The Wake, Issue 6, Fall 2012

Trouble on Frat Row

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Q & A: Prissy Clerks

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Editorial

Production

Editor-in-Chief Alex Lauer

Production Manager Sean Quinn

Managing Editor Alyssa Bluhm Cities Editor Alicia Johnson Voices Editor Justin Miller Sound & Vision Editor Zach McCormick Obituaries Editor Kelsey Schwartz

Graphic Designers Sean Quinn, Katie Schalow, Sondra Vine, Taylor Wichrowski Art Director Sam Lindsay Social Media Manager Tara Mrachek Web Editor Sam Gordon

Our thoughts and prayers go out to our designer Sondra Vine, her father, and the rest of her family.

Staff Writers Tommy Finney, Tyler Lauer, Logan Wroge

This Issue Cover Artist Dan Forke and Justin Sengly Photographers Kara Hakanson, Alex Lauer, David McCrindle Illustrators Dan Forke, Sam Lindsay, Jared Martin, Sarah Mevissen, Robert Schoen Contributing Writers Katie Askew, Courtney Bade, Matthew Cermak, Tommy Finney, Cassidy Godfrey, Kara Hakanson, Kate Houghton, Elizabeth Ireland, Josh Jones, Arnav Joshi, Alex Lauer, Ethan Lauer, Tyler Lauer, Zach McCormick, Kelcie McKenney, Sarah Mevissen, Vanessa Nyarko, Brian Pricco, Steve Sitek, Jake Sorensen, Logan Wroge, Cat Yanish

Business Business Manager Chee Xiong Advertising Manager Steve Sitek Advisory Board James DeLong, Kevin Dunn, Courtney Lewis, Eric Price, Morgan Mae Schultz, Kay Steiger, Mark Wisser

Alex Lauer Editor-in-Chief

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Š2009 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 126 Coffman Memorial Union 300 Washington Avenue SE Minneapolis, MN 55455

Fakebook: /TheWakeMagazine Wake-Mag.tumblr.com

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).

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 ALAUER@wakemag.org.

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Crowd funding has found major popularity in Minneapolis.

By Elizabeth Ireland

After putting out the first issue of Minneapolis-based Thirty Two magazine, editor-in-chief Katie Eggers turned to Kickstarter.com to fund future issues. She set a monetary goal, different levels of contributions, and corresponding thankyou gifts. Backers of the project could pledge $32 to receive a one-year subscription to the magazine, as opposed to the flat $25 subscription fee on the magazine’s website. But plenty of people snapped up subscriptions on Kickstarter – Thirty Two made its goal of $4,500 and then some.

Kickstarter is just one of many websites where people can pool their money to fund artists, businesses, and ideas. This process is called crowd funding, and through online websites, it has found massive popularity. This spring, musician Amanda Palmer wanted to put out a new record and go on tour without the help of a major record company. She asked her fans to help her raise $100,000 online. They raised $1,192,793.

Why are fans willing to pay more than the worth of a subscription or a CD to support the projects? One idea is that it’s just more exciting. “A subscription isn’t anything other than crowd funding,” says Eggers. “When you subscribe, it helps us plan for the future. But they’re not as attractive or fun as doing it on Kickstarter.”

Boneshaker Books, a progressive, all-volunteer bookstore in Seward used Kickstarter to raise money to open in 2010, and again this year to fund an expansion. They, too, exceeded their monetary goals. Member Amanda Luker said that they were not surprised by their successes with the website. “I think there is often a lot of momentum at the end, and people like to keep giving to be a part of something, especially a successful project,” she said. “I would guess that most projects that get funded get overfunded.”

Based on the long list of lucrative Minneapolis Kickstarters, she’s probably right. Rusty Quarters, The Donut Cooperative, Northern Spark, Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps’

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latest album, and a Vermin Supreme documentary are just a few Minneapolis-based crowdfunding success stories. P.O.S. even turned to his fans for help with raising money for his kidney transplant surgery. As of November 11, he’s surpassed his $25,000 target by $11,000.

There’s a common thread among these successes: they’re all just a little bit indie. A cooperatively-owned donut shop?

A bookstore with bike delivery? A retro arcade? They all appeal to individuals seeking the newest, coolest thing. And with Kickstarter’s gift-with-donation system, they can say they bought donuts at the donut co-op before it opened.

They bought the Caroline Smith record before it was recorded. It’s official: hipsters are doing most of the crowd funding in Minneapolis.

It’s official: hipsters are doing most of the crowd funding in Minneapolis Not that it’s a bad thing. Who can argue with a resurgence of locally owned original businesses, or musicians with the money to record and the freedom to record whatever they want? It flips traditional production on its head.

Companies are no longer deciding what to produce before presenting it to consumers. Artists present their ideas for books and services and the consumers decide whether or not it gets produced. Boneshaker Books even carries items that Luker says “never would have been published if it hadn’t have been for Kickstarter.”

Crowd funding, and a willingness to donate for the presence of different services, is not a totally new idea to Minneapolis.

The Seward Co-op was established over forty years ago, and The Hub Bike Co-op has been around for ten years. But websites like GoFundMe and Kickstarter have made it much easier for projects to find backers. According to Eggers, Thirty Two’s campaign required very little advertising. “It’s a good way to get the word out because people share the fact that they supported you with their friends online,” she said. Luker agreed that Kickstarter didn’t require very much effort.

“Kickstarter is so easy it feels a little like cheating,” she

said. “It’s easy to set up and a great way to have a new forum to talk about your project.” But she cautioned that it might be overplayed. “I also think there may be some Kickstarter fatigue setting in, as it seems like most volunteer or art projects are using it. I do think being able to literally watch a project get funded is gratifying for donors, and makes Kickstarter a powerful tool.”

The marketplace of projects seeking funding is saturated, but people are not barraged by Kickstarters. They’re more likely to come across projects based on their interests. Niche projects thrive on social media, where interest is just a “share” button away. Since this is the primary mode of advertisement, it seems unlikely that people will burn out on crowd funding anytime soon.

However, some of it seems a bit ludicrous. The documentary “Who is Vermin Supreme” fundraised over $11,000. A game called “Hirelings: The Ascent” found over $23,000. How is there enough interest to generate that much money? Since the crowd funding is happening online, the projects can find a national audience, but still – these are very large sums of money.

Apparently crowd sourcing is not to be taken lightly.

There’s no denying that crowd funding is a now a totally viable way to find support for projects. It allows people to directly support the causes they feel strongly about, and in Minneapolis, it’s helped create diversity in the marketplace.

I’m happy to have co-ops, locally owned bookstores, and label-free musicians thanks to Kickstarter projects, but I also think that it’s crazy that even the most worthless-sounding projects garner massive funding. I suppose that’s the point, though – projects that would otherwise never get created can find their niche online.

Projects that would never get created otherwise can find their niche online Crowd funding isn’t going anywhere, and it will probably only become more prevalent as time goes on. All I can say is: please donate wisely. Also, I’m starting a Kickstarter project called “Beth’s Tuition.” It’s super indie. Go bananas.

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Paying to Not Play U of M Football pays $800k to skip two games

By Arnav Joshi

Football has long been a traditional, and occasionally unhealthy, pastime of America. Since 1882, the University of Minnesota has been a major supplier of America’s true pastime (sorry baseball, I like my sports concise and entertaining), winning seven national championships and accumulating an overall record of 653 wins, 482 losses, and 44 ties.

As we all know, however, the glory days of Gopher football are long gone, with our last national championship coming in 1960. To put that into perspective, Head Coach Jerry Kill wasn’t even born until the year after we won our most recent title. So it’s safe to say that the Golden Gopher football program hasn’t exactly been dominant during the past half-century. And now, the once storied program has incomprehensibly decided to spend $800,000 to do the exact opposite of what it’s supposed to: play football.

Somewhat surprisingly, this season will end with a Bowl Game appearance, the school’s first one since 2009’s Insight Bowl, and a definite boost for the program’s stumbling image. In order to achieve Bowl eligibility, a team must win at least six games during the regular season and is then, depending on a variety of factors (strength of schedule, team popularity, etc.), assigned to a bowl game, the NCAA’s alternative to a proper post-season and structured playoff system.

While this season can be viewed as a moderate achievement, or at least a step in the right direction, it’s the future that’s of concern to many individuals associated with the university. Athletic director Norwood Teague recently announced that the school would pay an $800,000 fee to the University of North Carolina in order to excuse themselves from two games against the Tar Heels in 2013 and 2014.

The once storied program has incomprehensibly decided to spend $800,000 to do the exact opposite of what it’s supposed to: play football.

The rationale behind this seems to simply be, “We don’t want our players to get sad when they lose.” As ridiculous as it sounds, that’s essentially the goal of this massive payout that is allegedly not state money, but part of the athletics budget. Coach Kill has stated that his team is too inexperienced, at this point, to contend with a 6-3 ACC team in a competitive manner. While we are terrible

at football, this decision makes less than no sense, even when the $800,000 financial ramification is removed from the conversation.

The rationale behind this seems to simply be, “We don’t want our players to get sad when they lose.”

In order to improve, it would seem logical to play more competitive teams as opposed to the constant stream of San Jose States. Sure, any organization might create a significant reserve of confidence by beating lesser competition, but there is very little opportunity to actually move forward as a program while using this system. If the eventual goal of the University of Minnesota football team is to contend for a BCS Championship, then everyone involved needs to man up and prepare to take on at least the second and third tier teams in the nation, such as the ever-terrifying UNC Tar Heels.

Yeah, we’d probably end up 0-2 in those games, but honestly it’s better to be called a loser than any of the myriad of creative rebukes that opposing sports fans invariably produce when it comes to giving up. At the same time, the program would not only save $800k in the long run, but players would receive more exposure to actual competition, the likes of which they will face on a week-to-week basis in the Big 10. One of my many hopes for college is to see the Gophers beat Wisconsin at least once during my time here, and by giving up before even playing against lesser opposition (such as UNC) shows that the winning mentality necessary to succeed is not there yet.

What’s more surprising is the fact that these cancellations were announced amidst an extremely positive start to the season, with bowl eligibility on the line. That one extra “postseason” game the team qualified for illustrates an upward trajectory for the University of Minnesota Football program. The six teams we’ve beaten (UNLV, New Hampshire, Western Michigan, Syracuse, Purdue, and Illinois) don’t exactly strike fear in the hearts of opposition around the country, but winning is always a step up from losing to the likes of North Dakota State, whom we lost to last year.

The Gophers face legit competition in the Big 10, but a more conference diverse schedule and continual aggregation of tougher tests will help the team continually grow and improve.

The team was unresponsive when asked about the issue, only casting further skepticism onto a reasonably solid season. One main issue amongst students is the lack of contact or transparency from the football program. Individuals who attend the University of Minnesota want to know how this $800,000 “bailout” fee will financially affect them, if it affects them at all. In this respect, the athletic department and football team have failed to properly communicate any possible ramifications that could arise in the future.

