1. art and entertainment
2. music

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volume7.issuE6.MAY2014
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volume7.issue6.may2014
letter from the editor
music news
Jake Bernsten
Wye oak
Deer hoof
cut reflections
concert reviews
album reviews
essay
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LETTER
Editor-in-Chief
Zach Branson
Assistant Editor
Samantha Ward
Art/Layout Director
Kathy Lee
Photo Editor
Lindsay Corry
Copy Director
Mike Ryan
Marketing and Publicity Chief
Leela Chockalingam
Public Relations Coordinator
Christopher Skaggs
Web Manager
Arun Marsten
Writing Staff
Ben Alderoty, Emily Clark, Allison Cosby, Hannah
Dellabella, Vanessa Frank, Drevin Galentine, Max
Harlynking, Halsey Hutchinson, Geneva Jackson,
Dhruva Krishna, Nicole Marrow, Arun Marsten,
Donovan Powers, Mike Ryan, Samantha Ward
Photo Staff
Lindsay Corry, Will Lush, Katherine
Martinez, Samantha Ward
Editing Staff
Rachel Asbel, Leela Chockalingam, Hannah
Dellabella, Holly Fitzgibbon, Drevin
Galentine, Zaneta Grant, Halsey Hutchinson,
Geneva Jackson, Danielle Maly
R
O
T
I
D
E
t
n
e
r
FROM THE cur
Here it is, the last issue of The Cut I’ll ever work on. I’m proud of this issue like
I am of every issue, but this one gives me a particular sense of pride—not so
much for myself as for the magazine itself. After all the blood, sweat, tears,
and possibly other bodily fluids that I’ve put into this magazine, I could never
say that The Cut is majorly—or even minorly—my work. Each year so many
people put this magazine together. I’ve been with The Cut for four years,
which means I’ve seen four-years’ worth of writers, editors, photographers,
designers, artists, and music snobs of all kinds work tirelessly to put their
passions on paper. The Cut has shown me how to write sassy album
reviews, interview bands that left me star-struck, and convince the 358 lb
security guard at Altar Bar that I’m indeed on the press list; sure, it’s done
all these things for me, but more than anything it’s let me watch Carnegie
Mellon students grow and find a place together on campus for people just
like them. For as many words that have gone into this magazine, I’m almost
lost for words when it’s come time to describe my experience with The Cut.
I’m the fourth Editor-in-Chief of The Cut. The first was Elyssa Goodman,
who founded the magazine and who I never did meet. The second was
Scott Rosenfeld, a flamboyant man who will always be remembered by
whoever meets him. As a freshman I was a nerdy kid who didn’t fit in on
this nerdy campus, and Scott gave me my first Carnegie-Mellon home
when he shouted at me to join The Cut at Activities Fair. Even though Scott
talked about ‘N Sync most of the time, he welcomed the fact that I mostly
listened to classic rock, jazz, and punk, and his openness to let me write
about those things made me feel so cool when I totally wasn’t. And then
there was Kristen Swanson, our third Editor-in-Chief. Kristen was almost
the opposite of Scott—she spent her weekends going to basement punk
shows—but Kristen spent countless hours interviewing bands and writing
content for the magazine when no one else could. As cheesy as it sounds,
Kristen showed me more than anyone else what it means to have your heart
in the work. And here I am, the fourth Editor-in-Chief. I don’t know how I’ll
be remembered; I can only hope that someone will remember me the way I
remember Scott and Kristen.
That’s ultimately what The Cut is about: memories to remember. I’ll
remember the first time someone recognized my name from something they
read in the magazine. I’ll remember the first time I jumped into a mosh pit, and
then later wrote an essay about it. And I’ll remember everyone I’ve worked
with: people like Hannah Dellabella and Nicole Marrow with their amazing
columns, people like Alec Resende and Ben Alderoty who always wrote
great album reviews, and people like Will Lush and Donovan Powers who
always had the goofiest concert stories. And I’ll always remember people
like you, who keep reading our magazine. Without you, we would never take
the time to put into words how awesome that album is, take photos of that
ridiculous-but-got-to-love-them singer, or find out that we have a deep, deep
love for the Oxford comma. Without you, we wouldn’t have The Cut—we
wouldn’t have a home. I guess I’m leaving home, but this magazine always
will be home. As you open every page of our magazine: Welcome to The
Cut. Welcome home.
Thanks for reading,
Zach Branson
Editor-in-Chief
The Cut Magazine
4
letter fr
om next y
ear’s edi
tor
It’s taken me a long time to write this letter because it’s really hard to sum up how
much I love The Cut and how excited I am to be here doing this. I started writing
for the The Cut as a freshman, and eagerly attended every meeting because I love
going to concerts for free, obviously. I became Photo Editor last year, which meant
seeing a lot of shows through the lens of my camera, but there’s nothing quite like
the discomfort of hopping into the photo pit at Mr. Smalls and staring up the nose of
your favorite musician. Still hooked, I came back this year as Assistant Editor where
I’ve had a wildly fun time working under the great Zach Branson. But I suppose that
now it’s time for me step up and run this thing with our newly appointed Assistant
Editor, Arun Marsten. We’re gonna give you six awesome issues next year, and
maybe even get some more cut stickers on your computers.
Music is pretty sweet. It brings us together and soothes us when we’re torn
apart. Concerts are a special place, like a religion of sorts. Standing in a crowd and
raising your hands up to the sweet sounds of some indie rock, or experimental hip
hop, or jazz-fusion - whatever you’re into - that’s pretty special, at least for me. The
Cut really gives us a platform to spew out some sort of textual summation of that
experience, and for me that really solidifies it. Makes it a little more tangible and
memorable. Going to a show is that much cooler if you can hang out with the band
backstage, get the perfect cover shot, or just write about it afterwards for everyone
who couldn’t make it. I hope that you readers are able to get just as excited reading
about awesome music as we all do when we’re writing about it for you.
I can’t wait to find some new artists to share with you all next year, and I’m excited
to work with the phenomenal staff that we have here at The Cut. We’re gonna travel
far and wide to find the best to give to you. From the depths of Soundcloud, to
the headliners at Stage AE, to the random band that showed up at Brillobox on
a Monday night - we’ll find the raddest things to write about. Because I’m pretty
grateful that I can be here, and that you are, too.
Samantha Ward
Editor-in-Chief
The Cut Magazine
5
Recomme
nded alb
ums of th
e month
10songsyouneedtohear
(1) Girl - Cleindl
(2) Tangerine sky blackbird blackbird
(3) Rumble Pak - Ghost mutt
(4) Fade - Jakwob
(5) cavalier - James McMorrow
(6) Minimum Move - kartell
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(7) Hold Me - Phazz
(8) Passihno Kuduro Sango
(9) I Tried It - Shackles
(10) Alpha Waves Kupla
music news
✂
Hip-hop power couple Beyonce and Jay Z have announced a joint tour
this summer called “On the Run.” The tour will take them to 16 cities in North
America starting in June. And because they are Beyonce and Jay Z, a dollar
from each tour ticket sold will go toward the Shawn Carter Foundation, which
helps underserved groups go to college.
✂
It’s hard to imagine Pharrell Williams’ infectious song “Happy” with
any other singer. But the pop star revealed this month that the song
was originally sung by Cee Lo Green. In a radio interview with
Howard Stern, Williams diplomatically stated that “the powers that
be” vetoed Cee Lo’s version and put him on the track instead.
