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(05/11/15 9:33pm)
Whale Bones is a new two piece alt-rock band hailing from Bloomington, Indiana made up of Nathan Kane and Paul Lederman. Their song “The Current” was released on Non-Denominational Emo’s album Epilogue, which was a charity album released in February of 2015 that aimed to raise money for RAINN to help victims of sexual and domestic abuse. They have played an array of shows in Bloomington including Citrus Fest, Collinsfest and at The Bluebird. Whale Bones created a promo video for their debut Seaside EP which is due out later this spring. Check out the video below.
(05/10/15 11:57pm)
Want to do radio? Do you love music or having people listen to what you say? Want to be part of Indiana University's coolest student organization? You're in the right place, fill out this application and become a part of WIUX.
Apply via this handy hyper-link
It is due before Friday May 15th at 11:59pm so fill it out now.
(05/08/15 7:05pm)
After representing Indiana University in nationals at the 8th annual World Cup for Quidditch in South Carolina this past March, it is easy to see how much IU’s quidditch team, the Midnight Snipes, have grown since they began playing in fall of 2011. Their growth has been recognized elsewhere too. This year Midnight Snipes co-captain Matthew Pesch has been selected to be on Indianapolis’ Major League Quidditch team, The Intensity.
This is the inaugural season for Major League Quidditch’s national league. The season for MLQ runs from the beginning of June till the end of August. The league is made up of 8 teams from two divisions, East and North and each team in the league will play three games against every other team in their division. Matthew Pesch plays a range of positions for Midnight Snipes including Keeper, but there has been no official announcement of what position he will be playing on the Intensity.
According to the Major League Quidditch website the aim of MLQ is to “present quidditch in an elegant, highly-consumable form that mirrors other sports’ top leagues. MLQ will feature standardized schedules, high-level officiating, in-depth statistics and live or pre-recorded footage of all games.”
For more information about Indiana University Quidditch, you can follow the Midnight Snipes on twitter @IUQuidditchClub
(04/28/15 7:16pm)
There is only a handful more days of classes left here at Indiana University. Finals are looming, and graduation is mere weeks away. As a freshman you were given the “Must Do At IU: A Bucket List for the True Hoosier” from FYE, during orientation or your first weeks of classes. You might even have it in magnet form. But how many things on that list have you actually completed? Seniors, you may be about to get a degree from this wonderful university but without completing the list we know that you aren’t a true Hoosier (according to the title of the list). But fear not!
Below are the items on the list, ranked from what I perceive as the easiest to what could be more challenging. I’ve narrowed out the items that it would be physically impossible to do without a time machine of some sort. So whether you want to go hardest to easiest or visa versa this list will help you get organized to become a true Hoosier before you walk across the stage.
Shake the Hands of the Herman B Wells Statue – Easy. If you don’t do this before you graduate you did you even attend Indiana University?
Snap a photo in front of Sample Gates – Easy. Pro-Tip: It works better in the daylight.
At night, Lay on the Ground and Watch the Lights Change on the Side of the IU Art Museum – Easy. They even recently reinstalled the lights.
Go on a Late Night Tour of Campus – Easy, you already know campus. You’ve gone to this school for a few years now. All you need is to walk about at night – bring a friend to follow the buddy system.
Order Freshly Baked Cookies During a Late Night Conversation with Friends – Easy. you have been at this school for 4(+) years, hopefully you have made some friends that love cookies. If your friends don’t love cookies you have made the wrong friends.
Rock Out at a Live Music Show – Easy to find a show.The music scene in Bloomington is blooming.
Go Bowling or see a Free Movie in the IMU –Fairly Easy. Free is fun.
Study in the Arboretum on a Sunny Day – Semi-Easy. Replace the word study with look at Pepe memes and this would be a whole lot easier.
Experience the Bloomington Farmers Market – Fairy easy because it is in walking distance and you have the motivation of food. Plus it is open from 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. so you don’t even have to wake up too early.
Play Frisbee in Dunn Meadow – Kinda Easy. You’ll need a Frisbee or a flat circle shaped object.
Dip Your Feet in Showalter Fountain – Easy/Medium. I place this further down on the list because if you give an IU kid a fountain they will want to go swimming in it. If they go swimming in it they might get caught by an authority figure. So this list item could require stealth.
