Jim Adkins (of Jimmy Eat World) – “I Will Go”

Posted on by Kelsey Butterworth

Most Vinyl readers, if they’re not complete and utter monsters, probably have fond adolescent memories of Jimmy Eat World. Regardless of your opinions on the divisive emo and pop-punk movements of the early aughts, the supercharged pop emotion in classics like “The Middle” and “Pain” are usually crowd pleasers, even if their more recent output hasn’t quite stacked up. So it should warm every former scenester’s heart that frontman Jim Adkins has struck out on his own with a weekly single series that will include covers of folks like Beck and Cyndi Lauper as well as originals, like this tune right here.

Adkins’ voice notwithstanding, “I Will Go” has some trappings of his JEW output. It’s mildly morose, and the playful double snare hits echo the more pop-friendly songs of his band’s youth. But this is as far from emo as Jim is ever gonna get. “I Will Go” is as airy as mousse, lightly garnished with Abbey Road-era Beatles-friendly horn arrangements, and happily strummed guitar chords more complex than powerful. It’s always fun to see what influences a musician saves for their solo downtime, and Jim is no exception.

Wimbledon Attire: A Match Made in Heaven

Posted on by Jackie Kinney

Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic just won titles at Wimbledon, crossing out a highly respected grand slam off their to-do list. They did it while wearing white on white, the traditional attire for the Wimbledon tournament. Just because the week of tennis is over doesn’t mean the trends have to end. In honor of Williams and Djokovic, we’ve bounced some white on white outfits off to you.

Option #1:

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Option #5:

Vinyl Mag’s Favorite Moments of Electric Forest 2015

Posted on by Jacklyn Citero

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There is really no other way to put it…every return to Electric Forest feels like coming home. The Forest is a place where attendees come to be themselves, leave the outside world for a couple of days, become part of a family and be free.

In its fifth year known as Electric Forest, the festival set out to make 2015 its biggest year yet. With a venue expansion and a noticeable increase in capacity, the demand for admittance into these hallowed festival grounds was immense with an estimated attendance of over 45,000, compared to that of 35,000 in 2014. While the overcrowding, overlooked camping logistics, and other issues of the weekend created somewhat of a challenge to many, Electric Forest was still “home” and we were able to share four magical days with our Forest Family.

No two experiences at Electric Forest are a like. Each person comes to the Forest with varying expectations, seeking different experiences, and ultimately walking away with memories of a weekend that was unique to them. Days after we have departed the Double J Ranch, leaving our friends and just our footprints, we are still taking in every aspect of our Forest adventure.

While we could talk about Electric Forest for days, it still wouldn’t be enough to fully describe our festival experience. We may only be scratching the surface here, but we’ve comprised a list of Vinyl Mag’s favorite Electric Forest moments of 2015.

Unexpected Collaborations: Friday night near the close of The String Cheese Incident’s second set, we received a Snapchat of Skrillex (Sonny Moore) backstage at the Ranch Arena with guitar in hand. Could it be true? Was Skrillex going to come out with Cheese and not womp-out on a collaboration? Sure enough, encore time comes and Moore walks out on stage with that guitar and Cheese begins to jam out to The Doors’ “Break On Through.” The song feeds into “L.A Woman” where Moore shares vocals with Bill Nershi (SCI) and then rounding back out again into “Break On Through.” Are we really surprised about the song selection? Not really, considering Moore worked with the remaining members of The Doors on a collaboration project and documentary called Re:Generation. We were surprisingly impressed at witnessing Moore’s musical talents and grateful for his thank-you shoutout at the end of the performance, thanking everyone from the fans, to The String Cheese Incident, to security, and even the people who clean the bathrooms.

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While there were other collaborations like Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic playing sax with Cheese on Sunday, Macy Gray fronting Galactic, Michael Kang sitting in with Bassnectar for “Dubuasca,” and Big Gigantic raging with Cherub during a surprise sunrise set ontop of an RV in GA Camping, Skrillex busting out a guitar and jamming out with Cheese was definitely our favorite collaboration of the weekend.

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The Forest: One of the best pastimes of Electric Forest is wandering and getting lost within Sherwood Forest. In it’s own right, the Forest is a festival headliner. Whether day or night, the Forest provides hidden treasures and experiences at every turn. As the festival grew in attendance and size this year, along with it grew Sherwood Forest. The Forest’s expansion created more secret spaces and surprises to discover. While wandering around the general store, we stumbled upon a small mailbox that was simply placed outside of the rustic structure. Next to letterbox was a bunch of blank postcards inviting attendees to write a message to their future selves. Electric Forest would provide the postage and after placing the postcard in the Forest Mailbox your future self would receive your message someday. This was just one of the many things we happened upon in the Forest that made us smile.

