jukebox the ghost - The Cut Magazine

JUKEBOX THE GHOST
YARN
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LETTER FROM THE ED
PGH BAND FEATUR
YARN
JUKEBOX THE GHO
STRIP DISTRICT MUS
CONCERT REVIEWS
ALBUM REVIEWS
ESSAY
DITOR
RE
PHOTO BY CHLOE CHIA
OST
SIC FEST
S
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MASTHEAD
Editor-in-Chief
Samantha Ward
Assistant Editor
Arun Marsten
Design/Layout Director
Kathy Lee
Photo Editor
Lindsay Corry
Copy Director
Max Harlynking
Marketing and Publicity Chief
Katherine Martinez
Public Relations Chief
Nicole Marrow
Web Editor
Danielle Maly
Writing Staff
Ben Alderoty, Rachel Asbel, Sid
Bhaeuria, Jake Cohen, Lindsay Corry,
Alexis DeLaRosa, Toby Francis, Drevin
Galentine, Kyle Henson, Charles
Hutchinson, Dhruva Krishna, Jake Lee,
Kathy Lee, Will Lush, Nicole Marrow,
Katherine Martinez, Donovan Powers,
Christopher Schuler, Chris Skaggs, Naomi
Sternstein, Imogen Todd, Alex Voskuil,
Jeremy Wheeler, Stephen Yamalis
Photo Staff
Rachel Asbel, Chloe Chia, Will Lush,
Lindsay McClary, Chris Skaggs,
Imogen Todd, Samantha Ward
Editing Staff
Rachel Asbel, Jill Bellovin, Drevin
Galentine, Geneva Jacson, Bronwyn
Kuehler, Danielle Maly, Lindsey
McClary, Donovan Powers
Design Staff
Imogen Todd, Anqi Wan, Sharon Yu
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
It’s been a long month full of music and weather inconsistencies. As we
move into April, more and more bands are going to be coming through
town (including Matt and Kim for Carnival- hooray!)- and you’re going to
have to make some tough choices. We can help you out. All you have to
do is stay strong and read on.
The Cut writers were lucky to cover an eclectic range of shows this
month: Max Harlynking describes what happens when Lil B “basedgod”
visited CMU, Kyle Henson was blown away by Misterwives at Stage
AE, and I do my best to squeeze a week of South By Southwest into
one concert review. For this month’s mixtape we’re bringing you our
best “beef” songs- that’s referring to both fights and meat. If you’re a
vegetarian, maybe you’ll be more interested in our recommended top
songs and albums of the month. Finally, I hope you make it to the end of
this issue, because Imogen Todd shares her personal reflections on Kanye
in this month’s essay.
This April I’m proud to introduce you to our featured artists. You’ll get
a taste of both André Costello and the Cool Miners and Funhome, both
great local bands. Rachel Asbel caught Yarn at Club Café in March and
chatted with them about life on the road as a bluegrass band. Finally, we’re
happy to host up-and-coming pop rock band Jukebox The Ghost on our
cover, who played here on a very snowy Valentines day.
Samantha Ward
Editor-in-Chief
The Cut Magazine
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rECOMMENDEDALBUMS
10songsyouneedtohear
(1) Silhouettes Colony House
(2) Handsome - The Vaccines
(3) Happy Returns Steven Wilson
(4) Stanch - Freddy Ruppert
(5) Waitress - Hop Along
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(6) Never Gonna Leave Me - Sia
(7) Always Alright Alabama Shakes
(8) All Day - Kanye West
(9) Lonely Planet - Nautiluss
(10) Talk About - Les Sins
THE CUT
MAGAZINE
MUSIC NEWS
BY CHRIS SCHULER
✂
✂
Bob Marley’s heirs won a lawsuit
concerning the use of his face on
merchandise. His estate will now need
to approve and receive compensation for
all products displaying Marley’s likeness.
It is unclear whether they plan on
continuing the extensive merchandising
of the musician’s image or whether this
will make it much more difficult to let
everyone in your dorm know you smoke
marijuana.
Tickets sold out within minutes and are
reselling for as high as $15,000. The band
could not be reached for comment, but
Don Henley remarked, “Don’t look back,
you can never look back.”
✂
Comedy-rapper Afroman was arrested
in Biloxi, Mississippi after punching a
woman who climbed on stage with him
and started dancing. He was released on a
$330 bail and is currently recording a new
single, “Because I Committed Assault.”
✂
✂
✂
The report on torture tactics released by
the CIA also included a list of the songs
used to prevent detainees from sleeping.
The songs include the Sesame Street
theme, Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady,”
and, proving that the government at the
very least appreciates irony, Metallica’s
1991 hit “Enter Sandman”.
The Grateful Dead have announced three
reunion shows at Soldier Field in Chicago
July 3 – 5. These will be their final shows
and mark the band’s 50th anniversary.
✂
At the 57th Grammy Award Ceremony,
Becks’ Morning Phase beat out, among
other contenders, Beyonce Knowles’ self
titled album. This prompted Kanye West
to mime running on stage, in reference
to an earlier stunt where he interrupted
Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs. After the
show, he remarked that Beck should
give away his Grammy and that, had the
awards show recognized true artistry, the
award would have gone to Knowles.
Canadian post-rock collective Godspeed
You! Black Emperor have a announced
their new album, Asunder, Sweet and
Other Distress. The album has a projected
release date of March 31 and contains
their newest single, “Peasentry, or Light!
Inside of Light!”.
Oberlin College canceled a Viet Cong
performance after protests on campus.
The band brushed off complaints about
their name, saying “It’s just a band name.
It’s just what we call ourselves.” The
college has yet to cancel a DJ set by the
CIA, reportedly featuring the Sesame
Street theme, Eminem’s “The Real Slim
Shady,” and Metallica’s 1991 hit “Enter
Sandman.”
✂
Sometime this summer, the release
date for new albums in the US will be
moved from Tuesday to Friday. This
move is designed to standardize the
American release date with that on other
continents. Possibly due to problems with
piracy in countries releasing music on a
later weekday.
✂
Drake tied The Beatles’ record for most
simultaneous “Hot 100” Billboard singles
with 14, inspiring millions of arguments
on Twitter about the quality of pop music.
For those trying to escape terrible jokes
about Drake’s music, if you’re reading this
it’s too late.