Find your Favourite ice-cream Place in Town –Medium. There are many choices, WIUX has talked about these choices before. Remember, Fro-Yo is not ice-cream this doesn’t count.
Eat in the Tudor Room of the IMU – Medium.
Kiss someone special in the Rose Well House at Midnight – Medium to Advanced. You need someone special which is hard. If you have no one, bring a radio tuned to 99.1 and WIUX will be your special someone.
Watch Breaking Away and look for Places you Recognize on Campus – Medium to Advanced. It is not stream-able on Netflix.
Find Your Favorite Brunch Location in Town – Advanced. If you haven’t gotten brunch in town yet this will be extra difficult. There are so many awesome places to get breakfast/lunch at that finding your favorite will be semi-tricky.
Connect With a Professor Outside of Class – Advanced. Lets be real, you’re second semester seniors, attending class is probably a struggle for you already, this might be pushing it. Though there’s a professor who does DJ sets at The Root Cellar.
Watch the Sun Come up After an All-Night Study Sesh - Advanced. Similar to the above, studying in general is difficult. Studying for 9 hours is a lot.
Hike Around Griffy Lake – On the harder side. First you need a way to get to the lake, and then motivation to hike all the way around it. Partial credit will be given for hiking half way.
Relax near the fireplace at the IMU – HARD. Those chairs are always full.
Look at Stars from the Kirkwood Observatory – Very Hard. It is tricky to know when they are open. It does have a twitter page though.
Highlight Important Info in your FYE Resource Guide – I don’t know where to get one of those so this is the hardest thing on the list.
Taken from FYE’s “Must Do At IU: A Bucket List for the True Hoosier”
(04/16/15 3:25pm)
“My local independent record shop (Honest Jons) is a library, where you can go to listen to music, learn about it, exchange ideas about it and be inspired by it.” – Damon Albarn (Blur, The Gorillaz, etc.)
Record Store Day is right around the corner and you better believe some of the local record stores here in Bloomington, Indiana are participating. With the endless options on the internet to be downloaded to disorganized folders, songs broken up into 30 second segments for possible purchase and easy digestion, or the top 40’s singles being blasted on the radio** the feeling of personal musical emersion might be thrown to the wayside (**not WIUX though!). But Record Store Day is a celebration of music as a physical entity in your life. Albums you devote time listening to, talking about, and loving from front to end. This year the Record Store Day ambassador is the coolest guy in rock and roll, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana, ect.).
I’ve compiled a list vinyl I’ll be pumped about this April 18th, but if you’re looking to make your own list, you can find the entire Record Store Day Exclusive Releases list online.
The Black Keys/Junior Kimbrough – Meet Me In The City – 7” Vinyl
Courtney Barnett – Kim’s Caravan – 12” Vinyl
Cold War Kids - Five Quick Cuts – 10” Vinyl
Johnny Cash - Koncert V Praze (In Prague--Live) - 12" Colored Vinyl
Death Cab For Cutie/Freedy Johnston – Bad Reputation - 7" Colored Vinyl
The Decemberists – Picaresque – LP
Father John Misty – I Love You, Honey Bear – 7” Colored Vinyl
The Flaming Lips – This Here Giraffee – 10” Colored Vinyl
Foo Fighters – Songs From the Laundry Room – 10” Vinyl
Marvin Gaye– How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – 7” Vinyl
Grouplove with Portugal. The Man – Under the Covers – 10” Vinyl
Herman’s Hermits – Blaze – 12” Vinyl
Otis Redding – Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul – 2 x 12” Vinyl
Frank Sinatra – Songs For Young Lovers – 10” Vinyl
St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Live From The Alabama Theatre – 12” Vinyl Shaped like the State of Alabama
STRFKR – Astronaut-Little Lover – 7” Vinyl
The Pizza Underground – Pu Demos – 7” Vinyl
Those Darlins/Diarrhea Planet – Live At Pickathon Split – 12” Vinyl with imprinted artwork
Twenty One Pilots – The LC LP – 12” Colored Vinyl
Twin Peaks – In The Morning (In The Evening) – 7” Vinyl
Typhoon – Prosthetic Love (Piano Version) 7” Vinyl
Vampire Weekend feat Danny Brown– Step – 12” Vinyl
Various Artists - Music To Drink Beer To - LP
Young The Giant – Mirrorball/Mind Over Matter – 10” Vinyl
(04/14/15 11:18pm)
5/7
The Wombats are a trio of Liverpool lads made up of Matthew Murphy, Daniel Haggis, and Tord Overland Knudsen who in the fall of 2007 released the honest, often goofy, indie-rock album A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation. The album speaks to the lighter side of disappointment – adding lyrical humor to the crushing sadness of rejection – becoming an almost manic celebration of the mistakes made in the youthful pursuit of love. Since 2007 and A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation, The Wombats have released several EPs, the album This Modern Glitch (2011) and they're about to release a new album this month titled Glitterbug.
