Melisma Spring 2022 by Melisma Magazine

STAFF Editors-In-Chief Andrés López Ian Smith Managing Editors Katelyn Desjardins Grace Rotermund Creative Director Isabel Overby Press Director Jill Yum Social Media Kayla Avitabile Spencer Vernier Web Design James Morse Editors Isaac Dame Jason Evers Lucy Millman Jake Rubenstein Spencer Vernier Staff Writers Hannah Costa Jason Evers Juniper Moscow Anevay Ybáñez Cover Design Isabel Overby

A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS.. To our faithful readers, Hello there! We’re Andrés and Ian, your new editors-in-chief for the foreseeable future, and we just got done sacrificing our old editors-in-chief Ethan and Lola to the MAB gods for a fruitful semester; one where everyone turns in their reviews on time, all of our images are embedded, and InDesign stops crashing on us. We’ve got a bunch of cool new members this semester who have a bunch of cool new ideas for articles, so let’s give you the rundown real quick, huh? First up, dynamic duo Hannah Costa and Anevay Ybáñez with a whopping three pages on how and why certain albums become timeless. After that, Andrés López, our PhD candidate in the history of Brockhampton gives a comprehensive timeline of the rise and fall of our favorite boy band, which sets the stage for Isaac Dame, who gives his opinion on why genre was invented by Big Music to sell more records. Elsewhere, Ian Smith was inspired by Mitski (as they usually are) to write about how artists are responding to parasocial relationships. Grace Rotermund was voted apex predator of Melisma, but she also wrote a lovely essay on the concept of concept albums. Resident bread baker Charles Stone interviewed jungle DJ legend Dev/Null on the state of electronic music as well as his choice cuts. Katelyn Desjardins presents her super scientific semester-long study on Tinder Anthems and honestly, we think she could submit this to a scientific journal. Land Urchin/Fease drummer Jake Rubenstein tells us about the correlation between music and graphic design. And finally, our quiz goblins Georgia Moore and James Morse bring you a spellbinding, never-been-done-before choose-your-own-adventure quiz that runs throughout the entire issue. Melisma has gone through a lot of changes this semester, and we’re not just talking about the new EIC’s. Both our website and the MAB got a coat of fresh paint, we now have a dedicated press director as well as press editors (shoutout Jill, Ben, and Kaylie), and our creative director Isabel is not getting paid nearly enough to design our front and back cover, as well as potential merch (which you should keep an eye out for, bee tee dubs). But we embrace these changes wholeheartedly, and as we look ahead after our first semester as EIC’s, we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us. We just hope that enough freshmen join next semester so that we can exchange their virginal blood for the power to bring our new mascot Melismo to life. Con mucho, mucho amor, Andrés López and Ian Smith

Interested in writing, art, or design? Questions, comments, adulation, spam, scams, or hatemail? Email melismamagazine@gmail.com

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CONTENTS The Test of Time

BROCKHAMPTON

Genre is Fake

Parasocial Relationships

Photo Spread

Concept Albums

Tinder Anthems

Sound and Vision

Dev/Null Interview

Summer Preview

Quiz!

Melisma Magazine is a non-profit student publication of Tufts University. The opinions expressed in articles, features, or photos are soly those of the individual author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or the staff. Tufts University is not responsible for the content of Melisma Magazine. If you would like to submit a letter to Melisma Magazine, please send it to melismamagazine@gmail.com.com. Please limit your letter to four hundred words or less.

The “Test of Time” Fallacy Hannah Costa and Anevay Ybáñez

he test of time is a social construct, perpetuated by often pretentious music enjoyers in an attempt to maintain some sort of validity in their music tastes.It is personal, it differs from person to person, group to group, but sometimes these people and groups will agree on certain albums, thus creating this socio-musical perception that is a ‘test of time’ to validate certain works. What one considers best is subjective, these “best of” lists are more of a fun way to share an opinion than not concrete determinations of the best albums. For the purpose of answering “What stands the test of time?”, we created our own meaning of integrity and durability in music- more specifically, alternative rock from the 1990s. Measuring the ability for an album to pass the test of time usually manifests through compilations of the “Top __ Albums of All Time.” In the study “Nevermind the Beatles, Here’s Exile 61 and Nico: ‘The Top 100 Records of All Time’: A Canon of Pop and Rock Albums from a Sociological and an Aesthetic Perspective,” Ralf von Appen and André Doehring explore these lists and the people responsible for composing them. They came to the conclusion that the demographics of the lists’ composers were usually white men in their 20-40s who have a high level of education (von Appen and Doehring, 26). The lack of people of color and non-male artists in these lists expose some of the definite flaws in the systems that compose them. (von Appen and Doehring). The von Appen and Doehring study addresses the identities of the “best” rock artists, but how can durability be addressed in terms of the music itself? Are there some measurable aspects of musical quality that can be compared among albums, or do sales and subjectivity prevail? Just within the past

few years, for example, In the Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel has been praised as one of the best indie albums of its time, but was not very popular until over a decade since its release. Upon listening, you’ll find that the volume levels and sound quality are not up to par, despite the album’s accolades. This further supports the idea that so much of these rankings truly are based on personal opinion (and consequently, sales). In the grand scheme of things, the popular understanding of the test of time is not a valid system for determining which works are superior to others. In an attempt to be unbiased in our writing, we chose to write about the albums prior to researching what is considered the “best.” The albums were pulled out from some space between our personal favorites and what we think best fits the question at hand. Because everyone has their own personal experiences, we definitely lean more towards certain sounds than others. Nevertheless, we were able to come up with some albums that we argue are enduring in their quality. Focusing on the 90s (mostly alt-rock), the five albums we agreed stood the “test of time” were Nevermind by Nirvana, Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory by Oasis, Heaven or Las Vegas by The Cocteau Twins, and OK Computer by Radiohead.

“A

re there some measurable aspects of musical quality that can be compared among albums, or do sales and subjectivity prevail?”

