music

Lady Gaga-inspired fashion trends should not overpower music

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Published Dec 7, in Opinions

“Just dance. Gonna be okay. Da-doo-doo-doo. Just dance.” These lyrics were stuck in my head for weeks after a dance at my high school. Some mysterious new artist kept spinning around in my head with her odd electronic beats and warm poppy voice.
Lady Gaga hit the stage running with her first singles in 2008; “Just Dance” and “Poker Face.” At first I was mesmerized by the new sound, slick dance moves, glittering looks and yet disturbed at the same time.
Despite her four years in the spot light, Lady Gaga has managed to demand and continue demanding the same amount of attention as some other music stars that have been in the music industry for decades.
With her sugary-tart mix of innovative style and creative strangeness she has kept her “little monsters,” as she affectionately calls the fans, guessing as to what will be next on the agenda.
Lady Gaga’s odd fashion sense has also kept the media after her, thus giving her a helping hand into the spotlight.
From her boyish impression of her alter-ego, Jo Calderone, to her 2010 MTV Video Music Awards “meat dress” outfit.  She manages to make things, which would otherwise be weird, intriguing and innovative.
Since Lady Gaga’s appearance on the scene there has been a strange occurrence as far as stage fashion is concerned in the music industry. The other night I was watching the American Music Awards, and noticed an odd fad in the costumes. They were a bit…out there I suppose one could say.
Justin Bieber was in an awkward leather suit which I can imagine was squeaking horribly, and that also seemed to be a size too big.
Jennifer Lopez channeled a little bit of her inner Britney Spears as she stepped into a sparkly, furry, skin toned suit.
Katy Perry was in a spaceman kind of fifties glam, pink shaded dress.
Yet, perhaps the strangest of all was Nicki Minaj with her metal body suit. There really is no other way to describe it other than odd.
As far as I am concerned when it comes to music, I love something different as much as the next guy, but all of this was a bit much.
The music itself was amazing and it was great to see the artists performing, but I feel that this odd call for extreme show performances detracts from the overall affect of the music. Instead of listening to the artist’s music, I am stuck in this awkward position where I’m just trying to figure out what they are wearing and why.
Lady Gaga has certainly moved the bar as far as performances go, but is it in the wrong direction?
If one looking to be entertained, I suppose that this is the avenue to pursue. Yet this is not where I want to be.
I would rather be impressed by someone’s skill than entertained by their looks and style. The odd thing is Lady Gaga does this. She has an amazing range of musical style and skill.
She has this odd mix of liberating, pop sort of style that remains the same, but changes at the same time. When I listen to her music I get caught up in the wave of insanity, it is such a letdown when a song is over.
Lady Gaga has most defiantly changed the way we all view stage performance. Is this good or bad? Only time can tell.
Yet as far as I am concerned, as long as artists focus on their music first and performances second, I have no problem with the strange outfits and out of this world concepts. As long as the music can keep up.

DeLuna Fest Live Blog

Live at Pensacola Beach, Florida

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Published Oct 14, in Breaking, Entertainment, Features

The Constellations are some weird/awesome dudes.

Sunday, 3:12 p.m.
I’ve been sick all morning. Some sort of stomach flu combined with the exhaustion that comes from running across miles of sand all weekend. But today has been a pretty sparse day anyway. We interviewed Mutemath and the Constellations today, but that’s about all we’ve had time for. It’s a six hour drive home, and I don’t want to arrive at 6 a.m. the morning before a big test.

DeLuna Fest has been one of the most special experiences of my life. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about it one tenth as much as I’ve enjoyed covering it.

Just the Shins. No big.

Rivers Cuomo adjusts his glasses.

Sunday, Oct. 16, 2:15 a.m.

This has certainly been a night. Maybe not as memorable or life-changing as the end to Friday night, but jam packed with a ton of crazy moments nonetheless. I’m writing this from the free-wifi at a bar, where I’ve been watching a classic rock cover band. I can’t escape the music. I don’t want to.

We’ll start with the Shins. It’s been years since I heard of any new activity with the band (in fact, their spot at DeLuna Fest was one of only three shows they played this year), so it was an amazing surprise to find that not only are they incredible live, they have new songs in the works. From what I heard, I can’t wait for their new record. In addition to their own songs, The Shins also busted out covers of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” and David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes.” More, please.

Jane’s Addiction was scheduled to go on after the Shins, but because of a delay on their part, I only got to see a few of their songs before heading off to see  the remix DJ Diplo, who also serves as one half of the electronic dancehall act Major Lazer. That was probably a better choice, as I was much more captivated by the insane dance party that broke out during Diplo’s set of remixes. Ghostland Observatory played at the same time, and all reports point to them being excellent.

I also caught The Hood Internet’s mashup heavy set after Diplo. They were good, but sparsely attended. Unfortunately, the crowd just wasn’t giving off the best energy they could. Still, those guys are great DJs. I’d love to see them in a slightly more energetic setting. But after two full days of rocking out, some people can’t keep it going too long.

But really, the biggest problem with the fest so far has been the lack to rime to see every band I want. It’s been — Oh! The cover band is playing “Born to Run.” Catch you later.