Opening with the jaunty barbershop style a Capella track “Tales of Girls, Boys, and Marsupials” that acts almost as a prelude to the album, the trio has just begun to spread their infectious excitement about disappointment. The second track “Lost in the Post” bursts in with a frenzied but articulate drum intro. The song features some campy handclaps that make brief reappearances throughout the album. "Party in a Forest (Where's Laura?)" is a garage fuzz ballade that sings of longing of a school girl crush that leads into “School Uniform.” A highlight from A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation is “Here Comes the Anxiety”, declaring hopefully that “I hope that no one ever leaves, because I afraid to be alone with me”. The combination of desperation, manic enthusiasm, and catchy melodies creates an album that is just as enthralling 8 years later.
“Let’s Dance to Joy Division” is an enthusiastic quip that revels in the irony of their morbid pulse rock forefather, from which the track claims to be an ode to, being presented in such a manner. This song utilizes a kids choir from Llangattock Primary School for the chorus, presenting the topic even more ironically. From songs about hookers, screwing up dates, and romancing about girls they believe out of their league the Wombats have cranked out an indie-rock disco album just as good as any rom-com (And rom-coms are great). Of note on this album they have a bonus track cover of Leona Lewis’s “Bleeding Love” that the Wombats knock out of the park.
To quote The Guardian: “Heartbreak never sounded like so much fun.”
The tracklist is below.
1. "Tales of Girls, Boys & Marsupials" (The Wombats)
2. "Kill the Director"
3. "Moving to New York"
4. "Lost in the Post"
5. "Party in a Forest (Where's Laura?)"
6. "School Uniforms"
7. "Here Comes the Anxiety"
8. "Let's Dance to Joy Division"
9. "Backfire at the Disco"
10. "Little Miss Pipedream"
11. "Dr. Suzanne Mattox PhD"
12. "Patricia the Stripper"
13. "My First Wedding"(Bonus Track)
14. “Metro Song” (Bonus Track)
15. “Bleeding Love” (Bonus Track)
16. “Is This Christmas?” (Bonus Track)
(04/13/15 7:12pm)
Indiana University's all-male a Capella group, Another Round, came to perform in the living room at the station. Listen to their renditions of everything from classics from the Lion King to Ed Sheeran and be sure to see them perform throughout the year.
Engineered by Brian Berger
Mixed and Mastered by Collin Thomas
(04/09/15 1:35am)
5/7
Delirium and Dark Waters EP is this week’s throwback album. As the title itself hints, it is a lo-fi soaked album with haunted beach vibes. It was released in March of 2014 on Magnetic South Records by Bloomington’s own three piece bubblegum surf rock girl group Thee Tsunamis.
The EP was originally released on 500 slime green 7” vinyl record, making the record both unique sounding and looking. The opening track from Thee Tsunamis’ Delirium and Dark Waters EP is “Haunted House” which is riddled with lo-fi surf punk fuzz. What is spookier than a haunted house? Well, maybe plenty of things.
The entire album is just eery enough that it would be a great soundtrack for a cult classic campy 50’s style horror film. “Down at The Swamp” Josie declare her love for a swamp monster “he’s not like other men, he’s nine feet tall” and that she “wants to be [his] girl.” “Spellcaster Lounge” is the most bubblegum pop infused song on the album, adding a bit of swing. It is almost sultry. The final track of the EP is “Psycho” confirms that although Thee Tsunamis are landlocked in southern Indiana, they have carried the vibe of the beach all the way here to Bloomington.
You can stream the entire EP on their bandcamp for free.