While the $800,000 fee is a significant investment, the decision was not made overnight meaning that thorough discussions must have taken place before any judgment was finalized. The coaching staff and everyone associated with the program acted in a way they believed was correct, and chose the option that would propel the team to success in the future.

One of my many hopes for college is to see the Gophers beat Wisconsin at least once during my time here, and by giving up before even playing against lesser opposition (such as UNC) shows that the winning mentality necessary to succeed is not there yet.

That’s what I want to believe, and I hope there is some truth to that statement. But if the actual reason for spending $800,000 to not play two football games is an effort to lessen the fragility of players’ psyches after losses, then perhaps everyone should be happy with 3-9 seasons.

Though it may seem cliché, in the end you are what you eat, and if the football team continues feasting on the lowest of the low then that’s where they will continue to find themselves, and where they will undeniably remain until someone begins to care about winning.

www.wakemag.org

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Try it! You might like it!

Find a new spot, get out of your comfort zone.

By Kara Hakanson

As I sat in one of the many squishy chairs, sipping my tea, eaves-dropping on the waiters gossiping, I came to the conclusion that this place was probably better as a social spot than a study spot. I tried really hard to work on a paper about media ethics, but all I really wanted to do was drool over dreamy pictures of New York City. It could have been the time of day, with the lazy evening sun hitting my face that made me not motivated to do real work, but I think it really was the fact of where I was sitting.

The ambiance is almost too nice to focus. I would save this spot to cozy up by the window and get lost in a book or for a date with a friend. I went once with my sister for lunch and had their delicious Pesto Chicken sandwich on glutenfree bread (They have lots of gluten-free options for those who need it, which is fantastic.). Sometime soon I hope to head over there for breakfast and try the Classic Oscar Breakfast Sandwich (I’m a sucker for breakfast sandwiches). If I were twenty-one, I would have a seat at the bar and sip their Who’s the Boss Manhattan while catching up with a friend. With an extensive breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bar menu, Wilde Roast focuses more on giving customers a good time than a good place to work.

Hello lovely readers. So I have to ask, did you have an interesting conversation with a stranger at Dunn Bros? Did you take the plunge and go up to someone and start the interaction first? If you’re wondering what Dunn Bros is or what I’m talking about in general, check out the Wake issue before this and you’ll be all up to date.

LOCATION: WILDE ROAST CAFÉ This time we’re gettin’ classy. The reason we’re getting out of the usual coffee shop atmosphere and stepping it up a notch is because this girl needed to get away from it all for a while. I needed a spot that was in no way associated with the University and that made me feel like I was living the city life.

So I found myself by the river and in a neighborhood that was quite unlike my own. I’m talking plush rugs and big armchairs. I’m talking about Wilde Roast Café on Main Street in the St. Anthony Main neighborhood.

Named after the playwright Oscar Wilde, this café takes “Let’s get a coffee!” to a whole new level that kind of makes you feel like someone will walk in wearing a ball gown. Seriously, there are giant pillars with peacocks painted on them and red velvet curtains tied with those fancy gold tassels. Need I say more?

Geek Physique

I would save this spot to cozy up by the window and get lost in a book or for a date with a friend.

I’m putting Wilde Roast under the social spot category because I’m someone who actually needs to be a little uncomfortable to do homework. Rigid, wooden chairs? Perfect. If I’m too comfortable, I’ll just want to curl up and take a nap. That’s why I plan on making Wilde Roast Café my new place to relax and socialize and save the classic study spots for getting my serious work on.

Minneapolis’s new fitness counterculture

By Cassidy Godfrey Geek Physique is the strangest new fitness fad here in the Twin Cities. The idea: to get geeks to step away from the computer screens and start getting fit. Geeks, don’t fret; Geek Physique aims to implement elements of addictive video games, cult classic movies, and bizarre television series to make exercising enjoyable. Say what?

Geek Physique is organized by Kerry McCartney (St. Paul) and Andy Murphy (Minneapolis). McCartney and Murphy are shameless geeks—their Meetup profiles show heavy interest in sci-fi conventions, Dungeons and Dragons, and detective fiction. If anyone knows what geeks want, it’s these two. Since August 2011 they’ve coordinated several monthly meetups around the Twin Cities that incorporate geek culture into everyday workouts.

“It’s like story time yoga for kids for grown-ups,” explains Justine Mastin. Mastin, otherwise known as Justini Yogini, is the founder and instructor of YogaQuest. This branch of Geek Physique is described as a mix of role-playing and yoga, blending the costumes of Geek culture with the calming exercise.

YogaQuest events are individually themed; the most recent meetup had a Rocky Horror Picture Show theme. Attendants dressed as their favorite Rocky Horror character while the movie was projected at the front of the room. Yoga positions mimicked the sexual dance moves in the film.

In addition to yoga, Geek Physique offers several more activities. I had never heard of Klingon Bat’leth Training. In fact, I’ve never seen Star Trek. A bat’leth is a “sword of honor” and traditional Klingon weapon. During this role-playing event, Geek Physique participants learn how to use this weapon and practice battling one another. Belly dancing, Nerf Dart Tag, and disc golf are also available.

The only sport Geek Physiquers don’t amp up is disc golf; it’s already a popular part of geek culture.

Geek Physique’s greatest strength is that it’s open to anyone and everyone. Suddenly you don’t have to feel pressured to get out and get fit, because they dedicate their work to making exercise fun. No more dreading the treadmill or being embarrassed to be in the same room as the meathead bench pressing 400 pounds. Geek Physique is a gathering of technology lovers, literature enthusiasts, and cult classic crazies. Discussion and engagement is encouraged at the meetups! Even if you wouldn’t consider yourself a “geek,” Geek Physique is a great way to meet people and learn from them while enjoying a thorough workout.

Sound like fun? Here’s how you can get involved. Geek Physique is primarily organized through Meetup, a social medium for event planning.

Their site is www.meetup.com/geekphysique. Within the site is a forum full of weekly events that attendants RSVP to, so you can see if anyone you know is going. Many events take place in the Waterbury Center, part of the Geek Partnership Society in Northeast Minneapolis. Get involved with Geek Physique today to look less like Jabba the Hutt tomorrow!

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Robert Schoen

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Megamall or Winter Wonderland? Both!

A giant ice castle is coming to the Mall of America this December

By Katie Askew Is there anything better than spending money on frivolous Christmas gifts destined to be forgotten among a sea of Santa-covered wrapping paper scraps or whatever new product Apple produces?

The answer is yes—especially when the money is spent not only to support a passionate small company, but also to see a castle right here in Minnesnowta; an ice castle, of course.

Ice Castles, a small Utah-based company, has designed a one-of-a-kind icicle castle to be built in the parking lot of the Mall of America this winter season.

Brent Christensen founded the company in 2009. He wanted to enjoy unique winter activities with his kids when he started experimenting with art—in the form of icicle creations. Eventually, a castle made entirely from icicles formed in Christensen’s front yard, as a line-up of bystanders taking photos and cars slowly driving by grew. The next winter, a local resort in Utah asked Christensen to build an ice castle on their front lawn. Since then, the company has grown and now, for the first time, Ice Castles will invade Minnesota.

We can do whatever we want within the laws of physics and nature.

Ryan Davis, the other half of the brains behind the operation, says that they have yet to make a profit from their castle creations since building a 40-foot-tall and acre-wide castle is surprisingly more expensive than it seems.

“It’s the classic story of a guy who thinks he has an awesome idea and we’re growing what we have out of nothing,” Davis says. “But so far, we’re just trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t since we can do whatever we want within the laws of physics and nature.”

Some argue the castle is a colossal waste of water. Others argue it’s a colossal waste of parking space during the busiest shopping season of the year. But I think it’s the most unique winter event of the season.

Aimed to debut in late December and run through February, this ice castle is extraordinary in many ways: - It’s not made from ice blocks like typical igloo-style castles; it’s created from 4 million gallons of water frozen into icicles. There is also no metal or wood substructure—from top to bottom, the castle is made from fused icicles.

- According to Ice Castles, it’s the biggest castle the company has ever created. Christensen designed it to have at least 50 ice towers connected by archways, tunnels, and caverns.

- At night, the castle will light up with thousands of colored lights illuminating the icy walls from within. It’s also equally beautiful to see the intricate iced details during the day, but the vibrant colors of sunset give the icicles a third dimension of beauty, color, and romance that is distinctive to each night.

From top to bottom, the castle is made from fused icicles.

This organic and dynamic art form will be located in the Mall of America’s north parking lot near IKEA. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. The castle will be open from late December to March (weather permitting), but leave the dog at home because nobody wants to see yellow ice. Or, if you think you can handle working cold nights and want to learn the art of icicle making, contact Ryan Davis at www.icecastles.com for employment opportunities through the four to six weeks of icicle construction.

Where: Mall of America’s North Parking lot near IKEA Cost: $10/Adult - $5/Child When: Late December - March ice castles, LLC

www.wakemag.org

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voices

Big Woe on Frat Row Problems of Sexual Assault Divide Student Opinion of Greek Life

By Cat Yanish Everybody has an opinion about what goes on at their university, and I usually keep mine to myself. However, in light of two new allegations of sexual assault at a University of Minnesota fraternity, I couldn’t help but wonder why the school’s response seemed so small. I felt the same frustration that hundreds of students, Greek and non-Greek alike, must feel when we again are forced to reckon with the prevalence of sexual assault on campus. At times like these it is important to ask how we can prevent this issue from occurring so frequently in the future. It is obvious that there will be no easy fix, so I’m not going to offer one. I’m just going to offer some ideas for the future, including more alternatives to Greek life on campus and tougher actions against fraternities that have repeated offenses. While I won’t advocate shutting down the Greek system entirely, I believe that certain chapters should know that they can be replaced by student groups that are willing to be more safe and responsible.

So far, one thing seems clear: preventative measures and sanctions alone aren’t working. Despite the University’s attempts to work with the Greek community through frequent workshops on sexual assault and personal accountability, there have been ten reported allegations of sexual assault at fraternities since 2010, as noted by the Minnesota Daily.

While every system has its problems, ten reported allegations of sexual assault within the Greek community are far too many for two and half years.

In response to the two most recent sex assault allegations, Amelious Whyte, alumnus of the Greek system and chief of staff for the vice provost of student affairs, told the MN Daily, “We don’t want to shut chapters down. We want to hold

people accountable. We want our chapters to fix whatever problems may have put our students or any of their guests at risk.” It’s understandable that the University doesn’t want to end years of tradition and anger many of its Greek Alumni donors. However, many students view this issue as more than a problem of personal accountability, and believe the University needs to work harder to understand the other contributing factors leading to assault.

While it seems clear that preventative measures and sanctions thus far have failed, there is strong disagreement among many parties as to why they have failed. Among Greek students and alumni, many members emphasize that their community does much more good than harm. However, many critics of the Greek system believe that alternate social systems could do just as much good with much less harm.

