Buket Urgen – Page 2

Show Review: All Time Low’s Atlanta Concert Brings Us Back to the 2000s for a Night

Posted on September 30, 2023October 5, 2023 by Buket Urgen

My favorite ritual before going to a concert is listening to the artist on the way to the venue. It’s like pregaming for a night of music, with a dose of that same music. So, I drive toward Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy, singing along to All Time Low for the first time in a really long time. I didn’t know I was going to the show until 24 hours ago, but obviously, I could never turn down an invite to see a band that was a staple of my teenage playlists. What better place to be when you’re 23 with absolutely no clue of what to do next with your life? When you’re grieving the end of youthful aloofness that 23 doesn’t allow for? Pop punk is the natural answer, in all its angsty glory against the ails of suburban life and the isolation of late-stage capitalist U.S.A., now fused with the nostalgia of teenhood.

At the Roxy, members of the crowd are shrouded in flannel jackets, most of them donning facial piercings and colorfully dyed hair, a typical crowd for the genre. Later on, during the show, when Alex Gaskarth asks “Who’s been to an All Time Low show before?”, over half of the crowd will roar in affirmation. The remainder will be chastised by Gaskarth—”we’ve been a band for twenty fucking years.”

Gym Class Heroes, the final of the three opening acts, creates a unique buzz leading up to All Time Low’s set. I hear people behind me commenting that they haven’t heard a mention of GCH in 10 years. Even still, with just one full-length album that was released in 2011, GCH has enough hits to further fuel my nostalgia. They take us through a whirlwind consisting of “Stereo Hearts”, “Billionaire”, and “Ass Back Home”. The crowd sings along gleefully, for all intents and purposes, confirming my suspicions that for most of us, this show is a callback to our younger years.

When All Time Low band members finally trickle in, they wordlessly launch into their early hits, beginning with “Lost In Stereo” and “Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)” from 2009’s Nothing Personal, followed by “Six Feet Under The Stars” and “Poppin’ Champagne” from 2007’s So Wrong, It’s Right.

When they turn to some of their newer songs off their latest album, Tell Me I’m Alive, they kick it off with “Modern Love”, followed by the title track. All Time Low formed when its members met in high school in 2003. Now, 35 years old, the band acts as a time capsule for the era they emerged out of, with the same cheeky song lyrics (“I’m messy, I’m reckless / I fuck shit up for breakfast”), a healthy dose of disillusionment (”you’re obsessed with drugs and dating / modern love is too complicated”), and a lot of guitar.

Gaskarth in particular looks remarkably youthful, with a head of bleach blonde locks peaking out of a baseball cap, dressed in a white shirt that reads “SWANKIE SAYS CALM DOWN” from their own merch line. In between songs, mimicking their song “Stella”, he says “Will you take me home, Atlanta? Will you tuck me into bed and kiss my cheeks, Atlanta?”.

At the Sound of Letting Go Tour, pop-punk remains on the safe side of disobedience and defiance, the same way I felt listening to All Time Low as a teenager. The crowd is tame. After “Fake As Hell”, All Time Low’s latest single alongside Avril Lavigne, Gaskarth prods the audience to mosh after noticing what he called a “negotiation to mosh or not” happening in the midst of the crowd. During the next song “PMA”, which stands for ‘post-modern anxiety’, a mosh pit emerges in the center of the floor, but it doesn’t last more than a few minutes. All Time Low isn’t necessarily a show people go to and expect a mosh pit.

After three more songs, Gaskarth’s bandmates exit as he sits behind a piano for an intimate intro to “The Way You Miss Me”, which smoothly turns into a full band ensemble by the second verse. Disappearing and then returning to the stage with an acoustic guitar, Gaskarth plays the beginning notes to “Missing You”, a highlight from 2015’s Future Hearts album. It’s an easily relatable track that both promises hope and delivers a reality check with a scream-along bridge that goes “Grit your teeth, pull your hair / Paint the walls black and scream / ‘Fuck the world cause it’s my life / I’m gonna take it back’”.

Edging closer to the end of their two-hour set, Gaskarth says that we’re at the point in the show where he starts to feel “delirious” and “unhinged”, thanking the audience for “cheering on [his] unraveling”. After bantering back and forth with bandmate Jack Barakat and promising a swift return for another show in Atlanta, Gaskarth explains the meaning behind the name of their tour, which comes from the hope that fans can take whatever bullshit they’ve been hanging onto and let the fuck go. The audience claps and, like churchgoers responding with a chorus of amens, repeat to themselves “wooo yeah, let it go”. Naturally, they play “The Sound of Letting Go” next.

During another strategically placed piano intro, this time for “Calm Down”, a bashful Gaskarth gives a sheepish smile on the very zoomed-in camera pointing at his face. It’s a new track from their last album and (yet another) doomsday anthem that dwells on the infuriating feeling of losing your mind over worldly matters that others find immaterial; the refrain goes “Don’t tell me to calm down, tell me to calm down / It’s freaking me out that you’re not freaking out”. At this point, another mosh pit momentarily emerges and then fades back out.

Next, it’s time for the fan-voted song of the evening, wherein the band asks fans to vote for one of four songs via QR code before the show. With a cutesy egg-race video game animation up on the stage screen, the band discovers the song of the evening along with the fans. Tonight, it’s “Last Young Renegade”. Gaskarth jokingly says that this one’s been a fan-favorite so far on tour, which felt ironic to him considering the album had a mixed reception or in his words “everyone was like ‘what the fuck is this’.

Nearing the end of the main setlist, All Time Low digs deep into their discography with “Weightless”, a song I haven’t listened to in years, but still know exactly where every syllable falls when I hear it. Written by Gaskarth when he was 21, alongside songwriter Matt Squire, the song has grown in significance to me since I first heard it at (most probably) twelve years old. I could feel the words “I’m stuck in this fucking rut” and “I’m over getting older” leading into the hopeful exuberance of “Maybe it’s not my weekend / but it’s gonna be my year” with clarity and determination I haven’t felt in a long time.

