Lesser Known U Sports
08
The Reckless Ones Interview & More! 3 - 17 october 2011
ADVERTISE HERE
ADVERTISE HERE
ADVERTISE HERE CHEAP RATES, THOUSANDS OF READERS CONTACT OFFICE@WAKEMAG.ORG
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Editorial
Production
Editor-in-Chief Maggie Foucault
Production Manager Ryan Webert
Managing Editor Alex Lauer
Graphic Designers Steph Mertes, Ryan Webert
Cities Editor Alex Lauer
Art Director Keit Osadchuk
Voices Editor Maggie Foucault
Web Editor Eric James
Another year, another construction project fucking up campus. I would never say that getting around campus in a timely manner is “easy,” but this year it has become even more problematic than usual. I shoulder-check at least 3 people every time I have to trek across the cramped Washington Avenue bridge, all
Sound & Vision Editor Zach McCormick
while dodging bikers, rollerbladers, and longboarders. But even more infuriating than out-walking the bros on their longboards is seeing the ridiculous amount of people riding scooters to class.
This Issue Cover Artist Bryan Fisher
Photographers Maggie Foucault, Habakkuk Stockstill
When I say scooter, I’m not talking about the bropeds infesting the streets of cam-
Business
pus. I’m talking about the Razor™ scooter that you were SO FUCKIN PUMPED about
Advisory Board James DeLong, Kevin Dunn, Courtney Lewis, Eric Price, Morgan Mae Schultz, Kay Steiger, Mark Wisser
when you got it in fifth grade. I’m sure it’s still sitting in your parent’s garage, right where you left it when you realized that scooters are fucking dumb and don’t get you anywhere faster than if you just walked. ‘Sure, scooters are kind of dumb,’ you’re thinking, ‘but it’s not like they really cause you any problems so quit yer bitchin.’ This would be a valid point were we not all GODDAMN ADULTS. You don’t see journalists from the Strib riding scooters through downtown racing to get to their interviews. You think Hilary is cruising over to the Oval Office on her red, white and blue Razor™ to brief Obama on her last trip abroad? This is because scooters are not actually a mode of transportation, rather they are a
Illustrators Angie Frisk, Josie Keifenheim, Keit Osadchuk
recreational toy for losers who aren’t cool enough to skateboard. With the exception of PSEO students, it can be assumed that everyone on this campus is an adult. You can buy cigarettes, join the army, vote, and even get a credit card.
Contributing Writers Eric Best, Alyssa Bluhm, Ally Kodet, Theon Kyne Dy, Alex Lauer, Zach McCormick, Kelsey Schwartz, Habakkuk Stockstill
These are all things that fifth graders cannot do. So why on earth would you still be riding a scooter designed for a child? Why not invest in a cool road bike, something you can get used (or build yourself) for under $200? Why not buy a Upass for $97 and ride the bus everywhere you need to go? Both of these options are faster than a scooter and more importantly, even though they cost a bit more money, you can hold your head up with pride and say, “I am a fucking adult and use modes of transportation
11:1
that are suitable for someone who is not an elementary school student.” But this attitude of childishness seems to pervade campus in other ways as well. Wearing pajama pants to class? Playing games on your cell phone or checking facebook during your entire lecture instead of taking notes? All of these things and more make me feel so disappointed in my fellow students on a daily basis. This is a worldclass university, is it not? Aren’t these professors we ignore lecturing on a topic they spent years and years becoming an expert on? We’re not in highschool anymore and
©2009 The Wake Student Magazine. All rights reserved. Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for the students of the University of Minnesota.
The Wake Student Magazine 1313 5th St. SE #331 Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 379-5952 • www.wakemag.org The Wake was founded by Chris Ruen and James DeLong.
The Wake is published with support from Campus Progress/Center for American Progress (online at www.campusprogress.org).
no one is forced to be here, so maybe we could all start acting like it.
Maggie Foucault Editor-in-Chief
disclaimer The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. To join the conversation email mfoucault@wakemag.org.
voices
Does The World Need New Political Parties? By Alex Lauer
Most people I know associate with either the Republican or the Democratic Party when it comes to politics, but in a democratic society such as our own we have many other choices. Just some of the other active political parties in this country include the Christian Liberty Party, the United States Marijuana Party, and the United States Pirate Party. I’m sorry to say that this last party is not one promoting a national curriculum of swashbuckling or the exchange of our submarines for multi-sail wooden ships. Instead, this group’s core issues lie in the more contemporary use of the word—including changing the government’s idea of what constitutes internet piracy, changing internet copyright laws, and the right to internet privacy.
Now onto two blossoming parties that I, and many other people, are worried about: Perrusuomalaiset and the Tea Party. The first is actually the Finish term for a political party meaning, literally, “Basic Finns” or, more commonly, “True Finns.” Last April’s Finnish parliamentary elections, which are held every four years, ended up being an unexpected change in the political makeup of the country. The Centre Party, which previously held the majority with 51 seats, lost 16 of those. However, the talk of the day was the True Finns, who were now above the Centre Party, gaining an unprecedented 34 seats, compared to their previous 5. They are now the third most powerful party in the parliament. The problem with this group is their elitist views. They don’t outright say they want no immigration, but a well-known staple of their policy is supporting anti-immigration legislation. Also, they recently changed the English translation of their party name from “the True Finns” to just “the Finns.” I don’t even have to tell you how much debate this has sparked. One of the main newspapers in Finland, Helsingin Sanomat, still refuses to call them by that name. Unfortunately, Juho Rahkonen, head of research at the Taloustutkimus polling organization, believes that the “True Finns are preparing for a democratic coup in the next municipal elections.”
To many, these outlier parties seem like a joke, a waste of time, or even a severe hindrance to the major parties. I distinctly remember Democrats unabashedly criticizing people voting Independent, Libertarian or Green Parties in the 2008 presidential election. They feared those who did so would have voted Democrat if they didn’t have choices other than the two main parties. Thus, in their minds, Democratic votes were being taken away, giving McCain a better chance of winning. I too was of this school of thought. My main criticism back then was, “Why vote for a candidate that has no chance of winning?” But what if the representatives of these “alternative” parties could win? What if the Pirate Party was elected into the U.S. Congress? Well, that is exactly what is happening. Ok, the Pirate Party isn’t booming in the U.S. (yet), but fringe parties across the world are gaining a surprising amount of support. One of them is the Pirate Party of Berlin. This eccentric group of men in their 20s and 30s entered into the race for seats in the Berlin state parliament. On Monday, September 19, according to the New York Times, they discovered they had won 8.9 percent of the vote, solidifying a seat for every one of their 15 candidates. This surprised even them and raised a lot of questions within the German political scene as well as around the world. What led to this seemingly random group gaining so many votes? How can citizens with no political background function in this arena? Can these parties have any effect? There are many countries that have a similar political system to ours, where a select few political parties have held sway for a long time. However, with changing societies and changing values comes the need for new ways to run these countries. When the standard political parties can’t deliver, the people must look elsewhere. I know of many Republicans who lost faith in the party during the idiocy that was the McCain/Palin campaign trail. I also know of many people who are Conser-
04
3 - 17 october 2011
Josie Keifenheim
vative when it comes to economic issues but Liberal when it comes to social issues. As for the question of effectiveness, Rick Falkvinge, the founder of the Swedish and first Pirate Party, says, “When Green Parties entered parliaments, the oil industry lobby became ineffective overnight...the other parties knew that the Greens knew this topic inside out, and they would not risk being caught with their pants down to the oil industry lobby in front of the voters...the immunization against the oil industry lobby not only entered parliament, but it spread to the other politicians there, very efficiently.” I don’t know about any oil industry lobby becoming ineffective overnight, but his point is still valid. Many of these outlier parties have specific knowledge of topics that normal politicians may not have had the time to study. Thus their presence in the government can inform and influence those in other parties.