The track listing is as follows:
1) Haunted House
2) Down at The Swamp
3) Spellcaster Lounge
4) Psycho
Delirium and Dark Waters EP by Thee Tsunamis
(04/04/15 3:25pm)
You may remember that Triptide's last EP, Colors EP, came out last year in the sunny days of the early summer. You may be fearful you will have to go without their special brand of sunsoaked beach rock, but fear not! The band announced on their Facebook page that this summer would not be missing new Triptides music. They have a new record called Azur coming out in the the coming months. So far the only clue towards the new album from this one time Bloomington - now Los Angeles - band is the album cover (above) which was created by the musician Hybu.
(04/01/15 4:21pm)
This past week The Staves the album release show for their most recent album If I Was which was produced by Justin Vernon (Of Bon Iver). The show was at London’s Wilton’s Music Hall to hail in the release to Europe - it was only released in North America today. Towards the end of the show Justin Vernon hops on stage to perform a breathtaking live rendition of their song "Make It Holy". It's my prediction that Justin Vernon will hop on stage to support The Staves when they play at the Eaux Claire Music Festival this July in Eaux Claire, WI. At least that's my hope.
Want to see the video from the album release?
Read what we thought of their new album If I Was.
(04/01/15 3:14pm)
Pulling pranks can be quite fun, but finding the perfect prank can sometimes be a little tricky. WIUX here to help with your prank brainstorming ideas. Here are some pranks that are great for April Fools day here in Bloomington on Indiana University’s campus.
The Orientation Tour: When walking by a tour group talk loudly about how great IU Secure is! Pranks!
The Ballantine Staircase: Ballantine hall already has one of the most confusing staircases. You can be on floor 2 out of five, have walked up 4 flights of stairs and be on the 300 level. For this prank, all you need to do it post notices that say they have finally organized it so that the first floor is the first floor. Ballantine makes sense! Pranks!
The Alligator: First you find a blow up alligator pool toy, the more realistic the better. Inflate and put in the raging waters of the Jordan River. Watch as passer by look on with terror as a vicious croc floats it’s way through campus. Even the on lookers who are clever enough to spot that it is not a real alligator will be delightfully confused. This prank will definitely be YikYaked about. Pranks!
The Manatee: Same as above but with a blow-up manatee. If anyone actually thinks it is a manatee, they will be incredibly excited and want to be your pal. New friends? Ultimate prank!
The Sample Gates, gate: You’ll need a bit of preparation for this one. First find yourself a portable fence, or fence like object. On the morning of April 1st, transport to the Sample Gates that over look Kirkwood. Place the fence in-front of the Sample Gates to create a Sample Gates gate. Pranks!
The Spooky Stacks: We all know that the Stacks in the east tower of Wells Library can already be a little bit creepy, but this April Fools it’ll be the spookiest place on campus for all the late night studiers. All you need is a sheet, a long stick, and the ability to make spooky noises. Set up the sheet on the stick to be a “ghost” that can float between the rows of books in the more shadowy parts. Add ghostly sounds, and BAM you have got a prank bound to deter people from studying ever again. Pranks!
The Taco Bus: This prank takes major persuasion skills, so break out all you learned from public speaking or presentation classes. Pick your favourite bus line (mine is the A bus). Convince them to drive the bus through a Taco Bell’s drive through. Pranks!
The Radio on the TV: Great for roommates that hog the TV or only binge watch the Pokémon series over and over (Note: I re-watched the whole series last year highly recommended). Hide all of their TVs and replace them with clock radios, tuned to 99.1 FM. Pranks!
(03/25/15 1:03am)
This is a complied list of “would you rathers.” Use to find out the intimate details of the inner workings of your friend’s minds. The best “would you rathers,” in my opinion, are the type of questions that you would never actually have to face in normal life but might cause strife when discussed. If asked correctly, the game of “would you rather” could get you in more fights than an average game of monopoly. So grab your friends and hash it out.
Would you rather:
Glow in the dark or always have a sharpened pencil when you need it?
Get a side hug from Pete Townshend circa 1971 or a side hug from Ringo Starr circa 1968?
Have legs for fingers or fingers for legs?
Never be able to eat bread again or never be able to eat things that are the color green again?
Have a lavender tongue or purple eyes?
Have free pizza for a month but not be able to share it or free corn on the cob for a year but be able to share it?
Snore like a small dino or sleep talk in spanish?
