March 2014 - The Cut Magazine

madeline
follin
brian
oblivion
cults
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volume7.issuE4.MARCH2014
in this issue
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07
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16
22
25
26
28
30
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volume7.issue4.March2014
letter from the editor
music news
Legs like tree trunks
cults
Pittsburgh records
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
Ben Alderoty, Allison Cosby, Hannah Dellabella,
Drevin Galentine, Max Harlynking, Dhruva
Krishna, Chloe Lula, Will Lush, Nicole Marrow,
Arun Marsten, Katherine Martinez, Donovan
Powers, Carson Quiros, Mike Ryan, Naomi
Sternstein, Zack Urbach, Samantha Ward
Photo Staff
Lindsay Corry, Kathy Lee, Will Lush, Katherine
Martinez, Sophie Riedel, Samantha Ward
Art/Layout Staff
Lindsay Corry, Kathy Lee
Editing Staff
​Rachel Asbel, Leela Chockalingam,
Hannah Dellabella, Drevin Galentine,
Zaneta Grant, Halsey Hutchinson,
Geneva Jackson, Danielle Maly​
4
I don’t know about you, but I’ve missed The Cut. While we published an
awesome December issue online, you haven’t been able to cradle us in
your arms since November. Those cold days are over, though, and this
March The Cut is back full force to give you another issue that all of us
are proud of.
After reorienting yourself into the music world with Allison Cosby’s always-sassy Music News, check out Nicole Marrow’s column In Defense
Of and Hannah Dellabella’s column Lyrically Speaking. This month Nicole defends lip-synching, which is great because now I can just point
everyone to Nicole’s article whenever I need to justify my dramatic lipsynching renditions of Bruce Springsteen, MF DOOM and everything
else. And by the way: Don’t you love the title of Hannah’s column? If so
(if not screw you), listen to what Hannah has to say about song titles
and how much they can affect a song.
We also have some unique features that you’ll only find in this issue. First off there’s Donovan Powers’ piece on concept albums, which
gives me hope that this artistic feat of musical storytelling is making a
comeback. And there’s a piece written by Naomi Sternstein that I’m
particularly excited about, because it features some awesome local record stores you can find in Pittsburgh. Featuring Sound Cat Records,
720 Music, Mind Cure Records, and Jerry’s Records, this piece will give
you a great idea of the vinyl music scene that Pittsburgh has to offer.
And speaking of music scenes: To pretend as if we have any affect on
any music scene, The Cut put together a poster of the music festival we
would host if people were ever dumb enough to let us host one. Check
it out.
And we can’t forget about the great musicians we have in this issue.
There’s local band Legs Like Tree Trunks, a mathy folk band that our
own Arun Marsten interviewed in Coffee Tree (which I think is pretty
fitting considering the band’s name). And for our cover we have Cults,
an up-and-coming NYC indie-pop duo who makes you cool after you
give them a listen.
And there’s so much more in this issue of The Cut that you still need
to check out. Be sure to read the album reviews and concert reviews to
get a better idea of the music we’ve been hearing and experiencing the
past month. The mixtape - Songs to Heat Things Up - which I think will
keep you hot, hot, hot during the (hopefully) last cold Pittsburgh days.
And once you get through the entire issue, be sure to make a pit stop at
the last page, which features Drevin Galentine’s essay on owning a vinyl
record without having a record player. The essay, along with the rest of
this issue, is something you don’t want to pass up.
Zach Branson
Editor-in-Chief
The Cut Magazine
Recomme
nded alb
ums of th
e month
10songsyouneedtohear
(1) The Tower - Wye oak
(2) Chrysanthemum - Gardens & Villa
(3) Paris - Magic Man
(4) Safe With Me - Sam Smith
(5) If you say so - Lea Michele
(6) Ode to Viceroy - Mac Demarco
(7) Riptide - Vance Joy
(8) Dum Diary Kool A.D.
(9) Stung Deer Tick
(10) Sediment Chalk Dinosaur
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in
defense
of
LIP-SYNCHING
by Nicole Marrow
What exactly do we want from live
performances? Musicians are held to an
impossibly high standard of singing perfectly on
point while busting out flawless dance moves set
to a life-altering laser light show. If one of these
components falters, the show gets scathing
reviews and fans return home disillusioned. Why,
then, shouldn’t they receive a little help in the
vocal department as they’re sweating their way
through intricate choreography, all to please the
masses that came out to be entertained?
An accusation of lip-synching is one of the
quickest ways to tear an artist’s perceived talent
to shreds. If they can’t sing live, there’s no way
their songs can make it out of the studio without
a little detour through Auto-Tune. By accepting
that certain artists lip sync, we automatically
demote them to a lower tier than other
musicians, ones that we deem to be more
“worthy” or “authentic.” We don’t think
twice about Katy Perry and Britney Spears
humming along with backing tracks, but the
second that whispers of a powerhouse like
Beyoncé lip-synching the National Anthem
begin floating around, life no longer seems
worth living. In all reality, does it matter if the
lyrics aren’t flowing from the artist’s mouth
when we’re watching, as long as they have
actually belted them out at some point?
Some would argue that the reason we go to
concerts is to experience in person the music
that has touched our lives in some meaningful
way. Those same people are probably the
ones watching the performance through the
screens of their iPhones as they upload the entire
show to Instagram. I’m not convinced that music
is always the most significant aspect of live shows;
more often than not, we’re just there to breathe the
same air as the musicians that we idolize, even if
we’re not willing to admit it. Which would we prefer
watching: a lip-synched performance that keeps us
impressed and enthralled for two hours, or watch
our favorite singers gasping for air between songs
as they struggle to physically recover in time for the
next downbeat? We ask for a lot from rock stars,
so maybe we should consider why an artist made
the decision to keep their mic turned down the next
time we criticize them for trying to put on a show
that we won’t forget.
lyrically speaking
by Hannah Dellabella
When you’ve been writing for a long time, you get to know your
strengths and weaknesses pretty intimately. As I’ve been working
on my poetry thesis, I’ve realized just how awful I am at titling
my pieces (something my advisor tries to point out as nicely as
he can). I can recognize good and bad titles, but I struggle coming
up with good ones myself. That being said, I think titles are really
important, and good titles can bring an enhancing element to a
piece. Song titles are no exception.
