Sleepover by The Beat

sleepover issue #45

hey there! thanks for picking up this issue of THE BEAT! the semester is quickly coming to an end and summer is soon approaching. so why not invite all your friends over for one big sleepover before you all part ways for the summer? weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got some fun tunes for you to jam out to & little games to play, plus your favorite dose of DIY content :~) enjoy ~ <3 THE BEAT <3

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Your B Jo nd od hn M y is a Wo ayer a n a G i ran Ar de make up -Kate Na -sh t a Body He -- Barrie s n Canyo T a l e -- The Jap k W e ane m All i se House the T Joesef o Limb The nge -- Yel Wa ha low C y Things Days - Ambar Lu s cid Eye h C a m pio tt Ma n Fangs j i o D n -k n u Dr

<3 alex + claire

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SUNDAY

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

TUESDAY

MAY 1 kali uchis w/ jorja smith @ agganis arena 8pm

7 adult mom / gobbinjr / long neck @ once ballroom 7pm

6 sneeze / cult fiction / toothbrush / non- @ charlie’s kitchen 8pm* 13

14 nanami ozone / hypoluxo / lilith @ o’brien’s pub 8pm

15 hirs / coherence / wimp / pain chain @ pink noise studios somerville 7pm

21 wet nurse / leopard print taser / squitch / sorry @ o’brien’s pub 8pm

22 halfsour (record release!) w/ mini dresses / anna altman @ great scott 8:30pm

28 kari faux @ great scott @8pm weyes blood w/ jackie cohen @ the sinclair 7pm

29 sheer queer benefit @ dorchester art project 7pm

APR 28 * = 21+

26 boston calling

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THURSDAY 2 end of school bash w/ beeef / the water cycle / squitch @ great scott 8pm

FRIDAY

SATURDAY 4 ultra deluxe / seed / ultra chappelle / scrunchies @ the democracy center 8pm

10 9 field medic w/ another michael @ o’brien’s pub 8pm Jeb bush orchestra w/ marshall @ lilypad inman 10pm 17 16

11 somerville porchfest ! @ 12pm black beach / banana / cult fiction / blue rey @ o’brien’s pub 8pm* 18

24 23 radiator hospital boston calling (solo) / swanning BMA ones 2 watch: the water (solo) @ outpost 186 8pm cycle @ hojoko 5pm

25 boston calling TV girl w/ yohuna @ sonia 8pm

30 the 1975 w/ no rome @ agganis arena 7pm

JUN 1 kal marks tour homecoming w/ lady pills / aneurysm / banana @ great scott 8:30pm

show me the body / symbiote / junta / cult fiction / mangled @ hardcore stadium 7pm

31 the japanese house w/ art school girlfriend @ the sinclair 8pm sleepover

pink void // lady pills Berklee-grad art-rock trio Lady Pills is back and headed in a new direction with their sophomore LP, Pink Void. The album starts out soft with “Aethos,” a shimmering, wordless track where the treble of guitarist Ella Boissonnault and bassist Alison Dooley’s classic Rickenbackers effortlessly intertwine. The standout track of the album is its haunting single, “Moving.” The harmonies spin around the track’s subdued instrumentation. The track finishes in typical Lady Pills fashion with distorted guitars and a heavy disco beat. Boissonnault’s purposefully shaky high notes on “Shadows” add a certain spookiness to the track. The album is cohesive without being muddy. You can easily get lost in any of its seven tracks for just $10.

listen at ladypillsmusic.bandcamp.com

<3 audrey sutter 6

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LOCAL TO

FOR

AMANDLA KHALED

Amandla is a singer/songwriter from Palestine who currently attends Berklee College of Music in Boston. She began writing songs at just 13 years old. She uses her music to break down her personal struggles with mental health and to detail the trials of her life growing up in Palestine. Her songs, while catchy and melodic, are also haunting and thought-provoking, filled with powerful imagery that makes the listener feel like perhaps the lyrics know more than they do. As she begins releasing music, Amandla hopes to collaborate with mental health organizations to get conversations started and possibly raise money for the cause. Amandla and her backing band, the Bumblebees, are releasing their first single, “Victims,” on April 29 in The Loft at Berklee. Khaled says the single was “the first thing [she] ever felt was important enough to say.” Her debut album, Explicit Mind, is set to drop sometime this summer. <3 audrey sutter sleepover

aries

taurus

This month is all about you, Aries. Don’t let any family issues keep you away from your own plans. Set and keep those boundaries and focus on you while jamming out to Kiefer’s new release off of Stones Throw Records’ Bridges.