With one last song (”Monsters”), All Time Low gives their fake goodbyes until it is time for the encore, which begins shortly after with “Sleepwalking”. Afterward, they bring forward a stool with a big red button in the center, prompting someone to come from backstage and press it, which will then activate the slot machine being projected onto the screen behind them. There are three song options and after a couple of spins, it lands on “Vegas” for the night, but the audience is far from fooled. A few stray voices shout “Dear Maria”, before the band dutifully launches into their most iconic track “Dear Maria, Count Me In”. Anyone attempting to leave at this point is getting dirty looks from the people they kindly ask to move aside. Most fans stay for the euphoric endnote of this delightfully 2000s nostalgia-fueled evening.

Atlanta Setlist:

“Lost In Stereo”

“Damned If I Do Ya(Damned If I Don’t)”

“Six Feet Under The Stars”

“Poppin’ Champagne”

“Modern Love” (with “Stella” snippet)

“Tell Me I’m Alive”

“Sleeping In”

“Heroes”

“Fake As Hell”

“PMA”

“New Religion”

“Favorite Place”

“Dark Side of Your Room”

“The Way You Miss Me”

“Missing You”

“The Sound of Letting Go”

“Calm Down”

“Last Young Renegade” (fan-voted song)

“Weightless”

“Monsters”

Encore:

“Sleepwalking”

“Dear Maria, Count Me In”

Show Review: MisterWives & Bishop Briggs at the Tabernacle

Posted on September 14, 2023September 14, 2023 by Buket Urgen

Last Saturday, MisterWives and Bishop Briggs brought their co-headlining Don’t Look Down Tour to Atlanta’s historic Tabernacle. The Tabernacle, originally founded as a church and later converted to a concert hall, was an appropriate choice for a show that felt like a musical baptism, cleansing us, the audience, of all our worldly problems and pledging ourselves to the religion of live music. Plus, they even brought their own Bishop! (Apologies for the corniness, but it was right there and I had to take it.)

The show started squarely at 7:30 with opener Raffaella, who praised both of the headlining women’s energetic stage presence, commenting on how they make it look easy, but she begs to differ. She was not overstating it.

After Raffaella’s peppy opening performance, MisterWives performed first. On a high-rise platform, about 4ft off the ground, in the middle of the stage, lead vocalist Mandy Lee began the performance with incredible gusto, rocking out to “Out Of Your Mind”. The platform was surrounded by screens that played visuals related to each song, adding an impressive technical touch.

After and energetic run through “Dagger”, and “Where Do We Go From Here?” which seamlessly transitioned into “Rock Bottom”, Lee takes a moment to speak and pledge that MisterWives is going to give their all to this performance, followed with “all that we ask in return is for you to feel whatever it is you need to feel”, promising that we’ll dance, cry, sing and laugh it out until we “leave here better than when [we] got here”.

In the floor section, it felt clear that audience members took her plea to heart and mirrored her energy. Lee recognized this and in a moment of vulnerability, paused to reflect before their next song, confessing that she’s been “battling a[n] anxiety attack” since the show began. At that moment, she looked truly overwhelmed by the audience’s response.

A little over halfway through the set, MisterWives performed “Ultraviolet”, a stripped and emotional confessional about insecurities. In an ode to the song’s music video and the album cover, Lee climbed back on top of the middle platform and sat on the edge with three arrows sticking out of her back. The delicate nature of the song and Lee’s existing anxiety surrounding the show pushed her slightly over the edge and she began to cry towards the end of the performance, which felt like real testament to her earlier statement about needing to feel whatever it is you need to feel.

Leading in to “SUPERBLOOM”, a triumphant, upbeat piece which repeats the refrain “I deserve congratulations ‘Cause I came out the other side” again and again, felt like emotional whiplash. After “Ultraviolet”, this one felt like a cathartic release, which (embarrassingly) left me tearful despite the joyous declaration. Perhaps because sometimes, the hardest part of believing something is to admit it to yourself.

Evidently, Briggs had her work cut out for her, following a performance like that. Mirroring MisterWives, Briggs began her performance atop the middle platform with her single “Art of Survival”, dedicated to her late sister, who passed away in 2021 from ovarian cancer. The screens below her featured the song’s music video.

Bishop Briggs performing “Art of Survival” at Atlanta’s the Tabernacle

Briggs came down from the platform, breathless and brimming with enthusiasm, repeatedly stating “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh”. One couldn’t deny her enthusiasm for being on stage and finally kicking off the tour. She segued into “High Horses”, where her electropop sound was in sharp contrast to the full-band pop-rock of MisterWives.

During “Baby”, Briggs led the chorus among an eager audience screaming and dancing to their heart’s content. During “Jekyll & Hyde”, a clever play on a classic literature trope, the screens projected various monsters, which for some reason briefly included Jack Skellington. This also heavily channeled the song’s accompanying music video.

Briggs is still a young artist with a handful of EPs and just two full-length albums. As a developing artist, she doesn’t have a cohesive image that I find myself being able to cling to. She’s raw, honest, and vulnerable, which are traits her fans admire the most, but her visuals feel scattered and disconnected.

Despite my skepticism, the fans absolutely adore her. The power she projects on stage holds a lifeline to audience members, who respect and identify with Briggs’ pains and joys. In the back of the room, I can see a group of friends in a circle, jumping up and down, singing every word.

During an acoustic performance of “Dream”, Briggs strips it back for a concert staple: the phone-light sway-along moment. After a few songs, she throws in a cover of “Take Me To Church”, admitting she’s a big fan of Hozier. It’s a crowdpleaser, the audience sings along loudly.

A few songs later, Briggs wraps up her set with her most successful single, “River”, which naturally, makes the audience ecstatic, putting a neat period at the end of an impressive night of music.

Review: Sarah Kinsley: ‘Ascension’

Posted on July 2, 2023July 2, 2023 by Buket Urgen

Ascension is the latest EP from rising star Sarah Kinsley. Kinsley first rose to prominence with her viral hit “The King”, which introduced audiences to her talented musicianship, soulful voice and melancholic aura. Kinsley, 22, is young but her self-written songs showcase the craftsmanship of a well-seasoned artist, which is somewhat of a rarity amongst the current class of rising stars, who (on average) prefer to focus on marketability rather than artistry.