Then there’s the Tea Party. While not technically a political party, their influence has me under the impression that it’s only a matter of time until they are officially registered. At first I thought this was simply a case of Republican astroturfing that people would soon ignore, but it has been a long time since they showed up on my radar and they are still going strong. Whether or not I like them, the power they hold is undeniable. They do not have one official delegate labeled as a part of the “Tea Party,” but they have a never-ending stream of news coverage and a continually growing number of followers. Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann are two strong Republican presidential hopefuls that are also deeply involved with the Tea Party. Whether you like it or not, groups on the fringe of the political system are gaining power around the world. Is this due to the “global economic crisis”? Or is this something reflecting a larger change in society with the coming of a new generation of citizens? I would like to think the latter, but that remains to be seen. All I can say is, before you put your faith in a political group because it sounds cool (“Yeah, I’m a member of the United States Marijuana Party.”) or because your family does, research it for yourself. You’re in college, make your own decision.
voices
Sketchy or Sketchers… Which side will you take on your shoes? By Alyssa Bluhm and Kelsey Schwartz TOMS shoes are old news. It’s impossible to step onto a college campus without seeing them on the feet of hippies, hipsters and hippopotamuses alike (at least they can appreciate how the shoes stretch out so much). Everyone knows about the “One for One” mission behind TOMS, and it’s fairly safe to say that the novelty of donating a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair sold has worn off by now.
Sketchers came up with all on their own, in which for every pair of shoes you buy from the BOBS collection, they will in turn donate one pair of shoes to a child in need. Isn’t that nice of them! I still can’t shake this feeling, though, that I have heard about someone else with his hand in this cookie jar... In fact I think that he might own that cookie jar! Yes, that’s right—TOMS shoes founded by Blake Mycoskie!
While TOMS has faded into the background as a staple in scenester footwear, there are still a number of issues related to the company that should be kept in mind the next time you’re in the market for simple shoes with a philanthropic agenda.
TOMS and BOBS are incredibly similar. They both donate one pair of shoes to a child in need when you purchase a pair of shoes from them, their names are each four letters in all caps, and the collections consist of almost exactly the same kind of shoes. So you’re probably asking “What is the difference between the two!? How is one supposed to chose the right shoe and not make the life shattering mistake of selecting the wrong shoe!?” From the surface it’s hard to tell, but when you look deeper the differences become clear and even a bit diabolical.
One concern that comes to mind while snooping around the TOMS website is the latent motives behind the company. Every page on toms.com has a heavily layered veneer of quotes and pictures reflecting its mission statement, so much that it’s easy to believe that kids in third-world countries actually do get a pair of shoes when Americans dish out half of their paychecks to match the lavish price of these simple shoes. But why are these “poor” kids wearing better clothes than I am? My college budget doesn’t even leave room for me to buy clothes that match, but the promo videos scattered around the website depict children wearing clothes so new that I begin to feel like I should be the one getting a free pair of shoes. Giving pretentious American shoes to poorer nations seems to support nothing short of the patronizing ego for which the United States is infamous. I can’t deny how nice it is that shoes protect kids from soil-born illnesses and allow them to attend schools without primitive dress codes, but the way TOMS presents this on their website doesn’t sit right with me. As shown in their promotional footage, TOMS shoes gateway children in underdeveloped nations to participate in activities like skateboarding and giving each other a thumbs-up, just like their American counterparts. It raises this question to me, as it should to everyone else: Is TOMS helping these people by giving them a resource necessary for survival, or is TOMS just unnecessarily forcing American culture upon disadvantaged nations?
TOMS was made with a “why” behind it. They have a goal, a reason, a point to their “One for One” campaign. They truly want to help people in need, mainly children, by giving them shoes to protect their feet from what I know only as “foot killing disease,” but don’t rely on my diagnosis since I am not a doctor. In all seriousness though, the TOMS company is built on philanthropic motives. BOBS on the other hand is not. It is easy to believe a corporation as large as Sketchers when they make a pledge that they will actually follow through, but it’s hard to believe that philanthropy is the only motive. Looking past their charitable façade reveals the truth; their marketing scheme is as self-serv-
ing as a buffet line. They must not have had a good marketing director at the time, because even a two year old child would have known that making BOBS almost identical to TOMS would only bring more trouble then profit, and it did. BOBS was ridiculed online so much that Sketchers shut down their link to the BOBS charity information, thus taking away their “why.” Next time they’ll think twice before hiring a marketing intern with an age still in single digits. It boggles my mind that these huge conglomerated companies don’t care about anything else but money, themselves, and more money. They will use any means possible to get people to purchase their cheap, secondhand ideas. I don’t think that Sketchers did a bad thing by making BOBS; they just didn’t have an honest purpose behind it. All they cared about was that they could make money. They saw TOMS take off, copied everything TOMS did to a T and yet all they ended up with was ridicule and shame. Shame for trying to take advantage of people, and saying that they are doing it out of love. A love that comes from their tiny, plaque-blocked, self-centered, money-obsessed, conglomerate heart! I challenge you all now to take a second look into the charities you give money to. Some of you will find that they are true and good, while the rest you will only find a tainted copy of something truly philanthropic.
If TOMS truly wants to make a lasting difference in the lives of these children, why not manufacture their shoes at the same places they donate them? It may not be as cheap as making them in China, but it would benefit the economies of these nations more in the long run than a one-time gift of free shoes. And eventually the workers in these factories could buy their children, and themselves for that matter, a more durable pair of shoes. TOMS is inarguably doing a lot more good than most of us, but gaping holes still remain in the motives that move this company. I’m not trying to discourage anyone from making the day of a random kid in Argentina some months down the line, but I am trying to get people to think more about what’s on their feet.
