reservoir put Fanfarlo on the map with songs off the record finding their way into ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, NBC’s Chuck and even the recent Twilight: Eclipse.

Those are some big shoes to fill. Does this new record fall into a sophomore slump? Yes and no. Rather than recycling the same formula found in the first album, Rooms Filled with Light is a confident step in a new direction for this London based band. Where Reservoir perfected simple acoustic-based hooks and choruses, Rooms Filled with Light pushes a broader sonic palette that keeps the listening fresh.

This is especially apparent in the second track: “Deconstruction”. With a bass line torn straight from the 80’s and a catchy upbeat guitar riff, the track shows that Fanfarlo isn’t afraid to venture into new territory.

Following this theme, “Lenslife” combines synth pads (which were absent from the first record) with strings, brass, and a creative use of vibes to create a well-built track.

While I enjoy a band bravely attempting a change in sound, Rooms Filled with Light left me with a little sense of nostalgia for the Fanfarlo of the past. Specifically, the opening track “Replicate” felt like too much of a radical

departure in the band’s sound. It seems like a track ripped off of Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible and doesn’t feel like it fits the album’s theme.

The album also felt like it loses its luster with the last couple tracks: Specifically, “Dig,” “A Flood” and the instrumental “Everything Resolves." They made me feel a bit bored.

While Rooms Filled with Light is definitely worth giving a couple listens, it’s not as memorable as I’d like it to be. Whenever I need my Fanfarlo fix, I’ll be returning to good old Reservoir.

Written by Ryan Kehr (English)

21

sound. “Furnace Skies,” for instance, has an experimental jazz flair. Like all of their records, it earns itself a spot in your record collection or digital source of those choice moments where the harrowing and the beautiful seem to coincide.

Written by Nick Calvino (Environmental Studies)

The Dirty Three Toward the Low Sun Release Date: February 28, 2012 Label: Bella Union Genre: Instrumental Tasty Tracks: That Was Was, Rising Below, Rain Song Before bands like Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai were considered the heirs apparent of epic instrumental music, there was (among other torchbearers) the Dirty Three. Consisting simply of violinist Warren Ellis, guitarist Mick Turner, and drummer Jim White, this Australian trio for nearly two decades has been crafting cinematic tunes that are somehow both larger than life and incredibly intimate. According to Ellis, Toward the Low Sun “...may well be the definitive album from Dirty Three.” Be it far from me to disagree with a man of such talent and charisma, but I’m not convinced that this is true.

Toward the Low Sun houses the basic characteristics of a Dirty Three album. Mick Turner’s guitar work anchors progressions while Jim White’s drumming skitters along the surface, speaking up only when necessary. Both leave ample room for the tragic melodies bowed by Ellis to stand at the forefront. There is a refreshing change of pace with the addition of some keyboards and happier sentiments. But this is ultimately no Ocean Songs or Whatever You Love, You Are, as it takes a few songs for the album to really hit its stride. The first few tunes are good, but almost blend together as an exploratory preamble for the last five or six songs. Once the album hits “The Pier” and “Rain Song,” it’s almost a refreshing return to form.

Although not as cohesive as previous excursions, Toward the Low Sun shows some reinvention and evolution in the Dirty Three 22

Springsteen references his Jersey roots in “Wrecking Ball,” one of the album’s finest tracks.

Wrecking Ball focuses on the theme of the American working class in the midst of a recession. Much of this album is relatively angry and gloomy, especially the first half.

Some will criticize this, but Springsteen sings of things that many can relate to, and especially stirs emotions in the slower tracks including “Jack of All Trades” and “This Depression.”

It is hard to get past the gaping hole left by the absence of longtime E Street Band member Clarence Clemons, who passed away just before he could contribute to Wrecking Ball. It is very unfortunate that we’ll never hear a track featuring saxophone comparable to that on “Rosalita” (1973) again. But near the end of the CD, on “Land of Hope and Dreams,” we are lucky to hear a previously recorded live saxophone solo from Clemons. Springsteen reportedly cried when he heard his late friend playing on the record.

This album is arguably Springsteen’s best release since The Rising in 2002, if not even earlier.

Written By Cara McGrath (Graphic Design)

Bruce Springstein Wrecking Ball Release Date: March 6, 2012 Label: Columbia Genre: Rock Tasty Tracks: Land of Hope and Dreams, Wrecking Ball, We Take Care of Our Own, Jack of All Trades Well, he’s done it again. Bruce Springsteen’s seventeenth studio album, Wrecking Ball, has become this legendary rock icon’s tenth No. 1 album in the US. The newest addition to his collection proves that The Boss still has what’s been winning over fans since the 70s.

Wrecking Ball exhibits Springsteen’s ability to combine solid rock songs and slow stirring tunes, tied together by some of the best lyrics of his career. The album has a folky, Irish sound that is reminiscent of his 2006 The Seeger Sessions, merged with the rock and roll that fans have heard for decades.

