1

MINUS the

BEAR

volume6.issue1.oct2012

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FEATURED ARTICLESthe black keys.10

caspian.12minus the bear.16

the front bottoms.22

IN EVERY ISSUEletter from the editor.04

music news.06lyrically speaking.07

steel city start-ups.08cut ‘em all.24

mixtape.25concert reviews.23

album reviews.28essay.30

volume6.issue1.oct2012

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Marketing and Publicity ChiefDan Curhan

Public Relations CoordinatorChristina Mitas

Web ManagerJake Kushner

Writing StaffRachel Asbel, Zach Branson, Sankalp Bhatnagar, Leela Chockalingam, Lind-say Corey, Allison Cosby, Dan Curhan, Hannah Dellabella, Vanessa Frank, Ian Go, Lisa Kessler, Will Lush, Christina Mitas, Danielle Peters, Alec Resende, Alejandro Reyes-Morales, Christopher Skaggs, Kris-ten Swanson, Samantha Ward, Rebecca Warshofsky

Photo StaffZach Branson, Lindsay Corey, Dan Curhan, Christopher Skaggs, Kristen Swanson

Layout StaffRachel Asbel, Hannah Dellabella, Ian Go, Kathy Lee, Tiffany Tse

Editing StaffRachel Asbel, Kairavi Chahal, Leela Chockalingam, Joshua Choi, Hannah Dellabella, Eleanor Elrich, Holly Fitzgibbon, Zaneta Grant, Sara Keats, Will Lush, Dan-ielle Maly, Phoebe Ng, Danielle Peters, Magdalen Silberman, Jordan Stephenson, Adria Steuer, Emma Steuer, Dan Sogunro, Rebecca Warshofsky

6. Help I’m Alive Metric

7. Liquorice Azealia Banks

8. Shuffle A Dream Little Dragon

9. Ho Hey The Lumineers

10. Seventeen Junior Battles

1. Madness Muse

2. Frozen Lakes on Mars Ihsahn

3. Civilian Wye Oak

4. Pretty Face Sóley

5. Take A Walk Passion Pit

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS LETTER from the EDITOR

Editor-in-ChiefKristen Swanson

Assistant EditorZach Branson

Art/Layout DirectorSarah Gorman

Photo EditorSamantha Ward

Copy DirectorMike Ryan

Okay, I double-dog-dare you!

Kristen N. SwansonEditor-in-Chief

The Cut Magazine

This past weekend as I was driving to a show, I spotted snow on the ground. You know, that stuff that turns Pittsburgh into a slushy win-ter-fest of frozen misery? This year is going to be different, though. I refuse to associate winter with misery, and the only way to ac-complish this is through music. That night on the freezing car ride home, during a sing-along session to Against Me! songs with my friend, I realized that winter is the perfect time to indulge in music.

Maybe this realization came from repeating the same song 10 times and never getting tired of it. Maybe I was sleep de-prived and the fact that I was losing my voice didn’t matter to me. Or maybe I’m just finally in the holiday spirit. Maybe it was even a combination of all three, but I wanted to carry over this indulgence into the December issue of <ital>The Cut</ital>.

This issue is jam-packed with enough musical content to bring joy to any music lover. There are more bands featured in this issue then ever before—from the actively charged band State Radio to the You-Tube sensation The Fates. If you’re still searching for something more unique, check out Fitz and The Tantrums, whose impeccable style is sure to impress. As for indie lovers, not to worry, because Real Estate will cure all of your winter blues. Not to mention To-kyo Police Club, who rocked the Carnegie Mellon stage and are some of the most down to earth musicians you will ever meet.

If the holiday spirit is calling you, we have a list of some of our fa-vorite Christmas albums that even Scrooge would enjoy. Plus, the essay in this issue will tug at your heart strings, and might even encourage you to confess your love to whomever you’ve been crushing on. This month’s mixtape was made especially for you and is the perfect playlist to start your winter break off with. The best part? There’s still so much left for you to read. Don’t take my word for it though, turn the page and see for yourself! I dare you.

10 SONGS YOU NEED TO HEAR

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• TheJonasBrothershaverevealedthatanewsin-gleiscomingoutsoon,althoughtheonlythingyouprobablyrememberaboutthemis—wait,aren’ttheyaOneDirectioncoverband?

• MembersRedfooandSkyBluofLMFAOhavediscardedrumoursabouttheirbreakup.

• Inavaguelyunsurprisingturnofevents,FionaApplespentanightinaTexasjailafterauthori-tiesfoundweedandhashonhertourbus.

• BonIveronceagainassertshishipnaturebyaskingfanstodesignhisnewtattoobasedonNorthern Exposure.

• GreenDaysingerBillieJoeArmstronghasre-portedthathewillstillbeappearingontelevi-sionshowThe Voicedespitethefactthathewasrecentlyshippedofftorehab.

• PSY’s“GangnamStyle”hasrecentlytakenovertheradio,dancefloors,andsubconsciousmindsofAmericanseverywherewithitscatchytuneandevencatchierdancemoves.Butdoesanyoneevenknowwhathe’ssaying?

• Whenshe’snotgettingmistakenforGwenStefanibyFlavorFlav,MileyCyrusisworkingonanewalbumwithasingleheadingoutlaterthisyear.

• Ke$hahasfinallyreleasedanewsingle,fittinglycalled“DieYoung.

• AttheiHeartRadioMusicFestival,Pinkshowedupallthepopstarletsbysingingherclosingnumber“SoWhat”whilehangingupsidedowninaharness.Nailedit.

• LanaDelRayrecentlyreleasedtheartworkandtracklistingforher24-song“ParadiseEdition”ofBorn to Die.

• InotherLanaDelRaynews,shemadeuseofherrealclaimtofame—herhotbod—andposedina(mostly)nudespreadforthismonth’sGQ.

• Whileclosingouttheir50thanniversarytour,theBeachBoyshaveexpressedhopefortheirfuture—leadsinger(thebeachiestboy)BrianWilsonsaid,“I’msurebyearlynextyearwe’llbereadytorock.”

• ColombianpopstarShakirahasannouncedthatsheandherboyfriend,SpanishsoccerstarGerardPiqué,areexpectingtheirfirstchild.

• WheninAmsterdam,doastheAmsterdamiansdo?LadyGagalituponstagewhileperforminginthenotoriouslyweed-lovingcity,andevenmadestatementsaboutjoiningthefightforlegal-izingmedicalmarijuana.