Rachel Mosey
Then again, TOMS could do worse. Have you ever heard of BOBS? It’s a philanthropic project that
www.wakemag.org
05
voices
American Hikers Released From Iran But Are We Doing the Same Here? By Eric Best In July 2009 Sara Shourd (32), Shane Bauer (28), and Joshua Fattal (28), all Palestine Solidarity Movement Activists, were on vacation in Iraqi Kurdistan, an autonomous region outside the Iraqi government’s control, when they were detained by Iranian border guards. They were on their way to see the Ahmed Awa waterfall, one of the most popular Kurdish tourist attractions. They continued walking into what they believed to be Iraqi Kurdistan, but what was actually Iran, according to border guards. All three of the detainees were held in Evin Prison on charges of illegally entering Iran and suspicion of espionage, though even President Ahmadinejad hoped the hikers would be able to prove their innocence of espionage. Bauer was the only one of the three that spoke fluent Arabic; the other hikers could not communicate with authorities. Shourd was released on a $500,000 bail in September 2010 after nearly 400 days of imprisonment and being denied treatment for serious health concerns, including a breast lump and precancerous cervical cells. Ahmadinejad was reported as personally intervening in Shroud’s case in order to get her released in to U.S. custody. Despite the hikers’ incarceration, Shourd became engaged to Bauer, and even made an engagement ring out of fabric from the T-shirt he was wearing when the three were detained. The incident grabbed the attention of leaders, activists, and celebrities worldwide. President Obama, along with many others including Muhammad Ali and Ashton Kutcher, called for their release of the detainees on the grounds of inhumane treatment and a lack of evidence. The U.S. has neither an embassy nor any formal diplomatic relations with Iran, thus Swiss officials acted as the only intermediary between the hikers and Iranian authorities in order to evaluate their treatment. Despite hope that the hikers could prove their own innocence, last month Bauer, who grew up in Minnesota, and Fattal were each convicted on all charges and sentenced to eight years of prison: three for the illegal entry and five for espionage. Their Iranian attorney, Masoud Shafei, though happy that the sentence was not more severe, said that “their sentence was not consistent with the charges,” as spying usually carries a death sentence in Iran. On September 21st Omanian and Swiss officials negotiated a release for Bauer and Fattal, and, according to CNN reports, even paid their $1 million bail. “You can state officially now that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has handled Shane and Josh to the custody of… the Sultan of Oman, a country that enjoys excellent relationships with both the IRI and the USA… The hikers are now on their way to Muscat, [the capital of Oman], where they will spend a couple of days before heading home,” a statement from Oman’s envoy in Iran said. Oman, a country on the southeast edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has long-standing political and military ties to the U.S stepped in aid the two prisoners.
06
3 - 17 october 2011
dealings in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, a prisoner tied to the Iranian nuclear weapons program, and simply defected Iranian citizens who do not wish to return to Iran.
Keit Osadchuk
The families of the two hikers issued this statement following the release: “Today can only be described as the best day of our lives. We have waited for nearly 26 months for this moment and the joy and relief we feel at Shane and Josh’s long-awaited freedom knows no bounds. At the same time, our deep gratitude extends to many, many others, from governments, institutions and noted campaigners to tens of thousands of people around the world. Our appreciation for the warmth and love of our fellow human beings is unending and we know that Shane and Josh will always be grateful.” The release of the two detainees came with requests from Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi for Washington to release Iranian prisoners held in the U.S. Moslehi focused on 11 Iranian citizens whom Iran claims have been taken in to U.S. custody or kidnapped by the American government. Though the U.S. has made no formal response to these requests, it seems very unlikely that these detainees will be released soon. According to Department of Defense reports, this list includes several prisoners suspected of illegal arms
Though there has not been any evidence to suggest that these 11 prisoners have been convicted of any crime or are even awaiting trial soon, it brings up some questions: Is the U.S. government treating Iranian prisoners in a similar fashion as the hikers released from Iran? Are we infringing on prisoners unalienable rights – something we accused Iran of doing in this instance? The hikers detained in Iran obviously broke the law by illegally entering a foreign country, which is something they deserved punishment for in their own country, as there was clear evidence of that crime, but their case reflected more about Iranian-American relations than anything. Certainly there is animosity on both sides; Islamaphobia – a term generally applied to both Muslims and people of a Middle Eastern descent in America and a general mistrust of Americans in Iran (due to differing views on imperialism and interventionism, amongst others). If our government can detain, perhaps even kidnap, Iranians for indefinite amounts of time in military tribunals and other facilities, who is to say that Iran cannot do the same with its American detainees? Iran must secure and protect its people, just as any other country. Interestingly enough, the hikers were released just one week before President Ahmadinejad’s U.N. address, amid praise from many world leaders for his positive intervention in the matter.
voices
Tim and Thom Take the Twin Cities to the Top Tier of Tailoring by natalie cecchini This past March, local designers Tim and Thom Navarro, together with Jim and Katy Vereide, opened “You and Me,” a clothing and jewelry store. Tim and Thom design and make the clothing, and Katy makes jewelry to go with it. The store is very welcoming and Tim and Thom instantly make you feel at home. Most recently, the Navarro brothers have been working on their fall designs. After talking with them for a few minutes it’s easy to see that they have such a strong passion for what they’re doing.
W: What styles do you not like for fall? T&T: It’s hard to say. I don’t know until I see it. Fashion rules, like don’t wear white shoes after labor day, are getting debunked. People bring out winter clothes too soon. Something we really like though is scarves.
W: What makes your designs special? T&T: The lines we create are simplified and really detailed. They’re all about cut, colors, and the finished product. We don’t use crazy patterns. What’s nice is we make clothes for more generic body types, not just for size two models.
W: How long have you been designing? T&T: Officially since 2004. Unofficially since we were young. We would make our friends’ Halloween costumes, then we realized we could actually make money doing it.
The Wake: What got you interested in designing clothes? Tim & Thom: Our grandpa was a tailor. We’re the youngest ones in the family so we always had to tailor [hand-me-down] clothes to fit us.
W: Are there any designers you look up to?
W: What are your fall designs like?
You can find their store at 2114B Lyndale Ave S, or on facebook at www.facebook.com/shopyouandme
T&T: We’re doing more of a fall and winter idea. Using more dense materials and playing around with things. We like more practical clothing.
T&T: Classic American Sportswear designers. I love that esthetic. We’re more inspired by local designers.
W: Do you have any upcoming projects? T&T: We’re doing a lot of custom work, that eats up most of our time. We’re probably going to have a trunk show when our line is complete.
W: What styles do you personally like to wear? T&T: When we’re working whatever is most comfortable. We like vests and slacks. That’s most comfortable for us on a regular basis. It’s a nice look for any occasion.
W: What’s your inspiration for your designs? T&T: Music and environment. We ride bikes a lot and we’re very active so we try to make clothes that are appropriate for people [who are] part of active things. We make normal-wear, not high fashion clothes.