Never be allowed to be in a car again or always have to skip instead of walk?
Have every bread product you eat have to be naan or never eat berries again?
Have spaghetti as hair or marshmallows as fingers?
Be able to breath underwater or be fluent in English, Spanish and German?
Be able to talk to dogs or talk to birds?
Have written “The Great Gatsby” or have written “Hey Jude”? (Either case you are still you)
To have a laugh that sounds like a phone ringing or a laugh that sounds like a dog barking?
Only listen to reggae music or only listen to jazz music?
Have green tears or blue spit?
Tell your mom each time you go to the bathroom or need to draw a picture of a cat each time you see a cat?
Never have a window in the room where you sleep or never be allowed to use pens or pencils?
Never drink coffee again or never eat Mexican food again?
Never be allowed to have a pet again or if for every pet you have you also need to own a turtle?
Have to go back, right now, to repeat the 7th grade or be terribly afraid of trees?
Win a national rhythmic gymnastics tournament or win a roller disco contest?
Have a 5 foot vertical jump or a 7 foot horizontal leap?
Never be able to leave town for the next 15 years or never be able to live in one place for more than 3 months?
Smell numbers or taste colors?
Tweet your answers @WIUX and we'll retweet our favorite responses!
(03/01/15 7:30pm)
Twin Peaks is one of our headliner's for the 2015 Culture Shock music festival this April 11th. To prepare for the show, you better believe they will probably have a big breakfast - it is the most important meal of the day. If you want to have a Twin Peaks style breakfast to get you going in the morning, I've broken down the four things you need to do while making breakfast, using their song "Making Breakfast.
1) Coffee - for some people this may be the most important components to making breakfast, not being able to function without their daily cup (or cups of Joe). It is very important to get a mug that speaks to you just like the mug pictured above. WIUX has a pink mug with flamingos on it. What will your mug have on it? Unlike in the video, you don't actually have to make the coffee in a pot on your grill outside in the morning. Bonus points if you do, but you can also simply buy coffee or use a coffee marker. Just follow your heart on that one.
2) Bacon - Urban Dictionary defines bacon as:
n. Delicious strips of juicy, pork heaven.
n. Served often at breakfast with eggs, but perfectly good served alone and at any time of day.
Highly recommended to cook the bacon into pancakes. But make sure to precook the bacon all of the way through before adding to the pancake batter. Similar to the coffee, you don't have to make it outside on a grill in order for it to be "pork heaven," but frankly it wouldn't hurt.
3) Chinese Food - This one is easy because Twin Peaks is getting it delivered and so you can too. But if you are feeling adventurous in the early morning here are some internet recipes for Chinese food that you can try out. If it were me, I'd do left overs from the day before. Less effort and quicker to your mouth.
4) Eggs- This is the key to making breakfast. Almost anything can be made into breakfast food by adding it to eggs. Take some of the Chinese food from the last step and whip it into an omelette - BAM it is breakfast food. We do not recommend smashing the eggs on your head before cooking, but you do you.
**BONUS STEP** 5) Share with your friends - As they say, sharing is caring. Check out Twin Peaks' "Making Breakfast" below, as you think about making your own.
Listen to Sarah's show The Afternoon Delight every Friday at 3 EST here on WIUX.
(02/19/15 9:55pm)
Do you watch the League of Legends’ World Championship Series?
That's okay, I typically don't either.
But Imagine Dragons rocked the stage at last year’s League of Legends World Championship Series in Seoul, South Korea. They helped write the opening ceremony piece “Warriors“ specifically for League of Legions. Evidently the members of Imagine Dragons are themselves quite the gamers are were excited to be able to be a part of this.
League of Legends is a multiplayer online game where individuals assume the role of different characters and battle as a team. The championship begins with sixteen teams that have been assembled from around the globe all fighting to win the League of Legends World Championship. To kick off action, according to League of Legends e-sports, they “set out to craft a war cry to rally behind in a creative collaboration with Imagine Dragons.” Earlier this week Imagine Dragons came back to prime time League of Legions to bring a special performance of their new single “Shots.”
Check out the League of Legions inspired music video for the track Imagine Dragon’s performed at the championship.
And here is the LoL e-cast recap of their performance last year along with a championship game between Winterfox and Cloud9 in this year’s championship series.
