Melisma Tufts’ Journal of Independent Music & Culture
April 2006
House Music Acid at Avalon and Nightlife at the Phoenix
+Underoath, Belle and Sebastian, and more . . . A Student Publication of Tufts University - Vol II - Issue 2
Melisma From the Editor
During the end of one’s Senior year, one’s mind tends to drift from requisite tasks: work, finding a job, getting a life, etc., and towards reflection. What have I accomplished? What did I gain out of my Tufts experience? For any student, these can be difficult questions to answer. But for me, at any rate, the best part about college has been the diversity of culture, thought, and its expression, the expressive medium of choice of course, being music. I’m not talking about a capella or any of the other wonderful student groups we have on campus. Regardless, what is truly interesting and enthralling is the independent music and culture that surrounds us. Independent, not as defined by labels or genres, but rather by the spirit
behind the music and the people who make it. Tufts tends to be its own relatively limited social microcosm, within it there are those who are adventurous enough to explore the world of art and music around them. Fortunately for us over the last two years, we have had the opportunity to express our ideas and attitudes towards music in the form of this magazine. And additionally we have been able to let others do the same. It is amazing to think what started as two opinionated people with too much time on their hands has developed into a magazine that has had over 30 contributors. Though we’ve had mixed success, it has truly been remarkable to see the diversity of thought, as well as people who have participated in and
Join Melisma!
Interested in contributing to Tufts’ premier journal of music and culture? Have talent in writing, art, or design? Work with us. E - m a i l M e l i s maMagazine@gmai l.com for inform a t i o n o n h ow to get involved.
responded to this publication. While we’re graduating, either pursuing our dreams, selling out, or probably somewhere in between, we’re happy to have left this token of our expression. We leave this publication to our bright and talented staff, some of whom actually bring real journalistic experience and credit! And with any luck they will continue to build upon the model that we have set, expanding and bettering what we have started for the benefit of the Tufts community.
Gordon Cieplak
Andrew Chira
Comments? Questions? Adulation or hatemail? Please send all letters to the editor to: MelismaMagazine @gmail.com
Melisma Magazine is a n o n - p r o f i t s t u d e n t p u b l i c a t i o n a t Tu f t s U n i v e r s i t y. T h e o p i n i o n s e x p r e s s e d i n a r t i c l e s , f e a t u r e s or photos are solely t h o s e o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l a u t h o r ( s ) a n d d o n o t n e c e s s a r i l y r e f l e c t t h e v i e w s o f t h e e d i t o r s o r t h e s t a ff. Tufts University is no t r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e c o n t e n t o f M e l i s m a M a g a z i n e . I f y o u w o u l d l i k e t o s u b m i t a l e t t e r t o M e l i sma Magazine, please send i t t o M e l i s m a M a g a z i n e @ g m a i l . c o m . P l e a s e l i m i t y o u r l e t t e r t o 4 0 0 w o r d s o r l e s s .
Melisma
Contents April 2006
Made By Editors in Chief: Andrew Chira Gordon Cieplak Submissions Editors: Amanda Brower Meredith Turits
Volume II, Issue 2
Features Underoath Meredith Turits Interview With Patrick Mangan Brett Hitchner James Zabiela Alex Welles
Business Manager: Marty Sattell
A Night at the Phoenix Brett Hitchner
Layout Committee: Andrew Chira Gordon Cieplak Marty Sattell Meredith Turits
Reviews
Illustration: Gordon Cieplak Contributors: Andrew Chira Brett Hitchner Amanda Lanceter Alexis Ong Marty Sattell Brendan Shea Danielle Stein Meredith Turits Alexander Welles
Melisma
4 8 10 12
Belle and Sebastian: The Life Pursuit Danielle Stein The Joggers: With a Cape and a Cane Marty Sattell
15
Alexis’ Corner: Boards of Canada, Involution, Sunn 0))) Alexis Ong
17
By the Fruits you Shall Know the Roots Brendan Shea
20
Teddy Thompson: Separate Ways Amanda Lanceter
22
16
Features
Reinventing Safety: Underoath Breathes New Life into an Old Face
Text and Photos by Meredith Turits It’s relatively quiet in the backstage area at one of Boston’s premier venues, The Avalon, despite the noise from dispersing fans below being ushered out by the club’s clean-up crew. The show has ended and Underoath guitarist Tim McTague sits atop the arm of a vinyl couch in the VIP room, still visibly excited from the live energy he and his bandmates of the premier Solid State Records six-piece created just over an hour ago. McTague’s shirt and handaltered jeans look exhausted, but judging by the quick and consistent movements of his legs and hands, McTague still seems on a high. Underoath is touring on the heels of their most recent release, a re-issue of June 2004’s smash success, They’re Only Chasing Safety. The band’s Boston date of their national tour with Veda, The Bled and headliners Thrice is one of the last before Underoath steps back into the studio to record the follow-up to Safety. Before the band packs up for the night, however, McTague steps aside from his five bandmates, drummer/vocalist Aaron Gillespie, guitarist James Smith, keyboardist Chris Dudley, bassist Grant Brandell and vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, to discuss Underoath’s decision to re-issue Safety, as well as what the band has planned for the future. Reemerging Safety
support of Safety; the band spent roughly nine months straight on the road playing dates including Warped Tour 2004 and 2005, Hot Topic’s massive Taste of Chaos 2005 tour
After a short hiatus following the summer 2003 departure of Underoath’s original vocalist, Dallas Taylor, Underoath jumped back into the studio in early 2004 for a period of 11 weeks to write and record their debut with new vocalist Chamberlain. June 15, 2004 marked the release of the breakthrough disc, They’re Only Chasing Safety, on Solid State Records, the edgier subsidiary of renowned Christian-rock label Tooth & Nail Records. Though the band already possessed a fairly extensive discography, McTague at Avalon Safety’s different feel, with its driving rock basis accented by with headliners Deftones, a headlining tour of their own with Fear Before catchy melodic hooks, proved to be The March of Flames and labelmates force which launched Underoath into The Chariot, as well as other, smaller a more recognizable position in the two to three-day festivals such as ever-growing melodic hardcore scene. New Jersey’s Bamboozle Fest and Safety orived to be the catalyst that Cornerstone in their home state of established Underoath as a hardcore Florida. powerhouse in late 2004 and 2005. Underoath actively toured in
“We’ve been on a bunch of tours in the last eight or nine months,” McTague said. “It’s cool that kids are still excited about hearing us.” The band’s bout on Thrice’s headlining tour brought Underoath through another two solid months on the road, with material from Safety still composing the bulk of their setlist. “It’s definitely hard to try and tour eight months on the same record and play the same songs but have it still be interesting for a kid his fourth time through,” McTague said. “I was kind of worried about it on [the Thrice] tour, that our reactions wouldn’t have been as [good] as they have been, but they’ve actually been… some of the best reactions we’ve ever gotten.” With most of their time spent consistently touring, Underoath was hard-pressed for time to lay down a
Melisma
new record, even though the material on Safety was becoming exhausted by so many road outings. Their travels and tour experiences, however, opened up the door to another outlet for exposure. Recreating Safety After a quick stop by Underoath’s merch table right after the show’s conclusion, it’s no surprise that after watching Underoath on stage, fans by the truckload are leaving The Avalon with more than just their ticket stubs as a memento of the night’s performance. Rather, many clutch green CDs – the fruits of Underoath’s most recent labor. Instead of choosing their next project to be a follow up to Safety, the band instead stepped outside of the idea of recording a new album immediately and chose a different route. “We definitely wanted to start shooting [a DVD],” McTague said. Underoath had been recording and compiling footage while on the road and during their downtime and wanted to press it all into a DVD project showcasing their personal and band lives. It was important for the DVD to be shot and compiled documentarystyle, McTague said. “For me, I pretty much had me in mind with the sense that…if I bought a DVD of one of my favorite bands, I don’t want to see just their live stuff. Because honestly, if I’m a fan enough to buy a DVD, then I’ve already seen them live plenty of times,” McTague said. “So what’s the point of rewatching a show I can’t be at? I want to see what they do, I want to see what they do in their home, I want to see what their house looks like, I want to see how they write music and their record, I want to hear what they do in
their off-time. “We handed the people that edited [the DVD] a shoebox of tapes that we shot and just told them what we wanted in terms of the style of DVD, the fast pace, the editing and the overall feel,” McTague said. “They went to town and we didn’t have a complaint at all.” Directed by Shannon Hartman and produced by Michelle Caputo
part of the cohesiveness of the project nonetheless. Underoath’s extensive time on the road throughout 2004 and 2005 allowed the band to shoot and compile a myriad of live footage. The diversity of the performances, ranging from a Warped Tour montage to coverage of their European tour, paints an accurate and extensive picture of the dynamic quality of Underoath’s live show. McTague said he thinks the DVD is a true representation of who Underoath are as people. “I think when you hear a band on stage for 30 minutes and hear them say five things about what they believe in or why they play music, it doesn’t really get addressed in the depth that we’d like it,” he said. The value Underoath puts on spreading the
[Hardcore] is definitey in a weird place. Bankscan just blow up out of nowhere.