W: Do you think Minneapolis has a unique style? T&T: Minneapolis culture is relaxed and laid back. I think it’s a huge melting pot and people dress based on their personality, it’s eclectic. It hasn’t refined it’s style yet.
photos by habakkuk stockstill
www.wakemag.org
07
feature
S T R O SwPithout
s m u I D STA
Create-a-Game with Jake Starsiak by Theon Kyne Dy Even though we live in a state that’s covered in snow for nearly 6 months out of the year, I know right now that a lot of you don’t like winter. Why not take your mind off the cold by playing some outdoor games to heat up your body? One thing that I know everyone loves to do in the winter is play sports, whether it’s playing football in the snow or just having a classic snowball fight. Yes, we all love classic winter games, but what can we do when we get bored of them? I met a guy named Gregory “Jake” Starsiak, a wild but awesome dude, who can invent games in the blink of an eye and loves sharing them with others. Some of these games are just weird or crazy, but some of them are just down right awesome to play. He invented and told me about two sports that can be played around campus or elsewhere during the winter season, which is quickly approaching. Trust me, these games really sounded fun when I heard it from Jake and I can’t wait to give them a try this winter with my friends. So here are the two sports Jake told me about:
08
3 - 17 october 2011
Hillball H-i-l-l-b-a-l-l, Hillball! This game can be played in two ways: either free for all if you have less than 10 people, or with two teams if you have more than 10 people. The game starts off with any kind of ball being placed on top of a hill while everyone stays at the bottom of the hill. The goal, if it’s free for all, is to be the first to get the ball from the top and then run/ roll/whatever down to the bottom of the hill without being tackled. If you do get tackled (since you’re playing during the winter, the snow will make it less painful) or are unable to move then you must say “disperse” so that the people on you will get off of you and then you must throw the ball back up to the top of the hill and anyone, except you, will have the chance to try and get the ball down the hill. It’s alright to drop the ball, but you can’t throw the ball down the hill. Now, if you’re playing with teams, the same rules apply except you’ll have help and unlimited passing, unlike football where you can only pass once. One more thing, before everyone runs up the hill, everyone must count to three and shout “HILLBALL”, you know, just to make it all epic, and then run as fast as you can up the hill. And that is Hillball 101 for you.
Snumo Don’t worry, were not going to shout “Snumo!” when we play this game. The game is pretty simple and played with three to four people. You start by making a circle in fresh powder snow and having all the players stand outside of it. Then at the count of three everyone jumps in the circle, feet first (not face first! you don’t want to do that, trust me). After all the players are in the circle they must stand straight and then bow to each other with their hands together like what sumo wrestlers do before a match. The goal of this game is to be the last man in the circle, so basically it’s like the WWE Royal Rumble where you throw, toss or push a guy out of the ring to be eliminated. One important rule in this game is that you cannot punch, kick or do whatever ninja moves you got in you, you can only push your opponents outside the circle. These two sports are some sports you can play on or off campus during the winter. They may be out of the ordinary, but it’s fun to try something new, like Hillball or Snumo. Just a reminder, play safe and have epic fun playing these sports. Not only should you try out these two epic sports, but you can come up with your own sports too. All it takes is some imagination. It doesn’t matter what season it is, coming up with new sports is fun all year ‘round. Go ahead, tell your friends about these two sports and pretty soon your new sport creation might be featured here. GO!
feature
Lesser Known UofM Teams and Groups By Alex Lauer When people think of college sports it’s always football, basketball, baseball, and hockey that come to mind. Sure, college kids love to throw on a little maroon and gold face paint and cheer on the people who are getting scholarships to play a sport, but what about you? You want your daily dose of physical activity, but you need more excitement than a boring ol’ gym. You could go for the intramural leagues offered by the Rec Center, but how about taking the non-traditional route? I have picked out four of the best sports clubs on campus that you may or may not know exist. Not only will these clubs help you stay in shape, but they’ll give you talents all your friends will be jealous of. I know all of you want to break out and try something new, so pick one and go for it.
Fencing
Breakdancing
I don’t know about you, but learning how to fight with swords sounds like an amazing use of my time (especially compared to checking facebook every hour and watching online TV). It’s about time you took that inspiration you got from watching The Princess Bride, Rob Roy, or Pirates of the Caribbean and did something with it. Here at the U, not only do we have a fencing club that teaches you the sport, but a competition team that travels to intercollegiate events.
You know you want to. You’ve seen bboys and bgirls dancing on the streets and at campus events and you’ve been envious. You’ve always wanted to learn how to breakdance but never taken the initiative. Well, here’s your chance, just don’t go into it with the “I want to do head spins and flares right now” mentality.
Now, you should know that fencing is not the “grab whatever weapon you have and go for it” fight that you see in the movies, but it isn’t tame either. There are three different weapons that are used in the sport: Foil, Épée, and Sabre. Each of these weapons varies in weight, shape, and flexibility. Also, each type of weapon has specific parts of the body you can score on. For example, in épée you can score by hitting any part of your opponent’s body, but in sabre you can only score above the waist. There are other rules and particulars, but you will learn those when you go to your three free practices. That’s right! Unlike some other sports clubs where you have to make a monetary commitment right away, fencing allows everyone three free sessions to test the waters and see if it’s a good fit for them. Practices are on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights in Cooke Hall which can be accessed through the Rec Center, with a possibility for Wednesday night practices too.
The U of M Breakdancing Club is a perfect environment for those that just want to session, know the basics and want to learn more, or are completely new to the style. “Practices,” if you can call them that, are not so much structured lessons as they are open sessions. Music will be playing and people will be dancing, but everyone there is willing to teach you whatever you want to know. The club officers will break down the basics for you and get you to a level where you are comfortable dancing and mixing moves to the beat. From there, they can show you new moves and variations, or, if you see someone else do a move that you like, all you have to do is ask them to show it to you. That’s what hip hop and breakdancing are all about, being a community. Don’t think of yourself as much of dancer? Try it anyways. While you may have been taught through bad TV or movie representations that breakdancing is all about power moves (windmills, flares, etc.), it’s more about originality and style—and everyone has their own style. For more information and practice times, email breakdnc@umn.edu
For more information and practice times, go to: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~fencing/
Ballroom Dancing
Quidditch
When you started college, was “learn to ballroom dance” on your checklist of things to accomplish? I doubt it, but college is all about new experiences. Personally, I was walking around campus one day last fall and saw a poster for free dance lessons from the U of M Ballroom Dance Club. I had always wanted to learn these styles of dance and I thought it couldn’t be a bad way to meet girls. The next thing I knew I had 8 different styles of dance on lock and was going out to dance nights all around Minneapolis.
