April 2014 - The Cut Magazine

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in this issue
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volume7.issue5.april2014
letter from the editor
music news
Wicked chief
pigpen
anna nalick
spring break adventures
mixtape
concert reviews
album reviews
essay
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LETTER FRO
Editor-in-Chief
Zach Branson
Assistant Editor
Samantha Ward
Art/Layout Director
Kathy Lee
Photo Editor
Lindsay Corry
Copy Director
Mike Ryan
Marketing and Publicity Chief
Leela Chockalingam
Public Relations Coordinator
Christopher Skaggs
Web Manager
Arun Marsten
Writing Staff
Zach Branson, Emily Clark, Lindsay Corry, Allison
Cosby, Hannah Dellabella, Drevin Galentine,
Max Harlynking, Geneva Jackson, Dhruva
Krishna, Nicole Marrow, Arun Marsten, Akul
Penungonda, Donovan Powers, Samantha Ward
Photo Staff
Kathy Lee, Katherine Martinz, Samantha Ward
Art/Layout Staff
Kathy Lee
Editing Staff
Leela Chockalingam, Hannah Dellabella,
Holly Fitzgibbon, Drevin Galentine, Halsey
Hutchinson, Geneva Jackson, Danielle Maly
It’s crazy:The school year is coming to an end. But all that means is that
we at The Cut are producing as much material as possible, because
music never comes to an end (and because we’re crazy, too). This is
our last printed issue of the year, so I hope you cherish it as much as
we do. We have tons of awesome stuff to show you in this issue, and I
can’t wait for you to discover it all.
After you check out the latest songs and albums you need to listen
to RIGHT NOW (on your right), read the latest editions of our columns
In Defense Of by Nicole Marrow and Lyrically Speaking by Hannah
Dellabella. This month, Nicole defends selfies, which makes me feel
a lot more secure about my photo-taking habits. Hannah talks about
arrangements in songs—somehow she always knows so much about
songs that I don’t even think about. And be sure to read Allison Cosby’s
Music News so you’re up-to-date on the latest music happenings.
While you’re getting up-to-date with the world’s music news, you
might as well get up-to-date with our music news. We wrote about
some of our spring break music adventures—or at least some of the
legally-publishable ones—for you to be jealous over. Also check out our
concert reviews so you can pseudo-experience the Pittsburgh shows
you should have for-real-experienced. And while you’re looking at
concert reviews, read up on album reviews too, so you can decipher
what’s the good music and what’s the not-so-good (if you haven’t
figured it out already).
In this issue we’re also featuring several interviews with great
musicians—some from home and some not. First off there’s Wicked
Chief, a local melodic rock band that’s starting to do more shows in
Pittsburgh (including a show at Altar Bar on May 3), so keep an eye
out for them. And then there’s PigPen Theatre Co., a smorgasbord of
Carnegie Mellon Drama alums who are living the dream performing
in plays half the time and the other half performing as a band. Finally,
there’s Anna Nalick, a fantastic singer-songwriter who’s featured on the
cover of this issue. Two fun facts about her: (1) She’s been writing
music since she was 10, and (2) She’s the first female artist to be
featured on the cover of The Cut. It’s about time!
To finish things off, jump to the essay at the end of this issue. It’s
written by our soon-to-be-Editor-in-Chief Samantha Ward, who clearly
has a dad who’s way cooler than all of us.
We’ll have one more issue to give you all in May, but we’re only
publishing it online, so this is the last time we’ll be in your arms in a
while. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to hold us again in September. Until
then, enjoy music—the music in this issue, in Pittsburgh, in life.
Zach Branson
Editor-in-Chief
The Cut Magazine
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Recomme
nded alb
ums of th
e month
10songsyouneedtohear
(1) Disconnect - John Wesley
(2) green, green rocky road oscar isaac
(3) Let Me Take You Out- class actress
(4) Blue - willow beats
(5) Addicted [Flip] - iman omari
(6) monopoly - danny brown
(7) abandon my
toys - foxygen
(8) dogs sun kil moon
(9) You are here lawrence arms
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in defense of
Bruce Springsteen captured a grim snapshot of
post-Vietnam War America through “Born in
the U.S.A.” Nirvana bottled the essence of the
detached angst and apathy that characterized
their contemporaries in “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
In the same vein as these songs that have been
lauded for their ability to define generations,
the Chainsmokers exposed our obsession with
documenting our every move with their slightly
parodic but totally accurate “#Selfie.”
If you have yet to experience this 2k14
anthem, I strongly urge you to: a) search for it
on YouTube, b) position your iPhone so that it
can capture your reaction to the video, and c)
press record, then play “#Selfie.” Now that we’re
all on the same page (and you have a hilarious
video of yourself to post online), we can talk
#selfie
by Nicole Marrow
about the current viral sensation that speaks
volumes about the lifestyles and priorities of
20-somethings today.
Self-affirmation via Instagram likes has
become one of the primary needs of humanity,
right below our need for food, unless of course
the food looks really pretty and you can think of a
witty caption to use on a post about it. “#Selfie”
asks the tough questions about which filter
makes you look the most tan, how that girl over
there even managed to get into the club, and
whether you’re willing to put your life on hold
to allow your BFFs to take the perfect picture of
themselves. It plays like a parody, but the amount
of people hashtagging #MYLIFE on Tweets and
Facebook posts about the song proves that it is,
in fact, serious business.
The craziest thing about “#Selfie” is that
it’s being played at the same clubs that it’s
commenting about. An EDM-lite song that makes
people craving attention sound absolutely insane
has started a movement inspiring people to take
even more selfies, essentially reaffirming the action
that it mocks. The Chainsmokers are holding up a
mirror (or a rear-facing camera) and showing a part
of ourselves that some hate, but that others can
understand. Selfies can be empowering to people
that might not think that highly of themselves in the
real world, and while I’m in no way advocating for
judging self-worth by the amount of likes we get on
a photo, “#Selfie” is at least giving us a glimpse into
the minds of people who might think that way.
lyrically speaking
by Hannah Dellabella
As I’m slowly trying to piece my poetry thesis into a coherent
manuscript, I’ve been learning about the importance of order. It’s a topic
we also covered in the Beatles class I took last semester, where we had
to rearrange the songs on various Beatles records and justify our new
ordering. Like a book of poetry, an album is a complete thing. You can
listen to songs on their own, but the artists have taken care to order
them in a particular way.