Melisma
for Art & Industry, the band’s DVD project, also titled They’re Only Chasing Safety, showcases the band members as up-close and personal as anyone could get (or ever possibly desire to get). Bringing fans into their Florida homes, cars, tour vehicles and backstage areas, the DVD paints a portrait of life on the road as well at home from the unique perspective of every band member. Chronicling the history of Underoath, the DVD provides insight not only into the inner-workings of Underoath as a six-piece, but allows fans to meet the members personally through their interviews, commentary, and biographical sections, along with Underoath’s managerial staff and label associates – the people that make the band run (or at least appear to run) as fluidly as they do. The second section of the DVD encompasses a collection of live performances covering six tours which span two continents, as well as the music video for the June 2004’s Safety single, “It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door.” Much like the goal McTague and band members set forth when compiling the DVD, the live component is less of a focus than the documentary element, but an essential
Not botched plastic surgery: the transformation of the Safety artwork. Top: Original artowrk form June 2004. Bottom: Bannon’s revamped version.
music. McTague folds his hands in his lap. “It’s cool to watch that,” he said. “It’s like a live show where you get to hear the music, but you get to see how we act and who we are as people.” Revamping Safety Though Underoath’s DVD project was a go, the band found out they couldn’t simply release it alone. “The label came to us and was like, ‘Do you mind packaging it with a CD? Stores don’t take DVDs but they take CDs,’ so it was a really good way to get the DVD out to people,” McTague said. With the priority of pressing the DVD, Underoath decided to revamp Safety and release a special edition re-issue of the disc, complete with bonus tracks and a facelift (literally). For tracks 12 through 14 on the Safety re-issue, Underoath included demos recorded before the initial release of Safety in June 2004. Track 11, “I’ve Got 10 Friends and a Crowbar That Says You Ain’t Gonna Do Jack,” is the biggest musical addition to the re-issue as the song, written and recorded well after Safety’s initial release, is the newest released Underoath recording to date. The track keeps suit with the overall sound of Safety, but adds another element of strength and aggression to the music on the Safety re-issue. Perhaps the most dramatic departure from the June 2004 release of Safety is the re-issue’s aesthetic. The re-issue includes new linernotes and photography as well as a redesigned disc and the DVD. Based off the artwork of the original From Top: Chamberlain, Brandell, Dudley. release, Underoath decided to enlist Now this is a rock show, boys and girls. the help of legendary Converge frontman Jacob Bannon. message behind their music is vital “We knew we wanted it illustrated to the band; as a Christian hardcore and a lot more dirty and dark,” outfit, the DVD helps to underscore McTague said. “[We] just thought their reasons for being involved in he’d be the best fit for that.”
Relaunching Safety The already minimal amount of background noise is dying down as many of the people in the VIP area head downstairs where Thrice is doing a signing session with fans for their new release. McTague is still sitting on the arm of the vinyl couch and though he is rocking back and forth slightly, he appears composed. The Underoath guitarist continues to explain the launch of their most recent project. With all components of the Safety re-issue completed, the record hit the streets on October 4, 2005. “We knew that kids who already had the record were still going to go out and buy it,” the Underoath guitarist said of the Safety re-issue. McTague said managers had predicted a jump in sales compared to the June 2004 release because of the DVD component of the re-issue as well as the Underoath’s reputation created by the original release. And oh, how right Underoath’s management team were. The band rocked the Soundscan lists, debuting at the top of Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. “Originally we debuted at number two ‘cause it was a mistake and then our manager saw that the group that was number one actually sold less. But we were like, ‘We got number two, that’s cool,’ because we weren’t really thinking about that,” he said. “Then we got an e-mail that day and it was like, ‘Yeah, you guys are number one, it was a mistake and Billboard and Soundscan fixed their stuff’.” McTague laughs. “It was just cool.” Because Underoath’s managers had prepared them for an increase in sales, regardless of how substantial, McTague said the news wasn’t a big personal shock to the band; rather, they were just excited to know that a large amount of fans cared so much about their music and lives. “We thought it was cool just because it sold more [after a few
Melisma
Prepare the lozenges! weeks] than it did a year ago. So to think like, a year and a half into it the record was scanning more than ever was really cool,” McTague said. Reinventing Safety As the other members of Underoath and their tour manager are hunched over a 12-inch PowerBook in the back corner of the backstage area, McTague pauses to readjust his position. He has been talking for nearly 15 minutes about the band’s work to create the Safety re-issue. In discussing Underoath’s immediate command of the Heatseekers Chart, McTague begins to address what their success with both versions of Safety signify for independent bands and the hardcore scene in general. “[Hardcore] is definitely in a weird place,” McTague said. “Bands can just blow up out of nowhere…I feel like the rise in popularity is really good for a lot of bands but it’s really dangerous for our scene because there’s a lot of major label mentality
Melisma
amongst indie bands…you just have to gauge where a band’s motivation lies, you know?” When it comes to Underoath, it’s not difficult to see the band’s sincerity in their endeavors. Emerging from a humble Floridian background the band has stayed true to their original motivations and allegiance to their Christian roots. They integrate their personal convictions more visibly with each project on which they embark. McTague said the band also treats each experience as a lesson, something he feels many acts, especially with the recent rise in popularity of the hardcore scene, don’t take the time to do. “Every recording session’s an experience, every video shoot’s a different experience, every song that gets written is a different experience,” he said. “The biggest thing that I wish is that everyone would understand what that is – that experience – because it’s really easy to take it for granted and think like, ‘Oh, we’re
just writing a song, here it is.’ But it’s like, we’re actually creating music.” The guitarist pauses. “It’s cool, like, everything we do is an experience if you let it be.” And with that, Underoath’s newest experience has taken flight. On January third, the band began work on their newest effort, a full-length follow-up to Safety with producers Matt Goldman and Adam Dutkiewicz. Spending 10 days in Atlanta, Ga., four weeks in Western Massachusetts, and then back to Atlanta for another 10day bout, Underoath is planning a June 20 release date for their as-yet untitled disc. “Our new sound is definitely way different,” McTague said. “It’s just a lot heavier, a lot more aggressive. Some songs have the same feel as Chasing Safety but some of them are branching off in a couple different directions.” As they hoped, Underoath will play the main stage of Warped Tour 2006 and have a pair of confirmed United Kingdom dates in April. In May, the band will make an appearance at New Jersey’s Bamboozle Fest 2006, as well as embark on another US headlining tour with Poison The Well. Many of the band’s other goals, McTague said, have been reached. Underoath is just happy to see where their music takes them from here. “Beyond all of our goals, we never thought we’d have the opportunity to do what we’ve been doing now,” McTague said. “It’s all just really cool.”
Meredith Turits is a freshman majoring in philosophy and another equally useless discipline that doesn’t yet exist at Tufts. Her greatest pleasure in life is single-handedly stripping you of your scene points.
Features
Interview With Patrick Mangan AKA DJ WhiteLabel AKA Fiddle Sensation
by Brett Hitchner I sat down with Patrick Mangan at his apartment in Medford. Mangan is a Senior at Tufts University as well as a virtuoso Irish fiddler and an upcoming DJ. He came to Boston three years ago from New York City, where he grew up. Since his first year here he has been steadily growing in popularity as a DJ, first at Tufts, and now in greater Boston. Meanwhile, Pat hasn’t forgotten the skills that earned him a place in Riverdance at the age of sixteen. In the past year especially Pat has reconnected with his Irish music and has performed extensively. I started by asking Pat about his musical and personal evolution since coming to Boston. What follows is the full transcript of our interview:
atmosphere and an energy level all came with experience.
You’ve been at Tufts for almost four years now. How do you feel you evolved as a musician and performer in that time?
How has your fiddling fit in with all this?
I think it’s safe to say that I’ve grown and matured as a musician since coming to school at Tufts three and a half years ago. How has your DJing come along since coming to Boston? I started DJing junior year of high school but had never really played out before. I got my first gig at Tufts playing at AE Pi because my “Perspectives” group leader was the president of the frat. We got to talking and I guess he figured he could get this freshman to DJ for cheap, which I did. But I was having a great time, and learning the basics of how to rock a crowd. As a bedroom DJ I could mix and scratch, but figuring out what songs to play when, and creating an
What kind of things have you been doing around Boston as a DJ? I’ve held down a DJ residency at Olde Magoun’s in Medford Square, play regularly at Redline, and have played at Boston clubs like Mantra and Tantric Lounge. We just recently did two house nights at Sabur in Medford. I became affiliated with Next Generation Productions, and enjoy DJing with those guys--the most talented and versatile DJs I know. Oh yea, I do a radio show on WMFO Monday nights (Tuesday mornings) 12-2 AM.
