zine_fall_11

Girls
Surfer Blood
Music Midtown
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Ra Ra Riot
FREQUENCY wmre’s music and culture magazine
WASHED OUT
LOCALSFEST 2011
Issue 28 Fall 2011
FREQUENCY
Editor-­In-­Chief:
Adam Valeiras
Layout Editor:
Arianna Skibell
Staff Writers:
Ivan Antolic-­Soban
Max Ashton
Mary Catherine Ballou
Betsy Bull
Brigid Choi
Elizabeth Choi
Rose Cohn
Ben Dhiman
Katy Ebert
Jordan Francis
Sonia Guzner
Rhett Henry
Jake Krakovsky
Lauren Ladov
Rachel Leff
Logan Lockner
John Roofeh
Caroline Scott
Lynnie Sharzer
Arianna Skibell
Scott Stewart
Diane Sun
Natalya Zmudzin
Photos By:
Tim Boddy
Betsy Bull
Pantauphoto
Tricia Francisco
Rahul Sharma
Adam Valeiras
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 Get to Know 10 Feature 15 Culture
Meet the DJs
Girls
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Surfer Blood
Ra Ra Riot
On the Rise: DUDES
6 Recap
Localsfest 2011: Washed Out
New Animal
Small Reactions
Dubstep
Collaborations
14 Recap
New Releases
Soundtracks
Video Game Spotlight
Fall Band Party
17 Reviews
Music Midtown
Block Party
Letter from the Editor
IN THE PAST, Frequency has been a culture and music magazine directed towards, and centering around, events relevant to Emory’s campus. While this is still technically true of this semester’s issue, number 28, the focus has also been on a wider scale. The same events and cultural happenings in Atlanta are included in this issue, but in addition, interviews and stories on nationally wide bands such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and Girls appear. These external-­of-­Emory articles are in no way a criticism or avoidance of on campus events;; they are simply an in-­addition-­to, with the intended affect being that this magazine will be both relevant and informative. 7KHUHLVDKHDY\HPSKDVLVLQWKLVLVVXHRQLQWHUYLHZV,QVLGH\RX¶OO¿QGZRUGVIURP5-RIGirls, Tyler of Surfer Blood, Mat of Ra Ra Riot, Josh of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., the entire band %RUQ5XI¿DQV, members from Manchester Orchestra and The Postelles, Localsfest openers: New Animal and Small Reactions, and of course, Ernest Greene of Washed Out. While the thoughts of a journalist are always important, hearing words from the artists themselves is equally vital when trying to capture the truth behind the music they create. Without their words, it is all just conjecture.
Besides the artist interviews and articles, it is clear just from the page count that the next largest emphasis was placed on Frequency’s review section. Only working with new releases, the goal was for less words and more albums. Hopefully this section will introduce the reader to more music by an ever-­increasing pool of artists. And I beg of you to ignore the percent-­
age score and give each album an equal chance. Every one of these albums is worthy of review, meaning each one is also worthy of a listen. So, if you’ve got the time, give them one. Also make sure to check out WMRE’s¿UVWHYHU]LQHVDPSOHU
(on the back cover), which allows you to hear a song from each major artist discussed inside. There are some great tracks in there, and I highly recommend you check it out.
Finally, it must be noted that this magazine was by no means a solo effort. It couldn’t have been made without the help of the lovely and talented layout editor, Arianna Skibell. She took a lot of time out of her already busy schedule to basically FUHDWHDPDJD]LQHIURPVFUDWFKDQGWKH¿QDOUHVXOWWKDW\RXDUHFXUUHQWO\KROGLQJLQ\RXUKDQGVLVDQLOOXVWUDWLRQRIKHU
skill in design and creativity. Next, the entire team of staff writers were a tremendous help, and of course, the heart of this magazine. Without everyone involved, this issue would not have been able to come to fruition. The last person that must be thanked is Andrea Narvaez, my friend and boss over at FILTER Magazine, located in Los Angeles. She too took time out of her busy schedule to assist in the setting up of interviews, and the giving of general guidance of the process. I’m new to this, and it was only with her help that I was able to piece together this issue.
So now that you’ve picked up this issue of Frequency and are about to begin reading, also take some time and tune into Channel 26, AM 1660, or the stream at wmre.fm, and of course, don’t forget November 18th’s Localsfest, featuring the amazingly talented and increasingly popular, Washed Out! See y’all there.
-­Adam Valeiras
Frequency Magazine, supported by WMRE, is Emory’s only student-­run music and culture magazine. We aim to bring Emory VWXGHQWVIDFXOW\DQGVWDIIDQGRWKHUVLQWKH$WODQWDDUHDQHZLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWPXVLF¿OPIRRGIXQERR]HDQGHQWHUWDLQPHQW
Although we center most of our features on local Atlanta musicians and artists, we also like to slip in our vital insight into the radio world of WMRE. Begun in 2002 under the name Listen, the magazine was redesigned and renamed Frequency in 2007, then redesigned again in 2008. We’ve gone from black and white photographs on newsprint to this high-­gloss, full-­color work of art. We’ve featured artists ranging from Hot Chip to The Coathangers to Matt and Kim. Frequency is written completely by contribut-­
ing writers and we’re always looking for submissions, photographs and artwork. Questions? Complaints? Praise? Contact Adam Valeiras at [email protected]
Get To Know meet the djs
As a Frequency¿UVWVHPHVWHUWUDGLWLRQZH¶YHSLFNHGRXWDIHZRIRXU
favorite new DJs to get to know a little better. Meet this year’s picks: Favorite album of the year, so far:
The collaborative album, Watch the Throne, by Jay-­Z and Kanye West really took me by surprise this summer. The ad-­
dition of Frank Ocean was welcomed and rather startling considering his relative newness. The degree of active condescen-­
sion on this album is what really makes me keep listening. Most disappointing album of the year, so far:
Like most Internet audiophiles, I was look-­
ing forward to Tyler, The Creator’s second album, Goblin. It was a disappointment in the sense that the expectations and hype greatly outweighed what the album could be. There was this disconnect between the earlier OFWGKTA albums and Goblin, in that it was too self-­conscious and lacked in authenticity. )DYRULWH¿OP
La Haine by Mathieu Kassovitz.
Favorite album of the year, so far:
Death Cab for Cutie’s Codes and Keys. Although very different from their usual, darker style, the new album is fabulous. I listened to “Stay Young, Go Dancing” about WZHQW\WLPHVLQDURZZKHQ,¿UVWERXJKW
it. So yes, the album is happy sounding, but how can you be depressed when you’re making buckets of money doing what you love and you’re married to Zooey Descha-­
nel?
Most disappointing album of the year, so far:
Flogging Molly. The lyrics and message are good, but their signature sound is gone and they sound like a generic, boring rock band. Sasha Freger
Mix Tape
Saturday @ 7pm
Favorite book:
The Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche.
My non-­music related hobby is:
I enjoy reading philosophy in my spare time.
If I could get any one artist to play on my show, it would be:
Ratatat. They can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. Most played song on iTunes:
“Tripoli” by Pinback.
Adebambo Adedire
Auditorium
Wednesday @ 12am
Nicholas Bradley
Liner Notes
Monday @ 10pm
Favorite album of the year, so far: The Errant Charm by Vetiver. It’s so in-­
credibly relaxing. Most disappointing album of the year, so far: I’m not terribly well-­listened when it comes to music being released this year, which is to say that I haven’t been disap-­
pointed by any new albums mostly because I haven’t heard many of them. Ignorance is bliss, right? Although I heard Tha Carter IV was pretty bad…
Favorite album of the past decade: Costello Music by The Fratellis. Favorite album of the past decade:
9DPSLUH:HHNHQG¶VHSRQ\PRXV¿UVWDO-­
EXP,FDQ¶W¿QGDVLQJOHVRQJ,GLVOLNH
Favorite live musical performance:
$OOWLPHWRS¿YH
1. Ok Go
2. Streetlight Manifesto
3. Gogol Bordello
4. Black Lips
5. Flogging Molly
Favorite video game:
DDR? I don’t know;; I don’t really play video games. Favorite book:
My favorite author is Chuck Palahniuk. However, I have read Oliver Twist so many times that the pages are falling out, so that might be my favorite.
Favorite live musical performance: When Reptar, Cults and Foster the People came not too long ago. I had broken my leg two days earlier and went in a wheelchair. Best decision of my life. Favorite video game: Fallout: New Vegas. Living my Southwest-­
ern post-­nuclear apocalyptic dreams…
)DYRULWH¿OP
Pulp Ficton or Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Don’t make me choose, please. Favorite book: Beat to Quarters by C.S. Forrester.
If I could get any one artist to play on my show, it would be: Jimmy Page. I would just watch him play and see if I could absorb any of his talent.
2 - Frequency
Get To Know about the bands
ĎėđĘ
A Cleaner Future
By Rhett Henry
HAILING from the lovely city of San Francisco, indie rock band Girls make music that is stunningly honest. Built around the artistic duo of Chris Owens and JR White, the two make music from an alternate timeline where the rockabilly and surf rock of the 1950s merged with the folk rock of the 1960s. The best way to describe it is: Simon & Garfunkel by way of the Beach Boys. How does Girls develop their music? In an interview with Frequency, JR White acknowledges that, “Chris basically writes everything -­ the chord structure and the melody,” but that the two “talk about adding choruses,” or that he’ll “tell him...there should be another verse.” According to White, he’s “always developing an idea of what the songs will be.” It becomes clear that while Owens FUHDWHVWKHVRQJV:KLWHKHOSVUH¿QHDQGGHYHORSWKHP
One place where JR White acknowledges that he “let[s] Chris sort of do his thing” is the album artwork. All three of Girls’ major releases (2009’s Album, 2010’s Broken Dreams Club EP, and 2011’s Father, Son, Holy Ghost) have had covers that were mini-­
mal but evocative. White has no complaints -­ “With album art, that’s his thing.”
In interviews, Owens and White have both been up-­front about their on-­and-­off drug use. As with their music, Girls made a “conscious decision...to be somewhat honest about all that stuff.” :KLWHDGPLWVWKDW³>GUXJXVH@ZDVGH¿QLWHO\DSDUWRIWKHEDQGLQ
the beginning,” but points out that “it just doesn’t really work for us anymore.” As White says, “we are a much better, much soberer band than we ever have been.” And of course, “there’s something so routine and boring about using, you know?”
Now that Girls’ third recorded work has received the critical ac-­
claim that, let’s be honest, we all expected it to, it seems as if their consistently public personal lives should have less and less of an affect on their image. Especially now that they’ve proven they can create a product like Father, Son, Holy Ghost without the help of substances.
With the future of Girls looking ever brighter, expect to see them on the San Francisco Music Honor Roll soon, and hopefully a few more BNMs under their belt.
3 - Frequency
ĆđĊ
ĆėēčĆėĉę
ėǤėǤ
What’s in a Name?
By Adam Valeiras
CONSISTENTLY criticized for the hokiness of their band name, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. doesn’t rely on the aesthetics of their image. Sure, the music video for “Nothing But Our Love” involves the band passionately involved in a boxcar race, the two main mem-­
bers (Josh Epstein, Daniel Zott) now write for an ESPN sports blog, and their debut album is titled, It’s a Corporate World. The last of these could be seen as a reference to the heavy advertise-­
ment placed on NASCAR vehicles, but could also represent the band’s struggle with its label involving the commercial accessibil-­
ity of their album. The latter of these two is the more interesting analysis of this new, exciting pop group (I have to say exciting, because, let’s face it, it’s been a long time since a generally upbeat band has been worth listening to, let alone discussing).