Arrangement can drastically affect how you react to a
particular song, and the first and last songs on an album always
carry particular weight — the opening song has to hook you,
and the last song stays with you the longest. But in today’s
digital age, the first few songs on an album are especially
important. If those tracks don’t hook your listener, they might
get distracted or bored. The next time they try listening to
the album, they’ll probably start from the beginning, and thus
those opening tracks are the ones they hear the most.
Everything always seems to come back to the Beatles;
the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was an
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important advent in the music world. It was the first “concept”
album, an album that was meant to be a whole instead of just
some songs put together. This influenced other bands to do the
same thing, with some notable examples being Tommy by The
Who,Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by the Flaming Lips, and
American Idiot by Green Day. All of these albums order their songs
in ways that tell a story.
The emotions that songs evoke are really important in ordering
an album. In a similar way that writers bring you up just to take
you back down, song orders can do that — pairing an upbeat song
next to a really sad song highlights the emotions by providing that
stark contrast. It’s something even us non-musicians have to think
about when we’re making a playlist or a mix tape. Song choice is
a big part, but so is the order of the songs on the list. Take your
favorite album and rearrange the songs on the album — see if you
can evoke some totally new emotions or highlight ones already
there.
music news
By Allison Cosby
Ross do?” — wonder no more. The rapper is currently taking questions
for a one-off advice column in an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone.
✂
Getting ready to perform for the first time in 35 years, British singer Kate Bush
has announced a 15-date residency in London this fall. Vacation, anyone?
✂
Speaking of vacation, it’s officially festival season! The annual South
by Southwest festival took place this month in Austin, TX, and
lineups are being announced for Lollapalooza (Eminem, Kings of
Leon, and Skrillex are rumoured to headline), Coachella (Outkast,
Arcade Fire), Bonnaroo (Elton John, Kanye West), and more. Now
all I need is the time and money to go to them all… *sigh*
✂
German electronic band Kraftwerk has begun a Los Angeles residency,
in which they will dedicate a night to each of their most important
albums in chronological order, starting with 1974’s Autobahn. The
residency, titled The Catalogue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, is unfortunately
totally sold out, but based on their performances at the Museum of
Modern Art in New York last year, the German quartet still has it.
✂
In the world of baffling Lady Gaga stunts, the pop star has released
a music video for her third Artpop single “G.U.Y.” The video was shot at
Hearst Castle in California, and features Gaga dressed as a tortured bird, a
swimming pool baptism, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (yes, really),
and clones of Michael Jackson and Gandhi (I think), among other bizarre
occurrences. Four minutes of credits round out the 12-minute video.
✂
Lil Wayne was reportedly hospitalized for multiple seizures following a
music-video shoot earlier this month, following multiple hospitalizations for
migraines and seizures last year.
✂
The Black Keys announced details of their upcoming studio album this
month, when boxing legend Mike Tyson tweeted a link to a creepy David
Lynch-style video of a hypnotist and spinning record. Despite the absurdity of
the delivery, some details were revealed: The album is titled Turn Blue and will
be released on May 13.
✂
Eminem and Rihanna have announced a three-date mini tour this summer.
The rapper and pop star will hit Los Angeles, Detroit, and Rutherford, NJ this
August.
✂
Dave Brockie, frontman of legendary heavy metal band GWAR also known as
Oderus Urungus, passed away unexpectedly this month in his Richmond, Va.
home. Police say there was no evidence of foul play or drugs and the cause of
death remains unknown.
✂A Nirvana fan from Portland has started a crowdfunding campaign to buy Kurt
Cobain’s childhood home and turn it into a museum. The campaign seems to
be getting mixed reviews from Nirvana/Cobain fans — because, seriously, Kurt
Cobain would probably not want his old house on display for the public — but
with only $780 of the $700,000 goal raised, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.
✂
✂
In tangentially related Nirvana news, Courtney Love claimed to have found
the missing Malaysia Airlines jet. Words can’t describe it — just Google it
— but I just want to say that I love her and her made-in-MS Paint theory.
If you’ve ever been in a tough situation and wondered, “What would Rick
The Wonder of
Self-Aware Artists
by Donovan Powers
Music is a tool many artists use to pour
out their souls in a profound, personal way.
Some artists use music to address serious
issues and inspire social change, and others
still use music as a way to tell a story. As
wonderful as all these different styles are,
there is a lot to be said for music that doesn’t
feel the need to take itself seriously. Much
like any form of art, I feel it’s important that
music is able to take a step back and laugh
at itself every now and then. For example,
take Macklemore. While widely known
for his music addressing issues such as
homosexuality and drug addiction, he also
has tracks like “And We Danced.” No one
will argue that Macklemore’s music isn’t
wildly successful, but it’s refreshing to watch
him take a step back and be willing to laugh
at himself. “And We Danced” parodies
the exact party culture that make anthems
out of songs like “Can’t Hold Us”. That
Macklemore is not only willing to take a joke
at his expense, but in fact make the joke
himself, is extremely refreshing in an era
where musicians, and rappers especially,
are known for their large egos. Kanye may
think he’s the new Jesus, but Macklemore
is more than willing to acknowledge that he
is just a guy making music people play at
parties.
The epitome of this genre of “self-aware”
music is the hip-hop group Das Racist.
The members of Das Racist are widely
considered extremely talented rappers in
the hip-hop community, but their music
constantly bridges the line between jokey
and serious. On their first album, Shut Up, Dude,
the group has a healthy mix of straight-up rap
and songs that almost seem likes parodies of
rap culture. Tracks such as “Shorty Said” or
“Combination Pizza Hut Taco Bell” mock many
of the tropes rap is frequently criticized for.