It should be made clear that the majority of advocates for change do not believe the Greek system is the sole cause of sexual assault. Sexual assault would and does exist outside of i. However, it is important to note that many students and alumni believe that aspects of the Greek culture contribute to the prevalence of problem.

Strong arguments have been made for years that the greater role that fraternities play in social life on campus contributes to gender inequality and, in turn, sexual assault. Some of these opponents of the Greek system advocate shutting chapters down or forcing chapters to go coed, often to the outrage of Greek alumni. The University administration should not be expected to force the Greek system to shut down or go coed over these arguments, but it should be expected to give all opinions consideration and provide alternatives to the seemingly immutable traditions.

In the past, the University of Minnesota’s administration has worked most closely with the Greek community in order to maintain tradition and not lose any of its alumni donor support. By focusing narrowly on this group of students and alumni, the administration is not able to understand or consider the opinions of the student body as a whole. The University should be careful not to neglect a significant number of students who see a need for different types of social life on campus and for more willingness to shut chapters with repeated offenses down.

Many students recognize some benefits of the Greek tradition, but are frustrated by its monopoly on social life on campus and would welcome a change. Other students oppose the Greek system for what they see as a system of gender inequality and sexism. According to Zach Tauer, a member of the only coed student co-op on campus, “Fraternities are cool because they create community, it’s a good place to meet people and feel welcome for underclassmen, but our problem is the overall culture, despite individual effort, has a sexist effect, which is partially due to society as a whole.”

In order to help give a voice to the proponents of change on campus, here are some suggestions that may help improve our current situation: 1.

The University should add more coed student cooperatives to provide school spirit and involvement on campus for those who are not interested in Greek life. Coed student collectives could help bring more gender equity and cooperation without forcing the Greek community to break with its tradition of separation. These student group cooperatives could foster the same amount of leadership, volunteerism, and friendship as the Greek system, but could address some students’ hope for more gender equity in social institutions on campus.

2.

The University should make use of surveys and committees to get in touch with the opinions of a wider range of students and alumni, in order to inform future decisions on how to deal with controversial topics regarding sexual assault and gender separation.

3.

If repeated sexual assault continues to plague this university’s fraternities, the U of M should take necessary action by shutting down chapters with repeated offenses, and consider replacing them with student collectives in order to add more variety to campus social life.

I believe the University will be more successful in addressing tough issues of sexual assault and reconciling contrasting opinions by listening carefully to all of its students’ input.

By considering all the options, the University will be able to create change where it is needed while preserving the best parts of a tradition that is cherished by many. If everyone feels that their voice is able to be heard, the touchiness of the issue will decrease, and it will be easier to unite against the problems of sexual assault that we all wish to resolve.

Similar views may be more prevalent than the University recognizes. Tradition should not be tossed out carelessly, but if many students see flaws in the Greek system, the University should provide alternatives. It does not necessarily make sense to dismantle the Greek system without trying to work through sexual assault problems. It does, however, make sense to add alternate forms of social life to campus. If these alternate social groups do turn out to have fewer problems, then future decisions on how to handle these traditions will be easier to make.

Sam Lindsay

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voices

3D Printing The Alchemy of Our Generation

BY Tyler Lauer With the invention of the printing press came a freedom of the press built into the United States Constitution. Centuries later, we are now living in an age where this right and others are butting up against online sharing and the open source movement, blurring the line between what’s legal and what isn’t. Technology is advancing too fast for our current system, leaving laws open to interpretation. The (literal) next dimension in printing has advanced to the point of being accessible to normal citizens, so it’s about time we started considering the implications.

What is 3D printing exactly? How do you print in three dimensions? It can be looked at as going from printing on a flat surface to printing multiple surfaces that build upon each other to create three dimensions. We can now print the x, y, and z-axes of a file. This is achieved by working in a computer-aided design (CAD) program to draft a 3D model. This model is then actualized by the printer laying down material in thin slices, starting at the bottom and building the object up. It’s like placing pieces of paper on top of one another to create a stack, except the 3D printer layers material in specified shapes to make a singular object. The material being used by this printer isn’t ink, but can range from plastics to metals to bone material and even skin. Of course, solid objects are the easiest to create. The complexity comes when introducing interior parts, moving parts, and different materials for one object, but the idea stands that any object will eventually be able to be “printed.”

For some people this would mean being able to take a picture of a priceless bust from a museum, modeling it from the picture, and printing it at home for everyday enjoyment. It also means letting students push their designs, experimenting in

new ways, and using the 3D printing technologies to go from idea to product in a quarter of the time. Then, for some people, it means being able to print a gun from nothing; literally arming themselves with code.

Although using a 3D printer to print a gun isn’t a new idea for those in the design world, Defense Distributed wants to bring this idea to the masses. The group, started by Cody Rutledge Wilson (a student at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law) and his accomplices, set out to be the first to successfully design a fully functional handgun through 3D printing and send the design out to the general public. Considering the implications, it seems like there should be some roadblock set up to stop them. That roadblock came in the form of Stratasys, the Minnesota-based printing company that Defense Distributed leased their printer from. Once Stratasys heard of DD’s intentions to create a printable gun, they immediately cancelled the lease. Defense Distributed then posted Stratasys’ cease and desist letter on their blog, adding, “Imagine if your biggest part in the human drama was to stand in the way of an innovation.”

It will become as easy to print a gun as a piece of paper.

Opinions aside, Defense Distributed is right. In Stratasys repossessing the printer, they are acknowledging that the technology is there for this to happen. Stratasys is just a bump in the road for one group, if even that. The coverage DD is getting, in part because they had their printer revoked, is generating an awareness of the possibilities of 3D printing.

Cody Wilson and his team estimated that they would have a working prototype online for download within 90 days. They said they were being conservative in their estimation. Despite Stratasys’ intervention, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see guns being downloaded sooner than that.

On Defense Distributed’s website, they very openly proclaim their hopes for this project: “This project could very well change the way we think about gun control and consumption.

How do governments behave if they must one day operate on the assumption that any and every citizen has near instant access to a firearm through the Internet? Let’s find out.”

What grabbed me most about this statement was the last sentence: “Let’s find out.” In a way, we are moving toward a society that is more “free” than ever before. With our movement into a world that is shaping up to be more like a science-fiction movie everyday, we are able to realize what before were only dreams. If we want to find out the cause and effect relationship of something, we don’t just think about it or write about it. We now have the means to actually do it. It is as if we’ve created a society in which implications are of no matter. We will move forward. It is the only given.

We are headed into an era in which there is a total freedom of information.

Some obvious concerns are that this innovation will help arm those who would do harm to others. If it will become as easy to print a gun as a piece of paper, crime will skyrocket! These are very formidable concerns, but despite recent drops in the price of 3D printers, it still is exponentially cheaper and more convenient for a would-be criminal to buy a gun at Walmart or, if hoping for less paperwork, to buy a gun on the street.

If a person is desperate enough, they will get a gun. This is nothing new. Also, people have been making more substantial guns from lathes and other metalworking equipment for decades. It has even been proven possible to create a lethal, gun-like weapon from parts you can get at a local hardware store. Cleaning chemicals that most families have in their homes are all you need to make a bomb. The reality of personal armament is nothing new.

What is new is that we are headed into an era in which there is a total freedom of information. This freedom could then very well lead to freedom of creation with 3D printers, in which the creation is x, a placeholder for whatever you want. This is a scary thought, but isn’t freedom the principle America was founded on?

Alex LAuer

www.wakemag.org

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voices

A N ew Space R ace?

Should space exploration be private or public?

By Logan Wroge The final frontier. Wild black yonder. Out there. Whatever you call it, everybody knows space. This vast nothingness that is so welcoming has intrigued many for thousands of years, even if it might be less exciting than it was when growing up with nine planets (I still can’t get over that bull). It is only natural for humans to study it, discover its secrets. But how should we approach this issue? As the pattern goes for many industries, space exploration is being questioned as to whether private companies or public ventures should be the main contributor and innovator. Will the future achievements be in the name of a country or a company or do we even need to continue this work?

along with private space exploration. It is easier and certainly cheaper to imitate rather than to innovate.

Along with this downfall, space becomes a commercial item instead of a new area of discovery when put in the hands of corporations. One only needs to look at Virgin Group’s commercial space program to see this commodification. They are offering tickets to ride in a shuttle to space for a reasonable $200,000 apiece. Don’t worry about missing your flight because the technology to get you out of our atmosphere is still in the works.

Of course everyone would love to travel to space, but with this idea of sending commercial flights has become a fantasy for the overly rich and powerful. Virgin is so devoted to this idea of selling space that they built the equivalent of an airport in New Mexico called Spaceport America. To be fair, Virgin has been working hard at finding a solution to cheaply send a shuttle into orbit. The project has been ongoing since the early 90’s, selling tickets but not producing results.

Being in our current economic standing, many people question the financing of public space programs such as NASA. To this end, a few private corporations and groups have heard these criticisms and answered the call. The most recent example is the Red Bull Stratos mission that took place about a month ago. Felix Baumgartner is an Austrian stuntman who is skilled at performing complicated and extreme leaps. He rode up in a capsule to a height of 128,100 feet, on the edge of space and the atmosphere, with nothing but a very large helium balloon to provide the lifting power. Once he reached the predetermined distance, Baumgartner, decked out in a spacesuit, freefell down to earth twenty-four miles below.

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By 2025, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration hopes to place astronauts on an asteroid, and by the mid-2030s humans will supposedly be setting foot on the surface of Mars. These are ambitious goals that far surpass the abilities of privately funded campaigns. Making history costs money, and the one institution that has enough money, experience, and resources for this is the government. Virgin, Red Bull, and SpaceX probably don’t have enough combined money to even put a man on the moon, but NASA has done that with space shuttles that have similar computing power as a graphing calculator. But you can’t really blame the companies for not investing all of their resources into these programs. Hands down, public space exploration is the preferred and overall better way towards further scientific achievements. But people question if putting all this money toward it is worth the outcome.

Space exploration is essentially a hobby for us. It is by no means of vital importance, but everyone needs a hobby, right?

No, discovering more about space will not decrease your taxes or stop crime, but the magic of space is the infinity of it. It allows us to keep innovating, exploring, and dreaming, making sure our curiosity never fades.