• AmericanIdolhasannouncedanewlineupupofinterestingjudges:NickiMinaj,MariahCarey,andKeithUrbanalljointheonlyremainingoriginaljudgeRandyJacksonfortheupcomingseason.

• Punksunite?Surf-“punk”groupBestCoastand“punk”bandGreenDaywillgoontourtogetherthisJanuary.

• Tocelebratethe45thanniversaryofThe Velvet Underground & Nico,musiciansincludingTySe-gall,TheeOhSees,WhiteFence,andTheFresh&Onlysarecollaboratingonavinyl-onlytributeLP,settodroponNovember6.

• TheDumDumGirlsreleasedanewLP,End of Daze.OnonetrackDeeDeesings,“I’vegotnothinglefttosayfromthisdayon,”butsome-howIdoubtthat’strue.

• EarlierthismonthKanyeWestputoutanunder-whelmingCruel Summer,acompilationalbumbytheG.O.O.D.Musicrecordlabel,addingtothelistofregrettablereleaseshe’sputoutsincehepeakedwithWatch the Throne.

• RihannahasannouncedanewalbumsettocomeoutinNovember.Thecurrentlyuntitledalbumwillbeherseventhalbuminjusteightyears—sheshouldreallytakeabreakfrommusic(maybepermanently).

MUSIC NEWScompiled by Allison Cosby and Samantha Ward

lyrically speakingwith Hannah DellaBella

Myfirstpoetryprofessoroncetoldmethatthebestrhymesaretheonesthatyoudon’timmedi-atelynotice.Itendtothinkthisistrue,bothinpoemsandlyrics.Asawriter,Icanappreciatehowdif-ficultitistomakerhymingsoundnatural,soIunderstandifasonghassomeclumsyrhymes.ButIex-pectlyriciststoatleastputalittlebitofeffortintotheirrhymes.IalwaysfindmyselfgettingannoyedatTop40songsfortheirpropen-sitytochooseeasyrhymesforthesakeofcatchiness.Forexample,hereareafewlinesof“SaveMe,SanFrancisco”byTrain:“I’vebeenhigh,I’vebeenlow

/I’vebeenyesandI’vebeenohhellno/I’vebeenrockandrollanddisco/Won’tyousavemeSanFrancisco?”Sureit’scatchy,butit’sbor-derlinenonsensical.Youcantellthatthelyricsaresufferingfromtheirrhymescheme,whichisprettymuchapoeticsin.Areadershouldn’tbeabletotellwhenapoetforcedalinetofittherhymescheme.Thesameshouldgoforlyrics.Sadly,musicthattriestobecatchyoftenwindsupsufferingpoetically.Ontheotherhand,thewriterinmeisverydrawntoBrightEyes,abandthatconsistentlyproduces

lyricsthatreadlikepoetry.Thelinesusuallyhaveabalancedamountofsyllables,whichlendsitselftoacatchyrhythm.Therhymesaresubtle,butstilldetect-ableenoughtomakeitcatchy.Here’safewlinesfrom“Lua”:“I’vegotaflaskinsidemypock-et,wecanshareitonthetrain/Ifyoupromisetostayconscious,Iwilltrytodothesame/Wemightdiefrommedication,butwesurekilledallthepain/Butwhatwasnormalintheevening,bythemorningseemsinsane”Theselyricshavethesamemonorhymeschemeas“SaveMe,SanFrancisco,”buttheydosomething

completelydifferent.Theincreasedlinelengthhelpsmaketherhyminglessobvious,butyoucanstillpickuponit.Thelyricsheredonotsoundforcedorcreatedjustforthesakeofrhyming.Theysoundlikepoetry.Nexttimeyoulistentoasong,lookforrhyminginthelyrics.Youmightnoticesomethingyouneverwouldhavebefore.I’mdefinitelynotsayingthatIwantallsongstofollowsomestandardformatforrhymes,butalittlepoeticinfluenceinyourrhyminggoesalongway.

digital modeling,

the home studioand the rise of

WiththeriseoftheInternet,thedisseminationofmusichasbecomedramaticallyeasier,causingallsortsofcopy-right/legalproblemsinitswake.Computertechnologyhas,however,alsomadetheproductionofmusicfareasier.Withafew100dollarsandadecentcomputer,anyonecanproducestudio-qualityresultsintheirbedroom.Thisisespeciallyprevalentinthenowoversaturateddjentsceneinprogressivemetal.Anydecentmusicianwithagoodear,acomputer,andtheInternetcanmakeinstrumentalmusicthatsoundsprofessionallyengineered.ThisjumpinhomestudioproductionqualitycanbeattributedmainlytomassiveleapsforwardinthequalityofdigitalmodelingamplifiersimulatorslikeFractalAudioSystems’Axe-FX,andtheavailabilityofhigh-qualitydrumsamplesthroughsoftwaresuchasSuperiorDrummer.

OneofmyfavoritealbumslastyearwasCorelia’smind-blowingdebutEPNostalgia.Thesongswerebril-liantlywritten,flawlesslyexecuted,andperfectlyproduced.Anditwasallself-recorded,produced,anddistributed.ThemaincomponentsoftheirmassivesoundwereAxe-FXmodelingunitsanddrumsamplesfromSuperiorDrum-mer.Thereisn’tasinglemic-recordedamplifieronthealbum.EveryguitarandbasssoundwasrecordedusingadirectinputfromtheAxe-FX.Coreliaisprobablymyfavoriteexampleofusingmodelingandsamplingtomakeawesomemusicwithoutastudio,buttheywerebynomeansthefirstorthemostnotable.MishaMansoor(ofPeriphery)isprobablyoneofthemostinfluentialmembersofthedjentandbedroom-re-cordingscenes.HisuniqueprogressivemetalprojecttitledBulbbrokeoutintothemassesandstartedarevolutionofmusciainswritingandrecordinginstrumentaldjentintheirbedroomsusingsimilartechniques—techniquesthathewashappytoshare.MansoorwasextremelyactiveinmanyInternetforums,lendinghisear,experience,andadvicetofellowbedroommusicians.HealsousesAxe-FXdigitalmodelingamps.Moreandmoreartists,includingMega-deth,Guns’N’Roses,BlackEyedPeas,DevinTownsend,andBetweentheBuriedandMe,tonameafew,aremak-ingtheswitchtodigitalmodelingampslikeAxe-FX.Digitalmodelingampsbasicallyofferlimitlesscombi-nationsofclassicsimulatedamplifiers,cabinets,andeffectspedals.Theoutputcanrunthroughanamplifiersetuporstraightintoacomputer.BesidesAxe-FX,therearealsoothermodelingampsfromcompanieslikeLine6andVox.Thereareevenguitarampmodelersthatrunonyourcom-puter,likeGuitarRigbyNativeInstruments.Allofthesesolutionsmeanthatwithoneinitialinvestment,thepossi-bilitiesarelimitless,andtheresultswillsoundprofessional.Evenfromyourbedroom.