I feel like for my first couple of years at Tufts, I kind of neglected my fiddle playing, and was primarily concerned with being a typical partying college kid. Then I went abroad to the University of Limerick in Ireland last Spring, which really reinvigorated my interest in the Irish scene. I ended up playing in an Irish rock band at a bar on the Mediterranean coast of Spain full time over the summer, and have tried to stay active on the fiddle, playing a gig every Friday night at J.J.’s Irish Bar in Dorchester. How did you get started with the Irish music? I started out on the violin in Kindergarten in public school. Everyone was started out on a string instrument, and while some kids hated it, I really took to it. My folks were
always listening to Irish music, so it seemed like a pretty natural transition to start taking fiddle lessons. How did you get started with Djing? I was always fascinated by DJs, so I saved up and decided to buy a set of turntables and taught myself to spin in high school. In retrospect, I guess I was always into “DJing” in one way or another. I remember making volumes of mixtapes as a kid...taping songs off the radio and making compilations. I got into spinning mostly Hip Hop and House because I feel that both genres represent the sound of New York to me. They reflect my upbringing and spoke to me as a teenager. Also, there are incredible DJs from both genres who do radio mix shows in New York. I grew up as a DJ studying radio mixes--really paying attention and trying to figure out what exactly the DJs were doing. Hip Hop radio DJs like Funkmaster Flex, Kid Capri, Green Lantern, DJ Premier, Marley Marl, DJ Enuff, and Ruben Toro and Jeannie Hopper on the House side of things all helped shape and inform my style. What turned you on to the types of music you like and what is most powerful about them to you? I think that any kind of music has the power to bring people together, which is what I really enjoy about performing. Is there a connection between your affection for hip hop and house and your experience with Irish music? I kind of feel like I have two alter-
Melisma
egos. (I even have two Myspace pages--one for DJ White Label and one for Patrick Mangan.) There aren’t really any connections between, say, my love for Hip Hop and Irish music other than the fact that I try to keep an open mind to all forms of music. What is most similar in your experiences of Djing and your experiences of fiddling? Similar experiences would be meeting great people, and hopefully helping people have a good night by providing good music. And of course, I have a great time playing the tunes, whether they’re latest Lil’ Jon jams or traditional Irish jigs. What is most different? The Irish crowd and the Hip Hop crowd are usually pretty different. I would say that the people I meet are very diverse, being involved in both scenes.
was a time I don’t really remember but will never forget. That was the second time I had been to Spain to play music. The first was a two week tour playing with a band when I was 16 or 17, I think. We were on the bill for a free show on a beach on a Summer night. I think there were about 25,000 people there. That was a pretty amazing feeling--they had massive projection screens set up so that people could see the show way down the beach. It was my first real “rockstar moment.” I was cut back down to size by one of the guys from another band we were touring with. I asked him how I looked on the screen, to which he said that I “looked about ten years old.” Do you ever anticipate fusing these endeavors (Djing and fiddling) in any way, either in
Do you have any particularly memorable occasions from your musical career? Hmm... memorable occasions... There have been a good few. Playing in Riverdance on Broadway at age 16 was a good one. I also had the opportunity to do a little tour of France with the show last fall. Being paid to hang out with beautiful dancers is always a memorable time. I have traveled a good bit due to music. As I mentioned before, I had an incredible summer job, playing in a band in a bar in a Spanish beachfront town from 10-2 every night. Let’s just say that it
Melisma
composition or performance or do you think they will stay pretty much separate? I have experimented a bit with combining electronic production with fiddle playing. I have also thought about combining DJing and fiddling in a live setting, but at this point, it’s still a concept. I would need to find the appropriate venue/crowd for a show like that. What kind of musical and professional aspirations do you have with for the near and far future? I really don’t know what I’m going to be doing with myself whenI’m out of Tufts. Maybe some billionaire will want to hire me as his/her personal musician, kind of like a court jester. That’s kind of doubtful though. I know I will always be playing at least on the side. Whether or not I choose to try to make a full-time living out of it has yet to be seen. I am also interested in producing, composing, recording, teaching, and of course, performing. For more information about Patrick Mangan go to www.patrickmangan. com or look him up on MySpace. com. There you’ll find more information on Pats duel lives, as well as information on how to contact him for booking an appearance. You can also download his DJ pod casts and hear Mangan work the turntables for yourself. CD’s of Pat’s Irish music are also available through PatrickMangan.com. These include his own personal CD release entitled “Farewell to Ireland” and other CD’s on which Mangan is featured.
Pat Magan: managing well with his schizophrenic skillz.
Brett Hitchner is a Senior majoring in Political Science and also acts as a full time personal assistant to local celebutante, Alicia Sacks.
Features
James Zabiela Acid House @ Avalon
by Alexander Welles James Zabiela james za-biel-a Pronunciation key: ‘jAmz za-bE-lE-&, -‘bil-ya& Etymology: British - Southampton, Hampshire, England. 26. Function: Disc Jockey. Graphic Design. House, Acid House, Break-Beats. 1. A relatively unknown Acid House DJ specializing in blending house sounds using dual Pioneer CDJ1ks (MKII), a pioneer DJM800, and 2 Technics 1210s. 2. A young kinetic graphic design student who at 15 began working in a record store and by 22 was spinning with electronic music industry giants. At Tufts, being called at 10pm on a Thursday night when you have no plans can be a very exciting moment. Who could it possibly be? What incredible fun could they be inviting you to? Is it a house party somewhere in the bowels of a junior or senior off campus apartment? Is it an impromptu kegger at one of the frats that isn’t on probation? Or is it a chance to spend your student’s pittance at an expensive club night on Lansdowne Street? Regardless, you hope that the call will help you to “find the good crack” as the Irish say (and they really do) but no one expects the following words to emanate from your cell phone, “James Zabiela, ten dollars at the door.” Now, while its safe to say that these words are unexpected, it’s only because the most common reaction to James’ name (at least at Tufts) runs along the lines of, “WTF mate, Zabiela who?” Very few people outside of the acid
10
house circle know who he is and only a marginally larger number at Tufts actually know what acid house is. As a particularly telling example, self declared bastion of musical taste and cultural deviancy Alexis Ong—who, I might add, only came along after severe arm twisting and threats of a broken friendship—hadn’t even heard of James Zabiela much less listened to his work when she stepped in the front door of Axis on February 23rd. Don’t worry Alexis, I have an early class and my stomach hurts too. Despite both the general population and Alexis’ lack of knowledge concerning Mr. Zabiela, he has enjoyed a staggeringly successful career beyond playing at Axis. James began his career at the age of 15 (1995) working at the same record store as his father. By 17 he was a vinyl purchaser and a part time DJ in several local Southampton clubs as well as pursuing a degree graphic design. In 2000, at the age of 20, his mix tapes won Muzik Magazine’s Bedroom Bedlam competition leading him to take the award of “The Best Bedroom Bedlam DJ” in the 2001 Muzik Awards. In 2002, because of the notoriety he gained from the Bedlam contests, James was invited to spin at Space in Ibiza for its 12th anniversary with the likes of Steve Lawler, Eric Morillo, and Sasha. If the names don’t mean anything to you that’s ok because the smattering of other clubs James has consequently played at such as Fabric, London; Club Kristal, Bucharest; the Daliparade, Instanbul (not a club but a festival); and Le Redlight, Paris should indicate the international recognition he quickly received. The music that earned James his keep is a potent blend of house and
tech-house redolent with break beats and warping FX. When these sonic forces combine I hear acid house, but the continually smiling DJ (and I’m not kidding, he smiled throughout his entire set till I wondered if it was even fair to get paid to have such a good time) has said in his interviews that, “I like to go smoothly from one style to another. Why put boundaries on yourself?” The 23rd was no exception as Zabiela pulled out the stops during his fourhour set and dropped mixes and remixes of tracks like “Robophobia,” which appeared on his Utilities EP, as well as adding some impromptu acid effect inspired crescendos. The crowd was a mix of those who had heard James before, and of those who had learned of him by word of mouth. The end of the night was announced when a stuttering robotic voice uttered and echoed “Thank You. Thank you,” but not before the sound system had spent itself on a solid four hours of layered deep grooves embedded with robotic bumps and glitchy melodies. While not using them as heavily this performance, James’ typical sets (as well as his CDs) also include continual looping and re-looping of a massive sample repertoire as well as the use some of the most cutting edge hardware, such as the Pioneer DJM800 Mixer and the CDJ 1000 MK. II. Now to the layman neither of these sets of letters and numbers means much, but Zabiela was invited to Pioneer’s headquarters in Japan to help test the new CDJ 1000 and make suggestions towards its improvement. That’s the equivalent of Ford asking a racecar driver to come design their latest Model T. In addition, for you savvy DJ-geeks, he has also been testing the firmware on the DJM800 which functions as a
Melisma
complete midi interface allowing it to work with programs like Ableton Live. In either case, as James points out, “It allows me – and any other DJ – to be more creative than simply selecting and mixing tracks. You can sample and edit the arrangement of the music, as well as affecting it in ways that enhance the tracks performance. You can add bits and take away bits as you please, virtually remixing music on the fly.” The end result, that James changes the makeup of a track far more than your average DJ making the entire performance a far more “live” experience. So when James pulled away from his decks still smiling and walked out into a swarm of fans, he had wowed and wondered not only his original fan base, but those that had never heard him before. One dancer even went so far as to turn to his neighbor and ask who the DJ was before shouting, “JAMES!” at the top of his lungs and walking over to hug the unsuspecting Disc-Jockey. To his credit, James turned and smiled (it doesn’t seem like he can do anything else) before avoiding the sweaty embrace and shook his new fan’s hand while exchanging a few words. Another Zabiela virgin, Val Wood, came out that night without any idea who Zabiela was but the result was the same, she walked away—or tottered depending on who tells the story—surprised by the perfectly balanced critical mass of the revelers and the intensity of their dancing. The icing on the cake by both the lack of a lengthy wait in front (there was no line even after 11:30pm) and the 10dollar door fee, which was well bellow
the usual club cover for names such as John Digweed and Paul Oakenfold. In fact, Zabiela’s tickets cost the least of all fifteen shows listed online for Axis and Avalon. The only negative that might kill a club goers buzz is the eight dollars a drink they have to shell out but this can be easily avoided as many resourceful Tufts students know. If you missed Zabiela at Axis and you’d like a chance to see him, he will be appearing Sing Sing in Szeged
your current penchant, the Phoenix Landing has decent (but not great) Drum and Bass nights on Thursdays, House nights on Sundays, and Breaks Nights on Wednesdays. Wonder Bar (DOWNSTAIRS, for the love of God do not go upstairs into that hip-hop ridden cesspool of un-tucked collared shirts and jeans with brown leather shoes and backwards Redsox baseball caps) often has lesser heard of but extremely talented low key DJs (Mieka du Franx spun on February 24th). The almost café like atmosphere and the coat check is free make Wonderbar a particularly enticing venue. On some nights, if you’re lucky, break-dancers frequent both the Phoenix Landing and downstairs at the Wonderbar. Either way, please find a night out that surprises you and see Zabiela if you ever get the chance.