When I asked how Epstein and Zott got involved with ESPN, they responded, “It happened the way most things with us have, which was really spontaneously and kind of as an afterthought.” That seems to be how their entire non-­music related image got its start. A simple pun-­based band name became more important than their music, at least in the media’s eyes. That’s the saddest part about it, because these guys deserve better. It’s a Corporate World is a casual yet beautiful album. It thrives in its simplicity, making use of a minimalist approach to electronic instrumenta-­
WLRQZLWKDYRFDODQGO\ULFDOVLQFHULW\WKDWKDVEHHQKDUGWR¿QG
IURPPRVW³KDSS\´EDQGVWKDW¿QGWKHLUZD\LQWRWKHLQGLHVFHQH
these days. DEJJ may be trapped by their outspoken love of sports and the image that results from thus, but through this they prove the point that none of this really matters, because who cares what their band name is? At the end of the day, it’s nothing more than a categorical label that sometimes does, and sometimes doesn’t, UHÀHFWDQDUWLVW¶VPXVLF/HW¶VQRWIRUJHWZKDW¶VLPSRUWDQWKHUH
Get To Know about the bands
ĚėċĊė
đĔĔĉ
Steal This Album
By Lauren Ladov
“I WAS JUST THINKING: ‘holy shit the Pixies actually spoke to us and said that they like our record?!’ Six months later we get a call from our booking agent saying we have a chance to tour with them, a PRQWKODWHUZH¿QGRXWWKH\FKRVHXV´
Despite their upcoming tour with The Pixies and a new EP, Tarot Classics, that will somehow make money, Surfer Blood is all complaints. Based on a recent interview with Frequency Editor, Adam Va-­
leiras, the band had a tough time recording Tarot Classics. “We’ve learned the hard way, that when it comes to producing, it’s not always best working with friends.” And they are irritated by (their label??) Kanine’s promotional decisions to release a Deluxe EP version, complete with remixes, poster, and DVD. Tyler Schwarz UHPDUNV³,¿QGDOOWKHVHH[WUDVULGLFXORXV,W¶VDIRXUVRQJ(3,W¶V
not like some epic triple disc box set.” They gave Filter Magazine “10 Reasons Not to Buy Tarot Clas-­
sics,” pointing out that it’s overpriced, it is on the internet for free, it sounds like Weezer, and it sounds bad….
Surfer Blood, quit whining and grow up. Tarot Classic EP presents a more sentimental and autumnal sound. It lacks the powerful punches and groove of Astro Coast. Though the radio will probably drool over “I’m Not Ready” and “Voyager Reprise,” the tracks feel forced, following a formula laid out in “Floating Vibes” (unfortunately forgetting the hand claps WKLVWLPH7KH¿UVWIHZVHFRQGVRI³'ULQNLQJ3UREOHP¶V´HYRNHD
funky electronic dance track à la Caribou’s Odessa, but proves to be a gloomy and uncomplicated tune, passing off echoed hooks, a lame guitar solo, and crow noises(?!) as dynamic innovations. And well, the pre-­released track “Miranda” should just only be heard in remixed form.
Perhaps the breath of fresh Florida air that Surfer Blood blew into the indie scene two summers ago has gone stale. Things aren’t all blue skies and sand between the toes these days. The youth is too busy occupying Wall Street than to hit the beach. But maybe the band just has some growing up to do.
ĆĆĎĔę
On the Road
By Adam Valeiras
RA RA RIOT has always been a touring band. It’s how they got their start. Spin Magazine¿UVWUHFRJQL]HGWKH\RXQJ
band’s talent through their energetic and impressive live show. Then the positive critical responses came in once, EDFNLQWKH\UHOHDVHGWKHLU¿UVWUHFRUGHGPDWHULDOYLD
the Ra Ra Riot EP. Now the band is a rising junior, prepar-­
ing their third full length. Hear about it for yourself in our short Q&A with Mat Santos, Ra Ra Riot’s bassist.
It seems like you guys just never stop touring. Is there something important about consistently being on the road?
Yeah, absolutely. You need to be touring all the time, getting out there physically and communicating directly with people. Nothing is more effective than that. We’ve always felt that our live show is the most honest representation of the band, and so it’s important for us to always be playing, connecting with our fans and meeting new people along the way.
Is there one particular city or region that you are always excited to roll through? The one spot that stands out as always providing the atmosphere for a great show?
Aside from places like New York, Syracuse, and Boston -­ places that are basically “hometown” shows for us -­ I think we’re always really excited to get to the west coast, and particularly San Fran-­
FLVFR(YHQRQVRPHRIRXU¿UVWWRXUVZKHQZHZHUHUHODWLYHO\
unknown, those shows were always a blast.
What’s next for the band? It’s been, not too long, but a little while since we’ve heard anything new from RRR.
Well, after this fall tour, which runs for about 5 weeks and ends right around Thanksgiving, we’re actually going to start working RQRXUQH[WDOEXP:H¶YHJRWDEXQFKRIQHZVRQJLGHDVÀRDWLQJ
around, which we’re all very excited about, and as of right now the plan is to be in the studio in January and hopefully have a new record coming out sometime in the fall or summer!
4 - Frequency
Get To Know on the rise
DUDES
By Adam Valeiras
San Diego’s music scene has always been overshadowed by Los Angeles. Only two hours North, LA is the clear holder of the spotlight when it comes to entertain-­
ment. However, every once in a while a band emerges from San Diego that gets a chance to shine before they are whisked away to the temptation of success just 100 miles or so up the 101. DUDES could very well be that next band. With only one al-­
bum out so far -­ an EP entitled Narcissists Anonymous -­ these laid back younglings have already started the making of some-­
thing great through their fusion of chill-­
wave, hip-­hop, and ethereal pop.
+RZDQGZKHQGLG'8'(6¿UVWJHWVWDUWHG"
DUDES started a little more than a year ago with the song/video, “why would i?” EJ (DUDES’s guitar player) and I were in a band WRJHWKHUWKDWZDVIDOOLQJDSDUWDQGZH¿JXUHGLWZDVEHWWHUWRVWDUW
from scratch with a new project than try to live in the shadow of our old stuff. From there we got our man Joel “KYNAN” on synth, and our buddy Mike on drums, and the recording project became one with the live band.
<RXUHOHDVHG\RXU¿UVW(3Narcissists Anonymous, on cassette. Why the tape?
The idea for a tape release came straight from Grizzly Records. I wanted to make sure it remained a free digital download, but I love that there’s an option for people who want a physical copy. I unfortunately don’t have a tape player these days, but I think tapes are a good medium for us. It gives the mid-­frequencies a good warmth. I like the idea of a physical side A & B, and the art came out looking really cool. We always want people to be looking at the art when they listen to DUDES.
Do you think being from San Diego has had any affect or LQÀXHQFHRQWKHPXVLFWKDW\RXPDNH"
As far as San Diego being perceived as a fun-­beachy-­cool city, I’d say not so much. But as far as the music “scene” goes, for sure. 7KHUH¶VDJRRGFRPPXQLW\RIPXVLFLDQVKHUHWKDWGH¿QLWHO\LQÀX-­
ences the way I create. As far as the “scene” goes... there’s a glass ceiling of success bands hit, where it makes sense to move to LA. 6RWKH³VFHQH´LVFRQVWDQWO\¿OOLQJYRLGVDQGUHLQYHQWLQJLWVHOI
when bands leave. But there’s still a large group of people that go to the same bars and shows and make really good music, even if it’s all completely different styles and genres.
If you could go on tour with anyone, who would it be?
Shout-­out to Cults! I used to kick it with a few of the Cults band members before they moved to New York. And I think a few of them have at least loosely followed DUDES so far. I guess I’m still waiting for that call where it’s like, “Our opener bailed last minute, 5 - Frequency
DUDES and Logan
can you guys do a small west coast run with us?” Also shout-­out to the homies in TV Girl. But really if the sky’s the limit, it would be all about touring with Ariel Pink. I’m a super fan and it’d be a dream to be able to get drunk and dance to Ariel Pink every night.
Narcissists Anonymous is packed full of samples -­ is there a story behind them?
Samples have been part of the DUDES formula since day one. I like samples because they allow me to keep a narrative going and let me step out of the spotlight. I try and keep my lyrics at least a bit autobiographical, so I guess using samples is the closest I get to “story telling.” I’m also interested in archiving in general, especial-­
ly mundane elements of everyday life. So you have that sample at the beginning of “King of the Hips,” which was taken from a show I played almost 8 years ago. Now that moment lives forever in a new context. And same with that Bush quote.
So what is DUDES’ next step? Where would you like to see the band at this time, next year?
Right now the plan is to release a series of shorter EPs that each highlights a different element of the DUDES sound. First up is the tentatively titled, How I Spent My Summer Vacation. You can probably imagine what it sounds like. That should drop before the end of the year, and hopefully we’ll have a single out for it very soon. Before or after that we might also be dropping some #rare VWXIIWKDW\RXZRQ¶WEHDEOHWR¿QGRQRXU%DQGFDPSRUDQ\WKLQJ
So keep your eyes on the Facebook page.
As far as long-­term goals, I guess the idea would be to get picked up by a relatively major label for an album. Or something. I’m ready to escape my ramshackle home studio, and I dream of being able to record all the time without having to worry about real life stuff like going to work. Oh, and of course waiting for that call from Cults!
Check out/Download DUDES’ Narcissists Anonymous for free at their Bandcamp. (duudes.bandcamp.com)
Recap music midtown
MUSIC MIDTOWN
-­Resurrected-­ By Arianna Skibell and Betsy Bull
WHEN DISCUSSING music in the context of location, most people will tell you that Nashville is the capital of country and New Orleans is a jazz haven. Austin is the home of Wa-­
terloo Records, which was voted the number one indepen-­
dent record store in the country. But what about Atlanta? Depending on who you talk to and where exactly in the city you pose the question, answers will include, but are not limited to: rap, R&B, blues, country, hip-­hop, alternative, dubstep... the list goes on and on. This is not to say that Atlanta is indecisive when it comes to distinguishing itself as a distinctive musical hub. If anything it is indicative of the wide array of genres and styles that can be found in the city. This diversity, however, makes a citywide music festival a tricky thing to plan when deciding which scene to cater to. The 2011 resurrection of Atlanta’s Music Midtown festival, held this year in Piedmont Park on September 24, made a decision to feature bands of fairly VLPLODUJHQUHV7KHOLQHXSGLGQRWDFFXUDWHO\UHÀHFWWKHGLYHUVLW\
of Atlanta’s booming music scene. Alex Cooley and Peter Conlon, Atlanta music promoters, cre-­
ated the festival in 1994 hoping to emulate the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. They intended the festival to expose Atlanta to the vast variety of music present in the city, the music they had come to love by spending a great deal of time in the music industry. From 1994 through 2005, the festival spanned three days, and at its peak drew in crowds of around 300,000 to watch a variety of bands and artists across six separate stages. In 2005 it was announced that the festival would not return in 2006 due to the growing cost of accommodating such a large event. In July of this year, Conlon announced that the festival would return as a one-­
day event in the new location of Piedmont Park. Although some may have been disappointed by the small-­scale The Postelles comeback of the event, many may not have even known of Music Midtown’s decline and eventual resurrection. It seems, however, that this year’s festival will serve as a foundation for the event to continue growing and hopefully eventually incorporate more vary-­
ing acts. ³1H[W\HDUZLOOGH¿QLWHO\EHWZRGD\VDOLWWOHPRUHGLYHUVH´
Conlon said in an interview with the Atlanta Journal Constitu-­
tion. “I felt that getting something [produced] this year was important. It’s gotten people focused again.” Despite the overwhelming presence of alternative rock, Music Midtown was a successful event. The concert opened with New York-­based, The Postelles, and concluded with the ever popular, Coldplay. The interim acts included Manchester Orchestra, The Black Keys, Band of Skulls, The Joy Formidable, Cage the El-­
ephant, Young the Giant, The Constellations and Walk the Moon. The members of The Postelles went to high school together in Manhattan, NY. They’ve managed to work a distinctive Motown sound into more contemporary pop songs while exposing their lis-­
teners to the grease, grit and grime of hectic New York City living. The band got their start by playing open mic nights at the local girls’ schools in the city. “For some reason they were the ones that had the most open mic nights,” drummer Billy Cadden said in an interview with Frequency. Although the name, The Postelles, may sounds nostalgically familiar, the bands insists it has no other place in history. “It really isn’t anything exciting, it was mostly a nod to old Motown groups and I thought Post was just a good word to come before elles,” lead vocalist Daniel Balk said. “It’s tough to come up with a band name. You want it to be unique and you don’t want it to be the same as everyone else. And you don’t want animal names. Everyone’s got a fucking animal name, right? Deerhoof, Deerhunter, the Dears, Deer Tick. Holy shit, there are a lot deer bands. Why do you think there are so many deer bands?” Indie rock and Atlanta natives Manchester Orchestra The Constellations SHUIRUPHGODWHULQWKHDIWHUQRRQWRDQLQ¿QLWHO\ODUJHU
6 - Frequency
Recap music midtown
stole the show. Lead vocalist and front man, Matthew 6FKXOW]ZRQWKHFURZGRYHUIURPWKHYHU\¿UVWVRQJ
as he leapt into the rowdy audience, belting the band’s UDGLRKLW³,Q2QH(DU´7KHHQWLUH¿YHPDQEDQGKDG
an explosive kind of energy throughout the set on the slightly smaller Great Southeastern Music Hall Stage, providing a different punk-­rock vibe than their pre-­
decessors, The Black Keys. Cage the Elephant gave a solid taste of their new tracks, while still satisfying old fans with favorites from their debut self-­titled album.