sampling,

by Dan Curhan

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by Leela Chockalingam

Theirlatestalbum,Good Morning, Every Morn-ing,wasreleasedinSeptember.MovingawayfromJesse’sbreakupsourcematerialforthefirsttwoalbums,Good Morning, Every MorningencapsulatesthestoriesofthenewbeginninginNashville.Withmuchmorevariedemotionaltone,thesongsaregenerallyfull-forceforwardwithrollickingbeatsandhumourouslyrics.Bridgingthegapbetweenfolkandrock,theirsongsarehead-thumpingwhilestillhavingtheuniversalfeelingoffolk.Inonesongalistenercanfeelthesing-a-longpopinfluencesoftheBeatlesaswellasthestory-tellingfolkinfluencesoftheCountingCrows.Whiletheseinfluencescandefinitelybefelt,BearCubtakesthemandtwiststhemtogetherintoanentirelyuniquebeast.Listenersquicklyrealizethatthisisn’tthefolkoftheirgrandparent’sgeneration,butthemusicstillweavesrichstories.Thisfolkisthicker,heavi-er,andfaster,butstilldowntoearthlyrically.Theirsong“I’veBeenAround”startswiththelyrics:“‘What’stheworstthatcouldhappen?’IsaidtomyfriendsasIpackupmyoldtruckandIbegintoleaveagain.”Theseareobvi-ouslywordsfromtheheartofabandtryingtostartanewinastrangecityandmakingthemostofthesituation.Theirgenuinelyricsstickintheheadsandtheheartsoflisteners.FansoftheAvettBrothers,BrightEyes,orNOFXmightbenefitfromcheckingthemout.

Theirhardcorenaturebecomesespe-ciallyapparentatliveshows.Energeticandrowdy,thebandtriestobringthehousedown.“Myfavoritesongstoperformliveare‘I’veBeenAround,’‘3RecordsDeep,’and‘FreeAtLast.’Eachone,initsownway,seemstomovetheaudience,andIgettoscreamalittlebit,whichIenjoy,”saidleadsingerJesse.Itisthisliveenergythatpuls-esthroughtheirlatestvivaciousalbum.BearCubputalotofworkintotheirlatestalbum,whichhasafullersounden-hancedbyintricatevocalharmonies.Jesseadvocatesthisdedicationtothecrafttootherartists,sayingthataspiringmusiciansneedtoworkinordertodotheirmusicjustice.Inaworldwhereyoungartistsoftenfallintothetrapofshockfactorsorcrowdpleasing,thisadviceisextremelyrelevant.BearCubalsobelievesthatanaspiringmusician’slyricsshouldstemfromtheirpersonalexperiencesandemotions.Theirapproachableyetuniquelyricsshowthesuccessofthisattitude.Formoreinformationabouttheband,theirwebsiteiswww.bearcubclub.comandtheirFacebookpageisfacebook.com/bear-cubspage.Theirlatestalbumisforsaleofftheirwebsite.WhilethereprobablywillnotbeanyconcertsinPittsburghanytimesoon,thereisnoreasonyouhavetomissoutonBearCub’suniqueblendofmusic.

BEARCUB

STEEL CITYSTART-UPS

BearCubmadethemovetoNashville,Tn.aroundtwoyearsago.Thissmallhardcore

folkPittsburghstartupismakingquitethenameforitselfinwhatisarguablythemusiccapitalofAmerica.The‘BurghstillactivelyclaimstheBearsastheirown,anappreciationtheBearsreciprocate.Oneofthecatchiesttunesontheirlatestalbumis“ForPittsburgh,WithLove&Squalor(Let’sGoOut).”Anup-beatriotoustune,itdescribeshowtogooutinPittsburghforanunforgettablenight.Thesongcapturesthegrit-tydetailsofthecity’sspirit,leavingnoquestiontheBearsholdthethreeriversintheirhearts.ThenucleusofBearCub’sformationwasleadsingerJesseHall’sfatefultriptoAustin,Tx.afewyearsago.Leavinghistreasuredmusicandhisbelovedcity,JessefollowedagirltoTexas.Leavingheartbroken,JessesooncamehomefromTexaswiththerichemotionalseedsforBearCub’sfirstalbum.Hegottogetherwithfourothermusicianshehadknownformanyyears,andBearCubwasborn.TheystartedputtingtogethertheirfirsteponymousalbumunderJesse’sfatherBuddyHall,alocallegendandmusicproducer.Afterbeingextremelywell-receivedbythelocalPittsburghscene,theyquicklybuiltupaloyalfanbase.Sincethattimetheyhavereleasedtwoalbums,andtheyaddedtheirfinalbandmemberinNashville.Whenaskedwhytheyrelocated,Jessesaid,“IhavealwayshadacrushonNashvillesinceIwasababydude.“NoonecanreallyblamethemforfallingforNashville,“MusicCity”,whichhasseenthetalentsofartistsasvariedasBobDylan,JohnnyCash,andevenParamore.

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CASPIANCaspian’s unique blend of crushing

crescendos and soaring harmonies

has allowed them to become one

of the most important bands in the

post-rock scene. The Cut recently

spoke to Phil Jamieson about their

new album, Waking Season, and what

has kept the band going for almost

10 years of nearly non-stop touring.

