Issue 58: Decades by tastemakers

This Land Is Our Land | 8

Stop Calling Us Screamo | 13

Donald Glover

Mom Pop | 34

northeastern northeastern students students on music on music

o N No52 58

Get Involved Want to become a Tastemaker? Click get involved on tastemakersmag.com Snapped some awesome photos at a concert? Email them to tastemakersphoto@gmail.com Heard an album that really got you thinking? Send a review to tmreviews@gmail.com

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E-Board President Kristie Wong Editor-in-Chief Nikolas Greenwald Art Directors Ryan Fleischer Stephanie Miano Promotions Director Emily Harris

Staff Features Editor Grant Foskett Reviews Editors Emma Turney Maya Dengel Interviews Editor Max Rubenstein Photo Directors Lauren Scornavacca Rayven Tate Rayn Tavares Social Media Directors Hannah Lowicki Sofia Maricevic

The Team Staff Writers Aditya Chetia Alex Wetzel Allison Bako Amanda Sturm Andrew Quercio Asher Rappaport Bryan Grady Chuck Stein Desmond LaFave Elena Sandell Elliot Kerwin Erin Merkel

Ethan Matthews Fisher Hunnewell Hue-Ninh Nguyen Jayden Khatib Joanna Moore Jordan Ament Kaitlin Kerr Lacie Foreht Matthew Schuler Michael Hrinda Miles Kirsch Mona Yu Nell Snow Olivia Hally Rachel Cerato Rachel Ellis Sabrina Zhang Sean Stewart Taylor Piepenbrink Terrance Dumoulin Theodore Kypreos Willa Shiomos Art & Design Nicholas Alonzo Gayathri Raj Angela Lin Angelina Han Jenny Chen Anna Rowley Kaya Dlouchy Shannon Ehmsen Sara Hartleben Gabrielle Bruck Roman Distefano Promotions Hannah Lowicki Sofia Maricevic Angela Lin Paloma Weidmer Ryan Tomicic Emily Huang Mohsen Alqunaie Joseph Handel Grant Foskett Emily Griffin Spencer Haber Hannah Crotty Katie Isbell Alyssa Giles

Nicholas Alonzo Emily Cataldo Carly Monson Nandini Shah Jenny Chen Jack Kerwin Emily Greenberg Mathew Rose Photography Nina Spellman Brandon Yap Alex Mauriello Kimmy Curry Reine Lederer Angela Lin Evan Daniels Sam Cronin Morgan Mapstone Saakhi Singh Nathaniel Brown Julia Aguam Frances Lee Gabrielle Whittle Aly Kula Kristen Chen Amanda Stark Sydney Lerner Maggie Navracruz Alex Pesek Annina Hare Hannah Lee Casey Martin Natalie McGowan Hang Nguyen Catherine Argyrople Rayven Tate Brian Bae Lauren Scornavacca Hang Nguyen Konstantin Rezchikov Doga Tasdemir Matt Streibich Bobby Singh Nicholas Alonzo Kaline Langley Risa Tapanes Anthony Mao Emily Gringorten Christian Gomez Rayn Tavares

Meet the Staff

About Emily Griffin Position Promo Team Major Environmental Science Graduating 2021 Favorite Venue Royale Tastemaker Since Fall 2019

Gabby Bruck Position Designer Major Business and Design Graduating 2022 Favorite Venue Royale Tastemaker Since Spring 2019

Kimmy Curry Position Photographer Major Architecture Graduating 2024 Favorite Venue 930 Club in DC Tastemaker Since Fall 2019

Listening to

Noname “Shadow Man” Jorja Smith “Be Honest” Smino “Wild Irish Roses”

Mura Masa “Lovesick”

Quote

“I knew I would fit in here when I found out there are four other Emilys in Promo.”

“Fair enough.”

Nas, Amy Winehouse “Cherry Wine” Madvillain “Accordion”

COIN “Youuu” Mitski “Francis Forever”

“Do you want any cheez-its?”

Tame Impala “It Might Be Time”

Kaitlin Kerr Position Staff Writer Major English Graduating 2022 Favorite Venue College Street Music Hall in New Haven, CT Tastemaker Since Spring 2019

Bikini Kill “Alien She” The Smiths “Girlfriend in a Coma” The Prettiots “Suicide Hotline”

“Meditation Made Simple by Headspace is the album of the decade.”

Caamp, Royale

Photo by Kristen Chen (Environmental Studies)

Table of Contents Cover Story

Features

Editorials

Mom Pop

Ryo Discography

Tastemakers’ Decade Tastemakers’ content team got together to discuss the best of the best in albums and songs of the last decade.

Reviews

Show Reviews

Album Reviews

JPEGMAFIA, Bon Iver, Cavetown, FKA Twigs, Kim Petras

Rex Orange County, Tessa Violet, Caroline Polachek

An Interview With Future Teens Local emo rockers Future Teens talk digital-age romance, heartbreak, and mental health.

An Interview with Zaia Atlanta native and hip hop upand-comer Zaia talks about his influences and the power of the internet in changing how we make music.

06 Calendar 30

Local Photos

Folk music is music for the working man, by the working man, and about the struggles of common people, leading to a long entwined history with leftism in America.

Stop Calling Us Screamo There may be no genre more misunderstood than the muchmaligned screamo. Features Editor Grant Foskett goes in depth into the rich history of the genre to set the record straight.

Tik Tok and the Future of Music Culture Tik Tok has become less of a joke and more of a major music industry player. But what does that mean for the future of music, both major label and independent?

Interviews

This Land Is Our Land

Spotify’s Cancel Culture Spotify’s short-lived hateful content policy received immediate backlash from artists, which begs the question: who’s responsibility is it to moderate the ethics of which artists are entitled to a platform?

Mom Pop is the family-friendly, chart-topping songs express made for Western mothers, but deep down we all have a soft spot for it.

Take a deep dive into the unconventional discography of ryo, J-pop’s genre hopping mastermind.

Etcetera

Tastemakers Dissects Chuck Stein takes a closer look at one of the Beach Boys’ most intimate songs, “Don’t Talk.”

Local Talent

In Defense Of

Local talent Cannon Few shines some light into his songwriting process and talks about what’s coming next for him.

You might only know them from much-memed “Wake Me Up Inside,” but there’s more to Evanescence worth defending.

Calendar January Su

50 Cent Big Night Live

Yola The Sinclair

Magic City Hippies Paradise Rock Club

Beach Fossils Paradise Rock Club

Snoop Dogg House of Blues

Temples The Sinclair

Yuna City Winery

Rockommends

31 Fetty Wap Big Night Live

Yuna January 26 @ City Winery

Caroline Polachek February 12 @ Brighton Music Hall

I’m LOVING Yuna’s dreamy vocals in her recent album, Rouge. She (and I) will be at City Winery on 1/26. Let’s happy-cry over being in her presence together.

Chairlift singer Caroline Polachek blew up last year after the release of her debut album Pang and fantastic singles like “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings.” The star of her artsy pop is her magical voice which lets melodies soar over lyrics about love and introspection that are sure to get you emotional. Her show at Brighton Music Hall will surely be hot and you’ll be hurting our feelings if you don’t go!

Kristie Wong (Computer Science and Business Administration)

Grant Foskett (Computer Science)

February Su

1 Cold War Kids House of Blues

Roddy Ricch Brighton Music Hall

Poppy Brighton Music Hall

Tove Lo House of Blues

Caroline Polachek Brighton Music Hall

8 EarthGang Royale

YBN Cordae The Sinclair

20 Anna of the North Brighton Music Hall

Kamasi Washington Big Night Live

Hayley Kiyoko February 17 @ House of Blues

BAYNK February 20 @ Sonia

Lesbian Jesus returns to Boston February 17th, and this time she’s Too Sensitive For This Sh*t. Hayley Kiyoko’s new project was announced last October, and she’s bringing her new music on the road in 2020. Don’t miss the second coming. Get to the gig.

Electro act BAYNK is gracing Sonia with his lush, softer-than-expected take on club music. Vocal chop lovers and easy criers rejoice, as this night is sure to feature a bit of both. Nik Greenwald (Chemical Engineering)

Emily Harris (Communication Studies)

Feature

Many genres of music are expressly aspirational in some sense, promoting some sort of rise to the “top” and changing your lot in life. Rap and hip-hop are full of bars about starting with nothing and then climbing your way up to the top of the game, rolling in sports cars and flexing on the haters. The whole idea of a “rockstar” is inherently about becoming a swaggering god amongst men. Even something as relatively demure as classical music has this element of class, often being music about getting closer to godliness, traditionally enjoyed by the rich and well-off. What separates folk music from many of these other genres is that it expresses the exact opposite; it’s music for the working man, by the working man, about the struggles of common people. While other music says, “look at this wealthy person, that could be you,” folk music is often expressly against the rich and powerful. This focus on the common man makes it a natural tool for political songwriters, especially those that oppose the repression of the working-class. If your main audience as an artist is the proletariat, it makes sense to write simple, direct songs that can easily be understood and played by anybody. American folk music emerged from people strumming chords on their back porches, about their lives and the struggles they faced. As labor awareness grew in America, and socialist politicians such as Eugene Debs grew

Fall 2019 Fall 2019

in popularity during the late 19th/ early 20thcentury, people started writing songs about their struggles with capital too. Unions and labor organizers often wrote and used folk songs as a form of sloganeering (such as in “Solidarity Forever” by Pete Seeger) and agitationalpropaganda in order to gain support and discourage “scab” laborers. As the century went on, varying conditions changed the kind of left-wing focus that folk music had at that time. During the Great Depression unemployment increased to unseen levels, changing the focus of folk music greatly. No longer were people fighting their bosses, they were fighting to put food on the table. Lyrics came to focus more on the experience of homelessness and wandering for opportunity. In some ways the politics of folk became even more radical, with desperate times causing more communist sentiments. After all, the Dust Bowl aside, it wasn’t like America suddenly ran out of food, materials, or workers. It was the actions of the upper class that had caused the tragedy which normal people were suffering the worst. After the war and the New Deal, it’s fair to say that folk may have lost some of its edge (and its popularity). Most people came out doing better after 1945, at least ostensibly. But, injustice, prejudice, and the exploitation of common people was still an issue. Black Americans still struggled against repression, both legal and

economic. Unions began to lose their strength, as regulations finally began to crush their abilities and reduce membership. America began to get involved in a series of military actions that didn’t have a clear purpose beyond protecting an ideology, not people. From all this, the protest movement of the 60s emerged. Typically associated with rock and roll, and mainstream artists like Bob Dylan, there was a thriving leftist streak to the folk musicians of the era, condemning the injustices they saw with just a guitar. Of course, it would be worthwhile to point to some of the great radicals of America’s folk tradition. No discussion of the intersection of American folk and politics would be complete without mentioning the godfather of American folk music, Woody Guthrie, a figure so prominent that it could be argued that he defined the popular image of the folk singer before Bob Dylan. Woody Guthrie is the platonic ideal of the Depression-era protest singer, advocating for the downtrodden classes and very radical politics. In some ways, he was before his time: Guthrie wrote a song attacking Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump, accusing him of barring black people from living in his properties. His song “This Land is Your Land,” often considered an American standard, fit for singing by children’s choirs during Veteran’s Day celebrations, shows the (somewhat) subtle radicalism of Guthrie’s politics. The common version simply talks about rolling dust clouds and the redwood forests, but the original lyrics read as almost anarcho-socialist in their outlook. The protagonist of the song comes across a sign that says, “private property,” but on the other side says nothing, implying that land belongs to “you and me,” not any one person. Already rejecting the concept of private property, he then touches on the breadlines of his era, referring to those waiting as “my people,” and after seeing those hungry faces questioning if the land can really be “ours” while such inequities persist. While Bob Dylan is often pointed to as the symbol of folk protest against Vietnam and the injustices of the 1960s, I would strongly argue that the music of Phil Ochs is a much better representation of the discontent of the era. His music has a righteous indignation that Dylan’s lacks, a genuine political intent and goal missing from other protest music from the period. It’s telling that Ochs preferred to call himself a “singing journalist” and that it was later discovered that the FBI kept a profile on Ochs. He wrote songs that directly attacked the war in Vietnam as an adventure for profits that would only kill the

poor who were drafted. Often he used satire and sarcasm to ridicule the injustices of the state, such as in the ostensibly positive “Here’s to the State of Mississippi,” where “the calendar is lyin’ when it reads the present time” as people “smile and shrug their shoulders at the murder of a man”. He protests the cruelty and inequality that tends to go hand-in-hand with giving the state the power of capital punishment in the “Iron Lady,” accusing it of making mistakes while “the rich man’s never died upon the chair”. Ochs makes clear that he isn’t simply a young, liberal hippy in his music, especially in songs like “Love Me I’m a Liberal,” accusing them of simply paying lip-service to change, while actual improvements in the lives of minorities and the working-class requires far more radical action. I’d be tempted to say that any remaining relevance of leftist folk music died with Phil Ochs in 1976, when he was only 35. Leftist sentiments, especially in America, really died out from the seventies onwards, and folk music was completely eclipsed by other genres such as rock, pop, and eventually rap. There were somewhat prominent left-wing folk artists in the ensuing era (Billy Bragg from England comes to mind), but really any trace of socialist or anarchist influence went to the punks (The Clash, Dead Kennedys), and even that wore away in popularity with time. America entered an era of global capitalism, where traditional manufacturing and mining jobs lost their importance or moved, unions were decimated, and any hope of trying to fundamentally change the system was lost. A single man with an acoustic guitar just couldn’t change the inequities and power of this new world. In some sense, it’s perfectly understandable to come to focus on aspiring for the unattainable in a world like that. But, perhaps, that may be changing. The last few years have seen marked increases in both union membership and strikes in America. Socialism increasingly is becoming a common word in the vernacular, even if it’s merely for the purpose of social-democratic policies. A fundamental questioning of these modern structures is occurring again, the new tycoons are starting to be held to account. Does this mean that leftist folk music is going to make a resurgence? I doubt it, honestly. But in part, that’s because with modern technology, anyone to make music in any genre of their choice. It’s possible that the new music of the working-class, calling for solidarity and revolution, will come from some kid with a laptop, rather than a “singing journalist” with a guitar. • Bryan Grady (Political Science)

Designer: Sara

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Interview Interview TMM: I just wanted to say congratulations on your new(ish) album, Breakup Season! What has the critical reception and fan reception been like since the album’s release? Do fans sing along just as loud as they do for Hard Feelings?