The festival came to a close with the much-­antic-­
ipated Coldplay. It’s easy to see why Coldplay was chosen as the main headliner for this year’s Music Midtown. The band isn’t a supersized name like U2, but still can reign in impressive crowds. Throughout the day, Midtown-­goers were scattered between the two stages. Various fans wandered back and forth between performances, while the range of ages created The Black Keys somewhat of a dichotomy in the audiences. Coldplay, KRZHYHUXQL¿HGWKHPXVLFORYHUVDVHYHU\RQHJDWK-­
crowd. Manchester Orchestra is still considered a rising name, but they should not be taken for granted. As a relatively young band, ered together however, Manchester has received a fair amount of criticism for to enjoy the QRW¿QGLQJD³VLJQDWXUH´VRXQG7KHLUPXVLFKDVEHHQFRPSDUHG
English rock to the likes of The Smiths, Death Cab for Cutie, Neutral Milk Ho-­
band at the tel, and My Morning Jacket. Their newest album, Simple Math, is end of the FRQVLGHUHGWRWKHLU¿UVWHIIRUWWRQDLOGRZQDFRQVLVWHQWVRXQG
night. The band was excited to be playing back in their hometown, as They began well as at Music Midtown. “It’s cool to be included in a festival with two tracks like this. It’s been a long time since they’ve had Midtown. Like from their six years I think,” drummer Tim Very said in an interview with 2011 record Frequency. Mylo Xyloto, As the sun began to set and attendance was at its peak, the followed by widely respected singer/guitarist and drummer duo of Dan Au-­
“Yellow,” a erbach and Patrick Carney, known as the Black Keys, tore up the familiar song stage as one of Music Midtown’s headliners. Hailing from Akron, off Coldplay’s Manchester Orchestra Ohio, The Black Keys have existed for over a decade, but still debut album remain steadfastly original: two men and a sound more complex Parachutes. A variety of tracks from each of Coldplay’s albums than a symphony orchestra. Victims of Stendhal syndrome would were played, including, “In My Place,” “Paradise,” “Viva la Vida,” have no hope of remaining conscious during this show. They and “Clocks.” Every element of the show was crisp and exciting as blasted through their hour set with favorite tracks, “Everlasting Chris Martin danced around the stage, guitar strapped high on his Light,” “Next Girl,” and “Howlin’ for You.” Despite the serious-­
chest. Behind him was ness involved in The an explosion of lights Black Key’s rock ‘n’ and lasers -­ impressive blues dynamic, their for the considerably stage added a sort of small amount of tour-­
eccentric humor to the ing they have done this performance. Consist-­
year. ing of an enormous in-­
Closing their main ÀDWDEOHWLUHDQGGUHDP
set with “Life is for catcher, The Black Living,” Coldplay Keys’ background and returned for a three-­
sound made them one song encore, playing of the most original “Clocks,” “Fix You,” acts at the festival.
and their new anthem Later in the evening, “Every Teardrop is after the sun had set a Waterfall,” which and the fans were, shall was celebrated with a we say, more relaxed, ¿UHZRUNVGLVSOD\
Cage the Elephant took the stage and possibly Coldplay
7 - Frequency
Recap block party
BLOCK PARTY 2011 - ON THE ROW
By Rachel Leff and Sonia Guzner + Photo by Tricia Francisco
ON A SUNNY SATURDAYLQ6HSWHPEHU(PRU\VWXGHQWVFURZGHGRQDVWUHHW¿OOHGZLWKLQÀDWDEOHVWUXFWXUHVFRWWRQFDQG\EXOOULGHVDQG
water slides to say the least. Known to students as Eagle Row, the location, which usually boasts Emory’s fraternity and sorority scene, ZDVWUDQVIRUPHGWRDFDUQLYDOHVTXHVSRW¿OOHGZLWKDEOHQGRIQHRQFRORUVPXVLFDQGEDWKLQJVXLWV
The music seemed to blend into the background of conversations and Frisbee games at the outskirts of the block party. But, closer to the sorority lodges the music resonated enough to distract those smiling for the photos that would inevitably end up on Facebook. Curio 0XVHXPRSHQHGWKHVKRZIRUKHDGOLQHU%RUQ5XI¿DQVDQGPDQ\VWRRGLQIURQWRIWKHVWDJHWRGDQFHDQGFKDWDQGPLQJOH'LUHFWO\
adjacent to the impres-­
sively professional stage, it was not uncommon to see more than the accept-­
able number of students jumping on and off the JLDQWLQÀDWDEOHWZLVWHU
RUÀ\LQJGRZQDUHGDQG
blue water slide into the bushes. Needless to say, both bands’ members took a break before and after their sets to enjoy the LQÀDWDEOHWZLVWHUQH[WWR
the stage, only helping to further combine the music and student activities at this year’s Block Party.
Before the show, college sophomore Sonia Guzner got a chance to talk with the members of Born 5XI¿DQVFDWFKLQJXSRQ
the band’s beginnings, thoughts on what it means to sell-­out, and stories from the stage.
Do you guys play a lot of college campuses? What do you like about college shows?
Steve: We’ve played a few. Maybe three or four a year. They’re hit or miss, college shows. Sometimes they can be really crazy and fun, and other times you’re just background noise for something else going on. We opened for a Ferris wheel the other day…
Mitch:,W¶VGH¿QLWHO\XSWRZKRRUJDQL]HVLWDQG
who all comes out.
Steve: This one seems well organized, though -­ nice big stage.
Best/Worst things that have happened at your shows? Any funny stories?
Mitch: We’ve had a big group of people jump on stage before, but then sometimes just like single people will jump on stage and it’s really awkward. One time it happened until we peer pressured them into stage diving and then they fell on their head after. So that was the best and worst!
Steve: And then the band we were touring with tried to take advantage of them in their concussed state… so that was naughty.
Did you guys have a clear goal when you VWDUWHG%RUQ5XI¿DQV"
Mitch: It started small like anything you do. First you just want to play a show, and then you’re like, “Hey, I played a show.” Now we wanna play more shows, we wanna go on tour, or move to the city. It kinda just changes as you go along.
Steve: We took it pretty serious though, almost WRDKLODULRXVGHJUHH/LNHPDLOLQJRXU¿UVWGHPR
out to the biggest record labels in the world. We got a rejection from Warner, which was impres-­
sive that they even emailed us back.
What was the moment that you guys knew/felt that you had passed the point of being a “basement band?” Mitch: This is just kind of a fake answer, but I always think about this and it’s kind of funny. So, we played this show in Toronto, one of our ¿UVWVKRZVLQ7RURQWRVLQFHZHPRYHGWKHUHVR
we were still 18 or 19, and it was a show with ten bands. It was a big show for anyone that wanted to play in this little bar, and you only got to play like three or four songs. I think we had three songs and everyone else who had played was kind of like silly or whatever. Then after we played three songs, we were like, “Can we play a fourth?” and the guy running the show just gave us this thumbs up and was like, “Play it guys!” And that’s when I knew.
Luke: Even though he was clearly just like, “I could fucking care less.”
What did it feel like having “Humming-­
bird” on Skins and “Little Garcon” on that American Express commercial?
Steve: At the time, we had never heard of Skins. Luke: Every once in a while a friend will be like, “I just got really into Skins and I saw your band on it!” And it’s like, cool!
Steve::H¶YHGH¿QLWHO\PHW
fans that found us from Skins. The day for us was just kind RIZHLUG:HÀHZGRZQDQG
we were just the band in the background of a dance scene. We didn’t know the show or anything. Our manager is English and she said, “You should do this. It’s huge in the U.K.”
And the American Express Commercial?
Steve: Whenever you hear a band on a com-­
mercial, it’s not because they’re like, “Woah I love this product, man. I wanna give it away for free!” It’s because they’re like, “I want more money to help write our next record. “
Some people may call that “selling out,” and as an indie band, or what the Inter-­
net refers to as an indie band, what do you think selling out actually means?
Luke: I think if a band’s going to sell out, they sell out right at the beginning. They sell out when they write a song. Like, you can write a song and know what you’re aiming for. I think there are certain artists who don’t really aim to write an interesting song. They aim to write a song that everybody is going to like.
Steve: I can scarcely name a band that I know personally or not, that hasn’t been in a commer-­
cial. It’s just the way to make money now.
Luke:,UHPHPEHUWKH¿UVWWLPH,HYHUKHDUG
Passion Pit was in a PlayStation commercial and when I heard the record I unintentionally skipped that song. It’s not like those guys sold out, it’s just kind of like, you know... So I don’t know if it’s selling out necessarily, it’s just know-­
ing that the process is detrimental to the song itself.
8 - Frequency
-Localsfest 2011featuring
Washed Out
a ‘ ne w t he ory ’
By Adam Valeiras
Localsfest is traditionally WMRE¶VDWWHPSWDW¿QGLQJWKHPRVW
promising up-­and-­comers of the Atlanta music scene, providing them the outlet of Emory University as a method to help boost their fan-­base. While not entirely stranding the promotional tools of this student-­led concert series, this year’s Localsfest has stepped in a slightly different direction with the announcement of the in-­
credibly talented main act: local, yet not so on-­the-­rise, Washed Out. Located in the Cox Ballroom, doors open at 8:00 on Nov. 18, featuring the aforementioned Washed Out, along with the less widespread, yet equally noteworthy local musicians, New Animal and Small Reactions.
IN FORTY YEARS, when our children are taking a class en-­
titled, “MUSIC 347: Electronic Sound 1970-­Present,” it would not be the least bit surprising to hear Washed Out as the course example for describing our current era’s electronic styles. The group, which is really just a moniker for laptop mastermind Ernest Greene, is one of several frontrunners for the recent musical style, described as chillwave. Despite its silly title, this genre hosts a small yet strong group of artists that have been using the ever-­impressive strides in technology to create an entirely new sound. The typical chillwaver makes use of the keyboard to layer synthetic chords ZLWKVPRRWKDUWL¿FLDOSHUFXVVLRQDORQJZLWKYRFDO
melody lines and keyboard/guitar riffs.
The accurately assigned genre title was created just years ago by Carles, the pseudonym for the creator of ironically pretentious music-­blog, Hipster Runoff. Despite chillwave’s sketchy beginnings, along with its overall weak artist base, the few forerunners (Neon Indian, Toro y Moi, Small Black, Washed Out) are some of the only new arrivals to the music scene that have succeeded in making interesting and stimulat-­
ing electronic music. Sure, Radiohead, Flying Lotus, and Brian Eno are always doing cool stuff, but at this point, they are old men -­ the heroes and mentors of the scene. And the other major electronic genre revolves almost solely around a lack of melody and overly loud bass -­ probably just a phase. Once the party drugs and “rage” mentality die down, dubstep will follow. 1RLW¶VWKLVQHZÀXUU\RIFKLOOHGRXWHOHFWURQLF
artists that are making the biggest strides, giving new insights to the potential direction of synthetic sound. They are a history in the making.
Ernest Greene graduated in 2009 from the Univer-­
sity of South Carolina with a degree in Library and Information Science. At that point, his apparent life aspiration was to become a librarian -­ a career path that never quite came to fruition. When he failed in 10 - Frequency
¿QGLQJDMRERXWRIFROOHJHKHUHWXUQHGKRPHWR3HUU\*HRUJLD
where he found refuge in music production. Working out of a tiny bedroom studio, Greene produced the tracks that helped spark his QRZÀRXULVKLQJDWDQLQGHSHQGHQWOHYHOPXVLFVFHQHVWDUGRP
Beginning with an EP entitled High Times, which was released solely on cassette, Greene introduced Washed Out to the industry. First noticed on MySpace, he eventually picked up enough steam to record and release his second EP, Life of Leisure, just last year. The strides one can make in fourteen months are incredible. Lei-­
sure made Washed Out an internationally recognized name with WUDFNVOLNH³)HHO,W$OO$URXQG´DQG³*HW8S´¿QGLQJDXGLHQFHDQG
praise within the recently popularized chillwave movement. Of course, the support of Pitchfork and his eventual team-­up with the biggest indie label in the industry, Sub-­Pop, also didn’t hurt.