Although the album is different from his previous releases, many things remind us that it’s the same old Bruce. The opening track and first single, “We Take Care of Our Own,” is an anthem that mirrors Springsteen’s earlier hits, especially “Born in the USA.” And, as always,

Estelle All Of Me Release Date: March 12, 2012 Label: Warner Music Genre: R&B Tasty Tracks: International (Serious), Thank You, Do My Thing Upon first hearing about British sanger (better than singer) Estelle’s sophomore album, I was initially not the least bit curious about it.

When I heard the LP’s lead single, “Thank You,” however, my appetite became voracious.

Appropriately titled All of Me, this album gives listeners what they’ve grown to expect of Estelle and much more. As the laid-back, super honest “Thank You” suggests, the artist is ready to bear it all, including her skills singing in a number of genres.

Stylistically, All of Me ranges from hip-hop and R&B to reggae, soul, and electropop. Estelle demonstrates her rapping prowess on tracks like the dancehall reminiscent and Chris Brown and Trey Songz assisted “International (Serious).”

This track is catchy as hell thanks to David Banner’s production, but more importantly, its guests work the inner diva out of Estelle. “If you don't see me better know that I'm getting my doe,” she sings. Most impressively, home girl even raps in the song’s third verse. “I ain’t slowing down; I only know speed,” she quips.

Among my favorite tracks is the album’s “Do My Thing,” in which Estelle and Janelle Monet muse about being independent, successful women in lieu of all the hate that comes along with it. “Irregular but never irrelevant, unusual but never uncool,” she sings of her unique style.

While some may criticize Estelle for trying too hard to reach her entire fan base, she dedicates the album’s opener, “The Life,” to both her hometown of London and current residence, Brooklyn. The interludes (which hearken to Lauren Hill’s Miseducation) featured on All of Me exclusively feature Americans; I think she has hit a happy medium.

That may be because I’m not a huge fan of her breakout album, Shine, but devoted Estelle fans should appreciate almost all of her follow-up’s creative dabblings. After all, who wants to hear the same old thing?

Written by Melanie Bertoldi (Journalism)

Esperanza Spalding Radio Music Society Release Date: March 20, 2012 Label: Heads Up International Genre: Jazz Tasty Tracks: Radio Song, Crowned & Kissed, I am rating this album a “Fresh.” If you’re a normal person, that means a four-out-offive (or some equivalent fraction). But since the Tastemakers writing staff and I have the adjectival lexicon of an eighth grade lacrosse player, we’ll stick with “Fresh.”

But let’s be honest, a four-out-of-five actually doesn’t look that impressive in our inflated grading system. After all, the second-best score this system allows is a B-. Radio Music Society is certainly better than that, but I can’t call this a perfect album with a straight face.

Therefore, my goal in this review isn’t to explain why Radio Music Society is good. If that’s all you’re trying to hear, then take another look at the rating and turn the page. My goal is to make it excruciatingly clear why this album is better than what “Fresh” might typically imply among inflated reviews, and is similarly better than simply good music that receives that generous grade.

Esperanza Spalding erupted from her already impressive perch within the jazz-o-sphere on February 13, 2011, at the 53rd Grammy Awards when she was proclaimed the year’s Best New Artist. As with most recipients of that award, Spalding wasn’t really “new,” but the subsequent mainstream admiration for the former Berklee student was. The album that earned Spalding her Grammy was this one’s predecessor, Chamber Music Society, and the transformation Spalding has undergone since then can be plainly seen

in the very titles of the records. Already a starlet of some sort in the jazz community (Chamber peaked at the summit of the Billboard Jazz charts but only at the modest #34 on the top 200), Spalding’s Grammy was very much the catalyst that has swung her career from chamber music to “radio music,” at least in terms of her standing, if not in musical content. Even the towering bass that became so engrained in Spalding’s nascent iconicity only features on four of Radio’s twelve tracks, discarded in favor of an electric bass that Spalding wields with equal dexterity.

Radio Music Society also features a slightly more impressive cast of characters than Spalding’s past releases. Grammy-award winning Berklee professor Terri Lyne Carrington mostly dominates drumming responsibilities, and A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip occasionally helps out by co-producing. But impressively, Spalding herself bears the overwhelming majority of arrangement and production responsibilities, as well as writing all but two of the tracks.

And where she doesn’t write, her taste is impeccable. Spalding covers the song that Stevie Wonder and Susaye Greene (of The Supremes) wrote for Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall, “I Can’t Help It,” and also borrows music from legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter while providing her own lyrics on “Endangered Species.”

Where Radio Music Society shines most, however, is in the overabundant talent of its conceiver. Spalding’s songs possess a fractallike delicacy, and the careful layering and arranging yields an absolutely exquisite texture.

Spalding’s vocals, too, display impressive range, and she wields a scat-like falsetto as ferociously as her invitingly warm lower crooning.

It’s this talent that brings me back to the idea that Radio Music Society, while not perfect, is better than good music. It’s almost unanimously agreed upon across instrumental fields: jazz musicians, at least technically, are better. And technical strength doesn’t guarantee appealing music, of course, but in this case, Spalding has the whole package. Take your average indie band with a “visionary” singer, solid instrumentalists, and interesting ideas. They probably make good music, and sometimes even great music. They have the ability to please, and they do so successfully and consistently.