TMM: So, I understand that Daniel and Amy actually met on Tinder, and I think that’s fantastic considering the reoccurring themes of digital-ageromance in your songs. How do you think forming your initial connection this way impacted the way you create music together?

Amy Hoffman (AH): It has been really cool and really surreal. These past few days are the first we’ve played anything other than the singles that’ve come out before the record and people know the songs! Even the ones that are at the end of the album, which is really crazy. This record means a lot to us, so to have others connect with it is really special.

AH: Meeting that way was one of the most hilarious and amazing things that’s ever happened to either of us. Honestly, I think it was both of our most successful Tinder matches. It definitely gave us some common ground when we started writing together. I think most people in our age bracket have some sort of romantic online experience, whether it is a terrible time texting someone or whatever. So to just shamelessly start a band on Tinder began a really cool friendship. We can just shamelessly write songs about this stuff because it is the reality that we’re in.

TMM: I actually saw you guys at the Paradise Rock Club last spring, and thought you guys had such a cool vibe onstage. I feel like out of all of the bands I’ve seen, you seem to emanate a sense of comradery and love. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about how you crafted your onstage presence.

TMM: So, you guys are in the van right now – where are you headed? AH: Yeah, we’re heading to Baltimore to play some Halloween shows.

Daniel Radin (DR): Honestly, it comes very naturally to us. We all love performing live and we’ve all been doing it for a long time. But I feel like this is the first band that we’ve all been in where we all get to let loose onstage. I know we’ve all been a part of projects before where only one person gets to enjoy themselves onstage, but this is one where we all kinda go nuts. We feed off each-others energy. We can just look at each other – and I know this sounds cheesy, but – we’ll just look at each other while playing and just smile. And then our bandmate will smile back and there is no actual communication other than that non-verbal “are you having fun? Because I’m having fun.” It’s very cave-man in that way. TMM: That’s so great that you are all so close that you can communicate without words. DR: Yeah, maybe every once in a while when we’re onstage we will say something like “don’t forget that cue,” but other than that it is very “this is sick!” Especially when everyone in the crowd is singing along to a part, and we can really hear it, we’ll all just look at each other and be like “damn! We’re happy.” There’s a lot of joy. TMM: Wow it’s great that even though your songs are about heartbreak, you’re all having so much fun onstage and you can find that joy. Fall 2019 Fall 2019

1010

AH: We’re having a good time, it’s kind of nuts to be in a band where we trust each other this much to just have that kind of fun onstage.

TMM: I was living for all of the tour van content you uploaded on Instagram over the past few months, so I wanted to ask – you’re on tour and traveling together in the van, how do you pass the time? (Listening to music, chatting, writing more songs?) Colby Blauvelt (CB): Honestly, a lot of the time its late night drives so it’s usually an interesting podcast that’ll keep whoever’s driving awake and engaged. Like Dan enjoys listening to really weird horror books, which is when I usually put my headphones on. If it’s not a podcast or music then usually we’re deep in some weird conversation about life or whatever. Most of the time we’re actually engaged with each other, and that’s what I feel like really passes the time. TMM: If you’re constantly playing together, and when you’re not playing, you’re then engaged in these intense conversations about life – if you don’t mind my asking, how to you keep from getting sick of each other? CB: Honestly, we’re a band that cares about getting enough to sleep on tour, giving each other boundaries, eating well, and just being respectful of the space that we do have. And also, just being open and honest about where we’re all at individually. Even though we all have a life together when we’re on tour together – everyone has their own life that is going on in their own personal life, so it is a balance of communicating with each other and dealing with stuff on your own. It’s just another layer of learning how to be with people.

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As local rock band Future Teens boarded their tour van, staff writer Kaitlin Kerr called in to talk digitalage romance, heartbreak, and mental health. This interview has been edited for clarity.

TMM: The band’s Instagram is absolutely fantastic, every goofy post brings me so much joy, so I wanted to ask who’s in-charge of the social media marketing, and what’s the impression on new fans that you want to make with your profile? AH: If we’re all together than we like to workshop a caption together or check-in to make sure everyone is okay if this photo gets posted. On tour, it is definitely a collaborative effort but when we’re at home we let Daniel do it because it doesn’t exhaust him like it exhausts the rest of us. The way we goof with each other all the time is the way we like to present ourselves online. We definitely don’t want to take our internet presence too seriously. TMM: Also follow up question, what’s the deal with the Carly Rae Jepsen references? Did you guys do a live cover and then did it just catch-on, or what? AH: So, for our Halloween set, each band we’re touring with does a little cover set before their own set every night. I bleached my hair for the occasion, it’s just been really fun and wild. This time last year we did a cover compilation where we had a bunch of bands cover Carly’s Emotion back to back as part of a benefit comp for immigration equality so it’s kinda been a running theme because Carly Rae Jepsen is an emo band but a pop artist. So, we’ve just taken that meme full circle by choosing to cover her again on the Halloween shows. TMM: In your interview with the Boston Globe, Amy mentioned that you’re all people who have been to therapy before, and I was hoping you could speak a little more about how being in a community like that has affected your mental health and how your perception of mental health has changed by writing music together.

talking about something that you’re processing isn’t something that needs to be pushed aside, which is how it usually happens in a lot of spaces. It’s awesome and I think it helps our working dynamic. CB: I’d also like to add that I’ve been sober for nine years, through the twelve steps, and this particular group is really great for being open to and learning about everyone’s situations. And if anyone reading this interview now wants to reach out or needs help, that’d be totally good to add. TMM: I understand that 100% of the proceeds from your “Tough Love Tee” are donated to The Phoenix, and I think that is really remarkable, especially considering the way most musicians generate their income from merch and ticket sales. I was hoping you could tell me a bit more about why you chose that program. AH: We made the shirt with our friends at Art of Survival, and they had us send the funds to a program called The Phoenix. We reached out to Art of Survival because we’d partnered with them in the past, they send us out on the road with resources for survivors of all kinds and it’s a really important part of what we get to do on tour. So, when we reached out to Art of Survival, they connected us to The Phoenix, which is a gym that provides free services for folks pursuing sobriety. It’s just very in line with the things we believe in as a band so we put together a shirt. We never want what we’re doing to be strictly about us. We have this really incredible privilege as four people with microphones in front of our faces for 30-minutes every night to be kind and set this standard of tough love. Tough love is being encouraging to one another and being open. We’re grateful that we have the opportunity to give back in this way because we definitely wouldn’t be where we are without Art of Survival and a ton of other friends along the way.

Designer: Angela Lin (Business Administration and Design)

DR: Plus, we’ve toured in a minivan together. I feel like after you do that, you can do anything. Now we’re in a big van, like a huge tour bus! No, I’m just kidding it’s a regular van. But we all have our own space and enough room to put our dirty clothes somewhere that isn’t under a seat.

TMM: If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be? AH: Wow…hmm…. DR: How about… We love you and we can’t wait to meet you!

Maya Mortman (MM): It’s really awesome to be working with a group of people who have all been working through their mental health in various ways. There are a lot of environments, for example, like work environments where you just feel like you can’t be your whole self. In those communities, it’s kind of like an on and off switch for sharing your healing, and, in this group, I feel like there’s always space for everyone’s feelings, and everyone gets to show up as their full selves. Talking about feelings, or

AH: Awh, you sound like you’re talking to your future baby. Yeah, that’s real. DR: It applies to the fans we have and the ones we don’t have yet. • Kaitlin Kerr (English) 1111

Etcetera

DISSECTS:

Beach Boys – Don’t Talk

Designer: Kaya Dlouchy (Graphic Design) Fall 2019

In the history of popular music, countless love songs have captivated their audience by expressing in repackaged poetic phrasing just how much the singer loves someone. But rarely does a song capture the ineffable feeling of romance and intimacy so perfectly by focusing instead on what isn’t said. The Beach Boys’ “Don’t Talk” does just that — instead of telling you how much singer and composer Brian Wilson loves someone, he shows you. Through a combination of vocals, instrumentation, rhythm, and harmony, “Don’t Talk” succeeds in being one of the most intimate songs ever recorded. Lyrically, the song details a moment of deep connection between two people, without the need to articulate their feelings for each other in words. Through a dreamy and passionate delivery of a beautiful vocal melody, Wilson proclaims: “There are words we both could say / But don’t talk, put your head on my shoulder / Come close, close your eyes and be still.” Throughout the song he perfectly describes the joy of simply being in the presence of someone you love, and how every breath and heartbeat and glint of the eye speaks volumes more than any verbalization could hope to achieve. It is a powerful and unique message, providing the listener with the warm sense of comfort and belonging that true romance fosters. The

vocal melody often feels like it is blissfully melting into the rest of the instrumentation, which itself creates the rich and intimate foundation that supports Wilson’s singing and elevates it to another level. The composition features organ, electric bass, 12-string guitar, vibraphone, and a string section, all of which work hand in hand to shape a lush wall of sound delivering the song’s unconventional chord progression. For the first verse and chorus, the organ is the primary harmonic instrument, after which the string section enters to perform the main chords. This evolution simulates the feeling of getting more comfortable in your partner’s embrace as time goes on, as the strings sound particularly dreamlike and romantic. After the second chorus, the strings take the lead in an elegant instrumental bridge which allows the listener to peacefully enjoy the emotional moment illustrated thus far. Each other instrument serves its own very intentional if subtle purpose to fill the instrumental backing to this intimate ballad. The 12-string guitar provides a rich texture to enhance the onset of chords, and the vibraphone echoes the vocal melody during the chorus in its spacey and whimsical recurring line. Most fundamental to the song’s rhythm is the clean electric bass, constantly pulsing in

a manner akin to that of a heartbeat, which musically reinforces the line in the chorus: “Don’t talk, take my hand and let me hear your heart beat.” This steady pulse gives the listener the feeling of actually being close enough to the person you love to hear their heart beating, and directs the downtempo, swooning pace of the song. Such a rhythm simulates the effect of time moving slower in the presence of your partner, thanks to not only the bass but also the minimal, unintrusive drum beat entailing one simple, consistent hi-hat. “Don’t Talk” is one of the many testimonies to Brian Wilson’s masterful songwriting ability, which has stood and will continue to stand the test of time. Not only is it strong lyrically and instrumentally, but it is truly harmonically unique in the way it effortlessly glides between keys and defies common chord progression rules. It may not be his or The Beach Boys’ most well known song, but it is without a doubt his greatest translation of emotional intimacy to musicality, reaching a level of warmth and passion unattainable by traditional love song tropes. • Chuck Stein (Computer Science and Music Technology)

STOP SCREAMO CALLING US

A RETROSPECTIVE ON SKRAMZ

Since its creation in the mid 90s, “screamo” has become a pretty ubiquitous term synonymous with any music with screamed vocals. The issue with that, though, is that it’s almost exclusively used incorrectly. People use the term screamo to describe all manner of bands from the post-hardcore emo-pop of Finch and Sleeping With Sirens to the pop-punk of The Used to all manner of metalcore and death metal bands. And that inaccuracy isn’t just ignorance. Calling something screamo is meant to be demeaning; it says that screamed vocals are in some way less artistic and of less value than clean vocals. So it is really no wonder that bands don’t really like the label. In fact, you would be much more likely to hear a screamo band refer to their genre as “skramz” in order to avoid it. Despite the public’s misunderstanding and disdain, screamo has a long history of constant innovation with countless classic albums spanning the last thirty years. It’s a genre in the unique position of everyone knowing its name, but no one knowing what it really stands for. Contrary to popular belief, “screamo” is not just the word scream with an “o” tacked on the end, but a portmanteau of the words “scream” and “emo.” And it doesn’t just refer to any music with screamed vocals, screamo is a specific genre of hardcore punk mixed

with traditional emo that dates back to the early 90s, where bands such as Heroin and then Antioch Arrow started to develop a new and chaotic branch of emo music. It didn’t take off until the later part of the 90s, however, when bands like Orchid, Saetia, and pageninetynine reinvigorated the sound. These bands combined the emotional and intelligent lyricism of emo with the intensity and aggression of punk while still maintaining complex song structures full of tempo and dynamic changes. Arguably the first true screamo release was not by one of these bands, but Portraits of Past’s 1995 album 01010101. Often left out of the screamo cannon even by those who know what they’re talking about, Portraits of Past set the stage for the revolutionaries to come, while also making one of the greatest screamo albums of all time. The band crafted long and winding songs like the seven-minute epic “Bang Yer Head,” but also short bursts like the sub-2-minute “KQED Equals Volvo” that could easily be an Orchid song. 01010101 unagruably set the stage for the genre to come and was vastly ahead of its time, to the point that it hasn’t been canonized in the same way as later pivotal screamo releases.