✂
Forever popping up in headlines, Kurt Cobain is in the news this month
as the Seattle police have made public a note found in his wallet at the
time of his death. The note reads, “Do you Kurt Cobain take Courtney
Michelle Love to be your lawful shredded wife even when she’s a bitch
with zits and siphoning all yr money for doping and whoring… “ No
statement from Love yet, but really I can’t help but laugh at this one.
✂
✂
Swedish pop singer Lykke Li suffered from a terrible breakup recently.
Or at least I’m assuming that’s the case based on how sad and whiny her
new album (released May 2) is. Don’t get me wrong: She’s a wonderful
songwriter and singer, but I miss the good old days of danceable
songs with a melancholy flare. I Never Learn is just too sad.
Good news for on-the-go DJs: Native Instruments has announced new
updates to its Traktor DJ app, which allows users to put together mixes
using the Traktor software on their iPhones and iPads. Besides cosmetic and
By Allison Cosby
functionality improvements, the updated app now allows users to send their
mixes directly to Mixcloud form the app instead of requiring users to export
the file and then upload it to Mixcloud manually. Finally! All those amazing
mixes you make on the bus can be instantly available to your devoted fans!
✂
If you’ve ever wanted to smell like your favorite electronic music,
continue reading this blurb. This month, the Unsound Festival in New
York presented Ephemera, a synaesthetic installation that combined
scent, sound, and visual elements. As part of the installation, artists
Ben Frost, Tim Hecker, and Kode9 created pieces of music that were
then turned into fragrances (Noise, Drone, and Bass, respectively).
The three scents will be available for purchase in the near future.
✂
Four Tet is set to begin a month-long residency at NTS, an online radio
station. The UK producer will be playing live every Tuesday afternoon in
May from 2-4 p.m. BST (that’s 9-10 a.m. EST, but don’t worry, I’m sure there
will be a digital archive). I personally can’t wait for these live mixes.
✂
A founding member of the Chicago-based collective Teklife and a pioneer of
footwork, DJ Rashad passed away unexpectedly from a blood clot (not from a
drug overdose, as many media outlets reported) this month at the age of 34.
✂
Experimental composer and pianist Nils Frahm has announced
his return to North American for a string of tour dates across the
country. Unfortunately he won’t be stopping in Pittsburgh, but
seeing him live would be well worth the trip to Columbus, Cincinnati,
or New York — all of which are on the list of tour stops.
Video Killed
the Radio Star
By Emily Clark
The music video is a staple of the music
genre. It simultaneously acts as an art form,
allowing fantastical storylines to take place to
a four-minute song, and a promotional tool,
exercising the tools of advertising to sell the
song. The music video has taken on many
forms and given artists the ability to breach
the limits of the recorded track. Where did it
start, and what is it like today?
The progression of the music video is
long. In the 1920s and 1930s, the art form
was used as a promotional tool for popular
blues and jazz musicians. Most videos
were literal interpretations of the lyrics in
order to craft the authenticity of the singer.
Jimmie Rodgers, for example, was recorded
singing his song “Waiting for a Train” while,
shockingly enough, waiting for a train. This
image was used to sell the idea to the
working class audience that this successful
man playing a personally-inscribed guitar
was struggling just like them. And they
bought the act and the music in spades.
With television, artists could broadcast
to a consistently larger audience. By the
1950s, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley were
entering the homes of America, thrusting
their hips suggestively and playing rock
and roll music. In a time when dance moves
were confined to strict, antiseptic ballroom,
these musicians’ sexually charged and
spontaneous movements, along with the
loud and jarring music they were moving
to, was extremely controversial. Television
provided a format to broadcast them to the
nation, and a chance for the combination of
music and film to evolve even more.
During the 1960s artists like The Beatles
with “Strawberry Fields Forever” and Bob
Dylan with “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
did away with literal interpretation entirely
(or in Dylan’s case, turned it up to 11).
The music video was no longer a mere
promotional tool but a storytelling artform.
With MTV and the music-video mania of the
1980s and 1990s, visual storytelling took
the front seat to lyrics or literal interpretation.
Though the death of 24-hour video
coverage on MTV spelled death for the glory
days of music videos, the tool is still an important
part of the music industry. The Internet has put
business, more than ever, in the hands of artists.
You don’t need a suit to get radio play; just
post a five-dollar video of your band dancing
on treadmills and go viral. The importance of
the music video can still be seen in the dance
crazes songs generate, the existence of VEVO,
and the fact that music videos still get millions
of views.
With the addition of new technologies, from
the kinetoscope, to the Soundie, to television,
to the Internet, the music video has evolved
into its own art form. No longer does it consist
of only a literal interpretation used to promote
a caricature of the artist; it establishes the
artist as an individual, recreates the possible
meanings of the song, and allows for a new
story to be conveyed. As the Internet continues
to manipulate both the business and the
distribution of music and video, the art form will
no doubt continue to transform.
7
in defense of rap interludes
by Nicole Marrow
In general, I hate rap interludes in pop songs.
Did Maroon 5’s “Payphone” really need Wiz
Khalifa interrupting toward the end just to talk
about his experiences in the realm of “stunting”?
Probably not. Did those extra 30 seconds make
me hate the song even more? Absolutely.
However, for every terrible interjection by an
irrelevant rapper, there’s a verse that adds
credibility, flavor, and fun to an otherwise generic
pop offering. When done right, this seemingly
unnecessary burst of rhythm has the power to
skyrocket the featured rapper into the Top 40
spotlight, and propel the song to the top of the
charts.
The simple benefits that these rap interludes
provide to the pop star and the rapper are what
made them so popular in the first place. Singers
can claim that they’re appealing to an urban
demographic, whatever that might mean, and
up-and-coming rhymers get an incomparable
amount of exposure to a mainstream audience,
so it’s pretty much a win-win scenario as far
as marketing is concerned. On the other hand,
the rappers oftentimes have to compromise
their voices to be clean and uncontroversial
enough for radio. Even more problematic might
be the unfortunate consequence that rappers
find it difficult to remove the stench of Top 40
bubblegum once they become associated
with it. Crossovers from R&B and hip-hop are
becoming increasingly popular on major radio
stations, but any cultural benefits this might
have had are diluted by the fact that audiences
are only exposed to the most commercialized
versions of true rap music.
Despite the issues that rappers run into when
being featured on a song, interludes have become
really pervasive over the past few years, which has
established them as an almost entirely new genre.
Listeners realize that interludes are just a peek into
the feel and flow of the rappers that provide them,
and hopefully these 30-second snippets can act
as a gateway to open entirely new audiences to a
world of music that they may have been afraid to
explore. Pop songs like Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse”
have begun to perfect the formula, integrating the
sound of the rap and vocals seamlessly to construct
a cohesively creative gem. While this song stands
out among its contemporaries as an instance of
interlude done right, I’m sorry, Juicy J, but Patrice
Wilson on Rebecca Black’s “Friday” had one of the
best rap interludes OF ALL TIME.
lyrically speaking
by Hannah Dellabella
The creative writing department recently held its
traditional senior reading, where all of the graduating seniors
are invited to read some of their work. Of course, half the battle
for any reading is choosing what to read, so I spent an evening
looking through my writing. Since the reading is meant to
reflect all of the work I’ve done at Carnegie Mellon, I decided
to look through my work from all of my workshops. As I read
through the poetry I’d written just a year ago, I was shocked.