The easiest way to title a piece is to simply take a line from it and
use that as the title. Songs often do this, usually choosing a word
or phrase from the chorus. Examples range from (but aren’t limited
to) “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Wrecking Ball,” and “Livin’ On A
Prayer.” Other songs use this same formula, but choose lyrics that
represent the song as a whole that aren’t necessarily repeated in
the chorus. Some examples are “All The Small Things,” “Little Lion
Man,” and “Little Talks.” Sometimes I find this a little boring, but it’s
easier to remember song titles if they’re sung in the song.
6
While there’s no real drawback in taking your title from the lyrics in
a song, a title that isn’t taken from the lyrics can do more work than a
lyric-based title. The band that is most (in)famous for their non-lyric
titles has to be Fall Out Boy. I defend their use of wildly long titles that
never fit entirely on my iPod screen—I think their titles often give their
songs a new layer that wouldn’t exist without them. My favorite title,
“Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year,” gives the song the idea
of dual perspectives on the same event. Interestingly (and sadly),
their new songs have shied away from the long titles. I feel like it has
something to do with mainstream media and radio play, but maybe
not.
Next time you’re listening to a song—or reading a book or a poem—
take a second to consider the title. And if it’s a really good one, take a
minute and appreciate it. Titles have to do a lot of work, and coming
up with the right title is really hard. Or, you know, sometimes you
name your song “Happy” or “Stay” and it’s really easy.
music news
✂
✂
✂
✂
If you’re like me and you watch the Super Bowl exclusively for the
halftime show, the ads, and all the sexy football player butts (you
know the ones I’m talking about), this year provided plenty to
talk about. Notably—and massively disappointingly—Bob Dylan
starred in one of the worst ads of the night, and the Red Hot Chili
Peppers faked their performance. Good stuff.
Justin Bieber is having the worst month ever, and his
troubles are truly just beginning. The 19-year-old pop
star’s DUI trial is set to begin in March, and I’ve read
rumors about citizens calling for his deportation.
Legendary hardcore band Black Flag is down a member this month
after bassist Dave Klein announced his exit from the band. Klein
is reportedly returning to play for punk band They Stay Dead.
In a marketing campaign that will surely surprise no one, folk rocker
Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) starred in a new video spot for American
boot company Red Wing. The two are a match made in heaven, and
By Allison Cosby
while I’m disappointed at the obviousness of this pairing, I have no
doubt that Vernon really does exclusively wear Red Wing boots.
✂
American Idol fans are getting the opportunity of a lifetime: a
chance to vote for Clay Aiken again. The North Carolina resident
and Idol runner-up announced his Congressional run this month.
Best of all, the pop singer is actually pretty qualified for the position
with a history in political work surrounding special education.
✂
The Grammys happened! Lots of awards were given out:
some deserved, others not. Pharrell wore a weird hat,
Macklemore won just about everything (including Best
Rap Album—sorry, Yeezus), and Beyonce opened the night
with a performance no one could top. #SURFBOARD
✂
Chromeo announced a new album, White Women, due out in May.
The electro funk duo announced the album via a personal ad on
Craigslist on Valentine’s Day. Most groups opt for press releases, but
hey, whatever.
_CONCEPT albums_
by Donovan Powers
As the album begins, people can be heard
talking softly in the background. The high
pitched static buzz of an old TV cuts through,
followed by the instantly recognizable sound
of a Playstation 2 turning on. The string
section swells and Frank Ocean’s Channel
Orange takes the listener on a journey of
exploration, sadness, and self discovery.
Each track on the album serves a purpose
and helps paint the picture of Ocean’s life
and struggles as a gay musician. Every few
tracks there are slightly nonmusical asides,
setting the tone for the next section of the
album and providing context. All of this builds
to the final outro track, simply titled “End,”
which provides closure to the long emotional
journey.
The art of storytelling and music have
always been closely entwined, but never
so effectively as in the case of the concept
album. This trend, which has recently
seen a huge spike in popularity, marks the
pinnacle of creating an album as a piece
of art. These albums transcend the music
industry model of singles and bonus
tracks. Instead they are intended to exist
as a single entity. In order for listeners to
enjoy an album like Channel Orange, the
artist intends for them to do more than just
hear the work. They want listeners to truly
experience it, and do so by meticulously
crafting a story, track by track, that can be
absorbed from beginning to end.
Concept albums are not a new
invention. Notable entries include Pink
Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, the
Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club, and
the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Groups like The
Flaming Lips have taken the idea to the extreme,
creating each album to stand apart from its
predecessors and provide an extremely unique
listening experience.
In recent years the concept album has
become particularly popular in the hip-hop
scene. Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino,
Kendrick Lamar, Kanye…. It seems every
rapper out there today feels the need to make
one, but no one has done it better than Tyler
The Creator. Tyler’s story is an epic, stretching
across three albums and a mixtape. Little things
hidden across his entire body of work merge
together to create a giant universe which Tyler
uses to convey his story. Hidden beneath the
horrorcore, Tyler is pouring his heart out to
7
Interview by Arun Marsten
Photos by Samantha Ward
Legs Like Tree Trunks are a mathy folky indie rock band from
Pittsburgh. They have two EPs out at the moment, a self-titled
and “Future Reference” and they’re currently recording a full
LP. We sat down to talk with guitarist and frontman Matt
Holden about music, life, and putting the two together.
The Cut: So, how did you guys start?
Matt Holden: We started from me being
bored and writing some songs. I put them
on the Internet, Craigslist of all places, and
Dave Sheperd, our bassist, heard them and
decided he wanted to meet me. He came
over to my place and he had a humongous
beard and a Built To Spill T-shirt and I
knew he was the one for me.
The Cut: What would you say the main
influences for your sound are?
8
MH: Everything I suppose. We all have
our own different ones. For me it’s been
Radiohead and Algernon Cadwallader,
Maps and Atlases, Minus the Bear, some
jazz, Duke Ellington in particular. Recently
I’ve been listening to a lot of classical music
as well as some different types of African
music. I’ve also been listening to some old
blues and fingerpicking stuff, like Abner
Jay and John Fahey. Dave is a jazz musician
by trade and Dave Cerminara [guitarist]
is a studio guy, so he listens to basically
everything. Tyler Donaldson [drummer]
likes a lot of old 90s rock and weird bands
from Japan from when he lived and played
in a band there. So, it’s very broad.
