Tag: alternative

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Waxahatchee — Tigers Blood

Album cover of 'Tigers Blood' by Waxahatchee. Courtesy of Apple Music.

Katie Crutchfield’s piercingly introspective album was released on March 22.

Hailing from Alabama, Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield takes her name from the sprawling creek that runs adjacent to her childhood home. Given this history, it’s hardly surprising that her latest project is staged against a backdrop of pastoral motifs, bolstered by intricate guitar licks and poignantly fraught lyrics. A homegrown twang snakes through Tigers Blood, reminiscent of her previous album, Saint Cloud, which sees Crutchfield at her most reflective.

The first four songs on Tigers Blood, with the exception of the final eponymous track, represent the album’s strongest stretch, beginning with “3 Sisters,” a mournful ballad written with the same devastating specificity as prime Taylor Swift: “You drive like you’re wanted in four states.” The track benefits from the expertise of Wisconsin producer Brad Cook, a frequent Indie collaborator who has previously worked with the likes of Bon Iver (that’s him, on piano and guitar, in 22, A Million) and Snail Mail. “If you’re not living, then you’re dying,” a lyric delivered on the back half of the track, seems to encompass the album’s central artistic and moral value proposition. 

“Evil Spawn” is a joyful exercise in self-flagellation, where deficiencies represent opportunities for play. You can hear Crutchfield’s grin as she playfully suggests, “There ain’t nothing to it babe, we can roll around in the disarray.” 

The album’s fourth track, “Right Back to It” engages in the same kind of blithesome world-building, and one only needs to watch the music video to experience the earthy grandeur of Crutchfield’s vision. MJ Lederman, who provides the tight guitar grooves and backup vocals, pilots a pontoon boat while Crutchfield sings; the facial expressions deployed as she delivers her lyrics are gorgeously defiant, suggesting a story more turbulent than the tranquil everglades-esq swampland which surrounds her might suggest. 

The album closes with “Tiger’s Blood,” whose title is an ode to the shaved ice flavour and its messy strawberry dribblings, a recurring motif that gestures towards a return to childlike innocence. It’s a track seeping with nostalgia, a powerful force which animates Crutchfield’s gentle croons: “We were young for so long, seersuckers of time.”  

There is nothing glossy or presumptuous about Waxahachie. Crutchfield’s charm lies in the ability to bring her listeners down to earth with her, and although you might emerge with dusty jeans and muddied fingernails, you’ll somehow be breathlessly happy about it. With Tigers Blood, one feels Crutchfield is content to sit on the sidelines and watch as other contemporary artists strive for relevance in a musical landscape characterized by the proliferation of robust metanarratives about culture. A breath of fresh air, Waxahatchee’s latest release is a triumph of self-recognition and frisky optimism. 

8.5/10

Trial track: Lone Star Lake

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Faye Webster—Underdressed at the Symphony

Album cover of "Underdressed at the Symphony" by Faye Webster. Courtesy of Apple Music.

The American singer-songwriter put out her fifth album with waves of love from listeners since its release on March 1st.

The month of March started on a more-than-pleasant note after the Atlanta-born singer, songwriter, and musician Faye Webster dropped her fifth studio record Underdressed at the Symphony. Composed of 10 tracks with a runtime of about 37 minutes, Webster continues the sonic sound she has built and refined over the years. 

If you are not already familiar with her work, you might have heard a snippet of one of her most famous songs “Kingston” being used a lot as a TikTok audio; or you may have caught videos online of the artist performing covers of the soundtrack of the popular video game Animal Crossing at past concerts. Her witty but refined alternative sound is sustained with this new record and old and new fans can equally experience what Faye Webster is all about without any filter.    

As stated in a biography section under her label’s Secretly Canadian website, “The title of Faye Webster’s new album is inspired by her occasional compulsion to lose herself amongst concertgoers at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.” Indeed, the singer would find herself spontaneously going to symphonies to escape and find herself in an environment where she didn’t necessarily feel like she belonged. 