Focus on your relationships this month, Taurus. You can learn a lot from those closest to you. Stay aware, stay alert, and remember exactly who you are. Embrace the best parts of yourself with Lizzo’s new album Cuz I Love You.

gemini The theme of this month is money, Gemini. Keep an eye out for new ways in which you can earn. Many new opportunities are coming your way. Listen to Homecoming: The Live Album by Beyoncé and remember what you’re working toward.

cancer You’re blocked up, Cancer. Trapped. Reassess your surroundings and rediscover your personal wisdom. Get lost in Ben Absent’s ethereal new EP CAT, and then snap out of it and return to Earth. It’s time to face your problems head on.

leo Reconnect with old friends while you still can! Let people choose you. You’re a natural leader, and people are actively trying to seek you out. Cage the Elephant’s new release Social Cues should help you pick up on these vibes.

virgo

It’s super important to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture this month, Virgo. Viewing your situation from multiple angles will prove advantageous. Hear how Kari Faux reflects on her March release Cry For Help.

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libra I understand that you’re bored with everyday life. It’s gotten a tad monotonous. Don’t fret; things are about to get really weird. The Chemical Brothers will take you on a strange ride with their latest release, No Geography.

<3 alisha amado & audrey sutter

scorpio Hey Scorpio, this month will be full of new blessings for you, and it’s up to you to take advantage of it. Put trust in the universe. Give Dijon’s March release Sci Fi 1 a listen while you journey and experience new things.

sagittarius Stay connected and reach out to your superiors, Sagittarius! There are many opportunities for networking this month. Be grateful for them. Let King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s Fishing for Fishies guide your adventures.

capricorn You never ask for help, but now is the time. Seek out someone whose philosophical beliefs align with your own. The connections you make will be familiar and comforting. Catfish and the Bottlemen’s new release The Balance will ground you.

aquarius

pisces

For an air sign, you sure have been crying a lot. Life is confusing right now, but all of this has a deeper meaning. Check out The Cranberries’ eerie new release In the End and reflect on the late Dolores O’Riordan’s words.

Coast through this month, Pisces. You owe it to yourself to do so. There’s so much to be thankful for, so stop what you’re doing and appreciate what you have. Groove along with Anderson .Paak’s smooth new release Ventura.

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Every issue, the staff at The Beat take a trip to local thrift stores, consignment stores, and the like to find you — the reader — the most cost-effective ways to look great. This issue, we wanna help you look chic at your slumber party. With these pieces, you’ll be cute and comfy while lounging with your buds, chowing down on popcorn, watching movies, and playing truth or dare. Remember to really get into the theatrics of this look — you’re broke with expensive taste.

Item 1: Baby Pink Silk Button-Up with White Trim - $2.99 This shirt is soft, silky, a little baggy, and it shows that you know how to mix business with pleasure. For a thrift item, it’s in perfect shape, complete with all — that’s right, all — of its original buttons and sewn-in cuffs. The white trim adds a nice accent to the all-pink outfit, and it also draws attention to the most fun part of the piece: the collar. Fold the cuffs one time for the finished look. And for the love of god, don’t button it up all the way. Item 2: Baby Pink Suede Booty Shorts - $0.99 If you’re not all for this look’s baby pink fantasy, you can also opt for a pair of white shorts or pants. I would, however, strongly recommend these shorts. They are stretchy, so if your slumber party involves dancing, you can use them to your advantage. They also pair nicely with the pink shirt, and the suede is an interesting contrast against the silk.

<3 audrey sutter

Item 3: Baby Pink Fuzzy Bathrobe - $4.99 This robe is the perfect cover-up for your sleepover ensemble. Think of it as the suit jacket or the blazer of sleepwear. Its fuzzy exterior allows for hours of warmth as well as a fun sensory experience for anyone who chooses to feel the fabric. Its length will also make the booty shorts appear more modest, if that’s what you’re going for anyway. Add a pair of your fav slippers, and you’ve got yourself a full slumber party princess look.

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Tristan Bouchard is a 26-year-old BU alum from Albany, New York, whose debut album “Blue Nights” is set to release later this year. Ten years in the making, “Blue Nights” showcases Tristan’s unique brand of piano-playing and singing, combining influences like Kate Bush and David Bowie to paint a lush portrait of grief and isolation. I sat down with Tristan to talk about the long process of making this album and his time at Boston University.