Manchester Orchestra.
Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra

Saturday, Oct. 15, 9:30 p.m.

I’ve been loving this festival, bu I’ll say one thing: I can’t stand all this walking across the beach. Loose sand is really difficult to walk on, and with about a half mile in between the two main stages, I’m about wiped out. But I soldier on. I do it because I don’t want to collapse on the beach. And also because I like to party.

Manchester Orchestra rocked the main stage about two hours ago. I’m always consistently impressed by their shows. I saw them  at a small venue with Anathallo back in 2005 when they were a local, Marietta, Georgia band. So every time I’ve seen them since then, they’ve grown bigger and bigger. It’s really impressive to see them on the main stage of a major festival. And they’ve really grown into their status as legitimate rock stars. I’ve always preferred to see certain types of bands in smaller settings, and it would occasionally bother my when “my” smaller bands would graduate onto larger venues. But it never bothered me with Manchester Orchestra. They really deserve to become the huge stars that they’re on their way to becoming.

And Manchester’s live show has evolved into a much more serious, professional affair in the years since I’ve seen them. It’s one thing to play for an intimate crowd and have everyone quiet down and listen. It’s much harder to get a band to command a huge audience’s every single thought. And Manchester Orchestra knows how to do it. They swing between hard rockers like “Shake It Out” and more intimate numbers with absolute ease, frontman Andy Hull alternatingly crooning and screaming his voice out. Five years after their debut record, Manchester Orchestra is showing no signs of slowing down. I can’t wait to see where they end up next.

But in non-Manchester Orchestra related issues, the New Pornographers also gave a killer set at the Wind Creek set. I won’t lie; the New Pornographers were a little before my time, but I never really bothered to look into their back catalog in the same way I did with bands like Pavement and Sebadoh (as is the same with tonight’s headliners Jane’s Addiction). But I legitimately regret not seriously looking into at least their most famous records before the show. They were such an enthralling that I help but stand in awe, despite having very little familiarity with the band as a whole.

Now excuse me, I have some New Pornographers records to listen to before the next band comes on.

Girl Talk brings out the best in people.

Saturday, Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m.

So, it’s another day at DeLuna Fest. Rather than showing up early for the festival, the Cluster team decided to spend some time exploring the city of Pensacola before making our way to the beach. I have to say, I’ve really impressed with the city. It’s full of super friendly people doing awesome things. We stumbled upon a farmer’s market, Occupy Pensacola protesters, and a ton of other interesting people. One of whom rode a tall bike. We also at at McGuire’s Pub, one of Pensacola’s most famous restaurants. Let me tell you, I am all about their fish and chips.

But I know you’re not reading this just to hear about a relaxing beach town. You want to know about the bands. I understand that, so I’ll skip to the awesome stuff. Right now, Outkast’s Big Boi is tearing the stage apart on the last song of his set. He’s cycled through both new material and older Outkast hits, and he brings a level of serious artistry to all of it. Hip-hop is definitely under-represented at the fest, so I’m glad to see that such a strong performer was given time on the main stage, even if he went on a bit early for my tastes. I bet it would have been even crazier had he gone on closer to nine.

Anyway, the New Pornographers are playing at another stage now. I have to hustle over there. After that, Manchester Orchestra, The War On Drugs, The Shins, and tons of others will be playing. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I have to fit in an interview with up and coming electronic indie rockers The Constellations. I’m up for the challenge.


Day 1. Weezer.

Saturday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m.

Wow. There’s really nothing I can say about last night’s headlining bands. Cake, Weezer, and Girl Talk all played back to back, and it was just an insane combination of bands. By the end of the day, I was almost bereft of energy, having spent hours walking back and forth across the beach, hustling from stage to stage and somehow finding time to write in between. But I soldiered on and continued to check out some awesome bands. I do it all for you, readers.

I’m not the biggest Cake fan in the world, so I was honestly unsure of what to expect from their set. I wasn’t disappointed, but I wasn’t blown away either. They cycled through some of their bigger hits, launched into a few extended jam sessions, and then just sort of ended right as I felt it was really getting started. Cake is comprised of some seriously talented musicians, but the band just seemed like they didn’t think about the fact that their set was only an hour long. I’d love to see them in a headlining when they’d have more time to explore their back catalog and still trot out the hits, but I could take or leave their set last night.

Bow before Cake.

So, a little underwhelmed with Cake’s set, I few a few minutes early to ensure I’d find a spot in Weeer’s photo pit. Two years ago, I wrote a review of Weezer’s Raditude and formally broke up with the band. I was so unimpressed with their new material that I’d decided to write them off altogether. But when I saw they’d be headlining DeLuna Fest, I figured it couldn’t hurt if I went and saw them live. You know, for old time’s sake. I feel guilty for ever leaving them. Weezer’s two hour set was nothing short of incredible.

