Category: Features
10 Songs Hated By Their Own Artists
Everyone has heard about Robert Plant and his well known, self-professed hatred for “Stairway to Heaven,” or Slash’s iconic lack of fondness for “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” but there’s a much longer list of artists with contempt some of their own major work.
In the spirit of departing from overtly sensationalist, click-bait titles, this list really should have a more appropriate name. However, after giving it some thought, it was plain that “10 Songs Whose Own Artists Dislike Listening To and/or Performing Live” didn’t quite have the same ring about it.
This is a list mostly comprised of artist-given opinions about their own work, and contains information pulled from interviews, recorded expressions and quotes while relying less on rumor and hearsay. In this Top 10, artist opinions range from mild aversion to outright cringe-level at the thought of performing any of these in front of an audience or hearing them on the radio. Let’s get started.
10. Kings of Leon – “Sex on Fire”
Artists get sick of their songs over time. It happens. For Kings of Leon, fan insistence is probably the only thing keeping the song “Sex on Fire” on their set list night after night. The band’s members have been quite adamant in letting everyone know just how they feel about the continuous demand for their most popular hit—quoth Kings of Leon at a show about to play “Sex on Fire”: “We hope you guys like this one, because we’re fuckin’ sick of playing it.”
Funny? Yes, a little. But it turns out that the band was completely serious, as drummer Nathan Followill reconfirmed in an interview for UK newspaper, The Sun:
“I would be pretty damn happy if my sex was never ever on fire again. Fans want it and you have to do it, and after so many albums together I can tell you, there’s a lot of debate about what records make it onto a set list. Everyone has their favorites.”
9. Eminem – “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”
As any listener of Eminem knows, the relationship between the artist and his mother has been rocky at best, rising to the surface through tracks such as “My Name Is” and other releases at the turn of the millennium. “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” is one such release, and one that Eminem (aka Marshal Mathers) absolutely refuses to perform live anymore.
In fact, on the Marshal Mathers LP 2 in 2013, the song “Headlights” is featured as an apologetic lyrical play to his mother, Debbie Mathers and provides a good look at Eminem’s current perspective on their troubled history, as well as some of the motivations for writing “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”—now, Mathers explains, he cringes whenever he hears it, and states his regrets for mocking her drug problem and vowing to never let his daughters meet their grandmother.
8. James Blunt – “You’re Beautiful”
James Blunt is not a fan of being associated with the song that, according to him, was force-fed to anyone walking around in 2005 to the point of being completely obnoxious. To quote the artist:
“”I think, at the end of the day, I was marketed by a record company to appeal to women during Desperate Housewives‘ commercials and you lose 50 per cent of the population in doing so.”
Moreso, the success of “You’re Beautiful” served to paint Blunt as something that he felt misrepresented the direction of both his career and overall personality; he assures everyone that he isn’t happy being so glum all the time:
“The marketing also painted me out as an insanely serious person, an earnest person and, as all my friends know, I’m anything but. I have a couple of over-emotional miserable songs that I’m known for, but I think it’s turned that corner now. People can see I don’t take myself that seriously.”
7. Panic! At The Disco – “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”
Who can tout it better than the artists themselves? This pretty much says it all without us having to (obligatory NSFW language warning). On a more positive note, props to Panic! At The Disco and any other groups or solo artists that choose to deliver what their fans want to hear most, despite the grating monotony that must arise when playing a song hundreds of times a year.
6. Kanye West- “Gold Digger”
Did you know that Yeezy doesn’t like the song “Gold Digger?” Well, apparently, he doesn’t. As Kanye put it mildly in an interview last year with Zane Lowe of BBC Radio,
“…I would get paid for doing ‘Gold Digger’—which, I never really liked that song, but I always knew I would get paid…”
Imagine that. Whether Kanye had been referring to his dissatisfaction the song’s lyrical content, vibe, technical arrangement, or perhaps with its placement on his 2002 album, Late Registration, no one can really say. Whether or not there is more than a little irony in cutting and performing a song entitled “Gold Digger” because it’s guaranteed to make money…well, that’s for you to decide.