(02/18/15 6:12pm)
Released: June 7, 2011
5/7
Since it has become officially a dark, cold, and snowy winter in Bloomington, Indiana; for this week’s throwback review I thought a little warmth, sunshine and light would be appreciated. In Light (2011)is Givers’ debut, and only, album – although they did release a self-titled EP in 2009. Formed in 2008, Givers is a feel good lo-fi indie-pop band that hails from Lafayette, Louisiana made up of Tiffany Lamson, Taylor Guarisco, Kirby Campbell, Josh LeBlanc and Nick Stephan. In Light was recorded at Dockside Studios in Louisiana through Glassnote Records.
In Light is the sounds of warmth and excitement in a summertime love. It is dense, uplifting, sun-streaked music that feels giddy. Slightly exotic island pop – like Dirty Projectors and Vampire Weekend had a ukulele playing baby. What truly grabs the attention is Tiffany Lanson’s voice, it is sweet, rough and unique to their sound.
A stand out from In Light is the ecstatic love song “Saw You First.” After building up to a cacophony of audible excitement, the instrumentation drops off leaving Lanson singing, “I know there’s a light inside us,” before bursting forth for the second part of the stanza “I saw you first it was in a dream.” “In Our Eyes” features a dash of an afro-pop that complements the sunny sonic mix. “Atlantic” begins as a soft ballad like napping in a hammock and slowly gains energy.
Although, throughout the album the lyrics become relatively repetitive to the point of being chant-like in nature, it doesn’t seem stagnant. And this proves true in the band's great live energetic performances.
You might have seen Givers when they opened for Dirty Projectors or when they opened for Ra Ra Riot, but is you missed it, fear not! Givers are hopping around the festival circuit this year. Not only will they be at Eaux Claires (Wisconsin) this summer but they will also be at Festival Internationale (Louisiana), New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Lousiana), and Wakarusa (Arkansas). This isn’t their first time on the festival game having performed at Austin City Limits in 2010, Coachella in 2012 and Lollapalooza in 2012. But with such a busy summertime season this year, I can only hope a new album will be on the way soon.
So, while these winter days trudge on, here is the track list for In Light so at least the sounds of sunshine will encompass you.
1) Up Up Up
2) Meantime
3) Saw You First
4) Ripe
5) Noche Nada
6) Ceiling of Plankton
7) In My Eyes
8) Atlantic
9) Goo Out All Night
10) Words
(02/03/15 10:34pm)
Win Butler, the front man to Arcade Fire, is back on the b-ball courts but this time under the national spot light of the NBA according to the Arcade Fire tube’s twitter page. Bulter has a bit of experience on the courts. You might remember from earlier last fall of the charity basketball game Butler hosted in his home town of Montreal, Canada called Pop Vs Jock. But the NBA is a bit different.
On Feb. 13th at 7 p.m. EST the Sprint Celebrity Game will be hosted at Madison Square Garden. No celebrity guest has been officially announced, but the twitter sphere seems to have spoken. Last year comedian Kevin Hart was fan voted MVP of the 2014 Celebrity Game, but we will have to wait and see if Butler comes out on top.
Want all the info on the match? Check out the NBA webpage.
(01/28/15 8:01pm)
As some of you may know, there has been quite the construction going on our street here in Bloomington, IN. Houses from the 800 block of 8th are being moved to the 700 block. WIUX, being directly on the corner, has the perfect view of these wonders of civil engineering as they roll these houses right by down the middle of the street. We have complied some photos so you can experience what we have been able to watch unfold the last few weeks.
The house had been waiting patiently up on wheels for the past week or so, it was only a matter of time before it began the journey down 8th Street. It is the first of several houses that are being transplanted from the 800 block, but this sight will always be something astonishing to see.
The house acting majestic, basking in the sun, feeling free and mobile for the first time. (This is personification, the house is an inanimate object which most likely doesn't have feelings).
The view from the WIUX front pouch, as this house leads the parade. That is right, there are more houses to come. Does this mean more pictures for your viewing pleasure? You'll have to check back here or follow WIUX on twitter (@wiux) to know for sure.
It is not our house, but it sure is in the middle of our street.