The end of the night was announced when a stuttering robotic voice uttered and echoed “Thank You. Thank you,” but not before the sound system had uttered a solid four hours of layered deep grooves embedded with robotic bumps and glitchy melodies.
Melisma
Hungary on April 14th; Club Kristal, Bucharest on the 22nd ; Circus @ The Masque, Liverpool on the 29th; and The High Tide Boat Parties, Southampton on the 30th. If these sites seem a little far fetched for travel plans there’s an alternative way to slake one’s lust for acid-house and break beat while remaining in Boston. Layo and Bushwacka’ are coming to Avalon on April 13th at 10:00pm. The drinks will be expensive but the two are acid-house legends with similar backgrounds to Zabiela’s. They’re also probably just as unheard of in Boston but it won’t take smoke signal or Semaphore to spread the word. Also, If tech-house isn’t
Acknowledgements: As always, thanks to Mark for banging on the drum to get my attention and Val Wood and Alexis Ong both of whom showed incredible resilience and audacity in the line of fire. And of course who could forget… Mr. Zabiela.
Quotes are from James’ web page biography: http://www.jameszabiela.co.uk/ as well as from http://www.avalonboston. com/profiles.jsp and the interview posted at http://www.4clubbers.net/modules.php?na me=News&file=article&sid=688 written by Damo Jones.
Alex Welles is a Senior majoring in Biology and is a developing DJ in his own right. Catch him Thursday nights from 2-4 am on WMFO, and be on the look out for his debut mixtape release: Sugarcoated.
11
Features
A Night at the Phoenix House Music and Esoteric Insight
by Brett Hitchner It’s cold outside--really cold—and the snow is piled high on the sides of streets. This is the type of February night that Boston is known for, but that there have been remarkably few of this winter. The seasons first ‘Nor’easter’ has blown in today— Sunday—and the snow plows are still patrolling the streets—clearing the white powder as midnight approaches. So why am I out tonight? I’m headed to the Phoenix Landing, a small club slash bar in Central Square—where it’s warm. At 11:30 the ‘Phoenix’ is only half full. A mixed crowd hovers mostly around the bar. A young woman, Sherry, is celebrating her twenty-fifth with a half dozen of her friends and a few more on the way. She takes a sip of her rum and coke and smiles, “Yeah, its cold out, but its warm here, and who stays in on their birthday?” Its not only Sherry’s birthday tonight though. Tonight is the Phoenix Landing’s “House Night,” its weekly tribute to House Music, that soul food of dance music and electronica, that even casual listeners and ‘techno’ haters, can’t help but nod their heads and tap their toes to. Alex Davies, a local and an MIT student, shares his feelings about the evening over a pint of Pabst. “It’s usually packed at this time Sunday night man, this place really gets bumpin.’” Asked what brought him here on a night like tonight, he replies “Well,
it seems that most people see this weather as a reason not to come out, but shit, could this place be cozier or what?” He’s got a point. The place has a glow. Burnt orange lights burst out in radial patterns from wall fixtures along one side of the Phoenix, while purple patterns rotate on the halfempty dance floor. And then there’s the House Music, already pulsing and pounding out those deep bass lines and soulful melodies. It only takes a couple of drinks before your nodding
but you get the feeling he’s the type who would get down if all you gave him was a red bull and a party hat. His fervor wins him the company of three ladies, who tower over him dancing along. Now here comes are cross-cultural moment of awkwardness, a young black guy has pulled a middle aged Irish woman onto the dance floor. She’s having a good time, convulsing in her own happy way, until he decides its time for the bump and grind. You can’t decide whether to cringe or to laugh, but fortunately it ends well as they tease and poke at one another, half mocking, half laughing their way back to the bar. Now here comes Mark, a guy Alex has been telling me about. It’s taken him an extra forty minutes to get here because of a late cab, an ordeal also experienced by yours truly on the way to the Phoenix. Mark’s reputation proceeds him, thanks to Alex. Mark is now in his thirties but still an avid club-goer. He knows the house scene inside and out, in Boston, and other cities well known for their house scenes—New York, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco. Now when you hear about someone like this you’ve always got to have some healthy ambivalence. Anyone who’s in their thirties but is still going strong in the club scene is bound
Me: So you said you liked house music…what exactly about it do you like? Forest: Well…[long reflective pause]…when I hear this music I can’t help but think about how it all goes back to Africa.