Feature Fall 2019

Next came the band that is now seen as the most essential in the genre, Saetia, a group of NYU kids who named their hardcore band after a Miles Davis song. Their self-titled 1997 EP and 1998 album, while relatively unknown at their release, proved incredibly influential with their dynamic instrumentation and poetic lyrics. Their first single, “Venus and Bacchus” takes a literary approach to heartbreak with lyrics like “the dance of flesh on flesh has rendered us blind. I look into your eyes, I look into stone.” Unfortunately, the band broke up in 1999 before they had the chance to release a second album. Despite their short career and relative obscurity, their final release post-breakup, the 2001 compilation A Retrospective, is now widely regarded as one of the best in screamo history. Around the same time, a band from Amherst, Massachusetts was on the rise. Just before Saetia’s breakup, Orchid released their debut album, 1999’s Chaos Is Me, pushing screamo into an even more abrasive territory. Interesting to note is the first track on Chaos Is Me’s title is in French (“Le Desordre, C’est Moi”) just like with Saetia’s debut album (“Notres langues nous trompes”), which could be seen as a nod or just as a shared interest in French political movements. Along with it’s heavier and more punk instrumentation, Chaos Is Me takes on a more explicitly political tone than prior screamo. “Invasion U.S.A.” with it’s cries of “tear up the cul-de-sac, it’s all the rage” feels like an obviously anti-nationalist rejection of pro-America propaganda despite being pre 9/11.

“The dance of flesh on flesh has rendered us blind” Around the turn of the century, screamo was really taking off in the underground. Another Amherst band, Jeromes Dream, continued in the chaotic style of Orchid with their 2000 album Seeing Means More Than Safety, but went in an entirely different vocal direction, opting for extremely high pitched screeches mixed so quietly that they often fade into the instrumental. Meanwhile, pageninetynine were developing a sound heavily influenced by grindcore, culminating in two incredible albums in 2001, Document #7 and Document #8. pageninetynine were also known for the intensity of their live show, often playing with two vocalists and multiple guitarists and bassists. Like many screamo bands, they didn’t last long and ended up splitting in 2003. Several members of the band also played in City of Caterpillar, whose 2002 self-titled album remains one of the genre’s most unique for its long songs and post-rock passages. The mid-2000s was around the time screamo began to decline, coinciding quite nicely with the rise of so-called “MTV-Screamo” where major label bands coopted surface-level screamo aesthetics to combine with pop songwriting and soaring hooks. There were a number of smaller screamo bands like Ampere, I Would Set Myself On Fire For You, Kidcrash, and Off Minor continuing the genre’s legacy and there were even a few classics like Circle Takes The Square’s 2004 album As the Roots Undo and Gospel’s 2005 album The Moon Is a Dead World, but at the time it was clear the genre was passed its prime.

“We can at least hope for the end of ‘screamo’ being used as an insult.”

Designer: Anna Rowley (Game Art and Animation)

That was until the turn of the decade, where popularity for a slightly different brand of screamo began to arise. Bands like Touché Amoré, La Dispute, and Pianos Become the Teeth brought screamo back with a blend of post-hardcore and indie rock influences and a heavier focus on melody and lyrical storytelling. This often led to less harsh screams as it became more important to understand the lyrics without reading along. For example, Touché Amoré’s 2011 album Parting The Sea Between Brightness and Me or La Dispute’s 2011 album Wildlife are very obviously in the screamo tradition, but with toned-down instrumentation and vocals. This led to a split between these bigger bands and a slew of underground bands still making screamo more in line with older styles. Loma Prieta and State Faults make Jeromes Dream-esque chaos, William Bonney and I Hate Sex use midwest-emo tinged instrumentation and cathartic shrieks to back their heartbreaking lyrics. Lord Snow and Nuvolascura make an especially dark, intense, and lofi offshoot of screamo and Shin Guard and For Your Health thrash through ultra-aggressive mathy riffs. So although the popularity of screamo and old-school skramz has plummeted in recent years, the genre is alive and well and still managing to innovate after thirty years. That doesn’t mean screamo isn’t still looked down on, though. In fact, outside of very niche skramz circles, there is more disdain for the genre than ever. It’s gotten to the point that mathcore band SeeYouSpaceCowboy titled one of their songs on their debut compilation last year “Stop Calling Us Screamo.” No one likes to see their art delegitimized, especially in a genre so hyper-focused on vulnerability. Screamo has a long and storied history that deserves the same reverence as other underground movements, and even if it’s unlikely to ever get that credit, we can at least hope for the end of “screamo” being used as an insult. • Grant Foskett (Computer Science)

Show Reviews JPEGMAFIA The Sinclair 11.4.19

Reviews

Coming off the release of his newest album, All My Heroes are Cornballs, JPEGMAFIA is touring the US, bringing measured chaos wherever he touches down. His show was no exception, and it being sold out only enhanced the near- religious fervor that fans feel for Peggy. The opener, Butch Dawson, served as essentially a hype man for JPEGMAFIA’s impending set, but not before a near hour long set from Dawson’s DJ. The songs he played seemed to be more off generic hype rap Spotify playlists than anything else, and set was lackluster in terms of any musical coherence or quality. Butch Dawson finally appeared, but only performed for about 25 minutes before calling it a night. Fortunately, he had an energetic performance that partially made up for the long wait, even if his music seemed to be unoriginal in his verse structure and an audience member stumbled around on stage under the guise of dancing during one song. After Dawson exited the stage, the crowd didn’t have to wait long until Peggy reared his bald head from behind the curtain and almost

immediately threw himself into a performance of “Jesus Forgive Me, I am a Thot.” The opening chords from the song immediately sent the crowd wild, and the entire front half of the venue compressed, hoping to touch JPEGMAFIA. His chorus broke into autotune, which managed to sound fantastic live, despite Peggy’s clear difficulty with hitting the pitch he needed his voice to reach. His movements on stage could only be called possessed as he sprinted, crawled and leaped around, contorting his body every time he stopped. During multiple songs’ sample heavy and distorted instrumentals, JPEGMAFIA flung himself from the stage into the willing crowd, who readily caught him. Between songs he would make jokes with the audience or even do single verses from All My Heroes are Cornballs without a beat behind him. The snippets had the same high quality that the rest of the set did and were delivered with dead accurate rhythm despite the total lack of any beat behind him, showcasing the mastery he has over his work. Peggy seemed to know exactly what the crowd needed, especially with performances of “Baby I’m Bleeding”

and “1539 N. Calvert,” where he brought an explosive and frantic energy to his bars. Each track seemed to come with a slightly different performance and style, as his music ranges from abrasive vocals with sample-laden beats to properly singing over swells of synths, especially in his newer material. By the end of the set, JPEGMAFIA was shining with sweat, and yet wasn’t quite done. He performed a nearly soulful rendition of “Free the Frail,” one of the leading songs off All My Heroes are Cornballs, and it was clear that it was a genuinely emotional track for him to play to a crowd from the smile on his face when he looked out over the venue. Just before he called it a night, an audience member yelled for him to play “Rainbow Six” off his album Veteran, which he happily obliged. The ensuing track perfectly paralleled JPEGMAFIA’s performance style: visceral and genuine, without any attendance to normality that other artists readily comply to.

showcased Vernon’s ability to seamlessly blend the two distinct sounds. After a strong opening set from indiepop singer Feist, two huge projector screens displayed footage of a man shooting free throws on a hoop in a dusty rural yard, silhouetted by the setting sun. As an onscreen display kept tally of his baskets, the anticipation of the crowd, primarily consisting of flannel-clad millennials, grew with each shot. Finally, after a few hundred free throws, Justin Vernon and five other musicians quietly took the stage to an excited yet controlled applause. Each musician was positioned

within a small prism of light, arranged in a circle around the stage. Bon Iver began the set with a slow-building performance of “iMi” that highlighted Vernon’s strengths as a compositional songwriter and his compelling vocal abilities. He shifted octaves with ease, the smoothness of his voice contrasting with the choppy instrumental. Mirrors wrapped in light strips levitated above the stage, reflecting beams of colored light onto the performers and previewing the light show to come. Although Vernon stood stationary within his square of light, the audience remained

Terrance Dumoulin (Civil Engineering and Architectural Studies)

Bon Iver TD Garden 10.16.19

Fall 2019

Bon Iver is executing one of the most stunning sonic transformations achieved by any of the popular artists of this decade. Frontman and primary songwriter Justin Vernon, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has attracted a cult-like following for his genrebending music. Bon Iver’s 2019 release, i,i, features sweeping, orchestral compositions of drum machine percussion, chopped samples, and warbling auto-tuned vocals that sound strikingly different from the acoustic guitars and soft vocal harmonies of 2008’s For Emma, Forever Ago. Nevertheless, Bon Iver’s performance at Boston’s TD Garden

enraptured by his dynamic performance of the first three tracks of i,i. Vernon’s autotuned crooning was supported by vocal harmonies sung by his bandmates, and the treble in his voice reverberated throughout TD Garden. Each song was accompanied by a unique light display that utilized the prisms of light around each performer, powerful spotlights surrounding the stage, and the illuminated mirrors suspended above. There was not a spotlight on Vernon until about a quarter of the way through the set, when he slowly worked his way through the acapella “715-CRΣΣKS”, conveying powerful emotions through heavily autotuned vocals. After sticking to the music for the first 20 minutes of the show, Vernon spoke to the crowd only to thank them for coming out,

describing the tour as “humbling.” The second half of the set was slower as Bon Iver played many of their older acoustic songs. “Towers” featured Vernon’s soothing falsetto and was supported by beautiful vocal harmonies. Fan favorite “Holocene” drew some of the crowd to their feet, as they waved their phone flashlights back and forth in rhythm with the slow ballad. One of the last songs of the night, “Skinny Love,” finally garnered the full participation of the crowd, as audience members stood and sang along to the popular single from 2007. After this rousing response, Vernon paused to endorse MassNOW, a Massachusettes-based feminist organization partnered with his tour. He addressed the crowd, saying “You don’t gotta be scared to be a feminist,” drawing strong cheers of support.

As fans exited the arena, there was a visibly shared feeling of content, as they recognized that the performance had truly captured the diverse discography of Bon Iver. On the way to the exit to the Orange Line, attendees were met by a street busker playing Bon Iver covers on his saxophone. The haunting notes of “Sh’Diah” covered the departing crowd with the nostalgic but uplifting atmosphere that Bon Iver is remarkably adept at creating.

together MICHELLE’s energy and Cavetown’s more laid-back vibe. As the crew dressed the stage with couches, table lamps, and an old television playing looped videos of Cavetown’s cat, the audience was suddenly plucked from the Royale and placed in someone’s cozy living room. He furthered that feeling by beginning his set by waving to every corner of the venue while repeating “Hi friends.” Cavetown played mostly faithful renditions of his most popular songs, including “This is Home” and “Boys Will be Bugs.” Although he records many of his songs himself, he tours with a keyboardist/ guitarist and drummer. This trio helped him give songs like “Devil Town” and “Lemon Boy” extended guitar solos and drum break-downs, differentiating them from the studio versions. These few changes made me forever partial to the live versions. As a result, some of his quieter songs got extended guitar solos and longer, louder refrains. Together, through a combination of the above and Cavetown’s stage prescence, they even managed to make songs that are already more upbeat than most

of his material, like “Devil Town” and “Lemon Boy,” rock harder. Cavetown used his time between songs to further endear himself to his audience. Rather than transition musically from song to song, Cavetown paused after each to thank the audience and occasionally tell a story. The crowd loved it, as they twice broke into choruses of “Awww”’s when he showed off the sloth that he and his long-term boyfriend share custody of and when he led into “Just Add Water,” one of his slower and simpler songs, with a speech about how everyone should take better care of themselves. As the show reached its end, Cavetown did an encore performance of “Fool.” The audience screamed every word to what is one of his sadder songs. Cavetown briefly put down his guitar to get the crowd to wave their hands, and when the guitar was picked up towards the end the audience danced harder than they had all night.