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Hammock Zones: If you have attended Electric Forest in past years, especially in 2014, you know just how crowded Sherwood Forest became with hammocks; so much so it became almost impossible to navigate through the Forest at times. This year EF Headquarters implemented a roll out of Hammock Etiquette and Hammock Zones. While this was met with some grumblings, during the festival majority of people seemed to respect the new guidelines. EF Headquarters continued to stress that Hammocks are part of the soul of Electric Forest, and they are not going away. This new plan for 2015 was to create Hammock Zones in restful areas to help solve traffic problems, and to give some of the beloved pines in Sherwood a chance to rest. From what we saw, these zones did in fact help with traffic issues, but still allowed for hammocks to be a major part of festival.

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The Hanger: The Hanger is one of our absolute favorite additions to the Forest. The Hanger, resembling a 1940s aircraft hanger, became a place to take a break from the rest of the festival, enjoy a quality cocktail (I mean, Moscow Mules with Titos, who knew that was our favorite?), and interact with a variety of characters who were keeping up with the 1940s theme.

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In addition to a main craft beer and cocktail bar and a main stage area, The Hanger was home to a massage lounge with a 40s mechanic theme where you could get “buffed out” by pin-up girls, an actual barber shop, tattoo parlor (fake tattoos of course), a cuban style bar/lounge and many more surprises. Professional dancers, Cigarette Girls and Candy Dolls walking around with neck strap trays, and stilt walkers were all seen under the massive vaulted ceiling of The Hanger throughout the weekend.

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From The String Cheese Incident’s infamous Saturday set, to exhilarating covers by various artists, to the mystical Tripolee stage, to Bluegrass Sunday, to the new circus tent that is Jubilee…the list of unforgettable moments and sights at Electric Forest 2015 is endless. Once again, Vinyl Mag is so grateful to have been a part of such a magical weekend.

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Review: Paris Fall 2015 Couture

Posted on by Jackie Kinney

The Fall 2015 Couture shows just finished up in Paris on Thursday, so after a quick Eiffel Tower picture here, a Karl Lagerfeld quote there, and in the case of this year’s shows, a casino night, there’s finally a chance to sit down and wrap up the week for ourselves:

Starstruck:  Zuhair Murad found stars atop every model’s head, in a headband paired with a shimmering, complimentary gown. The stars found their way onto the dresses and most repeatedly onto the small belt around the waist that featured several of the silver spectacles in the front. Oh, but the stars weren’t just on the clothes, as Gwenyth Paltrow, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Julianne Moore had seats in the front row. Gwenyth in Valentino red, Rosie in cutouts at Versace and Julianne at the casino table of Chanel.

Master of the Arts: There were plenty of graphics—sure, the models wore the designs, but the designs took the spotlight on statement skirts and dresses. In Viktor and Rolf, their pieces resembled the wallpaper and molding of a living room and the portraits inside a frame. Schiaparelli also used faces and eyes on its designs.

Damsel in Distress:  Valentino took a holiday, treating its guests to a fashion show in Rome. And Rome they embraced, looking just like royalty. Those knee-high gladiator sandals that continue to pop up? Valentino made sure they’re here to stay—complimenting black, soldier-like designs with the strappy shoes. And they embraced the darkness, contributing mystery and elegance to the the longer, sheer designs, just like Versace, who went from the flowing damsel to stark gloom. Sharper necklines and chokers contrasted the sparkling, demure gowns.

Tarred and Feathered: Giambattista Valli went with feathers or tulle on almost every piece of the 2015 Haute Couture collection. But the real commitment to furs, that awards goes to Fendi. Every model was bundled up in furs, taking on Cruella de Vil in some designs and Black Swan in others. And don’t forget about Kendall Jenner’s finale walk down the aisle—or runway—in bridal tulle as designed by Karl Lagerfield of Chanel.

It’s Electric: Blue, pink, or red, it had to pop, and pop it did, in pantsuits, on shoes and with face paint. Maison Margiela did it all, featuring the blue in eye makeup, shawls and shoes. Valentino matched Paltrow in the front row to the runway in a pop of red in the middle of the show. Armani Prive used consistent color, beginning the show with a hot pink jacket complimented by the pink lighting in the background. He finished it in similar fashion, with a shimmering gown of blues, pinks and purples.