The Cut: How would you guys describe
your sound?
MH: Very broadly. Indie rock? I’m not
really sure. To be honest, it’s all pretty
arbitrary. I’m not necessarily trying to
go for a certain type of music, as cliche
as that is to say. It’s just whatever we feel
like playing. As long as it’s the four of us
playing it’ll sound like us.
The Cut: Where did the band name
come from?
MH: When I was 15 or 16 I got a little
recording unit for Christmas and decided
to make some ambient stuff because I was
listening to a lot of stuff like Tristeza and
Sigur Ros. So I recorded some songs and
put them on Myspace, and I used that
name because it was something my dad
had said about a rugby player on TV.
Then I used it for a later project because
I didn’t think it would ever become a full
band, and it did. I kind of wish we could
have had something different, but at least
people remember it I suppose. You get
what you get.
The Cut: What is your favorite town
to play in? Do you like playing in
Pittsburgh?
MH: Pittsburgh is a lot of fun. Once you
get tapped into the scene here it’s great.
People are really supportive; the shows
are always well-attended and people are
excited. And there’s a lot of really good
bands to play with here. But touring is
fun too. It’s part of why we do this, so we
can travel and see places and meet people
and have experiences. Philly is always a
favorite; we probably play there just as
much as we play here, because some of our
guys live there. New York is great. New
Orleans is a crazy place. I really want to
go back. DC is really great too because we
have a lot of friends there.
for Cold War Kids and that was pretty
memorable. It was a much bigger crowd
than we’re used to. Pittsburgh is a city with
a lot of good house shows and DIY spots.
Mr. Roboto is a good DIY spot, so is The
Shop. But Brillobox is where it’s at.
The Cut: Do you have any local bands
that you really like to play with?
MH: We’re working on one right now.
Hopefully it’ll come out this summer.
We’re working with the same producer
as last time, Carl Peterson. He’s been
really helpful as always. He just got done
working with Miley Cyrus and Usher of
all people. We’ve done a little work at
Treelady studios in Pittsburgh, which is a
cool spot. We’ve also been working at The
Studio in Philly, which is where a lot of
big records have been done, like some of
Kanye’s stuff and I think <ital>Trapped in
the Closet<ital> was done there, and The
Roots recorded there. It’s definitely cool to
be a part of that.
MH: Well, we just played a show with
Adventures and Run Forever, and they
were both really great. I used to play for a
band called Nic Lawless, and they’re still a
really good band. Adult Field Trip is cool.
Shaky Shrines is a newer band that’s really
good. Shockwave Riderz is awesome. The
Go To Beds are a really cool punk band.
Nevada Color has some really catchy
songs. There are a lot of really great bands
in Pittsburgh.
The Cut: And your favorite venues?
MH: Brillobox is the place we’ve played
more than any other in Pittsburgh. It’s
always a party when we play there. We
played at Stage AE when we opened
The Cut: You guys just came out with an
EP. When do you think you’ll come out
with a full LP?
The Cut: Is being in a band what you
expected it to be? Are there any things
that surprised you?
MH: Well, there are always surprises. It’s
really the relationships that you build with
the people in your band and the people you
meet on the road. You’ll go back to cities
three or four times and you’ll have friends
there. Those are the things that surprise
you. Who would’ve thought that I’d have
a bunch of friends in all these different
cities? It’s cool. That’s the surprising part.
The Cut: What’s it like being in school
and being in a band at the same time?
MH: It sucks. Well, we’re not all in school
anymore, but having members in different
cities is really fucked up. It’s difficult to
practice, it’s difficult to work on stuff.
But whenever we do get to work together
we’re excited and we want to make it
work. When we were in school we would
just tour during the breaks as much as we
could. We’d go on a lot of weekend trips.
Schedule your shit so you have Fridays off
and you can hit Philly, Jersey, and New
York in a weekend and then get home for
class on Monday if you try. We did that a
lot. I think that’s the way to do it. Just keep
working at it, keep getting better and…do
your schoolwork? I guess? I kind of fucked
around, but I graduated and everything’s
good. Tyler’s gonna graduate. It works out,
you just have to try just like anything else.
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LOTUS
Photos by Katherine Martinez
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THE
MAGAZ
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/2014
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Photos by Kathy Lee
mar
monday
tuesday
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thurs
wednesday
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Pusha T
Altar Bar
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Arcade Fire
CONSOL Energy Center
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Punch Brothers
Mr. Small’s
Anna Nalick
Altar Bar
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Neutral Milk Hotel
Carnegie Music Hall
The Ocean
Scale the Summit
Altar Bar
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rch
sday
friday
sunday
saturday
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The Avett Brothers
Peterson Events Center
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Mark Gordon
Stage AE
Dropkick Murphys
Stage AE
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Semi Super Villains
The Blue Van
Altar Bar
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Grouplove
Stage AE
Wicked Chief
Balloon Ride Fantasy
Club Cafe
Snarky Puppy
Rex Theater
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The War on Drugs
Altar Bar
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Dhruva Krishna
Club Cafe
2 Chainz
Benedum Events Center
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15
NYC-based indie-pop duo,
Cults, found their way into
the limelight after releasing
a three-track EP on the
Internet in 2010. The group,
consisting of former NYU
students Madeline Follin and
Brian Oblivion, was quickly
picked up by In The Name Of,
a subset of Columbia Records
set up by Lily Allen. Since
then, they’ve released two
albums, the most recent, Static,
dropping in October 2013. The
Cut sat down with Oblivion
pre-show at Mr. Smalls to talk
about Static, working in studio,
and the challenges of bringing
their sounds to live shows.
Interview and photos by Samantha Ward
16
The Cut: Could you talk about how the
literal idea of static influenced this
album?
Brian Oblivion: Yeah, I mean it started as just
a purely visual concept. It wasn’t necessarily
anything metaphorical or anything. It was
just the look and the sound of static that
was appealing. I’ve always liked it, ever since
I was a kid, and we kind of liked the sound of
it. It almost sounded like a 70s exploitation
horror movie: Static! You know, it was
exciting, and that’s what we were going for
when we were making the instrumentals,
anything, which is awesome because I
hated our initial phase of our relationship.