Finally, we catch up to the present with Washed Out’s debut full-­length, Within and Without, an album that received both criticism and praise, deemed boring and repetitive at times, and yet also incredibly unique and brave. It’s a bold move for an artist known to start huge dance parties at every one of his shows to then release an album like Within and Without, an introspective effort that proves electronic music and the chillwave scene can have more to it than pop-­based synth riffs and un-­involved lyrics.
What the new chillwave scene helps illustrate -­ and this originally stems from trip-­hop and the entire contemporary jazz movement -­ is that electronic music could be the genre and race XQL¿HUZLWKWKHSRWHQWLDOWREOHQGVW\OHVWKDWKDYHEHHQVHJUHJDWHG
for so long. That is a big statement, I know. Ernest Greene has ex-­
SUHVVHGVHYHUDOWLPHVKRZMXVWDERXWDOORIKLVPXVLFDOLQÀXHQFHV
11 - Frequency
stem from hip-­hop, which can be heard clearly through his use of subtle and repetitive drum loops along with the rhythm of voice. It blends with the layerings of sound, rather than existing as its own, frontman-­styled entity.
Here a clear distinction has to be made between hip-­hop and rap. These are two entirely different things. Hip-­hop is the beats and rap is the words, hence why in your iTunes, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is labeled as hip-­hop/rap. This is where the distinction is made between rapper and producer, and very few artists transcend the two -­ although Kanye West is one of WKRVHUDUHWDOHQWVWKDWGRHVVR,W¶VWRXJKWR¿QGHOHFWURQLFPXVLF
QRZDGD\VWKDWGRHVQRW¿QGVRPHLQÀXHQFHLQKLSKRS7KH
creation of beats and rhythms, along with the mixing and master-­
ing of the two, is structured more or less in the exact same way as an instrumental hip-­hop track, where the only main difference that exists is due to the vocalist. A rapper would be comfortable rapping over any of Washed Out’s tracks. The song might sound a little disjointed, but in terms of ability to match beat with rhyme, no problems would arise.
So why does this matter? It matters because it is changing the entire structure of the music scene before our very eyes. Just as rock ‘n’ roll did sixty or seventy years ago, and rap did in the ‘80s, electronic music is -­ if it hasn’t already -­ recreating the music in-­
dustry yet again. It has opened up several entirely new genres that every previous genre can partake in, because it has no limitations. The computer, and technology, is only improving and expanding options, and this has been proved so many times by artists like Ernest Greene. His work through Washed Out is a prime example of the adaptation of old styles to create something new, and it is these fusions that tend to change the scene. Just like hip-­hop stems from jazz, and jazz from soul, chillwave, and most electronic genres, stems from hip-­hop. It goes full-­circle and whatever keeps that circle cycling isn’t running out of juice any time soon.
In the beginning of his career as Washed Out, Ernest Greene KDGKLV¿UVWPDMRULQWHUYLHZZLWK3LWFKIRUNWKHPRVWLQÀXHQWLDO
music review site on the web. They asked him if he saw the music he was making as pop music. Greene’s response: “I guess the stuff I’ve been doing lately has been the most pop-­ish stuff I’ve done, ever. I’ve just started singing, really, in the past year. I did a lot of ambient instrumental stuff, and I mentioned the hip-­hop stuff. So I still feel as if I’m just coming into my own, as far as traditional songwriting and writing melodies and stuff. But I really don’t know how to answer the question.” That seems to be the mentality WKHVHGD\V:KHQWKHPRVWLQQRYDWLYHRULQÀXHQWLDORIDUWLVWVDUH
asked about genres, they simply “don’t know how to answer the question.”
,WVHHPVDVLI:DVKHG2XWKDVDOORZHGWKHPXVLFWRFRPH¿UVW
before business, popularity, money, what have you. Not to sound cliché, it’s just the only way to sincerely describe Ernest Greene’s outward artistic appearance. Every move he makes as an emerging musician seems to give priority to the unique sound and style he creates. Washed Out -­ the moniker itself -­ has “no real meaning to it,” according to Greene. He heard that phrase used repeatedly to GHVFULEHKLVVRXQGDQGWKRXJKWLWZDVRQO\¿WWLQJWKDWKLVVRXQG
description becomes its label. Washed Out is the closest thing to a JHQUHWLWOH*UHHQHFRXOG¿QG
In another early interview with Epilogue Magazine, Greene was DVNHGDERXWWKHOR¿ODEHOWKDWKDGEHHQVODSSHGRQWRKLVHDUO\
(3V,JQRULQJWKHLQHYLWDEOHODFNRIKLJK¿GHOLW\WKDWFRPHVQDWX-­
rally with working in a bedroom studio, Greene explains, “I never really thought too much about the aesthetic, just the atmosphere. ,IHHOOLNHWKHOR¿WKLQJLVVHFRQGDU\7KHZD\WRDFFRPSOLVKWKH
sound I was going for was to kind of blend everything together, especially when bringing samples and stuff in, just that general haziness.” The word hazy, practically a synonym for washed out, is an accurate way of describing his sound, but only when com-­
bined with several other terms. While yes, each song features a hazy quality of layers that lend to an almost abyss-­like trance, just about every one of Greene’s tracks is structured with major chords, making them pop songs in that regard. Some slow, some fast, some triumphant, some downtrodden -­ Washed Out has no consistent structure or mood. And yet, every song feels familiar and personal, whether or not they actually are.
That’s the thing about Washed Out. It’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on in each song. Different than the European trance PRYHPHQWZKLFKLQYROYHVORXGUHSHWLWLYHÀXUULHVRIV\QWKRQ
top of overly heavy bass, chillwave trance is that description, just spacier and more ambient. It is still easy to get lost in the sound, 12 - Frequency
but in a more conscious way. Everything makes sense and every-­
thing is concrete, yet nothing is quite there. It’d be easy to slip at any moment. The words start to mean nothing and the outspoken melody falls behind the haziness of the abstract backdrop.
But it feels as if this is done on purpose. Just as Washed Out is no one thing -­ stemming from hip-­hop, pop, grunge, and just DERXWHYHU\RWKHUPXVLFDOVW\OHWKDWFRXOGKDYHLQÀXHQFHGDNLG
growing up in the ‘90s, Greene produces a sound that is meant to make people forget what they are listening to. It’s only once conscious thought slips away can a person focus on the thought stimulated by non-­literal objects or events. And it is this thought WKDWHYHQLIRQO\IRUWKH¿YHPLQXWHVDQGWKLUW\WZRVHFRQGVRID
song, can allow a listener to have that truly introverted, introspec-­
tive moment of clarity.
Washed Out’s music may, on the surface, be any of the previ-­
ously mentioned genres throughout this article. In fact, it surely is. But it is more. It brings its listeners to the same level, opening a level of thought that needs to be forced before it can be voluntarily achieved. His songs bring about a wave of chillness, absolutely. They too are an eternal abyss of ambiance. They also contain literal meaning through lyrics and melodic tensions. All of these evocations, constructed into one, can describe Greene’s efforts, but can also describe music of all technique, style, and genre. Or at least can describe what skilled musicians are trying to create with their trade. Maybe Washed Out just does it best.
LOCALSFEST OPENERS
Meet the Bands
SMALL REACTIONS
NEW ANIMAL
Photo by Pantauphoto
In 10 words or less, describe Small Reactions:
We play quick post-­punk called nerve pop. We name genres.
%LJJHVW,QÀXHQFH
Stereolab, probably.
Dream Collaborator: Gus Fernandez of the North Trolls and Cute Boots. He’s blue collar.
Dream producer for your next recording ses-­
sion:
Bradford Cox, most certainly.
Where would you like to see Small Reactions at this time, next year? First, playing music and having a blast. Second, having UHOHDVHGRXU¿UVW/3DQGWRXULQJ7KLUGEHLQJSURXG
owners of our own Airstream trailer.
13 - Frequency
ON NEW ANIMAL’S Bandcamp page, they describe themselves as “a pop rock band from atlanta, ga.” I guess, as discussed several times in this issue of Fre-­
quency, genres are a tricky thing to capture, but with this description, they are selling themselves a bit short. “Pop rock” evokes Nickelback, Third Eye Blind, or more recently, a group like Foster the People. No, while New Animal’s sound may have some traditional “pop” elements, the vocals and guitar have HQRXJKUHYHUEDQG¿OWHUHIIHFWVWRVDWLVI\DQ\IDQRI
the modern electronic sound. Think (cough, cough) Washed Out, Neon Indian, or Small Black -­ they are probably most similar to the last of these, and that is a very good thing.
Sure to be an interesting live show with their layers of sound, strong percussion, and melodic vocal lines, make sure to come to Localsfest in time to catch New Animal’s set.
Recap fall band party
B IG B OI
OF
O UTKAST
Big Boi Gets Huge
By Jake Krakovsky + Photo by Rahul Sharma
FALL BAND Parties past have featured some pretty big-­
name performers: O.A.R, Third Eye Blind, Akon, and the unforgettable surprise appearance of T.I (his last before being incarcerated) at last year’s B.o.B perfor-­
mance. None of these, how-­
ever, have the Atlanta pull of this year’s FBP headliner: Antwan André Patton AKA BIG BOI aka Sir Lucious Leftfoot aka Daddy Fat Sax aka Sergeant Slaughter aka The Son of Chico Dusty,aka Corporal Sticky-­Pantzz aka Chief aka Billy Ocean aka Hot Tub Tony aka Francis the Savannah Chitlin’ Pimp. Boasting even more hits than he has nicknames, Big Boi is perhaps best known as one half of legendary Atlanta hip-­hop group, Outkast. Out-­
kast, consisting of Big Boi and Andre “3000” Benjamin, is one of the most popular and successful hip-­hop groups of all time, with ten Grammy nominations and six victories under their belt. On the heels of 6 Outkast LPs, including Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, a double album consisting of essentially two solo DOEXPV%LJ%RLUHOHDVHGKLV¿UVWLQGHSHQGHQWVRORDOEXPSir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. The long-­delayed sum-­
mer 2010 release was met with both critical and commercial acclaim, almost across the board. After an international tour support-­
ing Sir Lucious%LJ%RLJHDUHGXSIRUKLV³5XQ,W%DFN´86FROOHJHWRXUZKLFKLVZKDWEURXJKWKLPWRWKH0F'RQRXJK¿HOGVWDJH
October 14.
%LJ%RLLQFDPRXÀDJHDQG³$´KDWWRWKHVLGHMXVWIRUVW\OHWRRNWKHVWDJHWRUDXFRXVFKHHUVDQGDSSODXVHIURPWKHFURZG
along with his crew, which included a live brass section, hype man, and various miscellaneous others, all dressed in green and white “Big Boi” track suits. The song selection for the evening catered both to lovers of Outkast and Big Boi’s solo career. From the beginning of the show, Big Boi performed his verses from various old school tracks with Outkast and others, including “Elavators” “Kryptonite (I’m On It),” “B.O.B,” and, a crowd request, “Ms. Jackson.” As the evening continued, some joints off of Sir Lucious crept into the mix, like “Shutterbug,” “You Aint No DJ,” and “Fo Yo Sorrows.” Many of the numbers were backed up by projections in the background of the songs’ music videos. A phenomenon that would not at all be out of place in the world of rap concerts, but seems to be a somewhat new addition at Emory, was the ushering on stage of twenty or so female students, to dance along to the show and be shepherded on and off as the performers desired. The young women’s dancing, generally with one another and occasionally with the performers, was met with both cheers of approval & serious discomfort. $¿QDOKLJKOLJKWZDV%LJ%RL¶VWZR\RXQJVRQV&URVVDQG%DPERRSRSSLQJORFNLQJDQGEUHDNLQJGXULQJVRPHRIWKHEUHDN-­
downs in-­between songs. The videos, the dancing, hit songs both old and new…this concert was, as Big Boi himself would say, “cooler than a polar bear’s toenails.”