 

 

Goat – “It’s Time For Fun”

Posted on by Kelsey Butterworth

It’s usually a safe bet that strange things are a-brewin’ in Sweden. Despite its chefs and furniture outlets, the country is no less mysterious to the general public, so freak folk collective Goat have stepped in to fill in the gaps. Sort of. Not much is known about the group’s members – they claim to have over 100 of them, all of whom are able to channel ancient Swedish voodoo, thanks to a magik-giving witch doctor who blessed Goat’s supposed hometown of Korpilombolo with special talents. Since then the villagers have been unable to halt the trance music within, pumping out nod-off after sonic nod-off. Sure, this is a tale even the least skeptical citizen would have a hard time swallowing. But we can let the Swedish weirdos have their origin story whimsy if it means more songs like “It’s Time For Fun”.

The four-minute track is hypnotic, always skittering just off center but never losing focus. Throughout, a dead ringer for Nico shouts vague affirmations from atop a mystical Swedish mountain: “Takes off your clothes / Throw down your guns / No time for problems / It’s time for fun.” With all the guns, problems, and clothes in the world, you don’t need to tell us twice. Though the song doesn’t change up its basic premise at any point, it sounds too fresh and interesting to get old.

The single is being released worldwide on three different labels: Sub Pop in the U.S., Stranded Rekords in Scandinavia, and Rocket Recordings for everyone else; each release will have slightly varied cover art and all will be for the Greater Glory of the Oracle Ogdou, Praise Be Unto Him, Thank You Very Much.

Watch: The Libertines: “Gunga Din”

Posted on by Kelsey Butterworth

Few bands have been as on-again-off-again, as will-they-won’t-they, as The Libertines. Formed in 1997 by BFFs (Best Frenemies Forever) Carl Barât and Pete Doherty, the group had line-up and punctuality problems from the start. Their rough shod, jangle punk sound garnered a heap of attention from British fans and press alike, but drug use, inter-band squabbling, and some light B&E tore the group apart. Doherty went on to focus on his similar-sounding side project in (the aptly-named) Babyshambles, and Barât soon followed suit with Dirty Pretty Things. The Libertines officially disbanded in 2007, with Barât refusing to continue under its name until Doherty quit his various drug addictions for good.

As it happens, Doherty completed a Thai rehab treatment in January of this year; the time for heroes just might be nigh . This past weekend, The Libertines announced Anthems For Doomed Youth, their third album, slated for a September 4 release. We now have a first official glimpse of what it’ll sound like in the music video for “Gunga Din”. The song’s verses almost have a reggae vibe to them, and they seem a little too clean cut considering the loose, untuned sound that made this group famous. But when the feel-good amiable pub chorus hits, full of Britpop glory as the whole band sings along, it really does feel like a comeback. The video itself has the likely lads galavanting around Thailand, sweating through their wrinkled suits and giving each other bear hugs. Our fingers are crossed that the tabloid drama stays far in the background, because it’s good to have these limey bastards back.

Athfest 2015: A Recap

Posted on by Chris Hunkele

AthFest – also known as Athens-Clarke County’s premiere local music festival – went down this weekend, and here is a brief VinylMag recap of some things that happened.

Another year, another exclamation that our music scene is better than yours. I mean, where else can you find this much talent in one town? Don’t say New York, Portland, Nashville, or Austin; that was a rhetorical question and those are cities. As Harry Kagan from Music Band so eloquently put it, “You can’t shake a stick in this place and not hit somebody with a drum key.” The annual summer showcase of Athens’ musicians was the best we’ve seen in recent years. The organizers put together a nice mix of Athens upstarts and established heavyweights while mixing in a few nationally known touring acts to attract one of the largest crowds to date. 

#musicband @truemusicband brings the Nashville heat to #dirtyathens #AthFest

A video posted by Vinyl Mag (@vinylmag) on

Most of Saturday afternoon was spent dodging light rain showers, catching up with friends and fanboying at Caledonia Lounge’s Dirty Athens Day Party. This is truly the place to see and be seen during AthFest. You’ll pay no cover, drink cheap beer, and discover some gritty new punk band along the way. It’s a great way to ease into what is sure to be a long night. The highlights were locals Hot Fudge, Crunchy, Grand Vapids (keep scrolling), and Nashville’s Music Band. The latter put on perhaps the tightest and most energetic set I saw all weekend. Those guys are true professionals.  