Whenever he’d play something back to me
and I hated it, I used to do this thing that
was an obvious way to say I hated it: I would
yawn while I responded to what he said. But
now I haven’t yawned in over a year.
The Cut: How long were you in studio for
this album?
BO: Total, including the work with Ben Allen
[additional producer for Static], I think a little
over four months. We actually spent every
single dollar we got from the label for the
record. You know, that’s pretty excessive. It
just became home. It’s an eight-minute cab
ride from my house to where we record,
so when we finally finished it I didn’t know
like trying to make something that had that
same kind of feeling.
The Cut: So when you’re writing do
you and Madeline Follin usually work
together or separately, or is it a mix of the
two?
BO: Well, more so on this record we worked
separately, which I think is way better. It’s
definitely more fun for me because both
me and Shane [Stoneback], our producer...
we’re both nuts. So we can work for like
16 hours and sit fussing with a keyboard
sound for four hours. Mostly I would work
with just Shane and our keyboardist, Gabriel
Rodriguez. He was in the studio almost every
single day with us this time too, helping us.
The Cut: How was it working with Shane
Stoneback [Producer of Sleighbells,
Vampire Weekend]?
BO: Amazing, for the second time. It’s really
awesome to have someone like that who
just understands you, you know? That’s
really rare. It’s like having another band
member. I never really need to tell him
what to do. I didn’t know where to go. I kept
going back to the studio and hanging out
there even though we didn’t have anything
to work on because I didn’t know how to
function in my life otherwise.
was. For “High Road” we thought, “This song
sounds like a knock-off James Bond song.”
It was a lot of taking those steps from what
seemed like a mimic or gimmick at first to
learning to like it.
The Cut: So this album is a little denser
than the first, a little heavier. It’s been
compared to a film score. Was that
intentional or something that just came
out in the studio?
The Cut: Since it’s a heavier, maybe even
processed sound, how do you recreate
that now that you’re playing all the songs
live?
BO: It definitely was intentional to make
a heavier record, because we had always
played as a live band [before]. We had this
goofy idea about the record, like when we
were working on the songs, even before the
lyrics came in, we would play towards the
genre of whatever it seemed like the song
BO: It took us a really long time to capture
the formula to even make the old songs
sound semi like they did on the record, but
we got pretty efficient at it. We always want
everything that we can do to be live. We
have a full band and we rehearse a lot and
we play all of our samplers live and try to do
the best we can.
17
The Cut: So how do you think your sound
has developed over time?
The Cut: Yeah, do you ever get to tour
around?
BO: It seems like when the first record was
done, like 90% of those things were done on
a tiny $100 mini keyboard on my desk in our
apartment. And it was all fake. It was fake
drums, fake basses, fake strings. Everything
was just something that we cooked up with
a little, you know, logic or whatever. And this
time around we really went all out in making
everything real and live and recording in the
same room and making sure that, mentally,
we could trace back the origin of every
sound to something that was concrete to us.
BO: No, never. We went to India and we were
there for 26 hours. We flew 14 hours to India,
were there for 26 hours, slept for 12 of those,
and then flew back 14 hours in, like, the span
of three days. It was one of the most taxing
things I’ve done to my body in my whole life.
People think you’re insane.
The Cut: Do you have any personal
favorite tracks from this album?
BO: Kind of. Being the dude who does the
music, it’s just parts. “Always Forever” is
probably my favorite on the record because
it’s been my favorite to play live. It gets really
heavy and it grooves in a cool way, and
when we play it in a set it’s really fun. It’s not
hard to talk about what parts or what things
are your favorites. It’s just like you almost
don’t want to.
The Cut: So what’s next for Cults and your
own careers?
BO: We have this tour in Europe in March and
then we go to Australia in April. Come May
or come the summer we’re gonna be playing
the odd festivals and mostly working on
new music. Madeline’s had a lot of awesome
opportunities come up in the coming
months and to sing on a lot of interesting
tracks, like she got to do that song for the
new Jim Jarmusch movie and she’s working
with these crazy French DJs, and I’m really
excited about it. I want her to go for all that
stuff. I want to put out an EP with Gabe from
the band that we’re gonna try to sneak out
for free soon, and then probably get back
in the studio in the fall and have another
record out in the spring of 2014.
The Cut: Sounds good.
BO: I’m ready to get them out faster. I feel
confident, you know, to crank them out. The
label hates it. Everybody hates it. I’m like,
“Yeah we’ll put a record out this time next
year!” They’re like, “You’re crazy! Don’t! Don’t
do it!” But I’m like, “Yeah, I’m gonna do it. You
can’t stop me!”
The Cut: Like picking a favorite child?
BO: Well no, but I can, I can pick them! But if
you’re talking about that, you’re saying you
don’t like other things. I think every parent
probably has a favorite child, they just don’t
want to say it.
The Cut: Do your film and visual art
backgrounds influence your music or
music videos?
BO: I would say—this is a cheesy word—but
we try to curate to the music videos. A lot
of the time we’ll have an idea upfront about
what we’ll want it to be. Like for “High Road”
we wanted a graphic black and white video
with a non-narrative structure. With the first
record we felt like all the videos were storybased. We have a really awesome video
commissioner at our label now. At the end
of the day we always want the real ideas, like
the nuts and bolts of the video, to be from
the director, because then they’re really
inspired to do it.
The Cut: You’re going overseas soon
to continue the tour. Anything you’re
particularly excited about?
BO: Yeah! We’re playing a show in Tel Aviv,
which is going to be really crazy. We’re also
going to Istanbul and we’re staying an extra
day at the end of the tour. We’re gonna go
look around at some stuff—we’re getting
better at doing that.
18
By Jing Ji
madeline
follin
brian
oblivion
cults
ing Li
19
20
21
pittsburgh re
Record store owners all over Pittsburgh have been noticing the resurgence of respect for
vinyl in young people. Whether you’ve recently acquired an appreciation for the sound
of a vinyl record or you’ve been a believer for years, these unique, local Pittsburgh record
stores will open your ears to discovering new bands and rediscovering the sounds in
your old favorites. The Cut talked to the faces behind the stores — Karl Hendricks of
Sound Cat Records, Andrew Burger of 720 Music, Mike Seamans of Mind Cure Records,
and Jerry Weber of Jerry’s Records — to hear more about Pittsburgh’s great, sometimesunderappreciated music scene.
mind cure records 3138 Dobson St.