I’m afraid to jump onto a trampoline from ten feet in the air, so you need to have beyond balls of steel to do what Baumgartner did. But it was all in the name of science. The event was supposed to innovate, improve, and measure the effects on the body traveling at such high speeds. Rather than focusing on the scientific side, Red Bull decided to advertise their record breaking such as the highest free fall. Even though this is impressive, Red Bull Stratos is certainly not a fresh idea or as innovative as they make it seem. Step back to 1959 and we were doing this exact same stunt during a mission called Project Excelsior with a similar setup. It was certainly not on par with the type of space exploration that NASA has been doing recently, but this is one of the issues that come

But not all private companies are only out for records or profits. Some actually attempt to make scientific advancements, but at a much slower rate than publically funded exploration can provide. Earlier this year, SpaceX was the first company to launch a rocket out of our atmosphere and have it successfully dock with the International Space Station. The company has made moves in the right direction but only on the coattails of public research and institutions such as the International Space Station. If we turn our attention to government-funded space programs, the future advancements finally become clear. Especially the planned projects that NASA (who we can all agree are pretty much the biggest space exploration bad asses) will break records as well as give us new information.

sam lindsay

You will not go to the moon, Mars, or an asteroid, so why the hell should you care about sending others there? Criticisms roll in about wasting money on NASA and the alternative programs that could use the money. In reality though, the American government spends only one percent of the budget on the organization. Space exploration is essentially a hobby for us. It is by no means of vital importance, but everyone needs a hobby, right? Think about how much you and every other citizen spends on their own interests and non-necessities; it’s vastly greater than one percent. Organizations like NASA also encourage children to study math and science, important fields in the competitive world we live in. If we only have to give up $17.8 billion a year to promote scientific advancement and exploration, then I say keep on doing it. No, discovering more about space will not decrease your taxes or stop crime, but the magic of space is the infinity of it. It allows us to keep innovating, exploring, dreaming, and ensuring that our curiosity never fades.

voices

The United States Leaps Forward

V a n i t y A f f a i r

Discriminatory Voting in 2012

By Tommy Finney As I am sure most of you know by now, the discriminatory marriage amendment that proposed marriage to be between one man and one woman in Minnesota was rejected. Thanks to the thousands of people who voted no, Minnesota is now well on its way to actually legalizing gay marriage. It’s so sad, because there is so much wrong in that last sentence. First of all, why is gay marriage not legal in the first place? Second of all, why is it called gay marriage? I see no difference between this and calling it black, Latin or Asian marriage—it just sounds stupid.

Through this recent election, it came to my attention how many bigoted, uneducated people exist in Minnesota. Although I knew they were out there, I really had no idea in such large quantities. Driving past houses with “Vote Yes” signs actually made me sick. Sixty years ago these signs would have been dismissing interracial marriage. Why do they not recognize this? Or maybe they do and just don’t care—or perhaps they still don’t believe in interracial marriage.

To be honest, I couldn’t help but guffaw when I saw the “Vote Yes” commercials. How unfortunate they sounded, talking about gays ruining the institution of marriage. Hun, when did marriage become an institution and why have I never visited it? On the other hand, the extremely moving and, to be frank, more accurate vote no commercials really moved me. I especially loved the one about a soldier who was voting

no because his gay buddy from Iraq was shot and killed and knew it was what he would have wanted. It’s almost comical to compare the vote yes and the vote no arguments. On the one hand, we have gay marriage as a threat to Minnesota and families all over the United States; while on the other side we see thousands of families being able to cement their love, gay youth feeling a bit more accepted by the world, and increased revenue to Minnesota. So many difficult decisions!

At the end of the day, I cannot express how happy I am that this amendment did not pass. Minnesota, along with the rest of the United States, is on its way to creating a hate-free society. I am so impressed with the fact that all four states that voted on similar amendments went in favor of gay rights; it makes me so hopeful and restores my faith in humankind. Although completely horrified when I saw “Vote Yes” signs, the love that I felt when I saw countless houses in a row proudly display their “Vote No” signs showed me that we really are on the winning side of this battle. Maybe not today, but gay marriage will eventually be legalized and so many families across the United States will have their dreams come true. At the end of the day, I just hope and pray this was the last election where we vote on other peoples’ basic human rights.

Kara Hakanson

Shifting the Status Quo An Election Summary

BY Cassidy Godfrey Unless you’ve been living in the dungeons of the civil engineering building for the past two weeks, Obama won the election. With Romney winning about 48% of the popular vote, it was frighteningly close. Thank you, Electoral College!

More importantly, Minnesotans, the Same-Sex Marriage and Voter Identification Amendments were both struck down in the name of equality. The Same-Sex Marriage Amendment, which sought to constitutionally define marriage as a union between one man and one woman, was the first of its kind to be defeated.

Keep in mind: same-sex marriage is still illegal in Minnesota.

We still have a long road to total marriage equality. Other states with same-sex marriage on their ballots included Maine, Maryland, and Washington. In all three states, LGBT couples are now legally allowed to marry. However, our country is still behind most developed nations in this trend. Much of South America and Europe already allows same-sex marriage, but only scattered parts of our country are coming around.

Despite volunteers’ best efforts, the Voter Identification Amendment was surrounded with confusion, even up until voters hit the polls. This amendment would have discriminated against hundreds of thousands of potential voters, and not just immigrants, though they would have been heavily hit. It too was defeated by just over 7% of the popular vote. One step further, Maryland passed a proposal to allow in-state tuition

to undocumented immigrants. Only four countries—Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States—require identification to vote. Once again, America lags behind most developed nations.

Now here’s where progression rocked America. Massachusetts approved the use of medical marijuana. Great, but not unheard of. Around 18 states had already been allowing the drug for medical use. Colorado and Washington, on the other hand, approved state-regulated growth and recreational use of marijuana. Federal law still prohibits marijuana use in all forms, but rarely cracked down on its medical usage. What does this mean for recreational use?

“This will be a complicated process, but we intend to follow through,” said Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. “That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly.”

This election proved to be a giant step forward.

The Netherlands is famous for having decriminalized marijuana. Canada, Mexico, and parts of Europe have also decriminalized the drug in various capacities. America may just be on to something here.

But the losing side is having trouble adapting. Republicans worked relentlessly in this election to prevent gay marriage and to tighten immigration laws, but many did not foresee the advancement of marijuana usage. Romney promised to repeal

WHITEHOUSE.GOV

ObamaCare during his first day in office. Republicans must not have realized that this would not have been within his power. Their post-election complaints on universal healthcare are loud and clear: They don’t want anyone killing their babies or using their hard-earned money for contraceptives.

The majority of our world’s developed nations are actually more liberal than the United States. Australia, Canada, many parts of South America, and most of Europe all offer universal health care. It seems the world is applauding America’s shift to a more progressive union.

This election proved to be a giant step forward. Maybe, just maybe, the United States will finally fall in line with the rest of the socially conscious world.

www.wakemag.org

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feature

Q&A: Prissy Clerks Courtney Bade & Zach McCormick Remember Total Babe with a certain Mr. Gatesmith that now fronts a certain Rough Trade band known as Howler? Well, forget about it. Enter Prissy Clerks into the Minneapolis music scene. A cute but loud, dreamy but rockin’ band fronted by Clara Salyer, former frontwoman of Total Babe. She is joined by Howard Hamilton (Red Pens), Emily Lazear (Wolf Mountain), Tim Leick Jr. (Total Babe drummer), and Dylan Ritchie (Teenage Strangler), and their debut LP release is set for December 8th. We called up Clara herself for a nice evening phone chat to discuss learning experiences, their new album, “Bruise or Be Bruised,” and killer cover art.

The Wake: How old is Prissy Clerks exactly? When did you guys get started?

Clara: We started last October, so we’re just breaking a year old.

W: Wow, really it’s only been that long?

C: Yep, just a year!

W: That’s kind of surprising to me.

C: It kind of happened so quick after a lot of our other bands, it kind of feels like we’ve maybe been playing together longer.

W: Yeah, what’s the relationship between NPC’s and Prissy Clerks? Do you guys still play as NPC’s? How that band form?

C: Yeah! That’s when we were just practicing. NPC’s, it started out at just Howard and Dylan, and I think both of those guys just wanted some people to put on a “list” And Howard would come home and kind of tell me about it and it sounded super punk, kind of like a little punk outfit. And eventually, he wanted to play bass. And last summer he was totally into that, and he started playing bass W: So, what’s it been like working on tunes with a member away from school? You guys are missing accordionist Emily Lazear, am I right?

C: Well to put it lightly, it kind of sucks. Emily musically is a very easy person to play with, she’s incredibly smart and quick, and you can just play something and she’ll just pick it up. And you know it was kind of one of the easiest band relationships I’ve ever had. And then personally, she’s the only female, the only girl that I’ve really been friends with. So, to have her leave kind of was a blow. But, she’s coming back actually during December and she’s going to play a bunch of shows with us. And, you know, can’t blame her for wanting to educate herself. It’s admirable.

W: I first learned about your songs and writing from Total Babe, and there’s been much said about the Total Babe ending and all that kind of stuff. And I guess I’m not so much inter-

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ested in why that band ended as what kind of experience that helps you bring into Prissy Clerks? Do you draw much from what you did in that band? Or was it very much like you trying to step away from that?

C: Well, I mean, there’s only so much I can step away from because it was more or less my first real band, and I just came into my songwriting--I learned how I can write songs and I don’t know--I’d say it was a learning experience for sure. And towards the end I definitely wanted to move in a different direction, a louder, fuzzier direction. I think that’s pretty natural for folks who play quieter music. You want what you don’t have, and if you started out as a metal band, like Trampled By Turtles started out as a--er those guys were all in a metal bands. And we can only do so much of one thing. And, they made extreme change to their mandolins and I think it’s pretty natural. I kind of can’t think of a better way of putting it. I guess in a way I got to explore not only the music side of things in Total Babe, but relationships and how to write music with people and how to drive to another city with somebody and not kill them. Without Total Babe, I think Prissy Clerks would be a bit of a mess. But I’m now at the point where I’m playing music that I feel really good about and I think I believe in our songs, in Prissy Clerks more than I did in Total Babe.

W: That got you into the business side of things really pretty early in your life as far as you age goes. Do you ever feel like you sort of have a leg up on some of the other musicians your age because you were in a band that was getting some pretty big attention?

C: I don’t know if I have a leg up, I think probably it hurt me in some ways as well. It kind of gave me a little bit of a false sense of what you can do as a musician and what’s expected. I was getting checks when I was fifteen for a song I wrote when I was fourteen, and I’m still seeing some of those checks.

But you see how they decline and you think if you get a song

placed in a television show, you think “Oh I can do this.

Look, I can make this money off of my music.” It doesn’t really work out that way. It’s so much chance and I think being so lucky so young kind of blew my expectations, and you know...they were less realistic than they probably should’ve been. But, in the same way I’m incredibly thankful... I’m very happy that I experienced that for sure. It’s just kind of, you know no one want to be recognized at 16.

W: For sure, and you know with shackin’ up with these guys who are real lifers in the Twin Cities’ scene, especially Howard [Hamilton, bassist], he’s been around for ever making music. Has that been kind of grounding to work with some people who have been on their grind for so long?

C: Definitely. The only way to get better as a musician is playing with people that are better than you and have more experience than you and realizing that. And playing with Howard is an endless inspiration and Dylan as well has been in numerous bands and they’re pretty different, so I get to--it’s kind of funny when they both get talking about music. They both come from this kind of small town, growing up in hard core punk bands and they’ll just be at practice talking about SP Records in the olden days and it’s interesting to hear awesome stories. Not awesome, that was a terrible word, sorry.

Incredible stories. And it’s a comfort knowing you’re with people who know what they’re doing.