Sure, their last couple albums have been pretty lackluster. No one’s going to deny that. But seeing all the passion and energy they put “El Scorcho” and “Surf Wax America” live, none of that matters. My disappointment had all been washed away. Hell, they even brought that same manic energy to their new material. It was hard to believe I’d ever held anything against them. Rivers Cuomo is an absolutely enthralling frontman. At one point during the beginning of the band’s set, Rivers jumped off the stage, hopped a few security fences, and brought the show right into the crowd, standing atop a sand dune as the crowd sang in awe below him. While there was a host of photographers following him for this, I ended up falling headfirst down the dune and missed the shot. It was…disappointing. But hill-related mishaps aside, I’ve fallen in love with Weezer all over again. It almost makes me want to give Make Believe a second chance. Almost.

Then, as Weezer’s set ended, I dragged my tired legs across the beach for the massive dance party that is Girl Talk. Sure, I was worn out, dehydrated, and extremely tired, but it wasn’t like I didn’t have the energy to dance myself to death. I’ll tell you one thing, for a dude that spends the show manipulating tracks on a laptop, Greg Gillis understands how to put on a show. It’s unfair to call the remix/mashup artist a DJ, but most of his live set was spent doing just that. But DJs are boring to look at. What’s more exciting to look at? Clearly, the answer is 50 twentysomethings dancing on stage and an endless amount of confetti and toilet paper being launched into the crowd. It was an experience. An insane, sweaty experience. In a lot of ways, Girl Talk’s set wasn’t too different from last year’s album All Day, but Gillis threw enough surprises into the mix that everything stayed fresh without being unfamiliar. So, just how mind-blowing was Girl Talk’s set? After the crowd had dispersed, Jonathan, Liz, and I found each other and just sat there stunned for the longest time. There was nothing to say. My mind was gone, lost somewhere in the shuffle of a thousand bodies dancing to a remix of Iggy Pop and the Beastie Boys. It was certainly a good end to the night.

Matt and Kim

Friday, Oct. 14, 7:20 p.m.

Matt and Kim just took the stage, and I’m absolutely wiped out. If there’s one thing the keyboard and drums duo knows how to do, it’s command an audience. They rushed onto the stage, backed up by the Rocky theme, and immediately jumped into one of the strongest, most energetic sets I’ve ever seen.

Plenty of bands can run through a setlist full of greatest hits, but sometimes it’s hard to really connect with an audience on a level deeper than, “Hey, I’ve heard these songs before.” They’ll run through your favorite songs in such a boring, lifeless manner that you forget why you even bothered to see them live. Matt and Kim is not that band. They held a legitimate dialog with the audience, with each feeding off the other’s ever-increasing energy. Hits like “Good Old Fashioned Nightmare” and “Daylight” become more than just songs — they were communal experiences, shared by the band and audience alike. Plus, Kim did this thing where she stood on the audience’s hands and danced. If you’re not into legitimately meaningful experiences, there’s always that.

Cold War Kids is on the main stage now. The just played “Hang Me Up To Dry,” and while it was a great rendition, it lacked the authentic joy for performance that Matt and Kim brought to the table. I’m not too sad that I’m only hearing their set in bits and pieces. And if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to secure a good spot for Cake, who plays in about half an hour.

Wandering the festival grounds.

Friday, Oct. 14, 5:34 p.m.

After our initial post, The Cluster team was understandably pretty excited to roam around the fest and check everything out. And I’ll tell you, it’s a pretty sweet setup. The two main stages are right on the beach, with a couple smaller stages in a larger area out in front of the hotels. It’s a good setup, leaving a lot of room for festgoers to explore without feeling crowded, but it’s small enough that you can’t get particularly lost. And that fact that we’re right on the beach certainly isn’t hurting the mood.

So, what bands have we been seeing so far? My favorite at this point was the raucous, electronically tinged AWOLNATION. I’m not gonna lie, I spent most of their set subconsciously trying to place them in one specific genre or another. “Hmm, maybe ‘aggressively electronic indie rock?’ No, no. That won’t work. What about ‘synth rock?’ That’s terrible.” It went on like that for a while until I just decided they didn’t need a genre. And there’s a reason for that. Their sound is incredibly varied, ranging from the chill indie-pop of “Not Your Fault” to “Burn It Down”‘s hyped up, drugged out version of roots rock. It was like someone gave Elvis the really good stuff early in his career and stuck him a modern recording booth. And AWOLNATION has the energetic stage presence to pull it off. Watch out for them in the future. They won’t be a mid-day act for too much longer.

A horn-heavy funk rock act named Trombone Shorty is on the main stage now. Matt and Kim goes on soon, followed by Cake, Weezer, and Girl Talk. It’s a long stretch of great bands. I probably won’t update until significantly later, but there’ll be good stuff to report on then.

Day 1, 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 14, 3:35 p.m.

So, The Cluster has just arrived at DeLuna Fest in Pensacola Beach, Florida. For the next three days, we’ll be hanging out on the beach and watching a ton of bands, from The Shins to Girl Talk, to Outkast’s Big Boi. I know, I know. You’re very jealous. But that’s why we have this blog, so you can read about it in real time. It’s almost like you’re here.

Right now, I’m with editor-in-chief Liz Bibb and columnist Jonathan Popham in the media room. Ra Ra Riot is playing in the background. Their stage is right on the beach, and it’s an amazing scene. We’re all very excited to get out there are start experiencing this big, beautiful festival. Over the next few days, we’ll have photos, interviews, and more ready to go live online. We hope you enjoy it all as much as we do.