✂
The Wu Tang Clan’s final album, Once
Upon a Time in Shaolin, will be sold at an
auction with a starting bid of $5 million.
The album will remain under copyright
until 2103, meaning that unless the
auction winner plans to distribute it for
free, few people will be able to hear it for
another 88 years. Now more than ever, Wu
Tang is for the children.
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IN DEFENSE OF: EDITED MUSIC
BY NICOLE MARROW
Lounging poolside during spring break, I instantly perked
up from a nearly comatose state when Nicki Minaj’s
“Anaconda” flowed from the DJ booth. While preparing
for the euphoria that this song induces, I locked eyes with
a tiny blonde kid who was feeling the track just as much
as I was, rapping every word and twerking like his life
depended on it. I’m sure his parents and rapt onlookers
were relieved that the DJ on this “family cruise” was
playing the clean version of the song, featuring famously
edited lines like “cookie put his butt to sleep,” so that
all ages could enjoy the magic of Nicki together, free of
awkward struggles with morality.
The point of these edited versions is partially to shield
younger listeners from learning phrases that would get
them thrown in detention if they repeated them in school,
but there’s more to it than that. Even though most explicit
lyrics are removed from radio-friendly versions of songs,
the content itself never changes too drastically, and kids
are clever enough to decipher the meaning of whatever the
FCC has deemed too inappropriate for their ears. Editing
music is a way to distribute songs to the masses without
being condemned by protective parents or conservative
organizations. Cee Lo Green’s brief reemergence in 2010
would never have happened if he hadn’t rebranded his
song as “Forget You,” allowing him to perform it in nearly
every public venue on this planet.
Editing vulgar words out of songs is not always a death
sentence for an artist’s street cred; in fact, it can be a test
of creativity as it forces them to think of a more ambiguous
way to say something trite and obvious. The beauty of
music is that artists can express themselves freely in
whatever manner that they choose, but commercial
success is often times dependent upon being willing to
alter your masterpiece to appeal to a wider demographic.
Artists can choose not to make this sacrifice in order to
keep the energy and passion in their work intact, but those
that do have the privilege of reaching the sheltered youth
that may need their music the most.
Pittsburgh profiles:
Riccardo Schulz
BY VANESSA FRANK
Riccardo Schulz has had an extensive career in the
recording industry, and has produced work for countless
artists. Today, you can find him in the depths of CFA in
the Vlahakis recording studio. As an Associate Teaching
Professor and the Director of Recording Activities, Schulz
has created a symbiotic relationship between Carnegie
Mellon and the Pittsburgh music community.
Students in any of Schulz’s classes can get hands-on
experience recording musicians and mixing tracks. He
keeps high quality talent on both sides of the glass. He says,
“My philosophy is that everything we do in the studio has to
be as good or better than anything else out there.”
Schulz’s students work with live artists in their training. The
studio has been used to create albums for rock, jazz, world
music, and hip-hop groups in the Pittsburgh community.
Schulz has used the resource to reach out to groups who
originated at Carnegie Mellon, such as Memphis Hill,
Bergman, and Beauty Slap. The studio will take musicians
from any school who are serious, qualified, and prepared.
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However, the studio classes do not demand an expert
musical aptitude. Like many music classes, the studio
is open to students from any college. In fact, Schulz has
noticed that most of his students are not from the School of
Music. “I happen to think that music is the thing that makes
people smart,” Schulz explains. “People who study music at
an early age are good at reading and good at math.” This
might be why Schulz sees students from Engineering and
Information Systems to Architecture and Creative Writing
in his classes. “They have music in their background, and
they’re interested in it.”
When the recording studio was originally built 14 years
ago, he had planned for 12-14 students to enroll. Now, the
classroom is mobbed with students from all over the school,
giving them the opportunity to engage with local artists.
With steady sponsorship, the studio will continue to keep
Carnegie Mellon a resource to support awesome projects
from students and artists in Pittsburgh.
in Questionable Defense of
Jack White “Selling Out”
When a fan discredits a praised musician with the claim that
“he/she sold out,” it is the end of a discussion: The previously
worshipped musician is deemed irretrievable in our hearts. But
maybe this rhetoric, rooted with mixtures of fact and opinion, is
too simple of a distinction to decide the way we listen to music.
I have rocked out to Jack White’s intricate guitar riffs and
unique voice since around the time of his first Dead Weather
album (before he went solo, divorced Meg, and disbanded The
White Stripes). Over the past year, Jack White has been touring
to promote his most recent solo album, Lazaretto. I scoured
through the extensive lists of dates and venues and noticed
that he was playing Madison Square Garden. As a venue that
seats 18,000 and hosts the likes of Katy Perry and Rihanna, MSG
is far from an intimate setting to enjoy music. In comparison,
Pittsburgh venues Stage AE and Mr. Small’s fit 2,400 and 650
respectively.
BY NAOMI STERNSTEIN
Still a little bitter over his walk-off and short 30 minute set at
at one of his earlier NYC concerts, I decided, with finality, that
Jack White had sold out.
Later, I rethought my verdict on White. To some extent, he
has “sold out,” meaning he cares about the commercial aspect
of his craft as much as the creative part. That does not mean
that White’s new music isn’t still unique and skillfully crafted.
However, gone are the days when a fan can hope to experience
a personal, passion-filled concert from Jack White. Perhaps this
can be found in his record labels’ gift store (I joke). He has sold
out, and I think he, too, would agree.
Jack White is a master, and will be listened to years from now
the same way that we continue to listen to the Madison-SquareGarden-level Rolling Stones.
The Power of the Shock Factor in Music Videos
BY STEPHEN YAMALIS
In the music video for Carly Rae Jepsen’s latest single “I
Really Like You,” actor Tom Hanks can be seen walking down
the street lip syncing to the up-beat pop track until met by
the singer, along with a very enthusiastic Justin Bieber for
a dance party. While thoroughly entertaining, one might
wonder exactly how this particular concept truly portrays
the message of the song.
The answer is that it doesn’t, but that fact is exactly why
the video has already garnered close to 10 million views on
VEVO within one week of its release. The truth of the matter
is that viewers want to see the unexpected because it’s way
more interesting than the typical video, in which Jepsen
would see a random guy on the street and break into a
montage of fantasy scenes as she proclaims her infatuation
with him. Such a practical and predictable concept would
probably be lucky to achieve one million viewers in its first
week, which is why choosing to release this most recent
random video is practically a stroke of genius.