But Spalding and her supporting cast are operating on an entirely different level, while still creating music that has the ability to please as much as the ability to impress. And that is the difference. Spalding is a cut above the rest, and unsurprisingly, then, so is her music.

Written by Nick Hugon (International Affairs)

23

Singing I

N

Robert Collender, 53, has been going to concerts since he was sixteen. He’s been to quite a few shows, seeing legends like Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, Billy Joel, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen. He names Pink Floyd’s 1977 show at Madison Square Garden as his favorite show ever. Robert was born deaf.

Music is arguably the most accessible form of art. You can access it and create it from nearly anywhere at anytime. It can be created with expensive equipment or nothing but voices.

It can be performed in a 20,000-seat venue or an empty coffee shop. It is available for everyone, even those who can’t totally hear it.

Since the 1990 passing of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), music venues have been required by law to provide handicap accessible seating as well as interpretation services for those who are deaf and hard of hearing. Interpreting music and lyrics through American Sign Language (ASL) is an art form in and of itself. It’s an expressive form of communication that gives the deaf community better access to music and performance.

For Collender, who has been attending concerts since 1977, it wasn’t until Dave Matthews Band’s 2009 performance at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in New

24

S

I

G

N

York that he saw a concert performed in ASL. Since then, every concert he’s been to has had an ASL interpreter. Collender has been wearing hearing aids since he was 18 months old and received bilateral cochlear implants in 2006. He can hear sound, but ASL interpretation improves the total experience.

“Without the ASL, the music is okay, however, my brain is listening to the music without lyrics.”

He can hear the band, but deciphering words is more difficult. Describing how he gets the message of a song’s lyrics through ASL, he said, “If I want to hear the lyrics then it goes through my eyes from the interpreter’s hands.”

Understanding the experience of music for someone requiring ASL interpretation is difficult.

Being deaf doesn’t necessarily mean being without total comprehension of sound. The concert experience is different for all. “People who use sign language interpreters at concerts have a wide range of hearing ability; some can hear the music but can't make out the lyrics, some can hear the low notes but not the high and some hear nothing, but enjoy the visual spectacle, the vibrations of the bass and the concert atmosphere,” explained Rachel Judelson, a fulltime ASL interpreter based in Massachusetts.

Interpreting a concert is a difficult task.

There are different ways to do it and sometimes there are challenges from artists and venues.

Insufficient lighting could completely cut an

interpreter off from his or her audience. If an artist doesn’t have a set list, or changes it at the last minute, then it’s up to the interpreter to know the catalogue and be prepared for any song.

There’s also the challenge of improvisation and sounds that are difficult to describe, “Twice I've had to interpret beat boxing,” said Judelson.

Much of the translation is up to the interpreter, like whether or not to interpret sounds and rhythms or stick with the message and emotion.

Still, even lyrical ASL interpretation varies in form. The grammar of American Sign Language is totally different than spoken English. However, that doesn’t mean spoken English can’t be interpreted through sign. “A Deaf person who prefers ASL translations wants to see the story of the song, in contrast to someone who prefers lyrics-based translations,” explained Judelson. Some people are bilingual when it comes to sign; they understand English sentence structure in addition to ASL and let the interpreters decide which to choose.

It often depends on the experience of the individual; Judelson compared the two.

“A deaf person in their 60's, who lost their hearing as an adult, may go to a Beach Boys concert and want access to the English lyrics in

sign language−signs in English word order−so that they can sing along and remember the music and their youth. A mom who was born deaf, accompanying her teenage daughter to a Lady Gaga show, may want to see the stories of the songs, to see what her daughter is excited about and being exposed to.”

Despite the fact that it’s a federal law, some venues are hesitant to provide accommodation.

“What deaf person goes to a concert? That’s the mentality,” said deaf concertgoer Gary Alpert, “It can be hard.” He said that certain venues are easier to work with than others.

Sometimes venues might place an interpreter far from the stage so deaf patrons can only see one at a time. Even worse, some venues don’t even want to provide interpreters. Alpert had no problem getting an interpreter to see Roger Waters at Fenway Park this summer; it was taken care of with one email. On the other hand, seeing Further at The Wang was more difficult, “I have been told they do not provide interpreters and I am now in the process of trying to work with them to set things up.”

Still, the ADA requires all venues to provide access for all patrons. Even venues that aren’t permanent must adhere to these laws; festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella offer wheelchair accessible seating and interpretation services for

deaf and hard of hearing. Bonnaroo also offers lyric sheets in Braille. Typically, well established venues and big name artists provide ASL interpreters with less hassle. The TD Garden states on its website that it “meets or exceeds all structural and service requirements” stipulated by the Americans With Disabilities Act. In November, the Foo Fighters−who played loudly enough in New Zealand to create earthquake-level tremors−played the TD Garden. It was Erika Guarino’s first concert ever; Judelson interpreted the show. Guarino is profoundly deaf and chose to turn off her hearing aids during the show. She relied solely on ASL and sound vibrations to enjoy the Foo Fighters. “I have only ever read the lyrics to a song before - so to see it performed live and interpreted into ASL rocked,” she said.

