NEW!! Issue #7 – Spring 2015

MEET NASTY HABIT
CHERRY BOMB REVIEW
MENTAL ILLNESS IN
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
20 WATTS | 1
01 // THE CITY - THE 1975
02 // YESTERDAY - ATMOSPHERE
03 // GRINDIN’ - CLIPSE
04 // AFRICA - TOTO
05 // GRAVITY - TURNSTILE
06 // CLUSH - ISLES & GLACIERS
07 // R U MINE? - ARCTIC MONKEYS
08 // CLARK GABLE - POSTAL SERVICE
09 // CAROLINA - SEU JORGE
10 // NO ROOM IN FRAME - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
11 // JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL - CARRIE UNDERWOOD
12 // A WALK - TYCHO
13 // SEDATED - HOZIER
14 // HEY YA! - OUTKAST
15 // MY BODY - YOUNG THE GIANT
16 // DREAMS - FLEETWOOD MAC
17 // PAST LIVES - BØRNS
18 // PLEASE DON’T - LEO STANARD
TWEET @20_WATTS WHAT
YOU’RE LISTENING TO!
19 // TOTALLY FUCKED - JONATHAN GROFF
20 // TUBTHUMPING - CHUMBAWAMBA
Cover Photo by Adam Gendler
2 | 20 WATTS
20 WATTS | 3
S
T
T
A
20 W
SPRING 2015
WE ASKED:
WHAT IS YOUR
EMOJI STORY?
MIKEY LIGHT
FEATURES EDITOR
LYNDSEY JIMENEZ
EDITOR IN CHIEF
RIKKI SCHNEIDERMAN
MANAGING EDITOR
ADAM GENDLER
MULTIMEDIA
JANE DEPGEN
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
PHIL DECICCA
HEAD DESIGNER
SAM HENKEN
ASSISTANT FEATURES
JACKIE FRERE
FRONT OF BOOK
TIFFANY GOMEZ
PHOTO EDITOR
JOEY COSCO
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
JAKE LIBASSI
WEB EDITOR
A SPECIAL
THANKS TO OUR
CONTRIBUTORS:
KAITLIN GRENIER
COLE HOCK
TOMMY ENDE
KENNY ENDE
ERIN SINGLETON
COPY EDITOR
4 | 20 WATTS
CAROLYN SAXTON
REVIEWS + PUBLICIST
KATIE CANETE
PUBLISHER
JIM COLEMAN
MARKETING
WILL SKALMOSKI
SOCIAL MEDIA
20 WATTS | 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
08 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
10 THE FIVE
11 EAR TO THE GROUND
12 ON THE GRIND
13 PLAYLIST // 20 WATTS GOES ABROAD
15 BACK FROM THE DEAD
16 DROP THE MIC // SEXUALITY IN MUSIC
18 A DAY IN THE LIFE W/ NASTY HABIT
22 WHAT IS EDM?
24 2015: THE YEAR OF HIP-HOP
26 REVIEW // CHERRY BOMB
28 Q&A // RICKY SMITH
31 HEADSPACE
34 DIY, YOU WON’T
38 FUSION FRENZY
42 BACK OF BOOK LETTER
6 | 20 WATTS
20 WATTS | 7
There’s a lot that goes into making a magazine — a lot of arguments, a lot
of cuts, a whole lotta shit that you probably don’t even think about as you’re
holding this book in your hands right now. When you’re sitting down at the
beginning of the semester, thinking about how the hell you’re going to get
better when half of the campus isn’t aware that SU even has a music magazine, putting out a magazine is equivalent to climbing Everest. It sounds like a
fucking awesome idea, but the execution doesn’t go quite right.
That leaves me in an interesting place that very few people are able to
understand. Every success, even the smallest ones, are huge. I don’t try to
masquerade 20 Watts as the next Pitchfork, and I sure as hell know we don’t
have the appeal of some of the other publications on campus. We’re a group
of kids brought together by a passion for music that surpasses everyone but
the Bandier kids. We’re kids that love the magazine so much that we’ll fight
for it and fight for it harder than Boeheim against the NCAA sanctions.
This fight in us makes us a little scrappy, sure, but it only serves us better in
the long run. It teaches us that we aren’t entitled to anything and that if we
want something, it’s up to us to go out and get it. We don’t believe in instant
gratification, and that’s the best thing we might have behind us. We understand the work that goes into things and we know that what we put in is what
we’re getting out of it.
Looking back at what we churned out this semester, this theme continues
throughout the book. Artists have fought for years to be comfortable in their
own skin (see page 16) and broke through some walls to destigmatize mental
illness in the industry (see page 31). Like us, these people found it inside of
them to fight.
LETTER
Revel in the small things, even Beyoncé didn’t win a Grammy in a day.
FROM THE
EDITOR
8 | 20 WATTS
20 WATTS | 9
BY RIKKI SCHNEIDERMAN
ALPHA
PHI
ERIC PRYUDSZ
MILEY CYR
01 JAMES BAY
Who: A small-­town Brit with big­-city musical chops and a haunting voice.
What you’re hearing: Whispering vocals
filled with emotion and skillful storytelling. Listen to “Let It Go” or “Hold Back
the River” for an idea of this Englishman’s true vocal skill.
SEE ALSO: BEN HOWARD
02 SAM HUNT
Who: A country crooner with more than
just a pretty face and some cowboy boots
who is trying too hard to mix pop and
country genres. I see you, Luke Bryan.
attitude, like on “Race Jones,” or with her
gorgeous ballads, like “What Is Love.”