On the other hand “You Oughta Know,” while
lighthearted, is in no way ironic.
Being able to laugh at itself is healthy for
the music industry. It’s important for artists to
take a step back every once and a while and
allow themselves to not be completely serious.
Music is fun, and not every album needs to
define a generation. So musicians, I urge you,
the next time you go to write the next “We Are
the World,” maybe get off your pedestal for a
second and write something that makes you
smile instead.
7
ckedwickedwickedc
Wicked Chief is a four-piece band hailing
from Pittsburgh. Their first album, True Blue,
uniquely blends layered harmonies with strong
melodies. The band is playing more shows in
Pittsburgh and gaining prominence in the local
music scene; they’ll be playing with fellow local
band The Composure at Altar Bar on Saturday,
May 3. The Cut had a chance to sit down with
guitarist Bobby Garver and drummer Pat Dee
to talk about music and their new album.
The Cut: What’s your songwriting process
like?
The Cut: How did you guys get started?
Pat Dee: Yeah, it’s a really collaborative effort
overall. It’s a very supportive atmosphere;
it’s very lax and there’s no negativity. I think
when we added Ben [Armstrong] playing
bass, it started to sound much more like a
band, because it really filled out the song
and brought new ideas and lyrics to the
table.
Bobby Garver: Well, before this, I was in
another band that signed and toured for a
few years, but it crashed on us. After that, I
was mostly playing songs by myself and was
looking for someone else to play with. Pat
was actually the reason why I got pumped
again, after I showed him my songs. Pat and
I, we grew up playing music together, and
we joined forces along with my little brother
[Jim Garver] and started playing as Wicked
Chief.
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BG: I start writing the songs mostly by
myself and then I usually demo them out,
show them to everyone, and then we sit
down as a band. The others bring forth their
individual ideas, what they can offer to the
let the song grow, and change things they
may not like.
The Cut: As an emerging artist, what are
some goals you guys have set for yourself?
BG: Getting a record out was the big thing
before. Now we are trying to expand more
in the Pittsburgh area, and see where it takes
us.
PD: Yeah, we’re trying to play a lot of live
shows in Pittsburgh and tighten up live,
especially after coming out of the recording
process. We’re definitely switching from
recording mode to live mode, which has
been going really well so far. On the record
you get one thing, but live it’s different and
very high-energy with us feeding off each
other. So you get two different sides of
us: the studio and being raw live, all while
staying true to the album.
The Cut: What draws you to the complex
harmonies that you’ve composed and
performed on the album?
BG: I just love experimenting with vocals
and thinking of voice as an instrument.
There are so many different sounds you can
get with different harmonies, and you can
make so many different noises with just
your voice.
The Cut: If you can tour with one artist,
who would it be?
The Cut: How do you think new
technologies, like the ones you used to
record your album, influence your music?
BG: I would say Dr. Dog. They do it
without being too commercial or anything,
and they always have a crowd that actually
cares about the music, which I think is
the most important thing. There’s nothing
superficial.
BG: It definitely makes it easier. I like the
experimental aspect, and being able to
experiment with all the technologies. It’s
like a kid in a sandbox; you can do whatever
you want, and translate it to the recordings.
The Cut: In terms of drums, Pat, who have
you looked up to, and who has influenced
your playing?
PD: Lately a lot of Levon Helms from The
Band. I love the simplicity in his playing
while also keeping things intricate. Ringo
Starr is another big one; he was the backbeat
of all those songs. I think it’s a beautiful
thing to keep it simple, and stay true to the
song, while still being a little flashy.
The Cut: What songs and moments are
your favorites on the album?
PD: Recording the whole album was great,
and the most fun recording process I’ve ever
had. You know, recording the songs ourselves
and literally doing it in our basement was
very lax, with a lot of laughing going on.
Bobby was responsible for the mixing and
all that stuff. We always joked that he would
be listening to these songs over and over
again, and then would have to play them
live. I’d say my favorite song is “Red White
Blue,” and I like “Songbird” a lot as well.
BG: Yeah, we recorded in this little
basement studio in my house, and just
tracked everything there. I wanted to do it
very comfortably, and like Pat said it was
just a lot of fun. “Songbird,” “Midnight
Showing,” and “Fiction Feelings” are some
of my favorite songs.
The Cut: What’s “Songbird” about?
BG: I’d say it’s about shedding your skin
and growing into someone else, letting go of
something you love and finding something
else. But sometimes it’s hard to say what
some songs are about, because a lot of times
I just sit down with my guitar and just let
the lyrics flow. Every album, at least for me,
is almost like a diary. It’s a chapter about my
life for the last couple years.
chiefchiefchief chi
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Interview by Dhruva Krishna
Photos by Katherine Martinez
//PigPen T
Photos and interview by Samantha Ward
Pigpen Theatre Co. consists of seven Carnegie Mellon Drama alum
Nuernberger. They are currently touring as a seven-piece folk group,
shows. Their delightful and intricate songs are almost as charming
tenth best album of the year. The Cut chatted with Ben Ferguson ov
10
Theatre Co.//
ms: Arya Shahi, Ben Ferguson, Ryan Melia, Alex Falberg, Daniel Weschler, Curtis Gillen, and Matt
but when they’re not on tour, they are writing and performing whimsical theatre pieces and puppet
g as the men themselves, and in 2012, Huffington Post named their full-length album, Bremen, the
ver the phone about where Pigpen started and how they manage to balance all of their creations.
11
The Cut: Is it just you there, Ben? I know that there
are seven of you.
Ben Ferguson: There are seven of us and we are
currently traveling in the van right now. They’re all
screaming hello and watching me to tell me if my
answers are correct.
//////////////
The Cut: Cool. I wanted to talk about how you started. I’ve talked to drama students who have said that
you began your freshman year at Playground. So for
our readers’ sake, can you explain what Playground
is?