W: So, do you write all the songs in Prissy Clerks, or do you guys collaborate as far as songwriting goes?

C: It’s definitely progressing more into the collaboration.

I think as it started I had a back of songs that I showed to people and that’s just the way it began, just because, you know, it’s easier. But as the the band went back to songs and wrote new songs, like “Blast Off Girls,” one of our songs, Howard wrote pretty much all the music for that. He showed it to me and then I kind of put my little twists on it

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david mccrindle

and wrote lyrics. And the title track of our new record, “To Be Bruised,” Dylan wrote a lot of the music for that. It’s definitely becoming more of a collaboration and I’m incredibly happy about that. It’s what I’ve always wanted in a band, and I don’t want to have to write everything. Then it’d be more of a chore than a fun thing.

W: Where’d you record it? Who did you work with to do the recording?

C: We recorded the first track of the record with a man named Brent Sigmeth and he ran Pachyderm for years and years and years. And then as Pachyderm was sold he started a home studio called Little Big Studios. And we recorded with him out in Cannon Falls, MN.It’s an hour south of here. But it feels different, drastically different and beautiful. And we did two days there, spent a night. That was super fun and then we had these new songs that we wanted to record and it was getting pretty close to Emily leaving for college and we wanted to rush and get recorded. And we did that with Ali Jafar from Hollow Boys at his home studio, I think it’s called the Ecstatic Attic. And he helped us with our newer songs, and then he mastered the whole record.

W: Super cool! With the recording out in Cannon Falls, was it nice to kind of get away from the urban thing? Is that something you look for in a recording or was it just the way it worked out?

C: I guess we pursued that because of the great bands he used to work with, and his wife is a total musical hero of mine. She was in a lot of Minneapolis bands that meant a lot to me. But, I think the surroundings and his house are a really nice bonus.

I mean it really was like a whole different world out there and I think it was super calming and inspiring. I would do that again. I would either go to Cannon Falls again or definitely think about a location that would be neat when you’re recording again.

W: With the cover art, you guys seem to have a really strong hand drawn aesthetic with a lot of the stuff that you release.

Do you do the art in house?

C: No, actually I’ve pretty much been going to one person for art. He did the Tonal Base covers too. His name is Derek Erdman, he’s from Seattle. Well, he lives in Seattle, he’s from Chicago. And he’s probably my favorite artist ever and I approached him when I was sixteen and I was like, “I’m in some shitty band and we want your drawing for a cover, but we don’t have any money. It that cool?” And he was like, “Yup! Go for it.” And it’s kind of been the same way ever since. But, since I’ve known him, his popularity has definitely gone up and he’s working with covers for Sub-Pop albums, and you know, all this cool stuff. It’s cool to have an identity with a certain type of art or something. I would definitely want to name-drop him for sure. [Laughs].

W: Now that you guys are releasing this record, you’re doing a release show in December. What’s coming up after that? What’s the Prissy Clerks battle-plan for the next few months and beyond?

C: Well, I think we need to lay out this record as much as we can while people still care about it. In the immediate future after that, Emily will be in town. So, we’re going to play about five shows in December and just cram them all together, and it’s going to be really fun. I don’t know if they’re all announced yet, but we’re doing a Radio K show, and we are doing our opening for Retribution Gospel Choir which will be kind of fun. That’s at the Turf Club.

W: So, I guess I’m going to wrap this up with this one: Who’s the prissiest of the dudes in the band? Because saying which one of the girls is would kind of be cheating.

C: Prissiest of the male members... Well. Probably Howard.

He’s sitting right across from me and I don’t know how he feels about this. But, it’s definitely Howard.

W: [Laughs]. Is he just trimming his beard just a little bit?

C: He says that he’s in touch with his feminine side. But, he’s also kind of earned it. He’s kind of put up with a lot of stuff over the years and I think at a certain point he’s done enough.

He can be a little prissy.

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sound & vision

Kung Fu-Tang Just Isn’t Meant to Be RZA’s directorial debut has potential but ends up falling short

By Ethan Lauer For all you Wu-Tang lovin’ martial arts fanatics (which I like to think represents a pretty large portion of the population), RZA’s directorial debut is finally here. Now before you hop in yo’ whip to bowl cruise all the way to the theater bumpin’ “A-YO,” you should know that this movie is more Hollywood than “How High.”

The Man With the Iron Fists tells the story of a blacksmith (RZA) in a village corrupted by various clans eternally dueling for power. He makes weapons for whoever will pay and attempts to remain impartial to the clans. But after Gold Lion, the leader of the lion clan, is killed by Silver Lion, shit goes down and the blacksmith gets sucked into a whirlwind of violence, corruption and some sexy brothel honeys.

Jared Martin

Spasms of Energy

Now I wasn’t expecting a remarkably captivating and innovative plot, but I did expect something vaguely coherent.

However, this was not the case. It seemed as though RZA and Eli Roth had so many ideas they wanted to fit in when writing the screenplay that it all sort of got jumbled up and much of the story was brief and explanations were ambiguous. Instead of having a solid continuous and compelling plot, it felt like RZA was thinking, “Alright, I wanna do this hooker scene, then that fighting scene, then that other hooker scene,” which would’ve been fine if the visuals were better.

Instead, the goriness wasn’t as ridiculous as I had hoped.

There were a few magnificent blood splatters and decapitations, but the use of CGI blood in many scenes was too fake

ter just earmuff them, ‘cause they’re gonna learn a lot of fuckin’ things tonight,” said Kim as she made sexual gestures.

Matt and Kim promote Lightning Are you going to let fucking Salt Lake City beat you? at First Ave.

By Josh Jones “Its 8:15 p.m. and the projector screen at First Ave raises. Every hand reaches into the air, filling the room with screams and shouts while Matt and Kim take the stage. They indulge in the raving praise for a moment until bright blinding lights flood the audience as Matt croons the lyrics of ‘Block After Block’ energizing the room filled with cheering fans. This could be interesting.”

Those were my final notes until I decided the concert would be best spent with my hands in the air, not filled with pen and paper. And they were in the air—frequently—along with dozens of others pulsing to the beat of Kim’s drums. The first time the crowd’s energy wavered, Kim addressed the problem with a pep talk, crediting Salt Lake City as one of the best audiences on tour. “Are you going to let fucking Salt Lake City beat you?” Kim blared into the microphone. Of course not.

Challenge accepted.

With words of encouragement, the masses of people were fully re-energized for the rest of the show. The couple continued for the next hour and a half, filling the room with dancing, confetti, balloons, spirited beats, and amusing comments like, “I see a lot of younger kids here... Parents, if I pick up the mic you bet-

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About half the songs played were fan favorites consisting of “Cameras,” “Daylight,” and “Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare,” where the audience would chant along in. Fans continued to attempt to sing along to new songs off Lightning as well. The crowd was dedicated to having a good time, which made everyone’s experience more memorable.

Matt and Kim were well rehearsed and performed the songs as if they were off the albums. The track “Let’s Go,” which seems to be Lightning’s representative song, offered a spasm of colorful lights much like the music video warning, “This video can potentially trigger seizures.” I’m sure not many people (if any at all) had a seizure, but with the energy that laced the room it would look to any outside observer that we were all suffering from epileptic fits.

All in all, Matt and Kim delivered an exciting collection of sounds that translated into a euphoric evening. They represented their album Lightning with no shortcomings and gobs of enthusiasm. Kim noted, “Every time we come back to the Twin Cities the crowd gets a little bit bigger and bigger... I think that this has been the biggest growth.” Be a part of that growth next time Matt and Kim circulate through the Twin Cities—you won’t regret it.

and took away from the close-to-barfing feeling I would’ve liked to experience.

It wasn’t all disappointing though. The fight scenes were intense and fast-paced, and would definitely please any kung-fu movie enthusiast. The characters each had their own special fighting styles specific to their clan, which sounds cliché but ended up being pretty entertaining. The fight choreography was definitely strong, but the way in which it was presented could’ve been more on-point, and RZA’s attempts at Tarantinolike transitions and comic-style visuals fell short most of the time. Hearing “Shame on a N***a” playing during the opening scene, I was also expecting a stronger hip-hop influence in the fight scenes and character personalities, but the Wu-Tang influence was limited to a few rap songs here and there.

What surprised me most of all was that RZA had a very minimal amount of dialogue even though he was the main character. His acting was painfully stagnant and unemotional, like he was really stoned and about to pass out during the whole movie. I was hoping for a high energy, pumped up kung-fu warrior version of RZA, so his monotone delivery and lack of badass beatdowns was underwhelming.

There were a few redeeming aspects of the film, including Russell Crowe referring to his wang as a “baby arm,” Silver Lion looking and acting like a Chinese version of Tim Curry, and Lucy Liu being too sexy for her own good. But overall, the concept of The Man With the Iron Fists ended up being more exciting than the product.

sound & vision

The Royal Line Hip-Hop’s New Class of Females

By Brian Pricco Fame will embitter the best of us. Nicki Minaj opens the second single, “Freedom,” of her reissued sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, teasing the long-awaited revival of females in hip-hop, “They’ll never thank me for opening doors / but they ain’t even thank Jesus when he died on the cross.”

Not only does she proclaim herself the Queen and “Messiah” of hip-hop, second in line to Lil’ Kim, but she also refers to the women who she opens doors for.

Female hip-hop artists have risen to acclaim before: Lil’ Kim in the 90’s, Missy in the early years of the new millennium. Everyone will remember Lil’ Kim’s scandalous purple outfit worn to the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards that came complete with a purple wig and pasty.

She was also featured on “Lady Marmalade,” a track that now highlights a decade teeming with the top pop stars of the 2000s, Christina Aguilera and Pink.

Nicki Minaj seems to have recently taken her spot after a feud sparked by heightened competition between the two which pushed fans generally in Nicki’s favor, but one can only be at the top for so long.

Most of the gossip blogs and music hype machines have been raving about Azealia Banks, a 21-year-old Fame-school grad who hasn’t released a full album yet.

Instead, she has released an EP at the beginning of 2012 and the Fantasea mixtape,

released just this summer. She first walked into the spotlight with the brassy and bossy clip to “212,” an expletive-rich single aimed towards new age hipsters and scenesters. Most recently, she confirmed that she worked with Lady Gaga on ARTPOP, the pop-star’s highly anticipated 2013 release.

Banks may be hip-hop’s new indie it-girl, but time will tell if she can live up to the hype with her debut LP, Broke with Expensive Taste, at the beginning of next year.

Famous not only for her music, but also her regularly broadcasted Twitter battles, Banks has taken shots at many other females rappers including Lil’ Kim, the so-called original Queen of hip-hop. Not only does she diss established artists in the business but also other up-and-coming women in the industry such as Dominique Young Unique, a 19-yearold rapper from Tampa signed to Sony. Having released a slew of mixtapes and singles all by the time she graduated high school, we can tell this woman is ready to pop on the scene. Unique’s flow differs considerably from Banks’, whose beats sound as if they were swept from the floor of a 90’s drag ballroom. Instead, Unique has a rapid, lyrical wit layered over highspeed beats meant for nights splattered in vodka at the downtown clubs.