Having a shock factor like this gains media attention and
makes people curious about what all the buzz is about- thus
generating more views and publicity for the song. In a world
where artists strive to become “VEVO Certified” (meaning
their video gets over 100 million views online), this is an
important task.
Another notable music video which can attribute
its success to the shock factor is Miley Cyrus’s infamous
“Wrecking Ball” released a year ago, in which Cyrus can be
seen swinging naked on a wrecking ball. In exposing herself
to over 751 million viewers on VEVO, Cyrus also successfully
exposed her single to the public which then had great
success on the charts. The point is, in the digital age, music
videos have become a crucial factor in promoting new
music, giving artists the responsibility of creating a three
minute spectacle worth seeing. How crazy these artists are
willing to get essentially determines their success.
9
PGH Andre
Band Costello
Feature and the Cool
Minors
Andre Costello and the Cool Minors currently reside in Pittsburgh where
they play folk rock with a very personal spin. Andre Costello himself is
just as sincere as his music. He got his start in a Pittsburgh experimental
folk rock group called The Slant. After that group broke up, he went
solo and soon formed the current three-piece with Matthew Fiorillo and
Nicholas Charters. They now have their first full-length, The Rattling
Arcade, on Wild Kindness Records.
As a fan of his once said, Andre’s music’s complexity comes from
its simplicity. The primary influence in his instrumentation and chord
work comes from Neil Young, but his other influences are constantly
shifting and sometimes even include genres that are surprisingly far
outside his realm, like Dirty Projectors. Andre Costello doesn’t try to
write expansive songs, instead he prefers a more personal approach,
distilling music to its bare emotions. The most important thing to him,
as he says, is “honesty.”
Photo courtesy of Garret Jones
Photo courtesy of Sound Scene Express
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Fun
Home
by Jake Lee
Fun Home, another unique Pittsburghnative band, has spanned many genres
over the years. They currently play a mix of
shoegaze and emo music. What sets them
apart from most Pittsburgh bands is not
just that they don’t have a drummer, but
that three of the four members are female.
They encourage diversity in the punk scene
by supporting and playing with bands that
also have less common lineups.
Fun Home was started by twins
Rose and Sara Savage, who wrote songs
acoustically in high school. The group has
slowly expanded since then, now including
Jess Turner and Ben Gardner. Sara noted
that they picked up a drummer and bassist
for their first EP, but now have no drummer,
no bassist, and two keyboardists. Likewise,
their sound has departed far from the indie
rock they initially played, and despite not
listening to much shoegaze, they have
adopted some elements of the resurging
genre. Only time can tell where their sound
will go next.
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The Americana group Yarn stopped by Pittsburgh’s Club Cafe on March
15th. They’re from New York, but after their 10 years of touring the group
has built up a fan base all across the US. Blake Christiana, the group’s
lead singer and guitarist Rod Hohl spoke to The Cut about how Yarn
came to be, life on the road, and the importance of generous strangers.
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YARN
Inverview and photos by Rachel Asbel
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The CUT: How did you decide to form Yarn?
Have you always played bluegrass music, or
was it a shift when you started this band?
Blake Christiana: It was definitely a shift. I met
Andrew Hendrix, he’s the mandolin player. I was
playing in his jazz band at the time. I just started
writing these songs and since Andrew is a very
skilled mandolin player I was like, “Hey you gotta
listen to these tunes,” and it was kinda born
The CUT: How did you decide to form Yarn?
Have you always played bluegrass music, or
was it a shift when you started this band?
Blake Christiana: It was definitely a shift. I met
Andrew Hendrix, he’s the mandolin player. I was
playing in his jazz band at the time. I just started
writing these songs and since Andrew is a very skilled
mandolin player I was like, “Hey you gotta listen to
these tunes,” and it was kinda born out of that.
TC: Did it kind of start from the mandolin
then? Did that shape the style?
BC: Maybe in some way, but you know the
music that was being written definitely lent
itself toward that groove. I was thinking Garcia/
Grisman- I loved those records when I was a kid.
TC: Well that’s what I was going to ask you next.
Was there anything that sparked your interest in this
style? A particular group, or maybe just a song?
BC: I didn’t really listen to bluegrass really except
for that. And I remember listening to that purple
acoustic record, Garcia/Grisman, repeatedly in high
school. I didn’t have a whole lot of knowledge of
bluegrass standards or any of that stuff. And then I
was listening to a whole lot of old country, like the
old Gram Parsons records. So I was kind of going
for like a country kind of bluegrass sound. None of
it was entirely intentional, it’s just what was there.
TC: How has the group changed over the
years? Have there been any developments
or major shifts in the style?
BC: Yeah: Since we started playing live, as opposed
to rehearsing. For the most part it’s been the same.
The stuff I’ve been writing has changed a little bit,
and I’ve never stuck to one specific sound, so I’ll
just write whatever and we’ll play whatever is good,
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or whatever they think is good, and they’ll mold
it into a Yarn song. We’ve had a few drummers
over the years, but other than that it’s been the
same lineup. And the new record coming out in
the fall is definitely on the more electric side.
TC: What’s it like playing roots style music out of
New York? Do you feel like you would have a different
reception in other parts of the country where that music
is more prevalent like Appalachia, North Carolina?
“We definitely see
where it catches on
quicker, but I feel
like the borders of
music have long
been erased”
BC: I think we’ve kind of seen, that as a band, we do
really well in the southeast, although we are starting
to do well in the northeast. New York obviously was
our home, and at first that was our biggest audience.
But now, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, even Colorado have become our best markets.
We definitely see where it catches on quicker, but I
feel like the borders of music have long been erased.
Everyone’s moving around, everyone’s shuffled
around from the south to the north, from Europe to
wherever, so there’s pockets of fans everywhere.
TC: You are a pretty heavily touring band.
Any fun stories from the road?
BC: I can’t think of any good stories… Good
stories just get you in trouble [laughs].
Rod Hohl: Well you could say generally, late night
jams. Meeting other bands, other players, hanging out.
