YOUR MAGAZINE
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1
SEPTEMBER
SPECIAL
2012
YOUR introduction
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Guess who’s back, back again!
Eighth-grade Eminem references aside, the Your Mag staff is overcome, like you dear readers, with that bittersweet taste back-to-school jitters. Are we stoked to get back into the swing of things? Of course! We’ve been hard at work in the Your Mag factory, cookin up new ideas, collecting trendy fonts and colors, and planning wild photoshoots and collaborations with other organizations. It has been pretty much the magazine equivalent of stocking up on a shiny new trapper keeper with matching gel pens. However, we are going to miss those warm summer days where the only debate going through our minds was whether or not picking up a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey was worth it. And yes, it was. That’s why this September issue, our first issue of the 2012-13 school year, is a little different. It’s got the best of both worlds-- an assortment of things to keep you reminiscing about an awesome summer passed, while keeping you excited about returning to your dear Emersonland and all the thrilling moments that are sure to come. So join us in starting the year off as it always should, by flipping through a brand new issue of Your Magazine! Happy Reading,
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Kilian Webster & Emily Tannenbaum 2
YOUR introduction
Featured
Articles
6 12 18 22
SURVIVNG YOUR SUMMER FLING
Article by Claudia Mak, Photo by Alexander Szotkowski
FASHION FORWARD: F/W 2012
Articles by Valeria Navarro and Elijah Clark-Ginsberg
POLITICALLY INCORRECT Article by Emily Labes
BEST MUSIC OF 2012 (SO FAR) Article by Miles Bowe
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YOUR introduction
Editor in Chief
assistant editor
Managing Editor
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
AssT. Managing Editor
PHOTO DIRECTOR
Head Copyeditor
BUSINESS MANAGER
HEAD STYLIST
BLOG EDITOR
Kilian Webster
Olivia Jacobini
Emily Tannenbaum Pete Ivanecky
Olivia Jacobini
Rachael Moore
Hope Kauffman
Emily Lacroix
Elijah Clark-Ginsberg Katelyn O’Brien
a&e editor romance editor
fashion editor
features editor Christina Jedra
Nick Johnston
romance Writers
Fashion Writers
feature Writers
a&e Writers
Photographers
STYLISTS
Claudia Mak
Caitlin Anders Frankie Olito Danielle Barker Kierston Rusden
Kevin Sweeney Alex Fierro-Clarke Hannah Wallace Rebecca Roche Nick Hayes Brian Annis Mimi Vechionne
Layout design Claudia Mak Jacqueline Thomas Katie Lohman Danielle Barker
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Valeria Navarro
Taylor Smith Cheyenne Boccia Beth Treffeisen Nancy Valev Emily Labes
Elijah Clark-Ginsberg Olivia Hoffman Andrew Favorito Adriana Herdan
WEB Writers
Lacey Russell Bonnie Ong Jenna Losavio Amanda Gomez Audrey Geiger
Raymond Bellinger Claudia Mak Amanda Gomez Silvia Stantcheva Kaela Holmes Norma Torrey Emily Lacroix Hilary Donoghue Victoria Soto Shannon Dwyer Adrian Adamo
Copy editors Katelyn O’Brien Devan Norman Eric Gaudette Caitlyn Budnick Claudia Mak Olivia Jacobini Hilary Donoghue Emily Labes
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Miles Bowe Talia Steif Regina Mogilevskaya
MARKETING MANAGER Reed Van Dyck
AD MANAGER Dana Cornelius
MARKETING Crystal Yuen Maria Vivas Alexandra Lynn Norma Torrey Brianna Martinelli Kristin Brice Katya Atat
YOUR introduction
Table of Contents ROMANCE
6 Surviving your Summer Fling 7 Monthly Date Ideas
FASHION
8 9 10 11 12 13
September Fashions Reminiscing About Fashion 5 Pre-Fall Trends We Love for Her 5 Pre-Fall Trends We Love for Him Fashion Forward: F/W women’s trends Fashion Forward: F/W men’s trends
photographer/artist
Claudia Mak Claudia Mak
Alexander Szatkowski
Adriana Herdan Valeria Navarro Valeria Navarro Elijah Clark-Ginsberg Valeria Navarro Elijah Clark-Ginsberg
FEATURES 14 15 16 17 18
writer
Nancy Valev Nancy Valev Taylor Smith Christina Jedra Emily Labes
We Know What You Did This Summer The Internship Dilemma Best of Boston Student Spotlight: Permanently Cast Politically Incorrect: 2012 Election Guide
Nancy Valev Nancy Valev Jenna Nagler
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
20 Monthly Playlist 21 The Best of Summer Movies 22 The Best Music of 2012 (So Far)
A&E Staff Nick Johnston Miles Bowe
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YOUR romance
Surviving your
Summer Fling..
Text//Claudia Mak
without getting
Photo//Alexander Szatkowski
Burned
Oh, summer flings. There is nothing more exciting, more adventurous, more lustful- and yet so, meaningless. Please don’t misinterpret my words, fun is fun (and I have been known to endure months of fun while trying to ignore giant hints of unhealthiness within a relationship). And usually, my fun is pursued during the carefree months of summer. However, that puppy dog love has rarely endured the transition from summer to fall, where all my free time disappears and becomes dedicated to schoolwork. Just like that, cute little summer fling, whom I thought would “love me endlessly” and blah blah blah, disappears in an instant. That’s how the flame works, right? It burns you once you get too close. It is truly terrible to feel betrayed and hurt by someone you were so infatuated with, someone whom you already picked out the color scheme for your future wedding with, someone with whom you had already planned your future baby names with. But wait! Did you ever once really imagine a real future with them? Do some self-evaluation, is it really okay to make a thirtyyear plan with a guy one month into a relationship? Pssh, young adults still fall for puppy love after all. Maybe, what makes the wound hurt the most is that people like this actually exist on the planet. People who trick you into believing that they will care for you and have your back forever. Don’t fret, this is where the healing comes in, It may take fifteen minutes to an hour for a flame to leave its mark on you and disappear, but that is the absolute longest time healing should take. If you still believe it will take you longer to get over them, here’s some sound advice from a veteran flame-snuffer:
1. Don’t care about who/what doesn’t care about you. 2. Infatuation is stained with false promises (hence the word is synonymous with obsession, it has zero substance), you probably only cared about this person because you were blinded by passion.
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Remember, there is absolutely nothing wrong with passionate flings. But, if you try to drag them into the season when everything becomes more serious, don’t expect them to stick around. So, if you’re looking to settle down into the colder months, find someone who will keep a sweater draped over your shoulders. Or, even better, just move past your summer relationship. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to deal with a complicated relationship amidst the tons of stressful assignments and all-nighters during the school year. If your flame has left you a tad burnt, it’ll heal fast once you realize how much stress they have relieved by being blown out.
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YOUR romance
September Date Ideas Text//Claudia Mak
Ah, fall - possibly one of the most underrated seasons for romance. Getting back in gear for school and saying goodbye to summer can be a difficult transition, but here are some quick and easy fall-themed dates that can help ease the stress!