You decide to investigate the source of this mysterious loud noise that has awoken you. You carefully slide on a pair of slippers and creep outside in the dim light. You immediately witness a shocking sight! A long limousine crumpled against the side of the building… but what’s this? Charli? Charli XCX is the one who… CRASHed… her limousine into the side of the building? She approaches you, and she seems upset. Will you help Charli? Or is it too early for this? Option 1: (page 10) Befriend Charli! Yeah, she peaked with Pop 2, but you can’t scoff at what she’s been able to accomplish. You want to make a good impression and prove to her you’re not like her other fans… Option 2: (page 6) Ignore Charli! You might risk getting publicly flamed on Twitter, but you’re more interested in getting a good night’s sleep.

To start, we have Nevermind by Nirvana. This album is without a doubt, the face of grunge, and one of the most influential pieces to come out of the 90s. Opening with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” showcasing Dave Grohls’ iconic drum fill, Krist Novoselic’s bass-line, and Kurt Cobain’s raspy vocals, it quickly became an alt-rock anthem. As von Appen and Doehring pointed out, Nirvana did not do anything special musically, yet they still pass as innovative for holding a prototype status (von Appen and Doehring, 30). Although most of the songs have the same, angsty energy, there are slower and darker songs like “Polly” and “Something In The Way.” Dave Grohl famously cannot read music and society assumes Kurt Cobain did not know what he was doing. However, regardless of their personal techniques, the light that is Nirvana’s talent beams through the test of time.

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of the time period. In our opinion, Morning Glory goes beyond typical britpop, making more meaningful and special connections than their counterparts tried to produce.

The Cocteau Twins’ Heaven or Las Vegas remains a bright gem in a sea of rock. “Cherry-coloured Funk” introduces the album as a smooth and colorful fusion of dream pop and alternative rock. Elizabeth Fraser’s voice and singing style are incredibly unique and heighten the album’s dreamy, alluring sound. Something about her voice sticks with you, it is calming, yet haunting. One can audibly hear the influence from just this one album in many of the following pop and rock artists that would emerge in the years following this record.

Next, we chose the Smashing Pumpkins record Siamese Dream. In terms of capturing the Pumpkins’ sound, Siamese Dream exhibits all that they have to offer. “Mayonaise” is a perfect example of how the crunchy guitar effects in Siamese Dream fit perfectly into its fast and abrasive songs, as well as the softer melodies. In terms of instrumentals, the juxtaposition of the gentle plucking of naked strings versus the harsh strum of crunchy chords encapsulates so much that the band sonically has to offer in just one song. Billy Corgan reaches deep inside his own life experience to create a sound and narrative that truly hooks and spellbinds the listener. Furthermore, while it does not stand in among our personal favorites, we would be remiss to discuss the best 90s alternative rock albums without including Oasis’s (What’s The Story) Morning Glory. It is undeniably a staple of British rock (everyone knows “Wonderwall”). Their range of sound and emotion from start to finish, quite literally between “Hello” and “Champagne Supernova”, makes for an audibly robust and innovative rock album You sit up in a cold sweat, still shaken from the events of the night. You pull up Spotify, and masterfully craft a deeply tasteful and thought-provoking 17 and a half hour-long playlist in about 20 minutes. You’re a little late when you show up to meet your friends, but you come bearing gifts! As soon as the sweet, sweet music starts playing, a shadowy figure wielding a long staff approaches, bellowing “HEY! WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?” You don’t know what to say! But you quickly recover, and say… Option 1: (page 16) This Charming Man by the Smiths! Morissey! Gotta love that guy! Option 2: (page 18) God’s Plan by Drake! Okay maybe it’s a little cheesy, but after that killer set on Tisch roof a couple weeks ago, you refuse to be silenced by anti-Drake heads. This song rules! Option 3: (page 18) The Glow Pt. 2 by the Microphones! It may not be “appropriate” “party” “music,” but you have to admit the vibes are unmatched

OK Computer strikes us as one of, if not the most, enduring alternative rock album of the 90s. It follows a cohesive theme that defies typical concepts, going beyond the human realm into a fictional world that mixes known emotion with alienlike experience. The album carries a wide variety of sound as well- “Let Down” and “No Surprises” reflect common human melancholy, while something like “Climbing Up The Walls” evokes a horribly uneasy feeling. “Karma Police” sticks out as an absolutely genius track. It starts off consistent and repetitive, breaking up verses with a threatening bridge, and ends in an explosion of sound that seems to almost physically surround one’s head. Even with few lyrics, “Karma Police” draws interest throughout its length. Each time we listen to the track, we hear something new. The literal sound of each song on OK Computer is simultaneously bizarre and special, which in turns pulls out unique emotions from the listener. We almost wonder if Thom Yorke is a real human. Our picks overlapped quite a bit in writing this, but what does that tell us? Does this mean maybe these albums can be considered some of the best, or do we just have very similar music tastes? Is it nostalgia from our childhood and growing up with parents who love alt-rock? We argue that this is what the test of time is. The test of time is personal, it differs from person to person, group to group, but sometimes these people and groups will agree on certain albums, creating this social and musical perception of a ‘test of time’ to validate certain works.

Thus, the five records that we have chosen provide us with our answer: what it means to stand the test of time is to introduce a sound or concept that is novel to the time period in which an album is released. Every album we have listed has, in some form, brought a new idea into the realm of rock that lives to this day through contemporary music. Not one of these albums is a carbon copy of what “alternative rock” means; instead, they redefine and alter the meanings of the genre. That, to us, is what standing the test of time should truly mean.

“W

e almost wonder if Thom Yorke is a real human.”

