VIC Radio, in blog form. Artist interviews, music and concert reviews, and much more. Playing all your past, current, and future favorite songs at vicradio.org.
It is rather unusual for an aspiring musician to leave a place like Los Angeles in order to jumpstart their career. However, this week's artist of the week, Day Wave, has proven that a change in location and atmosphere can do wonders for a career. Jackson Phillips, the face of the one-man act Day Wave, started his musical career at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, studying jazz drumming. Moving back to Los Angeles after college, Phillips dropped his jazz drumming and joined the electro-pop group Carousel. After working and performing with Carousel for a few years, Phillips was inspired to go solo and began a project of his own; a one-man indie rock band known as Day Wave. With influences varying from Joy Division to the Beach Boys, Day Wave offers a new sound to the indie rock scene.
Quite literally exploding onto the scene in April 2015 after plays on Beats 1 and Sirius XM radio and over 3 million cumulative plays on Soundcloud, Day Wave released their first EP Headcase, which quickly received praise from some of the biggest names in publication such as the Los Angeles Times and Billboard. One of the most interesting parts of this artist in particular is the dedication to himself. As Phillips explains in an interview with Billboard, “This was the first time I was comfortable singing about my own life and just being more honest...I guess [before] I was more self conscious...But with this I just thought, ‘I’m 25, why do I care what people think? It’ll be easier for me this way.’” With a positive and confident disposition and a rising music scene in front of him, Day Wave is only at the start of his success in the music industry.
Concert Review: Jeff Rosenstock, Hard Girls, Katie Ellen and ¡Viva Mayhem! at Martha Hamblin Hall
[Photo by Olivia Riggio]
by, Olivia Riggio
In times of political unrest, fear and uncertainty, music serves as more than just an art form. It stands as an unabashed protest and unapologetic catharsis. It felt serendipitous that Jeff Rosenstock, Hard Girls, Katie Ellen and ¡Viva Mayhem! were booked to play as part of Ithaca Underground’s November Music Series the weekend after what was arguably the most jarring election in American history. It was just what we needed.
The show took place in Martha Hamblin Hall of the Community School of Music and Arts and began with ¡Viva Mayhem!, an energetic, eight-piece ska/punk collective based out of Ithaca. The band currently includes SensE on vocals, Rob Natoli on drums, Brian Koopman on alto and baritone sax, Paula M. Arzac Gaubeca on tenor sax, David E. Baird on trumpet, Tito Reyes on trombone, Sam Boyles on bass and Jeremy Betterly on guitar. They delivered a powerhouse performance starting out the night robustly as attendees arrived, immediately drawn to the positive energy ¡Viva Mayhem! exuded from the stage.
Following ¡Viva Mayhem! was Katie Ellen, a four-piece group from New York City made up of Anika Pyle, Dan Frelly, Eric Sheppard and Anthony Tinnerella. The self-described “sparkle pop feminist fuzz core” band encouraged activism and acceptance both through their lyrics and powerful onstage banter between songs. Katie Ellen entranced the audience, encompassing the entire room in its other-worldly sonority. Many of the songs started stark and haunting and built to become lush and vigorous. Pyle’s clear voice pierced through the heavenly sonic fuzz with each crescendo.
Over by the merch table, members of Katie Ellen had set up a make-your-own-protest-pin station and encouraged attendees to create pins with whatever messages they wanted. All of the proceeds from donations went to Ithaca’s Advocacy Center, an organization that fights domestic abuse and sexual assault through education, counseling services, a 24/7 hotline and a shelter for battered women.
California-based garage-punk band Hard Girls continued the fiery activism, encouraging acceptance in the midst of division. Members Mike Huguenor, Morgan Herrell and Max Feshbach played an incredibly spirited set as the crowd danced along. Their sound was beautifully brash and honest: a frankness that is becoming increasingly necessary and comforting in times of such widespread doubt.
During the entire show in an alcove behind the stage framed by intricate white moulding, hung a giant version of the flag Rosenstock designed: a delightfully provocative play on the revolutionary-era American flag, instead with stripes in the colors of the LGBT+ flag and the number 666 encircled by pot leaves in a dark blue square in the upper-left corner. The flag’s defiant humor and tongue-in-cheek absurdity make it an increasingly poignant symbol of millennials’ resistance and representation of Rosenstock’s wit.
Finally, Rosenstock and his band took the stage as the crowd tightened and pushed forward. He was backed by Kevin Higuchi, John DeDomenici and Mike Huguenor. DeDomenici and Rosenstock have been playing together since the days of Bomb the Music Industry!, one of Rosenstock’s most notable ska/punk projects from the early-2000s. Rosenstock is a veteran of the DIY scene who began on Long Island before many of his fans were even born. He started a free, donation-based record label called Quote Unquote Records back in 2007 and has played in a number of other groups including Arrogant Sons of Bitches and Kudrow. He’s also a brilliant producer, having applied his unique artistic visions to albums like “Cocksure” by Laura Stevenson, a past member of Bomb the Music Industry! who has gained notoriety for her stunning solo projects.