Right at the beginning of the album, we are in the midst of a dreamy ‘70s pop and mellow country sound with R&B ties. The bass, guitar and drums slowly come in to create this canvas for Faye Webster to remind us how lovely her vocal range is. The opening track “Thinking About You” is sweet and straightforward, in which Webster thinks aimlessly about a certain someone.  The seamless mix of genres at the very start perfectly introduces the consistent sound that will follow. It is also essentially coming from her roots back in Atlanta and the influence of its city’s music scene. 

One of my favourite moments in the album is in the next track titled “But Not Kiss.” Webster softly starts singing “I want to sleep in your arms,…” with a delicate guitar playing in the background, right before a playful and powerful piano and drums abruptly come in while she adds “but not kiss” to the line. The contrast in both the lyrics is brilliantly transferred musically and takes the listener by surprise more than once throughout the song. 

Another special moment is the fourth track “Lego Ring” which features multi-hyphenate artist Lil Yachty as the only guest on the album. The two were actually close friends in middle school as Atlanta teenagers, as Webster shared in a 2017 W profile. I especially love the rough but calculated guitar that starts the song off along with Webster’s higher-pitched vocals that contrast with Lil Yachty’s autotuned lower tone.  

One of the finest songs of the entire album for me is definitely “Feeling Good Today.” The catchy melody Wesbter sustains over its lyrics tells of a mundane-sounding day. All the lines in the song are so simple yet so telling as if coming straight out of her personal day. However, what makes it extra special is the line that sets the scenery of the song when she sings “I’m feeling good today, I ate before noon, I think that’s pretty good for me.” That really struck a chord in me and made me realize that sometimes the most basic-sounding phrases hold the most weight. 

The track that stayed the most in my head after my numerous listens ended up being the eighth track, “eBay Purchase History.” The fact that this is the title of the song intrigued me, but what made it memorable is how the phrase was used throughout the lyrics. Webster is essentially expressing how, if someone were to snoop in her eBay purchase history, it would tell a lot about her. There are so many ways one could share how to understand them better, and the artist conveys this playfully on top of this mellow melody and delightful production. 

Underdressed at the Symphony is simply a great add-on to Webster’s discography and enriches it to the maximum. From smooth and catchy vocals to raw and vulnerable lyrics along with the uniformity of warm-sounding instruments, this project is proof that Faye Webster never disappoints. 

Score: 9/10

Trial Track: “eBay Purchase History”

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Arts

Beyond mainstream media: how Léo au féminin portrays love realistically

Screenshot Léo au Féminin

First screening of the mini web-series Léo au féminin

The mini web-series Léo au féminin premiered on Feb. 21 in a full room, brimming with excited people, at La Tulipe on Papineau Ave. The evening was dedicated to featuring the first four episodes of the ten-episode web series. The series centers around the tribulations, anxieties and health concerns of a young CEGEP student named Léo and her friends. 

Co-director and screenwriter Éléonore Delvaux-Beaudoin recounted being inspired by her personal life to create this auto-fiction. She was studying in CEGEP when she  pitched the idea as a short film to her friend and classmate Catherine Quesnel. The pair decided to turn it into a mini web-series, recruiting some of their classmates and friends in the process. 

Screenshot Léo au Féminin

“We realized the strong link we had while writing,” said Quesnel. “It’s an auto-fiction we wrote together, but it’s mostly based on Éléonore’s life and I really immersed myself in her world.”

Delvaux-Beaudoin shared her experience of living with an invisible disability, something rarely portrayed in cinematography. She has several life-threatening food allergies and shared that, a few years ago, she almost died because of them. 

Screenshot Léo au Féminin

“Catherine and I also wanted to show the mental pain that comes with these invisible disabilities,” said Delvaux-Beaudoin. “We don’t realize that people with these autoimmune diseases live in a state of constant fear: a fear of eating, touching, sharing, kissing.”

The subject was treated in a subtle way, which captured its complexity with finesse despite the episodes being short. Each episode contains a sequence focused on a meal, showing the anxiety that Léo experiences around food because of her allergies. 

Screenshot Léo au Féminin

In addition to these explicit scenes, details that seem insignificant at first become more important when we notice the seriousness of the character’s allergies. Examples include when she has to remind her boyfriend to brush his teeth before kissing, or when she scrutinizes food labels.