Caspian’s unique blend of crushing

crescendos and soaring harmonies

has allowed them to become one

of the most important bands in the

post-rock scene. The Cut recently

Interview by Alejandro Reyes-MoralesPhotos by Dan Curhan

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The Cut: You guys are currently on tour with Minus the Bear and Cursive in support of your new full length album, Waking Season. How is the tour going so far, and how has the crowd reacted to the new material? Phil Jamieson: Incredibly well. In fact, I really think it just couldn’t be better. Minus the Bear and Cursive are both bands that we really respect and appreciate, and it’s an honor to share the stage with them. They are all really mellow guys just trying to play music, and it’s really been a dream come true so far. So far the crowd has been responding positively. We’ve been making up a new set each night, but we’re starting to settle down on one that we like. People need more time to get familiar with our new material since it isn’t as “face-melty” or intense as some of our previous albums. The Cut: When your previous album Tertia came out, you guys did a lot of touring in the US and abroad. Is that something you are looking to continue to do in support of Waking Season? Phil: We really write our music to have the opportunity to play in front of an audience, and I imagine we’ll be doing just as much touring for this album. Back in 2010 we did something like 170 shows in support of Tertia, and we all realized we needed time to take a break. It was really nice to get that time to recharge and get enough distance to find the perspective we needed before we started writing and playing music again. We are definitely going to try to hit the road as much as possible. The Cut: Like I said, you guys were able to play shows all over the US, Europe, Russia, and even China. Were there any shows that were particularly memorable? Were the crowds’ reactions different depending on which country or continent you were in at that time? Phil: I think it really varied night to night more than anything, but it was great to be in all these different places. Eastern Europe was really inclusive and the crowd was really into the music. China doesn’t get a lot of rock shows, so they were really hungry for it and their reactions were very positive. They were able to really get lost in themselves, and it was really awesome to see that. As far as which places or shows were most memorable, it’s really hard to say. I have so many incredible experiences percolating in my head that I don’t even know where to begin. [Laughs.]

idea of an album being an experience from front to back is disappearing. I liked how from beginning to end it was one very solid, nuanced idea that was explored throughout. Listening to that album was a really inspirational experience. As far as other artists go, I was also listening to this really dense ambient electronica group called Blanck Mass. I don’t know if ambient is the right word, but there were a lot of layers and it was really intense music to listen to. The Cut: You mentioned being inspired by non-musical experiences. Could you elaborate on what some of those were for this album? Phil: I think a lot of it came from being on the road pretty much throughout all of 2010 and seeing how the road gives and takes away. It was about dealing with the changes that went with that - losing touch with people, having friends move away, and then the process of trying to reconnect. When you are going through things like that, you really need to find an anchor, find some sort of permanence that you can hold on to. For us our music is our one constant, permanent presence, and we try to treat it with the respect it deserves. Being on the road means living a really transient life, and that really impacted us. What guided our thinking on this new album was

this whole process of wandering, returning, and trying to stay connected through it all. The Cut: Are there any particular songs or riffs that you were really proud of how they turned out? Phil: The third song on Waking Season, “Gone in Bloom and Bough”, is a favorite song of ours. It was the first time we ever incorporated vocals, and even though it is the same progression for ten minutes, we kept trying to come up with new ways to keep it fresh and add new textures that we had never tried before. The entire time we were writing, recording, and editing the song it really felt like it could be a failed experiment, but it came out really incredible, and we’re very proud of it.

The Cut: Caspian has been around for almost 10 years now. What has kept you guys going? Phil: Oh man, there are so many different reasons that I feel like I could easily spend hours just trying to answer this question. I think what it comes down to for us is the simple things—getting a note from a fan, talking to people after our shows, or hearing how our music is helping them go through tough situations. At the end of the day, making people happy is one of the main reasons we do this, and it’s really difficult to turn away from that. We feel like we’re always chasing something, and sometimes it’s hard to know what it is or how to communicate it through our music, but as long as that feeling is there, we’re going to keep trying.

The Cut: How have you developed musically since your previous album? Was there anything specific that you were trying to achieve with this album? Phil: Whenever we do a record, we want it to be a new experience. We aren’t looking to completely reinvent ourselves, but we like to think about it in terms of a new chapter in the book of our band that lets us communicate something new and true musically. Back in 2011 when we started trying to piece the new material together, it felt like too much of a direct continuation of what was on Tertia. It took us a couple of months of trying different things until we found something that really resonated. We really wanted the music to be more impulsive - to let it be more open. It wasn’t about being ambient but rather about stretching the music to see how wide we could make it, sort of like a rubber band. More so than any of our previous albums, Waking Season is more introspective and personal musically, and if people can get that from the album, we would consider it a success. The Cut: Were there any artists that influenced you during the writing process? Phil: Personally speaking, I am usually more inspired by non-musical experiences when I am coming up with new material, but I would say that I remember listening to the new Bon Iver album a lot. It’s a brilliant album that felt really complete. In this day and age I think a lot of albums have a good song here and another one over there, but the

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NOVEMBER

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THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

CALE

NDARThe Misfits

Altar Bar

Photos by Kristen Swanson

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SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

Lagwagon, Dead to MeAltar Bar

Red City RadioSouth Side Warehouse

Zammuto, Lymbyc SystymAndy Warhol Museum

Signals Midwest, Smith Street Band222 Ormsby

Jars of Clay, Sleeping at LastAltar Bar

ConvergeAltar Bar

Why?Altar Bar

Fiona AppleStage AE

Lara MarlingClub Cafe

FensterGarfield Artworks

Touché AmoréAltar Bar

FlobotsStage AE

A Rocket To The MoonAltar Bar

Title Fight, Pianos Become The TeethThe Smiling Moose

GrouploveAltar Bar

KarinStage AE

New Found GloryAltar Bar

Craig OwensAltar Bar

Falling In ReverseStage AE

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M I N U S T H E B E A R

Minus the Bear is a consistently weird five-piece rock band from Seattle, Wa. Starting off with song titles like “Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!” and a band name that comes from a friendly joke about fellatio, Minus the Bear is now acclaimed by fans and critics alike. For years, they’ve been touring endlessly with bands of different genres, and now their new album Infinity Overhead cements them as an established force in the world of innovative music. The Cut had the chance to talk with Minus the Bear drummer Erin Tate about producers, balancing weirdness with pop, and what it’s like to be the drummer of a band that’s known for its guitars.