5. Coldplay – “Speed of Sound”
Coldplay hates “Speed of Sound,” specifically the studio recording. Vocalist Chris Martin told Howard Stern in a 2011 interview that their track, “Speed of Sound” (often criticized for having identical-sounding elements to “Clocks”) is actually one of his least favorite songs. After being asked if any Coldplay songs had ever become hits that he personally thought were terrible, Martin explained that, while he thinks “Speed of Sound” isn’t necessarily a bad song, it pains him to think that they never got it right on record; he cannot bear to listen to the current recording, or play the song live. To this day, Coldplay does not perform it in any of their concerts. When asked why, Martin’s reasoning was that the lack of enthusiasm would detract from the overall experience:
CM: “It pains me.”
HS: “Now, you have to play this in concert.”
CM: “No, we don’t. We don’t play it.”
HS: “Because of your feelings about the song?”
CM: “Yeah, because, like I said, an audience can pick up real fast if you’re not convinced by something…”
4. MGMT – “Kids”
MGMT is known for taking a contrarian stance on just about everything ranging from the prospects of living famously to their careers in music becoming too mainstream. It should come as no surprise that one (multiple, really) of their songs has migrated onto the list of things they don’t really care for. Fans of the band were disappointed to learn that MGMT had stricken “Kids” from their 2013 tour altogether, the beginnings of a departure from what the group perceived as being mired in a cycle of making music by pouring ingredients into a pop song success formula.
According to the group’s constituents, Goldwasser and VanWyngarden, this decision was a byproduct of “not trying to make music that everyone understands the first time they hear it”, which, among other things, manifested itself in the form of not wanting to define any singles before the release of their second album, Congratulations. Presently,
MGMT is less than thrilled to revive any of their songs from the record that made them famous in favor of composing material that is entirely non-reminiscent of their earliest and most popular work—a controversial move unappreciated by many of duo’s fans.
3. Baauer – “Harlem Shake”
Harry Rodrigues, otherwise known as the Brooklyn-based DJ Baauer, flew to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 in 2013, riding a track from decidedly humble origins. Produced in his apartment in Williamsburg, NY, “Harlem Shake” exploded after being exposed to the unpredictable nature of the internet. The mix quickly became a phenomenon, spawning a meme of its own along with countless dance videos of people uploading their own clip of themselves flailing about to the song. However, like many pop culture whirlwinds, the appeal quickly faded for Baauer once it blew up out of his hands:
“Overall the song got big for no reason of mine, but I was still connected to it 100 percent,” he tells Corban Goble of Pitchfork, “I got a taste of what it’s like to have a song in that stratosphere and I can tell you that I’m happy with that being the only time it happens. I don’t want that shit.”
At points, Baauer felt as though his privacy had been invaded, and had even received backlash for the erratic and often over-the-top impact of the trend once “Harlem Shake” had reached critical mass. He certainly doesn’t want to keep performing it forever.
“At this point, I’m trying to go from playing the original, to just playing a remix, to maybe putting in one little clip—sort of weaning off of it until I can eventually not play it at all. That would be the perfect thing.”
2. Lorde – “Royals”
Lorde is prevalent enough to receive an honourable mention on this countdown; by way of introspection and watching a ton of YouTube videos, the young pop icon has arrived at the conclusion that her original recording of “Royals” falls short of expectations when thrown up alongside fan-made covers of the song. Speaking with the Daily Record, she explains her current views on the song that made her a household name:
“I listen to people covering the song and putting their own spin on it—and I listen to it in every single form except the original one I put out—and I realize that actually it sounds horrible. It sounds like a ringtone from a 2006 Nokia. None of the melodies are cool or good. It’s disastrous—awful. But, for the same reason, in the context of the way I released it, it just worked out.”
Referring to “Royals” in another sit down with The Music:
“I understand why it worked and why it was kind of a hit, but at the same time there’s part of me that’s like…’these melodies are just not as good as something I could have written now.'”
She’s tired of hearing it. Perhaps as an exercise of sensibility, Lorde now wishes for radio stations to let up on “Royals” a little bit, reasoning that she’d “like to give everyone a little bit of breathing room…” before unveiling something else just as likely to enthrall listeners to the point of insanity.
1. Gotye – “Somebody That I Used To Know”
If there is any artist on this list that has earned a moment’s reprieve from performing a song that they have written, that artist is Gotye. When “Somebody That I Used To Know,” or as I like to call it, “The Tune That Enveloped Us All” finally caught on in the US in January of 2012, there really was no escape; for this reason, it was the prime contender for the number 1 slot on our list. Its near overbearing popularity had seen it rise to the top of charts in 23 countries worldwide, not excluding the US, Australia, and the UK, and the sheer magnitude of its success only reverberated as the song comfortably carved out a place for itself in the top 10 lists of more than 30 other countries around the globe. The indie pop single flourished so wildly that it endures as the iconic centerpiece of Gotye’s music career, winning two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance alongside Record of the Year in 2013.
