Tokyo Police Club
by Kristen Swanson
This interview is from our December 2011 issue. The full issue is available for download.
If Tokyo Police Club isn’t one of your favorite bands already, they will be. These Ontario, Canada natives are shaking up the music scene with their catchy beats and infectious lyrics. If their name sounds familiar, you might remember them from last month’s concert, held on our very own Carnegie Mellon campus (a special shout-out to AB Concerts for setting up the event). The Cut had a chance to hang out with vocalist/bassist David Monks, keyboardist Graham Wright, drummer Greg Alsop, and guitarist Josh Hook before their Carnegie Mellon performance. Check out this interview with the band as they discuss their current music projects, their growing confidence as musicians, and their ambitious plans for the future.
Fitz & The Tantrums
by Samantha Ward
This article is from our December 2011 issue. The full issue is available for download.
Fitz and the Tantrums were thrust into the music spotlight with a whirlwind of success and exposure since their humble beginnings in 2008. The dapper retro-style group makes its voice heard through its unique pop sound and irresistible beats. Michael Fitzpatrick (Fitz) wails out their repertoire along with the spunky Noelle Scaggs. James King soulfully adds the sounds of saxophone, flute, trumpet, and harmonica while Joseph Karnes, Jeremy Ruzumna, and John Wicks join with bass guitar, keyboards, and percussion, respectively. I spoke on the phone with King as the band traveled to North Carolina.
State Radio
by William Lush
This interview is from our December 2011 issue. The full issue is available for download.
State Radio, the hard rock/reggae trio from Sherborn, Massachusetts, came to Pittsburgh in November on their fall 2011 tour. The band consists of Chadwick Stokes of Dispatch (guitar, lead vocals), Mike “Mad Dog” Najaran (drums), and Chuck Fay (bass). The Cut had a chance to speak with Stokes earlier in the month when they road tripped through New England about the band’s passion for activism, their views on current events, and their unique experiences as a band.
Real Estate
by Allison Cosby
This article is from our December 2011 issue. The full issue is available for download.
Lo-fi indie rockers Real Estate have had a busy couple of years. Since the release of their self-titled album in 2009, they’ve blown up in the blog world and have been touring and recording nonstop. A couple of weeks ago, The Cut had a chance to chat with Alex Bleeker, bassist and vocalist, about recording their sophomore album, Days, touring with Big Troubles, and what the band does in their free time.
“The writing process [for Days] happened really organically, because it just sort of happened over time,” said Bleeker. “When we started touring with the first record, those songs had already been written for something like eight months, and so as soon as we started touring the first record, we started writing new songs. So it was really a process of like two years compiling them all together for the record.”
The Fates
by Meela Dudley
This article is from our December 2011 issue. The full issue is available for download.
The members of Boston band The Fates have learned that modern technology and social media can be used to achieve even the most unexpected of dreams.
Even in the current drastically transforming music business, almost every musician ultimately still dreams of one thing: making it big. However, it is the modern means by which some musicians come across fame that has drastically changed. “When I was younger I used to think that a musician got famous by touring the country, playing thousands of unpaid shows, and making the public fall in love with him and his music,” said Beau Cassidy, 20-year-old musician and son of The Partridge Family’s David Cassidy. “This is what my father had to do, and he taught me that this was how the music business worked.”
Steel City Start-ups: Sweet Earth
by Jeff Kehl
This article is from our December 2011 issue. The full issue is available for download.
Pittsburgh is home to many local bands. They all want to make it big, but let’s be honest; most of them are terrible. Luckily, I didn’t interview a single one of those bands. Instead, The Cut got to sit down with local band Sweet Earth and find out a little bit more about this five-man jam band.
Today, Sweet Earth is a powerhouse of musical sound powered by five men: Drew Dahmen on keys, guitar, and percussion; Luke Daller on bass guitar and synth bass; Sean Morgan on drum set, percussion, and keys; Christian Hoffman on guitar and keys; and James Mason on drum set, percussion, and guitar. No, you’re reading that right. It is entirely possible that from one song to the next, every member of the band will move to a new instrument, and that’s just the way the band likes it! Christian described the band as making “jam band music. It’s like a mish-mash of all the other genres. That’s the best way I can think to describe it.” The first song might sound like something out of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, the next a hard rock medley, and the next like funk-jazz fusion. Though each song might have its own style to the point that it might even sound like a different band has taken the stage, as Sean put it, “We want you to know you’re listening to Sweet Earth.” If that sounds insane, you’re exactly right, and that’s how they like it! “We want to make music that has no limits,” Sean continued.
