SOHN x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Alexis Tiedemann

SOHN, aka Christopher Taylor, is making moves on the charts. The singer, songwriter, producer and musician from England has just released his new record Tremors, along with a series of video sessions with his label, 4AD.

SOHN sounded absolutely thrilled about the new album. “I think a lot of people – especially in the States – a lot of people have an idea of me as a producer or a remixer,” he said during our Skype interview on his day off in Cologne, Germany, but this album features his vocals and songwriting on every track. “Actually, first, I’m very much a singer and a songwriter on the album.”

The release of the new record happens to coincide with the one year anniversary of SOHN joining up with 4AD records. What does he like most about being with the label? “With 4AD, they’re very much like, ‘we’ve signed you for whatever you decide to be, so it’s your call’ basically, which is great,” he said.

When asked about his songwriting process, SOHN revealed that inspiration often comes to him while on the go. He writes down these ideas on whatever is available—phone, notepad—and goes into the studio to turn those ideas into music. “It’s only at the end of the song where I really get to know what the song is about, or what it’s saying” he said.

The album is reaching early success in the UK and Australia, but SOHN is very humble. “I wasn’t prepared for and I didn’t really understand that there were people in these countries that even knew anything about me,” he said laughing, “So that’s been really mad.”

Vinyl Mag: Where are you off to next?

SOHN: We’ve got a show here tomorrow, and then I have no idea…I’m not really keeping on top of all that stuff right now, just doing what I’m told to do.

VM: It’s been about a year now that you’ve been with 4AD, right?

SOHN:  Yeah, it is actually – if it’s April, it is a year.

VM: So how has that experience been? How has that influenced your art and music?

SOHN:  The label trusts in the artist that they signed to do whatever they think is right…which is an amazing situation to be in with quite an international label. I see it a lot working with major labels for other people…that process can normally be quite difficult…but with 4AD, they’re very much like ‘we’ve signed you for whatever you decide to be, so it’s your call’ basically, which is great.

VM: So, what are we to expect from Tremors? How is this new and different?

SOHN:  Every track on the album has my vocal on it…I think a lot of people, especially in the States, have an idea of me as a producer or a remixer…actually, first, I’m very much a singer and a songwriter on the album.

VM: Take me through the songwriting process – where do you begin,  and what inspires you?

SOHN: I normally start while I’m moving. If I’m en route somewhere or walking around somewhere, or driving around somewhere, then a lot of the time, a melody, or some kind of musical motif will sort of come into my head. And I’ll just record that on anything I’ve got around me at the time – say my phone, or whatever – and then I sort of build up a small catalog of those – maybe about 10 – and then when I get the chance, I’ll go into the studio and just play with the ideas starting with the strongest motif first. And then I kind of go into a bit of a daze, basically…then whenever I sing, it starts to form words by accident, and then I try to construct the lines to make use of those words…it’s only at the end of the song where I really get to know what the song is about, or what it’s saying.

VM: I was watching your videos for “The Wheel” and your 4AD sessions, and I was reading about your friend, Andreas Waldsheutz – tell me about that relationship and those videos; I heard they were [Stanley] Kubrick inspired.

SOHN:  [Andreas is] awesome. He’s a fashion photographer friend of mine in Vienna…we’ve just always been friends, and his work has continued to get better and better…I knew that whatever he would do would be amazing to look at. We worked very closely. We decided what we were going to do and came up with the concept…we had two days shooting, and all of the ideas [we originally had] just totally changed…and I’m absolutely delighted with the way that they’ve all come out…I think that it’s so strong visually.

VM: What are you looking forward to most on your upcoming tour, and in the future of releasing your album?

SOHN:  I’m looking forward to the realization that people have actually been thinking about my stuff without me really realizing it, [laughing] because the album [just came out], and it’s started hitting charts everywhere, and I had no idea. I had no idea that there were people out there ready to buy this album, or that were interested in it, or that were talking about it. Since today, I’ve really started to see that happen. You know, you’re going straight to the top 20 of the iTunes charts in the UK, and all these things…I didn’t really understand that there were people in these countries that even knew anything about me, so that’s been really mad…this show in Cologne is nearly sold out, and I’ve never once been to Cologne.