1. Creative Clay Painting Introduce some more creativity into the boring start of school by heading down to The Clayroom in Brookline to paint some pottery! Take home some cool coffee mugs and plates that that you might have forgotten to pack for school. On Tuesday nights from 6 PM to 10 PM they serve free pizza! So get your hands a little paint-filled and a little greasy with your fall lover.
2. Star Gaze Living in the city means tons of light pollution that shields us from the gorgeous starry sky. There’s nothing like layinglounging on a blanket down with your loved one and trying to spot all the constellations, but where can you get that experience in the city? The Museum of Science (located near the TD Garden) hosts Stargazing Fridays from 8:30 PM to 10 PM all the way until late November! So grab your starry-eyed sweetheart and take them over to the observatory for a free and gorgeous experience.
3. Indian Summer Picnic Pumpkin, apple cider, sweet potatoes, these are just a few of the flavors of fall. To usher in the new season, make a few fall dishes to eat outside on a warm Indian summer evening in September. Ingredients exclusive to fall are extremely versatile,versatile; you can use potatoes and squashes to make nearly anything! For instance, try a butternut squash and apple soup for a light start. For the main course, try chicken and biscuit pie, a fun twist on a traditional pot pie. For the dessert try some pumpkin pie cupcakes! You can have all the comfort food of fall in a quick, and simple-to-make dinner. Wrap everything up and take it out to the park on a warm evening, it’s a delicious and memorable date. (Check out these recipes and more at www.allrecipes.com)
4. Cambridge Bike Tours Have you ever seen poor cyclists competing with the rude drivers on the narrow roads of Boston? It’s frightening enough to deter you from ever attempting to bike anywhere in Boston! Well, don’t fret! Bike Tours of Cambridge (http://www.cambridgebikes.org/) are tours organized by the Cambridge Bicycle Commitee. They are not only free, but they are safely led by the Cambridge Police bicycle patrol! That means you don’t have to worry about crazy drivers, ah, did I mention there are also free refreshments afterwards? While the weather is still warm take your sweetheart out on one of these tours for an exciting, free, and safe adventure!
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YOUR fashion
September
Fashions
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This year’s trends were marked by both a return to minimalism and a revival of colors, patterns and print from past decades. Make-up took an “au naturale” approach and hairstyles were kept as effortless as possible with the return of loose waves and the “I’m too lazy to retouch my roots” Ombre (half dark half light) hair trend.
The first half of the year was all about functionality when it came to fashion. However, fall -the season of change- is more focused on dramatic dark colors than functional cut and fit. As the haute couture runways of the summer showed us, this new season is full of structured tailoring and darker color palettes, mixed with at gothic-chic flare. Even the more romantic designers, like Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent, included a more androgynous and grunge look to their collections. So how does this translate to your day to day beauty routine? For one thing, you can kiss your tweezers goodbye since fall is all about thick and straight eyebrows. Bed hair will no longer be acceptable. This season, hairstyles took a turn from careless to very clean and structured up-dos. So it seems you will have to blow the dust out of your straightener and buy a can of hairspray, since flyaway hairs are an
Text // Adriana Herdan
absolute no this fall. The summer sun tends to damage your hair, so in order to revitalize your locks use deep conditioning products such as Morrocan oil or Frederic Fekkai’s after sun daily mask in order to rid your hair of its summer damages. This will allow you to achieve your elegant up-do without having to worry about split ends. Wearing your hair up doesn’t leave much room to hide frizz, so hair products such as John Frieda frizz ease serum or Bumble and Bumble defrizz are enormously helpful in your daily battle against rebellious hairs. As your summer tan fades away and fall marks the return to a more gothic style, in order to add color to your face this season’s makeup trends consist of a hybrid between 1950’s pin up girl and punk-rock chic. This means dramatic Cleoptara-like eyeliner, smoky eyes with a hint of bronze and burgundy or dark red lips. In order to complete a more striking Goth look, blush must be kept to a minimum which will create a contrast with your smokey eyes and dark lips. Although it’s good for your spirits, the sun is never as nice to your skin. To avoid damaged summer skin and prepare yourself for the dryness that cooler climates bring along with them, incorporating products like
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Benefit the POREfessional to your daily skin care routine will both moisturize your skin and reduce the appearance of large pores. With the beginning of what most fashion houses consider the season of renewal, both your wardrobe and your nail polish collection should shift from neon’s, brights and prints to black, maroon and electric blue. Instead of using pastels and neon’s on your nails you should approach darker and richer tones such as grey, maroon and black. Shades such as Essie nail polish in Power Clutch or Luxedo and Opi in Manicurist of Seville are perfect examples of what your nails should look like this fall. When choosing lip colors for this autumn keep in mind the following fruit: Strawberry, Cherry, Raspberry and Plum. As the weather gets colder and the summer comes to an end, do not fall into a back to school gloomy mood but embrace the beginning of this new school year in style with the variety of tips included in this article.
Reminiscing About Summer Fashion
YOUR fashion
Text // Valeria Navarro
It feels like yesterday when we were all complaining about the cold weather, and about how no matter how many layers we put on “it’s still freezing cold” out. We were dreaming of summer dresses, pastel hues, floral prints, shorts and crop tops. Now summer is long gone, and we have only but a handful of weeks of the summery breeze and picnics at the park. However, that doesn’t mean we cannot go back in time and delight at the wonderful and break-through trends that made our summer in the city a fashionable experience. When the spring 2012 runways filled up with statement-making prints, cheerful color blocking outfits, bright iridescent neon pieces, and pastel shades I just thought, “this is my year!”
Although I was worried for the well being of my credit card, I still managed to sneak in some of those pieces into my wardrobe. I went crazy for the floral print pants and wore them with my neon sharp-green sheer blouse or a simple v-neck t-shirt. Basically anything that had flowers and was neon or in any pastel shade made it to my shopping bag. No regrets, just wear prints and love. Sheer fabrics or “I can see EVERYthing what’s under your so-call clothes,” like my friend calls them, were big this spring and summer as well. I’m a fan of sheer pieces because depending on how you style it you can either look very chic or casual. I particularly had fun with this trend by wearing sheer floral or animal print tops and
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pairing them with a cute pleated skirt. Sometimes, when I felt bold and rebel I would pair my sheer floral blouse with printed pants. Beware that kind of look is only to be worn with tons of confidence and attitude. Pastels and bright colors overflowed the streets this summer with vivacious combinations and striking prints. Luckily, I didn’t have to break the bank to enjoy of this season’s trends, and the best of all is that much of these pieces overlap with this pre-fall season. This summer trends were definitely fresher and more vibrant with eye-catching patterns, playful silhouettes, and sweet sorbet hues. Long lost are the sweet summer days, but glorious are the memories it left.
