[RH Photos] Riot Fest 2015
Photos by Vanessa Bly
Riot Fest changed the festival game this year in a big way; it’s been the fest’s largest number of one-off reunion acts ever. With The Prodigy, Ice Cube & Special Guests covering Straight Outta Compton, Snoop Dogg playing Doggystyle, The Academy Is… playing Almost Here, The Ataris playing Blue Skies and Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits, L7, The Movielife, Modern Life is War playing Witness, Alexisonfire, Rancid playing ...And Out Come The Wolves and (probably) more, the air this year was nostalgic to say the least.
[Review] FIDLAR: "Too"
The L.A. dwelling skate punks of FIDLAR are known for their bad habits and goofy lyrics, but they’ve added raw emotion to the mix with their newest release. Their sophomore album, Too, shows more depth, sentiment and humility than anything the band have put out. I mean, it’s hard to think much of a band whose name is an acronym for “Fuck It, Dog, Life’s a Risk.” But, the explanation of their antics works tenfold with this coming-of-age album. The powerhouse, garage ruffians take fans on a thrashy journey through the group’s (or select members) diary of sobriety and high speed travels from being the local, opening band to headlining their own tour. The age old story of young musicians trying to get a grip on their fast paced lives is something bands pass over when they’re in the thick of it, but FIDLAR make the notion apparent; and they’re cool with the struggle.
Starting the record off on a high note with their single “40 oz. On Repeat,” which brings adolescent anxiety and partying at the forefront of the band’s persona, it’s a familiar track to add to the catalog of songs of the same nature. Brash and booming guitar notes coupled with singer Zac Carper’s raspy voice, the setup for the rest of the record is showcased as the second track, “Punks,” trails off the single. The song “West Coast,” an apparent bittersweet ode to their California roots, adds an indie flair to the record. The lyrics, “and all my friends they just stay the same/I’m growing up, but nothing’s changing” bring in the personal struggle as the group grow up into their own as musicians.
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The best track, “Sober,” sounds like a reference to The Suicidal Tendencies “Institutionalized” with it’s speedy intro of banter. The song is noisy, heavy and full of rebellion classic to FIDLAR. The lyrics “I figured out as I got sober that life just sucks when you get older” becomes flipped back and forth throughout the track.
The record ends on a high note (noticing a pattern here?) with “Bad Habits” bringing the story to a close with a youthful attitude towards adolescence. The lyrics “I’m getting older and I’m freaking out because I got nothing to show and I’m still fucking broke, but I got bad habits/They’re my bad habits” explains the songwriter’s struggle with addiction. Just as you think the group are getting sentimental, the group make light of things by Carper comparing himself to his dad.
One thing holds true to the young punks in FIDLAR aside from the cycle of getting high and getting sober and that’s that there isn’t anything better than punk rock. The record is a definitely a choice pick for fans of Wavves, METZ, Best Coast, Desaparecidos and Black Lips. Gathering praise from practically every music blog in the scene to kudos from Rolling Stone and Time, it’s a wonderful thing to know that punks will be punks and the dudes in FIDLAR don’t look like they’re going to sell out (yet).
[Review] We Are Your Friends
Close your eyes and think back to all of the various stages of your life, and I can almost guarantee you that each one is segmented into the type of music you were listening to, whether it was a specific band, genre, song, or what have you. Needless to say, music plays an important role in all of our lives. Recently, we've seen EDM gravitate towards the top of mainstream music genres with EDM DJs headlining all types of festivals across the country. Adversely, the genre's popularity also attracts unwanted notoriety as the scene's culture is linked to partying and drugs, especially in regards to EDM's mainstream media coverage.
With that said, what better way is there to tell a contemporary coming-of-age film set within the EDM scene? Writer/director Max Joseph's We Are Your Friends tells the story of an aspiring DJ's attempts to make it big with his friends, but his rise is constantly threatened by personal events. Unfortunately, the film derails way too often, leaving audiences a messy film struggling with its identity.