So, from whence comes the dislike? It’s simply too big! In a past interview with NME, Gotye stated his mixed response to “Somebody That I Used To Know” becoming the sensation that it did:
“I like the fact that people are still discovering it and I don’t feel like it’s a noose around my neck. But at the same time, I do wonder how many times you can listen to the same piece of music. I can’t think of any song that’s ever been picked up like this and I do feel like saying to people sometimes ‘Come on guys, there are other songs out there’.”
In the same interview, somewhere amidst the outrageous level of airplay and the flood of alternate renditions and covers filling his inbox, Gotye had yet to decide whether or not he had it in him to deliver something just as earthshattering as the hit single ever again. When asked, he responded, “Time will tell. I don’t know whether I can or whether I want to.”
Of course, he added that he still enjoyed playing the track live, and that it hadn’t quite become a burden to him yet…back in 2012. It goes without saying that carrying around that kind of baggage for so long wears heavily, and at what sentiments might be stirring beneath Gotye’s calm and collected visage, to this day, the world can only speculate.
Top 5 Abstract Hip-Hop Artists
Hip-hop is a many-headed beast. It’s incredibly hard to say what hip-hop is anymore, because the artists that rep the genre are as different from one another as they are plentiful.
From the early days of hip-hop with the Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five to the bodacious Atlanta trap hip-hop artists of Waka Flocka Flame and OG Maco, it’s arduously difficult to tell where hip-hop begins and ends as a genre. Its malleability is impressive and perhaps what makes hip-hop as unique and multi-faceted as it is.
Regardless of artist or subgenre, the quintessential essence of hip-hop is pervasive, even to the point of the most abstract and near-lunatic artists that dwell in the pulsating underground scenes of Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. These are the artists that have remained as close to the original formations of hip-hop and the culture that surrounded the early days of the underground. Their music has advanced with the technology available and the constantly morphing culture in which they are present, but their creations are a testament to the versatility of hip-hop without forgetting its roots. They deserve recognition for their refusal to betray the hip-hop scene.
5. Sage Francis
In the religion of underground hip-hop, Sage Francis is the abbot of the monastery. His build and demeanor reflect the part well. Sage’s lyricism borders on spoken word, deviating from the typical rhyme scheme while not sacrificing his flow and veracity. While Sage Francis is certainly not the most appealing artist, with topics ranging from socio-economic issues to identity disorders, his ability as an artist sets him apart from others flooding the underground.
4. Milo
Milo is the young gun of hip-hop. At 23 years old, Milo began to collaborate with the esoteric unit Hellfyre Club, comprised of veterans such as Nocando, Open Mike Eagle, and Busdriver (see below). After releases such as Milo Takes Baths, The Cavalcade, and Things That Happen At Day/Things That Happen At Night, Milo debuted his first full-length album entitled A Toothpaste Suburb, in which he details the struggles with his own identity as a young black man with an obsession with archetypal nerd culture and a love for philosophy. A Toothpaste Suburb features artists outside of Hellfyre Club alumni such as Kool A.D. from Das Racist.
3. Busdriver
I can’t even begin to explain how odd Busdriver is. I don’t know if it can truly be defined as hip-hop, but if we’re going to label this enigmatic artist as such, then he is undoubtedly skirting along the edges of the genre like a sideshow attraction that is truly set out to become the main event. When I first heard Busdriver on his 2005 release Fear of a Black Tangent, I wasn’t sure what I was listening to. I wasn’t sure if I liked it, and I’m still not entirely sure that I do.
Regardless of Busdriver’s abstruse style, it would be an insult to the underground hip-hop scene to not include him somewhere in this list. He isn’t for everyone, but he is most certainly for hip-hop.
2. Yoni Wolf of Why?
Yoni Wolf is a personal favorite of mine. Some of my fondest memories of are listening to his early tracks from Oaklandazulasylum. Why? came to my town two years ago and put on one of the best shows that I’ve ever had the privilege to see. Yoni’s lyrics have a majorly poetic quality to them. His strange appearance and background make him fall far outside of the boundaries of typical hip-hop, and his musical style borders on (if not resides within) indie rock.