04 GRIZFOLK
Who: Globetrotting five-­piece: this newlyfounded group includes a Floridian singer­
songwriter and two producers from Sweden.
What you’re hearing: An effortless blending of pop-­happy synthesizers and strong
vocal performances. Electric sounds guide
their tracks (“Hymnals”), but the band
knows how to return to bare-­bones sound
(“Cosmic Angel,” an acoustic cut).
SEE ALSO: WALK THE MOON
05 ZZ WARD
SEE ALSO: THOMAS RHETT
What you’re hearing: Smoky, deep vocals that take command over every
track. Ward’s voice and musical prowess
shine through most prominently in her
edgy, fast-­paced tracks like “Put the Gun
Down”, but also soften for her slower
tracks (“Last Love Song”).
Who: A feisty singer with a powerful
range whose high-­
pitched trills sound
almost inhuman.
What you’re hearing: A performer who
can stop any show with her howling
10 | 20 WATTS
DELTA
SIGMA PI
OMIT BOYS
BACKSTREE
TEGAN AND
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ORGIA LIN
FLORIDA GE
SARA
BEYONWCIFET
TAYLOR S
SEE ALSO: EMELI SANDE
What you’re hearing: Hunt has lighthearted fun without smothering sappiness in “House Party” and addresses
social issues in the standout track “Take
Your Time.”
03 V. BOZEMAN
KE$HA
TAU BETA
SIGMA
Who: A Pennsylvanian bombshell
who sings, writes, and is also a multi­
instrumentalist. Because life isn’t fair.
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SEE ALSO: GIN WIGMORE
20 WATTS | 11
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WHY GO ABROAD WHEN 20 WATTS CAN GO FOR YOU?
BY JAKE LIBASSI
You know that one song? The
song that you just get? The one
that you TURN THE FUCK UP
TO?!?1!
You know that person on the
dance floor? The one that you
just fucking want?
That song and that person represent the pinnacle of your night.
As far as anyone is concerned,
your night didn’t really start until
Andre counts to three.
You know all the words.
You’re confident as fuck.
You walk right up to that boy/girl
and grab them by the hips. Those
hips don’t lie. You pull them close
and they pull you closer.
It’s time.
Pelvis meets pelvis. Tongues
tango. Hand meets butt. You’re
probably not going home with
this person, but as far as you’re
concerned, that person is the
only one in the world.
Fuck everyone else, this
acne-ridden behemoth is the
most beautiful person you’ve
ever met. And that bass line is
enough to get you hard on its own.
Nobody actually enjoys standing
around with a Silver Bullet in their
hand while awkwardly tapping
their feet to a song they don’t
even like. Every time you walk
into some strange house on
Euclid cruising for the opposite —
or matching — genitalia, you have
that one jam in mind. Once Darius opens up his big fat fucking
mouth to croon “Wagon Wheel,”
you might as well live there.
After years of research and
inquiry, I’ve found that there are
in fact no words for this track.
Therefore, I hereby decree that
this magical canticle be known
as the “bid song.”
You enter the party a GDI. You
leave a brother.
PANAMA AUSTRALIA
Despite lacking a full-length album, this
electronic three­
-piece has quality original work compiled into two extended
plays. Panama is featured on Australia’s
record label Future Classic, home to artists Flume and Chet Faker. Aside from
their standout original songs like “Always”
and “How We Feel,” Panama’s remix of
Clubfeet’s “Cape Town” (not featured on
either EP) has been in standard rotation
for a few years now, and it’s a perfect for
summer jam for simply kicking it.
“HOW WE FEEL”
POMO CANADA
Pomo isn’t your average producer working
from his bedroom and watching YouTube
tutorials to learn how to DJ. His musical
knowledge and talent with instruments
was plenty enough reason for Vice’s
music channel THUMP to name him
the breakthrough Canadian producer of
2014. With his mix of 70s/80s funk, hip
hop and organic sounds, Pomo distances
himself from mainstream dance music.
THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH
SWEDEN
A guy from Dalarna, Sweden managed
to make a lasting impact on the international folk music community. Vocally
compared to a young Bob Dylan, Kristian
Matsson (aka The Tallest Man On Earth)
shares his love for nature and, well…
love. His new album Dark Bird Is Home is
set to release May 12th, making this his
first release since 2012.
“LITTLE RIVER”
LITTLE SIMZ UNITED KINGDOM
After collaborating with some of the
hottest up-and-coming producers in the
game, specifically Souleciton members
IAMNOBODI and Sango, many have
started taking notice of U.K. rap artist
Little Simz. Her strong British accent
and undeniable swagger give her the
ideal traits essential for standing out in
a flourishing hip­-hop scene. One listen to
her voice and you’ll be hooked.
“MANDARIN ORANGES (FEAT. WALDO)”
“START AGAIN”
12 | 20 WATTS
20 WATTS | 13
Not even a year after her band’s sophomore album went platinum, singer Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine
issued a surprising announcement: a
year off.
Florence + The Machine really shined Ceremonials was written after splitting
from her longtime boyfriend, and the album bears a cold and scathing emotion
that only Welch’s voice could achieve.
Concerns about the future of the band
immediately surfaced, as is the case
with any hiatus. Why a year? What if it
becomes longer? Who could replace this
presence in music?
Now, it’s not like Welch had totally
disappeared – her collaboration with
Calvin Harris, the addictive “Sweet Nothing,” received significant chart attention,
and the group contributed to a few films.
But these teases were no “Kiss With A
Fist.” The full impact of Florence + The
Machine lies within their own music.