Q&A: The Front Bottoms

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Published Sep 21, in Entertainment, Interviews

The Front Bottoms are one of the most interesting new bands I’ve come across in a long time. The New Jersey duo, composed of singer/guitarist Brian Sella and Matt Uychich recently released their self-titled debut album, an absolutely mind-blowing blend of pop, rock, and old fashioned punk spirit. They’ve only got a drum set and an accoustic guitar, and yet they manage to craft songs that are catchy, fun, and surprisingly emotional. It’s no wonder that I love ‘em so much. And so, being such a huge fan, I sat down with them after their show at the 567 a few weeks back. Read on to hear a bit more about their songwriting, influences, and crazy tour stories.

Eric: So just tell me a little bit about about the band.
Matt Uychich: Sure, We’re the Front Bottoms, two friends, Brian and Matt, we play music that we like to play, like dancey, indie music.
Eric:  How’d you guys get started?
Brian:  I’d always kinda jammed with Matt and his brother, and were kinda like ‘Let’s do this a little more official’ so we thought of a name and then we started playing shows and just as soon as we would think of music we would record it, give it out, play more shows, and we’ve been doing that for about four years.
Eric:  Nice!  And you’re debut album just dropped this week right?
Brian: This week yeah, the sixth.
Eric: What was recording that like?
Matt: It was fun, it was a little different and it kinda dragged on.  We recorded it in our friend’s warehouse space.  It actually was like Christmas time and there was a big break taken between him, and there was flooding issues where the studio is.
Brian:  A lot of shit got destroyed
Matt:  So it took a while, but it all came out good
Eric: Some of the songs were on some EPs earlier right?
Brian:  Yeah, there were six songs on an EP called Slow Dance to Soft Rock that we had released kind of unprofessionally.  And so this is called The Frontbottoms, but it’s really Slow Dance to Soft Rock and Grip and Tie.  Two separate things that came together to form the LP
Matt: Grip and Tie is what we recorded during that break spot, and then when it finished we were talking to Bar None, and then we signed with Bar None, and then we were like “let’s put these two together, and it will be something cool”
Eric: So what are some of your biggest influences just about sound or songwriters in general?
Brian:  I think that our friends and the kids that we hang around with are kind of our biggest influences right now personally. Matt always says that. That’s about it. I mean musically we could say I like folk music, and I like dance music.  I like hip hop a lot too, and I like Top 40 dance music.  A little bit of everything, you know?
Matt:  Without the people we were involved with, our songs wouldn’t be what they are.
Eric:  So are there specific stories that go along with the people?
Matt: Well he writes all the words, but there’s instances where someone will tell us a cool story about their friend, or a distant friend, or even them, or something that happens to us, and that’s what the song is.  And then when I make the drums, it’s like I express my mood in the songs.
Brian:  Yeah, we’re driven by our emotions, for sure!
Eric: So what goes into writing the lyrics, because I know some of them seem sort of stream-of-consciousness, non-sequitur…
Brian:  More like parts put together?  Definitely, we feel the same way.  I might have twenty parts for a song, and they might not be about the same thing but the style and the mood and the theme of the song are all the same thing, so that’s kind of how it goes.  Piecing things together.  There’s some songs that are a complete thought from start to finish.  There’s not many, but there’s a few of them.
Eric:  What would you say is an example of one of those songs?
Brian:  I would say Father, Swimming Pool, and then a lot of old stuff.  That’s the way I would write a lot of old stuff.  Less verse chorus verse chorus, and more like a thought into a song.
Eric:  So how’s this tour been treating you?
Brian:  It’s been pretty good, rock ‘n roll.  We’ve done a lot of DIY tours for the past couple years, and this one’s good.
Matt: We’ve played a lot of new places that we’ve never been to,  so no familiar places when you roll into the area.
Brian: It’s like, where are you going to sleep tonight?
Matt:  It’s also the first time we’ve had our friend Drew play with us live, to fill in our sound, and he’s been great.
Eric: What’s he play?
Matt: Keys and Bass, and he’s really helping out.
Brian:  He really knows what he’s doing musically, so he definitely pulls it together.
Eric: Is this your biggest tour so far?
Brian: No, we did some DIY tours down in Florida, I think like twice, two times in the past.
Eric: What’s the big difference between this and a DIY tour?
Matt: To be honest, this is definitely a DIY tour.
Brian: Yeah, finding places to sleep is still an issue that happens every night.
Matt: The only difference was that it wasn’t just me booking it. We had three people helping me.
Eric: Do you find that gives you more time to be creative if you’re not having to deal with booking everything?
Matt: I think, definitely. I mean, I sometimes go back and forth because when I’m the most stressed and the most busy and trying to work 40 hours a week and do all this shit, I write the best material.
Eric: If you guys could go touring with any bands, who would you like to go out with?
Brian: I think I would like to go out on tour with someone I’ve never heard of.  Or a band that is completely not our style because you have to really learn to perform.
Eric: Any interesting stories from the tour?
Matt: The cops busted some of the first shows. We were about to play, getting our shit together, and nine cops raided the house.
Brian: Just random debauchery, you know.