Kinsley, who produces her own songs, creates an alluring sonic landscape on Ascension with her knack for finding chaos and beauty in the mundane. On TikTok, she shares bits of her process which show her using a glass bottle on her guitar and hitting random object in her apartment as pieces to her songs. She says what enthralls her the most is “sounds that are individually really bizarre” and how “their essence amongst the collective creates a sonic environment that is so captivating.”

Ascension opens up with “Oh No Darling!”, which is a song Kinsley coins as “sarcastic” and “mean” but also “silly”. She grapples with age, growing up and being stuck in the past. Kinsley creates an endless melody, subverting expectations of classic pop. It’s hard to predict where the song is going, without an arc and a natural conclusion, the listener expects more.

The second track, “Black Horse”, tackles the dichotomy of sanity versus insanity. The pre-chorus builds with layers upon layers of vocals, giving a rich texture to the song, which Kinsley points to as one of her proudest moments on the record.

On the title-track, Kinsley leans into her classically trained roots, incorporating strings into her execution. Oft deemed “too emotional”, Kinsley was chastised for being unwilling to conform to the rigidity of classical music, but now she embraces it. She adorns her songs with classical elements, such as strings in the background, which give her indie pop a timeless quality.

As an early single, “Lovegod” is a standout song on the EP with biting lyrics like “singing holy praises to an indifferent god”. It’s snarky, clever and dreamy. A wistful anthem for the lonely. She packages it all off with “Sliver of Time”, where you can hear uncanny hints of Mitski and Lana Del Rey, both of whom she often draws comparisons to in the comments section of her videos. Regardless, Kinsley remains a wholly original and gifted writer/producer.

boygenius Headlines Re:SET Concert Series in Atlanta Despite Delays

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Buket Urgen

Last Sunday was the final leg of the Re:SET concert series in Atlanta, featuring headliner boygenius preceded by Bartees Strange, Dijon and Clairo. Given how summers in the south are prone to sporadic bouts of rain and thunder, the concert series has had to improvise against a string of weather-related events the entire weekend. On Saturday, Re:SET cancelled Bartees Strange’s and Dijon’s sets in New Orleans due to delays brought on by severe weather. On Sunday, Re:SET cancelled LCD Soundsystem’s and Jamie XX’s sets in Dallas, once again, due to inclement weather. Atlanta, fortunately, avoided cancellations during Sunday’s storm, despite setbacks early on.

Re:SET’s Sunday in Atlanta began with a shaky start. Two hours before doors opened, Re:SET announced on its social media that, in order to accommodate expected storms, the times of every act was being pushed up. The doors opened at 2:30 PM instead of 3 PM and Bartees’ performance was moved from 4:15 PM to 2:50 PM.

Attendees who were fortunate enough to be made aware of the change were left scrambling to make it to the show in time (or perhaps unable to do anything due to already having a lengthy commute). Or if, like me, you were unaware of the time change until you had arrived, you likely missed all of Bartees’ set and half of Dijon’s, both of which were cut by 10 minutes anyway. This was a real pity as I was looking forward to seeing the full lineup, like a lot of other “late” attendees.

Unfortunately, this left a bad aftertaste for some attendees, who expected more timely and direct communication. In defense of the show’s organizer’s, last minute changes are unavoidable due to the unpredictable nature of weather. They handled this no worse (and no better) than most other festivals, except for one important distinction: Re:SET needed to do more than a social media announcement. Most attendees received an email after the first set had already began. No one received text messages, which should really be a standard practice.

Despite these last-minute changes, Dijon gave a hearty performance and the audience gave him a lot of love. His set-up was minimalist and relaxed, with band members and Dijon frequently sitting down with their instruments, which didn’t hinder his performance in the slightest. Dijon’s ability to manipulate his voice and make the audience feel the lyrics made the performance a great addition to an impressive Re:SET lineup.

During Dijon’s set, Julien Baker (of boygenius) momentarily appeared in the VIP section of the park. Maybe she wanted to catch the performance as well? Her presence caused a minuscule commotion where a small number of fans noticed her and she quickly disappeared behind the tall black-clothed fences she’d come from.

At the end of his set, Dijon’s artistry really shined through during “Rodeo Clown”. In a moment that stole the gaze of everyone in Central Park, he scream-sang the words “I’d die for you”. (I didn’t capture the moment on film but here’s his performance of “Rodeo Clown” in San Francisco.) In a sudden manner, he threw down the mic and left the stage without the typical formalities.

Right around this time, I noticed that Atlanta’s homegrown indie-darling Faye Webster was also in attendance amidst the corded-off guest list area with some friends.

Next, it was time for bedroom-pop pioneer Clairo, who was born right around the corner in Dunwoody, which she pointed out during her set. Clairo came with a full-band, which included a saxophone-player that I absolutely loved hearing. Clairo herself rotated between playing the piano and a variety of guitars. Her demeanor was ultra-relaxed. She looked comfortable and at ease, happy to be on stage. Other than the few danceable songs she sang, the audience enjoyed her mellow artistry by swaying along to her sweet voice and gorgeous band.

Post-Clairo, everyone was hesitant to leave their spot in the crowd in preparation for the day’s headliner. The energy and anticipation in the audience rose as Clairo’s equipment was removed and replaced with those of boygenius. Everything was set.

Then, confused rumbles began amidst the crowd as crew members placed bags over every equipment and taped it down. The banners on either side of the stage were rolled up. The rescheduled time for boygenius, 6:10 PM, came and went. The audience began to grumble about the current sunny disposition, complaining, rather incorrectly, that if boygenius began at 6:10 PM, as intended, they’d be done before a storm rushed in.