The latter concern proves to be the greatest one – Florence Welch stands as one
of the most distinct voices of mainstream
indie music, unique and immensely powerful. Welch’s distinct vocals restructure
and define any track she’s involved in.
In short, Florence Welch is irreplaceable.
Which is why the announcement of her
year-long hiatus was troubling, but for
die-hard fans it wasn’t surprising: Welch
suffered from depression between
Florence + The Machine’s smash debut
Lungs and then Ceremonials, the
band’s second LP.
In Welch’s absence, music began to
change. Adele disappeared. Ariana
Grande grew up (and got naked) before
our very eyes. Lady Gaga began performing with Tony Bennett, of all people.
Iggy Azalea’s ass became a thing.
BACK FROM THE DEAD
florence & the machine
BY RIKKI SCHNEIDERMAN | ILLUSTRATION BY JANE DEPGEN
14 | 20 WATTS
Overall, music began to lean towards
empowerment and strength - which is
all well and good. Of course, Welch sang
about all of these things: “Shake it Out,”
“Dog Days are Over,”etc. But it was her
lesser-known ballads of lament where
IN SHORT,
Florence Welch is
irreplaceable.
WHICH IS WHY THE
ANNOUNCEMENT OF HER
YEAR-LONG HIATUS WAS
TROUBLING.
Hopes were rejuvenated in mid-June of
last year, when Welch confirmed a third
studio album, How Big, How Blue, How
Beautiful was in the works, with “What
Kind of Man,” as the first single. The
song is catchy, but it’s the lyrics chronicling a tumultuous and abusive relationship that echo loudest in this track.
If this first single (as well as the group’s
headlining slot at Lollapalooza) is any
indication, Florence + The Machine
are back with a vengeance. And they
wouldn’t have it any other way.
20 WATTS | 15
DROP THE MIC
BY MIKEY LIGHT
When I say that homosexuality, and
sexuality in general, are commoditized
by the music industry, I’m not saying labels are slapping big “THIS GUY IS GAY”
stickers onto Sam Smith albums.
Let’s take a trip back to 1972. In an
interview for the now-defunct British
music publication Melody Maker, David
Bowie (of Labyrinth fame) not only
announced that was he bisexual, but
that it was “the best thing that ever
happened to [him].” This announcement
came with a massive media surge,
and it defined him until 1983, when he
claimed heterosexuality in an interview
for Rolling Stone, another now-defunct
music publication.
Now, Bowie carries quite a bit of musical
clout in my book. In fact, to call him one
of the most influential musicians of the
past 50 years wouldn’t be a stretch. So
why should one of the most important
people in the history of modern music
be defined by their sexuality?
Girl.” Why is it controversial? Because it
deals with nebulously gay subjects.
Remember last year’s Grammy awards?
They put two-thirds of the Luftballons worth
of gay people on stage and paraded them
around during what should have been the
most special moment of their lives. And
the song that started all of this shit, “Same
Love,” doesn’t even do anything to promote
homosexuality in the first place. In fact,
Macklemore opens the song by reaffirming
his own heterosexuality.
lol.
But it’s okay, right? Because “Stay With
Me” is so much more powerful when
you learn that it’s about a dude, and
Frank Ocean is pretty good for someone
who’s both gay AND black.
WHY DO WE FUCKING CARE?!
Because sex sells. And homosex sells
even better.
Who gives a shit about an artist’s sexuality? Why does it matter? We as a society
obsess about the personal lives of the
people who devote themselves to entertaining us, and feel the need to inject
ourselves and our own personal prejudices into absolutely everything they do.
Think about it. Whenever somebody
“might have the gay,” our society loses
its collective shit. Media executives market this to tremendous effect. Katy Perry’s career is based off of the success
of her “controversial” single “I Kissed a
When the music industry all of the
sudden starts to promote homosexuality and alternative sexual lifestyles in
general, it’s telling us that “now it is acceptable to be gay.” In actuality, it never
should have mattered in the first place.
16 | 20 WATTS
ARE WE BEING SOLD OUR OWN SEXUALITY?
20 WATTS’ FEATURES EDITORS TELL US WHAT THEY THINK.
BY SAM HENKEN
Commodification as defined by the
ever-reliable source Wikipedia is “the
transformation of goods and services, as
well as ideas or other entities that may not
be considered goods, into a commodity.”
Based on this definition, if homosexuality
is being commodified by the music industry, where are all the gay people?
That’s not to say that the LGBT community is not represented in music. There
are a host of artists that fall under the
umbrella of “LGBT music,” but I don’t
know any of them. You probably don’t
either. The “genre” of LGBT music
remains a small niche.
Ocean essentially disappeared from the
spotlight until he announced his new
album Boys Don’t Cry, set for release
in July. Channel Orange sold decently,
but no real attempt has been made to
make Ocean a massive commercial star.
His one potential sponsorship, an ad
campaign with Chipotle, fell through.
Hip-hop remains without a major homosexual voice, much less one that is
“marketable.” For instance, openly gay
rapper Cakes da Killa remains relatively
unknown, despite praise from critics. If labels were trying to commodify homosexuality, they would sign more LGBT performers and market them on their sexuality.
The gender of the subject of a song is
not a huge deal. People aren’t looking
up the meaning of a song JUST to know
the sexuality of the singer. And to say
that homosexuality is being used to sell
records? I just don’t believe that.
Sam Smith is another artist whose ca-
Frank Ocean rose to fame on the
strength of his mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA, and a few days before he released
his debut album Channel Orange,
Ocean published an open letter discussing a relationship with a man with whom
he said he was in love. As with any
controversial announcement, there was
a huge response from Ocean’s fans and
the press that was mostly accepting of
his decision to publish the letter.