BC: I always say the best thing about the road is the
family you meet, you know? And the people who take
you in. When you’re starting out you can’t really afford
hotel rooms, and I didn’t realize the generosity of the
music listener and the fan. They’re willing to do just
about anything to get you to come to their town and
make sure you’re comfortable. They give you their
bed to sleep in, their refrigerator to eat out of. We’ve
got so many good friends and family now all over the
country, it’s unbelievable. That’s my favorite thing about
the road, and the stories... We’ll just keep secret.
TC: One last question for you, where
did the name Yarn come from?
BC: Basically we are spinning yarn by telling stories,
you know what I mean? At the time we were kind of a
string band, it just all kind of seemed right. Four letters,
one syllable. It felt like a good idea, and I think it works.
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APR
monday
tuesday
thurs
wednesday
1
2
Kopecky
Club Cafe (21
6
7
8
9
Tribal Seeds
The Altar Bar
Dan Deacon
Mr. Smalls
Tops
Cattivo
13
14
Foxygen
Mr. Smalls
Griz
Mr. Smalls
20
21
15
They Might
Mr. Smalls
22
23
The Mounta
Goats
Mr. Smalls
Modest Mouse
Stage AE
16
16
27
28
Smallpools
The Altar Bar
Speedy Ortiz
Cattivo
29
30
RIL
sday
friday
3
sunday
saturday
4
5
Earl Sweatshirt
Mr. Small’s
1+)
10
11
12
n
t Be Giants
ain
17
18
theNEWDEAL
Mr. Smalls
Shaky Graves
Mr. Smalls
Art Garfunkel
Carnegie Lecture Hall
Matt&Kim, RJD2
CMU
24
Casey Crescenzo
(of Deer Hunter)
Captive
Beauty Slap
Club Cafe (21+)
25
19
26
Portland Cello
Project
Mr. Smalls
17
Jukebox the Ghost
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Interview by Dhruva Krishna
Photos by Jonathan Leung
Jukebox The Ghost is a pop trio hailing
from Washington D.C. The band released
their fourth self-titled album earlier this in
the year. The Cut sat down with guitarist
Tommy Siegel to talk about the new
record, tour, and future plans.
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The Cut: Can you talk about what inspired you guys on
the new self-titled album?
Tommy Siegel: We came in with a much larger batch of
songs than we normally do. We had more time off the road
than usual, so by the time the actual making process came
around we had somewhere around 50 demos to work from,
all finished songs. So we whittled them away from there,
and decided on the 11 that are now on the record. Then
from there it got even crazier because we really dissected
each song in a new way. We used to go into the studio with
the mindset of recording our live arrangement of whatever
song we had, and then adding the bells and whistles on
top of it. But with this new record we totally started from
scratch with every song.
TC: Why did you guys take that different approach?
TS: We just needed to try something new. We had repeated
the same process for three records in a row, so it was just
time to branch out.
TC: So what kind of a difference do you think it made,
taking that bottom-up approach?
TS: I think it made the whole record sound more deliberate.
There aren’t really any accidents on this record like there
have been on previous ones. There are no songs where
we were done with the song and decided we didn’t like
it as much. Everything got dissected so much in the first
two months of recording, and it was all very purposeful.
We worked primarily in MIDI for the first two months, which
meant that the song had to be airtight. If it wasn’t airtight, it
wouldn’t sound very good in MIDI. So it really made a huge
difference.
TC: In terms of recording the album, how long did it
take total?
TS: We were in LA for two and a half months, but we didn’t
really start recording instruments until the last six days
when we were in the city. Until then it was all arranging.
TC: How’s the tour going?
TS: It’s been going great, every show has been better
than expected and tonight will be awesome- definitely our
biggest Pittsburgh show to date.
TC: Have you guys played Pittsburgh in the past?
TS: Many times- probably 15 times. We’ve played things
at WYEP, outdoor shows, this weird theater outside
Pittsburgh a few times, a children’s youth center in Trafford,
[Mr. Smalls] five or six times, Brillobox, Garfield Artworks.
We’ve done the whole city tour at this point.
TC: Do you guys have a preference between performing
live or in the studio?
TS: They’re both so different. To me it’s the equivalent of if
you prefer writing in your diary or performing in a Broadway
musical. You really need one to do the other, and especially
these days because records don’t pay for themselves. We
really like the touring part of it. I think for some bands, they
get onstage and it’s a very serious affair, pouring themselves
into the music every night. We do give it our all every time
we perform, but we treat it more as making sure people are
having a good time and putting on a really fun show. So it
feels more like playing in a touring Broadway show and less
like a gloomy night where you have to confront some inner
reality or something.
20
TC: Would you say that recording is much more serious
then performing live?
TS: Yeah, it definitely gets more intense. Everyone has opinions
and you have to sort it out and respect each other as equals.
TC: I recently read that you guys signed onto a major record
label. Can you talk about how that deal came about?
TS: To me it proved that big things, especially with music
careers, happen because of very small things. So we got
signed because the owner of the label’s daughter heard us on
a TV commercial, and she liked the song and convinced her
dad to sign us. She was 14. You would think that a major label
would look at our show trajectory and all our numbers and see
if they could do something with our music, but his daughter
was on the train and convinced them to get on board.
TC: What have been memorable moments from the record?
TS: For this new record, every song really had a memorable
moment. We were working with our friend Dan Romer, who’s
an amazing producer and arranger. What’s great, but also
terrifying, about him, is that he doesn’t let anything pass by
if he isn’t 100% onboard with it. So if there was a section he
doesn’t think is that great, you’ll spend three or four days just
working on that one part until he’s running around the room
pumping his fist in the air. When that moment happens, it’s just
great. It’s such a weird energy to be around, but he’s totally a
mad genius for pop songwriting.
TC: What are your favorite songs on the record?
TS: My favorite two songs are probably “Hollywood” and
“Long Way Home.” I think both of them were much more
fluid in the writing process, and much more team oriented
in this great way. With “Long Way Home” I came in with the
majority of it and asked for Ben’s permission to use one of his
old choruses as the post-chorus hook. Then we did a lot of
dissecting from there. In “Hollywood” Jesse sings for the first
time on a Jukebox record, so it’s awesome.
TC: What has influenced your guitar playing?