VM: What about Spotify? What about these web streaming services? How have they affected your music?

SOHN:  My feeling about that…especially when launching your career, is that the more your music is available, the better. I don’t really want any medium of listener to try to find my music and not be able to find it…you kind of have to realize that and get on board, or very much swim against the tide of how people are likely now to reach their music.  I wouldn’t purposefully not put my stuff on those services just to stop those people being able to get it for cheaper or for free, because for me it’s just more important that those people can hear the music. I think that we start to learn that, in music, there are different revenue streams available, which don’t necessarily mean that people need to pay for music in the same way they used to anymore. You still have the touring and a million possibilities of other ways to keep afloat as a musician.

VM: If you could play a show with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be, and where would you perform?

SOHN:  Bjork in the English National Opera, or otherwise Dr. John in New Orleans.

VM: Would you consider them some of your musical influences? Who else has influenced your music?

SOHN:  Yeah, definitely. Like Tom York was a big influence on me when I was a bit younger, particularly. The Knife was a pretty big influence on me – a lot of things about them. And even down to Paul Simon, actually – I really like his way with words, and so that’s kind of something I grew up to know.

VM: What would you say is the hardest part about making electronic music nowadays?

SOHN:  Probably people thinking that you’ve constantly got to be breaking some kind of barrier, which is not always possible, and not even always what you want to be doing…there’s definitely a snobbery in electronic music. It’s difficult to know when you’re going to fall on one side or the other of that snobbery [laughing], and there’s no real rule to it. From one source, you might be considered a really important electronic musician, and from the other side they might be like, ‘they’re not doing anything groundbreaking enough,’ so it’s difficult.  I’ve noticed, in some quarters I’m seen as revolutionizing some sort of electronic music thing, and the other side, I’m just the opposite [laughing] so you just can’t tell. Basically, I’m just a singer who writes songs and makes music electronically. That’s more who I am. I wouldn’t say I’m an electronic scientist, in terms of the way of making music.

VM: What would you be doing if you weren’t making music?

SOHN: Probably walking somewhere [laughing].

VM: Walking somewhere? Is that one of your pastimes? Your favorite hobby, just walking?

SOHN:  Well, it would be. If I ever had time, it would be. I mean, I haven’t done that for years and years and years. I like the idea of in some way like a pilgrimage, even if it’s not a religious pilgrimage, because I’m not religious, but this kind of idea of making a journey by yourself based on your own animimalistic possibilities. Like your actual body and your physical self, and just pushing yourself, just doing a sort of four-week hike over mountains and lakes, and arriving somewhere else.

Saves the Day share new music video

Posted on by Katelyn Stanitzke

Saves the Day have premiered a new music video for “In the In Between.”

The video isn’t like your typical video that tells a story and uses miming vocals. Instead, this video shows the authentic experience of being at a show or a party and just enjoying the energy in the room.

When posting the video on Facebook, the band said:

We are terrible actors and terrible liars. It’s the curse of valuing things that are honest and true above all else. It’s especially difficult when there are things that seem fun to do but then we’re not sure how to do it in a way that feels honest and true to the moment.

We wanted to make a video but do it on our terms. Sean Stout got it. So at the end of our 2013 fall tour we hung in LA for a day, rented a room, borrowed a PA, bought some beer, and invited some people over. We played a set, played “In The In Between” a few times, and filmed it. This video is a document of the night. No hi-def perfect miming vocals and instruments. We’d have used the live sound if the room didn’t make everything sound like Glenn Branca.

What Sean captured was the energy we share when we have you all singing along with us. It was a fucking blast. At the end of the night, people were making friends and exchanging numbers. It was Beyond Dope to be a catalyst for that.

So here is “In The In Between.” If there’s even one person in a tiny room to play for we’ll be there. For now, we’ll see you in the UK and EUROPE.

It’s pretty awesome if you ask me.

 

Cheap Girls share new track

Posted on by Katelyn Stanitzke

Cheap Girls have teamed up with Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn for a new track off their upcoming album, Famous Graves. The band is also playing some shows with The Hold Steady this week, so I hope this collaborative friendship is here to stay. Listen to “Man in Question” below and be prepared to be put in a party mood.