Smith’s In the Lonely Hour was a wild
reer broke before coming out of the closet. He appeared on Disclosure’s hit song
“Latch,” which made him a household
name. He, like Ocean, came out right
before the release of his debut album.
success both critically and commercially. The album netted him four Grammys.
However, Smith’s album sales hardly
differ from any other major pop album.
Homosexuality is just another dimension of who an artist is. While this aspect of their identity may capture media
attention, labels are not falling over
each other to find the next LGBT star.
20 WATTS | 17
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
NASTY HABIT(
BY NASTY HABIT)
you’ll find the guys of Nasty Habit
When they’re not tearing up the local skate park,
their twenties, the Syracuse-based hard
headlining clubs across the country. Barely in
ens when you drop everything to chase
rock band is a shining example of what happ
racked up online don’t hint at sucthe dream. If the hundreds of thousands of plays
d the dorm room for a 12-passenger
cess, just ask their die-hard fan base. They trade
coast to coast. What’s a day in the life
van and hit the road to play kickass shows from
the guys themselves.
with Nasty Habit? Who better to show you than
18 | 20 WATTS
20 WATTS | 19
20 | 20 WATTS
20 WATTS | 21
WHAT IS
EDM?
BY ERIN SINGLETON
I’m assuming the phrase “it’s a fantastic era in music to be alive” is probably
not the most common phrase you’ll hear
nowadays. In fact, I anticipate eye rolls
from parents in response to the sound of
our thunderous beats and basses, coupled with the cries of hipsters proclaiming the “real” music scene is dead. What
else is new? Well, let me repeat myself:
what a damn fine music era to be alive.
Don’t agree?
Well, let’s start here: what is the first
thing you think of when you see the
words “electronic dance music?” Many
perceive electronic dance music, or
EDM, as a group of drugged-out, nearly-naked ravers covered in fishnet tights,
bandanas, “kandi” beaded facemasks,
and neon studded bras, which is truly a
shame. The EDM scene is alive, thriving,
and showing no signs of slowing down
anytime soon. However, it has met harsh
22 | 20 WATTS
criticism from media outlets and older
generations alike. As a music enthusiast
of all genres, with a plethora of concerts
under my belt, I can safely say that the
electronic music scene is misunderstood. It is possible to be a straightedge
EDM fan. It is possible to attend an EDM
concert without wearing a bra and highlighter-pink tutu. And it is possible to enjoy the music out of a party context – I’m
listening to it as I write this.
Electronically-produced
music
has
grown into a norm over the past decade,
worming its way into nearly every genre.
Mumford & Sons, for example, are experimenting with electronic sounds in their
upcoming album, Wilder Mind, departing from their signature banjo sound. It
should be applauded, not frowned upon,
that the technological world has made
possible the creation of such music.
Many musicians now create fusions of
mind-blowing music full of richly blended, organic sounds. Avicii is a known for
HTTP://BEARAVE.COM/
doing this and has even built his career
around it; Porter Robinson, The Knocks,
RAC, and plenty others fuse sounds in
their live performances as well.
One of the magical aspects of electronic music is its ability to transform an
already-established genre through remixes and samples. For example, Gryffin’s remix of Tove Lo’s “Talking Body”
preserves its original chorus and basic
melody, but renovates its complexion
to one of ‘indie dance.’ Electronic artist
Rameses B’s remix of Holly Drummond’s
“Diving In” takes the alternative rock
song and crafts an ambient, spacey
drum & bass track. Likewise, Manila Killa’s take on Dawn Golden’s “All I Want”
fashions a futuristic tropical-house remix that boasts an uplifting tone. So if
EDM is capable of adding such dimension, why are we looking at EDM strictly
through the raving scene lens?
Part of the issue is with the name itself.
EDM is less about “D” and more about
the “E & M.” Electronic music can be
listened to now, not just danced to. The
spectrum is expanding, proving that electronic music generates a massive genre.
The ‘60s brought synthesizers, and while
the music was not necessarily “dance,”
it introduced an essential flair to rock
music. That flair continued with the ‘70s,
which introduced funk and disco artists
like Sly & the Family Stone and Kool and
the Gang, who further questioned the
norm with innovative sounds and digital production. By the ‘80s, disc jockeys
were prominent in the dance scene, using turntables to sample songs in dance
clubs, thus birthing techno, house, and
other sub-genres of EDM.
However, there was a clear division between these club-central sounds and
mainstream pop sugarcoated for the
public. Moby, The Chemical Brothers,
and Daft Punk were leading artists who
blended mainstream and underground
electronic music in the ‘90s. By the new
millennium, other major artists encompassed the scene, such as Deadmau5,
Skrillex, Tiesto, and David Guetta.
The timeline of electronic music highlights the vastness of its evolution in
terms of genre, production, and context.
However, the media’s critical lens diminishes electronic music’s history and
makes it easy to stereotype and generalize EDM as the party scene. A type of
music once niche and underground saw
an expansion to festivals and raves, and
has since expanded further.
EDM isn’t important just because it’s at
the forefront of our millennial music industry — rather, that’s a fraction of the
beauty. It’s important because we have
access to a sea of talented artists waiting to be discovered. It’s important because of our capability to blur the lines
between genres. It’s important because
of the endless choices we have as listeners and fans. Take advantage of those
accessible opportunities and explore
for yourself. Uncover a type of music
you never knew existed. See the world
of electronic music beyond what you already think of it, and absorb the voice
and genre of our generation.