12
your head in time with the DJ, perched on an elevated platform at the end of the room. Midnight comes and goes, and the bar crowd and some newcomers are migrating to the dance floor. There’s a change of DJ and a long with a transition from more minimal beats and digital leads to some more classic style House Grooves, strong on instrumentals and vocals. One of the newcomers—a guy who must be all of five feet—starts bringin’ it on the dance floor. He’s obviously drunk,
Melisma
to be a little suspect in that sort of, “Wow, that was an amazing story, how are you still alive?” sort of way. So I’m ready for anything when Mark walks in the door—and surprises me. It takes five minutes of talking to him to realize that this guy not only knows his house music, but he has his life together too. I ask him about his day job, and it fits the pattern of his personality. “I design lighting systems, for like shows and concerts, clubs sometimes. I used to go here, to MIT.” You see Mark’s the perfect type to be a mid-thirties party-goer--stocky asian guy. In other words, he’s never short on mental acuity of physical durability. I’m almost jealous, skinny white guy that I am, ten years of the same lifestyle would leave me off as one of those half-shaven guys,
sleeps under its blanket of snow. Who could complain about that, even its not your usual crazy night at the Phoenix? This is what I’m thinking when he walks through the door. A man dressed head to toe like a lumberjack, red plaid hat, matching shirt, suspenders, and boots. Me and my new companions Alex and Mark, watch with avid curiosity as he orders a beer and stands near the bar, slowly bobbing his head to the beat, half-awkwardly shifting his hips back and forth ever so slightly. This guy, whoever he is, is original. Now, if I were in New York, LA or, even Chicago right now, I spot this as a gimmick in half a second. Me and my pretentious friends would giggle at how creative his outfit was, but we’d also know that it was intended to be that way—created just for pretentious nitwits like us to laugh about for a few moments before returning to our drinks. But this is Boston, a place that likes to see its name beside that of Paris, London, New York and Tokyo, on hard rock T-shirts and in jet-setter watch advertisements, but that really belongs on that list of cities where if the local baseball team has a losing season that townie suicide rates will spike—in case your wondering this list includes cities like Atlanta, Houston, and Cleveland But lets not get toooo far off topic here. I’m having an increasing urge to talk to the new guy. I lean into Mark, “I can’t The Phoenix Landing in Central Square: Cover: $5. Gin and Tonic: $7. pass this up, I think this Extended conversation with a man dressed as a lumberjack: priceless. may be the next Forest
Melisma
standing in the back of the club telling every twenty-two year guy old I could corner for five minutes about how many woman I slept with the previous decade. But Mark is fresh, down to his spiky blond hair. He must be thirtyfive but you’d probably meet him and think he’s one of the cooler twenty-five year olds you’d met. The dance floor is getting rowdier now and---whoa, what’s this---our first head-turner has arrived on floor. Male interest has suddenly spiked and you can see at least two guys at nearby tables down a few hefty swigs of courage from their glasses.” Looks like this is how the nights gonna be, this small crowd of drunken revelers, tucked away in their own little world of red lights and happy rhythms, while the surrounding city
13
Gump.” Mark laughs, but I really am serious. So garnering the same ‘I’ve got nothing to lose” courage it took to hit on that first girl in ninth grade, I approach our mystery man, fully prepared for this to be as awkward at is what with Rachel Thomas. Here goes. Me: So, what do you think of this music? Forest: [Awkward silence, then in a thick Maine accent…] You’re asking me, are you serious? Me: [Crap, this IS gonna be awkard] Yeah, what do you think of house music, are you a fan? Forest: Well…[reflective pause]…its funny you should ask me, but yeah, I think house music is fuckin great. Me: [Whew…we’re good for at least a minute.] Really? Is that what brings you here tonight? Forest: Well, no actually. You see I’m from Portland, Maine. I run a snow plough company and we’re down here for the blizzard. I was just in the redneck bar down the street, I forget the name, but it wasn’t too interesting, so I came up here and I like it. Me: That’s cool. So you said you liked house music…what exactly about it do you like? [This is probably where the conversation begins to end.] Forest: Well…[long reflective pause]…when I hear this music I can’t help but think about how it all goes back to Africa. Me: [I’m awake now.] Forest: I mean, listen to that beat, that beat fuckin’ grabs you, makes you want to fuckin’ move. You can go anywhere in the world tonight and hear music like this and people will get up and dance….I hear some people say this and that about it sounding the same and globalization this, globalization that…its horseshit. This music has it. I tell you what, if there’s
14
one great thing this country has done it’s bring African music--blues, soul, house—to the world. We’ve given it exposure and helped it to blossom. Me: [Reeling from the penetrating insight.] Wow. That is not all that Forest, or as I later came to learn, “Thom Herbolsheimer,” has to relate. As we continue to converse about music Thom tells me of some powerful experiences he has had with “Sound Events”—as he calls them. [Now before I continue you should understand that Thom actually comes off as a very down to earth guy without any pretension about him. I say this because I’ve run into my share over-zealous semi-mystic-hippie-new age-raw-food-eastern-religionist-let me tell you about my visions and the cloud that spontaneously developed over our prayer group last week-types, that could talk the ears off a brass monkey. But Thom is different. He’s more like the real deal, the genuine mystic. Far from overwhelming me with what he has to say he instead keeps telling me that he doesn’t want to keep me too long or bore me. I take this as further evidence of Thom’s enlightened nature and implore him to continue.] Thom: “So one night, not much different from tonight, I’m driving on the outskirts of Boston. There’s no on out. It’s like one of those futuristic movies where no one is around— Me: “You mean post-apocalyptic movies’ Thom: “Yeah, exactly…well it’s like that; snow is still coming down, streets are empty, and as I’m driving I notice that one of the tall phone poles with the power generators on the side of the street is on fire. I’m about a hundred yards away now, and I’m
slowly approaching it when BOOM, it explodes. Now let me tell you the reverberation from this explosion was something like a pure tone because it just hit me like a punch in the chest and went through my body like a ripple goes through water. But the tone was so pure that the entire experience was completely blissful, as blissful as anything I’ve experienced at any concert or anything, where there are man-made harmonies and finely tuned instruments.” Me: [Jesus, I don’t know if I’ve experienced anything like that, at least outside of a concert, show, or headphone experience.] Have you experienced any other sound events like this? Thom: Yeah actually, in Arizona. The sand in the white sand’s desert, when you walk on it, it screeches. Me: [This is the kind of thing that an old Indian Chief tells you before asking you to go there and bring back a handful of white sand.] Really? I didn’t know that. Before our conversation ends Thom, after hearing that I play the piano and dabble with electronic music, tells me that I should get in contact with his brother in law who plays an instrument called the “Theramin.” Apparently the Theramin in a lesser known contemporary of the Moog, which the creator the moog was fascinated with for its sound bending properties. Thom: What I like about my stepbrother’s music is that it has this esoteric quality that I find really special. Indeed Thom Herbolseimer, I think you too have an esoteric quality, and I find it very special.
Melisma
Belle and Sebastian
Reviews
The Life Pursuit
by Danielle Stein I hold Belle and Sebastian to a higher standard than most bands. Since their founding in 1996 and their subsequent penetration of the American indie scene, this Scottish septet has maintained both a solid fan base and indie street credit that keeps them hovering just beneath the mainstream radar. Characterized by their supremely clever lyrics and hip yet understated tunes, their six previous studio albums form an undeniably brilliant collection. The band’s latest disc, “The Life Pursuit,” is no exception. A more energized, eclectic album than we has seen in the past, it is a logical next link in the chain that is Belle and Sebastian. Over the thirteen tracks of “The Life Pursuit,” the listener bears
witness to more experimentation on one album than there was over the six that came before.
Melisma
Indeed, there are glimpses into every genre from fifties, Buddy Holly style Rock and Roll to seventies post-punk to early nineties pop. The band also uses a wider range of instruments (relying more heavily on the synthesizer) and a slightly rougher, more reverberated vocal production style than in past albums. The fifth track, “Dress Up in You,” with its subdued tonality and supremely pensive lyrics, is a throw back to their earlier albums. The upbeat twelfth track “For the Price of a Cup of Tea,” is clever, slightly dark, and truly sing-able. “For the price of a cup of tea / you’d get a line of coke / for the price of a night with me / you’d be the village joke” While fans no doubt by now find the voice of Stuart Murdoch, the band’s front man, very comfortable, it is also refreshing to hear vocals from the other members of the band. The song “To Be Myself Completely” is the best example of this, sung by Stevie Jackson with the inflection of 1950’s Motown style. Only Sarah Martin, the band’s only female member, is noticeably missing from this recording. With its musings on love, sex, religion, and the like, this disc covers the same topics that we have grown accustomed to hearing from Belle and Sebastian. The only difference, however, is that it does this in a decidedly lighter, more playful way. Look no further than song titles such as their single “Funny Little Frog”, and “Song for Sunshine” as evidence
of this. Believe me, there is no room for the word sinister on this CD. The album is a continuation of the story that is Belle and Sebastian. It shows that the band can change and experiment without loosing their essence. Despite this, it seems that fans have had a strong reaction to this experimentation and have consistently rated this album with less than 2.5 stars out of four. While I feel that this album deserves more than this, I can understand people’s feelings, as it is only natural that the fan may feels a bit unsettled, as if perhaps they do not know their beloved Belle and Sebastian as well as they thought they did. Perhaps, however, there is something to be said for keeping us, the fans wondering and little bit hungry. Indeed, it just leaves us wanting more. Danielle Stein is a self-proclaimed Bozo the Clown enthusiast. Indeed, her dorm room is filled to the brim with clown paraphenalia including unicycles of myriad sizes, colors and shapes. You’re weird, Danielle.
15
Reviews
The Joggers
With a Cape and a Cane
At least when I think of Oregon, rootin’ tootin’ indie rock isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. On the whole, the members of that genre is overwhelmingly east coast-centered, with NYC as its de facto hub. In the spirit of destroying geographical stereotypes The Joggers, a Portland, OR-based rock outfit, offer a bit of their own musical capital emanating from the West. The Joggers are Darrell Bourque (vocals/bass), Murphy Kasiewicz (vocals/ guitar), Jake Morris (drums), and Ben Whitesides (guitar/vocals). Since 2003’s “Solid Guild,” The Joggers have released but one other album – “With a Cape and a Cane” (2005). Whereas “Solid Guild” was critically acclaimed for its vocals (and particularly a revolutionary four-part vocal harmony), their sophomore effort’s brilliance lies in the addition of a similarly harmonized instrumentation. “With a Cape and a Cane” isn’t your run-of-the-mill indie rock album although, upon a fleeting listen, it may seem to be so. A closer listen reveals a craftsmanship and technique unmatched by most bands today. Most notably, there is an eclecticism of songs not only within the album, but also within themselves. Although a song’s beginning may offer the guise of calmness, it very well may end in fanfare after meandering through myriad musical styles and sounds. “Ziggurat Traffic” is a perfect example. The song starts out with the sounds of a night’s meadow, becomes overlaid with eastern guitar, and spends the rest of its four minutes ebbing and flowing between intensely played guitar licks, and drum-bass solos. Guitars flare up in every crevice of this album. Whitesides and Kasiwicz’s guitars mimic and taunt one another, double over on each other, and intertwine. They gallivant along as if this album is their own vehicle for success. They swirl and swell wildly dissonantly as if of their own accord, but mesh in just the right way that they are melodious.