Eventually, all confusion was quelled and replaced by upset at the message now projected on stage in bold red letters: “Severe weather alert. Please evacuate immediately”, followed by the poor man in charge of dispersing the stubborn crowds by repeating the same message over a microphone. The show was postponed until further notice. The crowd, clumsily, chanted “rain or shine, rain or shine”, referring to Re:SET’s stated website policy. But alas, the hourly wage workers of Re:SET are at the mercy of the law which forbids any outdoor event from taking place when lightening is present.

Like a somber funeral march, the audience slowly (and not-quite-surely) left central park. Everyone headed to the nearest dining or shopping establishment that could provide shelter, which was I’m sure, a rather ridiculous scene to the workers of various establishments in the center of Atlanta. A very specific brand of young adults crowding in.

Fortunately, the delay lasted only slightly over an hour. At 8:00 PM, Re:SET announced that the doors were back open and boygenius would play at 9:00 PM. For those unfamiliar with such festival procedures, who made the untimely decision to go home early, believing the early evacuation to be a complete cancellation, some were unable to come back. But those who stuck it out were rewarded with a dazzling boygenius performance, who miraculously squeezed in their entire concert setlist, albeit aided by the fact they began their set earlier than announced….

For the lucky returners, boygenius gave a performance filled with their usual shenanigans, like Phoebe and Lucy wrestling each other on stage and a lot of cozy snuggling. Their setlist contained the entirety of boygenius’ discography (one full-length album and an early ep). In an on-brand maneuver, boygenius paused the show to speak out against “Cop City” and have the audience yell “fuck cops” at full volume. Given that each artist is known for their solo pursuits as well, the show was rounded out well with an acoustic performance of an emotional song from artist as the encore.

Overall, Re:SET gave a glimpse of a different kind of music event. This was their inaugural year and I am excited and hopeful to see Re:SET return in the following years to come.

What is the Re:SET concert series?

What Re:SET is trying to do is a novel idea in the music industry so let’s dive further into it here:

The Re:SET Concert Series is meant to take place across three cities with shows happening simultaneously in each city on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with a rotating array of artists. For example, boygenius headlined with Re:SET in Dallas on Friday, New Orleans on Saturday, and Atlanta on Sunday; Steve Lacy performed in Atlanta first, then in Dallas, and finally in New Orleans.

Much like a festival, the concerts are performed outdoors with a variety of local vendors, too-expensive water bottles and (of course) porta potties. The event lasts for most of the day, under the brutal summer sun. One may buy tickets to one day of the event, or the whole weekend at a discounted price.

Unlike a festival, there is only one concert place taking place at any given time and the acts travel in their pre-determined groups to three different cities each weekend. I do wonder if the format will stick.

Where Are All the Female Producers?

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Buket Urgen

In a recent email to its members, the Recording Academy boasts of nearly 50 percent of Grammy nominations in 2023 being women despite oversights in major categories, where women stood at 15.2 percent. The major categories are Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Songwriter of the Year, and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. In fact, despite 65 years of existence, the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical award has never been won by a female nominee. However, the Grammys are not necessarily overlooking female and non-binary producers; there are just fewer of them in chart-topping records.

This was the third year in a row with all-male nominees since Linda Perry’s nomination in 2019, who was the first woman nominated since 2004. Perry is a rarity in an industry where only 3.4 percent of producers are women. For women of color, the pick is even slimmer, with only 13 out of 1,756 producing credits attributed to them. (Note: the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative only examines mainstream songs when gathering this data.)

Spurred by the Recording Academy’s Women in the Mix study, “hundreds of music professionals and organizations…pledge to consider at least two women in the selection process every time a producer or engineer is hired.” (Emphasis mine.) However, this pledge has minimal impact on the year’s most popular songs. In 2022, only one pledge-taker worked with a woman producer on a Billboard Hot 100 Year-End song and zero worked with women engineers. This is a decrease from last year’s four and five, respectively.

Although less prevalent, female producers do exist and are often pioneers in their own genres. Billboard’s Women in Music Awards recognized this by awarding Rosalía its inaugural producer of the year award. As Rosalía notes, the work of producers (and engineers) is often understated and far less glamorous. She declares “I make my own music and I produce my own songs and I write my own songs,” which is reminiscent of legendary acts like Björk and Missy Elliot, who she also recognizes in her speech.

Missy Elliot has received little recognition despite producing and writing songs for an impressive list of artists; and she knows it. She says “if a man would have done half the records that I’ve done we would know about it.” Björk, a pioneer in the avant-garde genre, feels the same way. Following the recent comeback of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” which is entirely self-written and self-produced, Björk notes that both women have been brutally caricatured for their eccentricity. She says “We’re both producers…If we were guys, we would be taken more seriously.”

SOPHIE, who died two years ago at the age of 34, was a visionary producer in electronic and avant-garde pop. SOPHIE’s collaborations with Charli XCX, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Vince Staples, and so many more paved the way for so much of the music we hear today. SOPHIE deserves to be remembered as such.

These are just a few of the female and gender-expansive producers that fly under the radar. Besides Linda Perry, only six other women have been nominated for the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical award and half of them weren’t even nominated on their own. (The Producer of the Year, Classical award has had three female winners: Judith Sherman, Joanna Nickrenz, and Elaine L. Martone.) Although music lovers everywhere lament the death of its cultural relevance, with oversights like this, the Grammys are only compounding its issues.

The Recording Academy has generously pledged a total of $50,000 to companies focused on supporting women and girls in music, which is certainly a right step forward, but clearly more needs to be done. In their latest Women in the Mix study, the Recording Academy suggests increased resources and structural support in the form of mentorships, paid internships, and additional paid time off for better work/life balance to address gender disparities. In the meantime, we should recognize the talents and contributions of these innovative producers.

You can check out some of the organizations supporting women in the recording industry right here: we are moving the needle, girls who listen, Girls Behind the Rock Show, Beats By Girlz, and Girls Make Beats.

We’ve also compiled a playlist of songs featuring our favorite female and non-binary producers. Listen below now! Our playlist features the producers mentioned above as well as PinkPantheress, H.E.R., WondaGurl, and more. Think we missed any? (And we’re sure we did!) Let us on Instagram or Twitter!