14 - Frequency
Culture beats
The Rise of Dubstep
Get Ready for the Drop
By Caroline Scott and Diane Sun
IT’S A SUNNY SATURDAY afternoon somewhere in upstate New York. Booths selling paraphernalia, shirts that say, “Mary, Molly, Lucy, and Dubstep,” and multicolored trinkets attract a throng of awed concert-­goers. The paths are ¿OOHGZLWK\HDUROGVZKRORRNOLNHWKH\¶UHVWXFNVRPHZKHUHLQEHWZHHQDQGWLHG\HLVDEXQGDQW
DVLVDQ\WKLQJQHRQ$UWLVWVDUPHGZLWKVSUD\SDLQWDGGWRDKXJHYLEUDQWO\JUDI¿WLHGVLJQUHDGLQJ³&DPS%LVFR´
Sounds of drum and bass echo from one stage while high-­pitched synth come from another. Closer to the stage, the sound is overwhelming;; the sun is beating down as everyone around you is dancing, unaware of anything but the music. This scene is typical of many music festivals around the country;; dubstep has become more than an under-­
ground craze -­ it is now the mainstream.
Originating from South London, dubstep has made its way across oceans to resonate from the laptop speakers of many young Americans. Different from other types of electronica, dubstep com-­
prises of rhythmic bass lines and clipped vocals intertwined with irregular instru-­
mentals. Artists such as Nero, Skrillex, Rusko, Pretty Lights, and many more have FKDQJHGWKHGH¿QLWLRQRIPXVLFE\KHDYLO\
incorporating technology into their songs. Now, music not only comprises instru-­
ments, but also roots from digital sound ZDYHVZLWKLQDFRPSXWHU:HFDQGH¿QH
it, with reservations, as the music of the IXWXUH(YHQSRSDUWLVWVDUHEHLQJLQÀX-­
enced by this uprising genre with Britney Spears, Rihanna, and La Roux having in-­
corporated their most recent singles with this new electronic style.
The allure of dubstep inevitably P\VWL¿HVPDQ\GXHWRLWVGHSDUWXUHIURP
traditional melodic style, typical of today’s musical atmosphere. So why has dubstep become so popular among young people? It may be the presence that it imposes on the listener -­ the deep, reverberating bass line meshed with the distorted synth and vocals seem to have some corporeal effect. Dubstep goes in your ears, but it affects your whole body. Another may be merely its unconventionality. The style is unique, different from the traditional classic rock that our parents once listened to, or the pop sensationalists that our generation has become accustomed to. The allure of dubstep also lies somewhere within its humor -­ the genre seems to satirize itself. For example, the new Skrillex EP includes a vocal clip that FORVHVWKH¿UVWVRQJZLWKDJURXFK\PDQGHFODULQJ³7KH\DUHQRWDUWLVWVEHFDXVHQRRQHFDQSOD\WKHJXLWDU´7KLV
sort of self-­ mockery makes a statement: either you get it or you don’t. The dubstep culture has traveled around the country and, even more impressively, the world. Festivals such as Identity, Ultra, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Camp Bisco, Electric Forest, or Sonic Bloom, all headlining dubstep, have become increasingly popular. One might compare these festivals to Woodstock, and in many ways they are similar with their live music, dancing, and rampant drug use. Both scenes comprise of a concentrated gathering of young people, and both provide an escape for this very youth. While dubstep is working its way into mainstream music, there is still considerable anonymity to this newly IRXQGJHQUH7KRXJKVRPHKDYHGLYRUFHGWKHPVHOYHVIURPLWLWLVGLI¿FXOWWRFRQFOXGHWKDWDOOGXEVWHSLV³QRLVH´
since it involves such a large range of musicality. Dubstep expands the creativity and innovation of sound, playfully yet skillfully integrating all types of genres into this new, exciting type of electronica. So for all the Dubstep veter-­
ans, keep dubbin’ out. And for those who’s ears are virgin to the sounds of dirty bass, I suggest you take a listen, because dubstep is, in the words of Pretty Lights, “a feelin’ that I never, never, never, never had before.”
15 - Frequency
Culture collaborations
The Ego Has Landed
The Culture Behind Collabs
By Rose Cohn COLLABORATIONS are nothing new to the music world. Two or more artists get together to fuse their sounds and styles into something brilliantly fresh. But recently it seems that the force behind these collaborations has less to do with this fusion, and more to do with the artists’ massive egos and sense of self-­importance.
/HW¶V¿UVWH[DPLQH-DPHV%ODNH¶VFROODERUDWLRQZLWK-XVWLQ9HUQRQDND%RQ,YHURQWKHVRQJ
“Fall Creek Boys Choir.” Blake hails from London and has garnered international underground acclaim for pioneering a genre that many have deemed “blubstep:” Blake strips dubstep down to its most basic components, reassembles them, injects piercing and auto-­tuned vocals, and steeps it all in soul. The words “prodigy” and “wunderkind” tend to orbit discussions of Blake’s debut, self-­titled album. While he does possess some visionary talent and I do enjoy his record, these accolades seem a bit excessive. I tend to side with one blogger who compared Blake’s reinterpre-­
tation of dubstep to someone breaking down barbeque sauce to its individual ingredients, then mixing those ingredients in new proportions to create something that tastes kind of like barbeque sauce, but worse.
Blake, however, seems to think rather well of himself. A recent interview illustrates his pre-­
tentiousness, his contempt for the mainstream, and his colossal ego. In it, Blake likens the bro-­y brand of North American dubstep to “a pissing competition,” a contest for “who can make the GLUWLHVW¿OWKLHVWEDVVVRXQG´+HVD\V$PHULFDQVKDYHQHYHU³H[SHULHQFHGJRRGGHHSGXEVWHS´
because “it was never introduced like that.” Well excuse us, Master.
Then there’s Vernon, who’s not quite the egotist as Blake. Vernon, a long-­respected member of the progressive-­folk scene, has released two studio albums as Bon Iver, most recently the self-­titled Bon Iver. Vernon’s indie art-­pop tunes ordinarily suit his mellow persona, but he had a mouthful to spit at MTV after the Video Music Awards this past August. On his blog he wrote: ³GRQ¶WZHVHHPGXPE"GLGQ¶W079ORVHWKH¿JKWDJDLQVWWKHPVHOYHV">«@:K\DUHWKHOLJKWVVR
bright? […] Why do we try SO hard?”
When Vernon revealed via Twitter that their joint song would drop on August 24, 2011, the indie blogs went ape-­shit, but “Fall Creek Boys Choir” was one of the biggest letdowns of the year (Casio barks? Really?). Both artists put out two of 2011’s strongest albums, but their collaboration sounded like a watered-­down version of their talents. Blake and Vernon can’t bash the main-­
stream and simultaneously expect the mainstream to embrace their mediocre collaborative effort.
:HFDQQRWGLVFXVVHJRVDQGPXVLFDOFROODERUDWLRQVZLWKRXWDWOHDVWEULHÀ\PHQWLRQLQJ.DQ\H
West and Jay-­Z’s Watch the Throne. To be clear, I won’t knock the inherent value of Watch the Throne. In fact, the album is phenomenal. Kanye and Jay-­Z are highly gifted lyricists and hip-­hop DUWLVWVEXWWKRVHTXDOL¿FDWLRQVEHJWKHIROORZLQJTXHVWLRQV'RHVWKHLUPXVLFQRWIDOOLQWRWKHH[DFW
same genre? Are their styles and sounds not nearly identical? What, then, is the motivation behind the Kanye/Jay-­Z collaboration?
7RH[SRXQGRQWKHSODQHWDU\VL]HRIWKHLUSHUFHLYHGVHOIZRUWKVHHPVPRRW,VWUXJJOHWR¿QGD
reason why Kanye and Jay-­Z would make an album together beyond their mutual desire to stroke one another’s egos. Does Watch the Throne sound decidedly different from anything Jay-­Z or Kanye could have produced on their own? Not particularly. It’s true that in the past, musicians with similar sounds have collaborated on tracks, but each artist’s unique vocals or instrumenta-­
tion complemented and enhanced the other’s. I’m thinking of Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure”;; the Beatles and Eric Clapton’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”;; Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day”;; and Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse’s “Body and Soul.” The coalescence of these duos each yielded something truly remarkable.
Of course the ultimate collaboration of all time occurred in 1986 between Aerosmith and Run D.M.C. on “Walk This Way.” It wasn’t about ego. It wasn’t about rebelling against the mainstream. It was about bringing together the decade’s most popular genre (rock) and a steadily emerging one (rap) and fashioning a mega-­hit to be enjoyed across cultures, ages and regions.
16 - Frequency
Reviews new releases
Reviews
83%
Real Estate
Days
DOMINO
ALTHOUGH it was released in the dead of winter, Real Estate’s side project, Ducktails’ Arcade Dynamics, was my go-­to album this summer. Its woozy, zonked-­out guitar noodling provided the perfect soundtrack for lazing around in the sun. However, the album is sorely lacking in the pop-­
song department. Surprisingly, Arcade Dynamics’ greatest weakness is Real Estate’s latest strength. The songwriting on Days is immediately arresting. ,WGUDZVIURPDQDUUD\RILQÀXHQFHVZKLOHDWWKH
same time, keeping the New Jersey band’s cavern-­
ous, arpeggio guitar-­sound intact.
Needless to say, the move from the tape-­hiss and folk label Woodsist to the ubiquitous Domino has allowed Real Estate to stretch their legs sonically. Reverb has been replaced with vocal dubs, and album opener “Easy” features an organ solo. The band’s expanded sonic pallet doesn’t hinder their trademark breeziness at all;; rather, it highlights the technical competency that was previously hidden by fuzziness and grime.
Even though every song’s beat could have ap-­
peared on a Galaxie 500 track, Days’ melodies range from Chutes to Narrow-­era Shins on “Out of Tune” to a Pavement song when they are at their most relaxed. The LP’s songs and lyrics warmly recall suburban ennui, and on tracks like “Wonder Years,” you better not take their Kodachrome away. Nostalgia is the default mode for this band and I suspect they may be stuck navel-­gazing on their next release. But for now, Days is the perfect ac-­
companiment for the last weeks of autumn.
~ Jordan Francis
90%
Das Racist Relax
GREENHEAD MUSIC
BY SUMMER 2011, Brooklyn hip-­hop wunderkinds Das Racist had established themselves as, if nothing else, impossible to ignore. 2010 mixtapes Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man showcased the group’s hyper-­referential rapping and eclectic production, and gained them a passionate following in the process. It was thus to great expectations that the trio (Himanshu “Heems” Suri, Victor “KOOL A.D.” Vasquez, and Ashok “Dapwell” Kondabolu) let ORRVHRQWKHZRUOGWKHLU¿UVWFRPPHUFLDOO\UHOHDVHG
album, Relax. Believe me, dear reader, Relax does not disappoint. The album communicates Das Rac-­
ist’s standard themes of race, privilege, capitalism, consumerism, multiculturalism, class and other “serious issues,” through hip-­hop music that fea-­
17 - Frequency
94% Girls
Father, Son, Holy Ghost
TRUE PANTHER
LET ME BE FRANK: Father, Son, Holy Ghost is excellent. Following their superb debut album, appropriately named Album, and the delightful Broken Dreams Club EP, Girls deliver an album that explodes with energy and emotion. Girls has always made music that sounds retro. Nestled comfortably in the music of 1960s’ Cali-­
fornia, Girls’ previous output faithfully emulated the Beach Boys’ sound: catchy guitar work, ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ choral effects, extended instrumental sections, etc. Father, Son, Holy Ghost does not sound like a tribute to 1960s pop, but rather it sounds like a product of that very era. Everything, from the charming balladry to each song’s stylistic ÀRXULVKHVPDNHVRQHLPDJLQHWKDWWKHDOEXPLVD
recovered recording of a 60’s never-­made-­it-­big band’s masterpiece. On the lyrical front, the album is an escalation RIWKHKHDUWZUHQFKLQJVLQFHULW\RI*LUOV¶¿UVWWZR
releases. Christopher Owens, the band’s lyricist and singer, has never avoided discussing love and loss and all things in-­between. Here, though, he tures at once viciously skillful rapping, danceable beats, deconstructionalist absurdism and brilliantly clever humor. Take my advice: Sit Down, Man, Shut Up, Dude and Relax. You deserve it.