For Mike Seamans, the owner of Mind Cure Records who
spent a lot of his time growing up in record stores, a record
store is a central part of Pittsburgh’s history. It’s a place to
foster the music community and a link to underground
music. When he opened Mind Cure less than four years ago,
he set out to create a place to gather and chat with local
musicians and music appreciators of Pittsburgh. Mind Cure
caters mainly to punk and heavy metal, small press records,
and records by local Pittsburgh bands that the owner
produces and puts out himself. Seamans likes to think of his
store as more of a specialty store that lets shoppers discover
really unique, specific music, than one that stocks a little bit
of everything. “I know the stock very well, and only stock
music that I personally really like,” he says. Mind Cure even
has a listening station in case you wanted to discover that
great record by that guy who you never heard of. In fact, Mike
says his favorite record is by a band that he originally never
heard of. “It was a record called A Minute to Pray a Second to
Die by a band called The Flesh Eaters, a late 70s Los Angeles
punk band. My first instinct wasn’t to look it up. Instead, I
listened to it for the first time and experienced it kind of
blind. That magic moment is usually lost today.” It’s this sense
of discovering new music that is emphasized at Mind Cure.
sound cat records
4526 Liberty Ave
Sound Cat Records is that all-encompassing store to stop in on if you’re simply into
music of any and all types. They stock their fair share of used records and CDs, but
you can get new indie music here too (try slipping that new Real Estate record out
from its sleeve instead of heading straight to iTunes). Sound Cat is really successful
at packing rows and rows of alphabetized records into a small, unpretentious, and
user-friendly store. And with this much variety, you never know what unusual find
you might walk out with. The owner, Karl Hendricks, has been working in the records
business for more than half of his life, and his knowledge will rub off on anyone
interested in learning more. When asked the notoriously difficult question of
sharing his favorite record(s), Hendricks has a word for you: “I guess I'll say to anyone
reading this: come talk to me at the store about them.” So make sure to stop by Sound
Cat, have a good look around, and tell Hendricks that we sent you to talk music.
22
ecord stores
jerry’s records
2136 Murray Ave.
Jerry’s Records is a place of its own. If you have a serious love for records
and music and time to spare, I suggest that you enjoy and let yourself get
lost in this store, because it will happen. Jerry’s isn’t hard to maneuver, and
if you have some self control then you can easily make it out after a short
stop, but there is such a plethora of records packed in from floor to ceiling
that it’s nearly impossible to not stay for hours. It’s hard not to forget about
that class you have to get to while digging through the endless options.
Jerry Weber, owner of Jerry’s Records, makes it a point to buy anything
and everything used. Since his store has been around for almost 40 years,
it’s easy to see where this extremely large collection came from. “One day I
looked outside and there was a guy with a flatbed truck, and on it a dumpster
filled with records,” said Weber. Of course, he bought them all. Also worth
noting is that at Jerry’s Records you will never find a record priced at more
by Naomi Sternstein
photos by Katherine Martinez
The name of this Pittsburgh gem is pretty
self-explanatory. 720 is owned by a fiveperson team — James Scoglietti, Nate
Mitchell, Andrew Burger, Jovon Higgins,
and Paul Dang — and for them it’s all
about the perfect representation of great
music, a nice cup of coffee, and some indie
fashion finds. Though this might seem like
an odd mix of, well, everything great in life,
720 manages to pull it off and “create an
inviting, warm, and earthy space.” Even so,
it’s the carefully curated music that really
takes center stage in the space where you
can relax and feel comfortable scouring
their music selection for hours. If you want
to talk to people who really know hip-hop
and are passionate about records, this is the
place to go. This is what the owners of 720
had to say about music: “We really connect
to music; it's something deeply personal.
It expresses something about our identity.
It's not one of 10,000 files on your hard
drive that your friend emailed you with a
subject 'check this out’ — it’s something
personal worth sharing in person.”
This store’s main genres of choice are hiphop, R&B, jazz, reggae, and afrobeat. If this
has piqued your interest now — because
who doesn’t want some reggae and hip-hop
cranking from their turntable — then check
out their music and DJing events. Those DJ
720 music, clothing, cafe
4405 Butler St
23
featuring
THE BEATLES
BOB MARLEY • THE ROLLING STONES
KANYE WEST
with Kendrick Lamar
(feat. Kanye West (starring Kendrick Lamar*))
*FEATURING KANYE WEST (and Kendrick Lamar (and Kanye West))
including Kendrick Lamar (but seriously, it’s Kanye’s show. HE IS A RAP GOD)
Kendrick Lamar feels disincluded. Kandrick Lamar wants to have a show also. Play nice, Kanye.
THAT 80’S BAND YOUR DAD USED TO PLAY IN THE CAR
NIRVANA • PEARL JAM • THE TALKING HEADS
HAIM, LORDE, AND MILEY CYRUS
FLEETWOOD MAC GARFUNKEL
with SIMON AND
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND VS. MUMFORD AND SONS
IN A NO SHIRT, NO GLOVES ALL-OUT DEATHMATCH. ONLY ONE BAND WILL SURVIVE.
MACKLEMORE
AND RYAN LEWIS
FEAT. MATISYAHU
A HOLOGRAM MICHAEL JACKSON
VERSION OF WITH TUPAC SHAKUR
DREW BARRYMORE AND THE MISFIT GENTLEMEN
BLACK MAGIC MERCEDES • XERXES AND THE FOES
DAFT PUNK*
MONSTER TEETH • THE GOLF WAR • UGLY SUSAN • BOTTLE OF JACK
*WILL UNFORTUNATELY BE UNABLE TO ATTEND DUE TO THEIR BEING FRENCH
24
mixtape
SONGS T O HEAT
T HINGS UP
“Wild as the Wind”- Skinny Lister
If the chilly weather’s getting to you,
just give this song a listen. Skinny Lister’s
sea-chanty-esque songs will make you want
to get up, get warm, and get drunk around
a roaring fire in some pub somewhere.
-Will Lush
“Hot In Herre” - Nelly
When it’s cold outside like a Pittsburgh
“The Heat is On”- Glenn Frey
winter,
make sure you’re wearing
If you didn’t feel the temperature rise with this
of layers. Said layers should of
saxy number from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, lots
course be easily removable in case
you will never appreciate life. Or the 80s.
the dance floor gets this hot.