BF: Yeah, basically what Playground is is sort of a
student-driven festival of theatre pieces and also art
installations around the school of drama. At the end
of the week, starting at midday on Thursday, they
just have an almost non-stop series of theatre pieces
that all the students put on and perform, write, direct, and design all by themselves. So it’s a pretty
exciting thing.
The Cut: You guys walk this fine line between storytelling and music. So what normally comes first, a
story or a melody?
BF: I think it kind of depends on whatever we’re
working on, you know? In a lot of the plays we
come to a general consensus as far as what world
the story lives in. So sometimes with the plays we
have the world, then people can come in with music
to fit that world. But when we’re writing just music
for the sake of writing music, I think that’s a little
different. And depending on who writes the song,
they’ll come in with an idea for whatever kind of
story they want to tell, and sometimes that dictates
the style of music. Or they’ll come in with a melody
and a type of style of music. It’s a give and take, and
I think that’s what keeps us on our toes a little bit as
far as finding a balance between what actually can
come first.
The Cut: In terms of the musicality, how did your
training at Carnegie Mellon influence what you’re
doing now? Obviously drama lends itself to the
stage, but as a band?
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//////////////
///
///
BF: Some of us played music before coming to
school, and some of us didn’t. I think it was about
half and half. So when we started writing our shows,
we kind of knew that music was the fastest way for
people to connect emotionally to the things that
the stories were telling. So we started playing more
music, and then when some of us were juniors we
were cast in the production of The Grapes of Wrath,
Frank Galati’s adaptation of it, and that had sort of a
live score throughout the piece. We started learning
more about folk music and the depression-era dust
bowl ballads, Woody Guthrie kind of things, and
that’s where we dove headfirst into the folk genre.
And I think that’s where a lot of the training goes
specifically into the type of music that we play. But
then after that it was kind of off to the races. We got
so excited about music and playing music just with
the band and what that could do, so we just went
for it.
The Cut: You have a pretty large group of people.
How do you balance ideas and work? Is there one
person who sort of wears the pants in your group?
BF: It’s actually pretty highly collaborative, and I
think that’s something that we took to heart from the
training, and everyone sort of has a say in everything.
Sometimes that can get a little challenging, because
even with the smallest idea we have to hash it out,
but I think that’s one of our strengths. It’s good because sometimes when it comes down to the smallest little notion, one person will be fighting against
six people, and if they can convince the six of us,
then we know it’s a good idea. It’s a delicate balance
to continue this strong collaboration.
The Cut: I wanted to talk a little bit about your full
album, Bremen. What’s the story behind it?
BF: Most of the songs on Bremen were actually snippets of full songs from shows or plays that we had
written. So we had all this material, and people
would come up to us after our plays and ask, “Where
can I find the music?” and we didn’t really have a vehicle for that. So ultimately we sat down and said we
wanted to record an album. What songs do we think
we like the most? What songs do we think have the
most potential as stand-alone songs outside of the
theatre shows? And so we would take those, and a lot
of times those were just a verse or chorus or something that we had in the show. And so we said, “Okay,
how can we take this song and really flesh it out to
be a full band number that can stand alone?” That’s
where most of the songs were born out of.
The Cut: Do you have a preference between playing
on stage as a band or performing theatre?
BF: I don’t know, it is a hard choice. Obviously music was kind of born out of doing theatre, so we love
the theatre, but there is something really unique
and exciting about being a band as well. I think that
that’s the best part about doing both. When you get
a little burnt out, and a little tired of sitting down
and doing one, you get to pick up and do the other.
It’s a nice little balance. Maybe in some ways we get
a little ADD and we like to be able to do as much as
we can, but it is nice to be able to switch back and
forth. Because we’ve been on tour for so long, we’re
all pretty pumped to sit down and do some theatre
for a little bit and stay in one place. But then if you
were to ask us in month four of one of our theatre
runs what we were excited about doing, we’d probably be excited to jump in a funny, squeaky van and
drive around the country playing music.
The Cut: What have been some of the most exciting
moments so far for you guys?
BF: We always get so excited when we go to a city
where people know us. And you get to look out and
see someone singing a song of yours. It is something
really special and makes us feel like we’re doing
something right if even one person is singing along
to one of our songs. Those are the moments that really get us excited to continue on and keep writing
music and plays and spreading the good word.
13
Photos by Kathy Lee
apr
monday
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tuesday
thurs
wednesday
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2
3
8
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Seven Lion
Levels Nigh
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Danny Brown
Altar Bar
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Jason Burn
Brillobox
23
Toadies
Altar Bar
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M.I.A
A$AP FERG
Stage AE
14
29
17
30
24
ril
sday
ns
htclub
friday
sunday
saturday
4
5
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11
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St. Vincent
Stage AE
The Julie Rain
Mr. Small’s
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Household Stories
Club Cafe
La Dispute and Pianos
Become the Teeth
Altar Bar
Fanfarlo
Mr. Smalls
19
Cloud Cult
Mr. Smalls
20
Riff Raff
Altar Bar
ns
25
The Werks
Mr. Smalls
26
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Deerhoof
Rex Theater
15
anna nalick
Anna Nalick, known for her hit song, “Breathe (2 AM),”
is a talented singer-songwriter who began writing songs
at only age ten. She tells The Cut about her songwriting
process, high school bands, and what it’s like to go
on a four-year tour while still in your teens.
16
Interview by Lindsay Corry
Photos by Samantha Ward
17
Anna Nalick
The Cut: How are you able to tell such compelling stories in
your lyrics?
Anna Nalick: I don’t know. I think it’s probably a combination
of the way I think, trying to explain things to myself, and then
articulating it. That might be it, but I don’t know where the
ability came from. It’s just there I guess.
The Cut: Did you notice this ability at a younger age? I read
that at 15 you were writing lyrics for other musicians.