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YOUR fashion
Reinvent Your Wardrobe
It is that time again, when we are fed-up with the sticky hot weather and the parade of shorts and crochet tops down the street seems unbearably boring. Luckily we only have a few weeks until fall hits us with its cool breeze and crispy air. In the mean time, why not hit up the mall in prep for this pre-fall season, and look out for any of these must-have pieces that will definitely help ease your transition into fall. text // Valeria Navarro
Anorak by Antipodium $332
Ankle boot by Faith $115 Rolando Sturlini Loafers $117.73
Blazer by A/Wear $85.15
Zara Camo skinny Jeans $99
Five Pre-Fall Trends We Love: On Her Anorak This lightweight jacket was all over the F/W 2012 runways and can be considered “the new trench coat.” You can find them in array of colors or prints having olive green hues and metallics been the most popular alternatives. Anoraks will keep you warm and protect you from the rain this season. Versatile, fun, practical and stylish all at once. Ankle boots Knee-high, mid-calf boots and thigh-high all had their moments, now it’s time for ankle boots to shine. Low heel or no heel, leather or sued, spikes all over them or a metal cap at the toes these boots will be
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making their debut down the autumn filled streets Loafers Ditch your flats and bring out your loafers because it’s all about this preppy looking shoes. Loafers can be paired up with almost anything to create a classic, chic and feminine style. If you are not into the “preppy look” do not fear because loafers also come in bolder prints such as leopard and florals! and if you are looking for something edgier look out for leather, studs and metal rims in your loafers. The “new” blazer Forget the usual black or color blazer, and think outside the 10
box. Mirror-like geometrical prints, leopard prints, leather and velvet! Blazers took on a new whole “fashion-level” that completely re-defines the office-thought item. Anything Camouflage Ready to dust off your camo pants, military style jacket and cargo jacket ? Runways looked like a battle zone when models came out wearing the olive green hues and recognizable pocket cargo jackets. Of course, they all come in very modern silhouettes and patterns, which makes completely acceptable to rock camouflage print without looking dated. After all, fashion is a battlefield.
YOUR fashion
Transition into Fall
Labor Day is nearly upon us, marking the end of the seersucker season. It’s time to put away your summeriest pieces and transition to a fall wardrobe. Just one problem...it’s still 70º out. These transitional pieces will take you out of summer in comfort and into fall in style. text // Elijah Clark-Ginsberg
Five Pre-Fall Trends We Love: On Him Rugby shirt If it’s too chilly to wear a polo, but a bit too warm to pop on a sweater, then it’s the rugby’s time to shine. Rugby shirts are similar to polos, but are longsleeved and generally have a white collar and placket and a bold striped body. They can be worn on their own, or layered over a button up shirt or under Navy Blazer The humble and unimpeachable a blazer. Keep an eye out for navy blazer is the perfect transi- rubber buttons, an authentic tion piece. It looks as good with feature that prevents real rugby chinos and loafers on a summer players from being cut by shattered plastic buttons. What a evening as it does with grey flannel trousers and sleek boots beautiful sport. on a blustery fall day. Velcro on Chinos the appropriate crest for noYour chinos need to take a cue questions-asked admittance to the yacht party of Final Club of from the fall foliage. No, they shouldn’t turn dry and fall off, your choice (results may vary). Lightweight parka It’s not quite time to break out the down-filled monstrosity that you’ll need to survive the Boston winter, but a lightweight parka or anorak made of canvas or waxed cotton is the perfect way to stay warm, dry, and stylish as the air starts to become chillier.
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but they should change color. Rich honey tones, browns, and burgundy are all fair game this fall, in additional to perennial mainstays like khaki and navy. Roll them up and show off your ankles for the last days of summer, or roll them down over your favorite pair of boots. Bean Mocs Like their grown up sibling the Bean Boot, these mocs from L.L. Bean are a prep staple that are so ugly that you can’t help but love them. They’re perfect for keeping your feet dry during summer showers or on damp autumn days. Wear them sockless, or pair them with a ragg sock for some textural appeal.
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YOUR fashion
FASHION FORWARD: Fall/Winter 2012
Women’s trends text // Valeria Navarro
Leather
From the classic black to most daring colors such as red, orange, purple and green, leather was seen in every major runway show this season. Forget the usual “rocker-chick” or “dominatrix” style that the fabric is usually associated with, and think of opulence and eccentricity instead. Bring your leather out and pair it up in unexpected ways.
MILITARY
No one said that it will be easy, but fashion is a war zone! This season designers showed their going-to-battle outfits by taking the classic camouflage pattern, camo pants and militar jacket and making it 21st century appropriate. The result is a showcase of armylike pieces with a modern twist.
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MAN UP!
BAROQUE
Inspired by the baroque art movement of the 17th century this trend features intricate embellishment, exuberant shapes, lots of lace and complex patterns. Think of modern Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola!
Girls are taking notes from the boys, and the result is the androgynous look. The final result is a mix of sexy lines, asymmetrical cuts, yet still feminine. Tuxedo pants in fun prints, paired up with blazers will accomplish this look.
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YOUR fashion
Men’s Trends text // Elijah Clark-Ginsberg
About two thirds of the way into any season,
leather
I start to get real tired of its fashion. Come
If you’re looking for something that says “daddy likes leather,” you’re in luck. This season had black leather showing up everywhere. Steer clear of the leather pants or trenches (and synthetic leather and low-quality bonded or genuine leather), but if you’re looking for an excuse to pick up a cool leather jacket, this is your chance. Henry Winkler would be proud.
March, I’m dying to get out of boots and sweaters and into colorful chinos and boat shoes, but by August, I’d give anything to be back in a pea coat. If you’re longing for layers too, here are the best trends to look forward to in the upcoming season.
double-breasted everything
Double-breasted jackets were big this Spring, and they’ll be big again in the Fall. Slim, tailored blazers are still all the rage, and as the weather gets colder, a whole plethora of double-breasted coats will ride the trend too. Just don’t think you can pull your dad’s jacket from the 80s out of storage and be ready to stalk the runway: the new generation of doublebreasted is all about fit.
corduroy & velvet
If leather isn’t your cup of tea, velvet and it’s ribbed cousin corduroy are an on-trend way to add some texture to your look. If you’re anything like me, the last piece of corduroy clothing you bought was a pair of lilac flares in 2001 (okay, you’re probably not like me), but corduroy and velvet and both redeeming themselves in a big way, from elegant velvet blazers to pants that are anything but lilac and flared. Just avoid the head-to-toe crushed velvet looks.
Blazers reimagined
As if the double-breasted treatment wasn’t enough, the classic blazer is being reinvented in a myriad of unusual ways. From crazy linings to sweatshirt fabric, blazers are getting a serious makeover. Even conservative menswear stalwart Brooks Brothers is getting in on it with a quilted blazer.
Turtlenecks
If you never thought you’d see the day when turtlenecks came back into fashion, you were wrong. These aren’t your dorky uncle’s turtlenecks: they’re slim and beautifully textured with elegantly rolled necks. To really pull this trend off, you’ll have to be slender with a swan-like neck to match.
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YOUR features
WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THIS The time of beaches, camping and the Olympics has come to a bittersweet end as students prepare for the new fall semester. We all know that an Emerson student always has to stay creatively busy in one way or another; from impromptu road trips to film projects, check out how some of your fellow peers spent their summers!