Interview by Zach BransonPhotos by Dan Curhan

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The Cut: Minus the Bear recently released its fifth studio album Infinity Overhead, and now you guys are touring with Cursive and Caspian. The band has been touring almost non-stop for 10 years, and have played with all sorts of bands. Do you plan to still keep up the touring pace? Erin Tate: Yeah, we’ll keep touring, but three of us have kids now, so we’re doing smaller tours. We’re out for six weeks, but instead of doing six weeks in a row, we’re doing three weeks on the road, two weeks at home, and then three weeks on the road again. We’ll keep touring as much as possible. The Cut: It seems like a lot of times when you’re not touring, you’re recording; so is a lot of your songwriting done on the road? With all the layers of instrumentation on your songs, how does Minus the Bear songwriting even work? ET: We don’t write when we’re gone—it’s too hard. We just write when we’re at home. Dave [Knudson] plays guitar, I play drums, and the two of us usually write everything together. Dave and I set the whole songwriting foundation, and then Cory [Murchy], Alex [Rose], and Jake [Snider] come in and finish the songs with bass, guitar, and lyrics. The Cut: Let’s talk a bit more about your new album. Matt Bayles used to be Minus the Bear’s keyboardist, but now he came back and produced Infinity Overhead. What was it like to have your former keyboardist now be your producer? ET: Yeah, he actually helped produce all of our records except for Omni and our first album—when he was the keyboardist—so it was very much returning to what we were familiar with. Recording with Matt was like going back home. The Cut: Do you think Matt is going to continue being your producer after having a different producer on Omni? ET: I don’t know. We attempt to do different things on each record, so it just depends on what we feel like. This new group of songs just felt like they had Matt written all over them, and it was obvious to us within three or four songs that we were going to record with Matt. With Omni we just wanted to try to do something different. We wanted to record with a different producer, different studios, we signed to a different label.

Everything at that time was just, “Let’s do something different.” We realized that it wasn’t as much fun as we thought it was going to be. I personally feel like on Omni I was shut down a bit and my drums weren’t very exciting. I think they’re solid and good, but I didn’t get to do a lot of the drum fills that I normally do. The producer thing was a huge role on Omni. We worked with Joe Chiccarelli, and it was cool, but it was like having someone tell us what to do. Without trying to talk shit, because I’m honestly not, it just wasn’t as much fun. Matt worked with us, and we worked with Joe. The Cut: Minus the Bear is pretty experimental in nature—there are a ton of studio-made sounds and recording tricks going on in all your albums. How do you transfer

that experimentalism to the stage, or do you do something completely different than what you do in the studio? ET: We attempt to recreate what we do on record live—sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. We use backing tracks if there’s an important keyboard element to the song that Alex can’t play because he doesn’t have four hands, or if there’s a percussion part that I can’t play

because I don’t have four hands. I’d say we accomplish whatever we want to accomplish. Anything we put our minds to we just go ahead and do. The Cut: The band seems to be a conglomeration of different genres. Does everyone in the band have different music tastes, or are everyone’s music tastes as diverse as Minus the Bear’s sound? ET: We all get along on certain levels, but there’s definitely some clashing going on in terms of musical taste. One dude likes reggae, one dude likes metal, one dude likes hardcore, one dude likes hip-hop, and one dude likes electronic. So, we go through these phases of, “Did you listen to this Slayer song? Did you listen to this Dr. Dre song? Did you listen to this M83 song?” You can musically butt heads that way for sure. I’m the dumb hip-hop and R&B kid—shit, nevermind, I’m an old man—I’m the dumb hip-hop and R&B old man. I love R. Kelly. I love Dr. Dre. I love Eric B. & Rakim. I love De La Sol.

The Cut: So is there a certain kind of sound you want that’s not quite there yet or that you feel you’re not playing enough on your albums? ET: No, I think my drumming comes across in a way that has some hip-hop and R&B rhythm to it, but I don’t want to be a rock-rap band by any means—that’s just terrible. I’m into what we do. I wouldn’t put it out if I wasn’t into it, personally. I was excited about the last record and I’m more excited about this record. I don’t think any of us would put our name on something if we weren’t excited about it.

The Cut: I heard you never stick to one drum sponsor and that you use a lot of different drum sets for different shows and tours. Can you tell us a bit more about how choosing your equipment affects both the sound and dynamic of a show? ET: Well, I never had a sponsor until two weeks ago. I started talking with people from Tama drums, and now I use their drums. They’re great. For the past 15 years I’ve been asked by almost every drum company out there to get sponsored, and Tama—it sounds cheesy when talking about it—they’re just great. The sound is flat-out better. My drum tech, Chris, and I have been able to experiment and get different sounds out of them, and my drums just sound awesome right now. The Cut: Minus the Bear is especially known for its highly technical guitar-work. What is it like to be the drummer of such a guitar-oriented band? ET: Oh, it’s fun—I get to try to prove myself all the time. [Laughs.] No, I’m totally joking. My biggest thing with this band is to try to not overplay and lay a foundation down for the amazing guitar-work that Dave and Jake do. I think Cory, our bass player, and myself are very concentrated on doing what we want to do, but also on

laying down a rhythm network for the interesting, creative guitar-work that the other guys come up with. The Cut: It’s amazing how your music can be so experimental, but at the same time incredibly accessible. How do you all balance experimental sound with pop? ET: Oh, we fight to keep the creative side going. There’s a song on Infinity Overhead called “Toska,” which is just a bizarre fucking song—am I allowed to swear on this? Fuck it, it’s a weird fucking song. There was definitely some stuff from our label and our management that was like, “Do you want to put that song on the record? It’s really weird, and we have four other songs that are way more accessible,” and there was no question within the band. We run everything we do, and there has to be a certain amount of coolness or weirdness with everything we do. I feel like we did it on Omni with that song “Animal Backwards.” There’s some oddball tracks and stuff, but I just can’t imagine doing a record that doesn’t have one or two songs that are slightly fucked up.

I just can’t imagine doing a record that doesn’t have one or two songs that are slightly fucked up.

“”

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T H EB L A C KKE Y S

Photographs by Lindsay CoreyLocationDate and time

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✂Cut ‘Em AllDan:Metalhastraditionallybeenaboutpushingboundaries:makingtheheaviest,fastest,mostabrasiveandextrememusicpossible.Inthelastdecadeorso,thisboundary-pushinghasexpandedbeyondthesong-writingandarrangementstoincludeinstrumentationaswell.Alejandro: Althoughthestereotypicalheavymetalsoundisbasedonferociousguitarriffs,pummelingdrums,andthunderousbass,thereareafewpromi-nentbandsthattrytoexperimentwiththisformulabyaddingunexpectedinstrumentstothemix.Dan:Itendtogravitatetowardinterestingmusic,whichiswhyIenjoyprogressivemetalsomuch.Progressivemetalisconsistentlyonthecuttingedge,withinnovativegenrecombinationsandjuxtaposi-tions,andunusualinstrumentation.EverytimeIhearasaxophoneinmetal,thesaxplayerinmeisproud.Saxophonereallycontributesanincredible,uniquefeeltometalwhendonewell.Alejandro: IthinkwhatIfindmostinterestingishowthevastlydifferenttexturesofsoundsareplayedoffeachothertomakereallyfascinating,yetcoher-entcombinations,thatsimplycouldn’tbemadewithanotherguitar.Inthismonth’scolumnwe’lltalkaboutourfavoriteexamplesofbandspushingtheboundariesintermsofinstrumentation.