Townsend School of Music announces new concert season

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Published Sep 7, in Campus, News

Mercer University’s Townsend School of Music recently announced a new season of concerts for 2011-2012. One event was the annual Robert McDuffie and Friends Labor Day Festival for Strings that was held Sept. 1 and Sept. 5 in Neva Langley Ficking Hall of the McCorkle Music Building. The calendar of events, which is available at music.mercer.edu and also featured in the August-September issue of Macon Magazine, consists of over 65 concerts throughout the year.
The Fabian Strings Series consists of 10 concerts featuring world-renowned strings players. It includes the sold-out Labor Day Festival for Strings that drew musicians and music lovers from across America for concerts, master classes and workshops. The Labor Day Festival for Strings featured McDuffie Center for Strings faculty members David Halen and Kurt Muroki as well as distinguished artist, Steve Moretti. Student musicians Erin Dennis, Jecoliah Wang and Yoomin Lee performed “Libertango” by Astorpiazzolla to a standing-room only audience on Sept. 1.
The ten concerts of the Fabian String Series performances include the upcoming event featuring the Orion String Quartet that will be performing on Sept. 29 in Fickling Hall at 7:30 p.m. for $10 general admission or free with a Mercer ID. Following will be Distinguished Artists in Concert on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
One event, Masterworks at Noon, is returning to the Townsend calendar of events with performances under an hour with jazz, choral, string, piano and brass delicacies. This Friday NOON series includes Class Brass with the Mercer Faculty Brass Quintet Sept. 9, Piano Politics with Greg Pepetone Jan. 20, Twelve O’Clock Jazz with Sammy K Feb. 24, The Blue and the Grey…Music of the Civil War Soldier with the Mercer Singers March 23 and String Classics with Trio RPM April 13. All performances are held on Friday at noon.
In celebration of McCorkle Music Building’s 10th Anniversary, Grammy-winning performance Celebrate with Chanticleer will be Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. It has been called “the world’s reigning male chorus” by the New Yorker magazine and was named 2008 Ensemble of the Year by Musical America. A birthday party for McCorkle Music Building will immediately follow in the gallery. Tickets are $25 general admission and free with Mercer ID.
Townsend Faculty Recitals are held throughout the year in Fickling Hall, typically free of charge, and include a variety of performances. University Ensembles, including Mercer Singers, Mercer Orchestra, Mercer Women’s Choir, Mercer Wind Ensemble, Mercer Opera, Mercer Percussion, Mercer Jazz and Mercer Flute Choir will also be performing in Fickling Hall. For concert information call (478) 301-5751.

Spotify: your new favorite thing

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Published Sep 7, in Columns, Entertainment, Popham Culture

Reviewing results from World Beard and Mustache Championships, I can’t help but wonder why I wasn’t gifted with such talents. Instead of combing one of those monsters I was stuck on this Earth as a columnist. What horseshit.
In more perfect (read: bearded) world, I’d make an unspeakable amount of money as a screenwriter for some show starring Danny DeVito as Danny DeVito. It would involve us riding around some beat-up car with a trunk full of things that would make Hunter S. Thompson blush. Sadly, we don’t live in that dream world. The universe is indifferent. Reality is harsh. Sometimes.
Here is a dream of mine: I want to be able to listen to any song, any time, legally. Well, Listen Up Nerds– Spotify is on patrol.
This service is new to the United States. At this point in time, the free version of Spotify is invitation only. Alternatively, you can pay  $5 USD per month to listen to practically any song ever recorded. Apps are available for both smartphones and desktops. The potential is unlimited. I’m sure both of my regular readers will remember my rants about the downfall of the music industry.  Without tools like music forums or a cultured peer group, it is hard to discover new music. Spotify changes that. I hope that the rest of the industry rips-off its business model.
While I am promoting a for-profit organization, I have not washed away my stripes. I am saying that if you are in the music industry a tool like this is indisposible. Mark my words, things like this will become the next medium for music. It isn’t that my heart belongs to Spotify, anyone anywhere could make something like this– they just haven’t. The way that Netflix changed film distribution is tantamount to the way Spotify will change music distribution.
It is part of a bigger step away from the label. Some artists have always self-produced their albums; Tech N9ne is a great example of that.  He has been in the music industry since 1996 and he has sold about a million records with no radio play. I’m not knocking that. I don’t think that Spotify should just replace record companies; however, I think that our generation does not need them. I doubt would-be giants like Virgin and Sony BMG will step aside. Indie distributors might just pass through their legs. With the right legal wrangling, free-play music services could totally take over music and video playback. We all want to hear great music and there are plenty of very talented people making it. The only question is how their wonderful sounds will arrive to our wonderful ears.
While this isn’t an ideal world, we can change it. Consumers drive the market. People like you and I, are the market. Every time you give someone money  you are telling them, “I want more of this, and I am giving you this to make it”. Virgin, Capitol Records, MCA, or whomever you want to name, did not create the music industry. They are just brainy capitalists who saw an opening and built an industry in it. Spotify is in that position now. If there is no money to be made with Spotify or something like it, then it will die on its own. This democracy is run by money– every dollar is a vote cast.