It wasn’t terrible, but it certainly wasn’t good. And while it’s
frustrating to feel like I need to revise so much of what I’ve
written during my time here, it’s also proof of how much I’ve
grown as a writer. And that made me think about music, of
course. What do artists think of their early work? Are they as
embarrassed by it as I was by my old poems?
Artists are always growing. The more time you spend
working on your art, the better you get. Sometimes, growth
can manifest in a stylistic change. I’ve never understood fans
who get annoyed when bands come out with a new album
that’s different from their old one(s). You can’t keep making
the same album over and over again, right? And really, it takes
much more skill to successfully use more musical/lyrical styles
than just sticking to one. I’ve always loved bands that can be
versatile; not just over a series of albums, but even between
individual songs on an album.
8
A band’s growth often means different musical styles, but
I’m here to talk about words. I gravitate towards music with
meaningful lyrics, and it has been interesting to see how their
lyrical depth and overall themes have progressed with each new
release.
I read an interview with Conor Oberst recently; he said that he
was kind of embarrassed that his old work is out there. It’s totally
understandable—he’s been recording music since he was 15, and
now he’s 34. His body of work is extensive, and it’s really amazing
to be able to go through it all and see how it changes. Oberst
is one of my favorite lyricists, and I think even his early work is
impressive in that respect. But the progression of his themes is
something that I’ve always found interesting, with earlier albums
focusing more on introspection (see Fevers and Mirrors) and later
albums dealing with more extensive themes about the world at
large (like Cassadaga). His lyrics have also matured in a sense;
the angst of young adulthood fades as we move from his early
to later work.
Change is scary—as a senior who’s just about to graduate,
I will attest to that a thousand times. But life isn’t static. Change
is constant, and it’s necessary. We can’t grow if we don’t change,
and that’s true not just for music or writing, but for all aspects of
life. It’s terrifying, but you have to embrace it.
PHAN
TOGRAM
J A G WA R
MA
9
J
Jake Bernsten, or Jakeisrain, is a music tech & philosophy student at Carnegie Mellon and an electronic producer.
He’s also a member of the increasingly popular Beauty Slap, an electronic brass band collective comprised entirely
of Carnegie Mellon students or graduates. They’ve played at a number of venues in the area including Brillobox,
Thunderbird Cafe, and The Rex Theatre, and they also have an EP Wop de Wop out now. We sat down with Jake to talk
with him about his music, his academics, and how they fit together.
The Cut: So, what's it like to being a Carnegie
Mellon student and being in a band?
has influenced my schoolwork; I think it's just
made me do a little worse.
Jake Berntsen: It's really hard. I've learned
this semester, especially in the last two
months, that it's really hard to go here and
prioritize anything other than your school
work. But honestly, I wouldn't have it any
other way, just because Carnegie Mellon has
so many incredible resources that directly
apply to what I'm trying to do. For example,
the recording studio on campus has allowed
me to do basically everything I've been
doing this past year. Also, everyone I've
collaborated with—in terms of music videos,
promotional stuff, management stuff,
business stuff, all of that—I've met through
Carnegie Mellon. It's not even necessarily
people who go here; it's just that the people
who are the best at what they do come here.
The Cut: You were talking about meeting
people through Carnegie Mellon. How did
you meet the C Street Band?
The Cut: Do you think your classes inform
you about music making at all, or does being
in a band affect how you approach your
classes?
JB: Yeah, sure. I don't think that a lot of my
classes are directly teaching me what I'm
trying to do with music, but I think they
teach me a lot about the kind of work that
I need to do. Any major that you have at
Carnegie Mellon, you get used to doing a lot
of work. With music that's helpful, because
if you want to do well you've got to put in
the time. I don't know how much my music
10
JB: At the end of last year I heard from
Riccardo Schulz—the guy who runs the
recording studio—that they were looking
for some kind of producer for hip hop tunes
or dance tunes or something. So Riccardo
introduced me to Scott Nadelson, one of
the trumpet players for C Street, and after
listening to each other's music we decided
we wanted to do something.
The Cut: So, you weren't originally planning
on working with a brass band?
JB: Oh no, that was their idea. At the time I
was just interested in collaborating with live
musicians in general. I wasn't dead set on
having a brass band.
The Cut: What are your influences?
JB: Well, right now I'm doing a lot of different
things. There's Beauty Slap which is me,
collaborating with the five guys in C Street,
Matthew Powell-Palm, and Paul Crocker on
guitar, and for that we're mainly influenced
by new deep housey, four-on-the-floor, disco
thing that's been getting bigger in Pittsburgh
recently. Nowadays at Brillobox and places
like that every Friday and Saturday you can
go to a disco concert, which is not how it
used to be. But at the same time, we've got
a brass section, so we're also going back 40
years to Tower of Power and New-Orleans
style funky, jazzy licks. So, we're trying to put
that together.
The Cut: I've noticed that a lot of the venues
you guys play are 21+. What's that like as a
sophomore? Do any of your friends have
trouble going?
JB: I've had trouble going to my shows. We
played at Thunderbird Cafe a couple weeks
ago and some of the members of our band
had to be escorted in by security to the stage
right before our set and escorted out of
the building directly after. That being said, I
think there's an unspoken rule that if you're
in the band then you're allowed to play, but
it's still pretty annoying. We try to make our
shows 18+, but if you're playing at a place
with a bar, they're pretty strict about that,
and there's only so many places you can play
in Pittsburgh. Unless you're playing for an
audience of more than 100 people, it's going
to be some kind of a bar or 21+ venue.
The Cut: So, do you think venue managers
ever take you less seriously because you're a
student?
JB: Yeah, but that's something that's started
changing in the last couple months, mainly
JAKE
BERNSTEN
Interview by Arun Marsten / Photo by Lindsay Corry
because we've started building up a team of
people dedicated to the project that aren't
just in the band. So when you've got your
manager reaching out to the venues on
behalf of you, then that changes everything.
If I reach out to a venue and say, "Hey, I'm a
sophomore at CMU and I want to play," then
they don't give a shit. But if our manager
calls them, they'll take us seriously.
The Cut: From firsthand experience, do
you think Pittsburgh is welcoming to new
bands?
JB: Pittsburgh is changing a lot right now,
specifically the cultural happenings going
on. For example, there's the VIA festival
that happens every year; it only started a
few years ago but it's started bringing a
lot of attention to underground music in
Pittsburgh. There are a lot of venues over
in Lawrenceville and Southside that were
dominated by punk and rock for a long time,
but now they're happy to have electronic
artists. I think it's because the electronic
music scene has made the music industry a
lot more profitable. People talk about how
music is going downhill because nobody
pays for it anymore, but in LA and Las Vegas
a DJ can play at a club for a weekend and
walk away with a quarter million dollars just
because people are willing to pay more to
see these guys now than they were to see
rock bands 20 years ago.
The Cut: So you're more into touring as
opposed to album sales?
JB: Absolutely. All of the music that I've
released for the last year I've released for
free. You can buy it on iTunes or Amazon if
you want to, but that's a donation. I'd rather
have someone listen to my song and then
come see me play than be put off by paying
for it and then never come to my concerts.
It's the difference between buying a song
for a dollar or coming to a show for five.