You finally have the full 40 winks we (mostly) all know and love. There’s this crazy dream where you’re in Curtis Hall surrounded by some really insightful, funny, and crazy sexy people…but this most beautiful dream can’t last forever. You wake up, fully rested, sure that nothing will get in the way of a fun-filled Spring Fling, unless… Oh no! You slept through your alarm! You never finished the collaborative Spotify playlist you promised to make for your friend’s pre-Spring Fling function on Prez Lawn… is it too late? Option 1: (page 14) Panic! You’re running late - gotta get out the door right away! Option 2: (page 5) If you’re late, you’re late - you can’t show up to the party without at least 14 hours on that playlist

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The Rise and Fall of BROCKHAMPTON:

A Timeline

Andrés López

ny BROCKHAMPTON fan could see the Most of the 30-something members of AliveSincegroup’s end on the horizon. The announceForever went their separate ways, but many stayed, ment, like all their others, came suddenly. The in- and were even joined by new members from the famous “Ameer is no longer in BROCKHAMPTON” KanyeToThe thread. tweet sent shockwaves throughout the music com- 2015 was the first year that BROCKHAMPTON munity. Founding member Ameer Vann’s ex-girlreleased music under the new name. January saw friend brought allegations of abuse against him the release of their debut single “BET I,” an off-theand it was later revealed by Dom, another member wall yet unpolished banger. In June, they released of BROCKHAMPTON, that Ameer set up one of their second single, “HERO.” In August, after his friends to be robbed. While this was a huge winning VFILES LOUD!, a competition for up-andblow to the group given Ameer’s strong presence coming artists, they released “Dirt,” alongside their on their immaculate SATURATION trilogy, this was first professional music video. Their debut singles not the only factor that led to their eventual down- served as a good baseline for what would come fall. They constantly broke promises, they delayed next. album releases, teased music that would never see Their debut mixtape, ALL-AMERICAN TRASH, was an official release, and lacked transparency. This released for free in March 2016. A significant step led a good portion of the fandom to turn away from up from their first three singles, AAT saw the group the group. Besides their complicated relationship starting to find their distinctive sound. Although with fans, internal turmoil also caused the breakup. the album is praiseworthy, it is still a mixed bag in According to Nate Dae, fellow artist and friend of terms of quality, simultaneously containing some the group, “people grow up [and] apart,” which of their best songs alongside some of their worst. summarizes recent developments regarding the After the release of AAT, members Rodney Tenor group quite well. While BROCKHAMPTON has had and Albert Gordon left the group due to creative a turbulent career, it is worth looking back to their differences. inception to analyze their rise to fame, to show just 2017 was a major turning point for BROCKHAMPhow impactful the group was, and to understand TON. After releasing the promising single “CANhow they wasted their potential. NON” in January, the group put the hip-hop scene BROCKHAMPTON wasn’t always known in a chokehold for the second half of the as BROCKHAMPTON. The group was year. Starting their three album run in founded as AliveSinceForever after de June with SATURATION, the group’s facto leader Kevin Abstract made a energetic, honest music and DIY post asking people to form a band aesthetic captivated listeners with him on the Kanye West forum worldwide. Completely reinventing KanyeToThe in 2011. Together their sound, the group improved with high school friends from The exponentially after they moved Woodlands, Texas and his new from Texas to South Central L.A. internet friends from across the They knew that as hungry artists, country, AliveSinceForever would they had to make SATURATION go on to release a few projects work. Some members dropped out over the next few years, notably The of college to pursue their dreams in Compilation and The ASF EP. The music and others considered quitting group eventually dissolved in 2014 and their day jobs. Filled with bops alongchanged their name to BROCKHAMPTON, side personal, intimate songs, BROCKa reference to the street Abstract grew up on in HAMPTON proved that there was room for vulneraCorpus Christi. bility and authenticity in rap.

Attention reader: This isn’t the full article! Read the rest online at melismamagazine.com!

Genre Is Fake Isaac Dame

hen I search Google for ‘Fugazi genre,’ I get a wide array of results. Google tells me they’re an Alternative/Indie band. Oasis are also described by Google as Alternative/Indie. So are Imagine Dragons. These two words mean basically nothing to me by now. Wikipedia, and most other sites, say Fugazi are a post-hardcore band, which makes more sense. They were inspired by hardcore bands in DC and evolved off that sound. However, they also come up in lists of the best early emo bands. Emo also originated from hardcore, and it’s hard to determine who the first band was to have that late-90s emo sound. They’re also very politically charged and are described in some articles as a DC punk band or more specifically as art punk. What is my point? These descriptions are unhelpful. Each individual label describes one aspect of Fugazi’s sound or origins, but none work very well if you haven’t heard them before and are trying to picture it. Ultimately, to know what Fugazi sounds like, you have to actually listen to them.

terms, and thus are disconnected from the original meaning. Like ‘rock.’ What does ‘rock’ mean? Anything with drums, guitar, bass, and vocals? As music evolved, our words to describe it didn’t, and thus countless subgenres with very little similarity to each other can technically be described as ‘rock’. Enough people who wrote about ‘rock’ music used it as a basis for all the music that came after that the words stuck. Genre names were historically created and spread by music journalists, record executives, and others who weren’t part of the scene or actually involved in making the music. A great example of this genre naming is ‘grunge.’ The word was heavily used by higher-ups at Sub Pop record label to describe Green River, Mudhoney, and other late80s bands they signed. In 1991, Nevermind exploded in popularity and drew national attention to Seattle-area bands, and national media used ‘grunge’ as the name for this new movement. The problem is, no one in these bands thought the descriptor made any sense. Nirvana hated ‘grunge’ and saw themselves as a punk band. Soundgarden and Alice in Chains were much more metal-influenced. Local Seattle acts initially also rejected the name. There was no consistent way to define what was and wasn’t ‘grunge,’ and some Seattle bands that had been active for years were slapped with the label, regardless of their actual sound. But the name stuck, and over enough time the resistance faded. Whether or not you think the word ‘grunge’ is helpful, it is undeniably arbitrary.

There are infinite examples of this, but my point is that musicians are too creative to confine to one or two word descriptors. Plus, these words are usually descended from other, more specific You leave this place of mystery, and continue to make your way up the winding hills and stairways of Tufts. You’ve had a rough morning, and feel like a good old fashioned gig would really cheer you up… luckily for you the music event of the spring is in full swing. You made it! You won my adventure puzzle! (Return to Origin Page 23)

MELISMA | SPRING 2022 | 9 To be clear, these words aren’t completely useless or negative. When people use ‘indie’ in everyday life they mean 'liberal arts students enjoy this music,' and others typically understand that meaning. No one really thinks it has anything to do with independent music anymore, and the message is still conveyed. We need to say something to communicate what bands and artists sound like, even if on some level we know it’s an impossible task. If you describe Mudhoney to someone who hasn’t heard of them, saying they’re “the inventors of grunge” communicates more information than saying they’re ‘alternative rock.’ And even then, ‘alternative rock’ would still communicate more than “music made by four people.” Arbitrary labels still communicate some useful information. When describing an artist’s sound to someone, the word ‘vibe’ is inevitably used. Rather than referring back to words like ‘grunge’ or ‘emo’ or ‘rock,’ words coined by music journalists and their ilk and passed down, the focus is on the emotion an artist conveys or the situations in which you listen to them. Isaiah Rashad could be described as ‘chill smoker vibes.’ Beyonce could be ‘girlboss vibes.’ The Smiths could be ‘indie manipulative vibes.’ These might be a step in the right direction, but in my view are more of a casual supplement to genre names and not a replacement.