“Through the Fire and the Flames”- Dragonforce
Even through the worst of times, pyrotechnic
guitar solos help us carry on.
“The Warmth Of The Sun”- Beach Boys
What better to warm you up on
a cold Pittsburgh night than The
Beach Boys singing about summer love and the sun’s rays?
-Dhruva Krishna
“Sex on Fire”- Kings of Leon
Obviously.
-Samantha Ward
“California Gurls”- Katy Perry (feat. Snoop Dogg)
Sunkissed skin, so hot...we’ll melt your
popsicle. Oh oh oh ohhhh.
-Nicole Marrow
“Hot for Teacher”- Van Halen
Warning: do not combine the
classroom and the bedroom.
- Mike Ryan
“Fuck U All The Time”- Jeremih
This is the kind of hot we’re
talking about, right? ;)
-Allison Cosby
“Jewel of the
Summertime”- Audioslave
I couldn’t tell if
the mixtape wanted
something lyrically
about warmer weather
or something that fit
with a pornographic
soundtrack musically.
This is both.
-Drevin Galentine
25
Cnc
Rvw
By Chloe Lula
frankie rose
Frankie Rose—former singer of
Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls, and
Crystal Stilts—performed ethereal
renditions of songs from her albums
Interstellar, Herein Wild and Frankie
Rose and the Outs at Brillobox on
January 26. Though the turnout was
sparse, the small crowd contributed
to the show’s intimacy. Indeed,
Rose had a penchant for engaging
the audience, speaking graciously
to people gathered at her feet, and
whipping her long blonde locks
around as she jumped excitedly on
stage.
As a long-time follower of her
similarly inspired dream pop-driven
projects, I was excited to hear that
her song selection carried the
same breathless, reverb-saturated
characteristics as her former
productions. Her newest release
was punctuated by earlier and
more subdued songs, “Sorrow,”
“Know Me,” and “Interstellar.”
Though much of her material
sounded similar, Rose’s silky
vocals and occasional departures
to rawer rock songs (“Night
Swim” and “Moon In My Mind”)
were welcomed variations from
otherwise indistinguishable melodic
and rhythmic tropes. Certainly, one
of the performance’s strengths was
its final moment: a wall of murky
bass melodies, heaving vocals, and
powerful drum lines propelled the
show to a dramatic finish.
While Rose’s group is not
drastically distinct in sound from
other distorted garage bands, her
stage presence does differentiate
her from other musical collectives in
the same vein. If you are unfamiliar
with her work, I recommend looking
into her introductory releases as
well as bands such as Crystal Stilts,
Girls Names, Ty Segall, and White
Fence for other bodiless musical
experiences. I am a proponent of
these sounds because they make
me have moments of profound
existentialism and will make the
listener feel that he or she is a
celestial body, orbiting weightlessly
amidst dreamy swells of guitars,
synths, and veiled chorus lines.
G. Love
By Will Lush
From the moment I first heard a G. Love song play over my
local public radio station, I was hooked. His blues-folk-raproots genre-bending style really caught my ear and played an
instrumental role in opening me up to all sorts of new music
(pun intended). When I heard that G. Love and Special Sauce
were coming to Pittsburgh for their 20th anniversary tour,
I was ecstatic, but also a little worried. What if he didn’t live
up to expectations? As soon as I got to the concert, I realized
that my worries were unfounded. Coming into Stage AE, we
were greeted by a powerful voice and some soulful slide guitar
coming from Kristy Lee, who’s accompanying G. Love on his
tour. I had never heard of her before, but I would definitely
encourage anyone to give her a listen. After a short break, G.
Love came on. He immediately launched into “Blues Music” to
start off the night.
When G. Love and Special Sauce play, it is as much a visual
experience as it is an auditory one. He plays guitar sitting
down, but with Elvis-reminiscent leg movements, though he
26
sometimes stands up and raps or peels blues riffs off of his
collection of beautiful guitars. The first half of the concert was
mainly older songs, including “Baby’s Got Sauce,” and “Cold
Beverage,” which had the crowd dancing, singing along, and,
in true Stage AE style, spilling their beer all over everything.
Despite their lack of proficiency in beverage containment, the
crowd was one of the most fun ones that I have ever had the
chance to be a part of. The second half of the concert was more
geared towards newer songs, including a few off of G. Love’s
upcoming album Sugar, ending with a great duet with opener
Kristy Lee. The night ended with an encore by G. Love, sitting
alone and playing acoustic, which, after the frenetic energy
of the night, was a smooth ending to an amazing show. After
this concert, I can’t wait to see G. Love again. (Also, Jimi Jazz,
Special Sauce’s bass player, looks like Gandalf.)
crt
ws
Phosphorescent
By Zach Urbach
Phosphorescent’s show on January 31 at Mr. Smalls was a
bizarre but surprisingly satisfying show. The dreamy indie
folk band is led by singer-songwriter Matthew Houck, and
his stage presence throughout the night—whether it was
with a full band or alone—went perfectly with the sailing
sonic atmosphere from his albums.
Cavemen opened but could have been the headliner.
The lead vocalist had commanding pipes and would lay
down shoutouts to local Pittsburgh joints between songs or
dedicate a song to some pizza place. He told us to rock (and
we did) as the band went into an intense jam for their close.
Phosphorescent offered a more varied vibe than Cavemen.
White flowers dotted along twigs amongst the instruments
as the band set up and lit candles. Incense then filled the
air around the audience and everyone seemed to take a
collective breath as “Sun, Arise!” played over the speakers
with no one on stage. It set a surreal tone for the show that
would rise and fall throughout.
They played their hits “Song for Zula” and “Ride On/
Right On” as well as some older songs that really jammed.
Houck was dressed in a gaudy white cowboy jacket with gold
lining, a sparkling-gold trimmed cowboy hat, and tight white
pants. His voice ached in the ballads and spent just enough
energy on the jams. The organists were sharp and an added
percussion player added great live accents and depth to the
songs.