The Cut: Are you planning on coming out
with an album?
JB: Yeah, definitely. We came out with the
Wop de Wop EP as Jakeisrain and C Street
Brass, which was before we were Beauty
Slap. Now we're working on a new thing
that's gonna come out this summer, possibly
in the next two weeks. There's also going to
be a music video and a single released first.
As a part of that we're going to be doing
much bigger concerts this summer. We're all
going to be in Pittsburgh and we’re thinking
about going up to New York for a few weeks,
so we're just going to focus on getting gigs.
Actually, on May 24 we're playing at the Rex
Theatre, so you should come out and see us.
11
Wye Oak is an indie folk rock duo from Baltimore, Maryland. Members Andy
Stack and Jenn Wasner create a unique musical experience by combining
folk-rock with ambient, dreamy soundscapes. The duo has just released
their third studio album, Civilian. The Cut sat down with singer/ guitarist
Jenn Wasner to talk about music, live shows, and their new album.
The Cut: How did you guys get started?
Jenn Wasner: Andy and I have been playing music together for about 10 years. We
used to be called Monarch, and then changed our name to Wye Oak after signing to
our label, Merge Records. We put out four records and an EP, and our latest record
came out this past Tuesday [April 29, 2014].
The Cut: Who are some of your musical influences?
JW: What I always say to this question is that technically people are always influenced
by everything they’ve ever heard, and have experienced in their entire lives. People
listening to our music are usually a better judge of where are influences are than we are.
The Cut: What does your songwriting process look like?
JW: It’s different depending on what the songs are. For this most recent record, it actually
started a bit differently since Andy and I were living separately from one another and
in different places. So if I had an idea, and wanted to share it with him, I had to record
it first. Naturally, the production process and the recording process became ingrained
with the writing process. That was a really different style of writing for me than what
I did in the past, but I think it was a good experience because it allowed me to work
with more complex and interesting ideas from the outside. As of now our process is very
studio based, and a lot of the writing occurs with us making these very fully-formed
demos that we put together and use as blueprints before we get into the studio. So I
guess whereas our songwriting process used to be more straightforward and simplistic,
now it’s become more of a studio enterprise.
12
wye oak
Interview by Dhruva Krishna / Photo by Lindsay Corry
13
Photos by Kathy Lee
The Cut: So does the band start off with a full idea
of the song, or let it grow more within the studio?
JW: I think with us being a two-person band, it’s
never really possible to get all these ideas that you have
out and how they will sound, until you really record
them—you only have so many hands. We’ve always been
studio-centric in that way, and I think we’ve become
accustomed to that and have adjusted to that more, and it’s
how we work. A lot of the composition that used to happen
on the spot in the studio is now happening in advance. I
guess we’re more prepared, and that prep work is important.
We’ve definitely gotten better at building layers in advance,
and knowing exactly what we want to do.
The Cut: How do you think Wye Oak has matured as a band?
JW: I think we’ve matured in every way: We’re better musicians,
we’re more centered and better people. The record is coming from
a more comfortable and peaceful place, and we’ve played a lot of
shows at this point, so we’re definitely more comfortable with each
other’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as our ability to complement
each other.
The Cut: While writing Shriek, what sources of inspiration were you
using?
JW: A whole host of things really, but going into it I had this breakdown
where I felt disconnected from the music I was making. I think a lot of that
had to do with being on tour for such an excessive amount; the further away
I get from the actual writing process, the more I detached I feel. We played
way too many shows over the course of years, and it was a very difficult time
for a lot of reasons, personally and creatively. For that reason, when it came
time to write again, it was pretty difficult for me; difficult to write the way I
had in the past, and the things that worked for me before just weren’t working
for me again. So I had to find an alternate route, and a lot of that just involved
letting go of past ideas of what this project was allowed to be. Once I allowed
myself to be more open-minded, it became easier to write, be inspired, and chase
that inspiration to its source. Personally, I think while the other records were about
relationships, I think this new album is about my relationship with myself.
The Cut: On Shriek, what are some of the band’s favorite songs?
JW: I love all the songs, but I think right now I’m most into the first and last tracks,
“Before” and “Logic of Color,” respectively. However, I love all the songs, or else they
wouldn’t be on there.
The Cut: How do you transition your layered studio performance to a live setting as a duo?
JW: Well, it’s complicated. My setup is me playing bass on 75% of the new material, keyboard
14
on 25% of the new material, and guitar on the old songs. Andy’s setup is playing drums with
his feet and his right hand, and with his left hand he is playing a keyboard which triggers
Ableton, which is responsible for a lot of the sounds on the songs we are putting out. We
figure out ways without sacrificing much, and in a way that we are able to put these songs
on display, but it’s obviously a different experience hearing them on record and playing
them live.
The Cut: How did Andy come about playing drums and keyboards simultaneously?
JW: Initially it came out of us trying to figure out how to perform with just the two
of us, and he had the idea. I was skeptical at first, but he practiced for a couple of
weeks and he could do it. It’s been something he’s been getting gradually better
and better at ever since, and I’ve never thought we were really ever limited by it.
The Cut: What are some other contemporary artists you guys listen to?
JW: One of the biggest touchstones for me from a recording perspective
and a songwriting perspective is Arthur Russell, and we’re both really big
fans. For contemporary stuff, I listen to a lot of music that’s happening in
our community in Baltimore. I think it’s really been helpful to keep my
musical universe pretty small, because it can pretty overwhelming to try
to keep up with the constant stream of new things that you’re expected
to know and be aware of. I feel like I’m constantly experiencing really
amazing music that’s happening in Baltimore all the time. Some bands
people know like Beach House and Future Islands, but one of my
favorite bands is Horse Four and Wuume.
The Cut: Looking forward, what is your band working toward?
JW: We would love to continue to make music together, but
we don’t want to base our decisions off anything other than
whether or not we have something to make, whether it be
the songs, music, or content. We’re always really in charge
of what’s next, and if we can find it, we’re really excited to
make music together. I think longevity is something that’s
pretty important to use, but it’s always been quality over
quantity.
wyeoak
15
ju
monday
tuesday
thurs
wednesday
1
Bastille and
Stage AE
5
6
7
8
The Menzingers
Altar Bar
Ray LaMontagne
Stage AE
Unknown String
Band
Three River Arts
Festival
Blitzen Trap
Club Cafe
12
13
14
15
21
22
28
29
Beauty Slap,
Memphis Hill
Altar Bar
Lindsey Stirling
Stage AE
19
20
Tegan and Sara
Stage AE
26
27
Guttermouth
Altar Bar
16
ne
sday
friday
2
d Wolf Gang
9
pper
sunday
saturday
3
4
Needtobreathe
Stage AE
Tyler the Creator
Stage AE
10
11
Dr Dog
Stage AE
CHVRCHES
Stage AE
16
17
Crystal Stilts
Cattivo
Arctic Monkeys
Stage AE
O.A.R
Stage AE
23
24
25
Crazy Pills
Garfield Artworks
18
Black Flag
Altar Bar
30
Neko Case
Byham Theater
17
DEER HO
DEER
18
Deerhoof is a high-energy noise-pop group
originally formed in 1994. Their unique sound
has proved timeless; they created their first
album in 1997 and have since released 11
albums and toured the U.S. and Europe
extensively. The Cut chatted with drummer
Greg Saunier outside of The Rex Theatre about
the group’s writing, what it’s like to work
apart from each other, and playing live.