The series also touches on queer relationships, open and non-monogamous relationships and love in all its forms. After being bombarded with classic rom-coms by Netflix during the Valentine’s Day season, this series created by young people for young people is a breath of fresh air with its very realistic and wholesome portrayal of relationships. 

Screenshot Léo au Féminin

For co-producer Lu-Sergei Denaud, showing queer relationships and queer joy on screen was an important aim in the production. They pointed out that traditional TV in Quebec rarely portrays queer stories in a good light and that Léo au féminin aimed at showing both the complexity and beauty of queerness.

“I think that this series also serves to show that we are a more open generation, that we are freeing ourselves little by little from the heteronormative confines,” said Denaud. “I find that with Léo au féminin I can finally say, and I hope that our generation will be able to say, ‘finally, I see myself’”.

Screenshot Léo au Féminin

Despite the fast pace of the mini-series format, the scenes never seem forced. While featuring the usual topics found in coming-of-age dramas, this take on youth felt refreshing. 

Set in Montreal with a cast of CEGEP students and created with a very minimal budget, the series gives a more realistic vision of transition into adulthood without falling into classic tropes of teen movies, all while maintaining a poetic fiber. 

Léo au féminin delves into Gen-Z themes beyond traditional coming-of-age stories. Léo, for instance, spends a whole dinner explaining to an older person what the LGBTQ+ acronym means, has panic attacks in her workplace or even spends $300 to adopt a cat.

The production is now working on finding a platform to host the series which will come out in a few months. You can follow Léo au féminin here.

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Arts

Art Therapy: one of the many roles traditional art plays in the digital era

Courtesy Photo by Rachel Chainey

Concordia Arts Hive conjures the psychological and spiritual aspect of arts

The history of art therapy goes back to around the 1700s, when art was being used in various modes of psychological treatment. According to Lois Woolf, founder of the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute, art therapy was first explored in Europe and North America in the 1940s.

The study of this subject and human psychology was explored in increasing depth for years. Unlike art creation, art therapy focuses on the process of art rather than the result.

The Centre for the Arts in Human Development at Concordia University provides creative art therapy for people with disabilities and special needs, as well as for people with anxiety and depression. Senior associate director Lenore Vosberg says that instead of teaching art skills,  the centre helps people express themselves through different art forms.

“It’s a very supportive place. People get a lot of good and positive feedback for everything they do here,” Vosberg said. The centre works to build participants’ self-esteem and self confidence, as well as build relationships and trust through the process of art creation.

Courtesy Photo by Rachel Chainey
Courtesy Photo by Rachel Chainey

As art is a genre of work that embraces different ideologies, art therapy is useful for all kinds of people. It’s an alternative to traditional therapy for people who find it easier to express themselves through an art form rather than speaking to a therapist. 

The Concordia Art Hive is a public practice art therapy space, located on the first floor of the ER building downtown and on the fourth floor of the central building at Loyola in the G-Lounge. The spaces are accessible to anyone who wishes to achieve self-expression through art. Students sit around a table to communicate with each other while creating their crafts. 

Rachel Chainey is an art therapist who coordinates the Art Hive HQ located at Concordia’s downtown campus. She says that one of their challenges is getting people to understand what art therapy is.

“Some people would be intimidated by arts because they think they should be good,” Chainey said. “[But you approach] it from an angle of play. It’s not a performance, or result, but more of a process.”

There are more than 30 art hives in Montreal. Traditional arts are spreading internationally into many other fields, like technology, creating endless possibilities for artists everywhere. 

Courtesy Photo by Rachel Chainey

Art education student Kaida Kobylka stopped by the Art Hive with the goal of observing art studios in a public space. She explained the process of an AI project that she had explored, in which she had to put the artistic idea first to let it create. “AI can learn and create, but it can’t just make something out of nothing yet,” said Kobylka. “I have to put the artistic thoughts into the input, it isn’t just replacing an artistic mind.”

“Everybody has the crisis when they are an artist, like does what I made matter or would painting exist in the future,” Kobylka said, “but the answer is yes, the paintings are still evolving and relevant.” 

Indeed, art has been always seen as a form of self-expression and materialized thoughts throughout the existence of humankind, and this is how traditional art participates in society in a psychological and spiritual way. 