Desmond LaFave (Journalism and Media Screen Studies)

Cavetown Royale 11.09.19 When British indie musician and YouTube sensation Cavetown stopped in Boston on tour in support of his collaborative Animal Kingdom project, he managed to make a packed show at the Royale feel more like an intimate backyard house show. As I entered the venue, I was surprised to see how much of the audience was made up of high-school students, although, given Cavetown’s YouTube success, it should be expected. The show opened with a set from MICHELLE, a nine-person musical collective made of college students from New York City who released their debut album last year. Their set successfully energized the crowd with their beautiful harmonies, frequent jumping around, and attempts to get the audience to sing along. As the audience calmed down from MICHELLE, Field Medic came on stage with only himself, his guitar, harmonica, banjo, and an old cassette player named Carson. The crowd erupted in laughter and head bobs when he decided to freestyle a song about touring after realizing he had more time than he had planned for. His twangy and engaging folk set successfully bridged

Jayden Khatib (Journalism and Interaction Design)

FKA Twigs House of Blues 11.19.2019

Reviews

Just by walking down the line to find a spot, I saw a more diverse crowd than most concerts I’ve been to. There was a true mixture of groups ready to see FKA Twigs, between clear fans, older people with presumably their adult children, and people who may have been drawn in simply by the low admission price. Just as the audience filtered in and was settled in the GA pit, the fire alarm went off. At first everyone seemed ready to ignore it as just a fluke that would go away soon, but hard reality set in as the entire population of the venue was forced into the cold. Outside of the venue employees were yelling needlessly and trying to corral the crowd into an area that not everyone could fit into, there was general discontent as audience members who had previously been near the stage realized that their chance at regaining their previous spot was slim. Fortunately, everyone was able to reenter the venue before long, and the FKA Twigs took the stage shortly after. Her set started with a tap-dancing routine, and she appeared in what could be described as a neo- Victorian dress. Her movements crossed a graceful ballet with robotic stops in movement which matched the music perfectly. Over the course of the next few tracks, she began to shed the most frivolous parts of her costume, eventually dropping the entire outfit offstage, coming back to reveal a simple gown with ribbons on it. She simultaneously introduced four backup dancers who emerged from behind the curtains and then broke into masterful dances along with the music. Their presence didn’t diminish FKA Twigs’ stage presence

in the slightest, but rather enhanced the music being performed. The impressively rich low tones and piercing high notes that Twigs could reach without any visible effort were exemplified by performances of “daybed and “mirrored heart.” Most songs performed were altered in some way, whether that meant cutting them short, merging them with other tracks, or introducing different materials within them. In addition, FKA Twigs interacted with the crowd often, even leaning into the front row for part of a song. The stage production took a backseat in the performance mostly because of the overpowering expertise of the individuals dancing onstage, but the lights coordinated to song beats and moods very well. Perhaps the most meaningful use of lights onstage was during a performance of “mary magdalene,” where the entire venue was flooded in red light just before FKA Twigs walked onstage in an entirely new outfit, decked out in jewels and a crown. The red light muted most color for the duration of the track, but as the next started the lights suddenly switched from red, revealing the rich array of blue, gold, silver and more she was clothed in. About halfway through the set, the curtains which formed the backdrop of the stage fell away all at once to reveal a two-level framework with three musicians playing on the second level. The surprise from the audience was twofold between the obvious sudden change in stage setup, but also because of the realization that the music over the entirety of the set was live, not just played as a beat. The support dancers then

performed a skillful routine centered around the framework of the first level which was quickly outdone by FKA Twigs taking the stage in an entirely new outfit and completing a flawless pole dancing routine to the song “Lights On” off her debut album LP1. She was able to pull herself well into the air on the pole, then inverted herself, spun and more as the other dancers’ choreography overlapped with hers. FKA Twigs changed outfits nearly a dozen times over the course of the show, and yet the outfit changes were so flawless that her exiting the stage often didn’t stand out as defect; rather, it served as milestones in mood and performance chronology. Each part of the concert corresponded to a general feeling, whether that be trust, anxiety, sadness, loss or others. Twigs acted as the crowd’s guide, influencing emotions as best she could, even though the crowd wasn’t as engaged with the artist or even the general concert experience as they could have been. However, the performance of “cellophane” – which was released as a single and then incorporated into Twigs’ newest album Magdalene -- brought the entire crowd to full attention. Tears flowed freely as FKA Twig’s cried out the simple lyrics of loss and hurt that make up the song, and her crisp voice filled the venue. “cellophane” was the last song performed of the night, and one would be hard pressed to find a better song to end the night, even if it left the crowd in tears.

her audience. The concert was set up as a night out at a club, with an opener consisting of a DJ set of LGBT pop staples and even throwback emo tracks coupled with encouragement for the audience to drink as much as possible before the main act. This kind of energy remained consistent for the rest of the night, as audience members freely danced and, at times, casually kissed.

Between the many stages of this show, this concept was revisited in the form of dance instrumentals and light shows during outfit changes. The sets effectively mirrored the material played throughout the show, from rows of shining, blue diamonds to red, upside down crosses. Petras kept the audience well fed with looks (five costume changes in total) and eras (everything from her debut single

Terrance Dumoulin (Civil Engineering and Architectural Studies)

Kim Petras Royale 11.22.19

Fall 2019

“My bra strap already broke, Boston. That’s a good sign for tonight,” declared sugar baby anthemist, Kim Petras, only a couple songs into her set at Royale during her first of two nights in Boston for her Clarity Tour. Speaking in short proclamations like this between songs, Petras remained true to the name brand, icon status persona her career is centered around, much to the utter delight of

to the Halloween mixtape, Turn Off the Light and her debut album, Clarity), earning her a 75-minute set. Even the performance styles remained fresh and distinct throughout the show, beginning with the runway strut of “Got My Number” which was paired with a black and white tutu that flew up in blasts of incoming air too many times to be an accident. After the transition into her Halloween mixtape, she revealed that she convinced her label to release the record by explaining that “Halloween is like Christmas for the gays.” This portion of the set included one of the most visually fascinating parts of the show,

where Petras swung her body-length ponytail while rotating on a spinning platform during the spooky “Death by Sex” under deep red lighting. The set wasn’t all club-ready tracks or runway moments, though, as the audience saw an entirely new side to Petras during her nod towards her humble beginnings. Dressed in a baggy T-shirt, she discussed her childhood love of pop music and dreams of becoming a star before her stripped-down, acoustic cover of the Killers’ “Human,” a song she fell in love with before even learning English. It should be noted that this stop of the Clarity Tour was not for the faint of heart,

as select audience members continually matched her raging pop star energy to the point of stumbling and even recklessly flailing. The energy only rose from her opening number and by the time the whole venue was screaming about hitting their “sweet spot” and jumping up and down during the closing number of the encore, there was more than a little bit of risk involved in being a member of the floor. For those who were there to support their materialistic queen and dance their hearts out, though, the show was everything they could have wanted and more.

Drew Quercio (Music Industry)

Kim Petras, Royale

Photo by Nate Brown (Design)

tastemakers picks: Cover Story

ALBUMS OF TH

Designer: Jenny Chen (Business and Design)

The 2010’s saw the demise of aspirational celebrity and the shift in zeitgeist from musical maximalism to one of aesthetic maximalism. The most hailed albums feature demo-like qualities or a production style that at least hints at its own flaws – an overtly self-aware motion as if to say, “I am the real deal.” Streaming and social media facilitated this praxis, and the imaginary of celebrity musicians expanded to include micro-influencers. The former gatekeeper of career mobility, the record executive, became obsolete to the digital gatekeepers – algorithms and playlists curated by tech mammoths. In what feels like a turbulent onslaught of changes to how we experience and interact with music, our writers sought to pick the albums and songs that we believe will weather inclement changes in the medium and remain within a collective nostalgia.

LPI - FKA Twigs

In 2014, FKA twigs released her debut full-length project, LP1, beginning with repetition of the thematic phrase “I love another and, thus, I hate myself.” A wrenching, 10-track journey, the experimental project redefined the role of production through its entrancing and even sometimes off-putting delivery with the help of powerhouse producers like Arca. Twigs explores the throes of a twenty-first century relationship through her robotic desire to please in “Hours” to destitute isolation in “Pendulum” and even unparalleled confidence in “Two Weeks.” A collection of delicate-yet-scattered emotions, LP1 is one of the strongest displays of vulnerability and artistry that the 2010’s had to offer. • Drew Quercio (Music Industry)

Born to Die - Lana Del Rey

What kind of sad girl could possibly resist Born to Die? In her first full length studio album, the Lana Del Rey blessed us with hits like “Video Games,” “Summertime Sadness,” and of course, the titular anthem “Born to Die.” Honestly, if you weren’t singing along to Lana’s lyrics about sex, drugs, life, and death as an angsty thirteen-year-old, wtf were you doing? Beloved for its nostalgic factor, Born to Die, blends alternative, indie, and sadcore pop to create an absolute classic. • Kaitlin Kerr (English)

Yeezus - Kanye West

Undoubtedly Kanye’s most experimental and sonicly abrasive works, Yeezus is a stand out album often overlooked in Ye’s discography. The record – referred to as the “open casket to CDs” by West – entered the world in 2013 to polarized acclaim as many felt Yeezus, in its raw and gritty nature, was a lazy attempt from Kanye, who fifteen days before the album’s release date enlisted producer Rick Rubin to help complete the album. Others, however, praised Ye for the audacious mixture of samples and lyrical intensity. As the record has matured, Yeezus proves itself to be an essential album of the decade that showcase not only the diversity and growth of an artist, but also of the genre of hip-hop. • Maya Dengel (Media Screen Studies and Communications)

The 1975 - The 1975

The debut album from British pop-rock band, The 1975, brought the world one of the most interesting frontmen of the decade. With their undoubtedly mainstream take on indie rock, this record was just the beginning for a band whose sound would evolve in multiple directions over the 2010s. Not to mention singles "Sex", "Chocolate", and "Girls" proved the band could bring some seriously electrifying live performances. In 2013, The 1975 began the decade with as much honesty and integrity as they ended it. • Emma Turney (Communications)

Fall 2019

good kid, m.A.A.d city - Kendrick Lamar

good kid, m.A.A.d city announced the arrival of a new Golden Age of hip hop and placed Kendrick Lamar at the forefront of the imminent movement. Released a year after he was ceremoniously passed the torch of West Coast hip hop by Snoop Dogg and The Game, Lamar’s album pays homage to traditional West Coast sounds while adding his own unique brand of jarring voices and dense rhyme schemes. While most of his peers were focused on creating streaming-friendly records full of singles, good kid, m.A.A.d city forms a cohesive narrative, telling the story of a day in teenage Lamar’s life in Compton and simultaneously exploring themes of race, poverty, violence, and religion. The album is “conscious rap” at its most accessible, with catchy songs like “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “m.A.A.d city” making nuanced references to the issues facing Lamar’s community. good kid, m.A.A.d city set an incredibly high bar for hip hop and has continued to inspire competition among the leading voices of the genre. • Desmond LaFave (Journalism and Media Screen Studies)

Cover Story

HE DECADE Melodrama - Lorde

Melodrama expands on Lorde’s influential debut and distinct sound but with a more mature and unconventional approach. Specifically catered to her initial audience, Lorde guides them through late-teenage doubts, fears, and realizations as she explains her own related trauma. Following common themes of loss, pain, and growth, Melodrama has a wide array of sounds, tempos, and mixes that somehow combines to make the perfect musical journey. This release takes Lorde’s musical style to a whole new level, providing tracks that prove her dominance in a self-created genre. • Rachel Cerato (International Affairs and Environmental Studies)

Blonde - Frank Ocean

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

Kanye West kicked off the decade with one of the defining albums of modern hip-hop — grand in scope and relentless in ambition, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy showcases West’s remarkable talent for orchestrating musical experiences that transcend rap. The record plays like an expensive theatrical production, placing the listener in the most extravagant Great Gatsby party imaginable, with a features list on single “All of the Lights” alone that could be the guest list. The track list overflows with luscious instrumentation, genius samples, lyrical snapshots of lavish lifestyles, and spotlights for artists like Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross to deliver the most outstanding verses of their careers. Whether it’s through track runtimes closer to 10 minutes than any radio-friendly alternative, or the incorporation of progressive rock into the album’s biggest hit, on Twisted Fantasy Kanye proves that he will reshape hiphop before ever being defined by it. • Chuck Stein (Computer Science and Music Technology)

As one of the most anticipated albums of the decade, Frank Ocean’s Blonde surpassed the lofty expectations set by his cult-like fanbase following 2012’s critically acclaimed Channel Orange. The first half of Blonde is a love story, describing a short but euphoric summer relationship through warm and heartfelt songs like “Pink + White.” Exactly halfway through the runtime of the album, a climactic beat switch on “Nights” signals the end of the relationship and the beginning of rumination. The second half features slower, more abstract tracks that exhibit Frank Ocean’s profound, melancholy lyricism, along with his powerful vocal range. Blonde is one among many albums to explore love and loss, but its execution is unparalleled, conveying complex emotions through both lyrics and unforgettable instrumentals. • Desmond LaFave (Journalism and Media Screen Studies)

Pure Heroine - Lorde

When Lorde’s Pure Heroine came out in 2013, it filled a hole in pop music. Lorde’s lyrics managed to make suburban teenage life seem simultaneously epic and suffocating, which made the album feel more relatable to her target demographic than anything else on the radio in 2013. In a year dominated by RnB and the last remnants of the club boom, Pure Heroine’s sound was also unlike most of mainstream pop music. Most of the songs are built on a very minimalist combination of trap-reminiscent beats, sparse synthesizer melodies, and Lorde’s multitracked vocals. The sound and lyrical themes took off, paving the way for artists like Alessia Cara, Troye Sivan, and Halsey. • Jayden Khatib (Journalism and Interaction Design)