(01/18/15 8:44pm)
By Sarah Thompson and Jessica Yarvin
Once you get over the fact that Chris Carraba, the lead singer of Twin Forks, is also the lead singer of Dashboard
Confessional, you begin to catch the bug that has the four-piece band dancing and smiling and laughing together. Gone are the days of "Screaming Infidelities," Carraba's latest project combines the high-energy aspects of folk, pop, rock and classic Americana music to create a unique (there's a mandolin) and exciting sound that's not only fun to listen to, but also singing and dancing along with the palpable energy.
Watching Twin Forks perform, you can feel they have an ecstatic aura. They are having a a blast creating and sharing music on stage with some of their best friends, and that enthusiasm transfers right into the audiences energy.
After flying through a cohesive set of everything from pop-driven songs to slower ballads, Twin Forks whipped out an incredibly well done surprise folk cover of Band of Horses' "General Specific" towards the end of their set. They had recently gotten done with a tour with Counting Crows before joining with Jukebox the Ghost for this tour and after their energetic and unforgettable performance, it's more likely than not that we'll be hearing more from the band soon.
After a short break, Jukebox the Ghost took the stage as a bunch of screaming girls (thoughts running through our heads "oh my god when did we get so old"), voiced their appreciation for the band and pianist and singer Ben Thorenwill's dashing good looks. I had last seen the band four years ago when they were an opener and Sarah last saw them five years ago on a stage in the shade (as guitarist and singer Tommy Seigel later pointed out when we talked to him) at Lollapalooza. Of note, in their Lollapalooza performance, Ben Thorenwill was wearing a Reptar, from the TV show Rugrats, tank top. Despite not seeing Jukebox in a decent amount of time, they still that the same high-energy approach to music that made a stamp in our brain all those years ago.
Although this tour was in support of their most recent album, Jukebox the Ghost pulled tracks from all of their albums to form the set-list. Of the songs they played from Let Live and Let Ghosts, the most striking was "Static to the Heart" which brought a mid show intensity to their performance that built the track up into aggressive rock.
A great moment in Jukebox the Ghosts set was when, as Siegel tuned his guitar, Thornewill took a break to tell the audience a joke he had overheard on the subway in New York. The joke went as follows:
*A man walks in to a library and goes up to the librarian at the front desk*
Man: "I'd like a double cheese burger, a cherry coke, and a side of fries"
Librarian: "Sir, this is a library"
Man: "Oh! Sorry!" then in a whisper "I'd like a double cheese burger, a cherry coke, and a side of fries"
I couldn't tell you if it was that the joke was just so darn funny or if Jukebox the Ghost had created such a welcoming, excited atmosphere that even a tiny joke could push the audience over the edge into euphoric laughter but that's what happened. The audience, myself included, loved it and laughed hysterically.
Jesse Kristin, who typically resides firmly behind the drum set, took to the front of stage and killed the intro vocals to "Hollywood", a song he co-wrote from their self-titled album, before returning to the drums.
The show never lost steam, and played songs from all of their albums, ending their encore with "Adulthood," from their first album.
You can get a free track from Jukebox the Ghost and Twin Forks from the Twin Forks facebook page.
Photos by Jessica Yarvin and Sarah Thompson with Alex Smith
(01/12/15 1:55am)
4/7
Made up of Will Roberts, Kyle Peters, Brian Healey and Neil Lucas, The Pass originally “just wanted to be a party band for [them] and [their] friends” according to Roberts’ interview with Never Nervous. But they’ve grown from there. In 2013 The Pass were SXSW in Texas and in 2014 they played at Forecastle in Kentucky. They crank out indie dance music. In 2014 alone they released four 7-inch records. Their newest EP, High Road, released last December, is playful and warm. Recorded at their home studio in Louisville, Kentucky High Road EP has the vibe of 80’s synth-pop summer tunes. Which makes sense, their Facebook's official ‘influences’ are “the 80s with some 70s and 90s + great beats.”
High Roads EP opens up with “Take You Out,” a sweet indie synth number that is a highlight from the EP, talking about showing off a new love on the town. With long fade outs on most of the tracks, High Road EP is built for easy transitions in DJ sets. That being said, the one on “Take You Out” is over 25 seconds which is uncomfortably long if you are just trying to listen to the song. “All the Reasons” has more of a chill wave vibe which takes a calm step back.