4/8 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom *
4/9 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre *
4/11 Albany, NY @ Hollow
4/12 Pawtucket, RI @ Met Cafe *
* with the Hold Steady

SXSW 2014: Lily & the Parlour Tricks x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Samantha Gilder

Lily & the Parlour Tricks is a soulful sextuplet based out of NYC.  According to their bio – and evident in their sound – their influences range from The Andrews Sisters all the way to The White Stripes. During South by Southwest, we sat down with Lily, Brian, Terry, Morgane, Angelo, and Darah to see what they had been up to in the past and what they plan on getting into in the future.  Read about all about it and more below, and check out their website for a stream of their latest release, Requiem, as well as upcoming tour dates.

Vinyl Mag:  Is this your first SXSW?

Lily: It’s our second; the first was in 2012.

VM: Is there a reason you took a year off from it?

Lily: Yeah, actually, a label saw us at SXSW 2012, and we got into a development deal with them through 2013, so it made sense not to come- but now we’re back.

VM: What set have you had your heart on catching while down here?

Lily: Definitely St. Vincent.

VM: This question is for the guys- I watched a bit of your interview with Rock on Philly, and Lily mentioned how you were super into 90’s R&B; as a fellow R&B appreciator, what kind of 90’s R&B are your particular favorites?

Brian:  Bone Thugs for sure, Montell Jordan, Brian McKnight…

VM: Oh snap, you guys are the real deal!

Brian: Well, the thing is that we did a run of shows once, and Angelo had found this Planet Groove: Best of 1997…

Lily: I think that was the first time we had ever gone out of town together, actually.

Brian: It was! So that was our soundtrack for about three straight days. And now it’s just a thing.

Terry: It started as a joke, and now we’re all into it.

VM: Being a larger group, how do you travel?

Lily: Well, now we have a van courtesy of Angelo. But usually, if we’re out of town, we rent a big SUV or something. Otherwise, we just split into two cars; usually, it’s just the “boys” car and the “girls” car.

VM: Here’s a question I’ve found relevant with this week: are you food truck people or BBQ joint people?

Lily: Both! We’ve done Iron Works already, but we’ve also done the food trucks. Really, we’re just food people.

VM: What has been your favorite so far?

Lily: Gus’s has been mine.

Darah: The best fast food truck at SXSW is Chilantro’s for sure.

Brian: We were discussing earlier how the food truck situation is really interesting and awesome, but I don’t know- I always leave hungry. It’s an experience more than it is a filling meal.

VM: You’ve mentioned how “Belle Gunness” was just a demo when it was picked up by BMW for their new commercial- have you since gone back and mastered it or left it as is?

Lily: We left it as is.

VM: And that wasn’t the plan originally, was it?

Lily: No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t the in the plan to release it all, necessarily, but we like it, and it sounds good. Now, we have all of these demos that we had done with this label, and we’re allowed to release them. We may or may not do that, but it’s kind of an amazing position to be in.

VM: Are the lyrics a collaborative effort or do you [Lily] do all of the writing?

Lily: I do all of the writing; it’s just how it’s happened. I 100 percent look at it is as a collaborative effort; it just happens to start with me. I send them skeleton recordings, and then it’s formed from there.

VM: Last question- I read that you’ve been going back and forth from Nashville to work on a lot of recordings- are you still going back and forth, or has that wrapped? What can we expect musically in the near future for Lily & the Parlour Tricks?

Lily: We just went in February for a big session, and we got six songs out of it, so now we have a total of 13 to work with. We’ve just released the first single titled “Requiem,” and we plan to release another single. After that, it’s wide open with what we want to do with the rest of it.

Shaky Knees Founder Tim Sweetwood x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Colby Pines

For the second year in a row thousands of rock & roll fans will flock to the heart of Atlanta for the Shaky Knees Festival. The weekend-long musical extravaganza kicks off Friday, May 9th and features plenty of must-see musicians. The anatomically unstable festival is not without its changes though. 2014 brings with it a new location and a new lineup. Coming off an extraordinary first year that featured performances from Band of Horses, Delta Spirit, and Drive-By Truckers, it was hard to imagine how the festival could improve upon itself. For Shaky Knees Festival founder Tim Sweetwood, the answers were easy: more bands, a bigger venue, and reasonably priced tickets. Recently, we got the chance to speak with the festival’s founder about this year’s lineup, the festival’s change of scenery, and whether or not he sold his soul to the Rock & Roll Devil.