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPIN: Aesop Rock – Spirit World Field Guide

The alternative hip hop pioneer takes listeners on an eccentric and surreal tour of a new realm on his latest LP.

At this point in his career, Aesop Rock is in a league of his own. The verbose wordsmith’s catalogue is one of hip hop’s most consistent, and his vocabulary is quite literally the most expansive the genre has ever seen. On top of that, his abilities as a producer have improved with every release, resulting in him being absolutely brilliant behind the boards as well.

This is on full display on Spirit World Field Guide, as Aesop’s pen is as sharp as it’s ever been, and his production is even sharper. The instrumentals on this record are extremely layered and eclectic, oozing with a fanciful and futuristic personality that perfectly matches Aesop’s idiosyncratic cadence and flow. This is an impressive feat, especially considering that his work on both ends keep this project unwaveringly captivating through the entirety of its runtime, despite its length.

This is because, in handling all aspects of its creation, Aesop has done more than just make an album – he’s built a world akin to those found in sci-fi and fantasy novels. As a result, the LP plays like a neurotically narrated film with the eccentric and otherworldly production serving as its score.

From Spirit World Field Guide’s intro to its closing moments, Aesop takes on the role of tour guide, accompanying the listener and giving his own insights as they explore this new realm. While his stellar storytelling is delivered through a more outward and observational scope than usual, Aesop’s staple introspection, self-deprecation and anxiety-riddled lyrics are still here, as this is as much an internal journey as it is external.

Even when dissecting the world around him, Aesop sees a reflection of himself in the spirit world, and in inspecting it, he also places his own mortality under a microscope. He’s aging and feeling disconnected and he’s dealing with the pains that come along with it, though he never outright says it, as his musings are perfectly woven into the world and stories he’s crafted.

This is Spirit World Field Guide’s biggest strength. These recurring instances of emotion and introspection, hidden beneath layers of lyrical complexity, are what make the project as engrossing as it is. Yes, Aesop’s impeccable writing and fantastic production are the draw here, but it’s his very relatable reflections on the human condition, hidden within these elements, that make the album so resonant.

 

Rating: 9/10

Trial Track: Button Masher

“Alt” over the ages: how Gen Z is redefining subculture

A deep dive into the murky waters of “Alt TikTok”

Girls cutting their hair into mullets, boys in French maid costumes, anime cosplayers and gothic eyeliner tutorials — it’s nearly impossible to imagine a place where all this content would live in harmony. Yet, they (almost) do on “Alternative TikTok.”

Initially, it could be difficult to understand how all these disparate creators could feel comfortable under the same label. Counterculture movements have been at each others’ necks time and time again (think mods vs. rockers or the phrase “never trust a hippie,” popular in early punk scenes). Yet, as it was back then, it is still evident now that there must be something gelling all these groups together.

Until recently, the label “alternative” was only used in the context of music, and even so, its origin and winding meanings have remained murky. When the phrase “alt rock” comes up, most people likely conjure images of bands from the 1990s and early 2000s popular with Generation X: Nirvana, Sleater-Kinney, Pavement, Pixies, Yo La Tengo. However, the term “alternative rock” was coined in the 1980s to connote any music that did not fall under the purview of major record labels. This term took over the previously used “college rock” in the U.S. and “indie rock” in the U.K., to tag albums produced by independent labels that were popular on college radio stations. But, once Nirvana broke into the mainstream, the term alternative gained popularity as a catch-all.

While it’s unclear how the word “alt” showed up on TikTok with its current usage, the meaning is generally pretty consistent: alt TikTok sits in opposition to so-called “straight TikTok.” Straight TikTok is what you’ll be served when you first download the app: Charli D’Amelio, Hype House, and an onslaught of preppy teens doing dancing challenges. It’s the default, but honestly not very entertaining.

So then, “alt” in its current Gen Z usage is similar to its Gen X meaning — an umbrella term for all the subcultures standing in opposition to the norm. Though, it gets complicated, because now we aren’t just talking about music, we’re talking about people’s entire identities. The subcultures of Gen Z — E-Boys, VSCO Girls, cottagecore, and so on  — no longer base their identities around the music they listen to like the Emo and Grunge kids of yesteryear. Style has become the defining feature of these groups.