The future of music labeling might not necessarily be Spotify playlists titled “songs that give ribs by lorde energy,” but streaming services will absolutely have a part to play. Just look at hyperpop. ‘Hyperpop’ as an individual word has vague origins, but it gained relevance after a team at Spotify used it in 2019 to describe a playlist that included experimental pop acts such as SOPHIE, A.G. Cook, Dorian Electra, 100 Gecs, and many others of varying styles. Like with grunge, there are no explicit qualifiers for what is and isn’t hyperpop. Very few artists have embraced the name, yet it

has stuck. It seems like a recreation of how genre names were created in the past, but now motivated by streaming numbers and social media trends rather than pure sales or individual reviewers. Spotify’s influence doesn’t stop there. The website Every Noise at Once tracks all the labels they can find Spotify applying to songs and at time of writing has found 5,822 “genre-shaped distinctions.” They range from being as vague as ‘wave’ to as specific as ‘neo-trad doom metal,’ and a given song or band can fit under several categories at once. These labels are how Spotify Wrapped is calculated, and explains why you might see a genre name you don’t recognize. Someone at Spotify probably made it up! Other streaming sites use similar methods of tagging songs, and services like Pandora base their entire service around an algorithm’s ability to categorize music. Is the future of genre labels determined by a group of white guys in Silicon Valley breaking down algorithmic data? I’m not very excited about that possibility.

Ultimately, musicians are very creative people who want to push boundaries and experiment with existing concepts, and it’s hard to write good words to describe this creativity. The labels we end up using are often cynically created by people in the industry or reinforce existing stereotypes. But that doesn’t mean they serve no use. We still need to have some way to describe music. I would just recommend a little more creativity and a little more context. And above all else, I would recommend just listening to the damn music to see for yourself.

“DON’T STAND SO CLOSE TObyIanME!” Smith “I love you!” shouted a fan from the crowd at one of Mitski’s shows in 2016. “You don’t know me, but thank you— I get that you really love my music,” was Mitski’s now-viral response, a sentiment echoed by many musicians in response to fans looking to close the gap between audience and artist. “Parasocial relationship” is a term thrown around a lot these days, both in seriousness and in jest. With the rise of social media now allowing fans and admirers to connect with artists like never before, multiple issues have arisen regarding these one-sided relationships with musicians, as well as where artists want to draw the metaphorical line in the sand. But in the age where “the only way” to build a fanbase is by commodifying one’s private life, how have artists fought back against this, if at all?

“In the age where ‘the only way’ to build a fanbase is by commodifying one’s private life, how have artists fought back against this, if at all?”

Before looking at the ways artists deal with these types of dynamics, why do parasocial bonds happen in the first place? Part of being in the public eye as a “figure of interest” has to do with being perceived. Oftentimes, due to interviews, paparazzi, and other methods that allow a person to see into a celebrity’s life, societal perception often

extends beyond just the scope of a person’s work. Social media also plays a huge role in how fans consume a person’s life, with the steady stream of “content” from an artist allowing fans to form a close connection with that person. The problem with these types of relationships is that oftentimes the artist doesn’t know this relationship exists, and that social media and other methods of “viewing” only allow a fraction of a fraction of the actual person’s life. In the case of musicians, this is further complicated by songs and albums that may center around personal matters, which can create a stronger connection with fans who have gone through similar issues. All of this results in a strange dynamic where a fan believes they have a close intimate relationship with someone who is essentially a stranger, and when taken to the extreme, the fan might feel entitled to emotional labor that an artist isn’t capable of giving. They mistake the intimacy of their public persona for real-life closeness, and pull the artist towards them as a result. So in this day and age, how do musicians deal with these parasocial relationships? Most of them fall into two camps: those who set hard boundaries and those who embrace the relationships they have with their fans. There are some musicians who fluctuate or fall somewhere between the two, but I’ll be focusing specifically on the two extremes. On one hand, many artists today lean into these parasocial dynamics, with frequent posts and tweets about seemingly mundane topics allowing for fans to consume as much of an artist’s content

OPTION 1: As Charli approaches you, you realize that she doesn’t seem that hurt, just confused. She looks at you and says, “Am I in the right place? Do you know where I’m supposed to be? Is this the most talked-about Tufts music event of the spring” You’re starstruck, you don’t know what to say! But you settle on… (Go to PAGE 21)

MELISMA | SPRING 2022 | 11 as they can. Artists like Doja Cat, Chloe x Halle, and Charli XCX frequently go on Instagram Live to interact with their fans directly, and groups like Odd Future ran blogs to keep their fans in the loop on what was going on in their lives. There is even the phenomenon of fanbase nicknames, such as Nicki Minaj’s Barbs, Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters, and Charli XCX’s Angels, which give an identification and a rallying point for the group of fans who consider themselves diehards. Katy Perry even livestreamed herself for the week before her album WITNESS. Still, there is a fine line between being connected with fans and allowing for a total breach of one’s private lives, and all the aforementioned artists are careful not to share too much personal information due to stalkers and other possible situations that could arise. On the other hand, there are those who fall under the “hard-boundaries” group, who perhaps want to let their art speak for itself. Some artists, such as Beach House and Frank Ocean “go dark” on social media in between album cycles, either not posting or posting minimally in order to protect their privacy. Other artists, such as Daft Punk, Poppy, and Orville Peck use masks, pseudonyms, or other methods of obscuring identity to put a literal barrier between the audience and their life. These artists also don’t delve into any personal information during press cycles, instead choosing to keep the focus solely on their work. Although a respectable choice, some fans and interviewers demand simply more from an artist that they are comfortable giving - not to mention the phenomenon with

smaller indie artists, where fans unconsciously believe that the smaller fanbase an artist has, the more possessive they can become of their work and by extension, their life. Mitski in particular is a fascinating case study of someone who used to keep an open relationship with her fans as a small artist, with her incredibly relatable tweets and songs that hinted at personal traumas. However, as she became bigger and fans began to disrespect her boundaries, she became increasingly closed off, writing more detached songs and handing social media access to her management. In an interview with Vulture, she states, “In terms of press out in the world, there’s no notion of consent… Once you say something, it’s public record. Anyone can ask you about it and demand an answer about it at any time… Every day, all the time, is exploitation. You can’t be a human being. You have to be a product that’s being bought and sold and consumed, and you have to perceive yourself that way in order to function.” Other artists, such as Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, and most recently Doja Cat all started out with an incredibly tight bond with their fans, only to withdraw and set boundaries as time went on. So what can we, as fans, do? While cases like the ones I’ve previously mentioned will probably not