The strangest part of the show was when the band left
before the encore and Houck stayed on stage. He played
“Cocaine Lights,” and at the end used a loop machine to play
the humming end melody. It turned from a sweet song of
reminiscence to a dark and intoxicating loop of chaos. Before
it got too scary, the band came back out for the encore to
settle things down and rock out one more time. The last
piece had great guitar and organ solo trade-offs that left
the audience satisfied. Through many emotional twists and
turns, with cowboy hats and white flowers around every
corner, Phosphorescent knew how to entertain and captivate
everyone at Mr. Smalls that night.
By Carson Quiros
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady performed an amazing show on February 4
at Mr. Small’s. Singer-songwriter Tim Barry opened for them
in the small venue with his modest look and set of folk-rock
songs. The Richmond-based artist’s new album 40 Miler is
set to be released by indie label Chunksaah on April 10.
The Hold Steady was vivacious, raw, and charismatic from
the very first song. They opened with “Stuck between Stations,” the opening song from their 2006 record Boys and
Girls in America, and the energy in the crowd was immediate.
The lead singer, Craig Finn, wore a short-sleeved black button down and dark corduroys. A sticker in the shape of a teddy bear reflected brightly against his light blue electric guitar.
The set was a mix of songs from the band’s four studio albums of the last ten years, as well as several off their
new album, Teeth Dreams. They played fan favorites such as
“Your Little Hoodrat Friend” and “Chips Ahoy!”, which tells
the story of a boy who is in love with a girl who can predict
the outcome of horse races. Breaking from a set of fast and
loud songs, they began to play the much slower “Almost Everything” from their newest album. With beer in hand, Finn
introduced the song by mentioning 2014 as the band’s tenth
year being together. The previously uproarious crowd was
still and reverent through an emotional performance.
Finn’s interaction with the crowd was as witty as it was
endearing and genuine. Famous for telling cheeky personal
anecdotes that link to his song lyrics, he also singled out one
specifically loyal fan. “A big shout out to Jessica, I think this
might be her fifth show in a row,” he called about halfway
through the show. He also claimed to have lost a bet with
other fans, and threw cash into the crowd, demanding that
the money only be spent on liquor that night. By the band’s
encore, the crowd was pressed up against the stage and
singing with full force before the predictable closing song
“Stay Positive” and Finn’s characteristic salutation “Stay
positive, Pittsburgh.”
27
ALBUM REVIEWS
Mind Over Matter
Young The Giant
Morning Phase
Beck
The first time I heard Young the Giant was at the 2011 VMA’s. Watching
lead singer Sammer Gadhia’s smooth voice weaving between the driving
and melodic guitar-work left me hypnotized by this fresh young band.
Two years and one album later, Young the Giant seems to be pushing the
boundaries of their own envelope. This sophomore debut is an incredibly
well-titled album to say the least; in contrast to their first album, Mind
Over Matter features much more lush instrumentation, glittery synths,
and intricate textures. It’s hard to believe “My Body” and “It’s About
time”(from their new release) are separated by only two years.
However, one major flaw of the album is that it features too much “mind”
with too little “matter”. The overly-produced backgrounds often sound
muddy and distract from Gadhia’s signature voice and lyrics. Songs like
“Anagram”, “Mind Over Matter”, “It’s About Time”, and “Paralysis” left me
trying to pick out melodies from an overly-instrumented background.
The once driving rhythms (matter) seem to be working against, rather
than with, the experimentation (mind) for the most part.
Despite these flaws, there are redeeming tracks on the album. Songs
like “Crystallized” and “Teachers” show Young the Giant at their finest. The
subtle keyboard mirroring Gadhia’s voice on the chorus of “Crystallized”
and the intricate but humble guitar playing during the verses of
“Teachers” demonstrate the mature understanding of melodic nuance
that left me hypnotized by the band two years ago.
Young the Giant has done what most indie-bands ought to do: break
away from a comfortable formula to delve deeper and challenge their
own artistic capabilities and maturity. The band still has a lot to learn
before they truly blend mind and matter, but they seem to be on the
verge of something great.
- Dhruva Krishna
A pilot of the so-called “slacker” period in the late 90s, Beck Hansen could
not have travelled further from his roots. His twelfth studio album Morning
Phase, a musical brother to 2002’s Sea Change and a distant relative to
1993’s Mellow Gold and 2007’s electronic lyrical gangbang The Information,
brings a nostalgic sense of wonder as it forces your ears to watch the sun
rise slowly over the distant ocean.
“These are the words we use, to say goodbye,” Beck repeats on “Say
Goodbye,” an acoustic melodrama whose guitar could just as well be heard
on a Crosby Stills & Nash album as it could one of Hansen’s. In the midst of
the change Beck has seen throughout his long and tumultuous career—
from being considered a “one-hit wonder” to creating an album that was
solely a book of sheet music—Beck has now taken the time to sit down
after a four-year musical hiatus and sing songs about “being alone” and
“memories”.
The problem with Morning Phase is not its difference to a recent Beck, but
rather its similarity to an older one. Even the shimmering golden cover is
reminiscent of the direct gaze given in Sea Change’s pink-gradient binding.
With the album, Beck is attempting to return to heights already reached,
rewriting songs already written and singing about topics already covered.
That’s not to say anything of Morning Phase’s audible beauty, of which
there is plenty. Produced and recorded by, you guessed it, many of the
same people who worked on Sea Change, Morning Phase brings a wide
spectrum of echoing choruses and simple solos that make it perfect for
listening to on a road trip or while getting over a hangover on a Sunday
morning. However, Morning Phase’s low ambition makes it nothing more
than a record which accomplishes just that. With each Beck album, fans
have come to expect as much change as, well, a Sea, but Morning Phase
arrives instead, offering just the horizon.
- Max Harlynking
3 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂
28
3 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂
So long, see you tomorrow - bombay bicycle club
Despite straying far from their sonic roots (as is Bombay Bicycle Club’s prerogative), BBC’s fourth album,
So Long, See You Tomorrow, has the most in common with their first record. For new listeners, BBC started
out as pure unadulterated British indie rock. However, their sound has been drawing more influence
from frontman Jack Steadman’s electronic solo work over time and this record is no exception. Steadman
also took a month long trip to India recently, and the effects on their sound are apparent, especially on
the tracks Luna and Feel. If you’ve been meaning to introduce a friend to BBC, now would be just as good
a place to start as the beginning. While the albums in between were both great in their own rights, the
second album was, in the band’s own words, just an acoustic project, and the third had too much in flux
to be a good starting point (think teenage years) This latest album, on the other hand, feels like they’ve
found a sure footing and decided to bask in it for a while. If BBC’s discography was a book, this album
would be the best place to put a bookmark since we’ve started.