@grandvapids tearing up the #caledonialounge outdoor stage for #dirtyathens #AthFest A video posted by Vinyl Mag (@vinylmag) on

Then the rains came. I’m talking heavy – like Bells Beach at the end of Point Break heavy. The 50 year storm was upon us, and Manhattan Cafe was my once-in-a-lifetime wave. I rode it out and settled in for Hardy and the Hard Knocks on the Hull Street Stage where Morris played slightly more uptempo than recent live offerings. The small townie stage next to Little King’s Shuffle Club provided the perfect setting for their brand of rowdy backwoods grunge. You’d be hard pressed to find a band producing a more authentic sound than these guys.

The day’s outdoor headliner was beloved Athens weirdos and hired hands of Montreal. I haven’t missed one of their local sets since I was transplanted to the scene three years ago, even traveling to Atlanta one night for a Terminal West date with Monsoon. Seeing of Montreal is always a treat, no matter which musicians Kevin Barnes assembles to come along on his carousel of oddities. Their live performances are often legendary, and it’s rare to see an artist that cares so much about his stage presence and interaction with the audience. That being said, this set proved that Barnes and Co. is an act that must be experienced in the confines of four walls; outdoor stages and open air just don’t do them justice – especially when you’re banging bodies with smelly, rain-soaked strangers. Maybe the years have finally caught up with me, but five songs in, I was ready to make a move.

I hustled up to the Georgia Theatre rooftop to catch the last few songs of Woodfangs. After seeing their name on nearly every flier and admittedly only hearing some of their music over the last couple years, I was excited to finally see them play. The small sample size (only 3 or 4 songs) did leave an impression. John Harry’s psych-saturated guitar and energetic, sometimes spastic vocals paired with dry banter really make for a fun listen. Rather than feed off of Harry’s energy though, the other ‘fangs seem to drift in and out, failing to make much of an impression. I’m willing to give these guys a pass, as the crowd was nearly non-existent – its tough to get up for girlfriends and old roommates. The most important thing Woodfangs provided were clever licks over an upbeat albeit dark, rhythm. After sporadic, heavy afternoon downpours forced me to slug a couple beers at Manhattan, the sound of Woodfangs ushering in the night was a truly welcome sound.  

Earplugs recommended for #woodfangs rooftop set @georgiatheatre A video posted by Vinyl Mag (@vinylmag) on

With the night fully descended upon Athens, The Rooftop crowd swelled just in time for Grand Vapids: Part Two. While the Dirty Athens day set was heavy on Deerhunter with hints of Cloud Nothings, the nighttime version featured the melodic indie drone they debuted in January. Spurned Caledonia fans from earlier saw a band returning to their roots. What I saw was a band that approached the weekend with the same intentionality of every pick stroke and melody present on Guarantees. Simply put they catered to the party, showed a little more personality, and displayed some musical growth. That kind of thought and dedication to their craft is what has this band poised for a breakout. If you hoped to find Athens’ next big export at this year’s Fest, Grand Vapids is the one you want to pretend like you’ve been listening to for months.

Surfer Blood was probably the band I was most looking forward to at this year’s AthFest. After just missing them at Shaky Knees, I was curious to see how their music translated to the stage. They played all the songs you’d expect, and quite flawlessly at that. Stage presence left a lot to be desired, but the precision at which they played was refreshing to see. After seeing them for myself, my worries of them being merely a studio band were put to rest. They’re deserving of the early success.

Hot & humid is perfect for @surferblood

A video posted by Vinyl Mag (@vinylmag) on

And another one. #instantclassic @surferblood #AthFest @georgiatheatre A video posted by Vinyl Mag (@vinylmag) on

Honorable mentions go to Pujol, Dead Confederate, and The Whigs on Friday night. What can we say that hasn’t already been said about those guys.

Really dark video of a really great band. @Pujol_ rocking the theatre at #athfest

A video posted by Vinyl Mag (@vinylmag) on

Review: Hardy & The Hardknocks: Drownin’ on a Mountaintop

Posted on by Connor Beitel

T. Hardy Morris Press

T. Hardy Morris is back with his second LP and a new haircut (above photo related). Continuing his journey as a solo artist, Morris partners with Dangerbird Records to release Hardy and The Hard Knocks: Drownin’ on a Mountaintop. Igniting with distorted guitar and heavy pedal steel, the album’s leading track, “Young Assumptions,” gives an introduction to what Morris dubs crunge. He describes crunge as a sort of lovechild between alt/country and grunge, which might sound something like Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets joining the Nashville duo Steelism. Creeping into the opening track with soft cooing, Athens great Matt “Pistol” Stoessel (Cracker, The Whigs), utilizes his pedal steel. Stoessel takes the edge off of Morris’ weighty guitar distortion, like a tall adult beverage after a full day of work. T. Hardy uses the length of the album to toy with and explore the newfound genre. Seeing how far he can push in one direction or another, with darker and harder tracks such as “My Me” and the lighter more melodic “Quieter (When I Leave Town).”THM Drownin'