Vinyl Mag: What initially inspired you to found Shaky Knees?

Tim Sweetwood: I’ve always wanted to produce a festival – they are my favorite kind of events to attend, and I just waited til the time was right.

VM: What do you feel that Shaky Knees offers that some of the other Atlanta music festivals might not?

TS: Real indie music and a chance to discover something new. The lineup is built on having bands you know and haven’t seen in a while but have always loved, and then newcomers in the same genre that will be the next “it” band, and you can see them before anyone else does.

VM: This year the festival is changing locations. How do you feel about the move from the Masquerade Music Park to Atlantic Station?

TS: We feel great. The festival is growing in size naturally, and the Music Park/Old 4th Ward park couldn’t hold what we wanted to do, and we are not big enough for Piedmont Park or something like that.  Atlantic Station is very accessible, and still inside the city limits.

VM: What do you feel the biggest improvement will be from last year to this year’s festival?

TS: The chance to see more bands or a ticket price that is close to the lowest price of all the similar national festivals.

VM: How has Shaky Knees managed to deliver such impressive performers in its first two years? Did you sell your soul to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Devil?

TS: Yes, we are on the Highway to Hell. I’ll introduce you to him soon.

VM: Shaky Knees is only in its second year, but already it feels like a mainstay amongst the festivals. Do you feel like your initial expectations have already been met and exceeded?

TS: We have met many of our goals, but there are still many to achieve, and we hope by setting the bar so high with the lineup that from year to year it will keep people coming back and wanting more.

VM: I know that you’ve said you aren’t trying to create the next Bonnaroo, but do you see growth in the festival’s future in terms of number of acts, stages, and attendees?

TS: Yes, we know there will be growth, and although there is tremendous excitement and positive pressure, we don’t want to get too big too quick.

VM: Do you have any specific performers that you are most excited about this year?

TS: Honestly, excited to see them all – that is the joy of booking your own festival. I put on the acts that I truly love and I’m a fan of. We don’t just put anyone on there.

VM: What’s your most memorable festival moment, whether at Shaky Knees or another festival?

TS: Keeping that one to myself, but we truly hope people will have some of their favorite festival experiences at this year’s fest and for years to come.

VM: What advice do you have for Shaky Knees festival-goers?

TS: Get there early and stay late!!

VM: Since Shaky Knees is a Rock ‘n’ Roll fan’s dream come true, can you give us your top three rock bands of all time?

TS: It is really really hard to narrow it down to three, but I’ll throw three out there in no particular order….My Morning Jacket, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Buddy Holly.

HOLYCHILD x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Colby Pines

There might not be a more fun genre than indie-pop. If you don’t believe me, then give HOLYCHILD a listen. With the uncanny ability to create catchy tracks with depth, it’s no surprise that the band has gained quite a following. After earning early success for their song “Happy With Me,” the LA-based duo recently signed with Glassnote Records and dropped an impressive debut project accompanied by a short film. HOLYCHILD is comprised of lead singer Liz Nistico’s sugary, poignant vocals and Louie Diller’s punchy, melodic, and always-catchy musical compositions. I recently got the chance to get with HOLYCHILD about their debut EP, their favorite dessert foods, and a slew of other sweet subjects…

Vinyl Mag: So, your first EP, Mindspeak, just dropped in March. Do you feel like there’s an overarching theme for the project?

Liz Nistico: Hey! Yeah, the EP just came out! The overarching theme is pretty much centering around me exploring my role as a female in our culture. However, to me it’s even more than that, and really commentary on who we all are, versus who we’re told we’re supposed to be, in relation to our culture and other humans.

VM: I saw that you also released a short film with the EP. What was it like to make that, and why did you feel like you wanted to pair the project with a short film?

Liz: I really wanted the message of the EP to be clear, and I thought that accompanying visuals would really enforce that. I also am a very visual person, so I didn’t really feel the art would be complete without it. I was so grateful to be able to write and direct my own videos, especially because it was my first time really directing! It was nice to be in control of all aspects of the film, from what styles the girls are wearing to what the location looks like to exactly how the actors are interacting. It’s really nice doing HOLYCHILD, because it really is all-encompassing artistic expression!