As the head of the co-ed freshman class of hip-hop, Iggy Azalea has also taken heat from Banks. Named 2012 Freshman of the Year for XXL magazine, Azalea stands out to take the crown from the throne of hip-hop’s royalty. Her most recent work is Trapgold, a mixtape released at the beginning of this fall. Over the series of dubstep tracks, a few created

by Diplo, Azalea stands strong cementing herself as the woman who has a fever to rise to fame. Interest-

ingly, Azalea is not what you would expect from an American hip-hop artist, in fact she isn’t even from the US. In the music video for “Pu$$y,” an early single and viral video, she stands tall with blond hair and an Australian accent, parading an umbrella over her long, single ponytail at the top of her head.

Just like Banks, Azalea plans to drop her freshman album at the beginning of next year when music will see a surge of newcomers breaking into the limelight.

A great deal can be said for this new line of female hip-hop artists continuing the tradition of a quality, feminine influence in the male-dominated world of hip-hop.

Nicki Minaj has already taken her position on what other women represent in her career: a threat. Unfortunately, many people believe that only one female rapper can dominate the mainstream at a time and the public must honor her like she is rap’s newfound Madonna.

Contrary to popular belief, this era is marked by a multitude of female rap artists trying to make it in the industry. Hopefully, Nicki will come to her senses and become what Lil Wayne is to Young Money, but with a team full of young, fresh, and talented women who will praise the success achieved by each. Nicki did once say that she is the female Weezy in Birdman’s “Y U Mad” video, so the new royal line of women in hip-hop is bound to form sometime in the near future.

www.wakemag.org

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sound & vision

Mixed Blood Majority Three of Minneapolis’ hardest working musicians join together in a collaboration that promises to be one of the most anticipated projects for 2013.

BY Sarah Mevissen It’s rare for things to just fall into place. Yet that’s exactly what happened when Crescent Moon of Kill The Vultures, Joe Horton of No Bird Sing, and Lazerbeak of Doomtree decided to get together and start their new project, Mixed Blood Majority. “It just kinda clicked,” Joe Horton commented in an interview I had with him and Lazerbeak.

Talk of collaboration had been developing for a couple years, but it wasn’t until this last January when the idea became real. It was a merge of two potential projects between Crescent Moon and Lazerbeak, as well as Crescent Moon and Joe Horton, which eventually actualized into one. “It started off as we were gonna just make a couple tunes,” Joe told me, “And then once we all got together, even though it wasn’t exactly how we planned it, it kinda fell into place really quickly and really easily.”

Collaboration is something the Twin Cities knows how to do and knows how to do well. “Specifically now, it feels that collaboration is hitting an all-time high,” Lazerbeak stated.

“There’s great cities out there, but I don’t see this type of thing happening anywhere else that we go. This is an unique culture that we’re kind of engulfed in right now; and it’s awesome.”

There is a very supportive, very inspiring, and very motivating group of artists within the Twin Cities’ music scene.

“We’re all kind of influencing each other and pushing each other. It just makes the art better and better and better as you do it,” said Joe. “With collaboration, you just get more skill.

I’m better at what I do for working with Lazerbeak. I’m better at what I do for working with Alexei (Crescent Moon), and everyone I’ve ever worked with.”

“That’s the cool thing about doing a collaboration,” added Lazerbeak, “it stretches your brain out.”

All three of them have been working with their respective groups for a number of years. That’s why they considered themselves extremely fortunate to have this new sound develop so naturally. “It was a relief,” Lazerbeak mentioned, “’cause it had been a long time since I had really done an entire project with somebody else outside of Doomtree.”

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22 october - 05 november 2012

Sarah Mevissen

Coming from their separate groups, the three artists were pushed out of their familiar elements. “It’s outside the pocket but not too far outside,” Joe said.

Why it came together with such ease most likely correlates to the sheer talent each member possesses. Each brought with him a vast background of knowledge and experience. Having that solid foundation already in place, the next step was to merge and adapt styles. “Alexei and I are both maybe a little different aesthetically than a lot of the folks on Doomtree,” said Joe. It was just a matter of finding out where they fit into the sound. Rather than clash, the sounds combined.

“This doesn’t sound like Doomtree, it doesn’t sound like No Bird Sing, it doesn’t sound like Kill The Vultures; yet it sounds like all three of them in a way,” Lazerbeak said.

As for the mood of Mixed Blood Majority, Lazerbeak didn’t sit down and make beats with a specific style in mind. Instead, he composed a whole collection of tracks, making sure to hit various styles, accumulating about 20-25 beats at a time.

Lazerbeak assured that while he was throwing out beats in quantity, he was still maintaining a great sense of quality. “At that point, it’s gonna be professional, well put together,” he said. Then, like two kids in a candy store, Joe and Crescent Moon had license to pick and choose from a dazzling selection of delicious sounding beats, which the two were really enthused about.

Their song “Fine Print” dropped on Mixed Blood Majority’s SoundCloud a few weeks back and has done nothing but grab people’s attention. The beat’s sharp sparseness forces the listener to stay alert, in the concise alternation between the kick drum and the snare, in the descending of single piano notes, and in the high-pitched tremolo of the violin. The words offer the perfect compliment to this dark sound. “It was one of those things where the second that I heard it, I was like, ‘I have to spit with this,’” said Joe. Incidentally, this was the

case with all the songs. From one track, it’s already clear that this album promises to be something spectacular.

On November 3rd, the trio had their live debut at the Icehouse. There was a duo anxiousness and eagerness about it. This is something they’ve been working really hard on; they’ve put their hearts into it. In showing something like that to a large audience for the first time, a bit of nervousness is to be expected. By the time the doors opened, Lazerbeak said, they had a kind of “whatever happens, happens” attitude. “It was kind of like, ‘Okay we’ll see how this goes,’” he said. The place filled up fast, no doubt owing to the large fan base of each member’s respective group.

“There was an excitement in the room that was really tangible,” said Joe. And it turned out better than they expected.

Having been very well perceived by the crowd, they said it was good to have that first show under their belt.

The album release of this collaboration waits in high anticipation. These guys are not rookies: they’ve been mastering their talents, refining their skills, gaining expertise for years now, and that’s why this team up has so much strength behind it.

Together, they’ve got this chemistry incomparable: “It feels like there’s something that’s connecting,” Joe said. It’s not exactly clear what’s to be expected from Mixed Blood Majority in the future, but that doesn’t matter. There’s something there that was intended to be and that’s all the proof we need to be excited for what’s to come.

Mixed Blood Majority’s record is looking to be released on January 22nd, with their album release show on January 26th at the Triple Rock. Make sure to add that to your calendars and cancel any previous engagements. If you haven’t already, head over to their SoundCloud (soundcloud.com/mixedbloodmajority) and listen to “Fine Print.” You won’t be sorry that you did.

And make sure to keep an eye out for new releases coming from both Kill The Vultures and No Bird Sing in 2013!

sound & vision

Rocky Diamonds Shining Through Minneapolis Up-and-coming rapper Rocky Diamonds is making a name for himself in the Twin Cities.

By Vanessa Nyarko Hailing from North Minneapolis is the number one contender Rocky Diamonds. Diamonds grew up in the gritty hood of the city without knowing his father and living with a single mother. However, he got really serious about rap during his senior year of high school. Rocky Diamonds was originally “Young Rocky” but he wanted to drop the “Young.” At the same time, Rocky was buying a lot of clothing from Diamonds Supply Co. His friend suggested the name Rocky Diamonds and the name stuck. He kept wearing the Diamonds Supply Co. shirts and decided to name his mix tape Diamond’s Life.

Then someone asked him on Twitter if he knew the creators of Diamond Supply Co., Rocky got worried, thinking the creators would think he was stealing their ideas without their permission. Rocky contacted the creator Nick Diamond and marketing specialist Brock Korsan, who liked his music and

told Diamonds to hit them up anytime he was in L.A. The rapper flew down to L.A to meet up with them, and they helped him out with the beginnings of his mix tape. That mixtape would become 2011’s Diamond’s Life and it grew to be a bigger success than all of Rocky’s previous mix tapes. Rocky credits this newfound hype to his relationship Diamond Supply Co. With the help of his new sponsors, Diamond’s Life received national distribution on Datpiff.com for the first time, gaining him a larger crowd. He also earned more respect with more producers and artists who wanted to work with him, such as Freeway, a Philadelphia MC.

Rocky doesn’t receive much coverage due to profane lyrics and controversial topics, but he’s gained a strong following via YouTube and Twitter.

Rocky is underground at the moment with a huge following in North Minneapolis, but he is gaining a cult following in other states. He has gone on tour with such acts as Sneaker Pimps and has even performed at Soundset. While Rocky aspires

to rep Minneapolis on a global stage, he doesn’t want to get bigger as an artist and leave what he knows. In October of 2011, Rocky Diamonds was profiled by mainstream national hip hop magazine XXL, stating that his goal is to “make good music and show kids back in Minneapolis they can use music to make it out of the hood.” Rocky doesn’t receive much coverage due to profane lyrics and controversial topics, but he’s gained a strong following via YouTube and Twitter and he’s not stopping anytime soon.

Rocky is in talks with several major music companies such as Def Jam, Atlantic, and Jive. He doesn’t want to remain independent because his goal as a musician is to be one of the greats like Jay-Z or Kanye West. Rocky’s goal of being larger than life itself is attainable, as he’s studied the rise of other underground-turned-major rappers like J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Meek Mill. Diamond’s Life has songs such as “Get Yo Ass Out,” “North$ider,” “Wassup Love 2” and “Cooley High.”

Rocky’s songs sound like a mixture of Big Sean and Tyga with his super chill lyrics and bumping beats. Rocky Diamonds isn’t just trying to rep the Minneapolis rap scene, he’s trying show the world that Minneapolis has talent and that he’s the one on top.

NON-REQUIRED READING

By ElizaBeth Ireland

Need some non-required reading for Thanksgiving and winter break? Maybe something that sucks you in and forces you stay up late to finish it? Those are the best kinds of books, after all. Look no further because I’ve put together a list of my favorite books of that nature that you should definitely, definitely read.

The Child Thief, by Brom The Child Thief is a dark retelling of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. In this version, Peter wears leather pants with a ragged tuxedo jacket over a black hoodie.

If you can’t picture that, no problem – the author painted a series of illustrations to help you out, and they’re all completely badass. His version of Never Never Land is a magical island called Avalon. The Lost Boys are hardened youth from the streets of New York whom Peter trains to fight the island’s monsters, called Flesh Eaters. The story is mystical, nightmarish, and hard to put down.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith This is actually my favorite book of all time. It’s “classic” enough for the cover to decorate the walls of every Barnes and Noble on the planet, but it’s not so classic that it’s basically incomprehensible – it’s actually a quick read. It follows Francie Nolan as she grows up in Brooklyn in the early 1900’s.