16
In terms of this interplay, two songs come to mind – “We’ve Been Talked Down” and “Since You’re Already Up”. In both of these tracks, the aforementioned meshing is the song’s driving force, culminating (in both songs) in impressive guitar duets at their end. Morris’s drums are similarly vivacious, as he offers properly-timed high hat rides in “Era Prison” dancebeats in “Wicked Light Sleeper,” and well-crafted drum hits in the final throes of “Since You’re Already Up.” And in “Horny Ghost,” his drumming is just plain fun. He, along with Bourque, form a rhythm section that mirrors the other two Jogger’s teaming. The effect is a four-layered tuneful sound.
Whitesides provides the main vocals for the Joggers, but is backed up by Kasiewicz or Bourque (or both) on many songs on this album. Once again, an interplay exists. This time, it is in the form of vocal harmonizing that mirrors the aforementioned instrumental intertwining. Whitesides’ vocals are nasally and border on a shout, but remained relaxed and self-aware. Think of The Joggers’s Startime labelmate the Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser for an accurate comparison. Once again, as with the Joggers’s instrumentation, teamwork is imperative and universally employed throughout every song on this album. When 2005 drew to a close music mavens everywhere compiled their lists
by Marty Sattell
of the year’s top albums. As expected, there were names that appeared on everyone’s top tens; charismatic British funk-punkers Bloc Party, the dancebeat Tamil Tiger stylings of M.I.A., Modest Mouse-brainchild Wolf Parade, spastic Brooklynites Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, and (of course) Sufjan’s Midwest epic dominated. Almost all music critics forwent the Joggers. I’ll admit that the Joggers are not avant garde artists like those listed above. But although the band may not bridge genres or redefine them, it is at least innovative within its own genre. Just as its name implies, “With a Cape and a Cane” is embellished, dressed up, by its instrumental and vocal elements. Given their painstaking attention to surprise the listener (with frenzied guitar flips, unexpected drum fills, and unclear direction of their songs), the Joggers should be recognized for this devotion to entertainment. They could have just as easily put out a standard, unexciting indie rock record; but they didn’t. It isn’t very often that a band puts out an album that becomes more audibly rich upon each successive listen. And this album achieves it. The Joggers may not be a Gang of Four or Pavement (or whichever band you see the most influence of in today’s indie scene), but experiencing their sound is not only rewarding, but inspiring as well. I for one will not miss what their show at the Middle East Upstairs on Monday, March 27. Marty Sattell (Martimus Maximus to his friends) is a freshman majoring in botany and women’s studies. Last week he was spotted atop the elephant affixed to Downling Hall in a provocative position. The TUPD declined to comment when asked about the incident. On his own behalf, Marty said he is glad to have “putrified said pachyderm.”
Melisma
Alexis’ Corner
Articles by Alexis Ong Boards of Canada – The Campfire Headphase (Warp. 2005)
Melisma
The Campfire Headphase is indefinitely Boards of Canada’s most radio-friendly, idiot-friendly album to date, which undoubtedly makes it the shittiest. Ever. I say that with the finality of someone who once spent three hours on their old website playing with the sweet little flash videos with the accompanying soundtrack on repeat. You know, the shitload of interactive ones that let you manipulate the graphics with your cursor and get a giggly little mindfuck in the process. There was even one that let you fly around in a plane and the landscape below you would change
Senior writer, commentator, and general purveyor of all things satirical and sardonic, Alexis Ong, has been writing teeth-rottingly sweet reviews for Melisma since issue one. But now, (after much discussion with international authorities and Tufts bureacracy over citizenship and graduation status) our beloved Alexis is graduating from Tufts and moving on to bigger and better things. So we bring Alexis’ final three articles for Melisma, each better than the last. But don’t fear for her writing career, in the next year keep your eyes out for her name on the byline of other fine publications such as Vice, The Robb Report, and Playboy Online. We’ll miss you Lex!
according to the music. Really. I’m not sure how long it’s been since they took them down, but when they were around they provided me with a great source of entertainment. Sadly, there is little about this album that recreates the playful ghostliness of Music Has a Right to Children. The warm fuzzy feeling I used to get from listening to “Smokes Quantity” before passing out was all but lost on what can only be described as minor flatulence in the otherwise grand scheme of BoC. Proof of their new album’s inadequacy hit me square in the face while I was reading the in-flight magazine on a flight home, which listed “Chromakey Dreamcoat” on one of their audio channels. At first, I didn’t know what to think. After some brief deliberation, I concluded that I could go one of three routes: 1. American Airlines isn’t the dregs of the airline industry after all, 2. Thank god I got extra ripped before I got on the plane, because my iPod broke and I have 15 more hours of this new-age spa
17
bullshit, or 3. Michael and Marcus must have spent the entire creative process of The Campfire Headphase in rehab, possibly taking yogalates lessons with Moby. Songs I love the most – the live version of ‘Happy Cycling’, ‘Sixtyten,’ In A Beautiful Place Out in the Country – were perfectly produced vignettes covered in sinister fuzz. The melodies were never really that sweet, because there was always something that kept you on your toes. BoC is, effectively, the Twin Peaks of electronica. This, however, is not. And so I went with #2. A cursory listen to The Campfire Headphase reveals much cleaner, sleeker production and a kind of predictability that I found disappointing. The cut-up percussion and beats on “Dayvan Cowboy” saved a song otherwise running on an unremarkable string-and-flute combination. And the first single, “Oscar See Through Red Eye,” reminded me of, say, all twentysix songs on a free Buddha Bar compilation that I got from an old subscription to The Face. Upon closer examination, I became even more pissed at the lack of cryptic kidspeak, scratching and otherworld warbling that otherwise flavors BoC’s other music. I am pretty sure that “Hey Saturday Sun” just sliced up the same sample used in “Chromakey Dreamcoat” and regurgitated it as something else. Nonetheless, Boards of Canada on a good day is unmatchable in terms of aural atmosphere. If their sound were ever to manifest itself in a physical way, it would be, at least for me, perfectly encapsulated in the smile of Richard D. James. Think about it for a second. Watch the Windowlicker video if you don’t know what he looks like. Freeze-frame it and take screen shots. Google it. Smoke a bowl. And try not to cry about how you missed the chance to waste three hours of your life on the dreamiest creeptronica and most addictive little flash videos ever created by man.
18
XChristineXxxAngel:
November 4, 2005 8:42 PM Hi guys! So far - SOOOO good!! Jamey gave me a cd, I am impressed! Now I just have to make it to a show!!!! LOL !!!