The sophomore LP brings about a more decisive sound than the slightly sulkier 2013 relaease, Audition Tapes. With the writing and recording surrounding the birth of his first child it’s clear that Morris is lyrically coming from a more grounded perspective. Rounding out the album singing, “Just like in the movies I can’t catch each word/ but love is a language with no subtitles”, the Georgia native says he wanted to focus on the simplicity of the lyrics, while making a point to keep things straightforward. Recording at Athens’ famous Chase Park Studios, Hardy and the Hard Knocks take on a sound matured from Morris’ days in his band Dead Confederate. Coming full circle from the angst-y diatribes of an emo-era southern rock band, to the cultivated sound that stemmed from his first solo LP.

All in all, T. Hardy Morris produces a strong yet melancholy album that lyrically echoes the simplicity of traditional Southern lyrics. Sonically, the pertinent pedal steel gives new meaning to the rugged rock that often emanates from the Athens music scene. Having just played AthFest, Hardy & The Hard Knocks are currently touring the Southeast with Drive By Truckers and Delta Spirit. Check out Morris’ old haircut and have a listen to the first two tracks from the album, “Young Assumptions” and “My Me” below.

 

T. hardy old haircut (T. Hardy Morris w/ old haircut)

Watch: Son Lux: “You Don’t Know Me”

Posted on by Kelsey Butterworth

Son Lux are set to release their Glassnote debut Bones this year, and have just released a video for their lead single “You Don’t Know Me”. The star is none other than Tatiana Maslany – a.k.a. Tumblr’s perpetual nomination for all of the awards. Maslany stars in BBC’s Orphan Black as approximately forty hundred cloned characters, all of whom have completely different personalities and backgrounds. The show’s wild success and utterly bizarre nature made her a perfect fit for the defeatist and paranoid Son Lux song about an empty relationship. Maslany’s SO (Noah Segan from Looper) is self-absorbed and uninterested in her; he talks at her instead of to her, he’s really only in it for the sex… and he doesn’t know she’s in a cult.

Created by The Made Shop, the symbolism and seance visuals were meant to evoke “the empty rituals we often see in relationships and, to a larger degree, religion.” Just your average everyday things, until you add in tribal face painting and robed-up prayer circles. Living mystically is the best revenge.

Review: Saint Laurent Spring 2016 Menswear

Posted on by Jackie Kinney

In the Spring 2016 Menswear collection, Saint Laurent re-established the definition of cool. You’ve either got it, or you don’t. And if creative director Hedi Slimane throws a leopard scarf, polka dot button down and fringed jacket at you, it’s up to you what you do with it.

Slimane kept the details intricate with every pattern carefully placed, including striped red undershirts and gold sequined piping. The bottom half stayed simple, sticking with neutral pants and sneakers, allowing the top to pop.

Mick Jagger and Harry Styles made inspirational cameos on the runway in the form of the long, tousled hair, with skinny jeans cut right at the ankle, combining the styles of both the Rolling Stones and OneDirection artists. While the theme hinted at a rocker’s street style, the main focus strayed from Europe, even with the show held in Paris; it carried the California vibe all the way—from the music to the graphic sweaters to the funky sunglasses.

The beanies and ripped up plaid shirts enhanced the stoned look with a hint of ‘90s from the likes of Travis Birkenstock in Clueless and John Bender in The Breakfast Club. Just to get the ‘cool’ factor across, hands were kept in pockets of jackets or jeans as the models strutted their way to the song “Like Harry Dean Stanton”, recorded in California by the band Swimmers. The bomber-esqe jackets featured everything from the first American flag on the moon to cheetah print and metallics. Mixed patterns were a must.

The blazers brought in some business—but definitely not corporate. Most of these were made for the dare-devils of the red carpet, finished in light pinks, sequins and floral. Slimane also made scarves for spring, completing looks with the long airy accessory.

Hats off to you, Slimane, for putting the casual in cool. It was a 90s rendition of California dreamin’—an entertaining vacation, good for a second go-around.