The Americans With Disabilities Act has made live music more accessible. “Having the interpreters made me more a part of the audience,” said Gary Alpert. Still, there is room for improvement until patrons are effortlessly provided with accessible seating and interpretation services. Concert audiences are full of listeners and sometimes those listeners can’t quite hear everything. “Before interpreters, seeing shows was a blast but mainly the excitement of being with thousands of fans.” Hopefully, as accessibility improves, the excitement will be all about the music. Live shows are an inclusive experience; improving accessibility is important for all of us.

Written by Colin Peters (Journalism) Photo by Ryan Kehr (English) Illustrations by Steve Olimpio and Dave Tschiegg (Graphic Design)

25

From Sound to Screen the impact of the soundtrack

Written by Allison Walker (journalism/cinema studies) Illustration by Casey Price (business)

I

mages compliment music whether they are floating around in your head or on screen. In general, music has the power to influence us, but once it is paired with images, ideas can come to life. This is apparent in film soundtracks. Thoughts that exist in a film can be completely changed or enhanced once music is added.

Before Margox Tenenbaum exits the Green Line bus in The Royal Tenenbaums, we are already aware that she and her brother, Richie, have a strong family bond.

However, once she exits and starts walking toward him in slow motion, “These Days” by Nico starts playing.

Immediately, everything in the film is filtered through a new part of our brain and we are certain that there is more to this relationship than meets the eye. Nico’s avantgarde singing style and simple

26

lyrics are paired with an on screen world depicting two characters drawn together by destiny.

The opening of The Graduate introduces us to the lethargy and silent desperation that is Benjamin Braddock. As he exits the plane and proceeds through the airport, no words are spoken but his expressions paired with Simon and Garfunkel’s, “Sound of Silence” gives us more than we can ask for. Silence is something that encapsulates the nature of a boy who has just graduated from college and is quietly trying to navigate through his bewilderment and into the real world.

The first soundtrack was sold in 1937 for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the dependence on music in film has only increased since. Soundtracks used to serve solely as a compliment to movies but now some directors like Quentin

Tarantino and Sofia Coppola pay specific attention to song choice.

Soundtracks have morphed into playlists that can both add to a plot and develop a strong fan base.

In the last couple months, there have been notable soundtracks including those from films like Young Adult and Sucker Punch. Oscar nominated Girl With The Dragon Tattoo included an impressive cover of Led Zeppelin’s, “Immigrant Song”, by Karen O. Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkey’s prepared six songs that were released as his debut EP for the film, Submarine.

It seems that wherever Joseph Gordon-Levitt goes, we will find a fantastic soundtrack. His 2009 film, 500 Days of Summer has been noted for its emotionally enticing soundtrack and in the 2011 film, 50/50, the music doesn’t stray from drawing sentiment either. In this light-hearted drama, a young

man must juggle his overbearing mother, his father who suffers with Alzheimer’s, his inappropriate best friend, shady girlfriend and the 50 percent chance he will survive cancer. From the cadence of Radiohead’s, “High and Dry” in the beginning of the film to the resolution told through Pearl Jam’s, “Yellow Ledbetter,” the songs clearly depict his journey. Another track that adds more tears to an already heart wrenching scene is “The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack” by Liars.

The studio may not have physically released the soundtrack but its impact in this film is undeniable.

It would be hard to write this article without mentioning the eclectic delight of Muppet music.

The 2011 musical comedy, The Muppets, has a soundtrack offering dialogue from the characters and

spirit-lifting melodies from The Muppets accompanied by Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Andrew Bird and Jason Segal. The song, “Man or Muppet” deservingly won the award for Best Original Song in the 2012 Academy Awards. In two minutes and 58 seconds it depicts Gary (Segal) and Walter the Muppet’s search and discovery of their true identities – something anyone can relate to. Other notable and nominated songs include, “Life’s a Happy Song” and “Pictures in my Head.” This timeless, family friendly film would be nothing without these cleverly composed songs.

In my opinion, the best, recently released soundtrack and possibly one of the best soundtracks to date is that of, Drive. Ryan Gosling stars as an unnamed Hollywood stuntman, mechanic and getaway driver who

lands himself in a heap of trouble after trying to protect a woman.

Of the 19 tracks, only five are not scores composed by Cliff Martinez.

These five songs manage to be jumbled through a time machine but still encapsulate each scene of a film that takes place in present day Los Angeles. The opening credits roll with French artist, Kavinsky’s robotic song “Nightcall,” glaring in the background.

Under the influence of this song, the viewer is immediately thrown from the 21st century back into the neon world of the 80s behind the wheel of a driver with a scorpion imprinted on the back of his leather jacket. The song not only takes a hold of its surroundings, it also lyrically appears to throw the

plot in your face. The grumbling verse ‘I’m giving you a night call to tell you how I feel/I want to drive you through the night/down the hills’ seemingly depicts Gosling’s character’s feelings towards Irene, the woman he has committed himself to protecting. The more feminine and delicate chorus sang

by Lovefoxxx is Irene’s response ‘There’s something inside you/It’s hard to explain/They're talking about you boy/But you’re still the same.’