Sebastian Themelis: Who are some of your musical inspirations? Tristan Bouchard: Kate Bush is my biggest influence, and the most formative one in terms of style. It was really around the time I was 16 that I knew I wanted to write and perform songs because I listened to Kate Bush, I saw her do her videos, and I thought that this was a whole artist who brought every aspect of her being to just making an album. I thought that was remarkable. From there it was David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, and then I really got into the standards for a while, Billie Holiday, stuff like that. ST: These songs span an entire decade of your life. Can you pinpoint some place where it begins? TB: The earliest song is the first one on the album. It’s called “Blue Nights,” but it used to be called “The Lighthouse Keeper.” My mom used to drop me off at my local library for hours to study for the SAT, and of course the way I was as a student was “I won’t do that, I’m gonna read all the books in the library.” I found this one book set in the Civil War era, about a woman with nine kids whose husband was a lighthouse-keeper that went off to fight and died. There’s a shortage of men at the time, and she’s forced to man the lighthouse. But one night there’s a storm, and she has the choice to evacuate or to stay and weather out the storm - she chooses to stay, and all of her children end up drowning except for one, and she’s forced to live with her decision. I think this was where everything started for me. Reading that story and seeing that I could write about anything – there are infinite experiences that can happen are everywhere.

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ST: How does your time at BU play into this album? TB: I would say most of its concepts and structure were formed at BU (during classes). Every song but one, actually. So much of it was fighting the stall, in a practice room, doing the same things and rehashing the same stories. That time to me feels like one big lump, too long for me to say it was one thing. Formative? Absolutely. But not healthy, nor practical. Just obsessive. I thought in college that things were inherently good or inherently bad, and when you have that kind of black-and-white Yang the feelings of guilt will creep in. The most important thing I’ve learned is that everything is material. All of it. You can’t put a label on it, or make a moral judgement of it. ST: What is your creative process like? TB: My issue is that my method changes with each song. Every song that I write is so important to me because I write so few of them, which I don’t think is an uncommon experience. But generally I write music before lyrics, because I have such a high standard for melody – if I write something derivative I scrap it. But for this album, the idea of knowledge – what gets passed down – is central to the entire thing, and I can’t really speak to where that came from. I think it’s when you read old texts, or experience what may be called “objective art,” certain pieces of art that are just so of their time and yet they will still resonate with you. Those feel like voices to me. There’s something perennial that has always been here, that will always be here, and the more you get obsessed, either in your head or in your culture at large, you’re going to miss it. ST: How did you go about recording this album on your own, and when do you anticipate its release? TB:I’ve had almost all the songs written since I was at BU, but it was complete and utter faith. I reached out to a friend’s boyfriend who has helped me with the production of the whole thing, but so much of it has been done like that, on a whim. Everything has been slowly recorded separately and stitched together these last few years, but going into it knowing pretty much nothing about the technical aspects of recording was definitely very difficult. The mixing process is almost finished, and after it’s sent off for mastering that’s when I’ll start releasing singles and videos for it. <3 sebastian themelis

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Oh No I’m Graduating: Reflections of My Time on The Beat As a young, tiny, naive freshman I almost didn’t even join The Beat. Now, I’m still pretty small and probably only a little less naive, but I can say that deciding to become a part of The Beat was one of the best decisions I could have made. While it’s always been a small group of people who have made this zine possible, every single person has cared so much about it and that’s what I love about The Beat. This little print publication of DIY music and art has still managed to garner talented contributors and readers. I’ve been thinking back to my own contributions, from my first Bandcamp review, to a Hinds interview I somehow managed to get, to my “Summer of Seinfeld” article in which I recapped watching all 9 seasons of Seinfeld in the summer after freshman year. And of course there is Beats and Eats, the brainchild of Olivia Gehrke (shoutout) and me, and boy I sure hope people continue eating at local restaurants recommended by local musicians. I almost wish I could stay on The Beat forever, but I must graduate and become a Real Adult (though I’m not sure that exists), and I will try not to cry in the process. Thx 4 the memories 14

<3 kristen lay the beat

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What better eclipses a slumber party with your pals than a playlist full of iconic boy bands? And if you’re in Boston, what band is more appropriate for such an occasion than New Kids on the Block, a.k.a., NKTOB? In the wild, glorious ‘80s, fifteen-year-old Donnie Wahlberg (yes, Donnie Wahlberg of “Blue Bloods” and “Wahlburgers” fame; yes, brother of the one and only Marky Mark), became the first member of the hip new band. His rapping, dancing, and excellent showmanship wowed those actively trying to form the next hot band. THEN, Mark Wahlberg himself was recruited, along with some school chums…but then he left and was quickly replaced. It seems as though the early years of NKOTB (then named “Nynuk”???) were like a revolving door. Their debut album was released in 1986 and is described as “bubblegum pop,” meaning it is ~expertly~ suited for any slumber party, amiright? The first single, “Be My Girl,” gained popularity… but only in Boston; it didn’t really take off nationwide :( The second single, “Stop It Girl,” had even worse reception.