While style has always been instrumental to subculture, it’s telling how in our hyper-visual social media culture, it has become the driving force behind young people’s community-making.

That is not to say that style is without substance. In his widely influential book, Subculture: The Meaning of Style, media theorist Dick Hebdige explains how subculture groups of the 1960s and ‘70s used style to further a political message. Hebdige posits that the clothes worn by subculture groups function as a form of political rebellion in their own right. Something as simple as the tailored suits worn by the Mods of the 1960s show a disregard for the symbolic power of the suit in mid-century Britain. When a subculture co-ops the dressing style of those in power, they tear down the boundaries between themselves and those in classes above them. Through this, people are forced to question why we give power to these seemingly trivial symbols. For the Mods, when you disregard the symbol of the suit, notions of power, class, and white-collar ideals come down with it.

Is that so different from subcultures today? Take Gen Z’s cottagecore for example, an aesthetic of flowy fabrics, rural vistas, home-made breads and hair scarves. Through these style cues, cottagecore rejects the hyper-materialistic, technologically-reliant modern world, instead searching for slow-paced, rustic alternatives.

With that, creators can gain lots of cultural cachet by emanating a particular “look,” as it’s a shorthand to express your inner politics and desires.

The Internet, and most recently TikTok, has become the springboard for young people’s counterculture or “alternative” movements. Due to its advanced algorithm that constantly curates content that’s meant for your tastes (even calling its feed the “For You” page), TikTok is able to create micro-communities of like-minded people. And the more you interact with these communities, the more you’re fed their content, thus further cementing your place.

While it’s easy for Millennials and even elder Gen Z to write off the teens who seem to form their identities around how many pocket chains they have or even doing that weird eye roll thing, it’s important to take a step back and realize that this is all completely precedented. Alternative subcultures will, barring major political crackdown, always exist and always be changing. It’ll just be interesting to see who the next group to be absorbed into the alternative umbrella will be.

 

Photo collage by  Kit Mergaert

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Black Lips – Sing in a World That’s Falling Apart

Black Lips take a walk on the twang side

Sing in a World That’s Falling Apart might tell the wretched tale of ashes falling and corner girls balling, but in a contrary fashion to the subject matter at hand, this album sure is well put together. Blending acoustic rock melodies, alternative music, and a sweet Southern drawl (with a little bit of trash thrown in there for class), The Black Lips kind of do it all here, while at the same time doing nothing new with this one. There’s keyboards, great drum work, and the vocals are right on point, which all combine to form a very specific country rocking ballad sound. But while the Black Lips hit the nail on the head when it comes to the tangible aspects of this album––the songs, cover, and overall vibe––there isn’t enough variation present for this record to stick.

Ultimately, the overall work leaves the listener wanting more. Firstly, most of the songs on the record are three-minute bops, more or less catering to the same flow; and the songs with more variation tend to feel more like a novelty than something you’d spin again. For the forty minute runtime, despite the songs being executed well, the album feels too repetitive.

Rating: 6/10

Trial Track: “Rumbler”

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Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: JPEGMAFIA – All My Heroes Are Cornballs

This album isn’t for everyone, but it’s one of the most ambitious albums of 2019

It’s hard to classify what kind of music JPEGMAFIA makes. There’s clearly rapping involved, but his newest album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs, defies any expectations one might have about a rap album. This project features some of the strangest beats of the year as well as some insane, loud, and in-your-face performances by Peggy himself. The album’s strangeness is most apparent on tracks like “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot”, where the song itself provides as many laughs as its title.

In contrast to his previous album, Veteran, Peggy’s new project is much more melodic, and he even flips TLC’s classic “No Scrubs” on “BasicBitchTearGas.” His new album isn’t for everyone. Frankly, it isn’t for most casual music listeners, but it is one of the most unique and ambitious albums of 2019.