Review: PICTURESHOW: ‘A Night at the Picture Show’

Posted on March 3, 2023March 3, 2023 by Buket Urgen

PICTURESHOW is one of the newest bands to rise from Athens, Georgia. On March 3, they released their aptly titled debut EP A Night at the Picture Show. Almost two weeks earlier, the band eagerly released their debut single “Fix,” which features cyclical riffs, passionate growl-singing, and sharp lyrics. The band’s EP is characterized by all the same elements.

The opening track, “Mean” is a slow burn, but a grand statement. The same musical motif repeats again and again while leader singer Jim Bass’s voice rises and falls back down with vigor. He uses volume in a playful manner, which is harder to capture on a record than it is to perform live; on this record, the desired effect is achieved. It is great choice as an EP opener. Next up is “Loving in the Real World,” which has an authentic throwback feel. It takes me back to my middle school playlist; it could sit squarely between a track by Mayday Parade and Secondhand Serenade.

“Breaks Like Plastic” and “No Words to Spare” are catchy songs despite (or perhaps because of?) the somewhat self-pitying lyrics. When I first listened through the EP, I thought that these would be the mosh pit songs, but that was until I heard the next song, “Fight Night at Flicker,” which turned out to be more suitable for that title. This is an absolutely cathartic release.

The final song, “Gyno Magoo” is an eccentric finale about a man who is good for nothing except sex. The end of the song reads like an inappropriate Dr. Seuss parody, but charming nonetheless, in its own way. One thing is for sure: PICTURESHOW has a raw, gritty and DIY feel that’s sure to be hit live.

Review: Samia: ‘Honey’

Posted on February 3, 2023February 3, 2023 by Buket Urgen

Samia’s introspective new album, Honey, opens with a delusional, searing confession delivered amidst a somber funeral organ. She parallels SZA’s recent hit, “Kill Bill,” and daydreams about killing an ex’s new lover. In recent interviews, she consistently describes her second LP as ‘pathologically confessional.’ True to her word, the album’s lead single and opening track, “Kill Her Freak Out,” feels like the emotional equivalent of a whimper from a wounded animal and it’s not even the most sorrowful track on the record.

In her next song, Samia flips the narrative on its head. In “Charm You,” she no longer cares to bend the truth for her partner. Instead, she’s cloaked in nonchalance, an evolution from her previous LP’s “Limbo Bitch.” In an interview with Atwood Magazine, she stated that each song builds on the next one, which is by no means a new or novel idea for songwriters, but the ability to reference older works and to build cohesive storylines (and to do it well) is an understated talent. Samia’s take on it is refreshing and revealing. Take for example, the three-song run “Pink Ballon,” “Mad At Me” and “Sea Lions,” which tells the story of a friendship gone awry.

“Breathing Song” is the clear standout from the bunch. It lacks the pop appeal of earlier singles like “Honey” and “Mad At Me” and will likely lag behind in streaming numbers. The unsubtle and brutal lyricism makes it hard to hear more than once in a row. It’s a moving and deeply painful account of what can only be interpreted as sexual assault. Perhaps the hardest part to bear is the song’s circular movement. She teeters between accepting her own reality and clinging to her abuser’s version of the story, denying what she knows to be true. There’s no resolution or solace to be found here.

“Breathing Song” was released as a companion to the title track (“Honey”), which tells the same story from a different perspective. The connection is faint and impalpable; it would be missed easily if we hadn’t been explicitly told so. Despite the dulcet tune of the song (pun intended), she describes this as ‘the saddest song [she’s] ever written.‘ Go figure.

But fear not, this story gets a happy ending. The final songs show Samia finding love and romanticizing the mundane (”Nanana”), serve as an ode to her friends (”Amelia”) and beckon forward an age of hope (“Dream Song”). With such a strong and charming second LP, Samia is set to become an indie darling.

A collage of Noah Kahan, Beyonce, Rosalia, Kendrick Lamar, and Denzel Curry with a background featuring orange, blue, and purple tones blending together

Year in Review: Our Favorite Albums of 2022—Staff Picks

Posted on January 2, 2023January 20, 2023 by Buket Urgen, Haley Gilbert and Jacob Feinberg

As lifelong music fans, our lives are soundtracked by the records we listen to. Our seasons change with each new album we find and cling to. Our favorite lyrics are often the flashlight’s glimmer that shine during the darkest of our nights. Here, Vinyl Mag’s staff reflects on their favorite albums of the year. How does your list compare to ours?

Jake Feinberg, Staff Writer

JID, The Forever Story
JPEGMAFIA, LP
Smino, Luv 4 Rent
Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Westside Gunn, 10
Fly Anakin, Frank
MAVI, Laughing so Hard, It Hurts
Denzel Curry, Melt My Eyes See Your Future
Pusha T, It’s Almost Dry
Kenny Mason, RUFFS

Looking back, 2022 was a monumental year for how I perceive music. I dodged viral TikTok songs and commercial hits to find amazing new music and a deeper appreciation for the craft. Rap music, especially, was constantly changing and growing, like a rap music renaissance. We saw quality lyricism take a forefront, with albums like Melt My Eyes See Your Future, the Forever Story and Frank. These albums found artful angles within the “fast rap” style, creating complex rhyme schemes and flows, but never once taking away from the artists’ emotional narratives. I saw Denzel Curry at the Tabernacle, and watched him perform “walkin”, one of his deeper and more lyrically dense songs from the album. Nothing is as impressive as seeing an artist perform with such lyricism, especially when done as effortlessly as Curry. Creativity in production found further popularity as well, giving space for experimental albums to emerge like JPEGMAFIA’s LP, MAVI’s Laughing so Hard, it Hurts and Kenny Mason’s RUFFS. Each approached rap from a different creative angle, such as electronic beats, complex drums and flows or rock-influenced melodies. At JPEGMAFIA’s show at Atlanta’s the Masquerade, I was blown away by the artist’s solo presence with just his experimental background instrumentals. I am thankful for 2022’s expansive musical landscape that allowed me to branch into newer areas of music I hadn’t anticipated. Kendrick Lamar and Pusha T finally returned, after a five-year and four-year hiatus respectively. They delivered masterfully crafted albums, reminding us why they are still at the top. This year, 10 was another important album, where Westside Gunn demonstrated the power of curation. Collaborating with signees from Griselda, the record label he founded, Gunn was able to create one of the hardest and most cohesive albums of the year. In 2022, artists took their talents to the next level and excelled at expressing themselves, ultimately bringing together a beautiful year of music.