The story hinges on Francie’s idealism in the face of harsh realities, and I love it for the characterization. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn makes you fall in love with the place and the people, despite its own disclaimers.

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel I’ve seen the previews for the movie version of Life of Pi, and I’m not sure I’m impressed. I recommend reading it before seeing it, because it will probably blow your mind. Pi, a young Indian boy, survives a shipwreck for 227 days on a lifeboat – with a tiger. Seriously. It’s just as weird and awesome as the premise suggests. The best part is the end, which I can’t really say anything about other than it will make you think for a long time after you put it down (a sure sign of a good book).

Other suggestions: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman, Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, The Magicians by Lev Grossman, The Book Thief by Mark Zusak, and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.

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sound & vision

A New Hope?

By Disney the Force Sucked Out it Will Be

By Kelcie McKenney A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a giant, evil company named Disney (occasionally called the Dream-Sucker) that threatened to ruin the best series of (possibly) all time. If you weren’t already aware, Disney has yet again purchased another film company, and this time they’ve got their hands on Lucasfilm for $4 billion. This means that Star Wars is under the control of the most power hungry, money-seeking company within the film industry. Fantastic. Kids, kiss your beloved series goodbye, the force is soon to fizzle out.

Let’s face it; Disney is going to turn Star Wars in to a singsongy musical drained of all previous intellect. Disney isn’t in this to help the legacy or the series in any way; they only want to milk Star Wars for every last cent they can pull out of it.

They plan to make three more movies, which are sure to rake

in the dough, that take place right after Return of the Jedi. I give them five years tops before they open a Jedi roller coaster in one of their theme parks. Another five years and we’ve got a Disney Broadway musical. Wait a little bit longer and there is Star Wars on ice and then an exasperated series with no life left in it. Somehow they’ll manage to twist the story in to “a damsel in distress saved by an attractive male” story line that is not only way overdone, but is also completed with a soundtrack-induced kissing scene. I swear they will turn it in to a joke.

Because Disney only cares about money, they are going to turn Star Wars into just another franchise. Before them, it was a great series filled with two sets of movies from different generations (granted the originals are way better). The contrast was unique and put together, the groupings of threes equally placed and balanced. But now we will be forced to watch a stretched out array of multiple useless sequels, prequels, and everything in between. Disney is known for Cinderella 2 and 3, The Little Mermaid 2, Pocahontas 2, Lion King 1 1/2 and 2, and so many more failed attempts at dragging out a story that has already been told. No one should have to watch them take Star Wars down the exact same path. Disney will do nothing but suck the force out of everything that it used to be.

I think the only good that could come of this is if Disney turned the Epcot ball into a giant Death Star and then just stopped.

Yes, Disney may have more money and resources, but that doesn’t mean they will make a better movie. I’m sorry, but even improved technology doesn’t make a better plotline or a more realistic presentation of dialogue. If Disney makes more Star Wars movies, they are going to replace all of our much-loved characters (such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo) with younger and more pop culture-centered actors. Who would want to see Robert Pattinson or Miley Cyrus attempt to follow in the footsteps of Mark Hamill or Carrie Fisher? I might actually start crying. I think the only good that could come of this is if Disney turned the Epcot ball in to a giant Death Star and then just stopped. No extra movies, no Broadway musical, and definitely no Star Wars on ice. Leave the series alone Disney, you’re only going to ruin it.

The Force in Disney Strong it Will Be

By Josh Jones We’ve seen it happen before; a timeless classic resurrected to serve yet again as entertainment for the masses. Star Wars has already been through this ordeal once with the latest installments seven years ago, ending with Revenge of the Sith.

Now Star Wars will once again be used as entertainment with an even more powerful force at the helm: Walt Disney.

The corporation has agreed to buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion with promises of another Star Wars film. This brings worry to fans everywhere. I’ve found myself asking many questions. Who will direct the film? Will the original trilogy cast be in these new movies? Don’t worry, it’s going to be ok. Even if the Disney media giant has produced flimsy films like High School Musical and Camp Rock, they have championed Pirates of the Caribbean and Marvel Comic’s The Avengers. Just like any other media company they have some failures but they have also been known to make amazing films. The same doubt existed when Disney first bought Marvel Comics.

Fans worried that when Marvel Comics was bought they would get less action and violence and an abundance of Disney fluff. Did the world end? No. There was hardly a Disney influence. In fact, Disney continued the same model that was presented before they acquired Marvel and had the comics haven’t had any noticeable differences.

Then what did change? The short answer is money. Walt Disney said it himself, “I’d say it’s been my biggest problem all my life... it’s money. It takes a lot of money to make these dreams come true.” Marvel’s dreams did come true when the budget boomed and they released The Avengers, which led the box office last summer. I think it’s safe to say that it was the best received Marvel film yet. Disney might be continuing Star Wars to gain a profit, but for that to happen the new movies have to be fantastic.

Of course the best Star Wars films were the original trilogy. If you can’t recognize that you probably have no problems with Disney taking over the reins of Lucasfilms. But, this doesn’t mean the new Star Wars won’t be a huge success. Maybe it can’t surpass the original trilogy but I think it wouldn’t be so hard to place above the latest films from 1999, 2002, and 2005. Many Star Wars aficionados were disappointed in the latest films and should be the most excited for the franchise’s new leadership.

Maybe it can’t surpass the original trilogy but I think it wouldn’t be so hard to place above the latest films from 1999, 2002, and 2005.

Dan Forke

If any notes were taken from the reception of Episode I, then this new Star Wars film should be a success. I’ll be honest, part of me wants to see a Jar Jar Binks reappearance but it was clear he was holding down the movie. At any rate, if fans keep their expectations in check and note that Disney’s track record is successful, the new film should have a positive turnout.

Disney just needs to shovel money at Lucasfilms, avoid casting Jar Jar Binks, and cross their fingers. If they accomplish that, then the force will be strong with this movie.

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sound & vision

REVIEWS! Crystal Castles - (III)

Bat for Lashes The Haunted Man

By Matthew Cermak

It’s clear that Crystal Castles wanted (III) to be rather bleak.

The album was recorded in Warsaw and the cover features a Yemeni woman cradling her tear-gassed son. If this didn’t make it clear enough, lead-vocalist Alice Glass described its inspiration by saying, “The world is a dystopia where victims don’t get justice and corruption prevails.” Melodramatic?

Maybe so. But with tracks like “Plague,” “Wrath of God” and “Child I Will Hurt You,” the sound matches the sentiment. If Glass truly sees the world as a dystopia, think of (III) as her attempt to defy Big Brother.

(III)’s opener, “Plague,” explodes during the fuzzy bass-filled chorus, setting an aggressive tone for the rest of the album.

Several tracks also rely on that heavy bass, but the unfortunate result is that listeners may become lost in the monotonous droning that seems to encompass large swaths of (III).

One such track, “Insulin,” is a chaotic mix of synthesizer and vocoder. Glass’ vocals are heard through what sounds like a choppy, static-filled ham radio, as if her howling distress call is just barely in range. While listeners may initially feel put off, the track still works with its messy sound. While “Mercenary” stands out, with its frantic swirling synthesizer, it is one of the most immediately gratifying tracks on the LP.

Surprisingly, (III) forgoes the group’s usual focus on digital in favor a completely analog approach. Despite the change, Ethan Kath’s production still has Crystal Castles’ unmistakable, trancey lo-fi beats. Glass’ effect-coated vocals also retain her trademark style, at times serenely, ghastly and dead-inside, while at others unintelligibly screaming. True to the theme, (III) does feel bleaker than past efforts. The biggest downside of this means that you won’t find a track as disarmingly stunning as 2010’s “Suffocation,” or as danceable as 2008’s “Crimewave.” However, even through an austere focus, (III) still shines brightly enough to recommend.

Taylor Swift - Red

By Tyler Lauer “State Of Grace,” the opening track on Taylor Swift’s Red, is the perfect lead-in to this soul search of a record. Channeling 30 Seconds To Mars, “State Of Grace” employs spacey guitars and surround-sound vocals to create a declaration to be played through all the PA systems of the world. This anthemic vibe works to disrupt listeners’ expectations just enough to clear the way for a whole new T. Swift.

After capturing the hearts of millions on Speak Now, T. dared to disregard the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” unlike Mumford & Sons, in favor of testing new sounds. Instead of writing all of the songs on her own, T. decided to bring in faceless pop music veterans to co-write tracks like “22” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.” It shows.

On “22,” T. takes a note from Ke$ha, deciding to do more faux-valley-girl talking and less singing. Taylor keeps the lyrics PG, but that ends up creating a sort of weird dissonance between aesthetics. “Trouble” pushes the mainstream popsensibilities further through a mellowed dubstep beat and repetitive lyrics, giving the feeling of a remix rather than of an original.

Love it or hate it, T is back with her poppiest album yet. She’s in the puberty stage of her music career, trying to decide whether to define her unavoidable pop-status or let it define her.

By Matthew Cermak

Considering The Haunted Man’s cover art doesn’t cover up much of anything, astute listeners may have expected that Natasha Khan’s latest effort under her moniker, Bat For Lashes, would be a more stripped-down version of her dreamy, atmospheric pop. While fans may sometimes miss the sonic moodiness more prominently featured on past albums, Khan’s raw and passionate vocals attempt to fill this void by taking on an even greater emphasis. True to the cover art, her voice is often laid bare, trading some of the atmosphere for clarity. Less production and vocal effects are used, but on The Haunted Man, less is more.

Fantastic hit-singles like 2007’s “What’s a Girl to Do?” and 2009’s “Daniel” featured synthy hooks, driving percussion and vocal effects. While The Haunted Man still features plenty of experimentation and imagination, the best moments occur with Khan’s voice left alone. This is best demonstrated by the lead-single, “Laura,” a breathtaking and forlorn ballad, in which Khan’s vocals are most captivating and accompanied by little more than piano.