To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar

Pulling from funk, jazz, soul, and in-between, while delivering its poetically powerful message, To Pimp a Butterfly is Kendrick Lamar’s most musically and thematically intricate record to date. Riding sleek and moody instrumentals, Lamar delivers dense, clever verses through an array of distinct vocal inflections. Artists like Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Anna Wise, Bilal, Kamasi Washington, and Flying Lotus shape the album’s rich sound palette — the foundation on which Lamar details his psychologically trying transition from the streets of Compton to America’s predominantly white, cushy, and manipulative entertainment industry. The album is perfectly structured to fit the titular extended metaphor, which is revealed in detail in the 12- minute masterpiece of a closer, "Mortal Man", in which Kendrick discusses societal perspectives with the ghost of Tupac. With its masterful storytelling, hidden meanings, and nuanced instrumentals, To Pimp a Butterfly is the kind of album you can frequent for years without ever depleting its well of new discoveries waiting to be tapped. • Chuck Stein (Computer Science and Music Technology)

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tastemakers picks: Cover Story

SONGS OF TH

10 "Run Away With Me" - Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen quickly made the pivot from ridicule to critical darling with her 2015 album Emotion, whose first track “Run Away With Me” perfectly captures her innocent and honest pop bliss. Over a yearning saxophone hook, Carly pleads with her lover to "take me to the feeling" and "run away with me" She 's infatuated and hopelessly romantic in such a relatable way that has captured so many fans and truly turned the tides of poptimism this decade. • Grant Foskett (Computer Science)

"Your Best American Girl" - Mitski

“Your Best American Girl” is the closest indie rock gets to emotional alchemy; an ill-fated love story that forms unassumingly to declarations of blistering catharsis. When Mitski proclaims “your mother wouldn’t approve of how my mother raised me,” it’s an exasperated embrace. This is less an identity crisis as it is a confirmation, in acceptance that the cultural mores than inevitably define her have become boundaries to her relationship’s very existence. Ultimately, she posits a cruel truth: love only cannot conquer all. • Willa Shiomos (Computer Science and Design)

"Ultralight Beam" - Kanye West

Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo commences with a bone-chilling, gospel-inspired song that will bring you to your knees. Featuring a slew of artists, including Kelly Price, Chance the Rapper, and even a ten-piece choir, “Ultralight Beam” unites listeners not only with Kanye’s love for God, but also with higher celestial bodies. The deep chords from the organ combined with the heavenly melodies from the choir ignite into a powerful genre-bending anthem. • Lacie Foreht (Communication Studies and Media Screen Studies)

"Oblivion"- Grimes

“Oblivion” is an incredibly simple song with an incredible amount of power. Grimes juxtaposes a bubbling pop beat and her ethereal voice with dark and vulnerable lyrics. She tells the story of an assault that completely changed her life, the subsequent pervasive fear, and reminds her assailant that she will “see you on a dark night,” a line that perfectly captures a subtle mesh of vulnerability and confrontation. Grimes is simultaneously reclaiming the darkness of her assault and letting herself fall into it. She is reaching out for help, but not being heard as a chorus of “la la la” drowns out her pleas in the outro. It makes “Oblivion” a complex anthem about being stuck in the darkness, in the past, and choosing to find some amount of beauty in it. • Grant Foskett (Computer Science)

Fall 2019

"Ribs" - Lorde

The 2010s saw the debut and domination of pop legend Lorde. Featured on debut album Pure Heroine, Lorde’s nostalgic track “Ribs” ranks as our sixth best song of the decade. Like much of her work, the song surrounds the anxiety Lorde associates with growing old and leaving behind youthful innocence. The message and sound of this track is timeless, connecting to people of all ages and lifestyles through her simplistic yet profound lyricism. “Ribs”’ spot on the top ten represents the feelings of growth and identity explored by Lorde and many other artists throughout this past decade and beyond. • Livi Hally (Political Science and International Affairs)

HE DECADE "Devil in a New Dress" - Kanye West

“Devil in a New Dress” serves as a buildup to the emotional centerpiece of Kanye West’s album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and yet holds its own as a phenomenal song showcasing both West’s lyrical skill and ability to induce emotions in anyone who listens. The immaculate production creates an atmosphere true to the message of the song, complete with soulful guitar riffs and heavily altered samples. West raps about trying–and failing–to save a relationship, while still professing his affection. The universality of his statement allows a wide range of listeners to relate to him which furthers the song’s impact. Rick Ross’ feature on the song only works to cement its status as an iconic track, where he delivers possibly the best verse of his career with bar after bar of self-indulgence and grandiosity. • Terrance Dumoulin (Civil Engineering and Architectural Studies)

"Runaway" - Kanye West

In the middle of the grandiose epic that is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye delivers a climax worthy of its nine-minute runtime. “Runaway” shows Kanye at his most unapologetic, pleading for his lover to run away rather than stick out his asshole antics. Ye isn’t going to change, and, at the peak of his career, he doesn’t see a need to. Coupled with Pusha-T’s most extravagant verse, a verse that Kanye made him workshop until it lived up to the “young, rich, and tasteless” claim it ends on and a three-minute string-backed vocoder solo, Kanye’s “toast to the douchebags” is a fantastic representations of the lavishness pop-rap brought in the 2010’s. • Max Rubenstein (Marketing)

"Love It We Made It" - The 1975

From the British band's third record, "Love It If We Made It" lyrically defined one of the most tumultuous years of the decade. Calling out specifically horrific events happening around the world, The 1975 reminded us all what it means to be human. With a hopeful rallying cry, frontman, Matty Healy ushered in an era of young people that demand to be heard. • Emma Turney (Communications)

"Nights" - Frank Ocean

"Alright" - Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar dominated the 2010s with widespread popularity and multiple critically adored albums. Regardless of any critical acclaim, the true marker of his accomplishments is "Alright," which after it's release in 2015 quickly became an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement, where protesters took to the streets in defiance to declare "we gon' be alright." It now stands as both a pillar of one of the decades best albums and as the sound of one of its most important social movements. As Kendrick says "alls my life I've had to fight" and now he's finally made it. • Grant Foskett (Computer Science)

“Nights” is Frank Ocean at his best; every one of his strengths is perfected and on display to full effect in the Blonde centerpiece. Building on his Channel Orange showstopper “Pyramids,” the two-act song returns, this time splitting the hour-long album into uniform hemispheres. Blonde’s first half is notably more upbeat and optimistic than the latter, as reflected in “Nights’” clean guitar riff switching into subdued pianos and trap high-hats. “Nights” is the story of a breakup—one that bleeds from the well wishes of the repeated “everybody needs you” to the reminiscent memories of when things were different: “staying with you when I didn’t have an address // fucking on you when I didn’t own a mattress.”Woven together by Ocean’s sultry yet heartbroken vocals, “Nights” is a nostalgia trip, albeit a somber one, and is a prime candidate for our song of the decade. • Max Rubenstein (Marketing)

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Local Talent

Cannon Few Local Talent

Designer: Gayathri Raj (Experience Design) Fall 2019

Balancing successful academics and a vibrant social life can seem like a daunting task in college, but can be made even more difficult when trying to balance a successful career in music. Local talent Cannon Few knows this struggle all too well, as he focuses both on completing his senior year at Boston College and maintaining recent momentum in his music career. In a time where lines between genres blur and music transcends compartmentalization, Cannon’s music has found a unique niche. He describes the vibe of his music as “hip/hop driven” and “singersongwriter,” which stems from growing up in South Carolina where he was exposed to a diverse range of music. “I would go from playing Avett Brothers’ vinyls on my record player to using bitTorrent to download Kid Cudi’s entire bootleg discography,” Few explains, “I’m sort of addicted to folk sounds and hip/hop rhythms.” Few adds the Beatles, Coldplay, J Cole, and Chance the Rapper as his biggest influences in his work. His blended sound is also balanced with his personal song lyrics that he hopes inspires people to think (“but also dance’). His motto, “words are important,” informs

his songwriting process, which varies from song to song. Few details how some collaborators will play raw tracks and he will retreat to the corner of the room and write verses and improvise melodies until something sticks. Though Few is relatively new to the music scene, his drive and passion for music stems further back. Cannon recalls the day he told his dad he wanted to play the guitar as the same day he bought his black and white Johnson when he was eight. He signed up for guitar lessons at Watson & Woods (“Great place,” he adds), and eventually got to the point where he played on his own. However, it took him a bit longer to take the leap and create his own music. Cannon notes, “I always wanted to pursue [music] seriously, I think in the back of my mind, but never really gave myself permission to acknowledge that until I got to college when some really good people started encouraging me.” With that support system in place, Few’s music has taken off. His first single, “Water Glass” released March 1 of this year, has over a million streams on Spotify to date. Over the summer he released “These

Walls,” and by August landed a feature on the song “Don’t Cry” by Peyton List, who some might remember as Emma on the hit Disney Channel show Jessie. Throughout this excitement, Few also found time to open for Grammy award winning artists Gavin Degraw, Hunter Hayes, and Jon Bellion. Most recently, Cannon released a nostalgic adidas-inspired hit “Stan Smiths” in November. As for the future, Cannon does not seem to be slowing down any time soon. He has an upcoming project to be released in the spring, and after graduation from Boston College in May, aims to pursue music fulltime and is looking to book a tour early next year. Until then, Cannon wants to embrace the last few months of college, but is eager to get out and freely create the music he loves. • Livi Hally (Political Science and International Affairs)

IN DEFENSE OF

By existing in this murky space between genres, they manage to stay unique, despite all the clichés they buy into. And although they’ve had their fair share of imitators over the years, no one has really been able to emulate their exact mix of haunting and powerful. Of course, it would be pretty hard to do so without the powerful vocal chords that Amy brings to the mix. Amy’s voice is indubitably the most musically impressive element of their musical performance. The backing chords are often cheesy and usually simple. But Amy Lee’s voice is different. It’s.... haunting. It’s just so perfect for the music she sings.

And lastly, they create all kinds of iconic moments. I mean, ok, we all know Evanescence is meme-able as hell (looking at you, “Wake Me Up Inside” skeleton), but at least they’re memorable. Plus, even people who don’t know their music have probably cried along to “My Immortal” at some point. Or if they haven’t, they will. It’s a rite of passage that we all must take. In the end, Evanescence unabashedly embraces their darkness, and it can be so direct that it can often come off as cheesy or cliché. But they provide a much needed outlet for teen angst, and often prove that they have the musical chops to pull it off well.

Designer: Angelina Han (Computer Science and Design)

In 2009, wanna-be emos and scene kids worshipped at the feet of Amy Lee. As the front of the band Evanescence, she was the queen in every sad boy’s dream. Unfortunately, in middle school I was one of those people, although you wouldn’t have been able to tell by looking at me. Not brave enough (perhaps thankfully) to cultivate an emo style, my outlet was the sounds of pop punk and goth metal. So looking back at that time period understandably makes me cringe, and I think that many others can relate. Evanescence just reminds us too much of the awkward, brace-teethed lives we used to live. They occupied a particularly unique space in the musical landscape. The scene kids of the time were so visually striking that they instantly recognizable today as belonging to a certain era. Looking back at this phase (turns out it was just a phase), theres nothing that particulary stood the test of time. There’s just nothing that’s particularly cool or edgy about it anymore. But it stood far, far apart from anything that was being produced in the mainstream, and there’s something to be said for that. In some ways, Evanescence is the same. The range of production that the band engages in is really impressive. It can be hard to notice because their songs exist on a range, from sad to angry and back to super depressed. But if you listen carefully, they’re actually span a wide range of styles, from harsher, angry rock to the desperately longing, stripped down, piano backed “My Immortal.”

• Nell Snow (Journalism & Media and Screen Studies)

Interview Designer: Nicholas Alonzo (Architecture)

Atlanta native and hip-hop up-and-comer Zaia is opening for Skizzy Mars in support of his new EP, RESET. Interviews Editor, Max Rubenstein, got a chance to catch up before his set at the Royale.

Z: Big facts.

Tastemakers Music Magazine (TMM): Your EP RESET is great; I think it really highlights your versatility. Songs like “WASTE MY TIME” have you rapping over a stripped back bass line drum combo, where “BLUE” dips into synth pop and alt rock. Who are some of your influences?

Z: Oh yeah. With every project, I just want to create a world around it. The more I can experiment, the better I get at creating whole worlds for people to jump into. Something like a tamer David Bowie, but really just creating something for the music to live in. Not just audio.

Zaia (Z): Kid Cudi for sure! As soon as I got into music other than hip-hop, a huge influence of mine was stuff like MGMT and Tame Impala. Growing up there’s always pop hits, but people like Kanye West and Chance the Rapper were really important to me. When I was young, my Mom would play artists like Curtis Mayfield, Whitney Houston, Lenny Williams, a lot of old stuff.

TMM: How much of the video process were you a part of?

TMM: It is so easy to get your music out there right now and you don’t need a major label backing you to make it, and because of that I feel like so much music has a similar sound and vibe to it; I really feel like you bring something new to the table. When I saw you play at Northeastern in October you played a couple of new tracks that were heavily rock influenced… is that a direction we can expect you to dive deeper into with future releases? Z: Definitely. I like to make music. When I hear something that sounds cool to me I want to hear myself on it; I want all my projects to be versatile. The last thing I want is for all my projects to sound the same. I want to have the freedom to create what I want to create.

Fall 2019

TMM: For sure… that’s that Kid Cudi influence. Every album he’s doing something different, from a poppy Man on the Moon to a chaotic rock album like Speeding Bullet 2 Heaven where he’s going off the rails on his Nirvana shit.