Haley Gilbert, Staff Writer

Noah Kahan, Stick Season
Lizzie McAlpine, Five Seconds Flat
Gang of Youths, angel in realtime
Mt. Joy, Orange Blood
Caamp, Lavender Days
Conan Gray, Superache
Maggie Rogers, Surrender
The Lumineers, BRIGHTSIDE
Matt Maeson, Never Had to Leave
COIN, Uncanny Valley

For me, 2022 was a very transformative year; I know that’s a cliché, but there’s a reason it’s said so often. During times when everything around me is changing and filled with uncertainty, I often cling to music to keep myself grounded. Thankfully, there were plenty of great options to choose from this year. The albums on my list were the soundtrack to the calamity that this year bred. The year started out on a lighter note, with The Lumineers new album Brightside delicately guiding me through the joys and turbulences associated with one’s early twenties. For the days when I just wanted to be angry and not feel guilty about it, Conan Gray’s Superache gave me an outlet to express those frustrations while sing-shouting along to songs like “Jigsaw” and “Memories,” much to the dismay of my neighbors in my thin-walled apartment building. During the more confusing times, I have found support and solace in the words of Lizzy McAlpine, listening to Five Seconds Flat as if it was advice given to me by one of my best friends. After spending a good portion of my year listening to Caamp’s Lavender Days, I learned that it is a great album to fill the empty space with, but I can also just as easily get swept up into it. As the Hannukah season was approaching, I found myself listening to the self-titled Jewish Ed Sheeran himself, Noah Kahan, and gladly spent all eight days unwrapping the gifts he gave the world with his album Stick Season. For all the short days, long nights, and moments in between, the albums on this list carefully and purposefully filled those gaps with glimpses of heartbreak, happiness, and immense awe at what these artists were able to convey with their music. As the year is coming to an end, so is a chapter of my life, and I am grateful it had such talented narrators.

Buket Urgen, Editor-in-chief

Beyonce, Renaissance
Taylor Swift, Midnights
MUNA, MUNA
Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Charli XCX, CRASH
Lucius, Second Nature
Rina Sawayama, Hold the Girl
Angel Olsen, Big Time
Little Simz, No Thank You
ROSALIA, MOTOMAMI

My 2022 played out in two acts. Act one—I rounded out my final college semester culminating with graduation. As I went through the motions of preparing for post-grad life, leaving no stone unturned as this incredible chapter came to a sudden, cathartic but ultimately somewhat anticlimactic ending, I was comforted by wildly fun and equally cathartic tunes (CRASH, Second Nature). Act two—post graduation calm followed by me moving abroad. Everything from the scenery to the supporting roles shifted into new territory, which is nothing if not nostalgic. Music became an easy, necessary escape when I couldn’t find the words to communicate in my new everyday language. Naturally, I relied on new music by old favorites (Midnights, MUNA, Hold the Girl). Although, Midnights was a controversial one for me. It features some of Swift’s strongest work (‘Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve,’ ‘You’re on Your Own Kid’) and some of her worst (Vigilante Shit) and also her most average. But alas, her chokehold on my Spotify Wrapped (and me) persists. On a final note, Beyonce’s Renaissance was the strongest album of the year. In the year of house music revival, Beyonce (and her many collaborators) created the perfect one that kept me dancing all summer long. My only complaint is that it wasn’t released sooner.

February Fortunes – Who We’re Watching in 2022

Posted on February 28, 2022March 8, 2023 by Buket Urgen and Jonathan Yim

Vinyl Mag staff names nine artists that they’re keeping an eye on in this most transcendent year.

1. Nija

Nija is well-known in the industry as a songwriter and producer. She’s been writing songs for big-name artists since she was 20 years old. Beyonce, Jay-Z, Summer Walker, Cardi-B, Ariana Grande—the list goes on and on. In 2019, she was featured on a track on The Lion King: The Gift alongside Beyonce. In 2021, she finally released a trio of her own singles. Her solo work features her warm voice in silky R&B tracks. There’s a lot to look forward to in a potential full-length album from her. Luckily, she’s been teasing upcoming projects on her Instagram. By Buket Urgen

Listen to: “Ease My Mind (Come Over),” “Finesse,” “On Call”

2. Allison Pontier

Fairly new on the scene is Texan Allison Pontier. She has a transfixing voice with a southern accent that peaks through at select moments which meshes beautifully with how she embraces her roots in her songwriting and overall image. After a string of singles, she released a short EP in 2021. Even before she had released any of her own work, Lord Huron liked her voice so much, he asked her to be on a song with him. By BU

Listen to: “Cowboy,” “Late Bloomer,” “Hell Is A Crowded Room”

3. Pom Pom Squad

Mia Berrin began performing under the name Pom Pom Squad in 2015 when she was just 18 years old. Since then, Pom Pom Squad has transformed into a fully fleshed-out pop-punk band, and they released their debut album Death of a Cheerleader in 2021. The band is crafted around cheerleader aesthetics. However, Pom Pom Squad subverts the typical cheerleader image applying its femininity (the glam, the artifice, the attitude) to ideas that rarely co-exist in the cannon of cheerleaders like queer love.