VM: What was your writing process like for Mindspeak?

Louie Diller: For Mindspeak, Liz and I wrote all the melodies and harmony together, but Liz was responsible for roughly 80 percent of the lyrics, whereas I was responsible for 80 percent of the music production. Our writing process, however, for each song tends to vary. Sometimes, I have a melody floating around in my head; other times, Liz will write using her vocal loop station, and we’ll go from there, and actually for a few songs on our album, Liz has woken up from a dream with songs fully fleshed out!

VM: A whole lot of sweets in the video, and you used a doughnut for the Mindspeak cover art. If you could only have one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Liz: Ha! I think cheesecake for me.

Louie: Hot fudge chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream on top!

VM: How does it feel to be signed to the same label [Glassnote Records] as artists such as CHVRCHES, Childish Gambino, The Temper Trap and Two Door Cinema Club just to name a few?

Louie: Right on – lest not we forget Phoenix, Mumford and Sons, Givers and a handful of other really inspiring artists! Money, hype and buzz aside, creatively it has been very validating to sign with such a reputable label like Glassnote and to now have all these amazingly privileged opportunities handed to us. After some years of the starving artist struggle, it is a privilege to to not only eat a little bit better, but more importantly, execute our vision on a level we have always dreamed of reaching.

VM: You guys, CHVRCHES and GIVERS are the only bands on the label that use all capital letters in your name. Do you guys get together and make fun of the non-caps nerds?

Liz: Haha, yeah obviously, all-caps fo life. Nah, just kidding, we’re pretty nerdy into all of the other Glassnote bands. I think Louie expressed this, too, but when we get together with the other bands, we’re pretty much like, geeking out on their songs, and live shows, and aesthetics. We’re big fans!

VM: I read that you met each other in a dance class at George Washington University. What did each of you study?

Liz: Yeah! I studied International Affairs, Italian Literature and Dance (mostly modern). I know I’m not directly employed in these careers, but I do feel like I’ve taken all this knowledge and applied it to what I’m doing now.

Louie: I studied International Affairs and Jazz Studies. Obviously, I am not doing the former professionally, but a secret ulterior motive Liz and I have had for pursuing HOLYCHILD is to use it as a vehicle to travel the world!  Hehe, don’t tell anyone!

VM: You [had a show] on April 5th back in DC. [Did] it feel like a homecoming of sorts? 

Louie: It did feel that way! But we were not there long enough! DC has always treated us really well, and we are fortunate to basically have a home away from home in DC.

VM: What are you currently listening to?

Liz: So much. I’m pretty into Sylvain Esso, Tune-Yards, Loch Lomond, Sam Smith. I am just starting to really to get into Sufjian Stevens which, WTF – why is this just now happening?!

Louie: St. Vincent, Andrew Bird, Battles, OutKast, Thelonoius Monk (always), and more.

VM: Who are some of your musical influences?

Louie: Our musical influences include everybody from Fiona Apple, to Dirty Projectors, to Katy Perry, No Doubt, Afro-Cuban Guaganco, and many more.

VM: If you weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing?

Liz: I would definitely be making art in some way. I don’t know if it would be writing or dancing or making visual art, but I know myself well enough at this point to have realized that I fall apart when I’m not making art.

VM: I read that you guys used to make five-month plans and goals for the band. Do you still do that, and if so, what are you planning next for HOLYCHILD?

Liz: Yes! Haha, yeah we’re definitely systematic and still really organized with our approach to how we release things and why. That’s probably the biggest takeaway we have from GW [George Washington University]! The one thing that’s changed now is we have a team behind us, and our five-month plans have turned into 12-18 month plans. Things are just much more certain now (kind of)! So coming up for us, we’re mostly going to be touring for the rest of the year! We just dropped our EP, Mindspeak, and our album with be out in the fall.

Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes x Vinyl Mag

Posted on by Nikki Smith

Indie rock band Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes originates from Nashville, Tennessee. The band released their first album, Civilized Man, in 2011 and have just released their sophomore album, Kid Tiger, a mix of synthesizers and pop melodies.  Kid Tiger was engineered by Vance Powell, who recorded big names like Jack White, The White Stripes and The Raconteurs. You may have watched their video “Sun Goes Out,” filmed by Joshua Black Wilkins (if not, get on it below). Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes follow in their footsteps with energy and optimism.  The band has been recognized by Esquire as one of the 15 Bands to Watch in 2014. They’ve also received recognition for Amazon and Paste Magazine.

