#noise candy

[thedeadfairy]

Horny Depression, a playlist by Jack Larus on Spotify

A playlist featuring Nine Inch Nails, Kate Bush, Placebo, and others

This is maybe the best collection of noises I have ever created.

[noisecandy-blog1]

Vigil To Reflect On The Life and Work Of Lil Peep To Be Held In Liberty State Park

11/20/17

   News broke this past week of the passing of rapper Lil Peep. The 21 year old rising star passed away due to prescription medication Xanax laced with the deadly drug Fentanyl. 

  Almost immediately talking heads felt it necessary to condemn the current state of hip hop and it’s glorification of drugs. It was as if they were using Peep’s death to further their own political agenda.

  Is there a “drug problem” in today’s hip hop? Possibly. It was not too long ago we lost New York City pioneer A$AP Yams. Hell, my favorite emcee Eyedea passed away nearly 7 years ago due to drugs. But maybe this is indicative of an overall epidemic gripping the nation around opiate use. Maybe this epidemic is now reaching the hip hop community. Maybe it is not our place to pass judgement on the victims but instead redirect our anger towards the system that is allowing this to occur. Big Pharma, failed criminal justice system, doctors and hospitals all play a part in this.

   Or maybe we need to sit back for a second and love the life we are living for it is delicate and fleeting.

   I was introduced to the music of Lil Peep this past summer by my good friend Chris, who has battled addiction. We listened to “Crybaby” and “Star Shopping”. Peep’s music was different from the dime-a-dozen trap rappers saturating an already saturated market. 

  Peep was brave enough to make himself vulnerable. Rap is a hyper-macho genre of music. Rapping about depression and heartbreak has historically been viewed as weak. Lil Peep disregarded all that to put out music a lot of us can relate and find solace in. 

  I only wish he could have found solace in his work the way so many of us did. His blossoming career was cut way too short.

  On Saturday November 25th, 2017 there will be a vigil hosted for Lil Peep at Liberty State Park. The details are below. It will be an event for healing and reflection on his life and work.

R.I.P. Lil Peep

[thedeadfairy]

I made this for a class assignment! (Background music for a dance video/horror movie thing?) Part of the theme was remixed/adaptive/transformative/whatever artwork so... This is technically, I guess, a remix and a mashup of Healthcare and Medicines by The Taxpayers, though... it really doesn’t sound much like either any more.

(Soundcloud)

[thedeadfairy]

(Soundcloud)

Spoilers for The Adventure Zone, up to episode 67!

I debated posting this here vs. waiting until I finished the full version but I’m trying to ride the wave of being psyched about actually writing something so here's an acoustic version with just my voice, a ukulele, and words.

So many incredible moments in this episode. I got chills at basically every turn.

Lyrics under the cut!

Lyrics: I thought I was supposed to know The plans you’d make and where we go I thought thought I could always reach Right out and take your hand in mine Now I'm living with a ghost And I guess that has to be just fine We're all born alone and Alone is how we die

You just leave a note And when I turn you are gone like a phantasm You float away into the ether and leave me standing across the chasm I'll wait and I'll wonder 'til I forget Miss you 'til I lose track of what I should regret

Ten Start your countdown Nine Still no end in sight Eight I've already waited Seven fucking years for this

I thought I was supposed to know The plans you’d make and where we go I thought thought I could always reach Right out and take your hand in mine Now I'm living with a ghost And I guess that has to be just fine We're all born alone and Alone is how we die

Never satisfied I'm always left here with a hunger that is never filled Something's always wrong but if I try any harder I'll get myself killed It's just like a dream where all your senses are dead I can't get the taste and the colours have bled I don't remember my debts but the ledger is red

Six It's a letdown Five True but it's not right Four All omens come in Threes And I'm a disaster Two stories on the page but One Course of action

I thought I was supposed to know The plans you make and where we go I reach out and I'm surprised To see your hand has taken mine Half my heart's a patient ghost A funeral pyre and holy sign We are not alone and We're too beautiful to die

[thedeadfairy]

(SoundCloud)

Spoilers for The Adventure Zone, up to episode 67!

I actually finished something! Here’s the full electronic version.

(The ukulele version is here.)

I am so in love with this narrative arc, and this scene was so satisfying. Also a wild ride of emotional whiplash, which is one of my favourite things to experience. The countdown, the flashback, ‘phantasmal and resplendent,’ Taako’s voice when Lup asks if he trusts her - ‘Of course.’ I don’t think I’ve been quite this invested in a work of fiction in a long time. Hopefully I managed to convey some of that!

EDIT: I just realised I didn’t have the lyrics on this one. Whoops. Under the cut!

Lyrics: I thought I was supposed to know The plans you’d make and where we go I thought thought I could always reach Right out and take your hand in mine Now I’m living with a ghost And I guess that has to be just fine We’re all born alone and Alone is how we die

You just leave a note And when I turn you are gone like a phantasm You float away into the ether and leave me standing across the chasm I’ll wait and I’ll wonder ‘til I forget Miss you 'til I lose track of what I should regret

Ten Start your countdown Nine Still no end in sight Eight I’ve already waited Seven fucking years for this

I thought I was supposed to know The plans you’d make and where we go I thought thought I could always reach Right out and take your hand in mine Now I’m living with a ghost And I guess that has to be just fine We’re all born alone and Alone is how we die

Never satisfied I’m always left here with a hunger that is never filled Something’s always wrong but if I try any harder I’ll get myself killed It’s just like a dream where all your senses are dead I can’t get the taste and the colours have bled I don’t remember my debts but the ledger is red

Six It’s a letdown Five True but it’s not right Four All omens come in Threes And I’m a disaster Two stories on the page but One Course of action

I thought I was supposed to know The plans you make and where we go I reach out and I’m surprised To see your hand has taken mine Half my heart’s a patient ghost A funeral pyre and holy sign We are not alone and We’re too beautiful to die

[noisecandy-blog1]

How Samad Savage Is Starting A Movement

By Louis Nicastro.  07/06/17.