The result is an authentic reflection of punk and a version of cheerleading that feels freer in its dismissal of everything we believe cheerleading is supposed to stand for—an accomplishment the likes of which Olivia Rodrigo hoped to achieve with “good 4 u.” A carefully crafted homage to punk DIY is, at the end of the day, a re-appropriation of its aesthetics rather than a true embrace of its original intent. But, I’ll step off my pedestal for now. You can catch Pom Pom Squad on tour right here. By BU

Listen to: “Head Cheerleader,” “Lux,” “Crying,” “Popular” (Nada Surf cover)

4. Mustafa

Toronto-born artist, Mustafa, released his debut solo album When Smoke Rises in May 2021. It’s a stunning collection of introspective folk songs about loss and grief. Mustafa began to share his poetry at an early age and his incisive writing comes through brilliantly in his solo work. Originally starting out in hip-hop, he was a member of the hip-hop collective Halal Gang, and produced and released a documentary, Remember Me, Toronto, about Canada’s hip-hop scene. Through his collaboration with the producer Frank Dukes, he has written songs for The Weeknd, Camila Cabello, and Justin Bieber. His minimal production; brassy, gentle vocals; and profound lyrics make him the ideal artist for times of reflection and meditation, even when the challenges you face seem too difficult and painful to approach. By BU

Listen to: “Ali,” “Air Forces,” “The Hearse”

5. Hikaru Utada

With their first full-length release in 4 years, J-pop star Hikaru Utada returns by way of a full-length effort, Bad Mode, whose tracklist boasts nearly an hour twenty of material. The collaborators on the project are not anything to scoff at either, seeing the likes of Skrillex, Floating Points, and A.G. Cook mark their stamp on the tracklist. The tracks veer side to side from lounge music to disco all the way over towards minimal techno. Not to mention the inclusion of the triumphant “One Last Kiss”, featured on the Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0 soundtrack. By Jonathan Yim

Listen to: “Somewhere Near Marseilles”, “Time”, “Find Love”

6. Bear1Boss

Atlanta-based rapper, Bear1Boss, has already blasted through the beginning of 2022 with a handful of singles and mixtape, Sicko Space X. The lineage of Bear1Boss’ influences seem quite obvious (see: Sahbabii, Bladee, UnoTheActivist, etc.) yet the 23-year-old rapper continues to push the boundaries of the current hip-hop meta. With some promising collaborations on the horizon and unrelenting release stamina, 2022 will see Bear1Boss add to his already prolific collection of works. By JY

Listen to: “Quit”, “Material Bwoy”, “Yuued”

7. Huerco S.

After 6 years away from the project, Kansas-born producer, Brian Leeds, is returning to the Huerco S. name with LP, Plonk. The hiatus without new Huerco S. has left a void in the hearts of fans fiending for another hypnogogic ambient excursion. But since making decade-end lists and a Frank Ocean co-sign of 2016’s For Those Of You Who Have Never…, Leeds has decided to keep the project away from a possible pigeonhole. Plonk will see Leeds exploring where he is now, or in 2019, rather, as most of the material has been sitting on a hard drive for the past few years. He urges listeners to keep an open mind as the Huerco S. project is free-flowing in form and will simply allow Leeds to make the music he is feeling at any given moment. By JY

Plonk is out on February 25th via Incienso Records.

8. LANNDS

Hailing from Jacksonville, FL, somewhere close to home and quite influential to me in my formative years, I can’t help but think LANNDS is definitely a duo to watch. Recently being spotlighted as Album of the Day by Bandcamp, it is almost a ticking time bomb to watch them increase in following and recognition. LANNDS seems to do it all, bringing achey beats, haunting vocals, and synthy wavelengths to funnel through you. I look forward to catching one of their shows. By JY

Listen: “ninety four”

lotus deluxe has just dropped on Run For Cover Records.

9. yeule

yeule is no one new to the scene, with tracks of their 2019’ album, Serotonin II, compiling multimillion plays on streaming. but, with their recent release, Glitch Princess, growth and evolution is evident. Waking up from a massive software update, the robot — the embodiment of the album — tells us their story of placing themself back into this earthly plane. Gauging the ebb and flow of music and style influence, yeule is someone to watch as we trickle closer and closer everyday into the uncanny valley. By JY

Listen to: “Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty”

Glitch Princess is available now via Bayonet Records.

Shaky Knees Diaries: Day 3

Posted on November 10, 2021September 16, 2022 by Buket Urgen

It’s time for the final installment of the 2021 Shaky Knees Diaries :’). So let’s dive in, but make sure you’ve caught up on Day 1 and Day 2 first!

12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Today, we are off to a late start. After the Run the Jewels performance of the previous night, we slept in. Then, we took our time grabbing lunch at Krog Street Market and strolling through the Beltline and Ponce City Market. (Side note: Krog has some of the best food in Atlanta – like Jai Ho, the Indian restaurant I loved and Soul, which served wings that my boyfriend will literally not stopping talking about.) We were staying close enough that we could walk to the park and today, we decided we would. The gorgeous Georgia weather was on our side as Shaky Knees had fallen neatly within those two blissful weeks of the year when the weather is neither too hot nor too cold and just perfect.

2:30 p.m. – So far, we had avoided the long lines that form later in the day as most ticketholders arrive late. Today was different. As we approached the main entrance (just a few hours earlier than the past two days), there is no clear path forward. Instead, we find a sea of festivalgoers ahead of us. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long as everyone is rushed through security steadily (for better or for worse).

2:55 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – The Aubreys

The duo, consisting of Malcolm Craig and Finn Wolfhard, began their performance at 2:45 p.m. We missed the first few minutes due to the crowded gate, but we still manage to catch much of the set. They’re performing on the Criminal Records Stage, which is the perfect place for casual enjoyers to camp out and sit on the grass while still being close enough to see the action. And that’s exactly what we did. The Aubreys are laid back but charismatic, charming the audience with their jests. I could see a dedicated group of fans jumping and swaying near the stage.

3:30 p.m. – The Backseat Lovers

The Ponce de Leon stage had a crowd going way before the Backseat Lovers took their places. The front of the stage is packed and even the little hill behind the gravel lot has little room left for walking. Once the show begins, many in the audience ~~sing~~ scream along with the band.