This is a dream come true for a lot of people, the chance to play the ultimate sport from their all-time-favorite books. While the U of M Quidditch team is immensely popular, this is a giant school and many of you probably didn’t even know we have a team, much less that there are teams on college campuses across that country.
Have you ever been to a salsa or swing night and wished you could dance like the seasoned pros there? Well you can. The ballroom dance club teaches both of these styles as well as tango, waltz, foxtrot, hustle, rumba, cha cha, and others. You switch partners every couple minutes so don’t worry, you won’t get stuck with a weirdo and that girl or guy you’ve got your eye on will make it back to you during the lesson. If you’re hesitant, your first lesson is free so you can test it out without commitment. They have beginner lessons from 6:45 to 7:30 every Tuesday and Thursday in the Bierman Gym basketball court. Then there is general dancing from 7:30 to 8:30 so you can test out your brand new skills. Out of everything I’ve learned in college so far, I can confidently say that dance has helped me out the most. Here’s a good idea, go learn some new ballroom moves that you can showcase at the Yule Ball! (See below.) For more information, go to: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~bdc/
This “muggle” quidditch (that’s non-wizarding folk, for you n00bs) has a few differences from the kind portrayed in the Harry Potter books. First, there is no flying, but players still hold brooms between their legs. Second, the bludgers have become dodgeballs. Third, according to president Luke Zak, “the snitch turned from a small flying ball into a full grown athlete, adorned in golden, tight, sparkly spandex.” Currently, the league has about 170 active participants, twice as many as their inaugural year. There is even a competition team that will play in the first ever Midwest Regionals (October 8th and 9th) and the prestigious Quidditch World Cup held in New York City (November 12th and 13th). Whether your hands are shaking with excitement from all of this or you’ve never read the Harry Potter books and have no idea what I’m talking about, you can all experience it for yourselves. The teams play every Sunday, except October 9th, at 1 p.m. on the East River Flats. Also, the league is hosting a Yule Ball in early December as a fundraiser. Yes, you head me right, a YULE BALL. Everyone who loves Harry Potter can freak out now. It will be held at the DQ Club in TCF Bank Stadium and only 800 tickets will be sold, so you know it will sell out. As for the future of quidditch, Zak had this to say: “Not only is it here to stay, but it is continuing to grow exponentially on campus and around the world.” For more information about quidditch and the Yule Ball, go to: http://www.facebook.com/umnquidditch
www.wakemag.org
09
cities
MN Lynx
The only MN Sports team that actually wins games! By Theon Kyne Dy People in Minnesota love watching sports, whether it’s basketball or hockey. When we think of sports, we normally imagine guys running onto a field or a court to play and give their all to win. Sports are mostly thought of as challenging, rough and made for physically and mentally tough people. So who are we most likely to think of as the most physically tough people in our society? Most of use would probably think of men first. Now you’re thinking, where am I going with this? People around the world, just like Minnesotans, tend to forget that women play sports as well and even be better than men. People in Minnesota seem unhappy with how the sports teams in the state have been losing game after game and failing to win a championship or even anything close to that in the past few years. But Minnesotans are forgetting about one certain team, a team regularly overlooked, solely because it’s women’s team. Yes, I’m talking about the Minnesota Lynx, the number 1 team in the WNBA. “What?!” “Were number 1?” “I thought we were on a lockout?” “We have a women’s pro basketball team?” These are just some of the reactions I got when I told some of my friends at the U that the Lynx are currently favored to win the championship this year. It seems to me that women in this country are always looked down on physically, particularly in sports. Let me give a brief history of the Minnesota Lynx for those, which I know are many, who don’t know much about the current team. The Lynx are led by the U’s own Lindsey Whalen (Point Guard), along with Rookie of the Year winner, Maya Moore (Forward), and leading scorer (16.2 points per game) shooting guard Seimone Augustus. The Lynx had the best bench in the WNBA all last season, led by guards Monica Wright and Candice Wiggins. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was awarded the Coach of the Year Award for guiding the Lynx to best record in franchise history and in the WNBA Season. Their record (27-7) gave the Lynx home court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs. After eliminating the San Antonio Silver Stars in three games and sweeping two-time champion Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury, the Minnesota Lynx will take on All-Star Angel McCoughtry and the Atlanta Dream in the 2011 WNBA Finals. The Dream, who got swept (0-3) in last year’s WNBA Finals to the favored Seattle Storm, are looking for redemption. The Dream has caused upsets to make the Finals by defeating the number one (Indiana Fever) and two (Connecticut Sun) seeds in the Eastern Conference. Home court advantage seems not important to the Dream. By the looks of it, the Dream seems to be the toughest team the Lynx will face in the playoffs even though the Lynx won both games against the Dream in the regular season. The Dream have won two of three road games in the playoffs, therefore we, the fans of Minnesota, must
make sure we show our support for the Lynx and show the Dream what home court advantage truly means. When we think of Minnesota basketball, we see Kevin Love and the Timberwolves, but right now, especially because the NBA Lockout still hasn’t been settled (*sigh*), we should remember that Minnesota basketball is also played by the Minnesota Lynx, a pro basketball women’s team in the women’s version of the NBA, for those who don’t know. The Lynx currently hold the best season record in the WNBA and are the number one seed in the playoffs. Minnesota’s hopes and dreams of winning one of the few championships since 1992 lies in their hands (or paws, really). Our Lynx are the best and they’ve got the record to prove it, but still they’ll have to show it again in the playoffs. With the opportunity the Lynx have been given with their talented roster, this is the biggest chance for Minnesota to show everyone that Minnesota can win championships too.
the Super Bowl, that the Twins would win the World Series, or that the Wild would win the Stanley Cup, but none of these male teams have been able to bring championship glory to the state of Minnesota in 20 years. If you would tell a fellow Minnesotan on the street right now that the women would be the one to bring a first championship in 20 years to the state, that person wouldn’t believe it, but they should believe it now. The Minnesota Lynx are on the hunt and are inching closer and closer to that coveted championship. We need to believe (I believe) they can accomplish the task ahead that they will win the WNBA championship, but they need our support and most of all we should not forget that the state of Minnesota has a team to be proud of, the Minnesota Lynx. Don’t forget that name.