Nonetheless, Yoni is a rapper, tried and true. His style is unique, accompanied by nasal inflections and strange post-adolescent reminiscing, but what Yoni says is what’s most important. His lyrics reach out to the individual and grab them by the heart strings. He’s more than a rapper; he’s an author, and in his authorship he tugs at what makes a person a person and exposes himself as a raw, real human that a listener can relate to, not an enigma shrouded behind a false persona.
1. Aesop Rock
Aes is a god among mortals. I don’t know if anyone has ever referred to Aes as the James Joyce of Hip-Hop, but I’m coining that now. His lyrics are immensely abstract and poetic. Nothing can be grasped on the first go-round, and even after years of heavy listening and adoration of his work, I still have no idea what the hell he’s talking about in most of his songs. Some are clearer than others, such as Ruby from his most recent solo release Skelethon, but most, like Anti-Social from his debut album Music for Earthworms, are abstract to the point of confusion.
Aesop Rock doesn’t reside within the world of abstract hip-hop; he transcends it into near indecipherability (it’s a word now). His work is arcane, and while many critics claim his words are meaningless and purposefully complex for its own sake, it’s evident given the time to listen that Aes is a rapper who chooses his words carefully, and in turn, each album presents itself as a newly intricate and complex magnum opus. Aes, like Joyce, is a timeless artist.
Be Mine
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It’s that time of year again. The time of flowers and chocolates and paper hearts and Googling mass-produced original Valentine’s Day gift ideas for your SO.
Day or night, single or taken (or It’s Complicated), we’re here to inspire you to embrace this “holiday” with the perfect ensemble.
Whatever your relationship status, this Saturday is all about the love. In our case, that happens to include the love of clothes.
Creative Director/Stylist: Emily McBride
Editorial Assistant/Right Hand: Emily Schoone
Hair/Makeup: Model Citizen Salon
Photographer: Emily Brown
Models: Megan Larsh and Jordan Olivera
Production Assistants: Rebecca Sivak
Location: Bottleworks
Food spread provided by Fire & Flavor
Chocolate truffles provided by Condor Chocolates
*Special thank you to Suska for letting us use your dressing rooms/clothing racks/key card and basically being our knight in shining vintage Armani.
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Grammy Recap
Last night’s 57th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was not one for the books for several reasons: mainly, the lack of awards presented in the entire three-and-a-half-hour broadcast – a paltry sum of NINE out of the 83 total categories!
So what happened in the other three hours that awards weren’t being broadcast? A bloated roster of performances across all genres, with only several memorable ones in between. A common theme throughout nearly all was the usage of a gospel choir.
Performance Highlights:
1. AC/DC – “Highway to Hell”
The legendary Australian rock band with a storied 40+ year career – the type of longevity artists of today dream about – kicked off the show with “Highway to Hell.” It seemed like an odd choice to place AC/DC as the opener when they weren’t nominated for an award or being given a lifetime achievement, but all was forgotten when an explosion of flames capped off a performance of one of rock’s most iconic tracks.
2. Hozier w/ Annie Lennox – “Take Me to Church / I Put A Spell on You”
Sometimes less is more. Hozier took to the stage with just a guitar to sing his hauntingly beautiful single “Take Me to Church” before being joined by Britain’s most successful female artist and LGBT icon Annie Lenox to sing “I Put A Spell on You.” Lennox’s live version rivaled the unforgettable Nina Simone cover with her sheer vocal talent. Only at the Grammy’s would a moment like this happen.
3. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga – “Cheek to Cheek”
If there was any question about Lady Gaga’s talent behind all of the makeup and costumes, this number dispelled them all. Her voice served as a perfect foil for Bennett’s as they exchanged verses in Irving Berlin’s 1935 jazz standard. Despite the 60-year age difference between the pair, the performance was a master showcase in vocal excellence, and it was only fitting that they took home the award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
4. Sam Smith w/ Mary J. Blige – “Stay With Me”
In Smith’s first Grammy outing as a solo artist, he walked away with four awards out of his six nominations. The coveted Record of the Year and Song of the Year both went to “Stay With Me.” Backed by a large orchestra, Smith sang his breakthrough hit before being joined by Blige. There were no fussy visuals, no smoke and mirrors – just two people with immense vocal ability belting with enough emotion to melt hearts.