TMM: I loved the visual component to RESET. Was video always the plan?

Z: Everything. Big shout out to my creative director, Chance… he definitely molded what I wanted into something fluid and cohesive. Since the beginning, I’ve always been a part of stuff like that. Before I was doing music I was heavily into film because it’s what my Dad does. He was in the sports side of it, but I was always close to a camera; when it comes to music videos, that’s always something I want to be a part of. After music I want to get into making movies. TMM: Are there any directors that influence you? Z: Quentin Tarantino for sure. I’m not a huge movie buff, but I love movies. I’m not someone who’s gonna look at the credits for everything, but the way his movies compare to other movies is just ridiculous. He’s a standout for me.

TMM: Switching gears, Atlanta is such a hub for hip-hop and R&B right now. How much of where you’re from influences your music?

was just buying beats off of YouTube and then I ended up linking up with those producers and now we’re here.

Z: Not that much. The Atlanta music scene is something I’m new to, and when I was coming up in it, I didn’t want to be like everyone else in the scene. I didn’t want to make music that has super heavy 808s. Now I’m experimenting with it all a lot more, but when I was in High School just starting and trying to fit in, I was just trying to wrap my head around everything and appreciate as much music as possible.

TMM: How is it working with people remotely over the internet? Z: At first I wasn’t even talking to him, but now he’s like my brother. At first though, I was just finding a beat on YouTube, recording a song to it, paying him, and putting it out. It wasn’t like a back and forth thing. Now I’m not really working remotely. I’ll go out to LA and sit in the studio with him and make songs.

TMM: You’re on tour with Skizzy Mars! How did you guys link up? Z: He just hit me up on Instagram. He heard my music and DM’d me, told me he dug my music, and a few days later I got the call that he wanted me to go on tour with him. The power of the internet! TMM: Looking at RESET’s production credits it seems like you have a pretty consistent set of collaborators. How involved are you in the production process? Z: I’m just starting to get into making beats; I’m in the studio with them giving notes on what I like and don’t like, but I try to be hands off. Anybody can make a song by themselves, but somebody bringing something else to the table lets you expand, you know? They can show you something that you might’ve missed or something you wouldn’t have done. That pushes you to another level and changes the way you approach everything. It’s all organic. I need people to bounce ideas off of. TMM: Like you were saying before, your sound isn’t that trap banger, that typical Atlanta 808 beat. How did you link up with your producers? Z: Again, man, the power of the internet. I didn’t have a ton of friends in High School and we weren’t really well connected in Atlanta, so everything was done through the internet. I hit up as many blogs and publications outside of Atlanta to hear my stuff as I could. I’m not an extroverted person; I see people at parties walking up to everyone and I’m not somebody who can do that, so the internet let me do all of this without having to go outside. Connecting with people who know people, and sooner than later, I started gaining more traction and people started listening. I

TMM: You can see that that is where the industry is heading. Someone like Lil Nas X made “Old Town Road” off of a beat pack and it really goes to show how much easier music is to make and put out now. Z: Working with somebody in real time is always going to be 100% better. It’s all organic, you know? The feeling is there. You have somebody to bounce energy off of. If a song is lit, you have somebody to get lit with. When you have to send a draft over an email it takes that energy out of it. It removes myself from the whole feeling of recording. TMM: It’s been really great to see your come-up as an artist. Do you have any advice for other up and coming artists? Z: Set goals for yourself. Do what you can to achieve what you set. Be as realistic as possible. Every year I say “this is what I want to do next year. This is how far I want to go next year.” I write them down and tell them to my friends and make them happen. Just make the best quality music you can and promote it. I got a lot of no’s, but through the internet I got a lot of yes’s too. Stop just saying things and make it happen. TMM: What are some of those goals for next year? What’s next for Zaia? Z: On my whiteboard at home I have my project that’s going to drop next year and the tour I want to do in 2021. Hopefully I can be headlining my own tour next year or just be a little more recognized in the next year. I’ve experienced being on tours and doing little shows, I just want to experience something bigger than right now. That’s all I can ask for. I just want to grow. TMM: Thanks so much for talking to me and good luck with the rest of tour! • Max Rubenstein (Marketing)

Feature Fall 2019

TikTok is undeniably one of the most momentous pop culture sensations of the modern era. Amassing well over a billion total downloads, the comedy sketch/music video app has surpassed Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat in monthly installs. The userfriendly, approachable medium allows independent creators to make short sketches, voiceovers and lip syncing music videos, most of which revolve around small bites of songs available via the TikTok library. Users have a virtually unlimited selection of music at their disposal, facilitated by the absence of legal restrictions held against their independent use of copywritten music. On this innovative platform, enormously popular tracks produced by big labels, like Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” and Billie Eilish’s “bad guy,” continually thrive in popular culture, being constantly reappropriated into inventive new interpretations—but the app is not exclusively dominated by big names. Individual artists can upload original music either independently or through a distributor like Apple Music, which gain recognition through their use in the thousands of TikToks posted daily. Instant virality can arise from a single hashtag or trend that develops overnight, made uniquely possible by TikTok’s streamlined method of distributing and popularizing any trendy content. This opportunity for virality has already produced unprecedented contemporary music success stories, most significantly Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” which TikTok vaulted from its position as a struggling single to becoming the song with the longest ever reign at #1 on the Billboard Top 100 list. Lil Nas X originally promoted his country-trap track on Twitter and Instagram, but his success was limited until TikTok creators

began capitalizing on the song’s innovative, adaptable composition, morphing into an iconic trend that catapulted the young artist into the spotlight. Lil Nas X’s success can be largely attributed to “Old Town Road’s” marketability in the short, accessible form characteristic of TikTok. Its catchy beat accompanied by quirky, compelling lyrics lent the track to being highlighted in a vast array of sketches and lip syncing videos that garnered massive online attention. A similar story can be told through bbno$ and Y2K’s “Lalala,” as its spoken line “Did I really just forget that melody?” followed by a dynamic bass drop presented a blank canvas for a vast array of spinoffs ranging from dancing videos to hilarious sketches, exposing the track to a wider audience than possible through conventional streaming or downloading methods. Likewise, Joji’s “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” was boosted by the “microwave challenge,” which featured creators spinning around in circles on the floor to the tune of the ballad’s powerful chorus. In all three cases, artists gained instant exposure because of the availability of their music to an audience for the purpose of adapting it to suit an incredible array of comedy. TikTok’s impact on music culture is perhaps most noticeable through its role in the exposure of alternative and indie artists. In the past, appearances on the radio are what frequently catalyzed artists’ explosions in the mainstream, relying on a few key figures within the music industry to popularize their music. Even in the digital streaming age, popularity is achieved through marketing tactics, but TikTok represents the stark divergence from this practice, making discoverability much more accessible through the ubiquitous platform aimed at a huge range of consumers. Through the app, audiences are exposed to unfamiliar songs and genres and a more diverse arrangement of music than mainstream radio and streaming services normally allow, as they promulgate music similar to that which listeners are already familiar with. Indie and alternative music thus becomes more approachable through TikTok, as users do not have to dedicate as much time and effort into expanding their musical palates. This alternative exposure is well represented by Absofacto’s “Dissolve,” a catchy electro-pop beat that saw widespread use on TikTok through a diverse array of visually complex clips involving confusing editing tricks, visually emulating the track’s disorienting qualities. The success of “Dissolve” on TikTok carried over into streaming services as users searched for and listened to the track on other platforms. On Spotify, “Dissolve” has garnered over 50 million listens—more than 30 times the amount of Absofacto’s second-most popular track. Why mona’s recent success is analogous in that their genre-bending “Wannabe” has amassed significantly more listens than their other tracks. Bag Raiders’ “Shooting Stars” has seen

similar success, being appropriated by another sketch comedy trend, with almost 200 million Spotify listens, and the popularity of Blanco Brown’s “The Git Up” on TikTok increased his monthly listeners to over 5 million. Audiences being exposed to these alternative and indie tracks on TikTok consistently translates into a surge in the crossplatform success of these artists’ content, familiarizing listeners with non-mainstream music. This exposure leading to future success is best exemplified when “Not Your Barbie Girl” by Ava Max began starring in its own TikTok trend which increased the 25-year-old pop artist’s following. This enabled her future release, “Sweet But Psycho,” to become an international hit, gathering over 500 million Spotify listens. A plethora of different indie artists have had songs frequently appear on TikTok, with names like Cavetown, Jack Stauber, Cuco, SALES, Conan Gray, and mxmtoon gaining recognition. But TikTok is not exclusively a positive force on the industry. Streaming has reduced direct revenue for artists compared to vinyl, CD, and online distributor releases where they receive direct profit from sales. Although artists can sometimes receive royalties, although meager, the question remains if exposure will remain a sufficient currency for the fair use of music. Artists not represented by record labels or professional agents can receive almost nothing from the videos with millions of views in which their original music

Designer: Roman Distefano (Interaction Design)

“As TikTok’s prominence as a crowdsourced video sharing social media app continues to thrive, its reliance on music as content is emblematic of the modern shift in music consumption and culture”

appears. Additionally, TikTok’s imperfect labeling system means artists can sometimes wait for months to even receive partial credit for their music’s virality, strikingly preventing their exposure on other streaming sites. Defining what achieving success means as an artist through TikTok is characterized by the imperfect and exploitative nature of the app’s licensing regulations and guidelines. The TikTok algorithm is also not non-discriminatory, as the short clip maximum length disproportionately boosts bubblegum-pop, trap, and vivacious electro-pop beats, because their characteristic distinct chord and mood shifts, accompanied by intense beat drops, lend themselves to shorter-form comedy use. As individual singles are becoming the most relevant avenue for artists to tell stories, as opposed to through the length of an entire album, TikTok is exacerbating this shift in musical purpose from long, narrative storytelling to more easily consumable, shorter methods. As TikTok’s prominence as a crowd-sourced video sharing social media app continues to thrive, its reliance on music as content is emblematic of the shift in modern music consumption and culture. Multinational pop sensations continue to thrive through these shorter, attractive adaptations of listenable beats, while alternative and indie artists receive massive amounts of cross-platform exposure, with some becoming pop sensations themselves through this spotlight. As the radio fades and streaming services continue to dominate the music industry, short-form music has and will continue to become increasingly successful across different media outlets. Brief clips of memorable tracks are becoming the contemporary methodology for virality, and TikTok’s indisputable promotion of this trend will continue to be on the forefront of producers’ and independent artists’ marketing strategies in the future, fundamentally altering the way we approach music. • Ethan Matthews (Architecture)

Local Photos

FINNEAS, Paradise Rock Club

Photo by Emily Gringorten (Computer Science and Media Arts)

Kishi Bashi, Royale

Photo by Casey Martin (Communication and Media Screen Studies)

Taz, Middle East

Photo by Saakhi Singh (Media and Screen Studies)

Baby Rose, The Regency Ballroom

Photo by Gabbie Whittle (Mechanical Engineering)

Pentatonix, Agganis Arena

Photo by Lauren Scornavacca (Industrial Engineering)

Lost Kings, Paradise Rock Club

Photo by Annina Hare (Marketing)

We want to extend a huge thank you to all of our Fall 2019 donors. With their donations, we were able to fund our upcoming Spring Presents Concert, which will feature free live music from an outside performer. Presents gives our members hands-on experience in event management, marketing, design, photography, interviewing, and more. Attendees will not only gain lifelong professional skills, but an unforgettable experience within a community of both different and like-minded music enthusiasts. Please continue to support us and our mission to give students professional experience and a voice in the music community!

Donors Hannah Crotty Ali Rubenstein Abraham McCarthy Zoran Maricevic Kwok Wong Jin Huang Lonnie Yan Fiona Lau Terence Tsang Kaitlyn Wong Gary Wilson Nancy Welsh Isbell Shannon Foskett Edward and Kate Greenberg Calista Irawan Megan Yan

Ada Ho Jana Dengel James Tarrant David McDevitt Robert and Muriel Henderson Elizabeth Curry Philip Katz Fred Isbell Justine Cowan Billy Crotty Jan Ho Mark Quercio Kwok Ying and Lisa Wong

Editorial

MOM POP

Fall 2019

Mom Pop: a collection of music which especially appeals to the Western mother, consisting primarily of family friendly, charttopping pop songs created as a result of mass marketing efforts.

topping hits aren’t always groundbreaking, but they always make their cultural mark and it is safe to say that moms across the nation embrace these ones whether it be for the sake of convenience, obligation or genuine enjoyment.

Leading Ladies of Mom Pop

It’s no secret that pop music is all centered around the same topics, and these artists deliver those age-old messages with the added benefit of making older audiences feel young again. Ushering in wide claps and loud sing-a-longs, the queens of pop radio are saviors to many a morning commute, town sport drop-off or empty nest coping party. Early 2000s artists like Kelly Clarkson brought nighttime entertainment from shows like American Idol into the car with empowering breakup anthems like “Since You’ve Been Gone.” Taylor Swift took listeners back in time with the high school themes of “You Belong With Me” and the youthful bliss of “22.” Former behind-thescenes writer Meghan Trainor burst into the pop scene with her throwback-inspired earworms such as “All About That Bass” and “Dear Future Husband” that were simultaneously loved and loathed. Chart-

Singer Songwriter Mom Pop

The Singer Songwriter Mom Pop sub genre includes artists who churn out wholesome, sentimental coffee shop tracks that sometimes hit a little too close to home, but can be swayed/snapped along to nonetheless. Leading this category we find beloved Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles, who have both proven to be broadly influential songwriters in their own rights. The bouncy piano tracks and gooey ukulele love songs are classic staples of adult contemporary radio, not to mention that these artists’ live shows make for excellent anniversary date nights. Their family-friendly nature also plays a big role in these artist’s popularity among this market, as their content is more than appropriate for when the kids are around. Another artist who is not to be missed within this sub genre is the ballad queen herself, Adele,

who has redefined what it means to make popular music in today’s day and age. She has become the spokeswoman for broken hearts everywhere, the voice behind many butchered karaoke wine nights and the storyteller who takes everyone back to “the one that got away.” Moms eat that right up.