*Interact with your favorite columnist! For much of its history, The Cluster has had a pretty passive relationship with its readers. Sure, when something big happens on campus, we get tons of emails from you (and we love that, trust us), but Popham Culture wants to expand that very special reader-writer relationship into something beautiful and cuddly, but most definitely still PG-rated. So that’s why I and entertainment editor Eric Brown are asking for suggestions on what this column should cover. The first ten responses recieve invites to Spotify, so email us. Right now. Go.

Your guide to Bearstock

Everything you need to know about the upcoming music festival in Tattnall Square Park

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Published Apr 13, in Entertainment, Features

So, we all know Bearstock is coming up this Saturday, and we all know that it’s going to be completely awesome, as it is every year. But some people don’t know that this year will be a little different than the past few festials, so your pals at The Cluster have prepared this guide to the festivities. We cover pretty much everything, form the lineup to where to buy food. You can thank us later. Preferably with cash.

The Location
Unlike the past couple of years, Bearstock 2011 won’t be held on campus at Porter Patch. Instead, in an effort to reach out to the larger Macon community, the concert will be held at Tattnall Square Park, from noon until 11 p.m. As in past years, the festival will feature two stages in order to decrease band set-up time. The two stages will both face the same direction, unlike last year’s set-up, which caused a small amount of confusion. Here’s a map.

Click to englarge.

 

The Bands
As with last year’s lineup, which featured pop-punk groups We The Kings alongside rapper Jeremih, Quadworks has paired together headliners of various genres in order to increase interest for Mercer students and Macon residents who have divergent tastes in music.
Headlining the event are electro-hop group 3OH!3, Atlanta-based rapper Roscoe Dash, The Dirty Guv’nahs, and indie pop-rock act Parachute Musical, who will be appearing courtesy of Macon music promotion group The Blue Indian. Other acts include The Less, Stribling, Ocean is Theory, and more. Get to know a few of the bands in the feature below.
“We want Bearstock to be representative of the students at Mercer as well as the Macon community. We have a lot of different people who like different things, and we want a well rounded day of music so that everyone can enjoy it, not just a select group of people. We also want to highlight the talent that Macon has to offer,” said McGarity. “We literally took the artists with the most votes and went down the list until we had someone who was free for our date.”

The Schedule
Stage A
Noon — The Silver Comet
1:20 — Venice Is Sinking
2:40 — Broken Bootstraps
4:00 — The Less
5:20 — Ocean Is Theory
6:40 — Parachute Musical
8:35 — Roscoe Dash
9:45 — 3OH!3

Stage B
12:40 — A Ransom Plea
2:00 — Stribling
3:20 — Chelsea Hughes
4:40 — JuBee and the Morning After
6:00 — theKey
7:30 — The Dirty Guv’nahs
8:15 — DJ Pharmer (DSEL promo)

Other Activities
Of course, there’s always more to do at Bearstock than stand and listen to music. Quadworks will also be hosting a pop art booth, where students can have   their picture taken and manipulated into resembling the work of 1960s counterulturalist Andy Warhol.

The Food
Gloria Holland, who catered the African Diaspora events in the past, will be providing food at Bearstock. The menu will include wings, hot dogs, hamburgers, fries and lemonade.
Mercer Village is just a block away as well, and students can pick up pizza or wings and Ingleside Village Pizza or Francar’s, respectively.
Additionally, Sixty Feet is sponsoring a nationwide cupcake sale called The Cupcake Kids, which benefits orphans in the troubled African nation of Uganda. All proceeds go to Sixty Feet, a charity and ministry dedicated to providing both clean water and hope to orphans in the country.

Meet the Bands

3OH!3


3OH!3 (pronounced three-oh-three) is a Boulder, Colorado-based group that blends rock, hip-hop, and electronica into high-energy anthems. The single “Don’t Trust Me,” off their second album, Want, was rated double platinum by the RIAA for selling over two million copies in the United States. The group released a third album, Streets of Gold, in July 2010, which peaked at number four on the Billboard charts. Look forward to their electrifying electronic set at Bearstock this Saturday.

Roscoe Dash


Roscoe Dash, best known for his 2010 single “All the Way Turnt Up” with Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, is an up-and-coming rapper based out of Atlanta. The aforementioned single reached number 8 on the Billboard hot rap songs and established the young artist as a creative force to be reckoned with. His first album, Ready Set Go! is set to be released in March, and features tracks produced by Boi-1da, a highly sought out producer who has worked with Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Usher. He has released several mixtapes.

Parachute Musical


Parachute Musical, based out of Nashville, Tennessee, is an indie pop-rock four-piece with a penchant for captivating hooks and souring melodies. Their piano-based sound is at times reminiscent of a more melodic and slowed-down Ben Folds Five. The group recently released their debut full-length Everything is Working Out Fine in Some Town. Standout tracks include “Leave Me” and “Flashback ’83.” Parachute Musical’s set is being sponsored by local promoter The Blue Indian.