5. Sia – “Chandelier”
Perhaps the biggest snub of the evening was the fact this song won NOTHING. Maybe the Recording Academy doesn’t like how Sia refuses to show her face, but the jaw dropping performance featured a ceiling of low hanging light bulbs, a dirty hallway, Kristin Wiig dancing (!!) and the powerhouse chorus that’s been engrained in everyone’s head for months since its release.
Televised Awards List
After all is said and done, many talented artists walked away from the Staples Center with awards they rightfully deserved. It was a rather tame evening until Beck’s album received the highest honor of the year over Beyoncé, and Kanye West nearly repeated his 2009 MTV Video Music Award incident.
The order in which the awards were televised also deviated from years past, with Best New Artist being presented first and Album of the Year being presented third to last.
Best New Artist – Sam Smith
Best Pop Solo Performance – Pharrell Williams “Happy (Live)”
Best Pop Vocal Album – Sam Smith In the Lonely Hour
Best Rock Album – Beck Morning Phase
Best R&B Performance – Beyoncé “Drunk in Love”
Best Country Album – Miranda Lambert Platinum
Album of the Year – Beck Morning Phase
Song of the Year – Sam Smith “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)”
Record of the Year – Sam Smith “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)”
For a complete list of all 83 categories and their winners, click here.
2015 Grammy Predictions
The most important night in music is this coming Sunday, February 8. The purpose of the awards is to honor excellence in the music industry. While some of the nominations across several categories this year have notable snubs, here are our predictions for this year’s winners.
Album of the Year: Sam Smith In the Lonely Hour
While all the nominees for this category had a phenomenal year, from Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran’s colossal success stateside to Beyoncé’s near implosion of the Internet, the winner of AOTY will most likely be Sam Smith’s “In the Lonely Hour,” and here’s why: Smith’s “Stay With Me” was the most improbable hit in 2014 in a radio landscape filled with disposable dance tracks. Both his singing voice and the lyrical narratives he crafts are the results of intense emotion with which the Recording Academy can easily identify.
Record of the Year: Sia Furler “Chandelier”
This category is a potential landmine for controversy. However, Sia’s “Chandelier” manages to be the most technically challenging piece of recorded music out of all the nominees, which include Meghan Trainor, Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, and Iggy Azalea. The video inspired countless parodies for its erratic dancing, and the song is vocally difficult in its powerhouse chorus as it switches back and forth between her chest voice and head voice effortlessly.
Song of the Year: Hozier “Take Me to Church”
Awarded to what’s considered lyrically the best track of the year, Hozier seems like a shoe-in. It’s no coincidence that this song is nearing the pinnacle of the Billboard chart at press time. The use of religion as a metaphor is always a risky move in mainstream music, but this song is a poetic commentary on sexuality and humanity. It is also the only nominee with Hozier as the sole songwriter compared to the four cowriters on “Stay With Me.”
Best New Artist: Sam Smith
This one goes without explanation. Sam had the biggest year out of all the artists that were nominated, and his staying power is demonstrated in his consistent album sales and ability to sell out bigger and bigger venues on each tour.
Best Pop Solo Performance: Sia Furler “Chandelier”
One of the newer categories in the Grammy’s, this award has historically gone to only female artists, and this year may not be any different. After lending her vocals to songs like David Guetta’s “Titanium” and Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones,” Furler had her shot at pop fame with her first new release in years in 2014, and this song will be remembered for years to come for the immediate gut punch of its vocals.
Pop Vocal Album: Ariana Grande My Everything
This category will be a tight race given the presence of Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, AND Miley Cyrus. However, this award is from a vocal perspective, which is why Ariana Grande should have the edge. Grande is in total control of her tone from the softer notes of “Love Me Harder,” to the soaring vocals in “One Last Time” and can demonstrate her genre versatility as heard in the Zedd-produced “Break Free.”
Rock Performance: Arctic Monkeys “Do I Wanna Know?”
This is another newer category in which the most recent recipients may not have had the most technically impressive recording, but rather the most mainstream. If the Arctic Monkeys take this award, it would feel like a more even split between the two. The moment you hear the guitar in “Do I Wanna Know?,” resisting the urge to hum the melody is near impossible. It’s also the one of the group’s most successful singles so far in the United States and led them to a summer full of festival performances.