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We Are Your Friends
Director: Max Joseph
Rating: R
Release Date: August 28, 2015
Cole (Zac Efron) is an aspiring DJ living in the San Fernando Valley with his best friends Ollie (Shiloh Fernandez), Squirrel (Alex Shaffer), and Dustin (Jonny Weston). Together, they all dream of leaving the Valley for the riches and lights that Los Angeles has to offer, and they do so by promoting at a local club where Cole DJs.
Thanks to a chance encounter, Cole begins a mentorship with an established DJ, James (Wes Bentley), who helps Cole with his mix and offers him a gig at a large music festival. However, as life is wont to do, various circumstances are thrown at Cole and his friends, whether it's a dead-end job or the sexual tension between him and James's girlfriend, Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski).
There are so many elements at play in We Are Your Friends, but that's not a good thing... definitely not one for this film. Had it stuck to one genre, this film would have been far better. However, Joseph shows his ambition by attempting to create a film with a legitimately compelling story beyond the standard we've come to expect from similar music films. And for this, I applaud him; it's just unfortunate that his ambition ultimately led to the film's downfall.
There are many subplots going on within We Are Your Friends that help move the film along, but they all lack the payoff in the end. Take, for instance, Cole's three friends - the relationship between the four of them is that of ride or die brothers who would all have each other's backs. However, when Cole begins his friendship with James and Sophie, he essentially turns his back on them, as illustrated in a party scene where the trio embarrass themselves at James's party with no support from Cole whatsoever. Leading up to the film's final act, the friends are all eventually phased out to increase the spotlight on Cole's relationship with James and Sophie. There's a bit of a twist or a surprise that leads into the third act, but the immediate fallout from it is so tone-deaf and unrealistic.
However, this in itself is so unbelievably realistic and fairy tale-like. I can get behind Cole's sudden rise in the way fictional films tend to work out. What I can't get behind is the love triangle between Cole, Sophie, and James. Spoiler alert: Sex and fights are involved. I can't get too into this point without actually spoiling the film, yet the film's ultimate failure is rooted in Cole's narrative and how absurd it is.
Simply put: You can't attempt to create a drama that, through no believable elements whatsoever, allows the protagonist to come out on top unaffected and unchanged.
As far as the performances go, I've become a bit of an Efron fan in recent years, and he has his moments in the film. Unfortunately, his range is held back by the film's script and direction. Nevertheless, he makes the most of what's given to him. Wes Bentley also holds his own, but much like Efron's situation, he's held back from truly showing off what he can do. Ratajkowski's role as Sophie, however, is cause for concern.
Joseph attempts to create a truly-realized character with emotions and thoughts and dimensions beyond the obvious, and it truly is admirable. However, she's sorely underwritten and underutilized despite Joseph's attempts. For a film like We Are Your Friends, an attractive female lead is basically needed for the male protagonist to woo and romance on his path to the top, yet I truly believe building on the dynamics of Cole and James's multifaceted relationship would have been a better decision.
There are glimmers of light here and there in We Are Your Friends, whether it's Joseph's ambitions or Efron and Bentley's performances. However, they're too few and far between to justify seeing the film in theaters.
[Review] Antarctigo Vespucci: "Leavin' La Vida Loca"
At first, Leavin’ La Vida Loca by the indie folk-inspired punk duo Antarctigo Vespucci seems less reminiscent of Chris Farren and Jeff Rosenstock’s main projects (Fake Problems, Jeff Rosenstock) and more of Antarctigo Vespucci’s first EP, Soulmate Stuff. Establishing Antarctigo Vespucci as their own, vibrantly disparate sound than their alter-egos, the duo have proved to be just as a part of one act as they are another. That’s especially true with their sophomore record, Leavin’ La Vida Loca via Really Records and Quote Unquote Records.
I'll admit, the record wasn’t much to bump a pulse as far as the two’s wide range of projects go at first; oh how wrong can a person be. After a few plays, I realized the record is beachy, warm, mature and melancholy. It’s like watching the finale of your favorite show - it’s bittersweet. While the two have always been keen on bad breakups and lost love, this record is set apart because of their acceptance of the bad. The songs, “Hooray for Me,” “Save Me From Myself” and “Losing My Mind” show the two are more comfortable fighting with their own inner struggles (or lack thereof) in a lighthearted way.