EXAMPLES:Dan: OneofmytopthreealbumsofalltimeisAfterbyEmperorfrontmanIhsahn.ItfeaturesprominentsaxophonethroughoutbyJorgenMunkebyofShining(anotheruniquebandyoushouldcheckout!),mixedwithphenomenalprogressiveblackeneddeathmetal.Ihsahnplayseveryinstrumentonthealbumsaveforthedrumsandsaxophone. Must-listen Track: “Undercurrent” Alejandro: TheOceanisabandthatconsistentlyincorporatesdifferentinstrumentsintotheircom-plexblendofforwardthinkingmetal.Horns,violins,pianos,glockenspiels,xylophones,andsynthsarewovenexpertlyintotheirsignaturesound,whichflowsfrombrilliantmelodicinterludestocrushingsludgemetal.NowhereisthismoreapparentthaninPre-

cambrian,theirgroundbreakingtwo-discconceptalbum,whichfeaturedperformancesfrommembersoftheBerlinPhilharmonic.Asthealbumprogresses,songarrangementsbecomeincreasinglyexpansiveanddynamic,mirroringtheprocessofevolutionfromprimitivelife. Must-listen track: “Mesoproterozoic - Ecstasian”Dan:AnothernoteworthybandisUneXpect.Thesixcurrentbandmembersincludeaviolinistnine-stringbassplayer.Theuniquenessoftheirmusicgoesfarbeyondtheinstrumentation,butitwouldn’tbeUneXpectwithoutthosegratuitousstrings.Imaginewhatchaotic,outofcon-trol“circusmetal”wouldsoundlike.Nowmakeitactuallyawesome.You’reprobablyontherighttrack. Must-listen track: “Megalomaniac Trees”Alejandro: PerhapsnonecansurpassMaudlinoftheWellwhenitcomestosheergenre-bendingexperimentation.Thoughfirmlyrootedintherealmofheavymetal,thebandincorporatedjazz,post-rock,chambermusic,andnewageelementsallatoncetocraftsomeofthemostuniquemusicinanygenre.Toaidthemintheirsonicexperiments,thebandutilizedtrumpets,clarinets,violins,pianos,flutes,organsandsaxophones.EventuallythebandreformeditselfintoKayoDot,whichhascontinuedtopushtheenvelopeinfarmoreexperimentalwaysthanitspredecessor. Must-listen track: “Gleam in Ranks”

HONORARY MENTIONS:++Botanist(blackmetalaboutplantsplayedonahammerdulcimer)Must-listen track: “Helleborus Niger”++NeObliviscaris(phenomenalprogressiveblackmetalwithprominentviolinsolos) Must-listen track: “And Plague Flowers The Kalei doscope”++Turisas(funbattlemetalwithaccordion&violins) Must-listen track: “To Holmgard and Beyond”++TheMass(progressivemetalcorewithsaxo-phone)

by. Dan Curhan/Alex Reyes-MoralesUnusual Instrumentation in METAL \m/

MIXTAPEACOUSTIC AUTUMN

There’s something about autumn that makes you want to curl up with some hot chocolate and listen to the sound of acoustic guitars. Maybe it’s the falling leaves, maybe it’s the sweater weather. Here are some of our picks for acoustic songs that will get you in the spirit of the season.

Blackbird The BeatlesTheBeatlesaretheperfectsoundtracktoanything.Withitslonelyguitarandthoughtfullyrics,“Blackbird”hasalwayssoundedlikefalltome.

Hannah Dellabella

The Graveyard Near The House The Airborne Toxic EventCorpses,graveyards,andcontemplatingyourownmortality-arethereanybetterrepresentationsofautumnthanthat?

A Song for Milly Michaelson Thrice

Thesoundofalightbreezeticklingsomewind-chimesisthemainsourceofpercussioninthissong.Thissongmakesyoufeellikealonesome,chlorophyll-drainedleaffloatingfartherawayfromyourhometreeandtowardsthesunsettingoverthecityskyline.

Rebecca Warshofsky

I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light Brand NewThatchillyautumnairhasadistinctbitetoitjustlikeJesseLacey’svoice.Hisheartfeltlyricsmakeitclearthatleavinghomeisjustashardasleavingthoselongsummerdaysbehind.

Golden My Morning Jacket

Theperfectafternoon-daydream-while-you-lay-on-the-grass-and-gaze-up-at-the-sunlight-peeking-delicately-through-the-dark-red-leaves-above-and-tremble-inthe-cool-fall-breezekindofsong.

Christina Mitas

Dueling Guitars Doug Smith & Heitor Pereira

Theplayful,organicsoundsofthisguitarduetfromthefilmAugust Rushneverfailtogetmeexcitedaboutthecrispautumnatmosphere.Justwhipthisoneoutonajauntystrolldowntheorangeleaf-ladensidewalksandyou’llseewhatImean.

Music The Beautiful GirlsIfyou’refeelingblueaboutthesummerending,justlistentosomeBeautifulGirls.Theycanmakeeventhecoldestfalldayfeellikeasunnydayatthebeach!

Will Lush

Wait So Long Trampled by TurtlesBluegrassandautumngotogetherlike,well,somethingthatgoestogetherreally,reallywell.

Apple Blossom Esperanza Spalding

Ithinktheuprightbassisoneofthemostwonderfullymournfulinstruments;I’vealwaysthoughtofitasembodyingthevoiceofautumn.

Christopher Skaggs

Turn Me On Norah Jones

NorahJones’voice,acupoftea,andasweateraretheperfectthingstogowiththedropintemperature.