 Friday, July 7th, 2017. The legendary Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey, will come alive with the spirit of hip hop. Here is the home of our story’s hero, Samad Savage.

 This talented young man, alongside companions J.1.DA, Jay Illicit, IB Mattic, Tennis Boys, Driicky Graham and Blezst will take the stage at The ‘Clair Concert.

 Savage’s quest is to build a hip hop scene in the town he loves. His music paints a picture of positivity and his message is uplifting. Savage draws influence from emcees like Lupe Fiasco and Eminem.

 By channeling his musical ability, Samad Savage is seeking to make the world a better place, starting in his own backyard.

(Tickets for The ‘Clair Concert are available at the Wellmont Theatre box office for $20.)

For more of Samad Savage visit his website at www.samadsavage.com.

[noisecandy-blog1]

Channeling The Spirit Of Fugazi For Guidance

by Rebecca Panico

07/06/17

In times of trouble, I ask myself: What would Fugazi do?

Fugazi was a prominent band during the heydays of Washington D.C.’s punk scene in the 80s and 90s. For me, they were a band that knew life was tough and challenging, but reminded fans to hold on to their morals -- no matter what the cost.

Fugazi was known as a DIY straightedge band, meaning they were against drugs, alcohol and tobacco. A biography about Pearl Jam talks about why those guys idolized Fugazi. I know. Why the eff am I talking about Pearl Jam? Because the book captures the essence of Fugazi pretty well in this passage:

"[Fugazi] wanted nothing to do with MTV, and refused to give interviews to all but the tiniest of fanzines, a means not only of shunning the media circus, but also of protesting the alcohol and cigarette ads that filled the pages of glossy rock magazines like Rolling Stone and Spin. [...] When it came to ethics, they were unimpeachable (Five Against One, Kim Neely).”

Ian MacKaye, one of the band’s frontmen, even spoke at public council meetings about the need for all ages venues. Fugazi played mostly all-ages shows to make sure their music was accessible to all. And you wouldn’t see people violently moshing at their shows: Fugazi would kick you out if you came to punch people as a form of catharsis.

It’s a bit ironic that I idolize a band that shunned mainstream media because now I work in journalism. That’s to say, I don’t agree with everything Fugazi believed in, nor did the band make me want to take up journalism. Instead, the band gave me the bite to pursue it.

Tough, ethical situations are thrown my way on a daily basis in this field. It’s not a profession for the weak minded or a wavering soul. My profession is one that calls for true independence. And I gained that independence -- a.k.a learning how to think for your damn self and not being controlled by advertisers or people’s PR spin -- through Fugazi’s songs.

“Long Distance Runner” -- a song off their 1995 album titled “Red Medicine” -- is one of my favorites. It compares life to a marathon, but urges listeners not to get caught up in the rat race.

Fugazi - “Long Distance Runner”

Sometimes I wonder if I’ll be able to survive the rat race while staying true to my morals. I didn’t work my ass off to get through college to sell out. I never expected to make a lot of money in journalism, but I certainly want to make a living doing it.

About a month after graduating, I’m starting to realize that I’m going to be challenged in ways that cannot be solved by listening to pillowy, far-away songs of D.I.Y. rock gods whose networth is way more than mine will ever be. It’s easy to stay true to your ideals when you don’t have to worry about basic necessities like food, rent and other bills.

I guess I’m writing this just so I have something to look back on when life inevitably challenges me. To remind myself that no matter how hard the fight gets, to stay true to myself and the public. Not to be swayed. And I’ll have Fugazi to help me -- at least a little -- along the way.

[noisecandy-blog1]

Bettysally Shines With Garage Rock Grooves

07/04/17

   On a Thursday night in a dive bar in Union, New Jersey surf rock serenades the alleyways littered with discarded cigarettes. Four piece, Bettysally, are jamming away amongst the patrons pounding down Pabst and playing pool.        

   Hailing from nearby Cranford, Bettysally is at the forefront of this newly energized Elizabeth/Union based music wave. Having played this bar once before acoustically, Bettysally has returned to play once more as a full band. 

  At one point my attention is grabbed away from my delicious plate of onion rings as I was almost certain lead vocalist, Holden Baranowski, was about to play an Interpol cover. Interpol isn't the only influence I hear in the music. You can distinctly hear how bands like Waaves and The Strokes have made their impact on Bettysally's self-titled release from last autumn. 

   In writing for Noise Candy I go to a lot shows. Some are more tedious to sit through than others. Bettysally is a relief as I can only describe their set best with one word...fun. Their music is fun to listen to. Their performances are fun to watch. And after a hard day's work or whatever bullshit life throws your way you deserve to have some fun. I look forward to seeing this band grow. They are young and have a bright future ahead of them.

Find there music below:

Bandcamp: https://bettysally.bandcamp.com

Photo Credit: Jenna Kettler