20 WATTS | 23
2015
and important. The album debuted at
#1 and received unanimously positive
reviews. To Pimp A Butterfly will reign as
the most influential rap album of 2015,
and will certainly be a favorite for both
Album of the Year and Best Rap Album
at the Grammys next February.
KUNTA,” “ALRIGHT,” “U”
IF YOU’RE READING THIS IT’S
TOO LATE, DRAKE
BY WILL SKALMOSKI | ILLUSTRATION BY JANE DEPGEN
In 2014, hip-hop experienced an off
year. As Iggy Azalea ruled the charts
Here are the top prizes for 2015’s
game changers:
with “Fancy,” rap fans spent a year
speculating on their favorite artists’ new
projects. The Grammy category for Best
Rap Album lacked excitement, with Eminem’s lackluster The Marshall Mathers
LP 2 taking the award.
In 2015, we are faced with an entirely
different situation. Current hip-hop
kings — many deemed living legends
— are poised to take over the world
of music. Some releases have proven
worthy of the hype; however, many are
still to come.
24 | 20 WATTS
“SUNDAY CANDY,” “HOME STUDIO”
“I”, “WESLEY’S THEORY,” “KING
SILVER MEDAL
THE YEAR OF HIP-HOP
leader of a versatile band. In addition to
previously released tracks, awe-inspiring
live performances indicates nothing
short of excellence. Look for the Chance
to make news as a superstar without a
record label, too.
It’s tough to discount a rapper that
can land every track on his mixtape in
the Billboard 100 — a feat only accomplished previously by The Beatles. Drake
crafts club hits with ease, and this latest
release is no different. This mixtape
also takes on an individualistic, contemplative theme that adds a certain depth
to the work.
“ENERGY,” “LEGEND,” “10
HONORABLE MENTION
SO HELP ME GOD, KANYE WEST
(YET TO BE RELEASED)
By the time this magazine prints, we
may have experienced a new Kanye
West album in its entirety. Until then,
we can only speculate on what Yeezy
will include on his new release. Though
his singles have charted high, critical
response has been less than complementary; however, it is hard to imagine
a less than excellent Kanye West album.
Until then, we can only hope for his best
album yet.
“ALL DAY,” “ONLY ONE”
BANDS,” “KNOW YOURSELF,” “6
GOLD MEDAL
TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY,
KENDRICK LAMAR
Rap’s reigning king of the West dropped
his latest album as a surprise on
Monday, March 16 — a week before
its scheduled release. As fans flocked
to download the album on iTunes,
they were met with an instant classic. A tumultuous 2014 inspired an
album centered on self worth, a theme
adopted by music fans as both timely
PM IN NEW YORK”
BRONZE MEDAL
Here are some emerging hip-hop
acts to watch in 2015:
SURF, CHANCE THE RAPPER
AND THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT
(YET TO BE RELEASED IN FULL)
DAYE JACK
FETTY WAP
PELL
DEJ LOAF
TWO 9
OG MACO
VIC MENSA
KEHLANI
K CAMP
TOWKIO
Though we have yet to hear Surf in its
entirety, Chance has released several
tracks on SoundCloud that bode well for
the upcoming LP. The 21-year-old MC,
in tandem with the Social Experiment
(SoX), looks to gain traction as the
20 WATTS | 25
20 WATTS REVIEWS:
TYLER,
THE CREATOR
CHERRY BOMB
BY SAM HENKEN
Listening to Tyler, the Creator is
always an experience. Since his
debut mixtape, Tyler has made the
music that he wanted to make. In
the case of his new album Cherry
Bomb, that album is far from your
average rap album.
For years Tyler has discussed
how he is more influenced by jazz
and R&B than rap, and it shows
in an album that spans too many
genres to count. From the opener,
“DEATHCAMP,” which mixes rap
and punkish guitars to “FIND
YOUR WINGS” that is straight
up jazz, the album listens like
26 | 20 WATTS
an ADD fever dream. The dream
gets even more hazy as nearly
every song has a drastic change
halfway through, such as the
title track “CHERRY BOMB,” that
sounds like hardcore punk until
light synthesizers break through
the grime and a sweet female
vocal part brings the song to a
happier place.
At the same time, what you expect from Tyler’s previous album
is there. “BUFFALO” samples Pusha T’s “Numbers on the Board”
and features the synth sounds
that have come to define Tyler’s
production style. “BLOW MY LOAD”
not surprisingly conjures Goblin-era
graphic lyrics.
Parts even conjure up the feelings
and sounds of indie rock. “2SEATER” alternates between Tyler’s
aggressive style of rap and a breakdown with female singer. The song
concludes with an outro with a guitar solo loaded with phaser effects
and mentions of Mac Demarco,
who Tyler has said he’s a big fan.
One new wrinkle in Tyler’s style is
the use of a pitched up effect on
many of the songs on the album.
The lead single of the album,
“FUCKING YOUNG/PERFECT” at
first sounds like it can’t be Tyler,
but it is and the catchy hook featuring Charlie Wilson will get stuck
in your head, even if the lyrics are
fucking weird. ”KEEP DA O’S” has
Tyler rapping in that voice making
fun of the stereotypes of rap music
over a crazy beat that eventually
turns into a soulful breakdown.
In the place of features from his
fellow Odd Future members, Tyler
got features from some of the
biggest names in hip-hop. ScHool
Boy Q goes in on his verse in “THE
BROWN STAINS OF DARKEESE
LATIFAH PART 6-12 (REMIX),” a
song that goes harder than any
Tyler song ever. Kanye and Lil
Wayne appear on “SMUCKERS.”