“As fans, our job isn’t to pry into the lives of our idols to squeeze every last ounce of relatability out of them.”

be the last, all fans can do moving forward is to treat our favorite artists with respect. Music is, at the end of the day, a job for musicians; press tours, social media posts, and even are byproducts of the industry that prioritizes the commodification of artists to rake in more money. As fans, our job isn’t to pry into the lives of our idols to squeeze every last ounce of relatability out of them. There is a difference between learning more about an artist through the correct channels to better understand their work and wrongfully trespassing into their private lives. If you wouldn’t want it happening to you or a loved one, it’s probably safe to say that you shouldn’t do it to an artist. They’re people too, after all.

Wombats by Katelyn Desjardins

Fenne Lilly by Ethan Lam

Kishi Bashi by James Morse

Perfume Genius by Ian Smith

Khruangbin by James Morse

C o n c e r t s

MELISMA | SPRING 2022 | 13

Clairo by Katelyn Desjardins, Reneta Zeiguer by Ian Smith, Perfume Genius by Ian Smith

Snail Mail by Ethan Lam, Hand Habits by Ian Smith, Animal Collective by Lola Nedic

Parquet COurts by Ethan Lam, Squid by Ethan Lam, Bleachers by Ethan Lam

tall tales and rock operas! how concept albums work by grace rotermund

Stories come in many different shapes, sizes,

and mediums. Most of us grew up watching cartoons, with their intricate plotlines unfolding in front of us visually over the course of a season or two. Movies provide a compact version, two-three hours with a dramatic finish. For the musically inclined, there’s the option of music videos, certainly, but also of a concept album – something a lot of us heard at least once, but never actually sought out. A definition:

con·cept al·bum Noun.

“a music album featuring a cycle of songs expressing a particular theme, story, or idea.” What many people consider the very first concept album is the 1967 record Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely-Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. Some also cite Frank Sinatra’s 1946 album The Life of Frank Sinatra, while some go with The Kinks’ Face to Face in 1966. Regardless, there is definitely a theme with these three albums through which a general history can be established – they started to appear in the mid-20th century and all revolve around a story of some sort. Sinatra’s is more autobiographical, while The Beatles and Kinks take a more deliberately fictional approach. However, today I’ll be doing some genre-hopping and will begin far from this magazine’s usual musical palate by diving into The Red Headed Stranger by country icon Willie Nelson. The Red Headed Stranger, released in 1975, was the first record that Nelson had entire creative control over. With the simplistic instrumentation of guitar, piano, and drums, Nelson released his storytelling abilities into the world, and

boy, is it readily apparent while listening to this album that a story is being told - one of a fugitive running from the law. The first track, “Time of the Preacher,” introduces us to the record’s characters and its Wild West setting. We learn of two men and a woman and recognize the age-old story of a scorned lover out for revenge. “Blue Rock Montana” elaborates on how the fugitive found the two lovers in the town of Blue Rock and (spoilers, if you’re invested) shot them so quickly that “they died with their smiles on their faces.” The fugitive eventually escapes and in “Hands on the Wheel” is shown to have married again and aged. The aforementioned stripped-down setup of guitar/piano/drums serves this album well; it brings us into the rollicking world of the fugitive and allows for Nelson’s signature twang to narrate without distraction while simultaneously adding a rough-around-the-edges charm to the record. Harmonicas often float through at important moments, and while Nelson’s Spanish-influenced solos perhaps aren’t the most technically difficult, they slot perfectly into each song. One can imagine the stranger himself picking up a guitar, playing in front of a Montana campfire and fitting in the solos when he gets too emotional to sing. The songs flow into each other, too, allowing for full immersion. This kind of combination of lyrics and arrangements is often what characterizes a concept album – riffs, lines, and characters will show up repeatedly throughout the record (explicitly or

not, in the case of My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade.) David Bowie’s oeuvre is chock-full of concept albums, but my personal favorite is 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

You run out the door, finally catching your breath when you meet up with your friends on Prez Lawn. “You want to get on AUX?” someone asks. You hesitate - the playlist! The life of the party! You forgot! This silent fear flashes before your eyes as you back away slowly, but the question grows louder - “AUX?” “AUX?” “AUX?” Like crazed birds, a cacophony of voices follows you as you try to escape, but you trip and fall down the hill, rolling into oblivion. (Return to origin page 23)

MELISMA | SPRING 2022 | 15 Ziggy Stardust, as it is affectionately referred to, follows a plot set way in the future. Here, rock and roll is abandoned and humanity is about to die out in “Five Years,” as the first song of the album narrates. A singular hero arises to become the rapidly arriving aliens’ prophet and resurrector of rock-n-roll as we know it – Mr. Ziggy Stardust. Introduced fully in “Moonage Daydream” (“I’ll be a rock ‘n’ rollin’ bitch for you!” Bowie-as-Ziggy screams as the guitar wails into a minute-long solo), our prophet is originally hesitant at saving Earth. Turning to drugs as his fame rises, Ziggy wrestles with his mision and androgynous-bisexual identity (“Lady Stardust”), eventually getting crazier and crazier as the aliens near earth (shown in the chaotic piano of “Suffragette City”). Finally, in “Rock and Roll Suicide”, the story comes to an end with Ziggy getting both literally and metaphorically ripped to shreds – the fame was too much, and so he succums to rabid aliens and mental health struggles. The album is categorized as a rock opera: a rather niche type of concept album that revolves around the use of “grand” sounding songs and production along with a streamlined storyline - the piano plays a major role in this record, adding a swingy feel to songs about how drugs and fame rip a person apart from the inside. This record feels fairly autobiographical as well, since it details how toxic the music industry can be, including the crushing feeling that drives people to suicide. Like how Nelson’s album can be seen also as a story of loneliness, Bowie’s narration of Ziggy Stardust is simultaneously a critique of fame culture. The last concept album I’d like to focus on here is a little bit of an outlier – Million Masks of God by Manchester Orchestra was released in 2021. I chose to focus on this album as a possible answer to the question of where concept albums are going. The overall theme of this record is death