SUMMER Text & Photography // Nancy Valev
Joshua Waterman- The coolest thing I did was follow my favorite band (Dave Matthews Band) and see them ten times in four states (MA, NY, CT, WI). I have also been working full time at a logistics, transportation, and technology company in Chicago, producing a series of marketing videos for them. I also worked on a film shoot with 30 Emerson students in Greenwich, CT. Renee Smith- My friends and I always wanted to do a summer road trip, and this summer we decided, "What the hell? Let's just go for it!" We each had 400 bucks and a bag, and we shared a car and we drove from Newport, New Hampshire to Chicago. We made lots of stops along the way. We stopped at Niagara Falls, Columbus Ohio, and Purdue University to drop off one of my friends at school. We then went to Chicago and did sick things there! We went to the top of the Sears (now the Willis) Tower, ate great food, and partied in an apartment on the skyline. We then drove back home, and by the end of the trip I was delusional. Abby McCauley- My biggest thing this summer was becoming a member of my local volunteer fire department and a member of the engine company in my hometown of Garden City, New York. For me it's a great way to serve my community when I'm home, and honor my father’s career in the FDNY. Claudia Mak- This summer I took an impromptu road trip to Toronto with my exboyfriend to kind of catch up on everything since we’re still so close. Toronto is a hugely underrated city. Our friend to the north is full of unique boutiques, chill cafes, incredible museums, and fine eateries. We spent our days going to cafes and nude beaches, and in the evening we had a few crepes and martinis and kicked back on our hostel's rooftop patio overlooking the CN Tower. It was an amazing experience! Erin Goodyear- A few of my summer highlights included a mission trip in Eastern Arkansas where I was attacked by mosquitos on the daily and I helped build wheelchair ramps. I also saw the Flaming Lips for the first time and it was the most euphoric experience of my life. I worked two jobs, one as a hostess at a barbecue diner and the other as a waitress at a steakhouse. Mitch Ball- This summer I worked as the Ropes Course Director at an all boys’ summer camp in New Hampshire called Camp Lawrence. It’s owned by the YMCA, and takes up 72 wild acres of Bear Island on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee. We have to take a 45-minute boat ride to get to the camp, which is pretty cool. I was in charge of all the staff that works on the ropes course and I had to train them at the beginning of the summer. It was definitely hard work but a lot of fun. Brian Lynch- This summer I worked on a documentary shooting in Turks and Caicos. We went down there for a couple weeks to film and document this foundation that helps to rescue stray dogs on the island. It's called Potcake: A Dogumentary, and basically we are trying to raise awareness about what is happening to the stray dog population down there. The dogs (potcake dogs) are native to the island, but lately their population has swelled, so the government and local resorts/hotels are killing them instead of trying to help. So we went down to see if we can do anything, bring a couple dogs back, etc. I worked on it with a couple of Emerson students, like Max Collins, Kyler Schelling, and Janine Moody. - This summer I started my own film production company called Fair Maiden Films LLC. It was formed in July and I'm so excited to have made such a big move into business. We’re currently working on the first film, which is called Super Plain. It's about a teenage superhero who wants to see if she likes being normal, so she takes a few days off. It will be finished in early September, and we plan on submitting it to a few festivals, including Sundance.
Matt Tompkins- Over the summer I've worked on two BFA films, Super and Cinderblock. I shot all of the videos the upcoming freshmen will be watching at their orientation, shot a wedding and a round table discussion, worked on a music video in the sound stage for some band from Cape Verde, and went on an annual family trip to the Dominican Republic. Nothing too crazy, but it was still a pretty excellent summer. Kelsey Buckley- Over the summer I've been working at an organic cafe in Central Square. It is super delicious and very healthy, and they put avocado on everything, which is just awesome. Spending so much time there may even have turned me into a vegetarian because I'm starting to dislike the taste of meat. I've also been writing a lot and I'm excited about the September issue of The Catharsis. Road trips, film projects, concert trekking, and vegetarians. Can you say hipster summers? Heck yes. That may be #SoEmerson but that’s exactly why we love it. For us Emersonians, there is just no better way to spend the summer.
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YOUR features
The Internship Dilemma: How to Deal Text & Photography // Nancy Valev
So you’ve scored the internship. You’re stoked and you cannot wait to get started and immerse yourself in your professional field. But is it what you expected? The problems are piling on as students all over the world are scrambling to score internships, which are seldom paid. As it turns out, the line between legal and fair has been blurred in the way some interns are treated and compensated. ¬ One young woman by the name of Xuedan Wang certainly seems to have the case to prove it. Following a class action lawsuit she filed against Hearst Corporation, for which she was a former intern, Wang hopes to decrease the amount of organizations that are partaking in such unfair treatment of interns. Wang is one of many hopeful young professionals to be exploited by an employer. She describes spending hours laboring on jobs that served no educational experience and had no relevance to her field of magazine publishing; some tasks even involved safety risks. One such job included carrying around heavy packages all over the city, which proved to be a real physical struggle for the interns. She decided it was high time to delineate the legal boundaries and speak on behalf of the many others in her position. So then what is it about an internship that is so glamorous despite the lack of compensation? It all begins with its sole purpose. Prior experience in one’s field of study gives a huge edge when applying for jobs in the future. Not only this, but valuable connections are often made during the internship. In fact, internships are one of the most sought out opportunities for undergraduate students because often times they lead to success. In a 2012 Internship & Co-op Survey, 280 organizations participated to show that 58.6% of their 2011 interns turned into full-time hires. It also pointed out that 40%
of interns who were hired came from employers’ own internship and co-op programs. But there was one sore statistic that stuck out. While the numbers of internships, and percentage of interns hired increased in 2011, wages for paid internships decreased. This seems to work fine as long as the intern benefits from the educational experience of his or her line of work, right? Unfortunately, according to numerous reported accounts, this is not the case. For example, at Little Airplane, a Manhattan children’s film company, an N.Y.U. student who had aspirations in animation during her unpaid internship said she was assigned to the facilities department and ordered to wipe the door handles each day to minimize the spread of swine flu. Just a tad bit off from the animation department. Something that we can all take away from these unfortunate experiences is to be wary. What it comes down to is that students need to take on the responsibility to do their homework when applying for internships. It’s on them. They need to understand exactly what the job entails and how much time they actually have. Students should be aware and thus realistic in regards to their financial situation. All this means is don’t take an unpaid internship if you know that you are only going to suffer fiscally and won’t have the time for it. Don’t agree to something unless you are absolutely sure of what you are going to be doing. Get in contact with former interns who have worked there or read any sort of reviews online. After all, an internship is a preparatory experience that you should be able to walk away from with a lot of positive influences. Although the Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act exists to prevent these sorts of inequitable situations, there will always be someone out there who finds a way around the law. This may not be acceptable, but a lot of thought must go into the process of selecting the right internship. What you make of it will determine your future.