Mom Pop Men The Mom Pop Men bring out the wild sides of our maternal masses. Artists fitting into this category truly make music for “everyone and their mother.” The combination of catchy radio singles and charming smiles is what makes Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake so irresistible to them. The cheesy lyrical content of these artists is just the cherry on top of it all. Many middle-aged women dream of the day they can watch their daughter swaying her first dance to any Ed Sheeran song. What makes these artists special (and most mom pop artists) is their adamant staying power in pop culture. Groups like Train have been around since the beginning of the 2000s and have continued to gain consistent airplay. This can be directly attributed to their family-appeal. The engagement of older audiences tends to be much more loyal and keeps artists from becoming stale as quickly as those popular

solely among teenagers do today. So long as Bruno Mars keeps minivans jumping and Charlie Puth keeps mothers believing there are good guys out there, nobody has to worry about these men going anywhere.

“Don’t You Remember” Mom Pop The final phase of Mom Pop takes us back in time. As much as today’s adult population can get behind modern pop, they’ll always say that there’s nothing like the classics. “Don’t You Remember” Mom Pop captures music from the likes of stadium rock band Journey

and eclectic singer/songwriter Elton John. Not only does music from this sector sound just as good as it did back in the day, but it also brings forth all of the beloved memories associated with it. After school car rides blasting Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” come to mind. Wild images from clubbing nights surface upon hearing tracks from C and C Music Factory and Madonna. It’s all a reminder of when things were much simpler. Timeless tracks from this era like Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” have even permeated the modern music sphere through their lasting popularity among older crowds (and we’re not mad about it). In fact, the ever-present culture of mom pop is solely responsible for bridging the gap between these older records and today’s younger audiences, so we must always remember to give credit where it’s due.

Conclusion By its own very nature, Mom Pop brings generations together. It connects the dots between the old and the new by facilitating a tradeoff of content between the Western mother and those who come after her. Maybe it’s the culture-defining, overplayed earworms. Perhaps it’s the welcome illusion of perfect smiles and blinding confidence pop music has presented to us from the very start. Regardless, whether or not anybody is willing to admit it, we all have a soft spot for mom pop. • Drew Quercio (Music Industry)

Designer: Gabby Bruck (Business and Design)

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Spotify’s

cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel cancel

Culture decision to revoke XXXTentacion’s previous punishment only left users more confused as to how and why Spotify was using their Hate Content & Hateful Conduct Policy to handle controversial artists in the industry. As Spotify continues to develop new ways to check artists by providing block features that allow users to mute specific artists from their library, the impact of cancel culture continues to raise questions about who should be the deciding body of an artists behaviour. The concept of establishing profit driven companies as the sole moral police is rather flawed at its initial conception. If Spotify’s attempt at a vague conduct policy highlighted anything about streaming platforms, it’s that at the core of it all, companies like Spotify don’t care who is getting the streams, so long as someone is able to generate streams and in turn create profits for the platform. It also calls attention to Spotify’s social reach and role as a middleman between consumers and record labels. Spotify’s move to cut finances from certain artists as a result of backlash from “cancelled” artists may satisfy users that can confirm wrongful actions of R. Kelly or XXXTentacion. However, labels are also able to pull their rostered artists from the platform, monopolizing content on other streaming platforms like Apple Music or Tidal, and can easily sway the platform into loosening their ethical positions out of fear of jeopardizing their market position among competitors. Instead of pointing fingers at Spotify to moderate the ethics of which artists are entitled to increased monetary funds on their platforms, it’s important to remember who exactly is responsible for giving these artists their platforms in the first place. The responsibility should be placed on record labels that allow such artists the privilege of being part of their roster. A label’s control over which artists are promoted and pushed through the system allows abusers exponential success to be garnered. The most power and possibility for change lies in the hands of the elite who mindlessly propel artists regardless of their abusive tendencies or numerous allegations. It comes down to holding the industry to a proper standard, which takes time to implement in its perfect. • Maya Dengel (Communication and Media and Screen Studies)

Designer: Shannon Ehmsen (Studio Art)

In May of 2018, Spotify enacted a Hate Content & Hateful Conduct Policy, in which artists who engaged in harmful or hurtful actions would be removed from staff curated editorial and algorithmic playlists. The policy, while overall a bit vague, was crafted with the help of advocacy and violence prevention groups including the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Anti-Defamation League, Color Of Change, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), GLAAD, Muslim Advocates, and the International Network Against Cyber Hate. With the announcement of the new policy, R.Kelly’s music was notably removed from all of Spotify’s editorial and algorithmic playlists following his countless abuse charges, which include sexual abuse and misconduct, often with underage girls. The decision to remove Kelly from playlisting on the platform was monumental, giving the illusion to users that “canceled” artists would not be granted privileges the various playlists supply. Playlisting on Spotify has become an essential element to an artists success, granting them the capability of expanding their global reach and monetary earnings exponentially. While Kelly’s music was still accessible on the platform, fans hoping to hear hits like “Ignition,” had to manually type in the artist’s name or add them to their personal playlists if they wanted to hear his music. Spotify’s policy at face value appeared to mark a change for an industry that has notoriously prioritized profits over artist accountability. However, the execution of the streaming platform’s rules falls flat. How do we judge actions as “harmful and hurtful,” and who exactly is the deciding body? Did we all forget about Kanye West’s assertion that slavery was a choice? Or perhaps Michael Jackson’s countless child pedophilia charges is acceptably overriden by his cultural currency? If Spotify’s policy was speaking to anything, it’s that cancel culture itself has become more about allowing personal catharsis for holding idols accountable rather than actually addressing societal issues relating to misconduct. Eventually, the policy, which lasted under a month, was dropped after backlash from industry figures – including artists like Kendrick Lamar – who noted it was being used to target specific artists while avoiding others entirely. The death of the policy was also notably attributed to Spotify’s actions following the passing of rapper XXXtentatcion, who at the time was awaiting trial for false imprisonment, witness tampering, and aggravated battery of a pregnant woman. Under Spotify’s initial policy, XXXTentatcion’s songs were completely removed from all playlists curated by the platform before making a prominent resurgence post mortem on popular compilations like Rap Caviar, as well as a highlighted section on the dashboard of Spotify users home page. The questionable

Editorial

ryo has been my favorite artist for eight years, and that’s a testament to a music connoisseur with a serious untreated case of ADD. The music of his projects (supercell, EGOIST, and Tia) has pushed genre vastly in the world of J-pop, and his style continues to expand on the musical imaginary. After their first release, every album ryo proceeded to create forced me to grapple with styles I wasn’t acquainted with, and often it took time to decide my feelings on a full-length album. With three active music projects (two of which have been around for nearly a decade) ryo’s discography offers a varied collection of endeavors into just about every genre – with of course a little classic J-pop flair.

supercell

supercell 2009

supercell set the musical standard for essentially all of ryo’s projects. Melodically conventional of pop, his tracks chose odd chord progressions, mixing jazz elements and obvious electronic samples amidst the typical piano rock instrumentation. Additionally, using solely Hatsune Miku, the digital singing software, as his sole vocalist on the LP sent both supercell and Miku to the top of the Oricon charts. The release of the album via Sony Japan misrepresents its humble starts. A large portion of the tracks were produced before 2009 and released independently wherein supercell became a great indie success, leading to a re-mastering and release of the album in 2009 with an expanded track list. ryo takes advantage of the persona of Miku – a 16 year old digital pop star – to write songs about young love in an earnest and uninhibited manner. Though sometimes lyrically thin, the album offers realism to the character of Hatsune Miku, solidifying itself in niche musical history. Recommended Tracks: “Koi ha Sensou” (“Love is War”), “World is Mine”, “Line”

Today is a Beautiful Day

supercell 2011

ryo’s second full length project switched his gaze from digital songstresses to Nagi Yanagi, whom he had approached after she had covered songs from his previous project and uploaded them to video-sharing site Nico Nico Douga. The style stayed loyal to that of supercell with the hit “Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari” (The Story You Don’t Know), but it was clear that ryo’s resources had expanded since his indie days, with tracks sounding fuller production-wise and even more operatic musically. “Love & Roll” offers an electronic take on ryo’s pop with pumping synths that often clash tonally with Yanagi’s crystalline vocals singing at haunting fifths. Today is a Beautiful Day showed that ryo has truly found not only his sound but grown comfortable with expanding it. Recommended Tracks: “Love & Roll”, “Sayonara Memories”, “Hero”

Fall 2019

EGOIST 2012

EGOIST was started as a fictional band in the anime “Guilty Crown” for which ryo was composing a large portion of the score. The band was composed of several of supercell’s original visual artists as well as the new vocal edition, chelly, who was 17 at the time of recording. Extra Terrestrial Biological Entities presented ryo’s more niche musical interest and his appetite for stringing them together. Techno drums meet symphony orchestras and jazz interludes in ways that still confound me every time I listen to the album. The operatic style of the LP’s first single “The Everlasting Guilty Crown” blends seamlessly with the pulsing four-on-the-floor beat and aggressive synth-laden backing. As ryo’s first divorce from the sonically conventional, Extra Terrestrial Biological Entities serves as a sort of thesis to ryo’s discography.

Designer: Ryan Fleischer (Marketing and Design)

Extra Terrestrial Biological Entities

Recommended Tracks: “The Everlasting Guilty Crown”, “Teokure” (“Too Late”), “Love Struck”

Zigaexperientia

supercell 2013

After Yanagi departed supercell ryo set out to find a new main vocalist via public auditions, settling on the 15-year-old Koeda. In contrast to her age, Koeda offered aggressive, slick vocal leads to the most metal-adjacent project created by ryo. The signature anime-rock optimism of prior supercell releases is replaced in first half of the bands third LP with winding cries of isolation and sharply dissonant guitar countermelodies. “White Seiyaku” (“White Pharmacy”) foreshadows the harsh sonics of ryo’s later releases, both within supercell and EGOIST. Anthemic moments only come in the latter half of the album (see: “The Bravery”, “My Dearest”), inviting the suggestion of narrative pretense but falling just short of a unified story. Zigaexperientia, much like ryo’s other large bodies of work, is much more analogous to a collection of vignettes than a novel, and herein lies one of ryo’s great charms. Every song constructing Zigaexperientia listens as entirely realized – a breath of fresh air from a musical zeitgeist of high concept and long track lists – and comprises an artistic venture far bolder than any other extended piece by ryo. Recommended Tracks: “No. 525300887039”, “Jikan Ressha” (“Time Train”), “My Dearest”

Singles and Other Projects

supercell \ EGOIST \ Tia

Editorial

Ryo has continued to create endeavors in supercell, EGOIST, and Tia (a new musical act for whom ryo composes a large portion of her music). Until recent, chelly has continued to create singles and EPs with ryo, both under the pseudonym of EGOIST and as a feature on supercell releases. Koeda has been replaced with two new, Ann and Gaku, whom with supercell released their first single in September. Ryo has expanded upon his more obscure musical predilections and often takes advantage of the fact that his work is frequently commissioned for anime or video games to create music that is filled with cinematic intensity while adhering to melodic conventions of J-pop. EGOIST’s 2015 single “Fallen” best illustrates this specific knack for subverting the J-pop canon with instrumental breaks that entirely dispose of any sense of time signature and a guitar solo that sounds like you need a new pair of headphones. Hearing what was once an interplay between melody and countermelody replaced with an interplay between melody and noise is simultaneously jarring and deeply alluring, Recommended Tracks: “Fallen”, “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress”, “Suki to Iwareta Hi”

···

I feel so lucky to have witnessed the evolution of ryo’s music in that it has largely shaped my own instincts with respect to what I seek in a song. Ryo has exposed me to styles and ideas I have felt reluctant to listen to yet without fault, endears me to them. The mastery of compositional variety shown in ryo’s discography sets him up far less to be a successful pop star than a renowned composer, yet he has even managed to claw his way into a sector that is generally unforgiving to unconventionality – a testament to the singularity of his work. • Nikolas Greenwald (Chemical Engineering) I feel so lucky to have witnessed the evolution of ryo’s music in that it has largely shaped my own instincts with respect to what I seek in a song. Ryo has exposed me to styles and ideas I have felt reluctant to listen to yet without fault, endears me to them. The mastery of compositional variety shown in ryo’s discography sets him up far less to be a successful pop star than a renowned composer, yet he has even managed to claw his way into a sector that is generally unforgiving to unconventionality – a testament to the singularity of his work.