Involution To be frank, I pay little to no attention to the music scene at Tufts. I’m not sure why this is; probably because I’m lazy, skeptical, I just don’t give a shit or a combination of all three, most likely the latter. But recently I was given an opportunity to hear some tracks from Involution’s upcoming yet-to-be-named album that made me pay a little more attention to what this school has to offer, though only two members, Sean Brown (bass) and Shaun Glassman (guitars), attend Tufts. The remaining members, Jeremy Rae (vocals) and Jamey Cormier (drums) both live and work in Massachusetts. Already, the band has played at an impressive and still-growing list of venues, including a much-coveted gig opening for Adema at the end of 2005. Let me clear up one small thing. The music scene at this school, I have to admit, either leans painfully toward weepy Belle and Sebastianlike emo awkwardness or that one really obnoxious rap station on the radio. Either/or. Besides a few standout exceptions, there is not much represented at Tufts beyond girls who dig Conor Obherst haircuts and that one stupid asshole who keeps playing Kanye’s “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” down the hall. Seriously,
Animal Collective whatever. And so, I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that Involution, for all the four songs I heard, was surprisingly solid. Now, I am not particularly fond of Sevendust, but I remember at a point I was really into that one song, “Licking Cream.” There was some serious high repeat value on that song. I think it had to do with the moodiness of the melody – something I like about the final mix of four songs I heard from Involution – “Chained,” “Shame,” “The Answer” and “Seclusion.” I was also kind of into Soundgarden at some point, before they broke up and Chris Cornell went to Audioslave. And though Audioslave has clearly influenced Involution, there are brief moments of old Superunknown-type riffs in Involution’s music that were truly surprising.Which brings me to the next pleasantly unexpected thing – vocals. I’ve heard my fair share of “my friend’s band” bands who have had solid instrumentation, decent production, and a vocalist that needs to be taken out back and gutted like a fish. Given this fear, I admit I was a little worried before I had even listened to anything, because it’s hard to find someone who can successfully pull off strong vocals in heavy rock. Thankfully, this isn’t the case for Involution because Jeremy Rae is pretty fucking solid for a twentyyear-old who sounds like he’s been
Melisma
Behemoth, you name it and Black 1 blows it away like Kate Moss at a coke buffet. For the record, I should first point out that listening to this album in broad daylight, after you’ve just missed a class and are still ensconced in bed, is still terrifying. If you’ve been to my house, which is decidedly the most dilapidated piece of shit in Somerville (I know this is a mighty claim, but believe me), I would have you believe that the giant, saggy vermin-riddled cracks in my ceiling actually bled and wailed like banshees in the seventh
over until O’Malley and Anderson have hammered into your head the fact that music still has the potential to stir the imagination. My point is Black 1 actually makes you afraid. The album art is unnervingly ominous in itself. For those with a more delicate palate, listening to it would probably make you lose all faith in the state of music today. It doesn’t help that Malefic, responsible for some of the grimiest, worm-eaten black metal screaming around today, is also responsible for some truly dark guest vocals here. But for old fans wondering what the hell happened to the minimalist production and monolithic riffs reminiscent of White 1 and White 2, at least try and make it through to “Orthodox Caveman.” The slow build-up, the sub-bass, the feedback, the reverb – it creeps up to the loyal Sunn O))) listener’s ear like an old flame. The highlight of the album, however, is the sixteen-minute ender, “Bathory Erzsebet,” the Sunn O))) – Black 1 legendary Hungarian (Southern Lord, 2005) countess who bathed in the blood of virgins. It Perhaps the part of me begins with the distant that persists with Sunn tolling of church bells, O))) keeps on writing gradually sounded out by because I know there is a well spaced, fuzzy beat It’s like, how much more black could this be? And the that barely anticipates the a really marginal market answer is . . . oh, never mind. for drone reviews at this monstrous feedback to school, so I guess I do it come. Stomach the fact for obstinacy and kicks. that Malefic, armed only minute of “Cursed Realm of the But then there’s the other part that is with a mic, was locked in a coffin and Winterdemons” when O’Malley starts consistently surprised when Stephen loaded into a hearse to record vocals for churning out that riff. You know, the O’Malley and Greg Anderson defy all this song. Needless to say his voice is one that nearly made me soil myself. odds. Even against the stereotypes wholly indiscernible as something from The way rednecks pimp flatbeds on of his own musical genre, they pretty this earth, merely reaffirming that Black Trick My Truck is the way Sunn O))) much consistently shit on everyone 1 is a purely subterranean creature not dooms out everything it touches. else in the industry. Then again, it suitable for the weak. When Sunn O))) Every chord is uber-amplified. No note would be foolish to pigeonhole them do it up, they do it all the way. Only for is played without evoking thoughts into ‘drone’ or even just ‘metal;’ Black the bravest. of Wotanic darkness, everything is 1, is, in my books, the best Sunn O))) executed with the most excellent album yet. Better than the two Whites, technical proficiency, and no song is The Grimmrobe Demos, Flight of the drinking whiskey from the teat. The tracks were mastered with Alex Hatziyannis of Old Folks Home Recording in Medford. The production work is remarkably polished and illuminates the band’s technical proficiency. As a general statement and terrible cliché, I find heavier rock bands to be obsessively devoted to band practice and a steadfast dedication to skill and precision more so than groups in other genres. Not to discount the proficiency required in other forms of music, but maybe because the DIY mentality of rock places so much emphasis on pure technical skill; fuck Wesley Willis in this context, the dude drives me crazy in the first place. All in all, I was really impressed with the standard of local talent and a band that brings something new to the table besides an ungodly fascination with twee-pop and the Scissor Sisters. Check them out: www.theinvolution.com
Melisma
19
Reviews
By the Fruits You Shall Know the Roots… By Brendan Shea
I hereby proclaim this review as defunct, non-operational, shit in a bag. Think of it more as a revue than a review—a less-thansweeping skeleton sketch of the garden where the “fruits” in question grow. The fruits are nearly the best offerings the psych-folk labels Time Lag and Eclipse can give us in the year of our Chord 2006. The garden spans three full LPs, man. That being said, this is going to be a pretty fucking huge skeleton sketch. First, the weeds (double entendre reading encouraged). The collection opens with its weakest root, Dredd Foole’s two part “Supplication for Wonderland.” Mr. Foole spends eighteen minutes of my life grunting and hooting in a large room. Now, don’t get me wrong; this can be done extremely well (see: Susan Lawly’s Extreme Music from Women collection), but Dredd Foole sounds like he’s channeling a feral Shooby Taylor in his basement. This is not good. It should be tossed, sprayed with Round Up, anything except listened to. I’m done talking about Dredd Foole. Things get immediately better with Fursaxa’s Aegean Lore,”
20
which begins as reminiscent of Alvin Curran’s Maritime Rites and then kicks its ass a thousand times. It’s a deep, hypnotic harmonium shanty that magically transmogrifies into a deep, hypnotic guitar strum accompanied by a dreamy, vocal, seafaring meditation. Yeah, I used “trans-
mogrify.” Fuck you. It evokes everything about the water that is oppressive and frightening to me—the weeds and monsters—while lullabying its way into a lush, undeniably calming and oceanic landscape. “Aegean Lore” turns into an exact copy of Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice’s Book of FM cassette in the last four minutes; forgivable,
‘cuz that woodsy minimalism is exactly what listener Brendan needs to lead into the next LP… Which is Jack mothafuckin’ Rose. The ex-Pelt uber-fingerpicker and official host of John Fahey’s ghost offers a lil’ sneak peek of Kensington Blues with a version of “Now That I’m a Man Full Grown.” It just makes you ache, really. Rose hooks you with this delicious tempo manipulation; it’s a Basho raga that smacks of Fahey’s 1963/67 Death Chants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes (no shit, considering Kensington Blues features an incredible cover of “Sunflower River Blues” as it appears on the ‘67 Death Chants…) but may be more technically “theatrical” and agile. The only drawback to this cut of “Now That I’m a Man…” is the quality of the recording, and that’s only in comparison to Kensington Blues, mind you. The latter has an amazing level of recording clarity; which is pretty key if you’re looking to appreciate a folk guitar virtuoso. Rose’s second track on LP 2 is the twelve
Melisma
Reviews
minute trip “Sundogs,” which is more of an ambient anti-raga assault that would do well in the background to a ritual sacrifice. It’s uncharacteristically abrasive and, well, pretty much awesome to hear Rose fucking with you like that. Again, an insanely perfect lead in to the second half of the second LP, which happens to be my most recent crush… Joshua & Kemialliset Ystavat have a great run on this compilation; in fact, I’d challenge that the six-track offering on By the Fruits… is among the best material Kemialliset Ystavat has turned out to date. Don’t you love Finland? First Anaksimandros, then Avarus, Aavikko. Lots of A-list bands (cue foghorn). The track “Nature’s Way” is particularly well-composed, with a beautiful distorted vocal hum weaving through the very wildernessy, layered hypno-groove. It is nature’s trance, in a way; which I guess is how you could define psychedelic folk music if you had to do it really quickly. Kemialliset Ystavat’s set ends on a high note with “Ten Man Mop,” with an oscillating rise-and-fall melody and pleasant ancient-sounding plucking (like Harry Partch’s studies on ancient pentatonic and enharmonic scales, but less scary). LP number three opens with MV/EE (Matthew Valentine & Erika Elder) Medicine Show and their “Massage for the Dakota Sioux.” Now, I hadn’t heard anything about this mysterious Ver-
Melisma
mont multi-instrumentalist duo before I listened to this compilation. I am impressed. The track features experimental drummer Chris Corsano pounding away a twisted Ghost Dance on a treated drum kit while Valentine and Elder use a host of instruments (live, it sounds) to create a harrowing personal Wounded Knee portrait that makes you want to bawl or crawl. This is the creation of the artistic collective, a “tribe” of sorts that assigns its own new meaning to the American Indiansounding whoops and yells that spatter the track. Okay, I feel sensitive to the idea of identity politics in music when I think about “Massage for the Dakota Sioux,” I question the treatment of sacred music in popular context; but I answer myself with faith in art as the creator of its own sacred tonal order that echoes Pound’s refrain: “Make it new!” The sitar breakdown by the end of the track identifies MV/EE’s “tribe” as a pastiche of all their roots, growing together indiscriminately into a blossoming of some glorious hybrid. “Massage of the Dakota Sioux” signals to the listener in a billion different ways that the end is nigh—but it ain’t over yet. Ben Chasny’s Six Organs of Admittance rounds up this epic collection with a sleepy eighteen minute closer called “If There’s Time, Sing! Sing! Sing!” Chasny inexplicably reprises every element of By the Fruits… in one solid track, changing the intent
and direction of his song like a folk overture. An absolutely arresting, teary folk overture. This is undoubtedly School of the Flower-era Six Organs of Admittance; it’s dreamy, silently didactic—asking our generation softly to come down home or something. A howl comes in at ten minutes to cue a bassy ambient moment; a perfectly organic, neo-Popol Vuh ambient moment that Chasny officially claims as “characteristically psych-folk ambience;” by the fruits, ye shall indeed know the roots. In the last four minutes, there’s time to sing—imagine if Sigur Ros were Montana cowboys and you get the idea. Two protracted bass blasts over an ominous ringing drone signals the end of time for this massive garden and its grown gifts; impossible not to walk away unaffected, without juice staining your shirt and your trousers. Brendan Shea is a junior majoring in English and Theater. During the weekends he can often be found traversing across much of the forests of Eastern Vermont, and occasionally he’ll move into New Hampshire, but only on the third weekend of every month, and only on months that begin with the letter J, E, or F. His life is full of contradictions, as he is currently engaged to a man, but enjoys the company of women. That is all.