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YOUR features
Text // Taylor Smith With over 50 colleges and universities located in the greater Boston area, it’s safe to say this metropolis is geared toward college students. Practically everything about the city screams youth. While some consider it the Athens of America (due to prestigious colleges like Harvard, MIT, and of course Emerson), others consider it their personal playground. Whatever your preferential adjective for the city may be, there is something for everyone in Beantown. The only issue is sometimes we don’t know where to go. Here are some awesome ideas to experience some of Boston’s best. BOSTON’S WALK TO THE SEA If you’re in the mood for an educational and beautiful walk, Boston’s Walk to the Sea covers 400 years of Boston history. The experience covers the major transformation of a small peninsula into an internationally respected city. The walk starts at the State House on Beacon Hill, passes some historical skyscrapers (Fun Fact: Boston is home to the first skyscraper ever built), and leads the way to the sea. The walk is one mile in length, but centuries old in history. CONCERTS This fall there are going to be numerous concerts for all types of musical tastes, including Darius Rucker (9/2), The Offspring (9/6), Zac Brown Band (9/9), Bon Iver (9/12), Bloc Party (9/14), Florence and the Machine (9/14), The Avett Brothers (9/16), Carrie Underwood (9/17), Dropkick Murphys (9/21), Goyte & Missy Higgins (9/22), Ben Howard (9/22), Toby Keith (9/22), Dayglow: Life in Color (9/18) at the House of Blues. WHISKEY’S This bar, located on Boylston Street, has a well-kept, delicious secret: Full pizzas are only $1 and wings are only $15 cents. While the drinks may be overpriced like most other Boston bars, you’ll make up for it with these great deals. Along with a typical stool bar, they also have chairs and tables for larger groups. The atmosphere is a step up from a dive bar, but not as fancy as a nightclub. Whiskey’s attracts a lot of college kids from surrounding colleges such as Northeastern.
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SOWA OPEN MARKET This market offers numerous opportunities to meet artists, vendors, and farmers behind the products you buy. Every week brings together a completely unique and different group of people with different products. The market runs every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from May 6th to October 28th in the South End. PADDLE BOSTON Need a break from the hustle and bustle of city life? Looking for some city bonding time with your roommates? Boston offers outings in canoes and kayaks in some of the most scenic locations on the Charles River. Head downstream to get a different view on local colleges like M.I.T and Harvard. Paddle along peacefully while taking in the unforgettable Boston skyline. The course is a nine mile stretch with no current, allowing paddlers plenty of room to play. The five rental locations are in Allston, Kendall Square, Commonwealth Ave, Newton, and Natick. The cost depends on hours and style of boat. It can cost anywhere between $15-24 hourly. Added bonus: one hour of kayaking typically burns 420 calories. MAGGIANO’S Rule of thumb: You can’t go wrong with a good Italian restaurant. Maggiano’s is your classic Italian restaurant. With Italian music in the background and warm bread served with olive oil you can’t lose when you eat at Maggiano’s. Just walking through those glass revolving doors is like being transported to Italy itself.
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The food is fantastic, having everything from Italian style seafood to the classic plate of spaghetti, and the wait staff is extremely enthusiastic and helpful. Make sure to order dessert as well - you won’t regret it! SECOND TIME AROUND You never know what you’ll find in a high-end thrift store. With many locations on Newbury Street, they’re hard to avoid, so why not stop in? Even if you don’t find something worth buying, you and your friends will have a laugh at what some designers deem high-end fashion, and wonder why some people ever bought the item in the first place. Or you just may find your dream party dress at half the price. Either way, sounds like a win! NEWBURY STREET ART GALLERYSEAN BOYCE STUDIOS Ever looked up in one of the several Boloco’s in Boston and wondered where that exquisite and vibrant painting came from? Most likely, the answer is Sean Boyce Studios. Mr. Boyce experiments with color in his paintings to change the perceptions of the landscape. His goal is to evoke euphoria or ecstasy by causing the brain to react to the vibrant colors with higher levels of serotonin and dopamine. His gallery contains countless paintings of city scenery we look upon every day. If only Boston was as colorful as he painted it!
YOUR features
PERMANENTLY CAST STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Text // Christina Jedra Pictures // Jenna Nagler
Zach Grossman and Jenna Nagler just wrapped their first short film Permanently Cast, and we got the chance to talk to them during their exhausting last week of filming. The director-producer duo told us all about their Twilight Zone-inspired story, working together as professionals for the first time, and using social media to raise that money that made it all happen. Be sure to look out for Permanently Cast this winter!
arose, the movie was completed in a way that I think both of us can be happy about. Jenna: It was definitely something we had to adjust to, working as professionals when we were on set. It was very different finding the line between our job and our personal life. YM: What kind of obstacles did you experience while filming and what did you learn from them? Jenna: I completely underestimated how much work goes into it. We had no idea until we tried it ourselves. One thing I definitely learned is that it’s a 24-7 job. You don’t really get a break from it. I’m so thankful to have had a professor [there for me]. She’s the one that told me that there’s no harm in asking people for help. I think that’s the biggest thing to take away from this. You’d be surprised how many people out there are willing to share their mistakes with you. YM: You used Kickstarter to fund the production of the film, and managed to surpass your funding goal. Congrats! What tips would you give to other filmmakers trying to raise money through Kickstarter? Jenna: When I went in to write the Kickstarter page, I made sure it was really personable. Everybody out there has a movie that wants to get made, but you need to show why you deserve to get your movie made. So we actually didn’t focus on what the movie was about as much. We focused on why the crew that put the movie together deserved to get the movie done. That’s why we had the blooper reel. Zach: Using Kickstarter was a great experience. I’d recommend it to anyone. You have to keep certain things in mind though. About 80% of the funding on most projects comes from friends and family. I sent a personalized email with a link to the page to about 25 people. Jenna did the same and so did a few key people on set. Kickstarter is a great website, but it involves a lot of work and keeping up to use. That’s something that I had to figure out along the way. YM: Do you feel that short films are your niche in filmmaking? Zach: I’ve been making shorts since I was 10, and I learn something valuable about the process each time. When the time is right, I’d love to make features. Until then, I plan on making shorts, fucking up, and learning a hell of a lot.