~ Jake Krakovsky 89%
Björk
Biophilia!
ONE LITTLE
INDIAN, POLYDOR
BJÖRK is not exactly the most accessible artist out there. She is strange, to say the least, and her music YHU\FOHDUO\UHÀHFWVKHUHFFHQWULFLWLHV+RZHYHU
Björk’s eighth full-­length studio album Biophilia maintains strange and fantastic yet has potential for more widespread appeal. The album begins with an almost fairy tale-­like twinkle and continues this way for a majority of the tracks. This light and ephem-­
eral sound eventually gives way to a characteristic Björkian march in which electronic sounds advance steadily underneath her powerful vocals that, as usual, seem to echo over the instrumental portion of a track. Her vocal style sees very little change in Biophilia. Long and triumphant English syllables delivered in her Icelandic voice rise and fall with steady rhythm. The vocals in each track sound similar enough that a listen to the album leaves the impression of one long song with changing instru-­
mental melodies behind them [the vocals]. The instrumentals are beautiful. They create a sonic landscape that is diverse and entrancing. The listener is lulled by wispy phrases before being taken up by lofty passages. After that, all comes crashing down into several drum and bass sec-­
tions that border on the post-­dubstep. What she lacks in her voice is more than made up for by the composition of each of the tracks. Her songs lead crystallizes these emotions. Each song is pure in its expression. There is no pretense or broody-­
distance at play hear. The songs we hear are made of Owens’ very blood. To some, Owens might ap-­
pear self-­indulgent and immature. But once you accept that he is of the tradition of the classic pop song, you can appreciate his simple, emotional lyrics. Let me end as I began. Father, Son, Holy Ghost is excellent. If you enjoy music, then you should listen to this album. And if you don’t, this album may be your initiation. ~ Rhett Henry you through a fantasy world of electronic beats and Tesla Coils adapted to be instruments. Even if her voice is an acquired taste (and one worth acquir-­
ing), the album is worth a listen for its expertly crafted instrumentals.
~ Ivan Antolic-­Soban
79%
Wilco
The Whole Love
DBPM
EVERY ALBUM released by Wilco, since 2002, has inevitably been compared to their experimental and generally acclaimed masterpiece, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The same has already proven true for the neo-­country band’s recently released eighth studio album, The Whole Love, which may be both their least and most cohesive record to date. The album begins with “Art of Almost,” a track that, from its ¿UVWMXPEOLQJHOHFWURQLFQRWHVJLYHVRIIDVWURQJ
anti-­Wilco aura, but that’s what makes it so ap-­
pealing. It quickly becomes clear that Wilco hasn’t made an album this interesting and different since 2004’s A Ghost Is Born. However, it is because of this avant-­garde effort that The Whole Love lacks the cohesive form that Yankee and Ghost thrive on. Each song presents the same intimate, emo-­
tional experience from Jeff Tweedy that his fans are so expecting of by now, but never do two songs on this new album truly connect at that previously achieved deeper level. As a collection of singles, The Whole Love is stunning, and the band has never sounded more in-­sync, especially with Nels Cline’s JXLWDUVRORV¿QGLQJDPRUHFRPIRUWDEOHUROHLQHDFK
song, rather than the glittering arena-­rock gimmick that they gave off on past tracks like “Impossible Reviews new releases
Germany.” But because this band will always have the looming fate of having created their “perfect” masterpiece back in ‘02, an album like The Whole Love can never escape the overshadowing and infa-­
mous legacy that the band created ten years ago.
Key Tracks: “Art of Almost,” “Dawned On Me” and “One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend)”
69%
Neon Indian
Era Extraña MOM + POP
I ALWAYS SAY that Neon Indian is an experience. I’ve never been able to sit down and listen to just one VRQJRIIWKH¿UVWUHFRUGPsychic Chasms. In fact, I always have to listen to the entire album as a whole, DQGXSRQOLVWHQLQJWRWKHVHFRQGDOEXP,FDQ¿UP-­
ly state that my listening “methodology” isn’t going to change. Neon Indian’s second record, headed by Alan Palomo, attempts to reach higher than the ¿UVWWKHDOEXPLVIXOORIDQDVVRUWPHQWRILQWULFDWH
sounds, such as arbitrary synth arrangements and YLGHRJDPHVDPSOHV$W¿UVW,PLVFRQVWUXHGWKHVH
sounds as random, but later and after a few listens, I began to understand Neon Indian’s intentional-­
ity with these “random” sounds. It’s true that, at times, the album can be jarring, harsh, and a little over-­bearing, but for some reason -­ and for a reason that I’m not quite sure about -­ the album works as a whole. It’s not a record that I would sit down and hum to one or two songs and then move on;; it’s an DOEXPWKDWWDNHVWLPHDQGWKRXJKWDQGGH¿QLWHO\D
few good listens.
~ Rachel Leff
71%
James Blake Enough Thunder ATLAS
JUST BEFORE the release of his new EP Enough Thunder, James Blake released a complaint about the emerging style that recent dubstep has fed into, stating that dubstep artists are now in a ‘pissing FRQWHVW¶RYHUZKRFDQPDNHWKHµGLUWLHVW¿OWKLHVW
bass sound’ to appeal to the testosterone fueled ‘frat boy market.’ In this new EP, Blake sticks to his word about separating himself from other dance music with six piano-­heavy tracks that would appeal more to free-­form jazz listeners than any typical frat bro.
Resonating bass lines aren’t missed on “Once We All Agree,” as Blake successfully replaces them with eerie bass ripples and low register piano chords to make his music more about a spooky, spine-­
crawling feeling than about dance-­party beats. He even avoids dubstep altogether as he makes Joni Mitchell’s “A Case Of You” all his own despite hav-­
ing only a piano under his soulful vocals. However, drum beats and looped vocals fail to support his high-­pitched tenor and extended vowel sounds on bass-­less tracks like “We Might Feel Unsound” and “Not Long Now”. And Justin Vernon can’t save the post-­dubstep sound on “Fall Creek Boys Choir” with only a piano and snippets of synth and drum backing him up.
Despite stripping bass from his sound and leav-­
ing only a piano and looped electronic backgrounds on most of his tracks, Blake should be given the EHQH¿WRIWKHGRXEWDVKHH[SORUHVDSRVWGXEVWHS
repertoire that scarcely resembles his self-­titled album which still remains his biggest success. Fans can be thankful he’s sticking to his avant-­garde gut by trying something different.
~ John Roofeh
80%
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
HYSTERICAL
CYHSY, INC.
SPORADIC rock group, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, shows both lyrical and musical maturity on their third release. Not only is Hysterical riskier and more creative than their previous endeavors, but WKHJURXSLWVHOIVRXQGVPXFKPRUHXQL¿HG:KLOH
not every song is exceptional, every track contrib-­
utes to the outstanding cohesiveness of the album. Hysterical has a strong start with “Same Mistake,” and reaches a sensitive conclusion with “Adam’s Plane.” Standout tracks include “Maniac,” the album’s best showcase of Alec Ounsworths’ vocals against a big band-­like background;; and the slower, heartfelt, “In a Motel.” Still lacking nothing in terms of spunk, wit, and energy, CYHSY is sure to impress both established fans and new listeners.
~ Lynnie Sharzer
66%
Red Hot Chili Peppers I’m With You WARNER BROS. ONCE AGAIN the Red Hot Chili Peppers have succeed-­
ed in creating a distinctive album with their own signature sound intertwined throughout. I’m With You, their tenth studio album, reinforces RHCP’s status as a mercurial band with the power to remain timeless. I’m With You transcends current musical trends and showcases RHCP’s adaptability. While it may not compare to previous albums, like Stadium Arcadium, it is a welcomed turn for the band. Despite the departure of guitarist John Frusciante, RHCP maintains their unique style, with classic An-­
thony Kiedis’s vocals and Flea’s bass-­thumping riffs throughout the 14-­track LP. New arrival, guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, adds an entirely different groove, GHPRQVWUDWLQJGH¿QLWHVKLIWVLQVRXQGDOORZLQJIRU
the incorporation of new styles with much loved signature elements. Highlights include, “Police Sta-­
tion” and “Meet Me at the Corner” (which resemble elements of older songs like “Scar Tissue” and “Californication”), and “Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Happiness Loves Company” (demonstrating a “get up and dance” anthem sound). “Brendan’s Death Song” is a slightly ballad-­esque number that adds nice variety to the album, while the single “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” is outshone by several other songs on the album. I’m With You, despite its marked difference from previous albums, is worth adding to your current playlist, whether you are a diehard RHCP fan or are just interested in hearing the band’s new direction. ~ Mary Catherine Ballou
35%
Lil Wayne Tha Carter IV
CASH MONEY RECORDS. HAD LIL WAYNE focused all of the songs on Tha Carter IVDURXQGKLV¿UVWVLQJOHWKHDOEXPPD\
have been something to talk about. Instead “6 Foot )RRWIHDWXULQJ&RU\*XQ]´:D\QH¶V¿UVWVLQJOH
with its Inception jokes and its lyrical mastery, leaves the other 14 songs in the dust. “So Special (featuring John Legend)” is too ambitious, trying to tie together incompatible elements of pop, elec-­
tronic, and world music. “How to Love” is simply a mellow pop song;; Justin Bieber’s acoustic cover RILWLVDEHWWHU¿WWKDQ/LO:D\QH¶VDWRQDOJURDQV
However, the few guest artists featured on the DOEXPDUHVWLOOQRPDWFKIRU:D\QH¶V¿OOHUVRQJVLQ
terms of lyrical cleverness. On the track “It’s Good,” Rapper Jadakiss says, “Shoot me in the watch, I got time to kill.” On the track “Abortion,” Wayne re-­
torts, “I’m shooting for the stars, astronauts dodge bullets.” At the end of the day, Wayne could have avoided wasting his listener’s time by scrapping Tha Carter IV, leaving the thrilling “6 Foot 7 Foot” as a standalone single. ~ Brigid Choi
77%
Twin Sister In Heaven DOMINO. TWIN SISTER’S music is often sublime, as with the warm, inviting “Nectarine” off of their 2008 EP Vampires With Dreaming Kids. However, the dream-­pop of their full-­length debut In Heaven has an inconsistent magic. At times the production sounds cheap, rather than spare, and the lyrics often read as obvious rather than poetic. When the magic is present, however, it is worth celebrating. “Spain” opens with a delightfully slimy surf-­rock riff, and “Eastern Green” resembles the ‘80s in all the right ways. Album highlight “Gene Campi” is like an Ennio Morricone Western score, had it been repurposed as a dance track.
~ Natalya Zmudzin
88%
Youth Lagoon
The Year of Hibernation
FAT POSSUM RECORDS
Youth Lagoon’s new album, The Year of Hiberna-­
tion, glows with an aura of nostalgia, and echoes between the ears with lucid, lullaby-­like lyrics. This 18 - Frequency
Reviews new releases
recently released album, a great listen in solitude, utilizes both electronic and real instruments to imbibe the listener with an emotional range shifting between melancholy and optimism. In many of the WUDFNVWKHWZR¿QGWKHPVHOYHVHTXDOO\LGHQWL¿DEOH
fused, exchanging seamlessly in soft, patient builds that culminate in heart-­thudding drum-­kicks and intricately layered overtones. Hibernation shows maturity among young musicians, and debuts an impressive, unique sonic complex.
~ Ben Dhiman
68%
DJ Shadow The Less You Know, The Better
VERVE RECORDS
DJ SHADOW encompasses a variety of sounds on his new album, with each song unique in sound and style from the last. The songs instigate a level of curiosity, since you can never predict what comes next. There are all types of genre incorporated into DJ Shadow’s music, such as techno sounds, ‘80s beats, soulful tunes, funky jazz and heavy metal. Although these songs demonstrate a high level of creativity and thought, there is a sporadic and spontaneous nature to the music. The listener is left in a daze, almost forced to tune out from the songs due to the hectic activity within each second. The album, in short, is a lot to listen to and take in at once, which may be a turn-­off to traditional listen-­
ers who appreciate holistic melodies and harmo-­
QLHV$OOLQDOOWKRXJK'-6KDGRZGH¿QLWHO\JRWWKH
creativity brownie points, his album as a whole was, to say the least, quite schizophrenic.