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Cedar + Gold Tristan Prettyman

After a four-year hiatus, an extremely public breakup with fiancé Jason Mraz, and a risky vocal surgery, Tristan Prettyman emerges full force with Cedar + Gold. The former Roxy model brings a darker side to this new release, deviating from her usual carefree surfer girl vibe. Throughout the album, Prettyman poignantly and quietly depicts the trials and triumphs over her loss, from the initial shock and devastation of the breakup to optimistic notes of growing away and moving on. With beautifully simple lyrics and tender chords, “Glass Jar” and “I Was Gonna Marry You” stand out by painstakingly expressing her heartbreak. While the album mostly echoes similar themes, “The Rebound” is a cute, tongue-in-cheek track, while “Bad Drug” is a bass-heavy, groovy song that shines outside her comfort zone. This album serves as a testament that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – her strength in the situation shines through in her growth as an artist.–Lisa Kessler

4 SCISSORS

The Carpenter G.O.O.D. Music

If you weren’t aware, Kanye West has enlisted artists like Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Common, John Legend, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, and Cyhi Da Prynce for his new hip-hop label known as Getting Out Our Dreams or G.O.O.D. Music. Their collective album, Cruel Summer, is filled with unparalleled production quality and an unexpected level of lyrical sophistication as it combines powerful beats (“Clique”, “Sin City”), addictive hooks (“Don’t Like”, “Cold”), and casually extensive verses (“New God Flow”, “The Morning”, “The One”). Though the album may capture the raw essence of swagger (“Mercy”), or offer refreshing hope to fans of hip-hop everywhere (“Higher”), some of its mediocre moments (“To The World”, “Bliss”, “Creepers”) leave the listener unsatisfied. G.O.O.D. Music’s inability to deliver consistency throughout this entire debut curbs it from excellence. Even so, Cruel Summer will remain one of the most definitive albums in recent hip-hop memory.–Sankalp Bhatnagar

4 SCISSORS

The Carpenter The Avett Brothers

With The Carpenter, The Avett Brothers have shifted away from their previously acoustic, raw style, towards a sound that is more carefully crafted and embraces the use of digital techniques unheard of in their earlier albums. There is the genre hopping that is typical of the Avetts with tracks that sound shockingly poppy or almost punk, but despite these outliers, the album really is well-seated in a style that draws a lot from their bluegrass-folk beginnings. The tear-jerking lyrics of “A Father’s First Spring” and the overall pensive theme of tracks such as “The Once and Future Carpenter” show that the band is maturing thematically, as well as musically. While many fans might be disappointed with this more electric sound and the lack of banjo, a closer listen reveals that The Carpenter contains all of the wholesome lyricism and catchy songwriting that one would expect from the North Carolina brothers.–Rachel Asbel

4 SCISSORS

Come of Age The Vaccines

West Londoners the Vaccines have been busy over the last two years. After forming in 2010, they released their first album, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?, in early 2011. Now over a year later, the Vaccines have put forth their second effort, Come of Age. For someone who loves the first album, this release certainly maintains the elements that made that record great while also expanding on some of the areas that were previously played safe. For example, the songs “I Always Knew” and “All in Vain”, as well as the single “Teenage Icon”, all start with infectious and prominent guitar riffs, something their first album lacked. Even if you were not a fan of their first album or have not yet experienced the Vaccines, you may enjoy that Come of Age has more of a 60s pop/glam vibe than post-punk. Either way, this album appeals to old and new fans alike and is guaranteed to leave a song stuck in your head after each listen.–Danielle Peters

5 SCISSORS

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CONCERT REVIEWS

Metric put on an awesome show last month at Stage AE. The opener was Half Moon Run, a surprisingly modest band from Montreal. They had an Easter-egg member who was never credited or introduced to the crowd. Despite this, the crowd was into them. Metric began with an ambiently-lit “Artificial Nocturne,” a song from their most recent album. The band formed in 1998, and their recent album Synthetica is their fifth. With such a vast catalog, the band unexpectedly stuck to their more recent work. Their set list included seven tracks off of their most recent album. It seemed that many fans were disappointed by the band’s set list, ignoring their pre-stadium rock sound that long-time friends would have been glad to hear. Metric singer Emily Haines is the rare breed of performers who consistently rocks with confidence. When her electric organ malfunctioned, she laughed, made jokes about her mistake, and made up for her misstep by killing it on the next song. Ms. Haines stands out for her ability to balance musical talent and theatricality. When I saw her in August at Lollapalooza, she demonstrated a similar ability to work a crowd, engaging 90,000 lethargic, sun-drenched people milling around waiting to see other bands. Ms. Haines closed the show with a really cool, sort-of, philosophical tidbit on how she felt that songs had their own essence, “that you could dress them up in production and effects, but at their core there was something there.” The band then closed the set beautifully with an acoustic version of “Gimme Sympathy.”

METRIC by Christopher Skaggs

Headlining on what is only their second major tour, AWOLNATION put on a high-energy show for a packed crowd at Altar Bar on September 13. Along with up-and-coming group Imagine Dragons, the pair gave the audience their money’s worth despite both having a catalogue of only one album each. The evening kicked off with opening bands White Wives and Zeale. White Wives, a rising local punk band, did a good job of blending angst-ridden punk and more mature alternative rock together. Zeale, an Austin-based rap group, had the crowd bouncing on their toes with fast-flowing lyrics being delivered over electro-house beats. Despite contrasting styles, both bands pumped up the crowd. With the Pittsburgh crowd waiting in anticipation, Imagine Dragons came to the stage. Singer Dan Reynolds came out with his giant bass drum in tow—an instrument reflective of the band’s large, multi-dimensional sound. Despite almost canceling their act due to Reynolds’ having a cold, Imagine Dragons had the audience erupting by their third song “Radioactive.” The band members just stared at us in disbelief as we yelled out in deafening applause. It was one of the most honest moments I’ve felt at a show. In their eyes you could see a band coming to terms with their quick rise to success after only just releasing

their debut album days earlier. Imagine Dragon’s talent shined by interweaving multi-level harmonies with unconventional instrumental combinations in songs like “It’s Time” and “Demons.” They proved themselves worthy of their sudden appearance in the musical spotlight. Ending the show was the act everyone was waiting for: AWOLNATION. The band came up to the stage in a dramatic fashion: Smoke filled the stage while a large fluorescent sign with the letters “AN” illuminated the haze. It certainly did not take long for the band to get the audience moving and shaking. They played their more popular songs, “Not Your Fault” and “Jump on My Shoulders,” early, the latter causing many to start crowd surfing and lead singer Aaron Bruno to dive into the crowd. I was impressed with how well AWOLNATION’s electro-punk sound translated to the live stage. When the heightened synth tones and punchy bass lines of “Sail” started to play, I felt goose bumps appear on my body. During their whole act, AWOLNATION had the entire crowd (including me) off its feet.In the past I’ve often felt ripped off when watching bands who’ve just started out. Usually they come off as inexperienced, or their lack of songs leave you unsatisfied. But at this show, the bands’ presence and talent left me hungry for more.