Let’s take a few minutes to look back in the grand history of Minnesota sports. Minnesota in the 1950’s was the most popular basketball location in the United States, and ever since the departure of George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers, the state of Minnesota hasn’t been able to get even a taste of basketball glory. Furthermore, outside of basketball, the state of Minnesota hasn’t won a championship since the Minnesota Twins won the World Series in 1991. Yes, major sports in Minnesota, from basketball, football, baseball and hockey, haven’t been so successful. There were some good times in some of these Minnesota teams, but as of late, all the recent attempts for a championship have ended badly. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been free-falling in the NBA standings since the departure of Kevin Garnett, who failed to bring a championship to Minnesota after 11 seasons. The Minnesota Twins, who back in 1991 won the World Series, currently are the second worst team in pro baseball and is the worst team in the AL (American League). The Minnesota Vikings have had an inconsistent team since head coach Bud Grant led the Vikings to a Super Bowl win in 1969 and then departed the team in 1983. The 11 year old Minnesota Wild team have yet to win a Stanley Cup, although there were signs of a run in 2008 when the Wild won the Division title, but were quickly ousted in the first round of the playoffs and ever since haven’t been able to win 40 games or more in a single season. Our very own Golden Gophers have been unsuccessful in basketball and football in the past years and even if our hockey team has won the NCAA Championship in 2003, the Gophers haven’t made it back to the finals since 2003. The Minnesota crowd, in championship poverty, have been cheering and praying that the Wolves would win the NBA Championship in the Garnett era, that the Vikings would win BY KEIT OSADCHUK
10
3 – 17 october 2011
cities
Pride is Contagious Too Contagion Review By Ally Kodet There’s the pretty young thing that trips on absolutely nothing in the woods; dead. There’s the moron who decides an elevator is the ideal escape; strangled. There is foreboding music, apparitions in mirrors and, my personal favorite, demon-possessed children. Personally, I am sick of checking off plotline clichés in my head while I’m in the theater. Original thriller movies are a dying breed and any particular movie that can truly put a lump in my throat will generally get a thumbs up from me. Contagion did that and then some. You know when you’re watching previews in the theater and you and your friends jab each other when a movie looks worthwhile? Contagion’s trailer was on my list. An array of familiar faces appeared and I was instantly engrossed. There have been plenty of movies spun from big name stars, but we all know that isn’t always successful (Valentine’s Day, anyone?). Still, the idea of a movie centered on a world-wide pandemic seemed intriguing, albeit ubiquitous. The ones I had read about or watched usually missed the mark. Zombies, zombies, and more zombies are not enough to carry a movie. I honestly just hoped that Contagion would give us a break from the fantastical.
Contagion is a fantastic movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat… partially because you realize just how many germs are on that thing in the first place. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I discovered the movie hit closer to home (well, dorm) than I thought. I learned that Scott Z. Burns, Contagion’s screenwriter, graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1985. The Golden Valley native also wrote the screenplays for The Bourne Ultimatum and The Informant! I may not parade my school spirit around at sports games, but I instantly felt a sense of Gopher pride when I realized an alumnus wrote the screenplay of a movie I’d been dying to see. Apparently Burns has some Minnesota pride as well, because a large portion of the movie takes place in the U of M Medical Center and Fairview Southdale Hospital. Here’s the catch, though: like many other films (Juno, New in Town, etc) the movie was not actually filmed in Minnesota. The former films were both filmed in Canada, and Contagion’s team utilized an empty hospital in Illinois. Either way, the references to familiar landmarks and cities were pretty exciting. It’s nice to be known for more than the Mall of America and things in our state collapsing from too much snow. When I first entered the theater to see Contagion, the ambiance was already set in stone. Something was wrong with the projector and the screen was pitch black, nobody was
moving, and the people would only whisper to one another in very hushed tones. It felt like I was paying $10.50 to attend someone’s funeral. Fortunately, this movie was much more enthralling than a funeral procession. We first meet Gwyneth Paltrow’s character, Beth, a Minnesota native who has recently traveled to Hong Kong and falls gravely ill during a layover in Chicago. The audience is drawn into a montage of people from major cities around the globe falling victim to the very same virus. The symptoms made my skin crawl: a sudden ghostlike complexion, dry cough, seizures, double vision, dry mouth and, in its worst stages, a cloud of foam erupting from the victim’s mouth. Once a person is exposed or touches an affected area, they are essentially a goner. I instantly had a flashback to the H1N1 outbreak a few years ago, but this was like H1N1 on acid: all the hand sanitizer in the world couldn’t keep this from spreading. The acting in the film was superb, although I’m not too surprised. Paltrow played the helpless victim perfectly and Damon (depicting Beth’s husband) managed to display the stages of grief in a very non-caricature like way, which is all I really hoped for in his character. I must say my absolute two favorite characters were Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) and Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law). Mears is part of the team trying to keep tabs on the disease and find out where it began. The doctor is exactly the kind of person you’d love to work for you: so dedicated to her career that sleep becomes secondary. She will stop at nothing to keep this horror from spreading and is essentially the Sherlock Holmes of Contagion. The real showstopper is Krumwiede. He is a blogger who’s all about conspiracy theories and cynicism. He eventually gets sick and convinces millions that a homeopathic drug has saved him from death. People ransack his house and every store possible to get their hands on the drug, and Krumwiede ends up a millionaire. When government officials find out he had the flu, not the actual pandemic disease, they are outraged. One of them actually states, “If I could throw your computer in jail, I would.” This was my favorite line in the movie; it really shows how the internet and technology hold a fierce power over humans. Back in the old days, people were surely paranoid when polio and smallpox showed up, but they never had the internet and communication outlets that we have today. There’s a world of difference between pandemics then and now, and Contagion really demonstrates that. This movie not only put a lump in my throat, but thoughts in my head. My eyes weren’t bugged out because of explosions or car chases, they were so wide because this could—and in many ways has-- already occurred. I was choked up at various points throughout the film, particularly during a burial scene. It’s crazy that people instantly become statistics or science projects when disease spreads, and the movie really made that aspect feel real.
angie frisk
There was a romance between two teenagers that was sweet, but not entirely necessary to the plot in my opinion. I know it’s difficult to have a film without characters making googly eyes at one another, but this was definitely one that could have done without it. While my pursuit of a Journalism degree doesn’t allow me to be picky, there were a few unrealistic medical aspects sprinkled in that could have used more attention. All in all, Contagion is a fantastic movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat…partially because you realize just how many germs are on that thing in the first place.
www.wakemag.org
11
sound & vision
Blue Dream Q &A with the Reckless Ones By Zach McCormick
On an ordinary night last year in the middle of a freezing Twin Cities winter, I had the pleasure of being unexpectedly blown away by an amazing live performance from Reckless Ones. Hailing from “right down the block” as the singer put it, the group proceeded to play on of the most solid and entertaining sets I’d seen all year, complete with upright bass twirls, behind the back guitar solos and an avalanche of stand-up drum-kit heroics. Embracing both the stylish look and down-and-dirty work ethic of the classic 50’s Rock’n’Roll icons, Reckless Ones met up with The Wake at (where else?) a biker-coffee bar to talk about their records, the European festival circuit and defying expectations.