YM: So can you tell me a little bit about what Permanently Cast is about? Jenna: It’s kind of a suspense/thriller movie that was inspired by watching the Twilight Zone movies growing up. Dan, the main character, is faced with an ultimatum. He’s asked the question of what he really wants in life. Zach: I grew up watching these shows depicting human interest and human situational stories and they’ve always been an inspiration to me. When writing this film I put a little bit of me in the main character. YM: What were you looking for in casting your leads? Jenna: Zach wrote this project with these actors [Tori Sparkman and Billy Evans] in mind. Zach: I went into this process thinking that there would be many more challenges with working with my friend and girlfriend than there were. In actuality it was one of the best decisions I made. I had worked with Billy before. I knew and understood his technique as an actor. As for [my girlfriend] Tory Sparkman, I had not yet worked with her, but I know her better than I know myself. I knew how to get what I needed out of her in the demanding scenes that she had. It’s important to know your actors on a personal level if possible. YM: How do you feel the themes of the film connect to your personal life? Can you relate to it? Jenna: I think anyone can relate to it because it asks the question of how much you’re willing to give to achieve your dreams. I think a lot of us find that we might have to sacrifice a lot of our social life or our family time because we’re so busy and to get what we want. YM: You were both friends before you were partners on this film. What was the dynamic like on set? Zach: We had our issues on set, and I’d be lying if I said that personal issues were never involved. I think that has to be expected at a certain point though. Despite little differences that
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YOUR features
POLITICALLY A Beginner’s Guide
As summer draws to a close, the final stretch of the 2012 Presidential Election approaches. Campaign ads will dominate the media, conspiracy theorists from all over the political spectrum will crawl out of the woodwork ready to pounce on any and every verbal blunder made by any candidate, and the candidates themselves won’t be able to sneeze without it making national news. As Election Day looms nearer and nearer, people all over the world will shift their attentions to the American political arena. But the question is: Will you? If the answer is, “no,” then you might as well stop reading right now and renounce your American citizenship. If the answer is, “yes,” then there are a few things you should know about how to remain “politically aware” during this exciting time in our nation’s history. Know the major issues. Know the candidates. Know where the candidates stand on the major issues. But above all, know where you stand. CNN.com lists the top six campaign issues as: the economy, health care, foreign policy, immigration, same-sex marriage, and abortion. Other issues that may come into focus are: social security, gun control, the environment, terrorism, education, and, as always, the role of government. But with the aftermath of “The Great Recession” still lingering, it is predicted that the issue of the economy will
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dominate the race to the White House. Now, let’s meet the candidates: Presumptive Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, has emerged from the Republican race in the lead, and now must prove himself on the national level. A classic member of the Grand Ol’ Party, Romney supports the “cut, cap, and balance” economic approach that the Tea Party-ers incessantly spout. Additionally, he wants to repeal the president’s health care bill, although he supported a similar bill in Massachusetts. In the international arena, Romney believes that America should stop apologizing for itself abroad (tell that to the UN). He wants to secure America’s borders, ban samesex marriage, and institute his pro-life values in the White House. At least he knows the difference between John Wayne and John Wayne Gacy – Michele Bachmann, I’m looking at you. Recently, Romney’s campaign announced that their candidate for vice president is Wisconsin representative Paul Ryan. If you think Romney likes to party (Tea Party, that is), you should see Ryan. The charismatic congressman wasn’t just voted “Biggest Brown-Noser” of his senior class in high school; he also seems to have his nose wedged in the backside of America’s radical party du jour. But with the Tea Party only growing in popularity, it was probably a wise move on Team Romney’s part to choose him as their second-in-command.
Pictures courtesy of candidates’ Flickr accounts
YOUR features
INCORRECT: Text// Emily Labes
to the 2012 Election
On the left side of the arena, we have the incumbent, President Barack Obama. President Obama has faced a great deal of criticism in the past several months for not being able to clean up the economic crisis overnight. His proposed stimulus package, which featured the most extensive economic reforms since FDR’s New Deal, may have failed to jumpstart the economy the way Washington had hoped; but as the Great Depression taught us, change like that takes time. Yet Conservative congressmen abhor the stimulus about as much as they abhor the president’s 2010 Affordable Healthcare Act, which aimed to help more Americans get health insurance. In terms of America abroad, President Obama is all about negotiation and teamwork with the other superpowers of the world. Having inherited not one, but two wars, the president understands that America really needs to be humble right now. In recent years, he has sympathized with illegal immigrants who face deportation, and says he would like to help them on their path to citizenship or permanent residency, if they meet certain conditions and are willing to integrate into American society. He supports civil unions and federal recognition of same-sex marriages under state jurisdiction. President Obama also promises not to support any act that would overturn Roe v. Wade. Of course, we can’t forget independent nominee Ron Paul, the feisty part-conservative, part-libertarian who
Infographics courtesy of candidates’ websites
just won’t quit. Currently a member of the House of Representatives on behalf of Texas, Paul has generated a fairly large student following in recent years. It is speculated that his candidacy will draw votes from both the left and the right alike. Are you overwhelmed yet? If not, you will be. In the coming months, we, the American people, will be inundated with up-to-the-minute information from every news source, social networking site, and cheeky talk show host in the country. But hopefully the ever-growing access to information, as overwhelming as it may be, will generate more political awareness than ever before. With the country still trying to pick up the pieces of catastrophe that a certain other Texan politician left behind, it is difficult to predict just how this election will turn out. While some believe that the Democrats have had their chance to repair the country and have failed, others believe that reverting back to the Conservative end of the spectrum will only exacerbate the problem. What will the country decide? Only time and an Oliver Stone movie will tell.
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YOUR arts&entertainment
Man, that summer went by too quickly. One moment, we were all in line for The Avengers, and the next thing you know, it’s Lollapalooza time and we’re getting beer spilled on our new Sharon Van Etten t-shirts. In the midst of what proved to be a frantic month of getting our asses back in gear so we don’t fail out of Emerson (and stop writing for all of you wonderful people), the great minds of the Your Mag A&E staff came up with this wonderful playlist in order to help you wake up for your 8:00 a.m. class, to help you deal with your new roommate, or assist in finding out what exactly weird stench coming from the ceiling in the Little Building is. Now, let’s pour out a little auditory red KoolAid as a memorial to the summer months, and ring in this new school year with a bang. Enjoy!