Ocean is Theory

Ocean is Theory plays a unique and exciting blend of indie rock that is at the same time melodic and energetic. The group has toured all across the United States over the past three years, and recently recorded a full-length record with Razor & Tie records, due out later this year. Their debut record, which is currently untitled, will be released this year. Look for it on store shelves soon. In the mean time, check out their other two releases, the EPs In My Blood Again and Into The Mouth of Lions.

The Less


Atlanta pop-rock act The Less has drawn comparisons to other hook-laden acts such as Between the Trees and Holiday Parade throughout their career. Their 2007 album Loud Machines is an intensely  catchy experience, perfect for anyone that considered themselves a lover of pop rock. The group has recorded a new record, which is due to be released at Athens, GA’s 40 Watt Club on April 27. Until their new album is released, get your fill of their music at their performance on Saturday.

theKey

The Mercer-based modern rock group theKey recently won the Georgia Lottery All Access Music Search. The band describes thier sound as “modern-day ’90s.” Some of their main influences are bands like Matchbox 20, Fastball and the New Radicals, with hints of newer acts like Coldplay, Keane, and Switchfoot. The group is currently working on their first full-length record, to be released later this year. Look forward to their exciting pop hooks, bold instrumentals, and energetic performance on Saturday.

Don’t download this column

By:
Published Apr 13, in Columns, Entertainment, Popham Culture


What comes to mind when you hear “$1.5 million in statutory damages for distribution?” Drugs? Weapons? People? How about music? Okay, what if I said file sharing? You would think that terabytes of music must be involved, a huge game-changing event. Maybe some hacker-on-steroids stole everything Capitol Records released last year. What would you think if that was a penalty given to a single mom who downloaded 24 songs? This is especially distressing considering that one of those songs was Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, which this columnist wouldn’t consider music.

In my last column, I wrote about how musicians aren’t getting adequately compensated. What I found most interesting was that, almost universally, those who responded to my article emphatically told me that they “never steal music”, as if downloading music was the sole factor that keeps musicians down. I’m sure that none of the head honchos at Capitol Music Group have had to go hungry over a loss in sales due to a CD’s worth of music being downloaded by a mother of four from Minnesota. The labels disagree with me.

Capitol has been up to all sorts of things that make my skin crawl. They are currently in a legal battle with video-sharing site Vimeo over a viral video featuring a woman lip-syncing a song owned by Capitol, “Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger. I just want to be clear that Capitol is the group making the most money from this song, Capitol is the one so adamant to bring this matter to court and Capitol had absolutely no part in writing or performing this song. They aren’t engaged in these battles pro bono; it is all about the cash.

There was a time that music was a way of taking what was inside of your heart and projecting it in a way that other people could understand it. I’m afraid that era is coming to a close. In the day of Ke$ha, Auto-Tuning and Macbooks, you don’t even need to be able to sing or play an instrument to be a musician.  Record labels will crank out artists that will produce cash. This makes it even harder for talented musicians to get compensated. However, if you’ve got a novelty factor and a cute face, Virgin might take you around the block.

If Capitol and the like had it their way, you would pay for a song every time you listen to it, being sure to only play it alone in a soundproof coffin while remaining totally still. Better yet, you should go ahead and give them all of your money in case you hear some copyrighted work being played on the street. Eventually, they might develop some advanced computer equipment that just charges you according to your proximity to speakers playing copyrighted work.

So make sure that if you listen to music, don’t move your mouth while you are doing it, and don’t even think about letting someone borrow a CD. They might just listen to it.

Macon’s newest club opens downtown

By:
Published Feb 23, in City, Entertainment, Features, News

Listen up, Mercer partiers: Macon’s downtown club scene is about to get a bit more wild and exciting as the city’s largest club first opens its doors at 9 PM on March 4th for Macon’s First Friday event.

Element Nightclub, located at 425 Cherry St., aims to be Macon’s newest nightlife hotspot, and with two DJs, a state of the art lighting, sound, and video system, and three separate rooms, each designed to offer a unique experience, it’s looking like the club will certainly live up to its aspirations.

“It’s a new element coming to Macon. We’re looking for a quality crowd, one that is looking for a quality place to go out,” said promoter Howie Handsel of 4 Godfathers Promotions, LLC.

The company, which was also behind Macon’s GRAB’n Go card, has been tasked with promoting the young club.

One of the biggest draws to Element Nightclub is its three-room setup. Each of its rooms is based on one of the four classical elements: water, fire, earth, and air. The front room represents water and features an inviting and relaxing lounge atmosphere, complete with a jukebox that patrons can select. For those that simply want to relax and chill with friends,

The club’s second room is themed around fire, and will feature a rotation of top 40’s hits as well as a state-of-the-art video system that promises to entrance patrons.

On the club’s opening night, VJ Rix, who some Mercer students may know from his work at the Powerstation, will be DJing the fire room.

As dancers move further into the building, they’ll discover the back room, themed around earth and featuring a high-energy dubstep.

Finally, the walkway between the individual rooms is themed around the fourth element, air.

Becasue both the fire and earth rooms are themed around different musical genres, Element Nightclub will staff two DJs every night, one for each room, in order to ensure that customers recieve a variety of quality entertainment no matter where their musical proclivities lie.