TS: I think a lot of my influences, like Frank Zappa or Trey
Anastio, don’t really come out in my playing with Jukebox as
much. I think the biggest influence on my playing is the setup
we have: playing with a drummer, a guitar, a pianist and no
bassist. I can’t really get away with playing open chords- when
the piano and guitar are playing chords, it just sounds like
mush. What I have to do is constantly finding space for the
guitar, and it’s usually something that I wouldn’t think of, like
playing something really staccato or complimenting the chord
movements.
TC: How did that come about, playing without a bassist?
TS: It’s just the way we started. We’ve had bass on our songs,
but it’s just usually pretty quiet. I’ll play the bass, or Dan, our
producer, would play a little of the bass as well.
TC: What are current artists you would suggest for our
readers to check out?
TS: Coming from Brooklyn, my favorite local band right now
is this band Ava Luna. They’re pretty scronky and ugly, but
they’re so catchy and it’s fantastic. They’ve got a bit of a Talking
Heads thing going on, but they’re like an over-caffeinated white
James Brown meets Deer Hoof. They’re just great.
Photos by Kathy Lee
21
THE
PORNOGR
22
NEW
RAPHERS
23
As an executive member of CMU’s
Activities Board Music Committee,
I help book the artists that come to
our campus to perform, specifically
at The Underground. Given the great
feedback we’ve received from this
year’s Carnival lineup of Matt and Kim
with RJD2, I wanted to shed some
light on the Activities Board’s booking
process.
The first step in booking an ar tist
is interest. To put it bluntly, if there’s
an artist we want to see per form,
we are going to try to book that
ar tist. However, we always take into
account the interests of the studentbody: If we don’t think an artist will
give a stellar performance and draw
students to a show, we usually reject
the show. Especially for the Carnival
concer t, we always want to make
sure the student body loves who is
per forming, not just the AB chairs.
The next (and largest) step is
logistics.
Sometimes
agencies
will contact us about booking a
show, but more often than not AB
chairs from specific committees
will contact agencies about artists
they are interested in. From there,
several factors are considered
before an artist is booked. First,
we check if they are available for
the dates interested, and we try to
get ar tists when they are touring to
lessen costs. Once we know an artist
is available, we start negotiating
aspects of the contract, such as cost,
green-room requirements, and tech
riders. As the recent Jack White/
University of Oklahoma incident
shows, the confidentiality of these
contracts is taken very seriously.
Concurrently, we also contact AB
Tech with an artist’s tech rider and
make sure the show is feasible to be
put on. Finally, we make sure that
the specific space is reserved, and
receive the posters and social media
fliers from our publicity committee
to be distributed.
The last step of this whole
process is the one I enjoy the most:
Come out and watch the show (for
free of course!) As much as we love
putting these shows on, we love it
even more when we see students
at our shows! If joining Activities
Board and helping book and put
on concerts seems like something
you would want to do, email ab@
andrew.cmu.edu and join our D-List!
Full disclosure, I’m the kind of person
that cries whenever I watch Jack Black
lead his wickedly talented underage
proteges through their Battle of
the Bands per formance in School of
Rock, so I’m clearly of the opinion
that the combination of music and
movies is nothing shor t of magical.
It takes seasoned precision to
strike the delicate balance between
sentimentality and sincerity by fusing
these two modes of expression into
a single cohesive unit, but when
directors get it right, there is no type
of film more power ful.
Take Whiplash, for example. One of
2014’s most buzzed-about films was
about the life of a young drummer,
played by Miles Teller, and his bloody,
sweaty effor ts to become the greatest
under the tutelage of an abusive band
director (played by J.K. Simmons).
Attempting to capture the raw
passion that musicians have for their
craft can come across as ar tificial or
campy, but this stor y focuses on the
authentic single-mindedness with
which Teller’s character pursues his
music education, valuing technical
skill and professional success over any
sor t of social life.
While Whiplash is a brutal ode to
the tenacity of musicians, it’s missing
one thing that makes music films so
special: joy. Films like High Fidelity,
Pitch Perfect,and High School Musical
may not be Oscar bait, but they
have a playful energy that audiences
find irresistible, and still manage to
convey the impact of music on the
characters within them. Even awardwinning movies such as 8 Mile, Once,
and Almost Famous tell complex,
thoughtful
stories
that
elevate
music to a higher plane, por traying
it as something to be revered
Music
Movies
How We Book:
An Inside
Look at AB
Dhruva Krishna
24
Nicole Marrow
and cherished rather than coldly
practiced. Music plays on human
emotions in a way that cannot be
achieved by words alone, so it makes
sense that movies of all varieties will
continue to be made about the allure
of this universal ar t form. I guarantee
that I’ll shed a tear during all of them.
mixtape
BEST BEEF SONG
“Beef Rap” by MF Doom
YO IMMA LET YOU FINISH, BUT MF DOOM HAD
THIS IDEA 10 YEARS AGO. On a more serious note,
if you are a rap fan and you haven’t listened to mm..
food yet, do yourself a favor and enjoy this album
with a nice lemon butter garnish and a wheat beer.
“Meat Puppets” by Meat Puppets
This song, featured on an album that is also called Meat
Puppets, is the KFC Double Down of meat songs.
-Max Harlynking
“The Ballad of Mr.
Steak” by Kishi Bashi
“The Burger Song” by Skee-Lo
If you ever want to get as big as Skee-Lo, you’re gonna have
to hit up the Micky D’s drive-thru a couple times a day.
-Evelyn Pandos
“How Do You Sleep”
by John Lennon
Lennon’s famous attack on McCartney can be summed up
in this one lyric: “The only thing you done was yesterday/
And since you’ve gone you’re just another day.”
-Dhruva Krishna
“Nugget” by Cake
This is a song about a piece of steak that loves to
dance, but is also getting eaten. Weird stuff.
-Kyle Henson
Frontman John McCrea has a beef, and that beef is
with people who continue talking while he muses about
“sharpened knives through chicken McNuggets” in the
verses. He uses the chorus to politely tell you so.
-Drevin Galentine
“The Heart Wants What It
Wants” by Selena Gomez
“The Whole Damn Thing”
by Those Darlins
Hashing out the end of a relationship isn’t real until you
cry during your AMAs performance. #neverforget #jelena
-Catherine Kildunne
Drunk food is one of life’s greatest joys and it’s
about time that someone wrote a song about it.