8.5/10

Trial Track: “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot”

Star Bar: “Say what you said on Twitter right now (Right now, exactly, nigga)

You only brave with a board and a mouse (Uh-huh)

You wasn’t talkin’ when I put you in the ground (Sucker)

Don’t leave the house

Don’t get capped by a n*gga in a motherfuckin’ gown” (JPEGMAFIA on “Beta Male Strategies”)

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Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: BROCKHAMPTON – Ginger

Following a brief venture into experimental territory, BROCKHAMPTON have returned with a much more focused album in Ginger. This isn’t a return to the bright, fun style the boy band perfected during their Saturation era. This is a brooding album with each track focusing on the struggles each member has had to deal with since the controversial removal of ex-member Ameer Vann. These struggles are best highlighted on the standout track “DEARLY DEPARTED” which features one of Dom McLennon’s best verses ever,

Setting the tone early, “NO HALO” is a dark, string-led track bringing the best out of each member.  The M.V.P. of this album is undoubtedly Bearface, whose vocals have reached new heights, especially on tracks like “BIG BOY” and “VICTOR ROBERTS.”

Ginger is a triumphant success that shows just how much America’s best boy band has grown over the last year.

8.5/10

Trial Track: “NO HALO”

Star Bar:

“When somebody that you know throws you in the fire
How do you survive?
I kicked down the door inside a home I didn’t own just to save a friend’s life
Little did I know, the one who pulled the strings was once on my side
I had just moved to Texas, tried to make it right”

-Dom McLennon on “DEARLY DEPARTED”

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Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow

Sharon Van Etten released a shrouded, messy and eclectic album with Remind Me Tomorrow; it is a chaotic and fuzzy party anthem for those who have grown in the city. Enduring the length of Etten’s album means tasting urban life the way this artist has appreciated it. For this record, she traded in her guitar for gritty, screeching, clashing synths. In “Jupiter 4,” the slow rhythm of the trap set looms as the singer reminisces of a past love. The pounding hooks in “Comeback Kid” and “You Shadow” create an aggressive, yet infectious melody. Etten creates an emotionally-frazzled ensemble as she looks back at the mess she has made. Her tracks are as jumbled and disarrayed as her cover art for this nostalgia-filled vessel. Overall, her style has changed drastically since her reissue (It Was) Because I Was in Love in 2017.

 

Star Bar: Downtown harks back

Halfway up the street

I used to be free

I used to be seventeen

-Sharon Van Etten on “Seventeen”

 

Trial Track: “No One’s Easy to Love”

7.5/10

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Mike Posner – A Real Good Kid

Mike Posner has grown since his Lil Wayne-assisted track “Bow Chicka Wow Wow” and his 2015 Canadian 7x-platinum hit “I Took a Pill in Ibiza.” His newest album, A Real Good Kid, shows a slower, more sombre Posner with a deeper focus on lyricism. His album begins with instructions, asking listeners to listen to the album in one sitting with no distractions. Categorized as Alternative on streaming platforms, Posner’s shift in sound may be attributed to the hardships he faced over the last few years, namely the death of his father, the death of his friend, Avicii, and a hard breakup. Posner addresses all of these instances specifically, demonstrating a very personal level of vulnerability that he felt comfortable sharing with his fans. For the best experience, listen to A Real Good Kid as Posner intended for it to be heard.

7.5/10

Trial Track: “Move On”

Star Bar “Call up girls that live in my hometown
To help fill up the minutes
Lit a match and saged my house down
It didn’t make a difference”
Posner on “Move On”

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Music Quickspins

July Talk- Touch

July Talk- Touch (Sleepless Records/Island, 2016)

It would be inaccurate to say that July Talk have softened up since their self-titled 2012 debut album. While Touch isn’t as raw as its predecessor, that’s simply because the band is channeling their forceful energy in different ways—this time with the occasional disco beat behind them. The aggression is still there, it just has to make way for groove-heavy songs like “Now I Know” and hazy ballads like “Strange Habit.” Peter Dreimanis’ ashy growl is still there too, although Leah Fay isn’t quite as angelic as she was the first time around. The album’s overarching theme is one of emotional and physical loneliness, and the need for genuine human connection. The production could stand to be a bit more layered—the band is aggressive enough without always adhering to to the same uncomfortable volume. A slightly more mainstream effort overall, with just enough meat on its bones to warrant repeated listens.

Trial Track: “Push + Pull”

7/10

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