About halfway through the set, I start to wonder how Delta Spirit must be doing on the other side of the park. Out of curiosity, I’d been making mental notes about the relative streaming numbers of artists and what stage they were placed on. My conclusion is that there is no correlation, but for the most part, the Shaky Knees booking team seems to know their stuff pretty well. In this case, the Backseat Lovers outdo Delta Spirit by quite a large margin in terms of streaming. And yet, it’s the former that’s on the smaller stage. Ultimately, this worked well because the experience of a packed show in a smaller, more intimate venue suited the Backseat Lovers.

4:10 p.m. – My curiosity gets the best of me. So, we head over to see Delta Spirit perform on Zelle on Piedmont. There is a sizable crowd going with many gathering by the stage and others hanging back, enjoying the show from afar. We join the people lounging on the grass. Tired as we are, we decide to lie down on the grass and close our eyes. Delta Spirit is putting on a proper rock concert and I can feel the ground vibrate underneath me. At that point, I understand why they were placed on this very stage.

4:30 p.m.– Orville Peck

It’s time for the most enigmatic character of the entire lineup to perform. Orville Peck, the cowboy who’s never revealed his face, debuted in 2019. Despite my lack of familiarity with Peck, I could tell that festival goers were buzzing to see him live. So, we took our seats on the hill across from the Peachtree Stage. Peck was on the big screen with a wide white cowboy hat and his signature face mask. When he turned around, you could catch a better glimpse of his flamboyant jacket, which was painted with flames, a sunset, a truck on the highway, and (of course) his name. Before his performance of “Roses are Falling,” Orville sincerely asks the audience, “Have you ever loved someone so much you wanted to kill them?” If you have, he asks that you hold them close for this song.

5:00 p.m. – Ritt Momney

We left Orville’s set early to catch Ritt Momney at Criminal Records. And I will admit, I have some serious regrets about leaving Orville’s set early for a largely unremarkable performance. Oh well, we live, and we learn. Oh, and Ritt didn’t even stay for his whole set; he ended 15 minutes early!

5:15 p.m. – With the extra time on our hands, we move over to the Ponce de Leon stage and get a spot for The Aces’ 5:30 p.m. show. There is already a crowd forming. The Aces begin with their hit single “Daydream” and the audience loves them. Halfway through the show, lead vocalist Cristal Ramirez steps off the stage to sing by the barricade and the audience absolutely loses their minds. I am stunned by how her voice sounds exactly like it does on records. At some point, my boyfriend taps on my shoulder and goes, “The number of guys who were clearly brought here by their girlfriends and have no idea what’s happening is astonishing.” He was right. We were surrounded by a comical number of this exact pairing, and yes, it included us.

6:10 p.m. – We head over to Zelle on Piedmont where O.A.R. is performing. One thing I forgot to mention earlier: about one in 20 people today showed up with skeletons on their shirts à la the iconic Phoebe Bridgers look. And now, they concentrated in this exact spot, all waiting for the O.A.R performance to end to secure their spots for Phoebe.

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – O.A.R.’s performance ends and their fans shuffle their way out of the crowd; people here to see Phoebe fill the gaps in immediately. There’s still an hour to go while Modest Mouse performs one stage over, but at least, the crowd knows how to keep themselves entertained and we get to watch the sunset behind us as we wait. Someone holds up their phone a couple feet behind me, it reads, “Anyone lesbian?”

About ten minutes before her set begins, I hear the crowd in front of us begin to chant “mommy, mommy” repeatedly, but it dies down. The crowd tightens slightly as the beginning time gets closer. A girl next to me comments, “Did everyone suddenly get taller? I can’t see anymore.” My boyfriend responds back, “I think that if everyone could just take off their Doc Martens, we’d be able to see better.”

7:30 p.m. – Phoebe Bridgers

Right on time, Phoebe’s ensemble steps out on stage clad in skeletal bodysuits accompanied by Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling” playing in the background. Phoebe herself is wearing all black with a faintly sparkly top and a blazer to top it off. This is her last stop of tour, and she begins with her most popular song “Motion Sickness.” When “Scott Street” plays, the crowd is singing along softly, but clearly; it sounds a like a lovely, haunting lullaby. To the absolute delight of the audience Phoebe plays her song “Georgia,” which has not been on the setlist for any previous shows of the tour. Of the song she says, “Sincerity is fucking humiliating but I’m coming around to it.”

When she notices a fan poster asking her about her favorite movie, she responds, “I re-watched the SpongeBob movie this year, it holds up. Anyway, this next song is about alcoholism.” Before her last song, Phoebe says she has one wish before the end of tour, she really wants a mosh pit (“I’m sorry about the tote bag bitches”). Then, she begins “I Know The End,” which builds and builds and builds until you can’t hear anything but the instrumental and screams. And then, it’s over.

8:30 p.m. – The Strokes

It’s 8:30 p.m. – time for the Strokes to perform, but they are nowhere to be seen. We get no explanation as to what’s going on. This is unusual for Shaky Knees because all the acts so far have operated like clockwork. Nearly 20 minutes pass until the band finally steps out on to stage. We have opted to watch the show from afar, where we can see the effects clearly and dance as we wish. The crowd is clearly excited to be there, but something feels… off. Leader singer, Julian Casablancas, kind of sounds like he’d rather be anywhere else. He is mumbling through the lyrics and his interactions with the crowd are subpar at best. I didn’t stay for the full set, but I did stay long enough to hear him start then immediately stop at the onset of one song (“I don’t know the lyrics to this one”).

Even dedicated fans were divided over the performance when the festival was over. Many were disappointed by Casablancas’ unprofessional demeanor and his overall performance, even ones who’d been waiting to see them for years. This was not the ending they had hoped for after an incredible weekend at Shaky. But there was another camp of fans who had a blast despite these shortcomings – it’s a rock concert after all, what did you expect?! That’s just classic Julian! Either way, when I walked out of that park with “The Adults Are Talking” fading out in the distance, I could almost see the end credits begin to roll.

So, that’s what you missed at this year’s Shaky Knees. If you want to experience it for yourself, check out the Shaky Knees 2022 lineup, which just got released! Until next time…