The band’s Facebook claims their influences as “Drawings of animals, good mustaches, moderately priced whiskey, and doughnuts,” but this interview got the real scoop. Keep an eye out for Kyle Andrews and Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes on their tour this summer!

Vinyl Mag: How did you guys come to form Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes?

Daniel Ellsworth: The drummer and I went to school together, so we’ve known each other for years. The other guys – we met through mutual friends, playing with other bands in Nashville. We’ve been together since 2011.

VM: How has your style evolved since your first album, Civilized Man?

Daniel: The new album, Kid Tiger, was written as a band. The first record was a mix of songs that I had written before the band had formed, so it was written a little differently, and Kid Tiger was a progression from that. We built everything from the ground up as a band.

VM: What is the inspiration behind your new album, Kid Tiger? Where does the name come from?

Daniel: We draw from a lot of different musical styles. Everyone in the band comes from significantly different backgrounds. Our drummer grew up playing metal; our guitarist grew up playing country and rockabilly; the bass player and I played straight jazz in college.

So, you get this mix, but all of us are big pop and big rock fans. It’s never an intentional thing, but we try and draw from all of those different backgrounds. I don’t know if it necessarily comes through in the music, but I think the music that we listen to and what we’ve grown up on is what inspires the music that we make.

The album name was a random story. It was the one thing we hadn’t quite agreed on yet as a band. Our guitar player had just picked up a copy of Tarantula, Bob Dylan’s first book. It’s like a series of free writing; none of it makes sense. He probably wrote it all when he was stoned out of his mind. We were in Portland, Oregon, and we were sitting in a park and decided to turn to a random page to find an album title. We flipped open to a page, and there were these fake letters from two drunk, fictional characters. One of the letters was signed, “Your fellow rebel, Kid Tiger.” We saw it and thought it was pretty cool. We liked how it sounded; we liked how it looked. Long story long, that’s where Kid Tiger came from.

VM: Are there any particular bands or artists that have helped shape your music?

Daniel: At any given point, we’re listening to all kinds of music. There’s never a band that we want to sound like, but some of the bands we commonly listen to would be Wilco – that’s a big one for us. We listen to a lot of Phil Collins, always Tom Petty, and always Paul Simon.

VM: What was it like working with Vance Powell for your video “Sun Goes Out?”

Daniel: Vance engineered Kid Tiger, and “Sun Goes Out” is the first single on the album. It was amazing working with Vance; he’s one of the best at what he does. It was an honor to get to work with him. He’s recorded some of our favorite records of all time. It was great; he’s a great guy. He was on top of things, and he’s so unbelievably good at what he does.

VM: What plans do you have in the future for the band?

Daniel: I hope that we continue to make records the way we want to with the people we want to make them with and continue to tour with them, if people want to keep listening. We’ll tour in the near future for Kid Tiger. We just got back from a tour, and now we’re working on some of our fall festival dates. We’re doing some touring in May with Kyle Andrews.

VM: What advice can you give to bands in the beginning?

Daniel: Make the music that you want to make. Don’t let anybody tell you what you should be making or what you should be doing. If you’re making music that you love to make and you believe in it, that’s the whole thing. If it’s something you like to play, and you can do it every single day of your life, do that. Don’t change for anyone.

Style Steal: Lana Del Rey

Posted on by Alexis Tiedemann

“Likes to watch me in the glass room bathroom, Chateau Marmont
Slippin’ on my red dress, puttin’ on my makeup
Glass film, perfume, cognac, lilac
Fumes, says it feels like heaven to him.”

–“Off To The Races” by Lana Del Rey, Born To Die

Lana Del Rey’s lyrics ooze with old Hollywood glamour, overt sexuality, and a taste for all things that sparkle and shimmer. This week for Style Steal, we channeled our inner goddess and emulated the fashion icon that is Lana Del Rey.