- Arun Marsten
5 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
you’re gonna miss it all - modern baseball
You’re Gonna Miss It All keeps the same sort of formula that Modern Baseball used to make their first
album. It still has those same pop-punk lyrical themes like ex-girlfriends, suburbia, and general angst.
One of my favorite things about the band is their dual singers, and each singer brings something
unique in terms of emotion that really helps fuel the record. Only one song breaks the three-minute
mark (by five seconds), which has pros and cons: There’s no sense of “is this song ever gonna end?”
but they sometimes feel too brief. While I think this album is generally less catchy than their debut,
I still think it’s worth a listen—the best song on the album is definitely “Your Graduation.” The wide
range of emotion, punchy lyrics, and unconventional vocals will appeal to anyone who’s into poppunk.
- Hannah Dellabella
3 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂
After the disco - broken bells
I’m pleased to announce that The Shins frontman James Mercer and producer Danger Mouse have
created a sophomore album that echoes their self-titled premiere in all the right ways. Broken Bells’ After
the Disco shares the smooth synthy goodness of Broken Bells, but with a slightly matured, expanded
sound. The album gives a little hint of 80s pop mixed with ambient electronic beats. Of course, Mercer
stirs in a little bit of The Shins’ sound with his smooth vocals.
Songs like “Perfect World” and “Lazy World” will give you a sense of open space. Not surprising, because
outer space was an important source of inspiration for the duo. It’s sonic pop, like sailing on a spaceship
rowboat. It’ll make you feel small in a big universe. So turn off the lights, look up at the sky, and settle
into After the Disco.
- Samantha Ward
4 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
oxymoron - schoolboy q
You can probably imagine what occurs on an album that begins with “Gangsta” and ends with “Yay Yay”
(slang for cocaine). Schoolboy Q’s major label debut Oxymoron will delight his core fans but probably
turn away the casual rap listener. The promotional singles such as “Collard Greens” and “Man of the Year”
are rather upbeat, which is deceiving due to the general slow and lyrical tone of the rest of the album.
The lyrical content focuses on gangbanging and drug dealing; however, there is a more important
message in the album. Q does not promote this lifestyle, but sheds light on being born into this way
of life and how he escaped it to make a better life for his daughter (a central figure on the album). In
particular, the songs “Hoover Street” and “Prescription/Oxymoron” paint vivid images of what drugs can
do to people. Oxymoron has its own sound and purpose and is likely to grow on its listeners over time.
- Benjamin Aldertoy
4 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
29
ESSAY
out of the blue,
into the black
by Drevin Galentine
As a music magazine writer, there
are two things you should always
keep to yourself. The first is your
collection of left socks worn by
each member of Nickelback, and
the second is being a vinyl skeptic.
I will admit to one of these today,
but be sure to read my article in
next month’s issue titled “All the
Left Reasons.”
Despite reading Neil Young’s
autobiography that is about halfdedicated to the format, it was not
enough to combat the fact that
no one in my family really cared
for vinyl. My granddad switched
to CDs at the first opportunity
and identifies with the sparse set
of records in his attic as much as
we identify with drawings from
kindergarten. I had friends who
inherited extensive collections,
but the notion of improved sound
quality was lost on me. I still would
not pass up an opportunity to
hear Rush’s 2112, so while my
friends tinkered with the turntable
I was given the sleeve to keep me
occupied. The improvement in
visual quality is something I can
comment on, since going from
squinting at an iPod Nano screen
to holding the full-sized image
is a vast difference. I have always
believed the artwork and notes to
be very much a part of the art, and
even the little CD booklets were
worth the extra time, money, and
gas. Even at college, I still walk to
the Exchange (the one without
food) any time I want something
30
new or just want to spend some
time browsing.
My most recent trip ended up
being a milestone. After snagging
a discounted CD (my second
reason to support the format) I
was oddly drawn to their modest
vinyl section. Towards the front of
the rack sat Neutral Milk Hotel’s On
Avery Island, and my brief belief
in love at first sight inspired me
to walk out the door, record in
tow. Ecstatically clutching their
“no, their other album, and yes,
they had two” LP, I walked back to
the dorm, where the observant
reader will identify a plot hole: a
vinyl skeptic doesn’t own a record
player. I couldn’t even find a good
place to put the thing, and trust
me, if it could fit in my microwave,
I would figure out how to get 33
1/3 rpm on it. I would not give in
to buyer’s remorse, and I figured
that on a college campus, there
had to be someone with a record
player, maybe someone who didn’t
have any records to play on it, like
a second half to my half-witted
decision.
Lo and behold, a friend turned
out to be such a half, as she received
a record player for Christmas but
no records to accompany it. I
gave her the record as a gift with
an agreement for joint custody
on
weekends.
However,desynchronization both with our free
time and with the record player
itself (that extra 1/3 rpm is quite
tricky), left me divorced from the
record for some time, probably well
beyond this article’s publication. As
such, journalistic integrity would
say Spotify wins this round.
But journalistic integrity be
damned; I’ll let artistic license
tell the moral of this story: music
is meant to be shared, but not
free. Spotify gives a personal
playlist to do homework to, and
that’s it. Finding something new
means clicking haphazardly or
taking superficial suggestions like
“Matchbox Twenty fans also like
Vertical Horizon.” Vinyl will never
replace your digital library; you
can’t afford it, and that’s its beauty.
You may only have one record, but
between you and your friends, you
have a collection and hopefully
a record player. It will be more
limited than what you are used to,
but by listening to it over and over,
you’ll appreciate the subtleties,
both in sound and the whispered
singing that lets you know which
line is your friend’s favorite. You’ll
discuss the songs on side one, do
funny dances to the experimental
tracks on side two, and even
take the opportunity to flip the
record as a welcome break from
homework. You can’t promise me
this with a YouTube link, and I can’t
promise I will listen to more than
50 seconds before switching tabs.
I also can’t promise I’ll appreciate
everything about the format, but
I can promise that an invitation to
make a connection over music is
something I won’t turn down.
31
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32
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