AN: Yeah, I started writing songs when I was about 10. So by
the time I was in high school I was writing for a lot of the local
bands—both music and lyrics. I like to listen to people’s stories;
when I was writing for other people I’d get to know them and
then put them into music. I journal a lot and have since I was
old enough to write—as soon as I learned how to write I started
keeping a journal. So I guess I am always telling my stories to
try to better understand myself, and the things I am taking in
from around me.
The Cut: You wrote lyrics for other artists at age 15 and then
released your first album at 21. What made you want to perform
your own music?
AN: Well, I have been writing songs for other bands—I
actually wrote full songs, not just the lyrics, already all through
high school. And then I had a lot of songs that didn’t fit any
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of the bands I wrote for or my own band. I had already been
performing with a rock band for a few years, and then I had
these songs that needed to go somewhere. I decided to play at
little places in L.A.—and that was age 17—so I actually wrote
Wreck of the Day, my first album, when I was 17 and 18 years old.
It officially came out when I was 21. It’s been a while.
The Cut: Where do you get your inspiration for your lyrics?
AN: That just comes from everyday life: the things that are
around me and anything that makes enough of an impact that
I am thinking about for more than a couple minutes ends up
translating into a song, a rhythm, whatever. I’m not much of a
concept person—that’s very secondary. I don’t really go in with
the idea that I’m going to write a song on a scene, I just write
down what I’m feeling and sometimes an analogy comes along
with it that helps me better understand it.
The Cut: How was going on a four year tour around the world
after Wreck of the Day was released?
AN: That was incredible. I never thought that I would get to
By Jing
Jing aLishort amount of time.
see and experience so much
in such
It was strange because, not unlike going on vacation, you leave
and you go to...wherever, Hawaii for a couple of weeks, and
you come home and everything is exactly the way that it was
when you left, but you’ve changed and you’ve seen things, and
had experiences. Except that that happened for four and a half
years, and that was all my formative years. There was a lot of
trauma and a lot of excitement, and some of the most fun I
have ever had in my life. Then I just came back home to my
small town and no one had changed, and I felt pretty weird,
pretty different.
The Cut: In your album Broken Doll & Odds & Ends there is the
use of unusual instruments (like sitar, glockenspiel, mandocello),
what made you want to do this, or use those instruments?
AN: Initially that was supposed to be an acoustic album,
but my friends who played on that album are such talented
musicians that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to let them
explore whatever sound they wanted to put on the album. The
overall vibe of each song is my idea, but they had freedom to
play whatever they thought would fit, which I think is a healthy
way to work with a studio if you are working with talented and
intuitive players. I’m still working with those people, and I try to
give them some freedom.
The Cut: Your album Wreck of the Day is pop, and in Broken
Doll & Odds & Ends there is more of an acoustic feel, and then
your next album is going to be more electric.Why do you take a
different direction with each album?
AN: So the first album—that wasn’t entirely in my hands. I had
a great production team, but I was also with a major label, with
Sony, and they had a lot of ideas for what would benefit us in
trying to sell the record. So the sounds that we have on that one
was based a lot on what was popular at the time and how to fit
me in that market. Broken Doll & Odds & Ends was completely
independent, and it was going to be acoustic because it was an
inbetween project. It was just after I left the company and a
lot of it was the songs that were still in my control when I left.
It was the first time I was in control of producing an album. I
worked on it with producer Chris Rondinella, and we had a
guitar, so we decided we should probably use it. So we picked a
Stevie Ray Vaughan song so we could have a guitar in a song we
could cover. I don’t actually go in with a whole plan; I sort of go
into the studio, work with people I trust, and do what is best for
the song. For the next album, I don’t know if I will be leaning
on electric, but I do know that I love drums and I love a strong
sense of drive in a song. I’d like to try things with making sounds
and using different kinds of compression and definitely drums,
which I didn’t have a lot of on Broken Doll & Odds & Ends. I don’t
know exactly what that will be yet; part of this chore is figuring
that out, getting used to the songs, and getting to know them.
19
marty
20
party
Photos by Kathy Lee
21
l Spring Break
K
w
J
Samantha Ward
I didn’t have any solid plans to see shows this spring
break, but I had hoped to stumble upon greatness
while I toured San Francisco and St. Louis Obispo.
As a sat alone, eating a bullet-wrapped burrito in
the SF Mission District, I pulled out my iPhone and
Googled “concerts March 7th san francisco.” The
first thing that popped up was a notice for a show at
a club called DJ Lounge. I listened to 10 seconds of
the band’s first song and thought, “Good enough,”
before grabbing a lyft to the debatably sketchy area
a few blocks over. When I entered the club, everyone
was wearing ponchos. As actors crowded the stage,
I was told that I was at a live reenactment of the
California cult classic Point Break, a Keanu Reeves
movie about surfer criminals. It wasn’t the indierock that I’d expected, but it just goes to show that
good things happen when you’re looking for music.
R
Q
D
C
22
H
E
w
Hannah Dellabella
Let me preface this by saying that we only went to this club
for the hour-long open bar. It was on an open rooftop, whic
was great, because Puerto Rico is as warm as Pittsburgh is
cold. They had a projector where they played a weird amoun
of The Black Eyed Peas’ music videos. We weren’t really int
it, but they’re a popular band, so we didn’t think much of i
After a while, I heard the all-too-familiar sounds of a song th
I had hoped was banished to the annals of YouTube — “Th
Fox” by Ylvis. As we’ve all experienced, the song was funny
first, but after hearing it a million times, it became too muc
I never thought I’d hear it at a club, and with good reason.
When the clock struck 11 and the free drinks
ended, we got out of there, swift as foxes.
k AdventuresL
F
P
T
w
Drevin Galentine
Over break, I returned to my home in a small town near
Pittsburgh. Normally, to depart from the city and be
surrounded by nature would lead one to become Thoreau,
but, I was already too familiar with the trees and ants, so
I formed a band, as per the small-town angst stereotype. I
took my guitars and bass playing friend to the house of our
mutual friend and multi-instrumentalist. His drum kit had
accumulated some dead flies, which gave us street cred in
the metal community. After setup, the two of them argued
over a song to learn while I passive-aggressively hinted at
Led Zeppelin by repeating “Heartbreaker” on my guitar.