Rosenstock played many songs from his newest album, “WORRY.” The set began with “To Be A Ghost...,” perfect in its pertinence. “But hate’s not a fad that dies with its virality/ They want you to be a ghost when they rob you of your hope/ But you’ve got power when they’re not expecting anything,” Rosenstock’s refreshingly raw voice spoke directly to the crowd. The song, inspired by the repeated televised incidents of police-brutality against people of color, calls out the faults of society’s apathy towards injustice.
From the minute Rosenstock took the stage, the energy in the room became even more vivacious. Sweaty bodies danced and moshed joyfully. Strangers hugged and high-fived each other as if they had been friends forever. Crowdsurfers floated above hands that never let them fall. The room was in constant overwhelming motion and full of almost-tangible love.
Rosenstock and the band kept the energy at a 12 out of 10 throughout the entire set. Drenched in sweat, they gave everything they had and then some: something they do night after night, tour after tour. They were perfect in their imperfection, polished in their ruggedness and tireless in the face of fear and exhaustion. Jeff Rosenstock, Hard Girls, Katie Ellen and ¡Viva Mayhem! delivered the most powerful, moving, and spirited show I’ve ever been to. Punk at its finest.
Known to some as the “Music Capital” of Sweden, Göteburg (or Gothenburg to us Americans) boasts many music festivals and hosts top Swedish record labels (Alleycat Records, Rexius Records, and Sincerely Yours to name a few). Genres range dynamically from heavy death metal to electronica. The scene really began to boom in 1955 and has evolved and spat out iconic musicians like The Knife, Spotnicks, and Chris Lenhart. Popular venues (Musikens Hus, Pustervik, Nefertiti) bring in mostly Swedish and other European performers. For me it’s always amazing to see what one hit wonders and favorite bands come from what city. I like to start my set with one of my most iconic finds and end with one of my favorite bands from that place. Starting with Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants” was definitely a no brainer, a constant on the radio when I was a kid. For me this is quintessential Gothenburg, poppy and electronic music that snuck it’s way out of Scandinavia. My last song “Klapp Klapp” fromLittle Dragon has been a favorite of mine off of their latest album and was a pleasant reminder that they hail from Gothenburg. My lesser-known (to American audiences at least) pick was Freddie Wadling. His later career consisted of more solo work, but he also was in Leather Nun, Blue for Two, and cult band Cortex. Wadling passed away this past June.
I’m always into suggestions of bands I missed, so if you’re from the GBG comment and let me know what you thought of the show! As always, you can suggest where we should travel to next by tweeting your suggestion with the hashtag #Cityscapes.
Cityscapes will be on a brief hiatus as I’m traveling out of the country this week. I’ll see you real soon!
PLAYLIST:
All That She Wants – Ace of Base
Missiles – Cosmic Overload
Mountains Crave – Anna von Hausswolff
Change Of Heart – El Perro Del Mar
Bump – Be The Bear
The Freaks – Cortex
Ge Fan i Mej - Attentat
Cadillac – Broder Daniel
Someone Like You – Blue for Two
Om Du Möter Varg – Detektivbyrån
Nu Lyfter Vi Från Marken – Freddie Wadling
Get Up – Fibe, Oh Fibes!
Heartbeats - José González
Your Arms Around Me – Jens Lekman
Pistols at Dawn – Tyred Eyes
For The Sun – Honey is Cool
Things Will Never be the Same Again – jj
Colors – Laleh
Kungen – Love is All
Jesus Came Driving Along – Leather Nun
Instant Repeater ’99 – The Soundtrack Of Our Lives
The Worrying Kind – Maia Hirasawa
If You Ever Wanna Change Your Mind – Sally Shapiro
Within the first few seconds of any Infinity Crush song it feels like you’ve been teleported straight to your bed on a rainy day. From College Park, MA Caroline White, the voice of Infinity Crush, has the power to create an entirely different world. Dreamy, minimal acoustics combined with White’s lilting vocals enchant every track on her impressive discography.
White recently released an LP titled “warmth equation” found here. While still incorporating her trademark sound of minimal background instrumentals and gentle vocals, the album has a more dream-like sound compared to her previous releases. In mini album “sometimes even in my dreams i am” released in late 2013 the four tracks focused more on the message and powerful lyrics than sound. Similarly in a release of unreleased songs and demos from March 2016 each song incited a specific feeling with meaningful lyrics and light usually acoustic accompaniment.