Best Alternative Music Album: St. Vincent St. Vincent
St. Vincent is the closest Annie Clark will get to being deemed “mainstream pop,” but the technical proficiencies in the album shall not go without merit. In a polarizing SNL performance last year, many viewers were shocked that a woman could play the guitar and keep an audience entertained without the help of nudity or provocative choreography. The melding of the urgency in Clark’s vocals coupled with the spring-like elasticity of the instrumental tracks far surpasses the work of nominees like Jack White, Arcade Fire, and alt-J that continue to release albums that don’t display much artistic growth.
Urban Contemporary Album: Beyoncé Beyoncé
A cursory glance at the list of nominees reveals that the urban music scene might be struggling. Pharrell Williams’ G I R L seems laughably out of place. Bey’s only competition in this category might actually be Chris Brown’s X, but the cultural and musical impact of songs like “Drunk in Love”, “Partition” and “Flawless” should not go unnoticed by the industry voters that were just as surprised by the release of the album as they were by its feminist contents.
Rap Album: Childish Gambino Because the Internet
This is going to be a difficult decision to make simply because none of the nominees are that great, or maybe the releases just weren’t that impressive in 2014. Eminem will likely be favored to win over the underdogs that were nominated, although after recognizing the Marshall Mathers LP 2 was not his best work perhaps the award will go to someone who is less controversial and more towards someone like Childish that has spent years exacting his flow and lyrics into a masterwork of an album.
Bubbling Under: Say Lou Lou
Last year was a great year for Nordic musicians, between the breakout of Tove Lo, the release of Lykke Li’s critically acclaimed third album, the much hyped Röyksopp/Robyn EP and the inevitable breakup of The Knife.
There’s certainly never a shortage of forward-thinking musical exports coming out of Sweden, with many pop music super producers and songwriters calling it home, so why should this year be any different?
Enter Say Lou Lou.
Sisters Miranda and Elektra Kilbey-Jansson are about to release their debut album, “Lucid Dreaming,” next month through their own label, à Deux, but it’s been no easy feat to get as far as they are now.
Beginning with the release of their 2012 single “Maybe You,” the band garnered media attention for its hushed instrumental dreamscapes and cherubic vocal delivery.
By that time next year, the duo were longlisted for BBC’s Sound of 2014 Poll that collects together the 15 most promising musical acts of the next year. It should be no surprise that previous winners include the likes of Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith, and Haim.
Unfortunately, not all artists that end up on the list have similar luck, as Say Lou Lou announced their debut LP “Lucid Dreaming” in August 2014 before suffering several delays that have moved the release to a solid Q1.
The pair’s ability to fuse together elements of deep house against dream wave in tracks like the sparkling Lindstrøm produced “Games for Girls” is something that has yet to be seen in their other contemporaries.
The resulting album is a product of two years of incubation, from touring and constant self-discovery, as both people and musicians to determine what ultimately represents Say Lou Lou. The tracklist seems cobbled together from the duo’s previously released singles and b-sides. However, that does not affect the quality of the record.
By the end of 2015, Say Lou Lou will still be one of the most buzzed-about artists, and the proof is in “Lucid Dreaming.”
Vinyl Mag’s Best of 2014
Best Albums
- Strange Desire by Bleachers and The Outsiders by Eric Church (Hannah Smith)
- A Toothpaste Suburb by Milo and Salad Days by Mac DeMarco (Trey Moss)
- The Pinkprint by Nicki Minaj, Broke With Expensive Taste by Azealia Banks, and 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole (DeShonna Johnson)
- The Balcony by Catfish and the Bottlemen (Jackie Citero)
- This Is All Yours by Alt-J (Nikki Smith and Emily McBride)
- Also St. Vincent by St. Vincent and 1989 by Taylor Swift (Emily McBride)
Best Film
- Gone Girl (Hannah Smith)
- Godzilla or The Imitation Game (Trey Moss)
- “The Lego Movie. Chris Pratt. Legos. Duh.” (DeShonna Johnson)
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (Jackie Citero)
- Annabelle. “Wow, I think that’s the only movie I saw in theaters this year.” (Nikki Smith)
- Birdman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Trip to Italy (Emily McBride)
Best Concert/Show/Festival
- Eric Church (Hannah Smith)
- Tall Tall Trees at the rooftop of the Georgia Theatre (Trey Moss)
- “Does Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s On The Run HBO special count?” (DeShonna Johnson)