This is all based on interpretation but it’s hard to ignore the obvious.

“A Real Hero” by College is another 80s electro hit with the lyrics, ‘Real human being/And a real hero.’ It is repeated twice in the film when the driver’s heroic qualities mask his seemingly mechanical and unemotional nature. Dreamy pop song “Under Your Spell” by Desire

serves as a muzzled background to a welcome home party but doesn’t stray far from the love theme with its repeated melodies and chorus.

The power of Martinez’s scores and the five standout tracks have earned this soundtrack a vinyl reissue.

The goal of most films is to perform a character analysis of some kind. This can be done through muted scenes and dialogue but sometimes the most important character studies are done with music. Music can do this by itself but can break boundaries when accompanying something on screen. Whether it plays while a man suffering from cancer is being wheeled into surgery, accompanies a Muppet singing about finding his identity or gives a voice to an unnamed driver kissing the love of his life for what could be the last time, the songs are able to add another layer of meaning.

27

Written by Dinorah Wilson (Journalism)

“We be choking on that all black voodoo,” chants indie artist The Weeknd, wooing his listeners to take part in a celebratory night of complete drugged-out hedonism in “Initiation” off his hit mixtape House of Balloons. Just one of the many drug references in the song, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Toronto-native Abel Tesfaye is not talking about Mardi Gras night in New Orleans.

28

While it’s a far cry from what one would consider underground hip-hop, popular artists like this Canadian crooner are steadily rising to the forefront of alternative rap and R&B, chucking out the nobler themes of afro-centricity and intellectualism found amongst hip-hop’s progressive crowd in favor of the run-of-the-mill, arguably more fun-loving theme of just “Party and Bullshit.”

Hip-hop’s ill-fated association with drug culture initially began with its use as an expressive outlet to describe frustrations with inner-city living. References to selling O’s, smoking L’s and hustling “weight” flooded lyrical content throughout hip-hop songs of the nineties and the following decade; they gave words to the devastating collapse of many urban neighborhoods due to the 80’s crack epidemic.

Yet, it inadvertently mutated into an indulgent music form hell-bent on cranking out ballads of drugs, sex, murder and community breakdown.

ALTERNATIVE HIP-HOP'S NEWFOUND OBSESSION WITH DRUG CULTURE Throughout the nineties, the subject matter of raps, specifically the glorification of drug culture and street life, remained the defining contentious point that eventually separated mainstream rap from its close cousin, alternative hip-hop.

Up-and-coming artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Common and The Roots poetically professed their love for hip-hop and vowed to save “H.E.R.” from exploitation by record labels that failed to identify with urban life. However, corporate record labels, popular radio stations and television networks rejected ideals of nonviolence, community unity and education in favor of B.I.G. and Tupac’s tales of hustling, death and ghetto survival.

For many years, alternative hip-hop artists went underground, hiding themselves from the scrutiny of record labels and forgoing corporate interests for a fresh start. They took pride in their own DIY labels such as Rawkus, Stones Throw and Rhymesayers, preferring in some cases to hide behind comic book-inspired alter egos, with artists like MF DOOM and Ghostface Killah’s “Tony Starks” serving as living testaments of how the art of storytelling could expand minds from behind a metal mask. Rappers started tackling themes as abstract, broad and complex as globalization and economic breakdown.

Hip-hop had been reincarnated as a respectable, nearly otherworldly, art form that expanded from beyond the boundaries of housing projects and developed an international cult following in the process.

Consequently, due to all of these conflicting ideals of what the genre should ultimately consist of, a divide that lasted nearly two decades sprang

up between mainstream rap and underground hip-hop. Alternative hip-hop remained out of the public eye, rooted in intellectualism and social consciousness while mainstream rap, which unapologetically preached materialism and “hood ingenuity,” took center stage. However, a new figure seems to be emerging from the fallout of a two-decade long musical grudge between mainstream and underground hip-hop heads. An odd lovechild of sorts, a hybrid of the best in Jay-Z and Nas: the Stanley Kubrick-loving, stoned-outof-his-wits, rapping intellectual has come of age.

Surprisingly, the deified persona of The Hustler, the fast-talking, streetwise drug dealer popularized by Jay-Z throughout most of hiphop’s golden years, is now being traded in for the Donald Glover-esque image of the nerdy, suburban stoner. Now more than ever, hip-hop fans are identifying more with the awkward personas of alternative hip-hop’s new school.

These artists are more concerned with midnight partying, pill-popping and making it to Coachella than educating listeners on the historical significance of Egyptian pyramids or protesting government scandals that might be noted amongst Talib Kweli types.

Cleveland-based rapper Kid Cudi is at the forefront of this rap phenomenon. He enjoyed both alternative and mainstream success with his 2008 drug-themed mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. With his breakout single “Day ‘n’ Nite (Nightmare),” which chronicles the passing thoughts of a random stoner, Kid Cudi managed to nearly build an entire career off his stoner image. He rose to the top five slot peak positions on the US Billboard 200, the US Top R&B/HipHop Albums and the US Top Rap Albums.