– where do we go when we die, how do we deal with it, will we ever be free from it – with the general story being a rather convoluted one of an elderly man dying in his sleep and being taken away by an angel of death. It is told from the perspective of the man’s son dealing with dayto-day life and going over the memories that pop up in the wake of his father’s death (“Angel of Death”). It takes a close look at the different parts of the man’s life – or at least started off that way. The band’s lead guitarist’s father died while the album was being written, making it more personal, like a memorial album. “Bed Head” talks about being surrounded by memories of the dead (or perhaps the dead themselves?), while “Way Back” reflects on grief and faith. The sound of the album is electric, soaring, lush, and driven by slamming drums that portray exactly how messed up the world feels after death. Perhaps, with this album at the helm, the newer generation of concept albums could be just as electric as those of the past, but with even more convoluted lyrics.This all counts, of course, only if you consider Million Masks a concept album. They could also start heading more in the direction of what My Chemical Romance, with their 2010 “post-nuclear fallout radio station album” Danger Days, called a “high” concept album. With the recent resurgence of 70s and 90s influence in fashion, the ~youth~ of today could also take inspiration from the rock operas of the past. Rest assured, they are not uncommon today, with many calling Tyler the Creator’s Igor a concept album, as well as Trench by Twenty One Pilots. It will be interesting to see these masterpieces of lyricism head next, how they evolve musically, and ultimately what stories will be told. I, however, being a creature of habit, will likely stick with listening to Bowie.

Swiping Right on a Song: Exploring the Connections Between Tinder Anthems and Tinder Matches

Katelyn Desjardins

Abstract

Tinder allows its users to select an “anthem” to display on their profile, a single song that shows potential matches who you are and what you’re looking for. In this exploratory, non-IRB approved study, the Tinder anthems of about 250 18-30 year old singles in the Medford/Somerville area are analyzed alongside the rest of their profiles and the messages sent to the principal researcher, Katelyn Desjardins.

Introduction

This study is primarily exploratory, however there is the hypothesis that people with particularly bad or pretentious Tinder anthems will prove that their Tinder anthems are red flags. The results of the study did not end up supporting this hypothesis, as there was not a high enough quantity of desirable matches to compare with the undesirable matches, so no real claims about how the quality of someone’s anthem corresponds to their desirability.

Figure 1

Methodology

This study is primarily quantitative through the grading of non-numerical information onto differing scales of one to ten (anthem obscurity, likelihood of a right swipe in a different scenario, and anthem quality). Anthem obscurity was calculated by recording the Spotify plays of each anthem and ranking them in ten equal groups, with the anthems with the most plays being a one on the obscurity scale and the anthems with the least amount of plays being a ten on the obscurity scale. The scales for the likelihood of a right swipe and anthem quality were both based purely on my personal opinions. The participants were recruited under the guise of a normal Tinder match with the principal researcher, who swiped right on every user with an anthem and left on every user without an anthem for about two weeks. I have not controlled for Tinder users with anthems who swipe left on me because that would be too much work and they probably have bad taste anyways. The tinder account used in this study consisted of my normal tinder profile pictures and a bio of “tell me about your tinder anthem” and nothing else.

Results

Figures one through four function as contextual information for the larger study, while figures five through seven display the results that do not support the hypothesis. Figure 1 shows that the majority of the anthems were released in the years of 2020 and 2021, with over two thirds of them having a release date in this past decade. Figure 2 shows that on a scale of one to ten, where one represents a 0% chance that I would swipe right on this person in normal conditions and ten represents a 100% chance of swiping right in any context. The overwhelming majority of the tinder profiles encountered in this study were ones.

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 3 shows that most of the judgements of anthems made in this study were based on a single listen to the song. Figure 4 shows that a little under half of the study’s participants messaged me; however, most of them did not read my bio and tell me about their anthem. Figure 5 shows how this study does not support the hypothesis that the quality of someone’s Tinder anthem correlates with the quality of their profile in terms of a likelihood of me swiping right. For each bracket of right swipe likelihood, there is a full range of scores for how much I like their anthem, meaning that there is no correlation in this data.

Figure 5

The voice bellows again, louder now: “YOU HAVE FAILED THE VIBE CHECK.” Oh shit, you think. It was a test! It was all a terrible test, and there is actually a wrong answer! Your vision blurs as the total cosmic power of the musical entity consumes you… was it worth it? Are you happy with yourself? (Return to Origin Page 23)

MELISMA | SPRING 2022 | 17 Figure 6 shows that there is no correlation between the obscurity of someone’s anthem and the likelihood that I would swipe right on their profile. Figure 7 is the only graph that shows any sort of correlation between two variables in this study, with those variables being anthem obscurity and

Figure 6

Figure 7

how much I like the anthem. The negative trendline for how much I like the anthem shows that people with less obscure anthems generally rated higher on the anthem quality scale. This finding would be much more interesting if there was any correlation between anthem quality or obscurity and profile quality.

Discussion

While this study may not have any conclusive results, it has many opportunities for a case study. The cases of Trevor and Moopie are worthy of discussion here.

Trevor

Trevor is a 30 year old self proclaimed hedonist with “Kids In America” by Kim Wilde as their anthem and a bio shown in the figure below. While 48.9% of this study’s participants messaged me, Trevor was the only one I messaged back. I had no real desire to talk to Trevor, but I did feel the need to defend myself. Our conversation is in Figure 9, and I am happy to say that I would never swipe right on Trevor in normal circumstances.