- “Hands down Lockn’. It just keeps getting better and better every year!” (Jackie Citero)
- Roky Erickson with Black Angels at Terminal West (Nikki Smith)
- Cabaret on Broadway, Rave of Thrones with Kristian Nairn (Hodor), and The Gaslight Anthem at Shaky Knees (actually, pretty much all of Shaky Knees).” (Emily McBride)
Best Beauty/Fashion Moment
- “Sarah Jessica Parker’s ode to Oscar de la Renta at the Met Gala.” (Hannah Smith)
- Erykah Badu’s short hairstyle (Trey Moss)
- The delicate jewelry trend (Jackie Citero)
- “The Chanel feminist protest, Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne’s Burberry campaign, and Alexander Wang’s collaboration with H&M. And, course, our first fashion shoot for Vinyl Mag!” (Emily McBride)
Best New Gadget
- “I just got the iPhone 5, so I’m still fascinated by that. Yes, I do realize the iPhone 6 has been released. Yes, I’m behind the times.” (Hannah Smith)
- “Amazon Echo is pretty neat, but it’s still in beta testing.” (Trey Moss)
- “My new fridge so that I can rely on more than just Ramen for sustenance.” (DeShonna Johnson)
- “Recently received a Kindle, and it has changed my world!” (Jackie Citero)
- “Portable phone charger for South by Southwest. Life-changing.” (Emily McBride)
Best Book Read
- “This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. The movie is great, but I highly recommend reading the book if you have the time.” (Hannah Smith)
- Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick (Trey Moss)
- Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (DeShonna Johnson)
- The Defining Decade – it’s a book I would recommend to anyone 18-29! It gives you such a different perspective on how you should be viewing your 20s. Wish I had read the book sooner!” (Jackie Citero)
- And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (Nikki Smith)
- Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling (Emily McBride)
Best Black Friday/Cyber Monday Purchase
- “The only thing I bought for Black Friday was one of those bulk packages of Maruchan Ramen.” (Trey Moss)
- “A black pencil skirt from Target for only like 12 bucks.” (DeShonna Johnson)
- “Topshop ear cuff for 30 percent off!” (Emily McBride)
Best Thing Learned from Pinterest
- “I learned how to make healthy ice cream sandwiches using graham crackers, peanut butter, and bananas. Don’t knock it till you try it.” (Hannah Smith)
- “Let me ask my mom.” (Trey Moss)
- “Despite the exercise moves that I’ll probably never do, I found a pretty good infographic on preparing for and acing job interviews. Welcome to adulthood, kiddos.” (DeShonna Johnson)
- “How to make really cute heart cutout cupcakes for Valentine’s Day.” (Jackie Citero)
- “Tumeric mask and any natural remedies.” (Nikki Smith)
- “So many crock pot recipes.” (Emily McBride)
Best Trip Taken
- “Nashville, Tn. I’d never been before this year.” (Hannah Smith)
- “A train ride to the Adirondacks with my buddy Mark.” (Trey Moss)
- Shreveport, Louisiana. (DeShonna Johnson)
- “A trip to Bald Head Island in North Carolina for my best friend’s wedding. SUCH an amazing island!” (Jackie Citero)
- Lobsterfest in Maine (Nikki Smith)
- “This has been the year of trips for me – it’s been fantastic! The Hamptons this summer. New Orleans to see a friend. Austin for South by Southwest. Chicago to see a friend. Monterey, Ca. to see a friend. Nashville to go see Hodor at Rave of Thrones. Favorite must have been New York City this Christmas to see Cabaret – that was a perfect trip.” (Emily McBride)
Best Moment at Vinyl Mag
- “Being able to share my opinions through different reviews.” (Hannah Smith)
- “Consistently missing deadlines and forgetting what day it is.” (Trey Moss)
- “Becoming an intern and falling in love with Cara Delevingne!” (DeShonna Johnson)
- “Every single moment of covering Electric Forest for Vinyl!” (Jackie Citero)
- “Interview with King Buzzo of The Melvins.” (Nikki Smith)
- “Getting to put together our first fashion spread.” (Emily McBride)
Resolutions
- “I’ll decide in 2015.” (Hannah Smith)
- “Acceptance to Indiana University’s graduate school program.” (Trey Moss)
- “Worry less.” (DeShonna Johnson)
- “To try something new or go someplace I’ve never been before every month!” (Jackie Citero)
- “Plant a garden, and keep it alive.” (Nikki Smith)
- “Just keep it up.” (Emily McBride)
Most Excited For in 2014
- “Spending the summer in Athens for the first time.” (Hannah Smith)
- “Pokemon League Champion. Graduating from UGA is a contender, I guess.” (Trey Moss)
- “My 21st birthday!” (DeShonna Johnson)
- “New music and bigger and better music festivals…Governor’s Ball, I’m looking at you! Oh! And we can’t forget about Better Call Saul coming next year!” (Jackie Citero)
- “Becoming a senior at UGA.” (Nikki Smith)
- “Better Call Saul for sure, and more exciting Vinyl stuff!” (Emily McBride)
Vinyl Mag’s New Year Playlist
Happy New Year! 2014 was quite a year – pop the champagne, and let’s review.