OOF
HOOF
Interview by Samantha Ward
Photo by Katherine Martinez
19
The Cut: You and Natomi have been playing together for
20 years now. How has your longevity as a duo affected
how you play together now?
Greg Saunier: You mean how is it different after 20 years,
versus how was it early on?
The Cut: Yeah.
GS: It is vastly improved. Because sometimes you meet
somebody and you feel like you have chemistry. But it’s one
thing to feel that something clicks in a moment; it’s always
perfect at first, you know? But it’s when you first have some
conflict or you first have some disagreement, or some
stress comes into what you’re doing, then that becomes
the actual test of how you are together. So with many years
we’ve put ourselves through many different kinds of tests.
And I think that now is probably the most fun that we’ve
had in the band. We feel the most relaxed with each other
and about what we’re doing, and we feel very free on stage.
Everybody feels ready to push it in some unpredictable
direction every single evening. And it’s like when we have
a disagreement or a misunderstanding; we’re really smart
now about how we work it out. Yeah, I think it’s way better.
So I would recommend, that anybody….
The Cut: Stay together for 20 years?
GS: Yeah, I think it was about year 20 when it really started
kicking in. We’re having a really good year.
The Cut: I’ve read some interviews and features about
your band, but no one really seems to understand how
to describe your sound.
GS: And you’re going to be the first?
The Cut: Yeah! Though I was wondering what you say
when people ask you.
GS: Well how about this: You tell me what you think we
sound like, and I’ll tell you if you’re right or wrong.
The Cut: Well, right now I’d say… Ambient noise pop…
With an electric twist… There you go.
GS: [laughter] No, I think it’s right. Don’t feel too good about
me telling you it’s right, because anything you could have
said, I would have told you that it was right. Because who
am I to tell you that’s not what you heard! From my point
of view, I don’t even think about the names that you would
see in a record store. Here’s the heavy metal section, here’s
the jazz section, whatever. None of that is crossing my mind
when I’m making music. I’m not thinking about words. It’s
like music is a replacement for words, actually, don’t you
think? I mean you’re a writer so you must have an opinion
about this, where language is not even… Its main purpose
isn’t even to communicate: It’s to think. It’s a way to create
20
the way that your head thinks. But sometimes I think that
music is just another way that your brain can think. And I’m
not always thinking about communication, like that there’s
something to say, and I can’t think of a way to say it so I tap it
out on the drums or something… It’s more like I’m thinking,
you know? Because that’s what comes out.
The Cut: That’s funny that you mention that about
writing. We’re learning about, in one of my classes,
conceptual metaphors and how we put together
sentences that actually don’t make sense as a sentence.
But it makes sense because it’s all a construction of…
GS: Yeah! If communication was a goal, then the sentence
could be much simpler! But no, it’s how, particularly
children, how they form thoughts, you know, and that’s
really interesting to me. And I feel like it’s the same with
music. And with our music we’re always thinking in those
terms of how do you create a thought or an idea from
scratch with sound.
The Cut: Okay, that’s heavy… That’s really cool.
GS: More than you bargained for, huh?
The Cut: I know! So I wanted to ask about what your
writing process is like when you’re sitting down and
thinking about an album.
GS: First of all, standing. Always standing. [laughter]
Actually, to be honest it’s never the same twice. The first
step would be getting some kind of idea. Maybe it’s a
melody; maybe it’s a drumbeat, some lyric. And a lot of
times this often has nothing to do with sitting down and
saying, “I’m gonna come up with an idea now.” Could be
like I’m walking down the sidewalk and just “Bam!” Or I sort
of faintly hear something coming across the street and I
thought it sounded like an idea, but then I realized it was
just some machine or something. But it sounded like music
for a second, then it gives me an idea. Somebody says a
funny turn of phrase and it makes me think of something for
an idea for a lyric. So that’s less about creating something
from scratch and more about being ready for the idea to
strike like lightning, you know, at any second. So I feel like
a big part of the process was, for me, teaching myself to
be ready for ideas. But then for us, I mean, it just continues
because there’s four of us writing in the band and we each
write separately too. And then when we bring ideas to each
other and together it might change again. And then we try
to play the song live and it might change again… We can
play the exact same song at sound check today, and it will
sound so different from the day before that we will realize
I’m still writing my drum parts for songs that we’ve been
playing for years. That process doesn’t really finish. We don’t
have a professor standing over us saying, “Okay, that was it.
You’re done.” There’s no way to know, so you are constantly
searching. You are trying to hit the target and you don’t
know if you have or not. And it feels like you just get a little
DEER
HOOF
closer every time.
The Cut: I read that you haven’t recorded in a formal
studio for a while because you’re all spread out across
the country. But even if you did live in the same city,
would you still do home recording?
GS: Good question. We actually have recorded a new record
just two months ago in Ed [Rodriguez]’s basement. And
we did it by accident. We all met up there to practice and
start writing new songs, and then we were going to record
versions of songs to send to a producer who was going to
record us in a real studio. We recorded our practice sessions
just so we could remember how it goes and then show it to
the preproduction guy. But then we ended up liking how the
recording sounded; we thought we played it well when no
one was watching. And we weren’t thinking this is the record,
we were just playing in a very casual way, you know? And we
were so happy with how it turned out that we just cancelled
recording at the studio and now I’ve been mixing it in the
minivan every day.
The Cut: Do you know when that’s coming out?
GS: November 4. You’re the first person who knows other
than the band and the label.
The Cut: Awesome. I also had read that you mentioned
that you guys didn’t practice any of your songs for this
past album until after they were recorded and mixed?
GS: Well that’s true.
The Cut: Why is that?
GS: Well, like you said, everybody’s doing home recording.
For a lot of these songs one person did everything. There’s
a song on there where Ed played all the instruments, a song
where John [Dieterich] played all the instruments, another
one where I played all the instruments, another one where
Satomi [Matsuzaki] played all the instruments. On the record
I was playing guitar and John was doing drums, and Ed was
doing keyboards and all this stuff; that’s not how it is on
stage.
The Cut: Are there any collaborations or future projects
that you guys are really excited for?
GS: I’m excited for one tonight. I think I’m going to play a
song with Celestial Shore, the first band who we’ve been
touring with. I mixed their first record, which came out pretty
recently. They’re great friends of mine and I just think that
they’re so cool, and so we’ve been watching them play every
single night. That’s what I’m excited about. I’m excited about
tonight!
Photos by Kathy Lee
21
// c u t r e f l
// a f r e s h m a n ’ s p e r s p e c t i v e //
Donovan Powers
22
✂
Music has always been a defining aspect of me as a person. While other kids went on dates at the movies, I sat alone in the back of my
town’s only coffee shop and soaked up the jazz combo they would bring in to play a few times a week. Growing up in Wyoming,
live music wasn’t something that was readily available. I’m sad to admit I didn’t go to my first big-name concert until I was a
senior in high school, where I drove 7 hours to go see the Barenaked Ladies’ Last Summer On Earth tour with Ben Folds Five
and Guster, and then drove 7 hours back that night because I couldn’t afford a hotel room.