21
Reviews
Teddy Thompson Man Among Men
By Amanda Lanceter In the past few years, it seems to have become a trend that the children of musicians launch their own careers. Sean Lennon, following in the footsteps of parents John Lennon and Yoko Ono (and older brother Julian), released Into the Sun in the late 1990’s. Rufus Wainwright, son of folk musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, also followed suit. Recently, his sister Martha Wainwright has made the move from backing up her brother to touring and recording on her own, releasing an EP and a full length album last year. There is another musical offspring who is starting to attract more and more attention in recent months. Teddy Thompson, like the Wainwright siblings, is the son of two folk musicians, Richard and Linda Thompson. Teddy seems to have inherited their talent. A friend of the Wainwrights, he has provided guest vocals on all of Rufus’s albums and toured with Martha Wainwright throughout the UK in the fall of 2005. Not one to remain in the background, Teddy has released two full length albums and an EP. He also worked closely with his mother Linda on her album Fashionably Late, which was her first album after years of silence, writing songs and providing vocals for many of the album’s tracks. Teddy can also be heard performing a duet with his father on the song “Persuasion,” which he sometimes performs live
22
with him when they happen to be in the same city. He has also toured as part of Roseanne Cash’s band and sings with her on the song “Three Steps Down.” Teddy’s voice may be more recognizable to fans of the movie
Brokeback Mountain. He contributed two songs to the movie’s soundtrack: “I Don’t Want to Say Goodbye” (which is featured in the movie for a total of about five seconds) and “King of the Road,” a duet with Rufus Wainwright (although a different version was featured in the movie.) On the soundtrack, Teddy holds his own against established artists like Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris, with
whom he recorded a hidden track, “I Wonder if I Care As Much,” for his first album. Through playing small clubs, Teddy has built up a dedicated fan base, especially in New York. However, this fan base is ready to expand, especially with the release of his latest album, Separate Ways. Released in November in the UK and in February in the US, it shows how much Teddy has matured since his earlier self-titled debut,. The overall sound of the songs is more sophisticated, as is the content. “A lot of these songs come from that feeling of growing up and wanting to leave certain things behind, while others are about making sense of your relationships with other people,” said Teddy of the songs’ content. “Often, those two things can be quite similar.” Whereas his first album featured mostly love songs and songs of longing, Separate Ways deals with topics that range from depression and selfmedication (“Altered State”) to bad breakups (the majority of the songs) to longing for stardom (“Shine So Bright”.) The album’s second track, “I Should Get Up,” is about the lack of motivation and desire to interact with others that often comes along with depression. The album’s title track, about someone who has finally had enough of his lover mistreating him, is probably the strongest on the album. Starting off quietly with an acoustic
Melisma
A lot of these songs come from that feeling of growing up and wanting to leave certain things behind, while others are about making sense of your relationships with other people. Often, those two things can be quite similar.
guitar and light drumming, it slowly builds, mirroring the song’s lyrical progression, going from sounding slighted (“Nothing’s ever said that should be”) to sounding fed up and angered (“I’ve given up on you/ And I’ll turn my heart to something new.”) The song’s chorus summarizes the sentiment of the entire song: “I don’t care about you if you don’t care about me/ We can go our separate ways if you want to/ And ties of love are strong/ But they can be undone/ And we’ll go our separate ways if you want to.” Each time it is sung, it is with more passion and force than the time before. One of the lighter songs on the album, “Everybody Move It” sounds like a typical folk song with tight harmonies, piano, acoustic guitar, and even a little bit of banjo. However, the lyrics sound like they belong on a dance track, with lines like “Bump and grind, have a good time/ Free yourself, lose your mind.” The song also features the distinct voices of Martha
Melisma
and Rufus Wainwright singing backup. The discord between the song’s sound and its content is refreshing, even humorous. A pleasant surprise on the album is the hidden bonus track, the Everly Brothers’ “Take a Message to Mary,” a duet with Linda Thompson. Teddy seems to be setting a pattern, as he sang the Everlys’ “I Wonder if I Care as Much” with Emmylou Harris as a bonus track on his self-titled album. “I have this plan to do a different Everly Brothers song on every record, as a duet, as a hidden track,” he remarked. In addition to writing powerful lyrics, Teddy also writes great melodies. “Think Again” in particular features pleasing and catchy guitar and vocal melodies, as does “I Wish It Was Over.” The songs’ melodies make them that much more memorable and enjoyable to listen to over and over again. The tight harmonies featured on so many songs also play a role in the enjoyment as well. While Teddy’s enormous talent
plays a large part in the album’s overall achievement, one must acknowledge the work of the many other musicians who contributed to it. The album’s producer, Brad Albetta, is a talented multi-instrumentalist who plays a large role in creating the album’s sound. Rufus Wainwright, who is known for writing and arranging amazing vocal parts, most likely helped shaped the backing harmonies on all of the songs on which he appears. Teddy’s parents can also not be forgotten - Richard in particular. His distinct guitar playing can be heard on the majority of the album’s tracks, taking them to another level. Teddy is fortunate to have so many talented people around him, as they are all able to take good music and help it reach greatness. Separate Ways is truly an achievement, and if it’s an indication of what’s to come in the future, as Teddy says it is, then one should look forward with anticipation to what this artist will release in the coming years.
23
R E P
A N SO
SWF, 5’2” seeking love and love lost. Age 19, current resident in Carmichael Hall. My favorite bands are Coldplay, Dave Matthews, and Dispatch (RIP). I’m looking for a guy over 6 feet tall who is really into making out. Must be a Cancer! E-Mail: sexybabe45@hotmale.com
SWT, 6’11” desperately seeking fellow Primary Source fanatic for long walks on the Whittington Memorial Quail Hunting Trail, invasion of defenseless culturally nonChristian nations, protests in front of Plan P centers, and general rabblerousing. Must enjoy no premarital affairs (in my book, oral sex is a no-no; I respect menwomen). E-Mail: Jorge@ licknobush.org. SWM, 5’8” interested in meeting people. I like my girls hot and sassy, and my guys hot and sassy. If you’re into just getting into the flow of things, and having a good time, then I’m whatever you want me to be baby! Woo! Woo! Must be into Antony and the Johnsons in addition to Boy George and the Culture Club. E-Mail: veryconfused@aol.com
! ! ! LS
YCFJ seeks EHD for night of sultry, tantric, and lascivious T5R. Must be a real EJCR, no IUs, please. Looking forward to trying out VQN as well as various other positions throughout the night. I am located at Theta Delta Lambda Chi Mu Sigma Sigma Epsilon Pisquared. E-Mail: TWFCUUI@dudebro.net
SWM, 5’11” seeking two girls for a potential get together. I’m into European House music and velvet. If you like satin sheets, wine, fondue, and have an appreciation for leather shoes, then we should get together some time. FYI there’s a disco ball in my bedroom in addition to mirrors on all sides. E-Mail: noahornstein@gmail.com SWM, 5’9” lonely horn rimmed glasses boy seeking overly romantic girl to write bad poetry to. My favorite bands are My Chemical Romance and Fallout Boy. Hot Topic is probably the best store in the world! If you’re into a sensitive guy with a sensitive heart, then I’m the one for you. I still live with my parents, so please don’t call after 10:30. AIM: PUNKrawkCHK88