Eventually, “Dancing Days” won out and became a functional
jam after six hours. The band promptly broke up postrehearsal. The bassist left to pursue experimental jazz and
the drummer departed to help his mom cook dinner for us.
A
S
w
I
b
ch
s
nt
to
it.
hat
he
at
ch.
.
G
Nicole Marrow
You might think that spending spring break in an armchair
in Pennsylvania pales in comparison to a wild romp through
an island or lazy week at the beach, but clearly you weren’t
listening to the Spring Breakers soundtrack while sitting in
said armchair. Much of this artsploitation film’s ability to
transport viewers into a codeine-fueled fantasy comes from
director Harmony Korine’s ingenious music selection. A
mix of trap, dubstep, and Top 40 throwbacks, the auditory
adventure that the audience embarks on mimics what you
might find blasting in a St. Petersberg, Florida hotel room
full of 19-year-olds and red cups. I can’t listen to “Everytime”
by Britney Spears without conjuring up an image of James
Franco playing a white piano right on the coastline, and
the orchestral version of Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters and
Nice Sprites” that ends the beachside escapades has left
me a changed person. Spring break forever, indeed.
23
odesza
live set at rex
24 Photos by Kathy Lee
mixtape
shitty songs with
good descriptions
~
“Female$ Welcomed”
- Trinidad James
This song takes a brave artistic
risk and addresses what
the modern day relationship
really means. Trinidad James
really reached out and faced
a problem head on that I
think we can all relate to.
- Donovan Powers
“Ironic” - Alanis Morissette
Pairing a keen understanding of the concept of irony with
haunting speaking sections,
Morissette unleashes this totally relatable classic upon the
willing masses. The catchy
chorus will get stuck in your
head for days...but don’t worry,
you will definitely want it there!
-Geneva Jackson
~
~
~
“Hit me with a TEXT”- Mann
This song takes a
compelling, artistic look at
the effects of technology
on modern relationships.
-Samantha Ward
“Bawitdaba” - Kid Rock
Kid Rock takes lyricism to new
heights and levels that would put
even Bob Dylan to shame. The
chorus, “Batwitdaba da bang
a dang diggy diggy diggy said
the boogy” sums up everything
I’ve ever wanted say ever.
-Dhruva Krishna
~
~
~
“Wild Thing” –Tone-Loc
Forget about the Troggs song.
They couldn’t even rap. Forget
about Charlie Sheen in Major
League. Tone-Loc takes rap
rock to warlock levels, and
shows David Lee Roth how you
really play Van Halen’s music.
– Drevin Galentine
~
25
By Akul Penungonda
Oberhofer
Cnc
Rvw
Photo credits to Shawn Brackbill
It was the last stop on their
tour, and Brooklyn-based bands
Oberhofer and Hawk and Dove
certainly made it memorable.
They played a show at Garfield
Artworks along with local band
Girl Scout as an opener. The
first thing I heard upon entering
Garfield Artworks was Girl Scout
announcing their next song,
“Man of Your Wet Dreams”.
According to lead singer Jeremy
Zerbe, it was written about
the guitarist to get him to join
26
the band. These guys are a
young band – they don’t even
have a record out. With that
performance, I’ll be sure to look
out for more of their shows.
Hawk and Dove’s performance
was a long build up with a great
payoff. They started out pretty
slow, but gradually grew in both
tempo and sound. The venue
had filled up by this point, and
the audience was pretty into
the sound. Their final song was a
powerful rendition of “Things We
Loved So Far”, which completely
overshadowed
the
album
version – all five band members
were shouting into their mics by
the end.
Oberhofer opened up with
“I Could Go” – a good choice to
get the crowd moving. Thanks
to Garfield Artworks, there was
plenty of room to move around
and dance. The pace never let
up as they moved through their
entire discography (which didn’t
take too long, since they only
have one album). In what was
the highlight of the entire show,
during the group’s last song
“Away Frm U,” Brad Oberhofer
told everyone to spread out,
then came out into the middle of
the room to perform. The crowd
went wild and a small mosh
pit broke out – everyone was
energized by his up close and
personal presence. There’s truly
no better way to experience
music.
crt
ws
War On Drugs
By Zach Branson
The War On Drugs - maybe
contradictory to its name is a psychedelic indie rock
band. The band was started
by
Bob-Dylan-wannabe
Adam Granduciel, and it’s a
smash between raspy, folky
vocals and atmospheric
My-Bloody-Valentine-esque
reverb. Everyone in Altar Bar
on March 22 couldn’t wait
to get sober and start The
War On Drugs, and so it felt
like a chore to listen to the
opener.
But the opener was
fantastic. They also had that
druggy MBV reverb, but less
folk and more jams. After
every song the audience
broke into applause, half
because it was a good song
and half because everyone
was surprised the opener
actually played a good
song. The lead singer made
small talk after every song
but drove me nuts because
he never said the band’s
name. It wasn’t until the end
that he said, “We’re White
Laces. Thanks!” Check them
out.
The War on Drugs got on
stage and started playing
right after Granduciel said
“Hey.” Surprisingly, they
played a couple of their
most well-known songs “Baby Missiles” and “Red
Eyes” - early on, and then
delved deep into their new
album, Lost in the Dream.
Granduciel followed White
Laces’ lead and made small
talk: “Yeah, Pittsburgh is
cool. What was the name
of that breakfast place?
With all the vegan stuff?”
Someone shouted that that
place shut down. “Oh. Then
where’s the place to go?
Pamela’s? That’s the shit?
Cool.” After every other song
Granduciel would say, “This
song is for Julie,” “This song
is for Rachel,” “This song is
for Hannah,” but no one
knew who these women
were.
The band also explored
past what’s on their studio
albums.