3, 2, 1…Happy New Year!
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It’s party time. There’s no better day to shine bright like a diamond than New Year’s, and models Eva-Christine, Megan, and Cassidy are here to show you exactly how to work your sequins and feathers, your fur and your lace.
Because we all know half the fun of December 31 is what you wear. Have a happy New Year!
Creative Director/Stylist: Emily McBride
Editorial Assistant/Right Hand: Emily Schoone
Hair/Makeup: Kate Foster
Photographer: Emily Brown
Production Assistants: Sarah Bennett, Rebecca Sivak
Models: Eva-Christine Hall, Megan Larsh, and Cassidy Reeser
Photo Editor: Brando Herron
Location: Suska
10 Best New Artists of 2014
This year has proved to be a milestone for many new artists in the music industry. Some of the most innovative songs have topped the charts across all genres. From Sam Smith to Sam Hunt, new artists have been bursting onto the scene since the beginning of the year and show no sign of slowing down any time soon.
10. Mary Lambert
Mary Lambert gained recognition with her part in Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s “Same Love.” Her debut album, Heart on My Sleeve, is full of her unique style, and it’s clear her personality shines through.
9. Benjamin Booker
Rock and blues artist Benjamin Booker’s debut album was released in August and instantly earned a spot among the Top 10 Billboard Alternative Albums. He received high praise from major music reviewers such as Rolling Stone, Paste, and SPIN. He also had the privilege of touring with the infamous Jack White and playing major festivals across the country.
8. Vance Joy
Australian artist Vance Joy released his much-anticipated debut album. For the past two years, he’s been booked for multiple festivals without an album, something few artists are able to do. His contagious ukulele-playing and simple lyrics landed him an opening slot on Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour this year.
7. Frankie Ballard
Frankie Ballard attracted listeners of all genres this year. His combination of country, blues, and rock offered a welcome change among the country superstars perpetually claiming the No. 1 spots. His first No. 1 single “Helluva Life” was the country song of the summer and later certified gold.
6. Iggy Azalea
Iggy Azalea became one of the biggest artists of the year after her and Charli XCX’s “Fancy” was released. Her much-anticipated debut album The New Classic sold over 50,000 copies in its first week, after the cancellation of many release dates prior. Azalea’s addictive rapping favored well on the radio and earned her a performance on Saturday Night Live.
5. The Cadillac Three
Country rock band The Cadillac Three has embraced the sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd and added their own unique modern twist. Because the lead vocalist wrote hits for country superstars like Keith Urban and Tim McGraw, the band’s songwriting is spot on. With the addition of some talented musicians, the trio recreated an old sound in their own image and is steadily gaining popularity.
4. Hozier
Hozier became popular after his stellar performance on Saturday Night Live a few weeks ago. His debut album achieved the No. 2 position atop the Billboard 200 and the lead single “Take Me To Church” has steadily climbed as well. Because the single doesn’t sound like the conventional radio single, it’s impressive to see the artist’s growing popularity.
3. Meghan Trainor
Meghan Trainor released her instant hit “All About that Bass” this year. While she self-released two albums in 2011, she just recently signed to a record label from which the single was released, along with an EP. The single has captured the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been reluctant to let go for the past 8 weeks. Her studio album is expected to be released in mid-January of next year.
2. Sam Smith
Sam Smith is one of the biggest artists of the year with an internationally successful single and sold-out shows across the globe. The single “Stay With Me” propelled Smith to stardom and solidified his promising potential.
1. Bleachers
Bleachers released their debut album in July. Seasoned band member Jack Antonoff doubles as lead vocalist for the band and lead guitarist for the band Fun. Antonoff truly put everything into the songwriting on the band’s album Strange Desire, clear through the powerful lead single “I Wanna Get Better.”