Toronto native The Weeknd also rose to fame with three mixtapes detailing with his medicated

nighttime exploits. House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence gained joint notoriety in urban and indie crowds for his straightforward pursuit of drugs, women and his strong affinity for spending Thursdays partying at lofts with Drake.

Nonetheless, the heady, indulgent rhymes like those in Schoolboy Q’s “Bet I Got Some Weed,”−a spoken-word testament to using marijuana during stressful times−clash with themes found in Jay Electronica’s “Exhibit A,” indicating a split in principles amongst alternative rappers. A$AP Rocky’s “Purple Swag” may be a little too much for fans searching for content a bit more substantial than Styrofoam cups and contact highs.

This new brand of alternative hip-hop is an interesting mix to say the least. It’s surely a hedonistic antithesis to the celebrated Blackstar days of the genre, yet too unconventional to receive steady radio play. Newcomers to alternative hip-hop distinguish themselves from the old greats, going out of their way to prove that they aren’t interested in saving the world; they’re just trying to have some fun for the night.

It’s unclear whether this recent shift in values for alternative hip-hop artists signifies any permanent changes for the genre, but it’s safe to say that you won’t hear anything like “Umi Says” from these guys.

Like The Weekend says, if you can’t have it all, it’s either Heaven or Las Vegas.

29

The True “Pop Star” Breaking It Down Written by Lauren Moquin (Journalism)

“Pop star” is a term that relates to a musician who performs popular music, but then there are all the other little details that come after it.

There is the glitz, the glam, the flashing cameras, and just about all that is covered in Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” video (minus the murder and the crutches). Personally, when I think of a “pop star,” I think Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Madonna and Justin Timberlake, just to name a few. But if we are going by the true definition of a pop star, there is much more to be considered.

The pop stars that come first to mind might get their singles internationally popular with concert sales through the roof all at once, but they don’t always stay close to mind over time. These artists definitely set impressive records and gather a mind blowing amount of listeners, but then there are the musicians who stay popular with their fans and the radio, and continue to sell out strings of shows, yet we are hesitant to call them pop stars.

For me, Rihanna has been one of the most fun, stereotypical pop stars to listen to. I have to admit that I’m cheesy enough to jam out to “Umbrella” on a rainy day and pop on some “Shut Up and Drive” when I’m on the open highway. In fact, I’m just cheesy enough to find myself driving down to a Rihanna show. Within the summer of 2010, I went down to the Comcast Center to attend her “Last Girl On Earth Tour.” My friends and I had planned to go months earlier, but as we found out, there were very few fans that were as anxious as us. The outdoor amphitheater was half empty.

We moved our way close to the stage with plenty of others who ditched their picnic blankets for comfy seats. Seat upgrades, a beautiful summer night and music, what more could we want? The show made for an awesome night, but maybe not

30

so awesome for Rihanna. Concert sales on the whole “Last Girl On Earth Tour” were so low that almost every popular radio station was running a giveaway and the necessities for the tour were just barely met by the tickets that were sold. It just baffles me how Rihanna could sell 2,616,000 copies of an album (Good Girls Gone Bad), but cannot sell out an amphitheater to a summer show.

This is when it hit me, I call Rihanna a pop star when there are musicians like The Dave Matthews Band who stay so relevant and dear to people over time. The Dave Matthews Band has been around for 22 years and they can still sell out strings of shows, get people excited about their new releases and maintain a strong fan base.

According to the L.A Times, in 2009, The Dave Matthews Band sold 11.7 million tickets to their shows within the past 10 years. Dave Matthews fans have continued to claw their way to any show they can get to and be the first to get their hands on their beloved bands’ records. Even though the band has been playing for over two decades, their 2009 release of Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King debuted as number one on Billboard’s Top 200 list. I would say that this is enough to call them musicians who make popular music.

I guess that I could probably go on and on about underrated musicians, but to name one more that could fit into the pop star category, why not R.E.M.? R.E.M. is always put in the category as “best indie band,” but they pumped out enough albums and kept enough people listening to possibly give them another title: “pop stars.”

Over 30 years, the band produced 15 albums, of which they sold 19.3 million copies. Even though R.E.M. decided to call it quits this past year, every restaurant and bar in America could admit to playing either “Losing My Religion or “Everybody Hurts.” There was actually a whole list of singles that we could consider household knowledge.

I’ve never had the opportunity to see R.E.M. in person, but after witnessing the fan reaction to their single, “Nightswimming” I was haunted for the rest of the week, seeking out other R.E.M.

performances. When R.E.M. talks, people listen.

Everything is still and the light rasp of a voice draws everyone to the trio’s intense focus. The genuine interest and dedication is something that captivated and carried R.E.M. through three decades. They definitely did not fade out and they are held too precious to fans to ever not continue to be relevant in the music world. Such iconic singles and memories will be considered a big piece of pop culture whether they are considered pop stars or not.