Upon arriving in Pittsburgh this fall, one of the things I was most excited about was the chance to finally experience some semblance of a real music scene. What I got, however, was much better than I ever expected. During the first
week of classes I decided I wanted to go see a show before my Carnegie Mellon workload actually became a barrier
that prevented me from doing things. I went on StubHub and was delighted to find one of my music idols, Chet
Faker, was doing a US tour and was stopping in Pittsburgh the next day. I rode public transportation for the
first time in my life and made my way down to Altar Bar. The show was amazing; there were only a handful
of people in the audience which made the space extremely intimate, and while I was there I struck up a
conversation with two girls taking pictures for The Cut. Less than a week later I found myself at an assignment meeting, tasked with writing a review for the show, and terrified I was going to make a fool
out of myself.
I remember seeing my first review published and being so proud, walking around campus, seeing the magazine, and being able to say: “Yeah, you see that thing? That’s a real thing.
A thing I helped do.” During my first semester I got to see some amazing shows by groups
I had loved for years, from Ra Ra Riot to Baths, my first few months at Carnegie Mellon
were packed with live music, making up for all those years lost in the cultural black hole
that is Wyoming.
My favorite moment with The Cut happened at the Earl Sweatshirt concert this fall. I’ll never forget being pushed up against the stage in the front row,
with a sea of white kids in Hawaiian shirts moshing behind me yelling obscenities and rapping along until their voices were raw. As Earl came up, looked
at my section of the crowd, and complained that only white people came
to his shows, I became aware of how surreal the entire experience was. I,
Donovan Powers, the white kid from Wyoming, was in the front row
of an Earl Sweatshirt concert, holding a press pass that let me in
the show for free, in addition to having the security people treat
me with about 1000% more respect than any of the other colC
lege kids in the crowd. The Cut has truly allowed me to have
some amazing experiences this year. Here’s to three more
years of awesome live music, and many more to come
after I leave.
e c t i o n s //
Freshman year was hard for me. I had some trouble making
friends, and I felt isolated and scared. When the fall Activities
Fair came around, I knew I wanted to join some organizations to
help me branch out and meet new people. Most of my first college
y
friends didn’t have the same interests as me, but I was anxious about
joining a club alone. Nevertheless, I knew that I couldn’t let my fears
dictate my college experience, so I wandered CFA lawn until I came upon
the table for The Cut.
Music has always played an important role in my life. Some of my earliest
memories are of my dad singing classic rock songs to me and my older brother.
During high school, I was that really angsty girl who posted song lyrics as her AIM
away messages and constantly had headphones in. So when my freshman self stumbled
upon The Cut, I knew I had found a place where I could fit in. I immediately signed up
for the mailing list, and soon, I was sitting in on my very first meeting. I was so excited to be
around a group of people who shared my love of music, and I instantly felt better. I felt welcome.
My freshman living situation quickly became tense, and I found myself constantly questioning
who I could trust. When you feel uncomfortable in your own living space, it can be hard to find peace.
But I continued to go to The Cut meetings. I carved out my own space on campus, a space that was away
from the people I didn’t get along with. Here, among all of the wonderful Cut staff members, there was no
drama. There was just the shared passion for music that brought us all together.
Like all bad things, freshman year eventually came to pass. Reflecting back, I know that I am stronger for
having lived through it, and I really credit The Cut for helping me through it. As I entered my sophomore year, I
signed up for even more clubs. I was still nervous about joining things on my own, but my experience with The Cut
inspired me to take the plunge. I found more activities that I really loved to do, and I found more places where I could
be myself.
The Cut was the first organization at Carnegie Mellon that I committed to. I’ve spent four wonderful years writing for the
magazine, under the guidance and dedication from three equally wonderful editor-in-chiefs and a slew of amazing staff members.
I was given the great privilege of writing my own column for the past two years, an opportunity I’m still grateful for. Looking back
at all of my work for the magazine, I can see how much I’ve grown, both as a writer and a person. It may seem strange to say I found
a home in a magazine, but I did. And while I’m so sad to leave that home behind, I know we’re leaving it in good hands. As long as The
Cut exists at Carnegie Mellon, there will always be a home for those who love music.
Hannah Dellabella
// a s e n i o r ’ s p e r s p e c t i v e //
23
CAMPUS BUILDINGS MUSIC
gates-hillman center
IDM //
Katherine Martinez
As one of the newest buildings, the Gates-Hillman
Center has some of the most modern architecture, with
clean lines and unexpected angles. The combination
of consistency with unexpected alterations brings
to mind minimal electronic and techno like Moderat,
Trentemøller, and Nosaj Thing. The smooth beats are
perfectly suited to the long hours of coding that often
take place here, and the somewhat urban feel of the
music matches that of the building itself. Though the
cafe on the third floor plays a wide collection of music
during the day, minimal EDM seems to capture the spirit
of the building itself. It’s also worth noting that this kind
of music often gets somewhat infamously touted as IDM
(intelligent dance music). Though most artists eschew
the pretentious genre name, it seems appropriate for the
music of the computer building, which is populated by so
many intelligent people.
resnik
POP R&B //
Max Harlynking
There is a kind of sadness that occurs when spending long amounts
of time in the Resnik eateries. This may not be true for the dorms (I
hear they’re lovely) or the workout room, but something about the
environment in the food establishments gives the vibe of a love that
could never be: They’re giving you their all and you’re… just not feeling
it. It’s the kind of love expressed by John Legend and Jason Derulo.
The kind of love that fills the Top 40 charts with songs about loving “your
curves and all your edges / all your perfect imperfections.” Whether
you’re waiting in line in the interesting-smelling Resnik cafeteria, waiting
for your food at Carnegie Mellon Café, or waiting for someone to get
behind the counter at Tartans Pavilion, there is always a feeling of
constant longing for the kind of love expressed by Derulo and Legend.
The kind of love that serves you food you know you probably shouldn’t
eat but still do; the kind of love that reminds you there was that one time
when you had something decent here and hope that it will happen again
sometime soon. So whether you’re waiting for a lover or an omelet (or
asking yourself if what you’re looking at was made from real eggs),
spending time in Resnik is an experience that can only be summed up
by the great Chris Brown: “You all about her, and she all about hers /
And I done did everything, but trust these hoes.”
West Wing
MEDITATION // Max Harlynking
You are walking through the mountains of Nepal. A chilly mountain
air comes across your burka, the snow getting into the small
creases of your hiking boots. Sounds of a distant flute enter your
ears and inspire you to continue your journey. Then you realize: You
aren’t hiking through the Himalayas. You’re simply passing through
West Wing on your way to class. That isn’t a chilly mountain air—
that’s just the door someone left open blowing in the Pittsburgh
smog. What was it about West Wing that entranced you in such a
meditative state? Was it the newly refurbished Mindfulness Room,
with its writable walls and colorful chairs? Or was it the West Wing
computer cluster, filled with students each in their own digital
world? The people of West Wing seem to be in a constant state of
meditation, remaining in a state of departure while always arriving.
Only calming music could represent these quiet people, the quiet
halls they inhabit, and the soothing ideas that they provide. As you
exit West Wing, you realize you have left a magical place, one that
has Twitch Plays Pokémon displayed on the kiosk in the hallway
as often as piano music comes from the central hangout room. You
sigh calmly as another fucking snowflake lands on your nose—
goddammit it’s May!