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So the boys toured around New England wherever they could. Their manager advocated for them to record a second album, Hangin’ Tough. Now, the first single on that album was “Please Don’t Go Girl” (Is anyone else sensing a theme here?) and it STILL didn’t elevate the band to national stardom. Slowly, but surely, however, the song spread throughout the country and gained listener approval. A second music video was shot for the single and once that boosted their visual appeal, NKOTB was no longer just a Boston band. Hangin’ Tough received moderate fanfare nationwide and they boys made TV appearances. They steadily gained notoriety as the years progressed and by 1990, they were one of the most popular bands on the block. *wink, wink* Their fan base was huge and the “Official NKOTB Hotline” was receiving about 100,000 calls a month. (The number is 1-909909-5KIDS, if anyone wants it). In ’91, some of the members, including Donnie Wahlberg, wrote and produced the debut album for Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Mark Wahlberg’s band. You’re probably familiar with the bop “Good Vibrations.” Basically, if one can lesson can be learned from the early years of New Kids on the Block, it’s, “If at first one does not succeed, try, try again!” This is crucial, especially during finals season! Study hard, but don’t stress too much – it’ll all be alright girl! <3 maggie rogers

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QUIZ: WHO ARE U AT MY MIDDLE SCHOOL SLEEPOVER? <3 julia bertelli

1. what are u wearing to my sleepover? a. matching aeropostale t-shirt + plaid pj pants b. youtuber merch + galaxy print leggings c. old pj shorts + t-shirt from intramural basketball 2. what song from my best of 2012 playlist are u queuing first? a. call me maybe - carly rae jepsen b. oblivion - grimes c. pyramids - frank ocean 3. what do you wanna do tonight? a. makeovers and gossip about boys, what else? b. doctor who marathon c. figure out how to steal from the liquor cabinet 4. what game do a. truth b. would c. never

u wanna play? or dare you rather have i ever

5. choose a movie to watch ! a. mean girls b. moonrise kingdom c. spring breakers (if mom comes we’ll change it to disney channel) 6. can’t watch a movie without a snack ~ a. ice cream sundaes b. pocky c. flamin’ hot cheetos 7. when are u going to sleep? a. 9pm, that’s what ur mom said! b. when i’m done scrolling through tumblr on my ipod touch c. will probably fall asleep during the movie by accident 8. when are u waking up? a. 7am sharp! gotta be up early to do my makeup b. i’ll wake up when breakfast is ready c. gonna be asleep until the second my parents are here

RESULTS ON THE NEXT PAGE... 18

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RESULTS MOSTLY A’S - POPULAR GIRL TURNED ARIANA STAN let’s be real. you were probably already an ariana grande stan back in ur middle school days, but that was when she was cat valentine. you’ve both changed. don’t deny it, your closet used to be filled with every aeropostale, hollister, and abercrombie & fitch logo tee that you could afford with your $20/week allowance. now, you spend at least half of your paychecks from your job at brandy melville on carly rae jepsen merch (but who are we to judge, have you HEARD e·mo·tion?!?) we stan.

MOSTLY B’S - TUMBLR NERD TURNED E-GIRL WE GET IT, you listened to every indie band ever before they were cool. some of us were too busy out being normal middle schoolers and still listening to coldplay and katy perry instead of spending hours on tumblr. but there’s no shame in your former love (or slight obsession) with british youtubers and superwholock. since your fangirl days, you’ve become a definition e-girl. like, to the point where you’ve got guys who used to bully you in middle school sliding into your twitter dms asking if you wanna be their goth gf. we’re jealous and concerned.

MOSTLY C’S - SLACKER TURNED IG BADDIE everyone knows that you’ve always been the coolest person in the friend group. yes, it was kind of annoying that you never did your algebra homework and always asked to copy everyone else’s, but you made up for it by being the music plug and encouraging us to indulge in ~teen rebellion~ ! although you’ve still got your carefree attitude, now you’ve used your naturally cool aura towards building up a flawless instagram account with an insane amount of followers. we’ll ignore that half of your posts are flat tummy tea ads as long as you keep serving looks and giving us morphe and fashionnova discount codes.