The title track “High Road” has a fun groovy that brings back the playful air of the EP. With a beat that draws inspiration from a heartbeat, The Pass sings about heart ache proclaiming that “you still caught me off guard, saying there’s no me and you.” The next track “I Surrender” has a dash of reggae thrown into its synth pop foundation with syncopated rhythms and synth riffs that twinkle down in the back drop of the song adding layers. The final song from the EP is “The Future” which is more rock and dance, wraps up High Road without any synth.
See the track list below:
Take You Out
All The Reasons
High Road
I Surrender
The Future
(01/12/15 1:53am)
6/7
Jukebox the Ghost creates some of the most adorable songs that I have had the pleasure of listening to. They are the kind of music that I would want to use as the montage music for falling in love, or the beginning of a good natured coming of age adventure. They also have created some vivid and haunted feelings story lines in their music. This three piece composed of Ben Thornewill (vocals & piano), Tommy Siegel (vocals & guitar) and Jesse Kristin (drums), met at George Washington University in 2003 and used played in a band called The Sunday Mail which was later changed to Jukebox the Ghost. Jukebox the Ghost may have released a self-titled album last summer, but we are going to jump over that and back to 2008 and their debut LP Let Live and Let Ghost for this throwback review.
Spin Magazine, in regards to Let Live and Let Ghost, called Jukebox the Ghost "a refreshing reminder that the lighthearted electricity of a fantastic pop song is still filled with live wires." They are quirky, enthusiastic, and humorous. Their entire Facebook bio is just a brief history on former President Taft (hear me Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner? Get Jukebox the Ghost on your television program Drunk History). They doodle themselves when out on tour. They seem like the kind of people that would be a blast to be friends with. With three more albums under their belt since Let Live and Let Ghost (2008), including Everything Under the Sun (2010), Safe Travels (2012), and Jukebox the Ghost (2014), this feel good indie rock band has created a discography that stays true to their sound.
Let Live and Let Ghost opens up with a bang in the uplifting “Good Day.” Piano rifts quickly trickle behind the singer, which holds the main position throughout the entire album. With only three instruments Jukebox the Ghost presents a huge sound. A highlight from the album is the predominantly piano track “Hold It In,” a song about holding in feelings – of sadness, hurt, and most importantly love.There is a shift in “Beady Eyes on the Horizon,” it is a mid-album internal plot line about the end of the world. Beginning incredibly sparse and quiet it, breaks into aggressively sung apoplectic lyrics that tell “God himself dictated to me, ‘this is how all the shits going to be, when I blow your planet into smithereens’.” This plot line takes a break until “Fire in the Sky.”
Let Live and Let Ghost's track list is made for either the most incredibly smooth transitions that you could want, or such a drastic contrast that it forces the listener wake up and to pay attention to the music again. “Static to the Heart” builds into a haunted chorus that mirrors the apocalyptic nature of the mini-plot line in other parts of the album. The fierceness drops off completely and the euphoric piano rock heard in the beginning of the album reappears in “Victoria” without a single look back. “Lighting Myself on Fire” is a love song about a girl that has consumed him “since [she] turned 18” complete with cute clapping sequences and slightly bridge that changes to a minor key before snapping back to present perkiness.
The apocalyptic plot line picks back up in soft and intimate track “Fire in the Sky” where the lyrics describe God having no other choice but destroying the world as we know it. The best song in Let Live Let Ghost’s mini indie-pop rock opera is the calm and sweet “Where Are All the Scientists Now?” that sings “it’s the end of the world la da da di da da da” with backing vocals that build tension until it is proclaimed that “we survived.” The plot line, and the album, comes to an end in “The Matter” where it talks about how much nicer and cleaner it is after the apocalypse. Even if the album isn't organized in this manner, I’d recommended to listen to the story straight through at least once.
whether Jukebox the Ghost comes out with historically accurate music about US presidents or more great indie rock, I’ll look forward to whatever they release next even if it isn’t going to help me study. WIUX blog is covering Jukebox the Ghost’s show in Indianapolis next Thursday.
The track list is below:
"Good Day"
Hold It In
"Beady Eyes on the Horizon"
“Under My Skin"
"Miss Templeton's 7000th Dream"
“Static to the Heart"
"Victoria"
"My Heart's the Same"
"Lighting Myself on Fire"
"Fire in the Sky”
"Where Are All the Scientists Now?"
"A Matter of Time"