The Wake: You guys have a bit of history in the local rock scene, could you talk a bit about the origins of Reckless Ones? Dylan Patterson (Drums): It started with my previous band, Corpse Show Creeps, back in 2004. We were a psychobilly band in Minneapolis who did some touring and stuff. I met Adam because we needed him to take over for a previous bass player and he ended up living with me. We became friends and played together in Corpse Show Creeps before that came to an end, but we still lived together so we wanted to find another guitarist. As we continued our musical journey we were friends with Kevin who was kicking ass in his band Treehouse Bordello. Kevin O’Leary (Guitar/Vocals): We all knew of each other but we didn’t travel in the same circles even though we knew we would all get along based on how we looked and everything. 2008 rolled around and these guys had a CD from one of my other bands, they wrote me up on Myspace back when that was still viable and asked if I wanted to start a band. I guess it was just the right timing because we got to work right away, brought in songs from all the projects we had done, anything that applied. Got to work and rather than do things the slow way by taking time to write songs together, we wanted to record right away so we just got busy.
W: Who are some non-rockabilly bands that have had the strongest influences on your music? K: The main stuff that seems to filter itself into what I write besides all the rockabilly artists is like…The Beatles are huge for me. I’m a total sucker for pop; I love The Beatles, I love Depeche Mode, especially earlier on in the band. Lately it’s been a lot of like Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen. It’s been a lot of The Boss.
W: You seem to turn out albums relatively quickly, how does your band’s songwriting process work? D: For the first album we really all brought in whatever songs we had, but Kevin’s always been the majority songwriter.
12
3 – 17 october 2011
photo provided by reckless ones
K: I’m like slightly ahead in terms of who writes the most, and then it’s Adam, and there’s a lot of stuff that me and Adam wrote together. When the band started the three of us lived together in like a two bedroom apartment, I slept in the living room in my bed in a corner and we wrote everything there. But by the time a song’s done, it doesn’t matter where it started, in the end it’s all ours. Adam Boatright (Upright Bass): Who ever has an idea brings it to the table, but then we dissect the HELL out of it. It doesn’t matter whose idea it is, it gets dissected by the band and we end up making it our own, putting our own individual flair in it and we’ll play a song I don’t know how many times before it’s done. Hell, we’re still fixing songs we’ve already recorded! K: It’s pretty democratic. D: We all seem to think along the same lines, there’s never been a big argument as to how the songs should go.
W: Set the World on Fire sounds great for an unsigned band, how did you guys go about recording that record? Was it a basement operation or did you go the professional route? D: The first album Make Your Move was done at Humans Win studios up in NE, engineered by JB, he’s just a good player and really understands the music. He really helped us make this record before we had ever played a show. I thought it was a good way to start off a band, with an album so we knew how it was supposed to sound. A: We did the same thing for the second album too. K: Same place, same guy…
A: We liked him, trusted him, he worked well with us and it felt right. K: We also recorded it within a year of our first album, and we didn’t want to waste time finding new people to help us out. We knew that we got good sounds out of this studio and we knew that the dudes that own it are super cool about letting us…pay when we can (laughs). JB is our buddy and when we recorded the second album we really geeked out about guitars and took our time. The first one we made really quick because we were so excited to get something out there and make this statement, you know, Make Your Move.
W: The album contains a lot of sounds that people might not expect. There’s a bit of 50’s style pop and even some country, was the goal to challenge expectations? A: Musically, for sure. D: There’s already enough bands out there that sing about the same old shit, you know, we just want to have fun and play rock’n’roll. We know don’t want to sing about cars and girls and all that shit that somebody might think just by staring at us. A: We sing about real life, I mean, Kevin’s lyrics are real life stuff, it’s not make-believe. There’s plenty of love songs in there, but it’s all real stuff. K: It’s because I do love,. A: I mean, there’s no “Drivin’ down the road in my hot rod, I’m gonna…” K: “…bang a Zombie girl.” (laughs)
sound & vision
D: It’s funny, but there’s a lot of bands where that’s all they want to sing about.
W: You got a taste of the festival circuit too this summer, do you prefer playing club dates or the big festival shows?
A: We’re not “throwback,” you know like “Hey Daddy-o!”, so what’s not throwback? Modern.
K: We say what we mean and mean what we say. I love walking in to venues in all of the places we’ve played around the world and I can tell there’s places where people look at us and think “Aww…a fuckin’ rockabilly band? Oh great, 12 bar blues for two hours”. We get a lot of backhanded compliments like “You know, I came in and I really thought I was going to hate you but you were actually pretty awesome! Can I buy a CD?”
A: Clubs are still fun, they always will be, but festivals are amazing because you hit your target market in one show. We’ll do a month on the road in the US and you play some big shows but you’re also playing Sunday nights for 20 people, and then you got to drive 8 hours to get to the next city. For a festival you play 1,000 people that are already somewhat interested in the style of music, otherwise they wouldn’t be there.
D: Rockabilly has been around since the beginning of rock’n’roll, so when you span that many years it helps to give people a better idea of what you play.
A: Maybe we should change our image if that’s the reaction we’re getting.
D: It’s the next step, I think. It’s less work. You can play for two weeks with 100 people at each show and still struggle to raise a following in each city.
W: During your tours have there been any places where you’ve thought “This town’s going to suck” and the reception surprised you?
K: It’s not like hip-hop guys get kids walking up to them and asking “Do you like…dress like that every day? Are you in a play? Is this what you do all the time?” and shit, I swear to god it’s only us. And granted, there’s something very theatric and intentionally out-of-place about the look but this just happens to be the skin we’re comfortable in. W: You guys wrapped up a pretty grueling tour schedule at the end of the summer, where did y’all end up? A: France! K: We were touring on and off all summer, it started off in May to the end of June, just touring all over the US, heading south and then west, which is a really neat route because it takes us through Texas and the Southwest and into California. We took a break for the second half of June and then we went over to Europe. D: 26 days, we played 10 shows. I think 4 of those were festivals, it was pretty amazing. K: It wasn’t really grueling. I mean, it was a long time but it was actually the best tour we’ve ever been on. It was the true tour experience of having a dedicated road manager and people taking care of you. A: The US tours are grueling but you go over to Europe and it’s a walk in the park, they just treat you like kings.
K: It helps let people know that they’re not going to get a set of Chuck Berry covers, just one. (laughs)
A: Oh man, all the fuckin’ time! W: You guys have a really tight live set, do you have to hold down day jobs or is this group a full-time gig? A: We still got jobs. K: Nothing will make me happier than when I collect checks from this shit, that’ll be rad, but right now we still got to do stuff outside. D: We’ve been working hard and hammering away until we slowly reach that point. K: We’re super lucky to be in this band together and to all want the same thing and still get along. Everyone wants to play music but we want to play music for a living and we want everybody to hear what we do.
W: You call yourselves “Modern Rockabilly.” Why the “modern” distinction, what does that mean to you? D: We’re not trying to create a genre, it’s just because Rockabilly is so wide it’s easy to get pigeonholed, so we almost have to pigeonhole ourselves. If you’re trying to book a 50’s style Rockabilly festival they got to know in a few words what we do, and we’re not “traditional” and we’re not Psychobilly.