Even looking at the top 40 musicians who made the most money in 2012 so far on Billboard’s “Money Makers 2012” list, there are some musicians that wouldn’t bring “pop star” to the tip of the tongue in the first half of the list.

At number 17, there is Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, making $10,017,031. I think that my parents and I would consider Bob Seger to be a big deal, but probably not a pop star. Just thinking how Bob and his band are the 17th money maker in the music industry, yet we don’t think of him as a pop star, makes me cringe a little bit. He brings out so many people to hear him every year and he makes such popular music, but I have a hard time calling him a pop star.

What is a pop star? I’m not too sure whether it is a musician who makes popular music or whether it goes deeper than that. I might have the glossy image of a stereotypical pop star engrained in my head, but I like to think that some of the people that make the music that is dear to me can be considered pop stars by others. After all, musicians who are special to millions of fans deserve some recognition.

Feist

1.

2.

3.

4.

Her single, “1, 2 , 3 , 4” is whistled through every street corner, classroom, and mall.

She filled a church in New York for a secret show with a 25 piece orchestra.

She has one of the most memorable cameos in Sesame Street.

Her album, Let It Die hit platinum in Canada with a following album, The Reminder, hitting double platinum.

Photo Courtesy of John Macdonald

Fleetwood Mac

1.

2.

3.

4.

The inspiration for The Muppet character, “Animal” was drawn from Mick Fleetwood.

Their song, ‘Dreams’ hit number one on Billboard’s top singles on its debut.

They have a Grammy and a number one Billboard-Year-End album with Rumours.

Their album, Rumours, sold 18 million copies.

Photo Courtesy of Troy Constable

What Is A Pop Star?

Here are some of the ways that “pop stars” are viewed by the people out there, people like you!

Jim Norris (Failsafe)–

“...someone who is made famous by manipulation or exploitation of their talent/ desire to be famous, often for the financial gain of someone else. Nowadays, the celebrity side of pop music seems more important than the music itself. Don't get me wrong, there are some banging pop tunes out there, sung by some talented people, but most are somewhat lacking in integrity, sincerity and substance.”

Greg Attonito (The Bouncing Souls)– “Pop- to make a short quick explosive sound; to come and go quickly, suddenly, or unexpectedly. A pop star can come in a lot of forms. A robot, cultural icon, insecure and love starved, ego maniac, a creator, an artistic thief, a magical song writer, a tragedy. The best ones are all these things and know they are all these things.

Trevor Powers (Youth Lagoon)– “A pop star is someone who is culturally worshipped.”

Khary Durgans (K.I.T/Northeastern Student)– “The legacy of our culture.”

31

WELCOME TO THE MACHINE

32

MUSIC EDUCATION MEETS THE 21st CENTURY Written by Cara McGrath (Graphic Design) Music education has come a long way. And for better or worse, it’s continually changing.

New technology means breaking new barriers, which have recently included those between states, countries and even continents.

How? Through the power of video chat.

Although the idea has not totally caught on yet, and although it most likely never will, music lessons are now being given and received via the Internet. If you take a look around Google, you will find that there are several thriving websites that offer places for instructors to market themselves and for students to find them. The most popular sites include bandhappy.com, nowlesson.com and rockfactory.us. Obviously, there are pros and cons to the concept of virtual music lessons.

Let’s start with the pros. With in-person lessons, you are limited to the teachers within the area that you are willing to travel; instructors in your town may be too pricey, too overbooked or maybe just don’t meet your standards. But through a video conference, you don’t have to worry about constraints of geography. For both students and teachers, it is barely even necessary to get off the couch. If you want to take a one-on-one lesson from an accomplished bagpiper in Scotland (because, well, maybe you take your bagpiping damn seriously), these websites make it feasible.

Instructors do not necessarily need to worry about the cost of renting studio space, taking time off from teaching while on the road or losing business from students who move away. Time

is saved because no one needs to travel, and managing a schedule can become fairly easy.

Certainly, however, the biggest selling point is the access to more students and more teachers.

While this might all sound convincing, and frankly, very intriguing, there are obvious flaws that most musicians will probably never be able to see past. How many times have you been on a video call home when Grandma suddenly freezes or cuts out? This was a major issue that came to my mind; with lessons online, an inadequate Internet connection could mean losing your video or, more importantly, your audio connection at any given moment. Not to mention, if your computer’s sound quality isn’t great, it will diminish the most significant aspect of playing music.

Technical difficulties are not the only issue; so is the probability of miscommunication. It could get fairly confusing, particularly during a beginner-level lesson, for a teacher to try to explain how to hold an instrument properly, how to play a certain chord, and so on, without the freedom of simply moving the student’s hands.

Also, though teachers would save money by eliminating the need for studio space, many sites take fees out of each lesson given.

There are other sources on the Internet besides video chat websites that allow you to improve your skills as a musician. While some sites, like those previously mentioned, all have internal video chat capabilities, many teachers just advertise themselves elsewhere and give lessons using common programs like Skype. For less personal guidance, there are always plenty of pre-recorded lessons and YouTube demos to be utilized, and programs like GarageBand even come loaded with downloadable lessons.