The Replacements - “Fuck School” The Smiths - “The Headmaster Ritual” White Stripes - “We’re Going to be Friends” The Dead Kennedys - “Life Sentence” Wilco - “ELT” Belle & Sebastian - “We Rule the School” White Fang - “Unchain Your Brain” Andrew Bird - “Measuring Cups” Jessie Ware - “Sweet Talk” Dum Dum Girls - “Lord Knows” Pepe Deluxe - “Go Supersonic” Ariel Pink - “Round and Round” Ghostface Killah - “Child’s Play” Kanye West & Pusha T - “New God Flow” Modest Mouse - “She Ionizes and Atomizes” Camera Obscura - “Teenager” Tears for Fears - “Mad World” Bat for Lashes - “Daniel” The Ramones - “I Wanna Be Sedated” Cloud Nothings - “No Future/No Past” Deerhunter - “Hazel St.” Sam Cooke - “Wonderful World” James Brown - “The Payback”
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BEST MOVIES of
YOUR arts&entertainment
SUMMER 2012
Every once in a while, our A&E editor climbs out of his hidden bunker beneath the President’s inside Cheyenne Mountain (“it’s prime real estate”) and goes to the movies. We received this transmission from him via carrier narwhal and whittled it down to the necessities (he originally spent 14,000 words eviscerating the recent work of Sasha Baron Cohen, Tim Burton, and Zoe Kazan). We hope you enjoy it! A warning, though: just don’t mention the word “Battleship” in your inevitable letters. Just don’t. The Avengers/The Cabin in the Woods: Confession time: I’ve never been the world’s biggest Joss Whedon fan, but after this year, I’m going to have to rethink all of my opinions. The man’s given us two of the best mainstream blockbusters in God knows how long (or, at least, contributed to the latter’s screenplay), and for that I’ll be forever grateful. Having written at length about the former in previous issues of YourMag, all I’ll say about The Avengers now is that it did everything I wanted it to, and more. On the other hand, Cabin in the Woods was a truly excellent surprise, akin to buying a grab bag of records at a junk shop and discovering within a copy of the Beach Boys’ Smile from a parallel universe in which it was actually completed in 1966. Its last thirty minutes have been living on in my imagination despite the ever-growing distance between the present day and my last viewing, and I can’t wait for the next to see what else I can discover. Finally, these two films settle the debate about who’s the better Hemsworth brother- I’d take this pair of films starring Chris as solid proof that Miley made a terrible mistake with her choice in fiancees (not to mention haircuts). Moonrise Kingdom/Beasts of the Southern Wild: And now we have our stylized-films-bycool-directors-with-lots-of-festival-buzz section, which generally is a bore because every critic and outlet does this, but we had two really great ones this year. The former, directed by Wes Anderson (who has been wrongfully stymied by the press for his last few movies), is an incredibly sweet and impossibly resonant tale about what it means to grow up. It’s tone overwhelms, the visuals are sweeping yet personal, and I don’t think I’ve seen a Bruce Willis performance that good since Die Hard with a Vengeance. The latter, despite pit-falling into a bunch of indie cliches here and there, is a remarkable work of imagination, with an even grander making-of tale behind it. There are few films that can get away with that much shaky camera work, but the disorienting quality of the visuals and the added stress only help in making this Louisiana fable feel like a fever dream. These two films acknowledge
and work through the pain and difficulty of adolescence, but react to these problems in the same way an ideal child would: with earnest hope, faith in others, and confidence in one’s self. Bernie/Magic Mike/Killer Joe: Aside from the young girl in Beasts, the summer’s big acting sensation has been an actor that most people would normally groan and sigh at if he appeared on the poster for an upcoming release. Yes, Matthew McConaughey is back, people. Some would argue he never left, but they’d be horribly fucking wrong, and it’s starting to look like he’s out of debt, and finally reading the scripts that are sent to his agent again. Let’s put it like this: in less than three months’ time, he’s managed to put in three fantastic performances movies by three straight-up masters of the cinematic arts (Linklater, Soderbergh, and Friedkin), and achieved a relevancy in the world of indie film that he’s somehow lacked ever since he bragged about fucking high school-age chicks in Dazed and Confused. He’s got the most screen time in Killer Joe, which also happens to be the best of the three, with his restrained and slowly simmering performance tying the film together like Jeff Lebowski’s rug, and proving he’s game to do some seriously crazy shit. There’s much more to write about regarding each of these movies than I have space to do so (such as the way Bernie handles its subjects with grace and honesty despite its fictional nature, how Killer Joe’s wise casting adds to its script’s subversion of the lawman archetype, and HOLY SHIT can Channing Tatum dance), but I think we owe a tip of the hat to an actor who, since accepting the absurd, has never been better. Good job, dude- you can play bongos with me naked any day. Klown/Take This Waltz: On paper, these two films couldn’t be more dissimilar: the former’s a Danish sex comedy about the misadventures of two retired comedians and a child on a canoeing trip, and one’s a dramedy from Sarah Polley (director of the wonderful Away From Her) about how Michelle Williams fucks up a good marriage due to restless malaise. Yet, I found myself endlessly comparing the two
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for at least a week or so. At first, it started off as a joke (there’s more female nudity in Take This Waltz than in the entirety of Klown, there’s more gay sex in Klown, etc.), but as I got deeper into it, I realized that both films accomplished a great feat: they made incredibly unlikable characters empathetic, making their stupid choices understandable and occasionally downright agreeable. The writing in Klown is aggressively strong and impossibly funny from the get-go and, while Polley’s script takes a while to finally resonate, when Waltz finally gels together in the final act and its very final shot, it’s as sublime as the Leonard Cohen song it’s named after. In a summer full of artifice and soullessness in a lot of major cinema (I’m looking at you, Total Recall and 360), these movies brought some serious heart. Lawless: It’s generally agreed upon by most sensible people that Australian singer and writer Nick Cave is one of the most badass men to ever step in front of a microphone. Many, however, might be shocked to discover that the man is an incredible screenwriter, having written the best western that’s not set in the U.S., The Proposition (2005), and his latest project, directed by his collaborator John Hillcoat, continues to bring it. Based on true events, Lawless is the tale of three bootlegging brothers in the mountains of ol’ Virginyee, and the problems that they face when the law, and their own mortality, begin to encroach on their once-idyllic life. It’s a prohibition-era murder ballad with occasional hints of The Dukes of Hazard thrown in for good measure, and it’s done in a detail-oriented style that’s reminiscent of Terrence Malick’s best work as if it were directed by Peckinpah. The cast is very solid- for my money, this contains the Tom Hardy performance of the summer and the best Guy Pierce performance since Animal Kingdom- and it even managed to make me like Shia Labeouf for the first time since Even Stevens. Who knew that was possible?
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YOUR arts&entertainment
So it’s been quite a summer, musically, for the YourMag A&E staff. From attempts to exile a popular rapper to the farthermost WalMart in the United States; to new songs from Fiona Apple, Blur and Kate Bush; to the deaths of MCA, Doc Watson, and Donna Summer; to the highs of the best festivals and all of the arrests that came with them, we’ve had one hell of a time. Freshly bailed out of a Chicago jail for tearing down a streetlight at Lollapalooza, international playboy and YourMag A&E staff writer, Miles Bowe, came up with this list of his personal favorite records and singles of the year so far.
Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland – Black is Beautiful The duo formerly known as Hype Williams released this album on dubstep label Hyperdub, and it shares the same darkness and mystery as artists like Burial. Beginning with the opener “Venice Dreamway” and then moving through the following 14 untitled tracks, Blunt and Copeland distort, invert, and mutate the genre of R&B. The songs seem to follow a sort of unpredictable dream logic. Vocals are pitch shifted and distorted past comprehension, some songs end abruptly after just 30 seconds, while others stretch for 10 minutes. It evokes everything from chill-wave (James Ferraro style) to bass music in slow motion; “4” sounds like underwater Eno. Meanwhile “2” and “5” put Copeland’s warped, yet sexy voice into focus. If all of this sounds a bit intimidating let me say, Black is Beautiful is a gorgeous and dreamlike record. It’s Super 8 film blown up onto an IMAX screen with no loss in quality. Chromatics – Kill For Love There’s always been this rock rule that the double album has to come after a band has peaked in popularity, and it must be shooting in every direction stylistically. This has been the bloated cliché from The White Album to The Flaming Lips’ Embryonic. So who the hell does Johnny Jewel think he is? Because his band, Chromatics, decided to release Kill For Love, a record that commits the rock music affront of being a cohesive whole spread over 90 shiny minutes, while also skyrocketing this band from Drive-soundtrack obscuri-
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ty to a massive success. After the near-perfect run from the opening Neil Young cover, “Into the Black”, and the gorgeous title track to the epic “These Streets...”, Love moves into a spacious deeper back half guaranteed to seduce multiple listens. Kill For Love is a phenomenal realization of Chromatics glitzy Romanticism and indisputably the best album of 2012 to fuck to (sorry Frank Ocean…).
Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE I knew from the first time I looked at the Odd Future crew that some brilliant music would be on the way, but honestly I really didn’t expect the collective’s first stunner of an album to come from Frank Ocean, but it did, and channel ORANGE is overwhelming. Even for people who don’t have much of an interest in R&B, this album features some of the best songwriting of the year. Ocean tackles these songs about alienation, frustration, and heartbreak with a meditative calmness that his voice carries so well. When he does really let his emotions fly, like on “Bad Religion”, they have an even greater impact in the context of the album he has made. That is the most impressive thing about this record- it doesn’t feel like a vehicle for those great early singles like “Religion” and “Pyramids,” (and they are great). This is a real album, and thanks to how goddamn charismatic Ocean is, it’s one
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that you can get lost in and get more out of with every replay. Death Grips – The Money Store Their next album is out in two months, a great turnover considering they already put out my favorite album of the year. The first thing you’ll get from The Money Store is oppressively abrasive beats and screamed vocals. That may be the only thing you get from it, however if you’re willing to meet Zach Hill (of Hella), Flatlander, and MC Ride half way you’ll find something really special, unlike anything you’ve heard. You’ll start to notice how deeply complex these songs are, with countless sonic touches. And eventually bits of Ride’s raps will start to become clearer and reveal a very troubled but fascinating mind. It’s an album without a weak track, though “Fever” and “Hacker” certainly rise to the top; and of course “I’ve Seen Footage” where Ride raps over a mutilated version of Salt n Pepa’s “Push It.” Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel… Confession time: This was my first Fiona Apple album, and I am definitely not an expert on her work. But something must be said about this album, because it truly is one of the best of the year. From the first song, hell, from the moment Apple’s voice appears, you’re just left dumbfounded. Over the bed of bizarre percussion Apple whispers, screams, shouts, speaks, and sings with a bruised beauty. She can be terrifying and sexy, strong then unbelievably fragile. Apple’s lyrics are often brutally direct, as on “Jonathan” and “Left Alone,” but are always witty and usually bitter. This record is a gorgeously produced, cathartic, and overwhelming listen, but it’s too good not to listen. I have no problem with Apple taking another six years to record a follow up, because people will be sifting over The Idler Wheel for much longer.
YOUR arts&entertainment
Japandroids- “The House That Heaven Built” On an album where every song feels like a massive hit that rejuvenates all the magic that rock music made you feel as a kid, “The House That Heaven Built” still stands out as something special. It’s a song so inspiringly huge that it might take a few listens to remember that this is just a drummer and a guitarist, but the noise they create is angelic. When the already classic final chorus hits with the lines, “When they love you and they will/Tell ‘em all they’ll love in your shadow/ and if they try to slow you down/Tell ‘em all to go to hell,” it’s a message to every insecure kid from a band that was ready to give up on themselves right before their first album became a surprise hit. Now in 2012 Japandroids’ Celebration Rock is being called the best rock album of the year; it’s an amazing success story and “House” is the explosive soundtrack to it. Playing December 9th at Paradise Rock Club. Killer Mike – “Reagan” Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music and El-P’s Cancer4Cure, as a pair, have been the best come back story of the year. All of it though; El-P’s beats, Mike’s delivery, and the friendship that’s grown between these two, can be boiled down to “Reagan.” The song is slowburning compared to a lot of the other work they’ve released this year; it builds and builds and builds, until it hits that wall of furious sound in the last minute and a half. That’s the brilliance of “Reagan”: you know right from the title that the song is going to be a massive attack song, yet Mike is calm for most of it. It’s that methodical reasoning and brilliant use of sampling (he lets Reagan dig his own grave here with his speech) that allows you to be caught off guard when everything drops to silence and Mike says with such bitterness, “I’m glad Reagan dead.” It’s a combination
of intelligent writing, charisma, and explosive beats that made this Mike and El-P’s year, and “Reagan” is the best example of it.
The New Highway Hymnal – “Out With the Lights” This new song by these local favorites sounds like what would happen if you tried to cure a bad acid trip with amphetamines. From the second the guitars come grinding in and you hear that deathly scream, The New Highway Hymnal sends you on a trip both psychedelic and muscular. The guitars create a sea of feedback for the tremendously melodic bass lines to float on, but the song is constantly hitting you with surprises; random screams, screeching hooks, and an initially brittle guitar solo that eventually decomposes into a heavy blast of noise. It’s the sound of a party gone horribly wrong, yet you still wish you were there.
Perfume Genius – “Hood” We all put up a front, even with people that we love, those few people that we’d like to be transparently honest with. This single, off of Mike Hadreas’ second album under the Perfume Genius moniker tackles that uncomfortable idea, creating one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful songs of 2012, and it doesn’t even break the two minute mark. Hadreas’ fear of rejection if his lover “knew him truly,” evokes a sort of dread that everyone can relate to. His confession that “underneath this hood you kiss/ I tick like a bomb,” comes right as the drums build and a full band bursts in- to call it cathartic would be an understatement. “Hood” (and the whole album for that matter) is not a happy song, but it’s a hopeful one, it’s a song about being fucked up but trying to make things work for the person you love, and it’s Hadreas’ best song yet. Carly Rae Jepsen - “Call Me Maybe” (Dan Deacon Remix) This, of course, exploded, and did so with good reason: Carly Rae Jepsen’s song is all playful nervousness in the face of romantic tension. It’s the same romantic fantasy as “Since You Been Gone,” but inverted, at the beginning of the same story instead of the cathartic end. Both songs share the trick of a timid opening before a massive hook. It’s the pop song of the year, but what’s more fascinating is how people have been reinterpreting it. Famed musical mad scientist Dan Deacon attempted to remix Jepsen’s hit in a ludicrously weird way. “Call Me Maybe (147 Times Exponentially Layered)” morphs the song into a militantly drummed, blissful tornado of sound. As a small army of Jepsens chant the title, a mountain of synths bash into each other, creating a song both dense and catchy. Whichever version you pick, it’s the definition of a musical earworm.
Animal Collective: AnCo is kind of like Pixar was a few years ago. There’s no way to top Wall-E, but then they slap you with Up. After hearing new single “Today’s Supernatural” it seems likely this album won’t be their Cars 2.
Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan Though it has good moments, like the indie-Bond theme “Gun Has No Trigger,” or the loose and sweet title track, this follow up to DP’s best album mostly sounds like a bunch of demos thrown together…which it is. Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror While their debut was awesome, if perhaps in a fleeting way, Reign of Error (heh-heh) just sounds tedious and bad. That, as a review, might not have much substance, but it’s still more effort than the artists gave in making it.
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Mount Eerie: The only reason this band’s gentle spring release Clear Moon isn’t on the best albums list is because I’m betting that their black metal-inspired autumnrelease will be even better. Avalanches: In 2012, The Avalanches seem serious when they talk about a new album, even after 12 years. Guest artists Ariel Pink and Danny Brown have confirmed progress. The album, if released, will end all war and suffering in favor of one massive dance party. So… just be patient.
september
SEPTEMBER 2012