Fall 2019

Album Reviews Rex Orange County Pony Released October 25, 2019 Label Sony Music Genre Indie Pop Tasty Tracks “Face to Face”, “Never Had the Balls”, “Pluto Projector”. “10/10”

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4 3 2 1 growth that continues to be a theme throughout the album. “Face To Face” is one of those songs that I could honestly listen to regardless of my mood due to its melodramatic message but abrupt tempo changes throughout. And, honestly, “Pluto Projector” and “It’s Not The Same Anymore” will be the next songs I turn to when that seasonal sadness hits. Pony is one of those albums where you need to trust that the singles and starred tracks on Apple Music will lead you in the right direction. Everyone could probably find something that intrigues or excites them about the remaining seven tracks, but if you want to be ahead of the times and know which songs will be overplayed on the radio, you know where to look. Alex O’Connor is fairly new on the music scene. He was catapulted from Soundcloud into fame in a mere year and a half, rushed into releasing Apricot Princess, and just brought us his first fully developed album, at least in my opinion. And it’s okay that not every song is a #1 hit, I would be genuinely surprised if that was true. So when I simply shrug at many

of the songs from Pony, it’s in the best possible way. It’s near impossible to have a 100% perfect album, especially on his first release with Sony Music. However, Rex Orange County has a future ahead of him and some experience behind him, and I have hope and confidence that with each release, we’ll continue to see his sound develop and his style be consistently innovative.

Rachel Cerato (International Affairs and Environmental Studies)

Designer: Jenny Chen (Business Administration and Design)

I’m not going to lie: I don’t know every single Rex Orange County song. To be even more honest, I didn’t even know that his real name was Alexander O’Connor until I typed it into Google. That’s why when I went back to listen to Rex’s music before the drop of his new album Pony I was shocked by the genuine lack of output by this artist. And then I realized: he’s only been well-known and masspublicizing music since 2016. Yes, that was three years ago --a long time if you’re considering the leaps and bounds of the music industry in that time-- but I was genuinely surprised. In my personal timeline, it has felt like Rex Orange County has been progressing the popularity of indie pop for much longer. That’s why I have mixed feelings about this album. On one hand, I have the highest expectations of any individual who’s the mind behind “Lovin’ is Easy” or “Sunflower,” and can perform with Tyler the Creator himself, but I can’t say that every song on Pony was innovative or attention grabbing. I put this album on repeat for the day of its release and I can genuinely say that I didn’t absorb 50% of the songs until I specifically singled them out; they just all seemed to blend together in a mash of electronic pop/jazz and soulful vocals. And this may be exactly what some people want: a background soundtrack to the everyday. But “Every Way” lacks the lyrical significance to be a notable 2:13 song and comes off as a first-draft love song whereas “Stressed Out” merely sounds like a lazy prelude to “Never Had The Balls.” For those of us expecting more, only a few of Rex’s new songs will be remembered past one listen. Although his album as a whole isn’t exactly memorable, I don’t want to undercut the beauty behind several of the songs from this release. “10/10” is the perfect way to start off this record, a catchy reminiscence on his personal

Tessa Violet Bad Ideas

Released October 25, 2019 Label TAG MUSIC Genre Indie pop Tasty Tracks “Crush”, “Bored”, “Wishful Thinking”, “Honest”

Reviews Fall 2019

Tessa Violet is more than just her yellow hair and quirky personality—her music explores the depths of indie pop, producing iconic hits while utilizing soft, personal vocals to explore the reaches of the genre. Violet’s first album, Bad Ideas, marks the culmination of her musical evolution thus far. From her 2016 EP “Halloway” through her 2018 singles “Crush” and “Bad Ideas,” the solo artist began displaying her growth, branching out from typical indie pop standards of upbeat, predictable vocals to an enthralling, crisp, and personal sound. As “Crush” climbed the indie pop charts, listeners were eager for new releases, and after her July EP “Bad Ideas (Act One)” assembled her three newest tracks, we were left wondering in which direction she would go next. The subsequent single, “Games,” further demonstrated her development, enticing listeners into the full album Bad Ideas, exceeding expectations and furthering the innovation of her colorful sound. The album is introduced by a short prelude which, although a sharp departure from Violet’s previous releases, effectively hooks the listener, initiating the immersive experience of Bad Ideas. The end of “Prelude” surges in energy, culminating in a cliffhanger and commanding anticipation. This leads to the familiar “Crush,” settling into the satisfying comfort of Violet’s bubbly style, but the melody of “Prelude” has already invigorated and energized, indicating the unpredictability of the album’s composition. Violet capitalizes on this introduction, fulfilling the anticipatory excitement for engaging new tracks by presenting a diverse array of alt-pop anthems, expanding from her previous hits and illustrating her vocal and rhythmic range while not straying from her recognizable sound. “Feelin,” the first full new track, is volumetric and edgy, packed with unconventional electronic instrumentation. Violet explores a similarly invigorating melody in “Bored” without being repetitive, introducing new instrumentals and base

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6 5 4 3 2 1 lines with each track. “Wishful Drinking” fulfills a similar niche as well, while successfully treading the line between a Billie Eilish-esque dark thematic presence and Violet’s characteristic light, contemporary vocals. The composition of Bad Ideas is wellbalanced with the inclusion of multiple slower songs, most notably “Words Ain’t Enough,” in which Violet enchantingly reveals a personal account of emotional manipulation. “Honest,” the most peculiar track on the album, includes Violet’s iconic soft vocals with striking bass shifts and experimental, dramatic piano chords. The track perfectly complements Violet’s inherently intimate vocals with an impassioned account of emotional anguish and self-awareness. This daring exploration of unconventional production combinations is the best evidence of Violet’s eagerness to continue finding her own sound. The record concludes with the mellow “Interlude III,” leaving a satisfying glaze of completion after attentively listening to the dramatic and immersive beauty of the rest of the album. Each individual track possesses the ability to succeed separately from the album—already proven with “Crush” and “Bad Ideas”—and both “Games” and “Words Ain’t Enough” will undoubtedly thrive on indie pop hot playlists. But the record is more than a collection of fresh tracks; it is Violet’s vocal progression. Well-rounded and inviting the listener on an emotionally engaging journey by

dispersing energetic and mellow beats, Bad Ideas explores the potency of juxtaposing indie pop typology against raw, vulnerable vocals. However, as Violet’s first album release, the experimental effects of multiple tracks is slightly disjointed, not revolving around a central axis of exploration. If there were a couple more tracks like “Honest” paired with the recognizable “Bad Ideas” and “Crush,” the album would be more apparent in its intention to discover an uncommon assortment of melodies. Although Bad Ideas is an impressive

first release, Violet has not quite fully realized the potential of her unparalleled sound. The album is successful as a collection of well-composed individual releases and serves as the guide between eleven excellent songs, but does not formulate its own independent identity. Yet the success of each individual track and their continuous evolution will easily solidify Violet in the indie pop scene, and her future releases will be eagerly awaited with the hope that her sound can fully mature into a cohesive, expertly composed record.

Ethan Matthews (Architecture)

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Caroline Polachek Pang

Released October 18, 2019 Label Perpetual Novice Genre Alternative/Indie Tasty Tracks “So Hot You’re Hurting my Feelings”, “Door”, “Parachute”

Caroline Polachek’s work often functions with an oblique vulnerability, where the most intimate of confessions sear with devastating brightness. On “Crying in Public”, one of the final singles from her former band Chairlift, Polachek envelops what ought to be a moment of humiliation in glowing warmth, hovering in the tender stasis of the natural push and pull of longing. It’s comforting and embarrassing all at once, an expression of the wistful joy that comes with feeling anything at all. Polachek’s first solo album under her own name, Pang, flirts with this dichotomy similarly, but entangles contradiction with toyings of the artificial. Particularly, her voice is often used in the reverse of convention; where it is pure and present, it exists as a percussive element of the arrangement, yet elsewhere, when it plays lead with sentiments that ring distinctively personal, it is autotuned to the likeness of glistening, synthetic machinery. On “Ocean Of Tears” particularly, she sputters and spins her soprano with a baroquian extravagance, its tone manipulated towards a futuristic binary of woman and robot. Perhaps Polachek’s first direct application of this technique is within her feature on the similarly experimental Charli XCX’s “Tears”. The song’s sparkling vocal distortion builds the veneer that covers its emotional core, bursting open at the edges whenever Polachek screams out, her noise glitching with haunting dissolve. Charli

and Polachek share collaborators, with PC Music’s Danny L Harle co-producing much of Pang. But where Charli’s music is hard-partying and glossy even at its most dejected, Polachek processes her sorrow in solitude, finding solace in home rather than a dancefloor, as demonstrated on the heartbrokenly relieved “I Give Up”. Similarly, Pang represents something more intimate than the work typically associated with the PC Music camp, lacking the intrinsic irony the collective’s work is for the most part defined by. “Look At Me Now,” for instance, is a sincere ballad of reflection, on Polachek’s apathy post-divorce and her hopeful reckoning in its wake. And even where the hornily hip “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings,” winks, it does so sincerely; this is, afterall, a track featuring the lyrics “show me the banana,” that still manages to play with utter integrity. Yet, what Polachek does share with the catalog of PC Music is an identity within the oxymoronic “underground pop” genre, where the deceptive clarity of pop’s harmonies can live outside the corporate window of what pop music was manufactured to exist for. The niche also allows for a more apparent and vast range of influences: Chairlift was considered to be part of Brooklyn’s past DIY indie rock scene, but Polachek also released an ambient, vocaless album under her initials CEP, as well as a mysterious, partially pastoral record inspired by 70s horror film soundtracks as the persona Ramona Lisa. Elsewhere, Polachek co-wrote “No Angel” for Beyonce’s self-titled album, cementing the instincts of chillwave into the realm of the very mainstream. Polachek’s crossing of worlds is ubiquitous in every fiber of Pang, imbuing the music with a studied idiosyncrasy. There are times when possibly too many elements are at play: “New Normal”, shifts too drastically, from a country slide guitar, to a standard pop guitar line, to later, dark, punctuated beats that recall those associated with trap music. But the album is largely served by its relatively genreless approach, the antithetical nature of its components shaping something intensely contemporary. The more electronic, negating sensibilities of Pang also expand to its understanding of form, of how we exist in servitude to the impulses of the body. Polachek notes that during the album’s creation, she was dealing with overactive adrenals which caused her to have intense

adrenaline rushes at random, inducing insomnia and rapid weight loss. Pang is named in reference to these inner surges, of the sensory level highs and lows that wrestle within. Often, computerized vocal processing can serve as a worthy disguise by which to break apart from the body, demonstrating a desire to twist its boundaries above the influence of repressive impulses and the fluctuating form, further towards the static and cyborgian. On “Hit Me Where It Hurts,” Polachek says she’s “feeling like a butterfly trapped inside a plane”; it’s the delicate confined by the industrial, cocooned by a shell of fire and steel. Album closer “Parachute” sees Polachek trying to transcend form altogether, to exist above everything, to find peace overlooking chaos. It represents a rare moment of perfect balance, soaring atop “strip malls, highways, and treetops,” the markings of an evocative anywhere. For a spare moment, she can exist not as human or machine, free of the whims of the anthropoid body, as something otherworldly, floating on a dream carefully and completely, until she must land back down on earth.

Willa Shiomos (Computer Science and Design)

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Caroline Polachek’s former band 2. Tessa Violet’s first EP 3. Name of a screamo band and a flower 4. Competitor of Spotify

DOWN 1. One of Bob Dylan’s most critically acclaimed albums 2. Vocalist of Future Teens- Amy __________ 3. First track off Kim Petras’ new release TURN OFF THE LIGHT 4. Young Thug’s astrological sign

ZOOMED Can you tell which six album covers we’ve zoomed in on?

4. leo 3. purgatory 2. hoffman

ScHoolboy Q CrasH Talk Anderson .Paak Ventura

1. highway

Danny Brown U Know What I’m Saying?

Down:

2nd Row: 4. tidal The National I Am Easy To Find

3. orchid

Maggie Rogers Heard It In A Past Life

2. halloway

Solange When I Get Home

1. chairlift

1st Row:

Across:

LOCAL PHOTO

GRLwood, Great Scott

Photo by Kimmy Curry (Architecture)

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST We’ve put together some of our favorite songs from the albums of the decade. Have a listen! Find the playlist at https://sptfy.com/dc3h • Sofia Maricevic (Finance and Marketing)

1. “Alright” — Kendrick Lamar 2. “The Blacker The Berry” — Kendrick Lamar 3. “Ribs” — Lorde 4. “Buzzcut Season” — Lorde 5. “Self Control” — Frank Ocean 6. “Nights” — Frank Ocean 7. “Devil In A New Dress” — Kanye West 8. “Runaway” — Kanye West 9. “Homemade Dynamite” — Lorde 10. “Liability” — Lorde

FIND YOUNG THUG We’ve hidden Young Thug somewhere in this issue. Find him and maybe something cool will happen...

11. “The Art of Peer Pressure” — Kendrick Lamar 12. “m.A.A.d city” — Kendrick Lamar 13. “Chocolate” — The 1975 14. “Girls” — The 1975 15. “Hold My Liquor” — Kanye West 16. “Blood On The Leaves” — Kanye West 17. “Off To The Races” — Lana Del Rey 18. “Born To Die” — Lana Del Rey 19. “Lights On” — FKA Twigs 20. “Two Weeks” — FKA Twigs