“There’s never been a club this size in Macon before. It’s hue, and it has an awesome level of entertainment,” said Handsel.

In addition to the three themed dance rooms, Element Nightclub includes a VIP section.

To promote the club, its owners have printed up one thousand passes granting free admission to the club for one night. I strongly recommend that anyone who manages to find one of these cards check out the club on its opening night.

In fact, everyone should check it out, regardless of whether or not they have a ticket.

Element Nightclub’s web presence can be found at Facebook.com/elementnightclub and twitter.com/elementofmacon. Expect both sites to offer the latest news and promotions for the new club.

Cover charge is $5 for patrons 21 and over, while entrance will cost $10 for those over 18. The club strictly excludes anyone under the age of 18.

Bearstock bands announced

3OH!3, Roscoe Dash, and Parachute Musical to play at Mercer

By:
Published Feb 23, in Entertainment

3OH!3 performs for a festival crowd

 

UPDATE: Find more information on Bearstock here!

Fans of Bearstock need wait no more. On Wednesday, Quadworks held a press conference to announce the three headlining bands at this year’s music festival. Headlining the event are electro-hop group 3OH!3, Atlanta-based rapper Roscoe Dash, and indie pop-rock act Parachute Musical, who will be appearing courtesy of Macon music promotion group The Blue Indian.

More bands will be announced soon, and the application process is still open to any local bands wishing to play at Bearstock.

As with years before, this year’s Bearstock will be a completely free event, open to all Mercer students as well as Macon residents. The concert will be held at Tattnall Square Park on April 16.

3OH!3 (pronounced three-oh-three) is a Boulder, Colorado-based group that blends rock, hip-hop, and electronica into high-energy anthems. The single “Don’t Trust Me,” off their second album, Want, was rated double platinum by the RIAA for selling over two million copies in the United States. The group released a third album, Streets of Gold, in July 2010, which peaked at number four on the Billboard charts.

“I’ve been a big fan of 3OH!3 for a long time because their music is so much fun to listen to, and their live shows are the best because they basically turn it into one huge party. It’s just a lot of fun and I’m really excited to be able to see them live again,” said Brittany McGarity, who serves as the Live Chair for Quadworks and is responsible for organizing this year’s event.

Roscoe Dash, best known for his 2010 single “All the Way Turnt Up” with Solja Boy Tell ‘Em, is an up-and-coming rapper based out of Atlanta. The aforementioned single reached number 8 on the Billboard hot rap songs and established the young artist as a creative force to be reckoned with. His first album, Ready Set Go! is set to be released in March, and features tracks produced by Boi-1da, a highly sought out producers who has worked with Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Usher. In addition to the upcoming album, Roscoe Dash has released several mixtapes as well.

Parachute Musical, based out of Nashville, Tennessee, is an indie pop-rock four-piece with a penchant for captivating hooks and souring melodies. Their piano-based sound is at times reminiscent of a more melodic and slowed-down Ben Folds Five. The group recentlyreleased their debut full-length Everything is Working Our Fine in Some Town. Standout tracks include “Leave Me” and “Flashback ’83.”

As with last year’s lineup, which featured pop-punk groups We The Kings alongside rapper Jeremih, Quadworks has paired together headliners of various genres in order to increase interest for Mercer students and Macon residents who have divergent tastes in music.

“We want Bearstock to be representative of the students at Mercer as well as the Macon community. We have a lot of different people who like different things, and we want a well rounded day of music so that everyone can enjoy it, not just a select group of people. We also want to highlight the talent that Macon has to offer,” said McGarity. “We literally took the artists with the most votes and went down the list until we had someone who was free for our date.”

Unlike previous years in which the free, all-day festival was held on campus in Porter Patch, Bearstock 2011 will take place across the street from campus in Tattnall Square Park. Quadworks spokespersons say this move is so that Bearstock can engage more with Macon residents and the local music scene.

Be sure to join fellow students at Tattnall Square Park on April 16 for Mercer’s concert event of the year.

Your guide to: Surviving music festivals

By:
Published Feb 23, in Columns, Entertainment, Features

TICKETS

Always buy tickets from official websites. Skeezy looking ones can prove to be major rip-offs. Also be wary of buying from scalpers. Not only are they overpriced, they may misrepresent some crucial details.

PLANNING

At multi-stage festivals, there are always two or more bands playing at once, as well as other side events. If you want to get the most out of the experience, you need to keep a tight schedule to optimize your fest time.

FOOD

If the festival allows it, always bring your own food in. Festival grounds can charge some truly ridiculous prices for small amounts of food. No one should pay $13 for a small, tasteless pizza. No one except Nickleback.

WATER

Stay hydrated. Because bottled water is expensive, you always want to bring a refillable bottle such as a Nalgene and keep yourself hydrated. Passing out in the hot sun means you miss your favorite band.

SAFETY

Look, there are all sorts of people at large festivals (small ones, too). Be safe. This means not leaving valuables in sight, not following strangers to their campsites, etc. And I wouldn’t eat the mystery brownies, either.

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