Moopie

21 year old Moopie had an anthem of “Runaway” by Meggie York and N3WPORT, with only 796,918 plays on Spotify Moopie’s anthem got a 10/10 score for obscurity. If an anthem with a 10/10 obscurity score says anything about how pretentious someone is, Moopie made sure to support my claim that particularly pretentious anthems clearly become red flags later on. I feel as though Moopie meant for his first message to me to be a compliment or at least an attempt at flirting; unfortunately for him, I was Figure 10 not into it at all.

Conclusion

Tinder is a waste of time and the anthem feature can be a good conversation starter sometimes I guess but I wouldn’t judge someone based off of their anthem too harshly.

Sources

Tinder <3

Fun Finds & Their Anthems About Me You can call me daddy if you’re that way inclined I have 8ths for $20 if you ever need bud About Me Mac Miller is the Goat My anthem is a rough way to start a conversation but I can try It’s kinky and sad, and so am I Bright eyes is my favorite band :) About Me Hi I’m an open minded, handsome, young, hung, nice guy that makes 7080k a year that’s willing to respect your sexual freedom and be loyal to you in relationship. Liberal, straight, white guy for girl I think my tinder anthem speaks for itself. About Me Top 0.1% Carly Rae Jepsen listener on Spotify The way you brush your teeth sets my heart on fire

Figure 8

Figure 9

About Me Slap my nuts a little?

Waste of Time

Snow Tha Product

Supalonely

BENEE & Gus Dapperton

Pull My Hair Bright Eyes

Love is Wicked Brick & Lace

Good in Bed Dua Lipa

Sit On My Face Wheeler Walker

Let it Happen Tame Impala

Tom Sawyer Rush

Jake Rubenstein

usic makes a movie in your mind. The sounds and words that flood your ears conjure up specific images, stories, and landscapes that are each integral to the album listening process. These spectral soundscapes are made whole by the visual accompaniments provided by the artist — the iconography and artwork associated with an album are often just as integral to the listening experience vas the music itself.

At almost every step of the musical process, there are visuals involved. Search up your favorite artist right now — their carefully curated presskit crafts the image of the artist in the eyes of the listeners. The clothes they wear and the backdrop they use are all meant to invoke a certain conception of the artist to be posted online and shown at shows. When you get tickets to see your favorite artist on tour, you’re buying into a full audio-visual experience, complete with stage design and a light show that complement the music you hear. Scenes and stills from that music video you’ve watched hundreds of times on YouTube flash behind the band as you watch the front person mimic the dance moves and poses you’ve since memorized. The singer dances around while the drummer pummels the beat out with your favorite album cover on their bass drum. The album artwork is as essential a visual companion to the music as there can be. It’s the first thing that catches the crate-digger’s eye as they’re flipping through a dusty vinyl bin at their local record store. It’s quite literally the cover that the book is judged on — the first point of contact with the record that can change your life. Album art can develop on lyrical themes found in the music, or contribute to a larger concept hinted at throughout the album. It can even just set an overall ‘vibe’ to the album, providing a color palette or image to be pondered while listening. This artwork can be made into a genre-trope as well: colorful, overblown imagery on a hyperpop album or completely unintelligible, sinister-looking wording on a black metal record.

A few album covers have stood the test of time and become iconic representations of classic albums (think Sgt. Pepper’s, Dark Side of the Moon, In the Court of the Crimson King), but is a good cover necessary for a good album? What about vice versa? There are plenty of good albums with bad covers — The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds might have an iconic cover, but it can also be seen as just an outtake of a photoshoot they had on a trip to the petting zoo. Horrible records can even have impressive artwork as well — Metallica’s St. Anger has a cover that is stirring and infuriating in the best way possible, but is paired with one of the worst vestiges of the early 2000s nebula of shitty nu-metal and ‘butt-rock’. How about commercial success? There are plenty of covers that have sold millions of copies, regardless of the actual quality or cultural significance of the album. Drake’s Scorpion is one of the most streamed albums of all time, but the simple portrait of Aubrey Graham pales in comparison to the cover of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. Gunna’s Drip or Drown 2 doesn’t hold a candle to Daft Punk’s Discovery. Listeners are left to wonder what the future holds for music visuals. Album art is a bit less tangible now — not as many fans can hold and feel the album art in their hands, soaking up every little detail. Many listeners’ visual experience with an album is relegated to a small square on their phone screen, but they are also treated to a plethora of innovative new ways in which artists incorporate iconography into their entire oeuvre. Visuals can bring the musical experience to a whole new level, and they shouldn’t be overlooked as simply an afterthought.

The figure with the stick smiles and says “BASED. YOU MAY PASS.” You say, “Pass? I wasn’t going anywhere? I was standing still?” But the figure is gone, disappearing into a cloud of smoke. All that’s left is the mysterious stick they carried… you feel strangely drawn towards it…Option 1: (page 16) Pick it up! Cool free stick! Option 2: (page 8) Okay, it’s a stick. I feel like this adventure is really losing its steam. Kinda boring. Where’s the party?