Kanye comes in singing and spits
an unreal verse highlighted by the
line “You can’t lynch Marshawn if
Tom Brady throwing to me.” Wayne
and Tyler trade lines toward the end
of the song, and its hard to beat a
Weezy feature.
The album concludes with “OKAGA, CA.” The six and a half minute
song only features a small amount
rapping and almost defies genre
altogether, changing its sound
throughout, a microcosm of the
album itself.
Cherry Bomb shows Tyler, the Creator’s maturation as an artist, but
keeps his childish tendencies. His
beats are more complex and blend
a mixture of genres seamlessly.
But the lack of focus in many of the
songs and some repetitive beats
show he still has some growth to
go. Fans of Tyler, the Creator will
be split, as they were with Wolf,
between those wanting jazz and
those wanting rap. For fans of
Tyler’s softer work, Cherry Bomb is
a step forward. However, fans of his
earlier work may be left waiting for
a rap album.
20 WATTS | 27
What are you working on now?
RS
What did you do during your
year off?
BY JACKIE FRERE
Ricky Smith, a freshman in the Bandier
program, is a jack-of-all-trades. He has
acted professionally, created a nonprofit
organization, and taken a year off of
school to travel. But now Smith means
business. He wants to focus on his
music career, which starts with collaborating with artists and recently signing
with a manager to promote his image.
20 Watts sat down with Smith for five
minutes to find out what got him started
and where he’s headed next.
RS
Who is Ricky Smith?
RS
I sing, produce and write songs.
I started in the entertainment
industry as a child — I played in
a Broadway show — and I started taking music seriously as a
sophomore in high school. I took a
year off of school after high school
to record and think about my life
a little bit. After I got to Syracuse I
was contacted by Max Gredinger.
We started talking, and he officially
signed as my manager in December. He manages the group AER,
and we’ve been working together
since then.
28 | 20 WATTS
I’m working on an EP and collaborating with some EDM producers.
I’m about to release a video that I
worked on with Loud and Clear. It’s
a cover of “Who’s Going to Save
My Soul” by Swedish House Mafia
that we filmed at St. Paul’s Church.
I’m doing a few performances on
campus, too.
I deferred a year after I got into the
Bandier program because I wasn’t
sure if I wanted to go. I went to
California, which was pretty cool,
and started to form some business
and philosophical ideas. I started
to think that the world was really
bad, so I thought, if I could fix the
world, if I was given the power to
create something to solve all the
problems that are wrong in the
world right now, what would I do? I
also experimented with psychedelic drugs. I matured a lot.
How would you describe
your sound?
RS
It’s a combination of a lot of different things, because that’s who I am
as a person. It’s almost a lot of contradictions, even. I’m black and Hispanic and I’m from the city. There’s
a lot of conflicting things about me
as a person, and I feel like my music reflects that. Very influenced by
soul and R&B from the 1960s. And
then in 2015, we’re in a time that’s
very collaborative — and I’m excited
to contribute to that.
@TWENTYWATTS
LET’S
SNAP
20 WATTS | 29
Kurt Cobain was diagnosed with
bipolar disorder at a young age, according to his cousin, Bev Cobain,
an advocate for suicide prevention.
Bipolar disorder existed within his
family history, but he never sought or
received treatment for it.
“As Kurt undoubtedly knew, bipolar
illness can be very difficult to manage, and the correct diagnosis is
crucial,” said Bev Cobain. “Unfortunately for Kurt, compliance with
the appropriate treatment is also a
critical factor.”
Still today, there are negative connotations aligned with mental illness.
Harvard Medical School reports that
25 percent of adults deal with some
form of mental illness, but two-thirds
of those affected never seek help.
Mental illness is a common problem,
but due to social stigma, people are
hesitant to speak up.
Now, the stigma is being attacked
head-on. 20 years after Cobain’s
death, the music industry has taken
up the responsibility of fighting mental illness stereotypes. Not only are
musicians more accepting of their issues, but some are addressing their
experiences publicly. Their message
is clear: if you suffer from mental illness, it’s okay to ask for help.
BY SAM HENKEN
30 | 20 WATTS
The stress and attention associated
with being a musician can be im-
mensely difficult to deal with. Struggles with mental health once made
it impossible for musicians to have
long, healthy careers. Nowadays, musicians aren’t only facing and overcoming their mental illnesses, but
they’re also working to end the stigma attached to the bigger picture.
SELL THE KIDS FOR FOOD,
WEATHER CHANGES MOODS,
SPRING IS HERE AGAIN,
REPRODUCTIVE GLANDS.
-NIRVANA, “IN BLOOM”
Brian Wilson initially functioned
as the principal songwriter for The
Beach Boys. His time with the band
marked an incredibly prolific period
between 1963 and 1965, during
which The Beach Boys produced nine
albums and nineteen singles. This period of work culminated in 1966’s Pet
Sounds, often considered one of the
best albums of all time.
During this success, Wilson began
experimenting heavily with drugs as
a means of coping with his stress.
His experimentation included psychedelics such as LSD, which initially provided inspiration for his work.
20 WATTS | 31
“At first, my creativity increased more
than I could believe,” Wilson said in
reference to LSD during a 2011 interview with The Guardian. “On the
downside, it fucked my brain.”
The drugs caused Wilson to hear
voices in his head - voices that have
not gone away since. Wilson stopped
working on the follow-up to Pet
Sounds, titled SMiLE, and was diagnosed with bipolar schizoaffective
disorder and depression. Instead of
seeking help, he secluded himself
and self-medicated with more heavy
drug use. Despite living in and out of
the spotlight for 15 years, Wilson did
not seek help for his issues until he
married his second wife in 1995.