W: Is the attitude towards “Vintage American” sounding bands like yours any different in Europe than in the U.S.? A: They really love Western culture over there, but a lot of their rockabilly bands are singing about high schools and Cadillacs but they don’t really know what they’re singing about, so anything that’s Western culture that’s the real deal, they cling on to. So a lot of people love you that much but they’re not necessarily on the same page, and other people don’t like you because you’re American and they think “screw you.” But they loved us!
K: San Antonio on this past May tour was great. Not that San Antonio’s a bad town and they’ve got a cool little scene there, but it was not a huge show and the crowd was all these people that loved the band, so it was way cooler than playing for two hundred people that couldn’t give a fuck. A: Flagstaff, Arizona. We showed up and we thought the show was going to blow, but we played for 15 or 20 kids right up front who knew every single syllable to every single lyric, man I had shivers down my arms. I mean, they were singing louder than Kevin was sometimes. K: Just shows you don’t need 1000 fans, just 15 really great ones to make you feel good.
W: You’re doing a few Midwest tour dates in the fall, what else is in store for Reckless Ones? D: We’re trying to do some more dates here before the snow flies and it gets hard to travel. We’re flying out to California shortly here to play a one off show with Tiger Army. It’s going to take a lot of wrangling to get all the gear over there. K: But it’s pretty badass, we’re playing with Tiger Army, which for all three of us is huge, back in high school they were in my CD player for months at a time. And now they asked us to come out play their one gig of the year, two nights at this stadium in Anaheim. We super jazzed, and every day it starts to feel a little more real.
Next local show: October 15 at Memory Lanes
Reckless Ones sure know how to kick off a record right. They’re letting us give you wonderful Wake readers a taste of their album Set the World on Fire by offering up a free download of their lead-off track “Summer Streets”. With a searing lead guitar line that’d make Chuck Berry jealous, and the kind of thumping drum and bass interplay that makes this group cook on the dance floor, “Summer Streets” is pure rock’n’roll, no gimmicks needed. Find it on www.wakemag.org!
K: Over here we are the road crew, we are the driver, we are the road manager, we are the merch guy but over there it was like we were the musicians. We played some of the best shows we’ve ever done. I mean, we played on top the Alps at a biker rally! It was awesome. It’s so much better when you get to concentrate on your show and your instrument and rockin’ out. D: Definitely better than playing one-nighters at the sleazy clubs across America, although there’s something to be said for that too, I think.
photos by maggie foucault
www.wakemag.org
13
sound & vision
State of Grace by habakkuk stockstill
I’m always on the lookout for unique, diverse and progressive artists, which can massage my selective auricles and provide me with a brief escape from the force-fed victuals of mainstream music. Free from the restraints of the music industry, singer/songwriter Kayte Grace is that refreshing breath of fresh air. Grace’s latest album, Written On, is a follow-up to her indie released first album, Soaked You In. Produced by Grace herself (a guitarist and pianist), Written On continues to showcase her unique style that she’s known for from her previous album and shares with the listener a musical gumbo of joyful, energetic and eclectic sound that’s heavily infused with blues, rock, pop and folk. Written On embraces Grace’s journey of life. She pulls us in with one of my personal favorites, Great Big life, which is a relaxing, mellow, top down in the summer, fancy free, catchy song, there to remind us to slow down sometimes and enjoy this great big life. The first single, Just Right, is another song where it pulls us into Grace’s daydream, where she thinks that she has found “Mr. just right” out of a group of guys that are not. The catchy rhythmic beat and Grace’s angelic voice make this song very vibrant. Overall, the album is well thought out and put together. Grace’s harmonious vibe and heartfelt songs will be more than enough to wet the musical appétit for her fans and music connoisseurs alike. If Written On gives us any glimpse of what we can expect from Grace’s future projects, then fans need not fret because this is only the beginning.
Where the Map Ends By Bryan Fisher
In a city where the music scene is lacking, Rainbow Danger Club is filling a much needed void. Shanghai, where the group is based, is filled with materialism and modernity. This band is made up of ex-patriots that have created an album seemingly contrasting the environment it grew out of. The album as whole is reminiscent of a movie soundtrack being played from a phonograph. Where the Map Ends quickly changes gears from a playful yet eerie silent movie to the pulse pounding excitement of a magical thriller. Plinking pianos and eerie sounds await you on your trip to the ends of the Earth. WME is a fairytale from a parallel universe that has many twists and turns. Being released shortly after their well received EP The New Atlantis, WME is an hour long trip filled with entrancing guitar, ghostly vocals, and trumpet capable of playing a variety of roles. Bouncing back and forth between light hearted romps to haunting lo-fi ballads, every song on the album has its own character. The pacing of WME is fantastic, switching between engaging instrumentals and surreal lyricism. Songs such as “Enduring Love” provide an experience that seems surreal and desolate yet at the same time fill with a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity, while other songs fulfill the roles of rocking anthems for the album. On songs such as the intro tune “Live on in Photographs” the lead vocals border on whiney, yet most of the time this is countered by the ominous background vocals. Overall Where the Map Ends is strong debut album that delivered, after an EP that had us all hoping.
Scroobius Pip Distraction Pieces Review BY ALEX LAUER
Distraction Pieces, Scroobius Pip’s second solo album, starts off stronger than any hip hop release I’ve heard in the past few years. This is partly due to his punk-rock roots and partly to his background as a spoken word artist. When I first thought about the combination of hip-hop and rock back in middle school, I thought it was the best idea ever. But then I sadly discovered that the genre “rap-rock” was led by bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, and Kottonmouth Kings, all of which I have little to no interest in. Even after years of broadening musical horizons, I haven’t found any artist that has lived up to my expectations of this infusing of genres—until I heard Pip’s second track “Let Em Come.” The backing drums and guitar during the chorus is what you would expect to find in a hardcore song and Pip goes just as hard, with solid verses by local group P.O.S. and Sage Francis. The transition from spoken word to hip hop is awkward and unsuccessful for many, but not Pip. He harnesses clever, poetic lyrics that keeps the music interesting, but the problem with this album is the production value, which is, unfortunately, noticeably low. The powerful lyrics in the politically charged “Soldier Boy Kill Em,” a spoof of “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” and the intense “Domestic Silence” would have a greater effect if the music didn’t sound so disjointed from his voice. Hopefully this album will get the attention of the right people who will give him the proper facilities to record while also letting him keep his unique style.
Check out our events calendar online at wakemag.org
14
3 – 17 october 2011
sound & vision
www.wakemag.org
15
Next meeting will be held in The Wake’s office (located at 1313 5th St SE #331):
October 17 8:30 PM