They
played
extended jams in the
middle of a normally-threeminute song, which were
the best parts of the show.
At one point Granduciel
said, “Yeah, this is a cover
song,” but the guitars
were so loud and lyrics so
incomprehensible that I still
have no clue what song they
covered. Later they played
a
loud-but-recognizable
rendition of John Lennon’s
“Mind
Games,”
which
everyone rocked out to.
After this last jam, the band
played a few calmer, folkier
songs for everyone to peace
out to before they peaced
out, satisfied with their time
participating in The War On
Drugs.
By Arun Marsten
Snarky Puppy
Up until recently I associated jam bands
with middle-aged drinking problems and
the guys I didn’t like in high school. After
the Snarky Puppy show at the Rex Theatre,
I’m happy to say that I was mostly wrong.
They opened with Alison Wedding, a
singer/songwriter they had just signed to
their label. She’s also a professor at Berkeley,
and the combo ended up sounding like
the love child of Diana Krall and Maynard
James Keenan. The lyrics left a bit to be
desired, but her vocal comping was one of
the coolest things I’ve ever heard.
Then Snarky Puppy came on and
blew everyone’s minds. They brought
everything to a concert that you could
ask for. The bass was funky, the brass was
appropriate, the guitar was technical, and
a large man played the keyboard with a
talkbox. Between their communication
and stage presence, it was honestly one
of the best displays of live musicianship
I’ve ever seen. Even Pittsburgh’s best and
brightest couldn’t ruin the moment, and
trust me they did their drunken best. As
someone who previously maligned the
genre, see Snarky Puppy the next chance
you get.
Photo credits to Michael League
27
ALBUM REVIEWS
Supermodel
Foster the People
Atlas
Real Estate
Despite the plural implications of their name, Foster the People’s 2011
debut Torches generally seemed to be the electronic solo project of Marc
Foster. Citing the Kinks and the Clash as major influences on what would
become Supermodel, Foster has given bassist Cubbie Fink and drummer
Mark Pontius a shared spot on Supermodel’s magazine cover, particularly
on the strutting rhythm section of “Best Friend.” Ironically, converting to
a three-piece band only gives Foster more avenues for expressing his
genius, as his full-time guitar duties drive much of the album. Torches fans
will be pleased to know the electronic element is still there, providing
a polished soundscape for Foster’s guitar as it surfs between a bright
’60s sound and a modern drone. Supermodel is also much stronger than
Torches lyrically, as their debut’s lyrics were either ignored (as was the
strategy to keep a song about school shootings playing at high school
dances) or just catchy nonsense in the case of “Don’t Stop.” Here, clever,
introspective lyrics replace the melodic grocery lists of their debut, and
even the track “Nevermind” doesn’t recall Cobain’s rhyming dictionary.
“Don’t be afraid of the knife/ sometimes you have to cut the limb to
survive”, sings Foster over swirling synths and drums on the masterful
“Pseudological Fantastica.” But Foster also proves he doesn’t need these
soundscapes to produce great songs, as the closing track “Fire Escape” is
so minimalist it makes “Pale Blue Eyes” seem excessive. Supermodel does
have excessive moments of its own, such as the aimless piano interludes
that force themselves into some tracks and “A Beginner’s Guide to
Destroying the Moon”, which, despite being one of the greatest song
titles, is a disappointing experiment that should have been replaced with
the lovely buzz of preorder bonus track “Tabloid Super Junkie.”
Real Estate get deep on their latest album. Where their first two attempts
felt like a soundtrack to a lazy summer day, Atlas takes an introspective, sad
look at life in the New Jersey suburbs. The first two tracks on the album,
“Hard to Hear” and “Past Lives,” both reflect on the emptiness of suburban
life, yearning for some way out. Other songs like “The Bend” and “Crime”
deal with themes of anxiety and feeling like you’re not in control of your life.
The band’s basic sound is still there on Atlas—bright guitar chords, easy
tempos, and lead singer Martin Courtney’s almost sleepy vocals. However,
the overall sound is cleaner than on any of the band’s previous albums,
which helps add to the acute melancholy that dominates the album’s
mood.
Due to the slower nature of Real Estate’s sound, some of the songs do
tend to blend together in my ears. “Talking Backwards” is easily the best
song on the album, a lyrically sad song set to upbeat guitar licks that
perfectly complement Courtney’s vocals.
The rest of the album is still a little sleepy for my tastes — I think if Courtney
imbued more emotion into his singing, it would do wonders for the band.
Their music is always pretty — lead guitarist Matt Mondanile really knows
how to make his guitar sing. Go listen to the guitar on “The Bend” and pay
attention to how well it bends around the vocals. The chemistry between
the musicians and vocalist is where Real Estate really excels, but I’m still
hoping their next record will sound a little more awake.
- Hannah Dellabella
- Drevin Galentine
4 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
28
3.5 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
Teeth dreams - the hold steady
During their four-year hiatus following creative misstep Heaven is Whenever, the Hold Steady seem to
have grown more comfortable with their role as a dive-bar band now headlining shows. They’re no
longer trying to make music palatable for mainstream audiences, instead realizing that more people
than ever before are willing to go along for the ride provided by their vintage rock storytelling.
=The punchy, convivial choruses that fans originally embraced are back in full force on Teeth Dreams, but
the evocative tales of youth that frontman Craig Finn spins may have lost a bit of the luster that made
their previous albums so unforgettable. Blasting “Spinners” and “On With the Business” on a midnight ride
down dirt roads will unquestionably make you feel like you live in Dillon, Texas à la Friday Night Lights, the
clear standard to which all Hold Steady albums should be held. Mark this one a success.
- Nicole Marrow
4 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
Baby talk - I am just a kid
I Am Just A Kid’s musical debut Baby Talk exceeds expectations in every way. The band, started by lead
singer-songwriter Tommy Isaacs at only seven years old, has matured and developed in its three-anda-half month existence as a butterfly would emerge from a cacoon. Isaacs described his songwriting
process in a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone: “I like writing,” before bursting into laughter as fellow
band member Henry Isaacs (Tommy’s brother, three years old) made farting noises into his fists.