Thematically, much of The Haunted Man feels like what we’ve come to expect from Bat for Lashes. From as far back as her debut single, “The Wizard,” featured on 2006’s Fur and Gold, Bat For Lashes has been known to focus on the dramatic. Like melancholy four-minute musical fairy tales, Khan’s lyrics often center on love and heartbreak. Perhaps fairy tales are a good metaphor for The Haunted Man. Both are best when pure, simple and powerful.

www.wakemag.org

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sound & vision

UPCOMING SHOWS Friday 11/23

Never Shout Never with Man Overboard, Mod Sun, and Me Like Bees Station 4 / 5pm / All Ages

Rocksteady Breakfast with Mayda, Ladyboi, and JT and the Sloppy Seconds Triple Rock Social Club / 9pm / 18+

Pony Trash record release with The Flavor Crystals, The Velveteens, and Web of Sunsets Turf Club / 9pm / 21+

Zuhrah Shrine Circus Target Center / All Ages

Saturday 11/24

Monday 11/19

1st Annual “My Adidas” with Carnage, Maria Isa, and Bboy J-Sun Fine Line Music Cafe / 8m / 18+

Tuesday 11/20

The Babies with Crimes and Nice Purse 7th Street Entry / 7:30pm / 18+

Culture Cry Wolf with Sean Anonymous and Dream Crusher Triple Rock Social Club / 9pm / 18+

Zuhrah Shrine Circus Target Center / All Ages

Sunday 11/25

Friday 11/30

Zuhrah Shrine Circus

Birthday Suits 7” release show with Pink Mink, Teenage Moods, and more

Wednesday 11/21

Target Center / All Ages

Fuck Knights with BLNX, Leather Sweater, and Mystery Date

Monday 11/26

Turf Club / 9pm / 21+

Mark Mallman with A. Wolf and Her Claws and National Bird Triple Rock Social Club / 8pm / 18+

Death Grips with Mykki Blanco 7th Street Entry / 8pm / 18+ Thursday 11/22

Titus Andronicus with Ceremony and Buildings 7th Street Entry / 8pm / 18+

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19 november - 03 december 2012

Turbo Fruits with The Goondas Turf Club / 9pm / 21+

Triple Rock Social Club / 9pm / 18+

Saturday 12/1

Dance Gavin Dance with A Lot Like Birds, I The Mighty, Hail The Sun, and The Orphan The Poet

Thursday 11/29

Station 4 / 5pm / All Ages

Sherbetty with Pine Box Preachers and General B & The Wiz

Sunday 12/2

Kitty Cat Klub / 10pm / 21+

JD McPherson with Farewell Milwaukee First Ave Mainroom / 8pm / 18+

Kreayshawn with Rye Rye Varsity Theater / 6:30pm / 16+

Obituaries

Need a Hit

By Jake Sorensen

Sam Lindsay

“Cmon, I need a hit,” Ali said, opening the passenger door. Cal raised an eyebrow and looked at her through his window.

“Ok, junkie,” he called out, stepping out of the car. She was already inside. He sighed and shook his head with mild amusement as he shut his door. He entered the shop and joined the queue that was around four or five addicts long. Ali smiled at him, hooking her arms around his.

“So are you actually going to get something this time?”

“Maybe,” Cal replied, studying the bafflingly lengthy list of Frappuccino’s and holiday themed lattes, “What the hell is Aspin Spice?”

“Oh, that one they use pine needles for flavoring.”

“That’s stupid,” Cal remarked while examining a few scones.

“It happens to be delicious. You should try it.”

“No thanks, I try to avoid drinking sewage runoff.”

“Seriously, it’s awesome.”

“No.” “It’s like one of my favorite things here.”

“Ali, I’m not getting it.”

“I’m just saying, you won’t know if–” “Jesus! I don’t want it, ok?” Cal snapped. Ali furrowed her brow, surprised and a little hurt.

“I – I’m sorry,” Cal said looking down at the floor apologetically, “I didn’t mean for that to come out that mean.” Ali’s expression smoothed and she rubbed his shoulder.

“It’s ok,” she said before beginning to dig through her purse for her wallet, “Why don’t you go find us a table, grumpy pants? I’ll pay.” Cal smirked and wandered out of the line.

“Oh, get me a mocha,” he called back.

“Iced?”

“No, I have testicles.” A middle aged man reading the news-

paper on a nearby loveseat shot Cal a look, which Cal failed to notice. The man grumbled something before resuming reading about foreign policy, rising rates of sexual assault, and if the Seahawks might actually be worth a damn this year.

Cal spotted a number of vacant spaces, but elected for a spot towards the back near a window. He took the seat against the wall so he could flag Ali down. For a Saturday afternoon, the shop was relatively quiet, no one around except for some Asian guy on his computer a few tables down and a husky soccer mom, sporting a complete fleece track suit, catching up on Heidi Klum’s latest eating disorder over in the lounge area.

Cal stared out the window, nodding gently at the dull pewter colored sky, humming some tune he’d overheard on the radio. Scattered herds of white people passed by incrementally, shuffling away to whichever strip mall suburbia shepherded them to next.

Cal had hated it as teenager. Like they had always tried a tad too hard to make everything feel agreeable. A certain unease had always tinged the air, similar to what someone feels when looking at a porcelain doll. Perpetually unsettled. The people had been the worst. Hyperbolically insecure spray tans sporting frayed, lifeless bleached hair and lacrosse players convinced they were ghetto as hell while getting krunk with these bimbos in Cancun on their daddy’s dime. Cal had once been embarrassed to call this place home. Now though, the sentiment seemed as growingly distant as his adolescence. Now, he enjoyed being able to people watch, not having to worry about whether or not someone would try to nab his iPod from the front cup holder of his car. No one was desperate here. He didn’t have to be wary of staying out late and risk being mugged. Or getting in bar fights and arguing with authorities about who started them. Or shouting at his Somali land lord over back rent and smoking in the building. He could go about his day in relaxing comfort.

A young woman strolled past on the sidewalk outside. Cal squinted at her, a bell of familiarity tolling in his brain. He made the connection in a split second; long ignored memories flashed wildly through his head. Mint green bathroom tiles, the overwhelming thump of the bass, half slurred protests,

sporadic dominating grunts. The soft hysterics of inebriated weeping. He widened his eyes and fell into stunned silence for a moment.

“Brooke,” he breathed as she entered the shop. Cal stared at her in dire wonderment, the cozy atmosphere deflating around him like a whoopi cushion. It couldn’t – he bit his bottom lip to suppress a yelp as he saw Ali reaching for their order, unaware of the girl walking in, equally oblivious to the oncoming collision as she darted her thumb over the touchscreen of her smart phone. Cal watched in dismay as Ali whipped around, hot mocha splurging out over her knuckles as she crashed into Brooke. Ali gasped in surprise; Brooke stumbled back a few steps.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry,” Cal heard Brooke say.

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Ali replied. She put the drinks down and grabbed a napkin to wipe her hand off. Brooke continued to apologize.

“Really, don’t worry about it,” Ali said with assurance.

“You didn’t burn your hand or anything? You’re not hurt?”

“Oh no, it was just a little spill.”

“You’re sure…That – good. I’m really sorry; I should’ve been paying more attention.”

Ali threw the napkin away and grabbed the cups again.

“Sorry again.”

Ali smiled, “Don’t worry about it.”

Brooke watched Ali for a moment as she made her way to the table Cal was sitting at. Cal imagined his pupils shrinking to tiny specks like they do in cartoons. He gripped the table intensely, his fingers determined to burrow right through the polished wood. Ali kept walking toward him, grinning as she closed the distance to where he was seated. Cal looked at her then looked back at Brooke. She was turning around to get in line. He inhaled and swallowed hard. Time stopped.

Brooke gave a passing glance back at Ali. The slightest sliver of a second. She looked directly into Cal’s coaster sized eyes.

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sound & vision

Her head went down then shot immediately back up. He could see the recognition flicker instantly. She froze; her jaw went slack. Cal suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

“Hey,” Ali greeted him. Cal flinched and let out a frightened squeak.

“What’s wrong?”

Brooke tilted her head, utter bewilderment filling her expression. She took a few steps toward them, scowling as she drew closer.

“Wha – I – shit,” Cal stammered, eyes glued on Brooke, “We should leave. Right now. We should –” “Why are you –” “Ali, please, we just need to get out of here.”

“But –” Ali turned to where Cal was staring. Brooke’s eyes were darting between the couple, welling with tears. She shook her head at them.

“You rapist son of a bitch!” she spat with contempt. Ali screamed and went to restrain Brooke. Brooke flailed out of Ali’s grasp and dashed out the door once again. Ali cried for someone to call 911 then fell to her knees to tend to Cal, curled up on the floor.

maced. Ali kissed him, tears streaming down her face as she stroked his hair.

“Cal…” Cal could only respond with guilt ridden sobs.

“Cal,” she whispered. Cal clutched his stomach and gri-

Once Upon A Life

BY Kate HoughTON

Day blends with night as the summer heat wave welds together these fragments of life.

Sitting at the drive-in movie theater, with Malcolm riding shotgun and Xander in the back seat, I watch flashbacks on a tattered screen of the day she received the book and found a lover in its pages whose gentle heart

“Cal, who is that?” Ali asked looking over to him. Cal clenched his jaw, his gaze unwavering. The door slammed open; Ali managed to catch the back of Brooke’s blue woolen coat storming out of the shop before the girl disappeared into the parking lot. A few of the suburbanites in line seemed alarmed for a few seconds, but soon shrugged back into their natural idle state.

finally made her smile again.

And so the book was passed to me.

But it sits lonely and quiet on the desk, pages blank, whispering vincit omnia veritas…

Carpe noctum.

Cal let out a long, uneven breath.

“Cal,” Ali said tentatively. Cal looked at her then back at the spot Brooke had been standing.

So Sam picks up his guitar to hopefully save some lives.

It breaks my heart as he throws out a “goodbye”

“Cal, who was that?”

and I watch him get in his car and drive away

Cal didn’t speak. The two of them sat at the table in silence for a few minutes.

down that dark road of farewell.

“Cal,” Ali tried again. Cal nodded in acknowledgement.

This is how it will always be with us.

“Who was that girl?”

But I ain’t even mad.

Cal released another uneven breath.

C’est la vie, mon cher,

“She…” Cal began. His mouth hung open for a second, quivered, shut then opened again.

Et je crois en ton bon cœur.

Robert Schoen

“She’s uh…we – we grew up together,” Cal muttered.

Meanwhile Kate struts about her wooden castle

“Oh,” Ali said anxiously. There was silence again for a few moments.

“Why haven’t I met her?”

Cal winced and pressed his lips together.

“I didn’t…I didn’t know that she - We haven’t spoken in a while,” Cal replied quietly.

while Lexie cries over Holocene, The stories are life preservers floating on a sea of sorrow.

wondering about Sam,

I have been dead my entire life

and in the midst of all this

Until this very moment

I die and am reborn. Over and over.

The moment when I first lay eyes on the train

“Why’s that?”

When salt water stings my lips

I am a phoenix,

“What?”

When the howl of wolves pierces the sky

“Why haven’t you talked?”

When the smell of the mines surrounds me

transformed after that day in the freezer that left my heart burning,

“We –” Cal trailed off as Brooke reappeared in the window and burst through the door of the shop. She turned and marched toward him furiously, mascara smeared across her flushed cheeks. Cal shot up and tried to back away, but Brooke rushed forward and grabbed him by the neck, kneeing him full force in the groin. Ali let a frightened gasp as Cal fell to the ground. Brooke followed up with a barrage of violent kicks to Cal’s abdomen.

When the bullet burns through my skin…

22

19 november - 03 december 2012

As I walk with Patrick and Angie down the streets of Dorchester

and I. Cannot. Die. This cycle is never-ending with every word a new breath,

In this moment, I swear we are infinite.

every heartbeat a miracle,

And I am immortal.

and every drop of blood a storyteller.

Happy Thanksgiving! love, the bastard

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