The tracks of “warmth equation” marry White’s talent for lyric-writing and scene-setting instrumentals perfectly. The beauty of White’s voice channels a variety of emotions with every single note, word, and verse she has executed so far. Every track so far from her extensive discography invokes a physical sense of warmth and introspection not often felt from many independent artists, but White makes it sound easy.
Sad boys and girls everywhere, rejoice! Quintessential Illinois emo band, American Football has released their first single after 17 years of silence. This single precedes a self-titled record, out on October 21.
When Mike Kinsella, Steve Lamos, and Steve Holmes released American Football’s first self-titled album in 1999, it went almost totally unnoticed. The band broke up a year later. Yet somewhere along the line American Football became an indie-emo staple, a household name for those involved in the scene and a primary influence of almost every twinkly basement band of the 2000s and 2010s. They reconvened back in 2014 and are poised to make a glorious comeback this year.
The single, quite appropriately titled I’ve Been So Lost for So Long (listen here), stays true to the intricate guitar riffs, changing time signatures, and small-town melancholy that American Football became known for. However, the band appears to have shed most of the raw, adolescent angst that colored their first album, replacing it with a more polished and professionally-produced sound. In the 17 years between releases, American Football has certainly matured.
The lyrics are still beautifully depressing but it’s evident that the musicians in American Football have grown from sad boys to sad men. In this track, Kinsella struggles with feeling directionless and questioning his purpose. “If you need me, don’t/You can’t trust a man/Who can’t find his way home,” he sings. Though his frankness and honest emotion are the same, Kinsella has ditched the topic of his teenage feelings and replaced it with something more existential and relevant to the life of an almost-40-year-old.
Kinsella’s vocal tone has also become warmer and more refined. Carefully-placed harmonies make the song sound wholesome and easy to listen to. Clean and trebly guitars saturated with healthy amounts of reverb give the track a calming, crystal clear vibe. It’s the kind of music your parents would probably approve of. It definitely has mainstream potential.
But those who fell in love with American Football for their raw and relatable garage-band grit might find themselves slightly disillusioned. Their sound, while still true to indie-emo style, is no longer a diamond in the rough. In fact, it’s quite accessible. American Football must strive to remain unique in a genre where almost every band is influenced by them.
American Football gained its cult following gradually after its first album, but these previously mysterious nobodies from the Midwest have the potential to reemerge as full-blown indie stars. The original emo trailblazers of American Football are now reentering the scene they almost singlehandedly created, and the world is about to be a lot better—and more emotional-- for it.
And we’re back to another semester of The Best of What’s Next! We just heard from a lot of great artists in a series of interviews last semester. Coming up, we’ve got some great blog posts from VIC DJs with what their specialty shows are about, who our Artists of the Week are, more interviews and reviews of all sorts. You won’t want to miss this, so stick around and tune into The Voice of Ithaca College!
"We like candy, feminism, and touring the land." Relatable, right?
With an aesthetic strongly resembling a sparkly Double Bubble wrapper, Tacocat is everything us colorful feminists could ever dream of. Upbeat, unapologetic, and touching on 90s revivalism, the foursome's music is just as vivid as their personalities. Founded in Seattle in 2007, the group of four consists of Emily Nokes, Bree McKenna, Lelah Maupin, and Eric Randall—all equally funky.
"We don't give a sh*t," could probably work well as the band's motto: As a feminist pop punk group, Tacocat buzzes about the things we're all thinking on a daily basis, including periods (see: Crimson Wave) and The X-Files (see: Dana Katherine Scully).
Tacocat’s third studio album, Lost Time, might just be their best yet. Buoyant and goofy as usual, the band brings us along on their [presumably neon] spaceship: Side “Space” contains funky jams including a personal favorite, I Love Seattle, and You Can’t Fire Me, I Quit. Side “Time” is equally as groovy; Talk, a single released in February, repeats, “Together, together alone/ I want to dance, I want to talk- until my throat hurts.” The album is altogether a collection of infectious pop punk that you won’t want to miss. If you’re into outer space, girl power, and all things colorful, Tacocat is the group for you.
In addition to their killer tunes, the band finds a way to mock society's standards and make political subjects upbeat and almost funny. But if there’s one thing Tacocat gets serious about, it’s the question of why the term ‘girl band’ still exists. In interviews, the band often visits this phrase, questioning why they can’t just be seen as a band, while still singing about feminism and rocking pink tights with blue wigs. Inspired by third wave feminist music including riot grrrl, Tacocat aims to put an end to the idea of ‘girl bands,’ to which we say, “Hell yeah, Tacocat.”
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