Listening to Baby Talk’s seven tracks, ranging from the three-second-long “Weenus,” to the 23-minute
epic “Jeff’s Mom,” it’s hard not to lose yourself in the sharp vocal textures that encapsulate Tommy’s world.
“I DON’T WANNA GROW UP, BUT SCHOOL IS BAD,” Tommy howls on “School Sucks,” a track exploring the
beauty of youth and the craving we all share to never grow old.
Although at times the instrumentation (including xylophone and knees) seems random, everything
about Baby Talk is intricately crafted and deliberate. “We just kept hitting stuff until it sounded good,”
explained Isaacs in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. With that, just as the album comes to a close
with the sound of Henry spitting into the microphone, I realized reviewing albums wasn’t really my
thing.
- Max Harlynking
5 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
g i r l - Pharrell williams
Pharrell Williams’ sophomore solo album can be summed up by a noncommittal shrug. The generally
enjoyable R&B is perfect for an early morning get ready routine, but lacks originality. Pharrell favors
insanely catchy chorus lines which are then repeated excessively for the rest of the song (see grammynominated track “Happy” featured in Despicable Me 2 and probably playing every time you turn on the
radio) . “Come Get It Bae” with vocals from Miley Cyrus follows the infectious “Happy” with another funky
dance tune. Another standout is eight-minute-long “Lost Queen,” which includes hidden track “Freq.”
The songs experiment with mellow hip hop sounds before transitioning via what sounds like ocean
waves back to his tried and true soulful R&B. All three tracks lack lyrical genius, but Pharrell’s impressively
produced music and funk rhythms manage to hold interest where the lyrics don’t. Overall a good listen
as nod-along background music.
- Geneva Jackson
3 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂
Forcefield - Tokyo Police Club
Tokyo Police Club’s third album Forcefield takes the band in a noticeably new direction. The more
rock inspired collection is filled with forceful and charged guitar riffs and powerful, if slightly
distorted, vocals. Though the songs are catchy and fun to listen to in their own right (particularly
“Toy Guns” and “Argentina (Parts I, II, and III)”), they lose the more stripped-down and playful
signature of Tokyo Police Club’s previous efforts. The melodic pop-rock record gets lost in the
dozens of other melodic pop-rock records released this year without the notoriety of their
previous sound. Though this album displays obvious maturation of the band, it falls just on the
wrong side of generic.
- Emily Clark
3 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂
29
ESSAY
My dad is way
cooler than me.
by Samantha Ward
There, I said it. My dad dropped
out of college mid-way through his
sophomore year to go tour England
with his band. A grainy picture of
them playing in the Cavern Club
(where the Beatles played some
of their earliest shows) has been
circulating around odd boxes in our
house for as long as I can remember.
He builds guitars, brews beer, and
plays in dad bands. My dad owns a
recording studio that he built with
his friends, using the frame of an old
building across the driveway from
our house. I’ve always been mildly
aware that my father was cooler
than me, but it became painfully
apparent in college. After all, isn’t
it the very definition of “cool” to
have a huge vinyl collection, go to
concerts, and jam with your friends
on weeknights? My dad is lapping
us all without even trying.
There were a few different
studios where I spent my childhood
days with my dad. I remember
Wellspring, a 1970s-era-looking
recording studio that always had a
peculiar smell which I now identify
as skunky marijuana. Bluejay was
another dark, padded place that
looked like a hobbit hole from the
outside. I think one of the Backstreet
Boys bought it long after my dad
stopped working there. I used to
nap in sound booths and slide the
heavy glass doors back and forth as
I passed the time. I remember the
blinking lights of the control room.
30
My sister and I used to play with the
giant alien mixers, pressing buttons
and turning knobs.
When I grew older, I had the
luxury of a father who would
record the most horrendous tracks
of my friend and I singing along
to Broadway musical karaoke.
Expensive microphones would
endure hours of us belting out
Wicked in the soundbooth. The first
time he recorded my voice was
when I was seven and sang Britney
Spears. I cried at the sound of my
own voice in the playback, so very
un-Britney like. I had somewhat
gotten over that as a teen, though,
and only barely cringed as I watched
my dad edit the tracks with ProTools.
In high school, he set me up with
my own mini recording studio in
my room, where I began working
on my own music. He gave me a
bass guitar, let me play his endless
number of instruments, and scored
a wonderful ukulele for me that
he still won’t tell me the price
of. Despite all this, I never really
pursued the skill seriously, because
for some reason doing the same
thing as my parent, no matter how
cool, irked me. How was I supposed
to rebel in my teen years when my
parent didn’t do anything worthy of
an eye-roll?
That being the case, having a
father in the music industry of
sorts both inspired and deterred
my musicality. I was always
tremendously aware of the sound
of my own voice, the costs of
working in studios, and the time and
sometimes-fruitless effort that smalltime musicians put into an album.
I never dreamed of becoming a
musician or audio engineer because
my eyes were always wide-open to
the realities of the trade- or at least
the reality that you definitely don’t
always have to go to college to get
good at it. I sometimes wonder if I
would have continued the countless
number of instruments that I picked
up in my teens, instead of settling
on occasionally playing the ukulele
(I was the girl who played “Buy U
a Drank (Shawty Snappin)” at our
freshmen orientation talent show) if
my dad was slightly less cool.
But then again, I think it all
rubbed off on me anyways. I regret
that I didn’t take better advantage
of the opportunities I had back
when we were all dabbling in the
innocent hobbies that shaped the
rest of our lives, but I can see where
his profession shows up in a lot of
my own choices. After all, I’m here
writing this. But more importantly,
I’ve been around someone who
pursued a creative field, something
that inspired a youthful attitude
towards life. By having a cool dad,
I’m able to follow my own path in
the creative arts world because I
know that it’s possible. So maybe
one day I’ll be that cool, too.
31
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