AWOLNATION

I’ve seen Less Than Jake play around 10 times now, and I have to admit, seeing them at Altar Bar this past month has been one of my favorite times. For a band that’s reaching their 20-year mark together, they show no signs of wear and tear. The opener band, Junior Battles, really grabbed my attention with their first song “Seventeen”. I’m a sucker for complementary dual vocals, and Junior Battles pulls it off effortlessly. Plus, they had an energetic spirit throughout their whole set that made me want to keep watching them. Next up was, A Wilhelm Scream, a melodic hardcore band from Massachusetts. I was a little biased on their performance, because just months ago I saw them play a headliner show in Cleveland that was perfect. Obviously they had less time on stage for this show and it didn’t live up to that previous experience, but I commend them for playing a tour that puts them outside of their element. Most of the crowd was there for LTJ, and there were people lined along the barricade who stood like statues throughout AWS’s set. I stood off to the side of the stage and Nuno, the lead singer, caught me singing along with him. He then took his thumbs and forefingers, made circles with both of his hands, and put them around his eyes while smiling at me. That’s what kind of band they are—they have heavy lyrics and amazing breakdowns, but they will still make silly faces at you on stage. Speaking of fun, LTJ are no strangers to it. The downside about seeing them play 10 times is that I get unimpressed

with their onstage antics. This set was more straightforward, more music-oriented—they are getting older, they have kids now, they don’t have time for stupid fucking games—and I appreciate that. The songs sounded solid, the crowd was so into it that bras were flying onstage, and even the encore songs didn’t feel like enough. They ended the set with their classic trademark song “Plastic Cup Politics”, and as confetti fell onto the crowd, I thought to myself, “This is the band I’ve seen since I was a teenager, a band who I once stood in a backstage huddle with as they chose which encore songs to play, a band who I have nothing but complete respect and love for.”

I didn’t know what to expect when I went to see Mono. The Japanese instrumental rock band consists of two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer, but a lot of their songs feature a chamber orchestra and a couple glockenspiels, so I had no clue how they would play their multidimensional 10+ minute songs. Their albums always made me emotionally unstable in the same way a beautiful film or novel makes me emotionally unstable, so I wasn’t sure if I would have a breakdown right there in Mr. Smalls, which I can tell you is the wrong place to have a breakdown. Mono’s instrumental nature eliminated any possible language barriers between the Japanese band and the American audience, but Mono didn’t even let their bodies communicate. The bassist was the only one who didn’t sit down for most of the show and she was completely expressionless. It was bizarre to see a band do literally nothing but play music, but from the first note I understood that anything else would have been a distraction. Their music alone communicated more than any words I put here now.

Mono played non-stop during their 90-minute set, but the crowd that came to see a Japanese band on a Tuesday night found every chance they could to erupt in praise between the explosions of guitar, bass, and the occasional gong. Mono replaced all of the orchestral elements of their songs with layered-upon-layered guitars—they may as well have had an orchestra of guitarists on stage. This guitar orchestra made listening to them live a very different journey than listening to their albums, and it was beautiful. I had one breakdown.

MONO by Zach Branson

LESS THAN JAKE

by Ian Go

by Kristen Swanson

Photo by Kristen Swanson

Photo by Zach Branson

Photo by Christopher Skaggs

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Thefirstchordisstrummed.Thatbowisdrawnacrossthestrings.Thebassdrops.Wavesofpressureflowfromthatpluckedstring,thatdrumhead,thosevocalcords.Carriedbygasmolecules,thewavesdashthemselvesagainstthemembraneinyourears.Neuronsfireinyourbrain,electrochemicalimpulsescarryingthoughts,emotions,andmemoriesdredgedupbythemusic.Thatfirstkissoutsideofherhouseafterthetrackmeet,with“BlackDog”pouringoutoftheopendooroftheoldJeep.ThewindpouringoffofthestormyPacificOcean,kickingupsandaroundtherattyoldsoccerballasK’Naanplaysovertheoldboomboxundertherustedtinroof.Thatwinterroadtrip,singingalongto“FuckYou”assnowmeltedofftheskisinthetrunk.JackJohnsonthroughtheheadphonesasthejetbanksrightovertheGulfofMex-ico.ComingaroundthecornerofthatfoggyMaineroadwithEddieVedderontheradiotoseethewavespumpingdownthebeach.It

couldbringupothermemories.Hymnsplayedonachurchorganwhenyouwereyoung.BeastieBoyshammeringoutoftheshittyspeakersinyourfriend’sgarageasyoukillthatfirstillicitbeer.ListeningtoBradPaisleywhilefishingoffyourgrandparents’dock.MowingthelawnwhileRobertJohnsonfiltersoutofyouropenbedroomwindow.TheFleetFoxeswhisperingoutoftheradioasyourfrienddrivesthatbackroadthenightbeforeheleavesforschool.Ormaybeitbringsupsomethingdarker.ViolentFemmesblastingoutofabustedspeakerwhileyoudrivedowntheroadafterscreamingatyourbossandstormingoutofwork.ThatoneRaphaelSaadiqsongstuckinyourheadfornoreasonasyoupickyourchildhooddogupoffthehighway,herheadcavedin.RageAgainsttheMachineblaringwhileyoupukeonthegrassafteramile.ListeningtoIncubusonthebackporchafterfindingoutthatyourdadwascheatingon

yourmom.Itmightnotbeawholememory,maybejustpartofone.Wakingupinastrangebed.Thesmellofweedfilteringthroughthecrowdataconcert.Thesuncom-ingupoverthemountain,glintingoffofthefrostonthetreetops.Thesmellofherhair,dampfromtheshower.Thebreezethatcomesbeforethosehugesummerthun-derstorms.Thecrackofabreakingbroomhandle.Thetasteofbloodinyourmouth.Perhapsthere’snomemoryassociatedwiththesong.Youlistentothelyrics,feelthenotesflickerthroughtheair.Maybeyouthinkofthefuture.Quittingthatjob.Workinguptheconfidencetotellherhowyoufeel.Leaving.Maybeyoustarttappingyourfoot.Maybeyouturnofftheradio,scowling.Maybeyoustartsinging,ordancing,orair-guitar-ingwithrecklessness.Maybeyoucry.Thesongwindsdown.Thebeatstops.Thelastchordisstruck.Theampbuzzesinthesilence.

MUSIC &MEMORIES

by Will Lush

ESSAY

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