Drake – Take Care
by Christina Mitas
After this year’s cadre of explosive hip-hop albums, from the meticulously produced Watch the Throne to the soulfully rapped Cole World: The Sideline Story, expectations have permanently risen for albums to come this fall. Drake dominated last year’s hip-hop scene, and he doesn’t hesitate to remind listeners of that fact with his sophomore album, Take Care. The first line on his album begins, “I think I killed everybody in the game last year,” and he demonstrates this unyielding confidence throughout his album, even during several candid, pained confessions about love, success, and family. Though he speaks a lot to his addiction to work and success, Drake’s honest address of the difference between love and sex, jealousy, and the use of alcohol to drown your problems are what make this album’s narrative so potent.
Tegan and Sara – Get Along
by Nicole Marrow
Normally, live albums don’t do much for me. I feel like they’re a less interactive version of a concert and a less polished take on songs we already love. However, Tegan and Sara managed to make their newest album, Get Along, a sassily titled play on their 31 years of sisterhood and 13 years of music making, feel like a greatest hits album with an extra kick. They performed their most well-known songs stripped- down to acoustic guitars and a keyboard, allowing them to inject emotion into each lyric, and give every song a different vibe with the same amount of passion.
While each song is beautiful in its own way, the long stream of unplugged installations can get a little monotonous after a few listens. That being said, it’s interesting to hear different versions of their bigger hits. “I Know I Know I Know” comes across as beautifully intimate with a bigger emphasis on the relationship between the words and the music, which is a marked improvement in my eyes. Similarly, “Back In Your Head” sounds like a different song entirely, as the originally upbeat and fun pop song becomes somber and heartfelt, another example of the intense emotional connection Tegan and Sara create through this gorgeous live album.
Florence and the Machine – Ceremonials
by Andrew Bakert
Following the release of her debut album, Lungs, in 2009, Eng- lish singer-songwriter Florence Welch and her backing band, the Machine, received both widespread praise and commercial success. Lungs climbed the US and UK charts, and this success led to award nominations for the group, including the Mercury Prize in 2009 and the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2011. Welch’s uncanny ability to express both vulnerability in her songwriting and raw power in her performance has made her somewhat of an icon, especially in the UK.
With the group’s sophomore effort, Ceremonials, Florence and the Machine reexamines this same juxtaposition of power and vulnerability, albeit with a bit more maturity. While there may not be a standout track in the way that Lungs had “Dog Days Are Over,” there is greater variety in the instrumentation and vocal arrangements, as well as more cohesion in the album as a whole. Using strings, piano, layered vocals, and effects such as reverb on “Breaking Down,” the group creates a vibrant sound rooted in both classical and pop music. Paired with and complimenting these effects is Welch’s voice, which is simultaneously highly emotive and capable of great restraint.
Rihanna – Talk That Talk
by Lisa Kessler
It’s impossible to deny Rihanna’s assumption of the throne as princess of pop for the past half-decade. With her sixth release in six years, Rihanna continues to prove herself with her new album Talk That Talk, as a force to be reckoned with. The record stays true to the carefree confidence that fans have loved since “Pon de Replay,” while also developing the blatant and raw sexual independence and freedom of her last two albums. While it shouldn’t be on your little sister’s wish list, the album’s explicitly unapologetic tone makes it a guilty pleasure.
Her single, “You Da One,” is most reminiscent of past hits, as it highlights her signature blend of Caribbean- infused rhythms and pop. “Where Have You Been” and “We Found Love” featuring Calvin Harris exude extremely infectious dance beats. “Roc Me Out” is infused with a different, sexier rock vibe. She wears her heart on her sleeve with “Drunk on Love,” an anthem with upbeat lyrics and an infectious beat about falling in love.