“Crashing Waves” strengthens the aforementioned beachy element of the record (this would be the soundtrack to a montage of two punks walking along the beach) with lines like, “I was ready to go as soon as I arrived,” accurately describing the duo’s social anxiety they address in their various musical endeavors, and Antarctigo Vespucci is no exception. “No Bad Memories” is the most upbeat song with brash electric guitars and a folky twist, while “I See Failure” holds the summary of the record as the closer. The lyrics describe a failing relationship and resonates through younger audiences by the line “When I pretend I’m not feeling well so I don’t have to hang out with your friends in a crowded bar of idiots” as the melancholy couple grow apart - or more so, one partner away from the other. Relatable and rough, Anarctigo Vespucci has definitely established their own sound with Leavin’ La Vida Loca.
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[RH Photos] Pitchfork Music Festival 2015
Photos by Vanessa Bly, recap by Vanessa Bly and Geoff Henao
Pitchfork Music Festival 2015 has come and gone! Despite the sometimes muddy, sometimes rainy, and sometimes scorching hot day (sometimes all in the same day), fun was to be had at Pitchfork this year. Admittedly, there was an overall sense of something missing from this year's festival. Nevertheless, Chicagoans were the highlight this year, anchored by Chance the Rapper's outstanding performance to close Pitchfork out. Check out our recaps and photos from the festival over the next few pages!
Pitchfork Music Festival 2015 - Day 1
CHVRCHES
CHVRCHES' performance at Pitchfork was the band's first in the United States since April, and you could sense the excitement and energy among the three. Notably, singer Lauren Mayberry's stage presence was at an all-time high as the crowd sang and danced along. Given this was my first time seeing CHVRCHES (outside of videos online), I didn't know what to expect, but I'm glad to say they were the perfect end to Day 1 of Pitchfork 2015. - Geoff Henao
RYLEY WALKER
Ryley Walker was a jam band that kicked off Pitchfork Music Festival 2015. Given their opener status, the crowd already at Pitchfork really vibed to their music. - Vanessa Bly
JESSICA PRATT
Jessica Pratt's performance was super chill... perhaps a bit too super chill. The crowd was still during her performance, which isn't what you'd typically find at a music festival. - Vanessa Bly
STEVE GUNN
Steve Gunn looked like he wasn't having too much fun during their set. Granted, musicians enter a different attitude and embody on-stage personas when performing, but his seriousness turned me off. - Vanessa Bly
MAC DEMARCO
Mac DeMarco's set was FUN! His gap-toothed smile was hilarious, and the crowd really responded to them. Overall, the best way to describe their set was just simple, great fun. - Vanessa Bly
PANDA BEAR
Panda Bear's sound transcends all musical interests - whether you love hip hop or swear by rock, Panda Bear's appeal is enough to bring all types of different people together. The crowd for his set was vibing extra hard to his music, despite his relatively chill beats. I'd love to catch him at a venue one day. - Geoff Henao
Pitchfork Music Festival 2015 - Day 2
SLEATER-KINNEY
Finally, Sleater-Kinney made their triumphant return to Chicago after a years-long hiatus. The band co-headlined Pitchfork's Day 2, supporting their latest album, No Cities to Love. Their performance made it seem like the band didn't take an extended break from one another as their set was tight and one of the major highlights of an otherwise dreary day ruined by the rain. - Geoff Henao
FUTURE BROWN
Future Brown's set was a lot different when compared to live performances I've become used to over the years. They're a production group, but brought out a plethora of guests to round out their set, including Lil Durk. The crowd was really into their set and weren't swayed when the rain began to pour down. - Vanessa Bly
EX HEX
Ex Hex's set was unfortunately cut short after a few songs due to the rain, which sucked because they were rocking the stage. Even as the rain began to downpour heavier, the crowd stuck around in hopes the band would return before the festival was officially postponed. - Vanessa Bly
SHAMIR
I love Shamir's personality when he performs, but I don't think he brought it for his Pitchfork set; I was really looking forward to it, actually. "This is me on the regular," he sings, but I was hoping he'd bring more than just the regular. - Vanessa Bly