Born Elizabeth Woodridge Grant, Lana Del Rey broke into the world spotlight with her album Born to Die in 2012. With it, she brought a sense of fashion that was both reminiscent and risk-taking. From classic red-carpet-ready gowns to daring statements, Del Rey is a self-described “gangster Nancy Sinatra” and in an interview with Vogue remarked, “Fashion is inspired by youth and nostalgia and draws inspiration from the best of the past.”

This first outfit was inspired by the music video for “Born to Die.” The long white dress we used was a slip that belonged to my grandmother, but one just like it can be found at any lingerie store. The flower crown here was made by Danielle, the model, but instructions for a DIY flower crown can be found at blog.birchbox.com.

In honor of summer being just around the next corner, we used this gorgeous one-piece leopard bathing suit from Victoria’s Secret for our next look. Paired with a black floppy hat and retro shades, both from American Threads, this look channels the fearless fashion of our lady Lana.

This outfit was inspired by the music video for “Ride.” We loved the way Lana canoodled with bikers and rocked the converse/white tee look. We paired an old cut-up Bruce Springsteen tee from Goodwill with high waisted jean shorts from NastyGal.com. The black converse and RayBan Clubmasters polished off the look. But our favorite part of this outfit was definitely the faux leather red fringe jacket I found at a vintage store in Baker City, Oregon. While you probably won’t be able to find this exact one, we found a bunch of awesome ones on eBay and Polyvore.com.

For this last look, Kate Welsh perfected the old Hollywood glamour look with dark eye makeup , but a messy middle part to keep it modern. The shirt is a classic Lana look—a Peter Pan collar button up shirt from a local Athens, Ga., clothing store, Fabrik. Against an American flag backdrop she looks, well, in the words of Lana herself, “never was there ever a girl so pretty.”

Challenger: ‘Back to Bellevue’

Posted on by Colby Pines

Challenger, the electro-indie band from New York City, plans to drop their second full-length album on May 27th. Led by producer/songwriter John Ross, Challenger debuted their first LP, The World Is Too Much for Me, in 2012. Their sophomore effort is titled Back to Bellevue and features eleven epic pop tracks rooted in indie electronica. Ross left the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn and returned to his childhood room in Florida to write and record the album.

DISCLAIMER: I’m a huge fan of electro-indie music. My friends and I have a collaborative Spotify playlist called Electropolis. It’s filled with hits from bands like Washed Out, Purity Ring, Small Black, and Summer Heart, and we’re pretty selective about what makes the cut. If you don’t dig the smooth sounds of a cinematic synthesizer, then, first of all, what’s wrong with you? And, second, read no further, because liking Challenger’s Back to Bellevue was just way too easy for me.

Driven by bright synth leads and punchy, robust percussion compositions, Challenger’s latest offering separates itself from the crowded electro-indie genre by lacing its tracks with honest, fragile vocals that aren’t buried in reverb. While this album reminded me of bands like Summer Heart and Washed Out, the raw and delicate vocals held hints of Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes. Think Small Black but with more rough edges. This combination of clear, raw vocals and catchy synth leads works best on tracks like “How Terrorism Brought Us Back Together” and “Sweetheart in San Francisco.”

Ross’s experience as a composer for television is apparent in the album’s cinematic synth pop sounds. Several of the songs seem suited for the screen. I could see a car driving further and further away as the sun sets or a couple sharing their final kiss before we fade to black as each track on Back to Bellevue flows into the next. But Ross doesn’t stop at simply crafting cinematic songs. Challenger shows their diversity with songs like “Sylvia,” which provides a hauntingly beautiful juxtaposition to the brighter melodies. With “I Want You To Love Me,” Challenger strips away the intricate drums and synthesizers in favor of an acoustic ballad that echoes back to the happy holiday declarations found early in the album on “Birthday At Beth Israel.”

While I thoroughly enjoyed the album and admired its bold, different vocal approach, I have to admit that the raw vocals seemed out of place on the song “Sorry,” which is arguably the most beautiful track in terms of musical composition. Then again, even when the chosen vocal style seems out of place, it still sounds incredibly honest and makes the music more endearing. Challenger’s latest album is an undeniable success for any fan of electro-indie. Rest assured that several of the songs from Back to Bellevue will find a home in Electropolis come May 27th.

4/5