~ Diane Sun
88%
Zola Jesus Conatus
SACRED BONES
“SWORDS,” the opening track of Nika Roza Danilova’s WKLUGDOEXPDORQJZLWK³9HVVHO´WKHDOEXP¶V¿UVW
single released earlier this year, gave the distinct impression that the Russian American was cor-­
rupting the grandiose austerity of 2010’s Stridulum II into something more deliciously severe and haunting. Instead, Conatus never quite owns the VRXQGWKDWWKH¿UVWIHZWUDFNVHVWDEOLVK³6ZRUGV´
“Avalanche” and “Vessel”) and slips into what I ZRXOGFDOO³LQGXVWULDOOLJKW´LI,KDGWRGH¿QHLWZLWK
a genre. That being said, the only major complaint I can muster concerns the slight discomfort at having my expectations shattered. Danilova’s vocals are as beautiful as ever and lend all the tracks a certain regal authority. “Hikikomori” and “Ixode” lead us out of “Vessel” with an upward momentum that culminates in the dance-­worthy groove of “Shivers.” “Collapse” is a personal and strangely triumphant ¿QDOWUDFNDQGLWJLYHVWKHOLVWHQHUDFKDQFHWRUH-­
ÀHFWRQZKDWLVDVXUSULVLQJO\G\QDPLFDQGVHQVLWLYH
album. In the end, I was pleased to have my initial conceptions dashed;; wallowing in the shadows only gets one so far, and Danilova achieves real growth by embracing the light.
~ Max Ashton
19 - Frequency
95% M83
Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming MUTE US
HURRY UP, WE’RE DREAMING, the new double album from M83, takes the listener on an epic journey PDGHRIPXVLFDQGPHPRU\,QWKH¿UVWWUDFN
“Intro,” a voice whispers, “We didn’t need a story. We didn’t need a real world... We became the stories.” This childlike voice provides the perfect epigram for Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, an al-­
bum focused on the lasting importance of stories: stories vaguely recalled from memory, stories haz-­
ily understood in dreams. The odd tale described in “Raconte-­Moi Une Histoire” (French for “Tell 0H$6WRU\´DW¿UVWVHHPVLQQRFHQWVZHHWDQG
YDJXHO\RWKHUZRUOGO\LI\RX¿QGDPDJLFDOIURJLQ
the forest, it will change you and the way you see the world. But ultimately this little fable serves as a metaphor for the story that is at the core of this album, the story of growing up. “Nothing is ever quite the same, really,” says the child in the song. Over the course of twenty-­two appropriately GUHDPOLNHVRQJV0UHÀHFWVRQWKHSURIRXQG
changes that come as one grows up, as well as the sadness brought on by those changes. In the end, however, listeners are left with a sleepy but bright 82%
Deer Tick Divine Providence
PARTISAN RECORDS
IT IS TIME to get onto the time travel machine and enter the revolutionary period of the 1960s. Deer Tick’s newest album, Divine Providence, sounds like music that could fuel the ammunition of youths in revolt. With power anthems like, “Funny Word,” DQG³/HW¶V$OO*RWRWKH%DU´DQGFDPS¿UHVWRU\
ballads like, “Clownin’ Around,” this album is perfect for someone who wants music to show pride in their country and have a few drinks. It is amazing how so many different genres are captured so cohe-­
sively in every song. With guitar riffs familiar to the Beach Boys, get ready to go back in time and listen to some tunes of good times.
~ Elizabeth Choi
78%
Mates of State Mountaintops
BARSUK
MATES OF STATE has never been the easiest band to listen to, but that has changed with the release of their new album Mountaintops. Their upbeat, elec-­
tronic style is still found within many of the songs, especially in one of catchiest tracks off the album, sense of hope. Hurry Up is about as steeped in nostalgia as possible, but, in a testament to the authenticity of its artistry, never borders on sentimentality. 7KHVHUHÀHFWLRQVDUHVKRZFDVHGRQOD\HUVRIFDUH-­
fully crafted pop music that is often as danceable as it is philosophical. The synths and reverbs that are standard for M83 are featured on the new album, but so are a few new sounds: horns sections, soft acoustic guitars, sweeping strings. It’s been three years since M83’s last release, but FRQVLGHULQJWKHPDJQL¿FHQFHRIHurry Up, We’re Dreaming, it was well worth the wait. ~ Logan Lockner “Maracas.” This is the quintessential Mates of State song and every fan of this band will want to put this song on repeat. However, the song “Desire” moves away from their normal style to present a ballad with trumpets and light, airy electronic sounds. It’s a refreshing sound to come from the band and doesn’t require one to be in any particular mood or state of emotion to listen, unlike some of their other tracks. Considering Mates of State has been around for quite some time, they have kept their original pop-­inspired sound while incorporating ballads that will surprise the listener.
~ Katy Ebert
70%
Blitzen Trapper
American Goldwing
SUB POP RECORDS
“AIN’T IT FUNNY KRZWKHWLPHMXVWÀLHV´(ULF(DUOH\
croons on the latest Blitzen Trapper album;; lyrics typical of the casual nostalgia present through-­
out the record. American Goldwing feels like a transportation to the dusty American Southwest of the 1970’s: steely guitar riffs, folky, country-­
esque vocals, and every now and then, the wail of a harmonica. If The Band and Boston had a baby, LWZRXOGEHWKLVUHFRUG7KHDOEXPLVGH¿QLWHO\D
departure from “Furr” and “Black River Killer;;” it’s more rock ‘n roll, more seventies. However, 7UDSSHUKDVGH¿QLWHO\PDGHDVROLGUHFRUG)XOORI
feel-­good melodies and foot-­tappin’ rhythms, its mix of folky ballads and guitar-­centered rock songs are a quality revival of the past, yet still relevant to today’s musical atmosphere.
~ Caroline Scott
Reviews new releases
77%
Future Islands
On the Water
THRILL JOCKEY
ON THE WATER projects a calming, unique type of feel with relaxing harmonics. The instrumentals appro-­
priately contrast each other with a meditative soft bass juxtaposed with twinkling synths. The song titles on the album demonstrate interlacing ele-­
ments such as “The Great Fire,” “Give us the Wind,” and “Balance”. All in all, the harmonics are very nicely put together. However, the lead singer’s voice does not always compliment the instrumentals, raspy, quivering, yet overpowering vocal methods, which all together oppose the lyrical melody in the background. Although the musical dimensions are well put together on this album, the lead singer’s YRLFHLVGH¿QLWHO\DQDFTXLUHGWDVWH
~ Diane Sun
to sweeping drama, often all on the same track.
In Metals, as with The Reminder, Feist has produced a series of songs equally compelling as a whole or in parts. “How Come You Never Go 7KHUH´WKH¿UVWVLQJOHIURPWKHDOEXPUHPDLQVRQH
of the best tracks, but “Undiscovered First,” pulsing with visceral rhythms and startlingly beautiful har-­
monies, is undoubtedly the standout song on Met-­
als. The richness of “A Commotion” is captivating, and the simple tenderness of “Cicadas and Gulls” is moving. The album’s second track, “Graveyard,” is both sweetly melancholy and boldly authoritative, like much of Metals.
Feist achieved new heights as an artist with the understated brilliance of The Reminder, and she is continuing to grow with this new album. Metals, with its consistently pensive songwriting and al-­
luring rhythms, is modest but masterful. Whether she’s whispering or wailing, Feist asserts her power as a remarkably gifted performer. ~ Logan Lockner
45%
We Were Promised Jet Packs
60%
In The Pit Of The Stomach
FAT CAT
Lou Reed/
Metallica
Lulu VERTIGO. SOMETIMES, a thing is less than the sum of its parts. LuluWKHRXWRIOHIW¿HOGFROODERUDWLRQEHWZHHQ
heavy metal band Metallica and Lou Reed (unof-­
¿FLDOODXUHDWHRIURFNQ¶UROOPXVLFLVRQHRIWKRVH
things. It’s not a bad album. It just doesn’t work. Metal-­
lica’s contributions on the music side of the album are mostly forgettable, though there are more than a few very cool moments of thrash bliss. Lou Reed brings the same spoken word delivery that’s been thrilling and chilling for over forty years, and GHYRWHGIDQVRI5HHG¶VPD\¿QGVRPHWKLQJVWR
enjoy here. Lulu is not a good album, but this is not because the album is bad. It just doesn’t work. It feels like the product of a couple of buddies who were more caught up in the ecstasy of a “bro, I have the best idea!” moment than they were concerned about the TXDOLW\RIWKH¿QLVKHGSURGXFW)DQVRI/RX5HHG
will probably enjoy this, though Metallica fans can move along. Not a bad album, just a little too forced and a bit too rushed.
~ Rhett Henry
88%
Feist
Metals
CHERRYTREE/ INTERSCOPE. ON METALS, the follow-­up to her 2007 release The Reminder, Feist showcases the unique versatility that lies at the heart of her aesthetic. Her voice is al-­
WHUQDWHO\GHOLFDWHDQG¿HUFHVRIWDQGEROGDQGWKH
scope of the songs varies from thoughtful intimacy NO MATTER how good the music on We Were Prom-­
LVHG-HW3DFNV¶¿UVWDOEXPThese Four Walls was, they undoubtedly deserved an ‘A’ for effort based on the sheer energy they brought to the tracks. But, the music was good anyway. Their second album, In The Pit Of the Stomach, provides the same sound, minus the energy. On “Medicine,” frontman Adam Thomson sounds too tired to lift his voice and song in the same way as he did on “Quiet Little Voices,” leaving the energy of the guitars and bass drum that roar in the background hanging. The arena-­rock sound attempted on “Pear Tree” and “Human Error” fails in the same way Kings of Leon do by aggressively attempting to maintain the huge guitar vamps and cymbal crashes without making use of Thomson’s vocal potential. Despite the attempt for arena-­
rock glory on most tracks, the Jet Packs’ post-­rock experiments soar with a totally different new sound for the band. The Jet Packs sound like Explosions In The Sky on “Sore Thumb” with a two-­minute post-­rock guitar and drum intro that provide a promising diversion from the band’s previous numbers with its heavy instrumentals yet lackluster vocals.
Even without the same heart and soul it had before, it’s easy to get suckered into Thomson’s Scottish accent that proved to be a prominent factor in the success of the last album -­ only this time we don’t get that same gusto that made These Four Walls so exciting.
~ John Roofeh
90%
Noel Gallagher High Flying Birds
SOUR MOUTH
THIS ISWKH¿UVWZH¶YHKHDUGIURP1RHO*DOODJKHU
since his departure from Oasis in 2009 -­ and boy, does he sound good. In sharp contrast to Liam Gallagher’s nasal voice, Noel Gallagher’s vocals are clear and crisp, due in part to Dave Sardy’s (Oasis, Wolfmother, Band of Horses) excellent production, but mostly to Gallagher’s own ability to easily catch high notes and then land smoothly back on his feet, as in the lead single, “The Death of You and Me.” As impressive as Gallagher’s vocals is his songwrit-­
ing. He proves he has a superb sense of balance, easily shifting between major and minor keys as in “Dream On,” electric and orchestral instruments as in “Soldier Boys and Jesus Freaks,” and even in songwriting depth: “AKA… Broken Arrow” heavily incorporates standard elements of pop, while “Stop the Clocks” thrives with complexity in its lost, distorted sounds and its clever, backwards loops. Noel Gallagher was an essential part of Oasis, but Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds proves that Gal-­
lagher no longer needs his little brother to support his musical talents.
~ Brigid Choi
92% St. Vincent
Strange Mercy 4AD RECORDS. IT’S NO SURPRISE that Annie Clark, who records under the name St. Vincent, is becoming one of the most discussed and listened-­to artists of the year. With her angelic, breathy vocals—an edgier version of Feist’s—backed by grinding guitars and hypnotic synth, Clark’s music is catchy, dark, and completely riveting: a musical paradox of serene chaos. Clark is back on her third album Strange Mercy with more unapologetically eerie lyrics, and songs like “Cruel,” which are so captivating that they require multiple consecutive listens for the full impact. Maintaining Vincent’s character-­
istic style, Strange Mercy could be a continuation of Clark’s previous album Actor. On tracks like “Neutered Fruit” and “Surgeon,” Vincent’s voice is so birdlike and deceptively sweet that it’s easy to overlook how vengeful and violent her lyrics are. The hidden gem of Strange Mercy is “Champagne Year,” which shows both Vincent’s vulnerability and the raw beauty of her voice. Strange Mercy does not contain a single wasted track—honestly, not even a single wasted note—and will be on my repeat until her next project.