Pitchfork Music Festival 2015 - Day 3
CHANCE THE RAPPER
What can be said about Chance's set? It means a lot for a Chicagoan to close out Pitchfork alone, but Chance brought everything he had to commemorate the event. Backed by The Social Experiment, Chance ran through all of the hits during his night cap, and surprised the crowd by bringing out gospel singer Kirk Franklin! It felt like, for just one moment, the entire city was united together during his set, and it's moments like these that both Chicagoans and music fans alike can truly appreciate. - Vanessa Bly
RUN THE JEWELS
As a surprise to nobody, Run the Jewels' set was wild and fucking crazy. It's hard not to truly enjoy yourselves while Killer Mike and El-P are on stage. They even brought out Rage Against the Machine's Zach de la Rocha, which put the crowd into even more of a frenzy. Rappers take note: RTJ's sets are exactly what you ought to strive for when fleshing out your live performances. - Vanessa Bly
FREDDIE GIBBS AND MADLIB
DOPE! The crowd was wild for Freddie Gibbs and Madlib's set, rapping along to every one of Freddie Gibbs' lyrics. By my count, a large number of the crowd waited nearly three hours for their set, and their patience was truly rewarded. - Vanessa Bly
WAXAHATCHEE
Waxahatchee were cute and fun, and a great start for Pitchfork's final day. I definitely need an indie-rock fix, and they I (and the crowd!) loved what they had to offer. - Vanessa Bly
COURTNEY BARNETT
Courtney Barnett's style of rock and roll was super cool and infectious. The crowd was made up of dedicated fans that not only loved her, but sang along to every song. I just might find myself learning all of her songs for the next time she's in Chicago. - Vanessa Bly
JAMIE XX
Jamie XX's set was wild and nothing what I expected. The crowd went berserk for them, and even partook in some crowd surfing. Can you believe that, crowd surfing during a DJ's set?! That alone should be enough to summarize Jamie XX. - Vanessa Bly
[RH Photos] Melt-Banana Returns to Chicago
Photos by Geoff Henao
On Tuesday, July 14th, Japanese noise-core band Melt-Banana returned to Chicago's Empty Bottle for the first time in 15 years. Touring across the country with them is stoner metal band, and genre-defying Hot Nerds opened the show.
For months since the show was announced, my expectations were extremely high. 2015 marks the 10-year anniversary since my first Melt-Banana show at the Abbey Pub on May 5th, 2005. And considering Melt-Banana only comes to America every other year (their last show at the Double Door back in October 2013), I was ready for my bi-annual ritual. The Empty Bottle is also my favorite venue in the city, thanks to its dive bar aesthetic and acoustics that especially benefit loud, punk rock-esque bands like Melt-Banana.
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Prior to the show, I had never hear nor heard of Hot Nerds. Their eccentric style of hardcore vocals (modified through a vocoder), mixed with noise-core-influenced sampling played through a keyboard and mixer, and backed by metal drums accentuated with a double kick pedal. They were reminiscent of a young Melt-Banana and got the crowd hyped and energized.
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Unfortunately, all of the energy coursing throughout the venue was lost as Torche came on to play. My prior knowledge of the band came from Ruby Hornet's own Travis Marmon's praise of the band's style of slow-burning stoner metal. However, the drastically low tempo and lack of high energy severely lowered the audience's excitement. At one point, I had begun falling asleep... standing up and directly next to one of the stage's main monitors.
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Nearing midnight, Melt-Banana took to the stage, backed by an enormous wall of speakers intended to replicate the duo's loud volume of noise when they originally toured as a band. However, as singer Yako and guitarist Agata grow increasingly comfortable playing as a duo (with Yako controlling a drum machine and samples with a device), so too do their shows share similarities to years past. However, their live performances have changed to reflect their adapted style of power-pop/noise-core, shedding the more extreme hardcore elements that represented their earlier years. Despite some technical difficulties with one of Agata's guitar cables and a crowd that, surprisingly, wasn't as excited for the band that I've seen in years past. Nevertheless, the crowd eventually warmed up to them as their set drew to a close.