-Rachel Asbel
“Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake
When Britney Spears cheats on you, call up your
boy Timbaland and write an iconic, Grammywinning song about how not bitter you are.
-Nicole Marrow
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SXSW’15
I was invited to drive to Texas on a Tuesday
night and left Wednesday morning with a
haphazardly packed bag and jumpy attitude:
This would be my first trip to Texas, my first
24-hour road trip, and my first SXSW. I would
do anything for free music, which is what
I’ve come to learn Southby is all about. It’s
a sloppy, sexy free-for-all music/drinking/
crowded/colorful kind of place full of
industry people and musicheads. It’s an over
amplification of keep-Austin-weird Austin.
Thousands of people flood the streets for 10
days of film, interactive and music festivals.
Rather than try to analyze individual acts,
I will create a fictitious narrative of SXSW
as if it was one singular show. It would go
like this: The venue is packed and mediumsized. You waited in line for an hour and a
Cn
Rv
By Samantha Ward
half but the entry was free. It’s unusually
warm- Oh right, you’re in Texas. How did
you get here, again? The drinks are on the
house, and a musical artist that you saw
perform yesterday is standing near you in
the crowd. The sound check seems rushed,
and the band is on stage for the whole
thing, making their “entrance” a little less
than thrilling. You don’t know the group
really well until their second-to-last song,
which you totally recognize from a Spotify
playlist you listened to last month! They kill
their set, even though it’s their third of the
day. The on-stage banter with the audience
is particularly sporadic and weird, because
they really just don’t give a shit anymore.
The person next to you leans over and says,
“I love these guys! I saw them at Firefly! Do
you have a light?” A blogger takes your
photo. You exit the venue and thank god
that Uber exists these days.
I saw over 30 different music acts
over the six days that I was attending
shows. Standouts include Penguin Prison,
Geographer, The Knocks, Robert Delong,
Misterwives (see our October issue), Jukebox
the Ghost (see cover), Joywave, and The
Vaccines. I missed a week of class, but it’s hard
not to feel productive after that experience.
My advice for future attendees would be to
RSVP for everything, expect your feet to be in
pain, and keep your mind and options open.
I’ll see you there next year.
Bates Hardcore Gym
By Vanessa Frank
26
Bates Hardcore Gym is not a gym, does
not focus on hardcore music, and has no
residents named Bates. Despite its potentially
misleading name, it is one of the most-booked
DIY house venues in Pittsburgh. Bates shows
are commonly booked by Dakota Bahney of
Cool Shoes and Jackson Boytim of Fine, I’ll Do
It Booking and the arguable majority of their
shows are emo/punk-focused. The February
27th show, booked by Cool Shoes, happened
to have more of a focus on folk, featuring
Small Wonder and Rivergazer, both from New
York.
enough that I can do a lot more consecutive
chin-ups now. If chin-ups became mandatory
payment for entry into Bates, everyone
would be seeing larger biceps around town.
Because of how accepting and hospitable
most of the people in the Pittsburgh DIY
scene are, even people who don’t like the
music playing come to shows just to hang
out. I personally went just because it was a
“Bates show,” too, not knowing any of the
bands playing. The shows are so friendly,
people don’t even get turned away at the
door for not having money!
Whenever I walk under the chin-up bars
in the basement, which is the venue, I do a
chin-up. This sometimes ends up being a lot
in a single night, but I’ve gone to Bates often
Andre Costello opened up the show
without his backing bandmates, the Cool
Minors. Well-known around Pittsburgh for his
sincere folk rock, he gave an exciting opening
with his guitar, harmonica, and, as someone
else described very well, honest voice. Small
Wonder, from Brooklyn, awed us right after
with an intense emotional ride on his acoustic
guitar. He primarily played songs from his
new album, Wendy, leaving us wanting to cry
but mainly wanting more. Rivergazer, also
from Brooklyn, played next, with their odd
blend of psychedelic and folk music. It was
so relaxing I almost fell asleep standing up.
Fun Home closed out the night, eschewing
any sort of folk elements and instead giving
us a wall of noise comprised of guitars and
synthesizers.
ncrt
vws
Misterwives
The Club at Stage AE is an odd venue. PromoWest takes the indoor main stage and
closes off everything but the bar, the narrow
walkway next to it, and the elevated platform
where one would usually find merchandise.
On February 27th, it was where I watched
Borns and Misterwives perform.
Just a few minutes after Borns and his
eclectic backing quartet took the stage and
started playing “10,000 Emerald Pools,” the
audience was completely transfixed by Borns’
smooth, ethereal voice and how in sync his
backing band was, mirroring his vocal grace
with their own impeccable harmonies.
Borns played three new songs during the
set, each exhibiting his lofty, shimmering
vocal style and funk/synth influences. While
the acoustic versions of Borns’ songs would
have been welcome additions to the set,
Borns’ energy delivered the intimacy of his
acoustic versions without sacrificing his
nuanced electric instrumentation.
Borns ended with the first track from his EP,
Electric Love, then Misterwives took the stage.
Opening with “Our Own House,” Misterwives
immediately commanded the audience’s
attention with their groovy, funk-inspired
rhythm and Mandy Lee’s soaring lead vocals,
which, as it immediately became apparent,
recordings do not do justice.
As Misterwives progressed through their
set, their energy and perfect execution
exponentially augmented the power of
their songs. They brought new meaning to
each track they played, leaving the audience
speechless after every song.
What stood out most, however, was
Misterwives’ sheer elation at the audience’s
enthusiasm. The Stage AE show was just the
second of Misterwives’ first headlining tour,
and after the audience’s exuberant reaction
to their first two songs, Mandy screamed
out “ARE YOU KIDDING ME, PITTSBURGH?
We didn’t expect this at all.” After they played
Lil B
On Wednesday, February 25th, Carnegie
Mellon was treated to a special event- the
likes of which had only been attempted twice
before: Brandon McCartney, known as Lil B or
BasedGod, came to give a speech unlike any
other in McConomy Auditorium.
“I am living forgiveness,” the rapper
proclaimed in the middle of his two-hour
lecture. “We have to live forgiveness- we have
to live it,” he emphasized. Apart from the
power of positivity, forgiveness, dedication,
and meditation, Lil B covered a myriad of
topics throughout the night. “I told y’all I
get sidetracked easily-” Lil B smiled before
discussing motorcycles (“they’re just so close
By Kyle Henson
their single “Reflections,” the audience
drowned out the band’s attempts to continue
the show with five full minutes of applause
and cheers, to which Mandy, almost tearily,
said, “Thank you, Pittsburgh, for making our
dreams come true.”