Wilson now writes and releases music on a fairly regular basis, and is
vocal about how he copes with his
illness. He even finished SMiLE,
which he had abandoned at the onset of his illness in 1967. With the
rebirth of his career, Wilson wants
to combat the negativity associated
with his condition.
“I say ‘We Shall Overcome,’ I use
that all the time.” he said in an interview with Ability Magazine. “We shall
overcome all the bad notions people
have, the preconceived notions.”
Wilson rejuvenated his career by
accepting his issues and dealing
with them in a healthy way. Current,
32 | 20 WATTS
younger artists are taking it one step
further, using their fame as a platform to help others deal with their
own issues.
The lead singer of Passion Pit, Michael Angelakos, was diagnosed with
bipolar disorder when he was 18. He
kept that fact out of public knowledge
because he didn’t want people to link
his music to his condition.
CURRENT, YOUNGER
ARTISTS ARE TAKING IT
ONE STEP FURTHER,
USING THEIR FAME AS
A PLATFORM TO HELP
OTHERS DEAL WITH
THEIR ISSUES.
“The reason I never came out about
it in the years beforehand was because I didn’t want mental illness
to inform how people listen to the
music and then read into it as being,
you know – this is the sound of bipolar,” he said in an interview with
Timeout Chicago.
As a result of his disorder, Angelakos attempted suicide once when he
was 19, and continued to struggle
with suicidal thoughts into his twenties. Before Passion Pit released
their first album, Manners, he spent
five weeks in a mental health facility.
combat the stigma of mental illness
in the media.
When the band started to work on
their second album, Gossamer, studio difficulties sent Angelakos into a
two-month-long manic episode. Mania, an element of bipolar disorder,
is a state of grandiosity and racing
thoughts, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Because the mania
is conducive to drug and alcohol
abuse, Agelakos binge drank to cope
with his state.
Angelakos recently became a
spokesperson for Bring Change 2
Mind, another organization that
deals with the destigmatization of
mental illness, and starred in a PSA.
After this period, his girlfriend finally
convinced him to see a professional.
Angelakos was able to return to work
on the album after he stopped drinking, as his new producer requested.
The band eventually finished Gossamer, but cancelled tour dates following the 2012 release so that Angelakos could focus on his health.
“Once I started accepting my mental
condition, it like stung for a little bit
and everything improved,” he said
in the PSA, targeted towards men
coping with mental illness. “When
people ask me what its like to live
bipolar, you just have to adjust and
figure out exactly how you’re gonna
live your life the way you want to
achieve it. Achieve what you want
to achieve but you can only do that
when you get help.”
Since then, Angelakos has worked
to erase the stigma that comes with
mental illness by being open about
his struggles. Before deactivating his
Twitter account, he retweeted messages from mental health organizations and sent encouraging tweets
to fans suffering from the same
problems he dealt with. In 2013, Angelakos received the Beatrice Stern
Media Award at the Erasing the Stigma Leadership Awards, awarded to
individuals who have chosen to help
20 WATTS | 33
IF YOU WANT IT DONE
RIGHT...DO IT YOURSELF.
BY JOEY COSCO
REPORTING BY MIKEY LIGHT
PHOTOS BY ADAM GENDLER
One of the funny things about music is
that it encompasses both the acoustic
cover of Sheryl Crow’s “The First Cut Is
The Deepest” you recorded with your
roommates, and Beyoncé’s latest studio album. In the past, these two recordings are a huge distance away. But
in 2015, the difference between these
two situations is growing smaller and
smaller - with the Internet, it’s getting
increasingly easier to “do it yourself.”
Here’s a guide on how to DIY and take
your music project from the dorm room
to iTunes and beyond.
34 | 20 WATTS
20 WATTS | 35
SQUARE
KICKSTARTER
That big one. With more than two
dozen music projects funded in Syracuse alone, Kickstarter is a great
way to raise some scratch for your a
cappella group’s album, your band’s
music video, or even your first tour.
Alex Shenkman, a Syracuse senior and a capella group Orange
Appeal’s music director, says after
recording an album with disappoint-
ing production quality, the group set
out to create a better effort. The
sticker price for a passable recording: $10,000. Orange Appeal then
listed their album on Kickstarter.
“I didn’t think we were gonna do it
to be honest,” Shenkman said. “But
nineteen kids raised over $10,000,
and we raised that really fast.”
PLEDGEMUSIC
For a non-Kickstarter crowdfunding option, consider PledgeMusic. This site
carefully words its purpose. Instead of
funding an artist’s project, PledgeMusic allows users to pre-order your album and then “unlock” perks, usually
insight into the creative process.
“Artists are more interesting when
they’re creating something than when
they’re selling something,” President
and Founder Benji Rogers says.
Therefore, PledgeMusic should help
you market yourself and your most
interesting.
BANDCAMP
Keep your fans happy and upload
your music to a site like Bandcamp
that allows free streaming. Then you
can charge set prices or let fans pay
what they want for your stuff. Syra-
36 | 20 WATTS
cuse band Sophistafunk uses Bandcamp to distribute free downloads to
people who come to shows and grab
their business cards.
Besides paying for your cappuccino
at Kubal, you can use Square for
many things, including selling records. All it takes is a picture of your
merch and a free account and you’re
good to open your own store. What’s
more: Gold says Square takes a significantly smaller chunk of your profits compared to similar services.
“That’s crucial. That’s how you get
the money,” Gold says.
TUNECORE
You wrote your stuff. You recorded
your stuff. Now it’s time to sell it.