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REED ROMANKO: Later today, you’ll be playing in Richmond, Virginia for the first performance of this tour. Is there a theme musically for this tour? Something like “We’re playing mostly Slow Buzz” or “We’re doing songs about breakups”, anything along those lines? CP: We don’t usually have, like, a theme, we’re just sorta playing what feels right, I guess we’re playing mostly stuff from our latest album, and there’s some new stuff that we’re working on too! RR: In regards your albums, and album art, one thing I find really interesting is that Sunchokes and All of Something have pictures of people, and then Slow Buzz is, I think, a doily on a table cloth, is that right? CP: I guess you could call it a doily, yeah. Jack’s sister did the artwork, Hannah Washburn, and it’s a Riso print. She works with textiles, yeah, she did that for us. RR: It’s a really nice pattern! Is there any reason, stylistically, you went from people to that? CP: Yeah, I mean, this was sort of a new lead for us as a band, the album was. The first time being all together in the same city, and not really having the same time constraints that we had with our last stuff. So, yeah guess subconsciously, we wanted to move in a similar direction with the album, which was sort of different for all of us. RR: Speaking of Slow Buzz, musically it felt more stylistically varied than your other releases, but still felt very cohesive. With what you’re working on now, do you plan to continue to branch out in the future, or hone-in on some elements you’ve laid out already in your previous releases? CP: I dunno… I guess there’s some new directions we took in Slow Buzz that it’s sort of already started to feel like we’re already following. I think we like to embrace changing our sound and growing with it.

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RR: My understanding is, with Slow Buzz, it was a much more joint effort in songwriting, rather than All of Something and Sunchokes. CP: Yeah, I wrote most of the songs on Sunchokes and All of Something. Slow Buzz was a little bit more collaborative, and that’s something we’ve been trying to work on more and are devoting more time, as a band, to writing and all that stuff. RR: Going back to 2017, Remember Sports collaborated with Pllush to make a split. Do you guys have plans to work with another band in the future to create another split? CP: We don’t have plans to do that right now, but we’re open to it. We were really pleased with how that came together with Pllush. RR: So, back in November, Remember Sports had an AudioTree Live Session. What was that like as an experience? CP: It was really fun! We’ve been AudioTree Fans for a long time, we felt honored to be there, to be asked to be there. It’s always a little nerve wracking getting ready to do a live, video thing, cause there’s a lot more you have to worry about, but it really fun, and I’m glad we got to do it. RR: Reeling it back in to the tour, are there any places you haven’t visited yet, any places you really happy to go back to? CP: On this tour, I think that we haven’t played in Rochester or Albany, yeah, so excited to see what that’s like. There’s a Sub Shop in Amherst, so we got some sandwiches, hopefully. Should be a good time! RR: Any final things you want to let the fans know before the start of the tour? CP: We’re really excited to get to see Joey Nebulous play most of the night with us. They’re a great band. I don’t know if they’ve done a lot of touring on the east coast, so I’m excited for people to see them!

<3 Reed Romanko

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Local restaurants recommended by local musicians reviewed by local punx

Restaurant: Charlie’s Kitchen, 10 Eliot Street, Cambridge, MA Recommended by: Beeef

Audrey: Talk about a cool space. Charlie’s Kitchen has the perfect weeknight bar vibe that Kristen: compliments their bar-style Charlie’s Kitchfood well. The restauen just might be the rant is mostly known for coolest restaurant/bar their double cheesein Cambridge. Although it burgers, so I ordered may be known more for its the Double Guinness dual function as a music venCheeseburger with a ue, their food should definitely side of beer-battered not be overlooked. I opted for steak fries for $11. the Chef’s Special--a 4 oz angus The burger came out burger fully topped with lettuce, open-faced, with one tomato, onions, ketchup, and babeer-soaked patty on con, and of course fries on the each bun. The patside--at just $9 it definitely ties’ heavy Guinness hit the spot. I bet it makes flavor did not distract an equally great meal either from the overall qualibefore the big gig or as ty of the meat, which was a post-show (and maycooked exactly to my liking be alcohol-fueled) (medium, but still juicy). indulgence. The Guinness flavor was less noticeable on the steak fries, but the fries themselves added a nice starchy crunch to the meal. The kicker? The bun never got soggy. I’m definitely coming back to Charlie’s on a Monday night for dinner AND a show.

<3 kristen lay + audrey sutter 22

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cover art + beet friends <3 alexa sanchioni

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questions? comments? concerns? lonely? we are too!

editor-in-chief abby lebet

email us at wtbu.thebeat@ gmail.com

graphics guru allie antonevich

ISSUU: issu.com/ the-beatofboston

layout lady audrey sutter

TWITTER/IG: @ wtbu

content queen julia bertelli

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