So, are video chat music lessons a good or bad concept? The answer is up to the individual to decide. Most websites are free to join, so there is no harm in exploring what’s out there. Ultimately, however, most people will agree that face-toface interaction can never (and should never) be entirely replaced by screen-to-screen contact.

33

To learn more, follow Midnight Snack on Facebook or visit their website, www.midnightsnackmusic.com. Midnight Snack will be playing at the Middle East Upstairs on Sunday, April 29.

JUST A TASTE OF...

IDNIGHT SNACK

W

W

hat caught my attention was how many of them there were−the seven young, exuberant musicians I happened upon one February evening in Park Street Station.

What held my attention, however, was their presence. This subway performance was neither spectacle nor plea−it simply was. They played with ability that seemed simultaneously raw and attuned. It was honest too−the lyrics held no cliches or advice, but astute observations and memorable narratives. I sat and watched them as my train passed twice, not hypnotized, but with a broad smile of awareness for the talent I was observing. I couldn’t help but move to the catchy songs, and eagerly waited to hear what the next would hold. The musicians smiled back at me, and others, for I was certainly not the only one watching.

My fellow students were accompanied by adults of various archetypes, all of whom received nods or gestures by these seven characters.

Tastemakers Magazine (TMM): How did you guys meet? Were Mike and Jack actively searching for band members or was the formation more organic?

Jack (J): Very organically. Brad was involved at first, when we were playing just a couple of small gigs with a four piece band. When I got to school last year, though, I basically didn’t do anything for the first semester. I was just getting...in the groove, so to speak.

Peter (P): We were all jamming together, though, and developing these relationships.

TMM: Jamming in class or outside of class?

P: Well we all lived on the same floor in our dorm. We started jamming, and I know a lot of us were hoping to start a band. I remember the day Jack finally said, “Well I’ve got about twelve songs written,” and we were just like, “What the hell, dude!”

Brian (B): Then Jack suggested we should slowly turn this into Midnight Snack.

34

Written by Carolyn Willander

TMM: Did you expect to end up with seven band members?

J: It started with just me and Mike, then we were playing with the four for a little while. Like we said, we were jamming in the dorms and it just grew from there.

Brad (BD): There were already two guitar players when I came around, but I was like, “DAMN, I have got to be a part of this!” So I picked up my trumpet again for the first time in a whole year.

TMM: You describe yourselves as “indie groove.”

What do you mean by this?

Zach (Z): Well we all love really deep kind of groove music like Soulive. I think Jack’s songwriting is more what you would expect of an indie artist.

J: It really does have two aspects; one is the lyrics that is kind of sitting on top of everything, and then there’s the groove underneath. There’s also a lot of improvisation, but its a structured thing. During this section, say, there’s a loose outline and then we’ll kind of do our own thing.

P: It’s getting easier and easier.

TMM: Where is your favorite place to play music?

The apartment, a particular venue, the subway...

Everyone: SUBWAY! Tastemakers: When was the first time you busked?

Jack: A little over a month ago, actually.

P: Mike and Jack and Brian were going out and I remember being really interested and joining in.

Then Zach came down with us and we couldn’t believe the result.

Z: Especially playing down on the red line, where we like to play the most, it’s amazing when its really crowded because you can have hundreds of people dancing to what you’re doing. It's different from venues.

BD: People are just more truthful; if they’re digging it they’re gonna stay and miss their train and if they’re not, they’ll just blow past you.

P: Which is really good feedback.

J: People are really surprised to see all seven of us.

Z: I think we’re just hoping that by putting enough

time in in the subways, we’ll get enough people to know us so that when we do play shows at say the Middle East, we’ll sell it out.

TMM: Were you much more confident recording your new EP than you were recording the last?

B: We were really excited to put it out, even moreso this time around.

Z: For me, it's the first EP I’d ever put out, the first real, tangible piece of music I’d produced.

P: We also had the luxury of recording in a really nice studio.

B: The experience of it was insane; going up somewhere, and staying in a crappy motel, and recording for twelve to sixteen hours, it seemed... real.

Z: The quality of songwriting was really superior too.

TMM: What is the songwriting process like for you?

J: Usually I’ll have like a song in its rawest form, sometimes I’ll have a groove in mind, but we generally arrange it as a group.

P: It’s really exciting when Jack shows us something.

He writes a lot that he doesn’t show us, but when he does present something, we just jam on it for a few weeks and even when sometimes it seems like it’s not gonna happen, there’s always that day, that moment, when we say “OH HELL YEAH!” TMM: Alright, one more important question: what are your favorite midnight snacks?

Zoe: Reece’s Cups, absolutely. Anything with peanut butter, actually.

P: I really just like to make another dinner...Pasta maybe? It's usually pasta. A full blown dinner though.

B: Pasta too.

J: We don’t have this very often, but ice cream.

Although if we did have it, it probably wouldn’t make it to midnight.

Z: Raspberries!

BD: I’m going to stick with blueberry muffins.

Mike: I would have to go with a big bowl of pasta as well.

P: We all had quesadillas at 3 am last night, just so you know.

35