Misterwives ended their set with “Queens”
and left the stage, but the adoring audience
wasn’t done with them. After a deafening
chant of “Mis-Ter-Wives, Mis-Ter-Wives,” the
band came back onstage and immediately
launched into an inspiring cover of Mark
Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” which they deftly
transitioned into their song, “Imagination
Infatuation.”
Leaving Stage AE, the only discernible
emotions were shock and awe. Everyone in
the crowd was either speechless or so giddy
they couldn’t contain themselves. If there
was one takeaway from the evening it’s this:
Misterwives are masters of live music.
By Max Harlynking
to the ground!”), media (“do these people
really care about everyone?”), violence (“I’m
not a violent person, but don’t attack me”),
insurance (“get all the insurance- just get
that insurance”), a recent house fire (“this is
something that just humbled me”) and not
hitting girls (“my lip got busted but I didn’t do
nothing ‘cause she was a girl”), among other
things.
Lil B also used the event as an opportunity
to open up to his fans, offering to answer any
question from a student and then bowing to
them upon their questioning. Lil B seemed
equally humbled and self-centered facing the
crowd of students shouting his name after
every response. While this mixture of irony
and inspiration worked in the beginning
of the speech, the feeling didn’t last the
entire two hours, and what started as a full
auditorium ended at nearly three-quarters
capacity.
Lil B exited Carnegie Mellon’s campus
leaving students filled with his positive
energy and optimism. While we may never
know his true intentions in giving the speech,
we are left with Lil B’s third and final quote of
the evening, able to ponder its meaning and
relevance:
“Symbols of hate now become beacons of
27
M o d e s t
M o u s e
S t r a n g e r s
To
O u r s e l v e s
While it feels like an easy jab, most of us, at some point in our
lives, came to the conclusion that Modest Mouse had lost their
spark. With every album release bringing more and more pop to
the table, we kept telling ourselves that it was just a phase that
would soon pass. I’m sorry to say that it’s probably about time
that we gave up. Strangers to Ourselves certainly has a few good
songs. “Shit In Your Cut” and “Coyotes” are both tracks that I
could hear on an old album without missing a beat and “God is
an Indian and You’re an Asshole” rang true to Modest Mouse’s
unique brand of humor. In fact, “Of Course We Know,” a
drone-y growling track that anyone could be melancholy to, was
good enough that I had to wonder if it was an old unused track
that they’d just tacked on to the end of the album. The problem
is that four songs don’t make an album. The rest of Strangers to
Ourselves isn’t necessarily bad; it just sounds like bands I didn’t
want to listen to when I put on Modest Mouse. All of the tracks
have the right vocals, but the instrumentals on “The Ground
Walks, with Time in a Box” and “Lampshades on Fire” sound
like Franz Ferdinand wrote them. “Be Brave” sounds like The
Arcade Fire or The Killers, and “Sugar Boats” ends up sounding
like The Fratellis. This will probably help them reach a new
audience that wasn’t interested in their early work, which, for a
band coming up on its twentythird year, is pretty great for them.
However, for their old fans, it’s understandably disappointing.
The sad truth is that I don’t think I hate this album, I just don’t
care about it. The least I could say is that the album is aptly
named, because at this point Modest Mouse are strangers to
me too.
Strangers to Ourselves is the pop album you hoped it wouldn’t
be.
Arun Marsten
2/5 SCISSORS
The Decemberists What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World
It’s pretty clear that if The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy weren’t
a rockstar (or whatever the singer-songwriter version of that
is) then he would find equal success as a novelist. On What
A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, Meloy tells us about
childhood romances and takes us to the battlefield with a civil
war soldier all with the same imagery-filled lyricism. The album
also makes a shift toward more personal themes. In the opening
track “The Singer Addresses his Audience,” Meloy writes in his
own voice rather than a romanticized character. It’s an ode from
the artist himself to us fans where he thanks us, but warns that
“we had to change some.”
It’s not really such a drastic change on this album, thoughmore like a refinement of the approach that has always set
The Decemberists apart. Proving that they haven’t lost any
steam during their 4-year hiatus, the new album is stylistically
diverse and packed with rich arrangements, hitting the highs
and lows of human emotion. There’s grandeur in the horn lines
of “Cavalry Captain” and carefree delight in the vaguely erotic
“Philomena.” “12/17/12” is a sorrow-filled reflection on the world
filled with tragedy and beauty for which the album is named.
And of course there’s a sea-shanty or two, just to remind us that
Meloy is still a nerd. The standout track is the album’s single,
“Make You Better,” which might be one of those rare instances
where the best track on an album is also the most radio-ready.
The song builds so gradually that it’s almost imperceptible,
but by the end you are nodding along to a pulsing chorus not
remembering how you got there. “Make You Better” might be
the closest The Decemberists have ever come to a pop anthem,
but you had better believe it’s still got a few obscure vocab
words and a quirky music video to prevaricate.
4/5 SCISSORS
28
Rachel Asbel
REVIEWS
B A D B A D N O T G O O D
S o u r
S o u l
BADBADNOTGOOD is doing a great job of making their name more and more ironic with
every release. Sour Soul, their new collaborative release with rapper Ghostface Killah, is a love
letter to 70s era exotica and lounge music. However, unlike the albums it pays homage to, Sour
Soul features a member of Wu Tang Clan and reminds you why they are not to be fucked with.
Each instrumental does an amazing job of perfectly emulating a style that has long been
forgotten. The elaborate orchestration on this release departs from BBNG’s improvisational
roots, but in doing so they gain a polish and elegance that fills me with excitement for their
next solo release.
As for the raps, they are exactly what you would expect. Ghostface brings some serious star
power to this album, with additional features from legends like Danny Brown. All the verses
are stylistically consistent with the smooth vibes BBNG lays down. But honestly, after my first
few listens to the album, I feel like all the rappers are overshadowed by BBNG’s production. I
find myself much more drawn to the instrumentals than the verses. While the verses are fine,
they never exceed expectations or become something special. I give BBNG 5/5 scissors, but I
give Ghostface and crew.