Check out my photos from the show below!
[Review] Pet Symmetry: "Pet Hounds"
The Chicago three-piece of Pet Symmetry have their music slightly more under-the-radar than their folk-punk, punk rock counterparts, but with their newest release of their first full-length, Pet Hounds, that will likely change. With their comical puns (get it, Pet Hounds? The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds... you get it) and lengthy track names, it's apparent the group are in it for the fun of things. Yet, the members of still active bands such as Kittyhawk, Into It. Over It. and Dowsing have shed their former selves for the debut record of Pet Symmetry; even for only a moment (Into It. Over It. is already out on tour for 2015).
Starting off with the opening track “My Exhausted Month (of May)” sets the precedent for the rest of the album: an emo-revival structure (if emo ever left, that is) with a punk rock roof and a pop punk floorboard. Together, Pet Symmetry have a place to showcase their talents and their ability to reach out to more than one genre in the scene; Pet Hounds fits comfortably in anyone’s record collection.
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The single “Give Thanks (Get Lost)” is a perfect blend of heavy melody, clean vocals and guitars that don’t muddle with the lyric prowess of the song. Like a punk tribute to any Green Album song from Weezer, “Give Thanks (Get Lost)” is flawless. “Go Outside (Stare At The Sun)” is reminiscent of bands similar to Pet Symmetry (e.g. other bands on Asian Man Records like Joyce Manor, Antarctigo Vespucci, etc). “Class Action Force (Useless Tools)” brings punk highlights back to Pet Hounds and showcases the go-to of pop punk (e.g. lyrics about sad boys walking around the park), but in a mature state of affairs. “Gone, Gone, Gone (Even Further Gone)” is a ballad-worthy parting song on the record before the outro and longest track, “Salad Daze (Seein’ Cred).” A play on words of Minor Threat’s popular song, “Seein’ Red,” the track is very shoegaze-y and has a Death Cab for Cutie vibe with heavier guitar breaks.
A solid record, I advise anyone who enjoys punk, pop punk, emo or folk punk to pick this album up. It’s unclear if the group will be going on tour anytime soon (other than fests), but when they do, go see them. This is a side project I hope to see turn into much more. With less than 7,000 fans on Facebook (and more than 50,000 for their more notable bands), Pet Hounds should add to the band’s low hype, as it is much deserved.
[Review] Melt-Banana: "Return of 13 Hedgehogs"
When you're an independent punk-ish band that's been around for 20+ years, a long catalog of splits and singles are amassed over time... especially when a lot of your early catalog features songs that clocked in at an average of 90 seconds. Over their long career, Melt-Banana has entranced (and confused) many an ear, and ahead of their upcoming, two-part North American tour comes their second compilation album, Return of 13 Hedgehogs. Amassed from non-album singles and splits recorded/released from 2000 - 2009, Return of 13 Hedgehogs serves as a fitting swan song to the band's illustrious past.
As alluded to, Return of 13 Hedgehogs is Melt-Banana's sophomore compilation album with the name derived from the band's penchant of calling their singles "hedgehogs." The singles were recorded during a decade in which the band went from a lo-fi grindcore style (Teeny Shiny) to their first foray into a hi-fi, increasingly techno/pop sound (Cell-Scape) to a near-complete transition to their style of pop (Bambi's Dilemma) to the band's unofficial live debut as a duo experimenting with synthesizers and samples (Melt-Banana Lite Live Ver 0.0). As can be imagined, Return of 13 Hedgehogs reflects all of these stylistic changes across the album's 29 songs. What's more interesting are the band's songs that were featured on splits with other bands of varying styles ranging from the ska-punk style of Big D and the Kids Table to notable noisecore band The Locust, to name just a couple.
Melt-Banana is a very unique band, and this couldn't be expressed more clearly than by some of the covers they recorded, such as a tantalizing take on Italian singer Mina's "Tantarella Di Luna," ska standard "Monkey Man" by Toots and the Maytals, goth punk The Damned's "Love Song," and Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge." If 2013's fetch represents Melt-Banana's future, Return of 13 Hedgehogs is the perfect bookend to their past.