24
wean hall
JOHN CAGE //
Mike Ryan
Wean’s orthogonality is something to be admired. All the
right angles, concrete walls, concrete floors, and concrete
ceilings make this dubiously beautiful building something
that stands out. Half of its floors seem to lack windows
entirely, and without the KGB chalk drawings in the
stairways you might never be able to find your way up to the
turtle’s head. Professors and classes range from Interp to
physics research requiring mad scientist equipment and
warning signs on laser-filled rooms of horror and wonder.
Wean prides itself on sheer strangeness, like four minutes
and 33 seconds of silence presenting itself as orchestral
music. It’s not what we’re used to, not what makes us
comfortable, and was probably made by aliens to observe
us. La Prima, thankfully, presents coffee-drinkers with a
welcome break. The rest of us can wander the corridors
eternally, trapped in the vortex of odd sounds and odder
architecture.
Songs to come home to.
mixtape
Summer is here, so - for good or bad - it’s time to go home. Maybe there’s that great song you
like to hear when your plane makes that final landing, or maybe there’s a band that you have
to include on your eight-hour-drive mix. Whatever it may be, there’s always music to listen to
when going home, and we hope you check out this mixtape as you’re making the trip back.
“Homeward Bound” by Simon and Garfunkel.
This is an obvious one, but I always listen to this going back
home to Kentucky. Whether it’s the literal meaning of the
song - going home - or the fact that the title reminds me of
my favorite childhood movie about talking dogs and a cat, this
song always gives me that warm feeling I’m at least supposed
to feel when going home.
-Zach Branson
“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day
This one goes out to all of my fellow graduating seniors -- I
hope you had the time of your life. You’ve heard this song
countless times after your graduated middle school and high
school, so it’s only appropriate that you give it another listen
as you come to the next fork in the road. Get nostalgic as you
take one last, long look at the city you’ve called home for the
past four (or more) years before you head to wherever is your
new home. I’m not crying; are you crying?
-Hannah Dellabella
“Horses are Faster” by The Munsick Boys
This tune is a little outside most people musical tastes including my own. That being said this tune is an amazing bluegrass
peace that really taught me how to appreciate a lot of the music from back home in Wyoming. Whenever it’s time to return
home, this tune reminds me of all the good parts of what Im
going back to.
-Donovan Powers
“Steel Rail Blues” by Gordon Lightfoot
“And the big steel rail is gonna carry me home to the one I
love.” Steel City Blues may be a more appropriate title for the
song on a train ride out of Pittsburgh, but Gordon Lightfoot
touches every aspect of homesickness in the first few verses.
The final lines may veer from the homeward bound spirit, but
they are one of Lightfoot’s classic narrative twists.
-Drevin Galentine
“The Next Time I’m In Town” by Mark Knopfler and
Chet Atkins
This song is a pretty solid deep cut, and one that always gets
me everytime I’m on that six hour Megabus coming home. It
always brings back memories of certain people, some who I
can’t wait to see, and some who I hope I’ll never see. Also, how
can you go wrong with two of the best guitar players of the
twentieth century playing together on a track?
-Dhruva Krishna
“Take Me Home Country Roads” by John Denver
Bear with me on this one. Despite being a thoroughly suburban gal, something about this down-home country tune makes
me feel like returning to my one true place. Whether because
of it’s status as summer camp anthem or because it harkens
to a simpler time I’m not sure I’ve ever know, it will remain
my go-to for nostalgic indulgence and that familiar bittersweet
lump in the throat.
-Geneva Jackson
“Home Again” by Beach House
On a 5 hour flight to the west coast, calm and relaxing music
is a must for me. Beach House always seems to be just right for
that dreamy feeling you get when flying over endless clouds
and fields, and the title made this song in particular stand out.
It might be slow enough to put you to sleep, but let’s be honest,
with long-distance travel, that’s probably a good thing.
-Katherine Martinez
“Adelaide” by Ben Folds
It’s true, a lot of Ben Folds’ songs have a hint of personal nostalgia, but they tend to feel a bit more melancholy than this
track from his 2006 LP. “Adelaide” drives an upbeat rhythm
that gives the visceral feeling of anticipation before arriving
where you really want to be- home.
-Vanessa Frank
25
Cn
Rv
Alabama Shakes
By Samantha Ward
Photo credits to Don VanCleave
Alabama Shakes played for a
packed Stage AE on Thursday,
May 8. With a little bit of
grumbling about the show
being inside on one of those
rare, beautiful Pittsburgh days,
the audience filed into the
venue to the sounds of the
opener, Deslondes. Formerly
the Tumbleweeds, this selfdescribed “country-soul, swampboogie” group set a pleasant
vibe leading up to the Shakes’
26
entrance. Their upbeat energy
and catchy harmonies caught
the attention of the crowd and
drew people towards the stage.
The audience was hushed and
buzzing with anticipation when
the lights dimmed signaling
the entrance of lead singer and
vocal goddess Brittany Howard
and band mates Zac Cockrell,
Heath Fogg, and Steve Johnson.
As she belted out songs from
their album, Boys and Girls, as
well as a couple new tracks, the
audience sang and yelled their
appreciation for the soulful
renditions. This was a rare show
where every member of the
audience was excited about the
act, yet allowed each other to
enjoy their own personal space
while watching in lieu of pushy
crowding towards the stage.
The vibes were good and the
power of Howard’s live voice was
stupefying, especially in the last
song of the night in the encore,
“You Ain’t Alone.” Howard’s
intensity and passion infected
Stage AE, and at one point
during the bridge of a song
she told everyone that she was
going to give us some advice,
paused, then decided, “I had to
learn everything the hard way,
so I guess you’ll have to too.”
ncrt
vws
Wye Oak
+ Braids
By Allison Cosby
“This is a new song, but you guys probably
don’t even know our band, so I guess that
doesn’t matter much. I’m really nervous about
it,” said Braids singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston
with an honest, nervous giggle before breaking
into an upbeat swirl of sounds and voices that
sounded much like a leftover track from the
Montreal-based art rock band’s latest album
Flourish // Perish. When the song finished, the
small but fervent crowd burst into applause
and I heard an excited girl in front of me shout,
“What is this band? They’re really good!”
Full disclosure here: I’m a huge Braids fan and
I was psyched about this concert long before
I even heard headliner Wye Oak’s music. And
the audience seemed split between the excited
new fan in front of me and long-time fans like
myself. The set itself was very engaging, and
the audience was fully captivated by StandallPreston’s simultaneous nervous charm and
vocal strength. They mostly played songs from
their newest album and threw in two completely
new tracks. At one point, Standell-Preston said
it was their first time playing together for an
audience in six months, which would explain
why they all seemed so nervous. A friend of
mine at the concert made a particularly astute
comment after the performance; he said he
heard Braids play songs that he recognized and
liked, but he didn’t love the overall performance.
Despite my fan-girl status, I agreed with him;
their nerves were charming, but ultimately
made their performance seem timid relative to
their recordings.
By the time headliner Wye Oak took the
stage, the main floor of Mr. Small’s had filled
out. It was the opening night of their tour,
and the duo’s first night playing with Braids.
I was struck by how big their sound was for
just two people, which I took as a testament
to their musicianship. Drummer Andy Stack’s
performance was especially impressive; for most
of the show he had one hand on his keyboard,
one hand drumming, and each foot working
a different drum pedal. The highlights of Wye
Oak’s show came when they returned to their
older material: lead singer Jenn Wasner was
the most impressive on the songs, with more
psychedelic guitar work and twangy vocals.