Tunecore will let you do this at low
prices while still reaping rewards.
“You can release one song, one album,” Gold says. “It’s an easy way to
get your music out there. They have
a fast track. You don’t have to worry
about going to every single website.”
For a small annual fee, Tunecore
will distribute your music catalog to
iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, and
a dozen other places people actually
look for an buy music online.
SOCIAL MEDIA ADS
Everyone knows Twitter and Facebook, and obviously it’s important for
your budding music project to have a
presence on these types of social
sites. Perhaps more importantly:
actually coughing up a little cash for
advertising on social networks.
talent buyer and promoter Matt Dunn
says. “Social Media works.”
Since Facebook’s algorithm prevents
100% of your fans from seeing every
post, paid ads can help you reach
your full potential.
“Paying for advertising on Twitter
works. It just does,” Syracuse Shows
While reporting this article, frequently-heard advice included the following
tips: tour often, use music blogs to your advantage, and, of course, make
sure your music is solid. Combining an old fashioned musician’s perfectionist work ethic and 2015’s many marketing tools, there’s no reason you can’t
do it yourself and get your project off the ground.
20 WATTS | 37
WHY HAVE ONE GENRE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THEM ALL? // BY JAKE LIBASSI
38 | 20 WATTS
Today, the music industry is seeing
saturated, artists must find ways to
a term that’s been thrown around
construct completely unique sounds,
for years finally establishing itself in
which means defying typical genre
mainstream sound: genre-bending.
conventions. Crossovers between
Technological advancements make
jazz and electronic, rap and funk,
it easier than ever for artists to rec-
and even country and EDM exempli-
reate any sound, instrument, and
fy how current artists aren’t afraid to
noise imaginable. The industry is so
experiment. For some, it’s a way of
20 WATTS | 39
infiltrating new fan bases in order to
reach a certain level of commercial
success. For others, genre-bending
is a way of expressing originality.
Industry professionals, like legendary producer Rick Rubin, noticed these creative minds early on
and took it upon themselves to aid
them in developing their “futuristic”
sounds. Rubin has taken select artists under his wing who he believes
challenge the single-genre standard,
demonstrating show how significant
this transformation is.
Rapper and 2014 Bandersnatch
performer Goldlink is one of Rubin
protégés. He teamed up with another Rubin disciple. Together the
two teamed up to release “Sober
Thoughts,” the video of which Billboard.com described as “slightly
surreal…whose casual, eclectic vibe
perfectly matches the laid-back
synths and melodic hook.” This is
real. This sound is working. And right
now in electronic music it’s essential.
Electronic music has had a remarkable impact on the genre-bending
craze, both within its own scene as
well as various other music scenes
due to its versatile nature. Simply
put, it is a piece of our generation.
Saxohouse and tropical house, for
example, are relatively new styles
of electronic music which act as ac40 | 20 WATTS
cessible points for people who don’t
typically like this genre. There’s a
fair chance your parents would enjoy Kygo or Klingande because their
take on electronic house music is
likely light and blended with relatable genres such as jazz and disco.
Rafe Cohan, a Syracuse University
student artist known professionally as White Cliffs, has noticed this
trend across the industry.
“Recently in electronic [music],
there has been a massive correlation between commercial success
and ‘owning’ a subgenre. The last
“
CURRENT ARTISTS
AREN’T AFRAID TO
EXPERIMENT
”
five years of electronic music, if
looked at from a distance, is nothing more than a series of subgenres being pioneered,” Cohan said.
“Artists like Dillon Francis, Oliver
Heldens, Skrillex, Martin Garrix,
and RL Grime have all laid claim to
their own subgenres such as moom-
bahtoon, deep house, dubstep, bigroom house, and trap, respectively.”
Cohan also bends genre barrier in
his own music, experimenting with
hip-hop, motown, and indie rock to
as a producer. He’s been producing
electronic music since high school,
exploring various genres to get a
grasp on the basics before honing
in on his own distinct style through
sound design and sampling. His influences range from electronic subgenres to classic rock to reggae.
“My dad put me onto a ton of Bob
Marley and Jimi Hendrix music as
a kid, and I have definitely tried to
apply that warm, vintage, imperfect
aesthetic to what I hope to develop
as my signature sound,” Cohan said.
ones making the biggest changes
in the industry. And no, I’m not referring to DJ Snake and Lil Jon. It’s
Goldlink, Kygo, Dylan Francis, and
Cohan leading the charge.
Next time you go on a hunt for new
jams, try to shed your preconceived
notions of traditional genres and dive
into the extensive ocean of music
that exists because of genre-bending. Don’t like country? Maybe you
would if you heard it melded with hiphop. Don’t like hardcore? Maybe you
would if you heard it with jazz. The
possibilities are endless, and all you
have to do is venture out to find them.
His diverse musical taste plays a
huge role in the music he creates,
whether it’s listening for inspirational purposes to aid his creative flow,
or directly pulling a sample from an
existing piece of music and reworking it to his liking.
“For example, ‘Go With You’ by Toro
y Moi is a recent example of a completely organic piece of indie-rock
that provides an unexpected backbone for one of my upcoming projects,” he said.
The artists who have been working
to push these boundaries are the
20 WATTS | 41
THANK
YOU!
THEO CATEFORIS
FACULTY ADVISOR
MELANIE STOPYRA
OFFICE OF PUBLICATIONS
FOR MORE CONTENT CHECK OUT:
20WATTSMAG.COM
42 | 20 WATTS
20 WATTS | 43
SPRING 2015
44 | 20 WATTS
YOUR STUDENT FEE