MELISMA | SPRING 2022 | 19

The Old Skool Is Back Again

Pete Dev/Null on Bostonian Junglism and the Revival

Interviewed by Charles Stone

Of the UK’s many electronic music imports, none have garnered as much attention recently as jungle. With rapidly-changing breakbeats, chest-rattling sub-bass, and eclectic reggae, dancehall, techno, house, and R&B and soul samples, the genre has grown increasingly popular once more. Having fallen in love with jungle, I wanted to talk to someone with years of expertise behind them. I corresponded with Pete Dev/Null, jungle DJ and founder of the archival blog Blog to the Oldskool, one of the foremost onlinev collections of obscure 90s jungle tracks. His radio show, BTTO Radio, has had an outsized influence on the recent internet jungle scene. Below is a little taste of his perspective: When did you begin listening to jungle and drum’n’bass (dnb)? Was there a particular moment that made you want to be a jungle DJ? started listening to jungle/dnb music around Choice Cuts “I 1997/98 or so. That was a great time for the music in Boston, and around the world - dnb was hitting on a global scale. Here in Boston, nights were happening regularly at spots throughout the city, and a store called 4Front opened right on Newbury Street strictly selling the latest dnb promos fresh from the UK. Honestly, I was buying vinyl back then, but didn’t have a DJ setup, and didn’t consider becoming a DJ and recording mixes until many years later… “Getting out of grad school and getting a decent paying tech job pushed me to colClassic jungle lect more + DJ in two ways. On one hand, staring at computers all day at my job made compilations me less excited to go home and stare at (computer based) sequencers all night while working on tracks. On the other hand, it meant I finally had disposable income to slowly start the painful, painful task of moving basically every single ‘92-’95 [hardcore]/jungle record ever over from the UK… The more records I got, the more I felt an obligation to start recording mixes and sharing my favorite tracks, not out of any particular skill at weaving tracks together or confidence in my DJing (I kinda suck technically), but for the excitement of showing off cool tunes I didn’t see other peoSully - Werk ple talking about.” Do you think jungle is experiencing a more permanent revival in interest, or has it just been opportune timing? “We’ve definitely hit a huge wave of renewed interest. Case in point: Nia Archives, a singer/songwriter who primarily writes jungle/dnb stuff, just won best producer at the NME awards. However, some environmental factors are facilitating parts of this interest. Changes in music consumption are making average people more amenaPhineus II ble to this music. Lockdown increased interest in at-home acMeridian Response tivities, like, say, collecting rare old vinyl from 28 years ago and YouTube’s algorithms served up a select few classic jungle tracks and mixes to massive numbers of people to the point they’ve almost become memes... Also, the social reckoning which resulted in some people taking to task the sonic whitewashing of some music styles (mostly techno) gave a bit more focus and credence to multicultural & black music born styles like jungle in their Coco Bryce Kid Lib source.” Ma Bae Be Luv Living In The Zone

Pete Dev/Null can be heard spinning tunes every other Sunday at 5pm EST on the aforementioned “BTTO Radio” program, which he co-hosts with Tim Reaper on jungletrain.net. His own music can be heard on 8205 Recordings at 8205.bandcamp.com. For a full version of this interview, go to Melismamagazine.com

Fresh from the site of an unsightly limo crash, you and Charli seek out the first stirrings of Spring fling activity… hopefully someone will be there to help you out. Charli seems oddly quiet, not at all like the Charli you know and love from such prolific musical projects and Twitter beefs. As you’re running up the hill, sparks start to fly literally! The only slightly injured pop star starts to short circuit - android sabotage? Coming to spoil the beautiful day of music and joy for children ages approximately 18-23 across all of the Medford-Somerville area? The sparks continue, and suddenly the robot freezes in its tracks with a sad groan. Huh. That was weird. The sun’s still not up yet… maybe there’s time to go back to bed after all… (return to PAGE 6)

Dorian Electra by Andrés López

ON NC CE O N R CCCO ER RTTTSSS Bright Eyes by Jason Evers

Genesis Owusu by Jake Rubenstein

Wolf Alice by Kayla Avitabile

Maisie Peters by Olivia Bello

Yves Tumor by Ethan Lam

MELISMA | SPRING 2022 | 21

Summer Preview • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Concerts

Rina Sawayama at The Royale - 5/5 Interpol at Roadrunner - 5/11 Omar Apollo at Big Night Live - 5/11 Rex Orange County at the Leader Bank Pavilion - 5/11 Alex Cameron at The Sinclair - 5/17 Little Simz at The Sinclair - 5/19 Guster at the House of Blues - 5/21 and 5/22 Injury Reserve and Armand Hammer at Paradise Rock Club - 5/25 Anaïs Mitchell at The Sinclair - 5/26 Wet at Paradise Rock Club - 6/6 Lake Street Dive at Roadrunner - 6/11 and 6/12 Tove Lo at Roadrunner - 6/13 Belle and Sebastian at Roadrunner - 6/18

Album Releases

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Arcade Fire - WE - 5/6 The Black Keys - Dropout Boogie - 5/13 Florence and the Machine - Dance Fever - 5/13 Harry Styles - Harry’s House - 5/20 Angel Olsen - Big Time - 6/3 Perfume Genius - Ugly Season - 6/17 Muna - Muna - 6/24 Regina Spektor - Home, before and after - 6/24 Soccer Mommy - Sometimes, Forever - 6/24 Beabadoobee - Beatopia - 7/15 Interpol - The Other Side Of Make-Believe - 7/15 Odesza - The Last Goodbye - 7/22 Maggie Rogers - Surrender - 7/29 Muse - Will of the People - 8/26 Built to Spill - When the Wind Forgets Your Name - 9/9 Sky Ferreira - ?- ?/?

Waxahatchee at Roadrunner - 6/21 Wallows at Roadrunner - 6/22 Big Time Rush at the Leader Bank Pavilion 6/26 Bikini Kill at Boch Center - 7/15 Beach House at Roadrunner - 7/22 BANKS at the House of Blues - 7/25 Mitski at Roadrunner - 7/26 and 7/27 Leon Bridges at Roadrunner - 8/16 and 8/17 Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker at the Leader Bank Pavilion - 8/18 Faye Webster at The Royale - 8/19 Built to Spill at the Paradise Rock Club - 8/31 My Chemical Romance at TD Garden - 9/7 and 9/8 Arlo Parks at Roadrunner - 9/14 Florence and the Machine at TD Garden - 9/14 They Might Be Giants at The Royale - 9/15 and 9/16 IDLES at Roadrunner - 9/17 MUNA at The Royale - 9/18 and 9/19 Ezra Furman at The Sinclair - 9/20 Father John Misty at the Leader Bank Pavilion - 9/23

MELISMA | SPRING 2022 | 23

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: MELISMA EDITION YOU’RE THE HERO OF THE STORY...

THE SPRING FLING ADVENTURE Follow along with the dark and twisted tale hidden within these magazine pages, and see where your adventure takes you!

Twas the night before Spring Fling, and all through the house, not a student was stirring… not even a Somerville rat. In the predawn hours, you awaken to a loud crash just outside the window. It could be anything! An enemy! An ally! A million dollars! Drake! You stop to consider your options... Option 1: (Go to page 4) Investigate! It could be something sick dude idk… Option 2: (Go to page 6) Go back to sleep! After all, you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow…

SUCCESS! BACK ALREADY? FIND THE PLAYLIST FOR YOUR FATE... IF YOU DARE!

FAILURE :(