Her voice showed impressive emotional range
throughout the show, and the enthusiastic
crowd ate it up. The show ended with a quick
encore and a unsatisfyingly mediocre rendition
of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” Despite
the weird ending, the concert was great. The
audience left fully satisfied, and Braids and Wye
Oak both left with many new fans.
27
Phantogram
28
Photo by Will Lush
Woods - With Light and With Love
Psychedelic/folk-rock band Woods returned this month with their sixth album With Light and
With Love, a follow-up to 2012’s highly-praised Bend Beyond. On it, the band experiments with
unconventional instrumental arrangements and the album is full of surprising melodies that wind
their way into your mind. As always, though, the vast majority of the album is relatively inoffensive
and somewhat standard for the group. It’s equal parts folk rock, indie pop, and psych-folk, making
it widely accessible, but perhaps a bit boring. There are many strong points, of course, including
the epic title track, which sneaks up on you just a few songs in. The nine-minute track builds up to
a beautiful, chaotic mess of electric guitars and acoustic sounds until singer Jeremy Earl’s signature
falsetto croon floats in, providing the listener with a wonderful release. With songs like this one, it’s
easy to imagine what an amazing live show they must put on, but they’re more than just a really
good jam band. The songs always return to the craft, and that’s where Woods really shines. The
band has become relatively well-known due to their history of consistent releases and the quality
of those releases, but they’ve never really hit it big. And despite the lack of ambition on With Light
and With Love, the songs are so well-crafted, and so well-performed, that Woods has once again
proven itself to be one of the most consistently underrated bands releasing today.
- Allison Cosby
4 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
SZa - z
The average rap fan would probably think SZA is a misspelling of the Wu-Tang rapper RZA. Actually,
SZA is a singer signed to the same label as Kendrick Lamar; Top Dawg Entertainment. I have recently
grown fond of the cross-genre risks artists have been taking, and SZA is quickly honing this to
perfection on her debut album Z. SZA’s powerful voice and emotional lyrics bring her words to life
over a diverse assortment of beats (I’d argue more like sounds). In back-to-back songs she sings over
a slow, trippy beat from the XXYYXX for “Child’s Play” and then follows it directly with an upbeat jam
entitled “Julia.” It is evident that SZA has learned from the breakout success of Chance the Rapper,
who is featured on the album, about taking a massive risk by doing things differently and creating
an entirely unique sound in the process. I look forward to more experimental success from SZA in
the future.
- Ben Alderoty
3.4 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
Animals as Leaders - The joy of motion
Animals as Leaders’ (AAL) third release, The Joy of Motion, successfully merges a huge variety of musical
influences, from jazz, flamenco, electronica, and many more, uniting them under the overarching djent
theme that Tosin Abasi is so well known for. After the disappointingly derivative works in Weightless,
songs such as “Another Year,” a complex prog jazz composition, and “Para Mexar,” the aforementioned
venture into flamenco, make The Joy of Motion a welcome breath of fresh, creative air. Hardcore djent
fans will not be disappointed - “Lippincott” and the last three tracks of the album are highly reminiscent
of AAL’s self-titled debut. “Mind-Spun,” in particular, is as intense as songs like CAFO, while simultaneously
creatively separating AAL from their djent competition. The only slightly undesirable component of the
album is the universally heavy drum tracks - something less thumping would be nice, occasionally.
Otherwise, The Joy of Motion is a strong return to form for Animals as Leaders.
- Halsey Hutchinson
4 SCISSORS ✂ ✂ ✂ ✂
29
Music is shorthand for cool.
Whether you’re waiting to turn
up next to a pair of speakers
the size of my fridge or
contemplating the ephemerality
of existence to the scratches
in between chords on a guitar
that’s moved from Brooklyn
neighborhood to Brooklyn
neighborhood in a frantic retreat
from new Whole Foods Markets,
you still look to your earbuds for
some dosage of hipness.
I have never been one of the
cool kids. Last weekend, I spent
an hour in the car to attend a
Magic: The Gathering trading
card game tournament before
being disappointed when the
last Game of Thrones episode
went a little too far from the
books. Music might be able to
save me from myself if only I
wasn’t still listening to Weezer’s
Pinkerton, which tells you pretty
much everything you need to
know about my time in high
school.
I was in a band then. Two
bands, actually. One had a
Facebook page with ~100 fans,
no practices, no performances,
and no name. We did, however,
announce that we were a
band. That counts for a whole
lot among 15 year olds. The
other band had gotten a start
as a novelty group that played
“Shipping Up to Boston” by the
Dropkick Murphys in the light
of The Departed, throwing it
into the public consciousness
in a way that is rivaled only
by Idina Menzel’s “Let it Go.” I
hopped on the train as guitarist
number two and sax player
number one to complement
our existing bass, guitar, drums,
30
cool
= kids
and accordion. This ungodly
amalgamation of musicians and
instruments culminated in a
performance of Gerry Rafferty’s
“Baker Street,” which features
not only a sweet guitar solo,
but also four saxophone solos.
I, of course, played all of them;
taking off a saxophone to pick
up a humming Stratocaster is
quite a feeling.
Okay, I did feel pretty cool after
that performance. I also promise
this isn’t just bragging about
how cool my band was in high
school—although I am getting a
lot of practice in for quarter- and
mid-life crises. Making music
might be one of the best ways
to feel cool, but that train stops
with your performances. Good
taste might be the only other
way to convert music into cool,
but I think that’s even more
work.
Joining a music magazine
sounds like a surefire way to
bring your taste up to posthipster savant levels, but it takes
more than weekly meetings
and editing to handle that
game. Trawling through the
neverending and oddly granular
stream of 6.4s and 7.3s on
Pitchfork to find something new
doesn’t appeal to anyone, so I’m
happy waiting for new tracks for
whatever artists I’ve followed for
years and in the meantime listen
to Chromeo for any all-night
study sessions and nod quietly
when the far cooler members of
The Cut bring up what feels like
six new albums a week. Maybe
the Facebook feed effect—
seeing people as only their
vacation selfies and pictures
of brunch—hits for Spotify
by Mike Ryan
playlists too. Endless streams of
band names you haven’t heard
of don’t actually mean anything
unless you go out and listen to
them, and the advent of digitally
distributed music means there
are far more unknowns out there
than ever before. Democratizing
access to music operates from
the directions of producers and
consumers, and while I will never
say that easing entry into the
music industry is a bad thing, it
certainly isn’t a simplifying force
for online catalogs with more
minutes of audio than you have
of life. We might be able to safely
say that it is impossible to catch
up to new music at the rate that
it releases.
This fact controls whether
music is a pastime or a hobby.
For the overwhelming majority
of us, a few artists and some
classic albums do plenty to keep
us moving through the day.
If that’s not enough though,
and you absolutely need more
music, new gems are waiting
there for you to find. The Cut is
here to keep you out of stagnant
musical tastes, but don’t let it
keep you from enjoying the old
standbys, or even throwing Ms.
Swift on repeat. From someone
who will never have trendsetting
musical taste, these publications
are definitely here to help you.
So go, listen to Thriller because
it will never get old, and as the
final countdown for my time
and Carnegie Mellon ticks away,
please keep reading. It’s for your
own musical good.
✂
ESSAY
31
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