Donovan Powers
4/5 SCISSORS
A i r b o r n e
To x i c
E v e n t
D o p e
M a c h i n e
After the general listlessness that their previous album Such Hot Blood put forward, The
Airborne Toxic Event apparently got back to the studio and decided to change things up.
Unfortunately for their listeners, this resulted in the experiment that is Dope Machines.
This album is simultaneously overproduced while reaching for a nostalgia that isn’t there.
On “One Time Thing,” the track about interpreting post-coital texts, vocalist Mikel Jollett
sings, “Feels like my head is made of moonshine and cheap ass wine.” Thanks for the
imagery, but you’re still from California. TATE’s lyrics have always been heavy handed, but
in the band’s earlier albums it was a match for songs that imbued genuine feeling. Now it’s
43 minutes of trying to inspire that feeling, and it’s a unfortunately horrible attempt. The
only tracks worth a listen are “Wrong” and “Chains,” which are so good that they would
have been at home on an earlier album.
TLDR: As disappointing as finding out your all-American lumberjack boyfriend
bought his flannel at Forever 21.
Catherine Kildunne
2/5 SCISSORS
T o r c h e
R e s t a r t e r
While never the greatest sludge band, Torche is essentially what a pop-punk band
would sound like if it started playing stoner metal. What the group lacks in creative song
structure, it makes up for with surprisingly catchy hooks in some of the most lively riffs
you’ll ever hear.
Following the poppy Harmonicraft, the group is back with the unfortunately titled
follow up, Restarter. The record opens pleasantly enough with the crushing intro
“Annihilation Affair,” which leads into upbeat and adventurous tracks “Bishop in Arms”
and “Minions.” However, it’s at this point that Restarter loses its steam.
While “Barrier Hammer” has the heaviest riff I’ve ever heard on a Torche album and
“Loose Men” provides some enjoyable moments, every song begins to feel the same and
there is never a notable change in pace or mood. Unfortunately, the listening experience
quickly becomes a chore.
Alex Voskuil
2/5 SCISSORS
D a n
D e a c o n
G l i s s
R i f f e r
Dan Deacon’s newest album, Gliss Riffer, could be a refreshing and worthwhile, if at
times confusing, addition to your music collection. It’s more accessible than some of his
previous work, as listening to this album doesn’t induce the same kind of auditory anxiety
that listening to, say, “Crystal Cat” or “Woof Woof” does, but the songs are pleasantly
unique and inventive nonetheless. The whole album feels calmer, and I think it works
for Deacon. He still manages to infuse it with the same almost nonsensical spirit of fun
that characterizes his earlier stuff. From the pulsating energy of the opener, “Feel the
Lightning,” to the eclectic “Meme Generator” and slow-burning “Steely Blues,” Gliss Riffer
is an interesting trip that is best enjoyed after multiple listens.
4/5 SCISSORS
Imogen Todd
29
ESSAY
For the Love of Kanye
By Imogen Todd
When I was 13, I visited New York City with my family for fall break. Being the art nerd that I was (and still am),
I opted for museums over other NYC attractions, and so on the last day of our visit I found myself in a darkened
room of a small exhibit about the history of the music video. Gazing up at a projection of the video to Kanye West’s
“Power,” listening to the audio on a pair of oversized headphones attached to the wall, I was entranced. I think I stood
there watching the video—which features the rapper as the centerpiece of a slow-motion, baroque-painting-esque,
almost-still-life—repeat on a loop for nearly 20 minutes until my parents found me and whisked me away. And then
I forgot about Kanye for almost five years. He hovered at the peripheries of my musical tastes as that guy who dissed
Taylor Swift at the VMAs, or who had a penchant for talking back to the paparazzi, but it wasn’t until the beginning
of my freshman year at Carnegie Mellon that I finally rediscovered Mr. West and really came to appreciate him on the
same level as I did on that day in New York. Now, as the proud owner of just about 100 of his songs—one for almost
every occasion—I think I can call myself a pretty devoted fan of his music.
However, it’s because I like his music so much that I find myself increasingly disappointed with some of the things
he says and does in public. How can someone who can eloquently tackle controversial topics in his songs be such an
asshole in real life? I’m not talking about his treatment of numerous paparazzi, or his dissing of Beck after this year’s
Grammys (although that one struck a little close to home—I have loved Beck for longer than I’ve even known about
Kanye). I’m referring specifically to a recent interview in which he made an offensive joke about an ex-girlfriend, a
joke that was met with laughter from the hosts of the show. No one called him out on it, not even the woman sitting
right next to him. And that’s what irks me. Nobody has ever shied away from telling Kanye West to calm down or
shut up. They did it when he interrupted Taylor Swift, and again when he did the same to Beck (both times, mind
you, Kanye was acting in defense of a woman). But here he was, sitting in front of people who had been giving him a
hard time about exactly those actions throughout the whole interview, and not one of them lifted a finger to object
to this particular comment.
So there’s my problem with Kanye West: an offhand joke he made that went unchallenged. Sounds innocuous
enough, but my point is that people can and will criticize him for almost anything. Here’s a man who lashes out
at photographers and cuts off speeches, but who also apologizes for his actions. He even admits to hearing—and
liking!—Beck’s newest album while having dinner with Ms. Swift. But when people show him that he can make
offensive jokes about women and not have to apologize, that sets a dangerous precedent, not only for him, but for
others in the music industry and the world at large. Of course, this isn’t the first (and it certainly won’t be the last) time
a musician has made an offensive comment about a woman, and certainly some modern music contains misogyny,
but that joke was particularly frustrating coming from someone like Kanye West, an otherwise intelligent guy who
gets way more shit than he deserves.
Kanye West probably doesn’t care what a teenaged white girl from the Midwest has to say about him, but I know
he can do better. He’s an icon, and with the kind of cultural visibility he’s achieved comes the power to have people
listen to what you say —the power to make offensive jokes, even. But sometimes we need to realize when to put that
on hold. Kanye, have you got the power to let power go?
Sincerely,
A fan
30
Pop-Up Beats and Bubble:PGH
eastend mile
Aprill 11, 2015
doors 8:30pm / show 9pm
Walled garden, mellon park
wrct 88.3fm presents:
spring
dance
party
april10
8pm
the(4314shop
Main st)
31
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