~ Lynnie Sharzer
20 - Frequency
Recap fall band party
63%
Dum Dum Girls Only in Dreams
SUP POP RECORDS I’M NOT AFRAID to admit that 60’s-­esque girl-­group pop truly is the guilty pleasure that I indulge in a little too often for my roommate’s taste. I’m an avid fan of Dum Dum Girls, even more so than their comparable counterparts, Vivian Girls and Best Coast. The group’s new record, Only in Dreams, loads to my music playlist as a highly anticipated DUULYDOEXWXSRQP\¿UVWOLVWHQ,IHOWDVOLJKWWLQJH
of disappointment. The album seems stagnant with the basic sound of the record and Dee Dee Penny’s songwriting resonating very similarly to the He Gets Me High EP. Yet, unlike before, Dee Dee’s voice cries through with strength and power and that’s GH¿QLWHO\HQRXJKWRNHHSPHOLVWHQLQJ
~ Rachel Leff 70%
72%
Nurses
Surfer Blood
Dracula
DEAD OCEANS
Tarot Classics
WHAT DOES MGMT + lead singer of Empire of the Sun + Surfer Blood equal? Nurses new album Drac-­
ula. Do not let this album name fool you;; it does not sound anything close to a Twilight inspired YDPSLUHVRXQGWUDFN,WLVKRZHYHU¿OOHGZLWK
dream-­like melodies that sound like something that could be in your happiest and scariest dreams. The album starts out with songs like “Fever Dreams,” which contains mesmerizing beats similar to what you would expect from MGMT. As the album pro-­
gresses, the songs have a slight “beachy” feel like in their track, “New Feelings.” Dracula is full of music that could be great for studying, driving, or just hanging out, but not much more.
~ Elizabeth Choi
KANINE. ON TAROT CLASSICS, the follow-­up to 2010’s excellent Astro Coast, Surfer Blood present us with a “Work in Progress” sampler. Their sound is much the same: the songs are catchy, the drums are driving, and the guitar work is clever. But by bringing the band’s singer John Paul Pitts more to the fore-­
ground, as well as introducing guitar distortion and synthesizers, Surfer Blood show that they’re looking to expand. Tarot Classics is not an “Instant Classic EP” so much as a message to fans saying that, yes, they’re still around and, yes, they’re working on a new album. But to those fans, Tarot ClassicsZLOO¿W
right alongside Astro Coast when it’s time to make the Summer Playlist. ~ Rhett Henry
Soundtrack Reviews
DRIVE
DIRECTED BY NICOLAS REFN STARRING RYAN GOSLING, CAREY MULLIGAN DRIVE is something else—a modern ¿OPQRLUFURVVHGZLWKHOHPHQWVRID
-RKQ+XJKHVPLV¿WWDOHLQDQLQWHU-­
view for New York Magazine, its star, Ryan Gosling, made rightful compari-­
sons to Pretty in Pink). The story of a stuntman turned getaway driver who connects with a young mother and KHUVRQLWLVD¿OPERWKGLVWDQWDQG
intimate, soulless and soulful.
,IWKH¿OPGRHVKDYHDVRXOSDUW
of it is surely communicated by its soundtrack. Much like the rest of the ¿OPDrive’s sonic atmosphere seems all chilly detachment, but has a hidden layer of tenderness and tension. From the opening scene, a getaway under-­
scored with an automotive thrum, to WKHFKDOOHQJLQJ¿QLVKWKHVRXQGWUDFN
LVDVOD\HUHGDVWKH¿OPLWVHOI
The opening credits, set to Kavin-­
sky & Lovefoxxx’s 2010 slow-­burn synth song, “Nightcall,” are a striking combination of parts that foreshadow sinister things to come: A shot of the L.A. skyline at night, remain-­
ing cold despite its bright lights;; Gosling cruising around post-­
JHWDZD\FDUDQGGULYHU¿OPHGLQVORZPRWLRQXQGHUUHGOLJKWLQJ
“Nightcall” maintains a slick, consistent beat throughout, and lyrics breathed in digital tones. As the song says, “I’m gonna show you where it’s dark, but have no fear.” Despite (or because of) 21 - Frequency
the way the video and audio languish, what appears as gratuitous emptiness becomes profoundly suspicious. Is there really nothing to fear beneath the sur-­
face of the city, or within anonymously named Driver himself?
More ‘80s-­style synthesizer music IROORZVLQFOXGLQJWKH¿OP¶VXQRI¿FLDO
theme song, “A Real Hero”. Performed by College and featuring Electric Youth, LWLVWKHRQO\FXWIURPWKH¿OPWKDWLV
used multiple times. It plays during an HDUO\WUDQTXLOVFHQHDVZHOODVWKH¿QDO
scene -­ the two moments are strikingly different, and the song’s placement within each helps them serve as poi-­
gnant bookends in Driver’s quest to be “a real human being, and a real hero.” Within these bookends, a friend of mine noted, is a third appearance of the song -­ in altered form at a crucial, violent moment. Drive’s violence is parceled out in bursts, and composer Cliff Martinez builds tension between those bursts by holding his score taut, frequently main-­
taining its stretched and steady pace even after the brutality breaks free. The score hums beneath the action like an engine under a sleek hood -­ it is clear that the gears and metal are moving underneath, but all that can be heard is the smooth blur of movement. And the cars themselves provide a kind of score -­ whirring and thrumming like the broken hearts and violent minds WKDWSRSXODWHWKLVEULOOLDQW¿OP
~ Natalya Zmudzin
Reviews film/video games
The Three Musketeers
DIRECTED BY PAUL W.S. ANDERSON
STARRING LOGAN LERMAN, MATTHEW MAC-­
FAYDEN, RAY STEVENSON
THE LATEST umpteenth installment of Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 novel The Three Musketeers is out. Over and out.
&ULWLFVKDYHVNHZHUHGWKLVYHUVLRQ¿QG-­
ing the plot (what little is actually related to the original classic) predictable, the narrative un-­engaging, characters un-­relat-­
able, and dialogue lacking wit. As is typical RIWZHQW\¿UVWFHQWXU\+ROO\ZRRGFUDFNHU
jack productions, there are brilliant sets, special effects, and impressive computer animation, but all of those combined do not compensate for the mediocre storytell-­
ing that has been swept by the wayside. The score for The Three Musketeers was composed by Austrian born and classi-­
cally trained Paul Haslinger, known for his recent work on Takers (2010), After.Life (2009) and the video games Death Race 2, The Need for Speed: World, and X-­Men: Origins. His electronic band background (he performed in Tangerine Dream from 1996-­2000) and his penchant for combin-­
ing computer generated music along side more traditional symphonic elements is evident in this sometimes lively but gener-­
ally forgettable score.
From the opening track, it is clear that -­ like much of the accentless dialogue -­ this is a blatantly anachronistic soundtrack (the occasional occurrence of the cembalo is not convincing) that does little to help give the viewer historical context or any hint of a swashbuckler adventure genre. Close your eyes and you’re in Pirates of the Caribbean, Mission Impossible, or The Da Vinci Code. Open them, and you’re in seventeenth century France, with Da 9LQFLGHVLJQHGÀ\LQJVKLSVDQG&*,DOO
with souped up orchestral underscoring with lots of electronic overlay.
It’s hard to distinguish anything uber-­
creative or unique from the soundtrack;; in fact, there are many opportunities to be reminded of other movies. But, it seems RQO\IDLUWKDWLIWKLVÀLFNLVJRLQJWRVKDPH-­
lessly borrow from The Matrix and a bevy of other Hollywood action hits, the under-­
scoring might as well do the same.
“Only Four Men” might have been snatched from Alexandre Desplat’s cutting URRPÀRRUWKHODVWWKUHH+DUU\3RWWHUHSL-­
sodes, among others), with its rhythmically vital ostinati and gloomy chordal textures on top. Klaus Badelt seems a likely copycat victim of the quirky and bouncy humorous underscoring, especially the jaunty cellos in “Special Delivery for the King.” The VZRUG¿JKWVDQGEDWWOHVFHQHVDUHZHOO
loud, percussive, and dissonant -­ reminis-­
cent of every bombastic action score since the 1980s.
Haslinger does seem to excel at the over-­
the-­top, tongue-­in-­cheek bits when chipper music is required. The “Concealed Weapon Tango,” complete with electric guitar, is a sultry and cheeky number in an otherwise FKDUPOHVV¿OP³'R<RX.QRZ:KR,$P´
is goofy and maybe what a Jason Bourne sitcom spinoff might have sounded like (let’s not try this, by the way).
“The World Calls to the Young” ap-­
proaches sentimentality with a lovely oboe solo, but generally lacks a memorable tune. In another near miss, it sounds like there is the seed of a melody in “Boys Will Be Boys,” but then it is apparently killed by an early frost. Where zippy character leitmotifs and substantive adventure music (where is Erich Wolfgang Korngold when you need him?) might have come to the rescue to this ailing movie, this soundtrack will be relegated to the bin of “Loud and Ineffec-­
tive Soundtracks for 300, Alex.
~ Prof. Scott Stewart
Video Game Spotlight
Gears of War 3
EPIC GAMES
GEARS OF WAR 3 is a perfect model for video games of all genres. Although it is categorized as a third-­person shooter, it incorpo-­
rates elements of action-­adventure RPGs with its new advance-­
DQGÀDQNERVVEDWWOHVWUDWHJ\LQDGGLWLRQWRWKHW\SLFDOFRYHUDQG
squad gameplay. Also, like a good RPG, the campaign mode easily balances story and battles, including snippets of cut-­scenes within heavy battle sequences without disturbing the tense atmosphere.
7KHWKLUGDQG¿QDOVHJPHQWRIWKLVHSLFWULORJ\LQWURGXFHVQHZ
plot twists, such as the revival of Marcus Fenix’s father, that add to the overall dark and sinister tone, despite its cheesy lines and corny voice-­acting way of doing so. In addition to the superb story mode, Gears 3 is the most player-­friendly game of the series, DOORZLQJDZLGHUDQJHRIGLI¿FXOW\VHWWLQJVIRUERWKQRYLFHVDQG
experts -­ so much so that executive producer Rod Fergusson sug-­
gested that newcomers should start with the third installment of the series if they want to join the Gears universe.
The multiplayer options include an online Verses mode for up to ten players with a variety of styles, including team mode, capture the leader, and horde. However, despite all the mentioned ways in which Gears of War 3 excels, the most important element of the game is its interactive magic. With heart-­breaking scenes, unbelievable graphics, and the ability to swap CPU teammates for online friends, the game sucks players into its chilling universe while also allowing for some exciting, gory fun.
~ Brigid Choi
22 - Frequency
WHAT’S INSIDE?
- CHECK OUT WMRE’S DIGITAL SAMPLER! www.8tracks.com/WMRE/frequency-fall-2011
1.
Washed Out
“You and I”
SUB POP
8.
Real Estate
“It’s Real”
DOMINO
2.
Girls
“Vomit”
TRUE PANTHER
9.
Wilco “Dawned On Me”
DBPM
3.
Surfer Blood
“Miranda (SVIIB Mix)”
KANINE
10.
Big Boi
“Hustle Blood”
DEF JAM
4.
Ra Ra Riot
“Boy”
BARSUK
11.
The Weeknd
“Wicked Games”
XO
5.
James Blake
“Fall Creek Boy’s Choir (ft. Justin Vernon)”
ATLAS
12.
6.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
“Nothing But Our Love”
QUITE SCIENTIFIC
13.
7.
DUDES
“Who’s That Lady (We’re all Anony-­
mous)”
GRIZZLY RECORDS
14.
The War on Drugs
“Come to the City”
SECRETLY CANADIAN
Das Racist
“Michael Jackson”
GREEDHEAD
Björk
“Cosmogony”
ONE LITTLE INDIAN