Last week I sat down for a conversation with Jordan Miller, the lead singer of The Beaches, and I like to think it was a good time despite my initial nerves. The Beaches are one of the most promising bands working today, after all, and have been since 2013! At this point in time, the Canadian rock band has gone from Family Channel child-stars to Juno Award winning openers for the Foo Fighters, Rolling Stones and Passion Pit. I just caught them at the tail-end of their first headlining tour in the US, and End of Summer--the band’s newest EP--has just come out. The future looks bright for Miller. How was your Halloween? It was very fun! I went to a wedding with two of my other bandmates and then I went to a couple parties and then an afterparty. So, yeah. A long one. This was yesterday? This was Saturday. Sorry, yesterday I didn’t do much. I just watched horror movies in bed. Any favorites? This year I watched The Exorcist. I was just playing in Washington this fall and passed by the stairs that the priest falls down at the end of the movie--sorry for the spoilers--and I remembered I hadn’t seen it in awhile. So, I’d never been to one to one of your shows before, and I was surprised to see both young and old audiences! Did you seek to appeal to both demographics? A little something for everybody? I don’t think when you’re a musician--or at least I’ve never found personally, that I intentionally try to appeal to any specific age group or any gender. I’m surprised by the variety of fans that we have, but like, I’m not super shocked by it. As a young woman, my songs probably appeal most to young women, queer women, young people… because they understand my perspective the most. But we also draw from so many 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s bands… so, I’m sure people that are older than us, or even like my parents’ age, find that we appeal to them as well because we remind them of the music that they listened to. There’s not necessarily a conscious effort, but I can totally see how we have such a varied group. You know, the most surprising group to this day are the frat boys who love my feminist songs! And I don’t know if it’s an ironic take or if it’s just a sign of the changing culture, but when I see a bunch of frat guys wearing my “Itty Bitty Titty Committee” shirts, it’s just a real surprise and a real thrill. They’re wearing the shirts?! Yeah, they love it! [laughs] They love it so much. They get absolutely excited. That’s hilarious. Yeah, it’s very cool. Do you have any especially funny concert-related stories? My first really big Toronto show that we played at the Danforth Music Hall. It was my first time playing there, and I was really nervous. I bought this beautiful set from Morocco in the sixties, and I do a lot of incredible dances onstage. I went to do a drop and my pants split open. I had to get my tour manager, who has been my guitar teacher since I was six-years-old, to literally tape my pants together--like tape down my asshole. So that was very funny. That’s a very good story. Yeah! So, to talk about your clothes, I know you wear a lot of fun outfits on stage, and I’ve read you’ve designed some of this stuff? Do you mean “design” or “style”? I may have read this wrong. I haven’t designed anything, but we’ve been styling ourselves. We style ourselves every once in a while. Style is a really important facet to us, because we feel like it’s something that’s often overlooked. Particularly in rock music, and particularly--no offense to the boys that I see sometimes--but I personally find it very irritating when I see guys wear jeans and t-shirts onstage and think that that’s good enough for a performance! They’re stuck in a rut! Well, yeah! I’m of the belief that you should never wear clothes that you wear before a show onstage. I think you should try to elevate what you’re doing. I’m not a big fan of the grunge scene for that reason. [laughs] So you and your sister, Kylie have been playing together forever, basically. All our lives. But I didn’t realize for ages that the history of The Beaches goes back to a band previously on the band on the Family Channel in Canada. Mm-hmm! My big question, I guess, is were you discovered there? I know you wrote a theme song for a show on the network too. Did you write the song for that show? Essentially what happened is, Kylie and I started playing guitar and bass together for about two or three years, and we decided to start writing some songs together. Our guitar-teacher, James--who eventually became our tour manager and musical director--thought our songs were really good, and decided to record them on set in his studio--just really on the cheap--and my father was just really proud of it. So yeah, just like homemade CDs or whatever--a lot of kids would do that, or at least those I knew of--and my dad used to just give them to everyone. And coincidentally, one day he handed it to a guy he knew at a hot dog stand where he worked in Toronto, and that happened to be a friend of Rain Maida of the Family Channel. I think Rain listened to it as a favor to his friend, and he thought we were really good! So it was through Rain and his wife, Chantal, that we got a deal at the Family Channel. We were very lucky, but again, we worked really hard and… we’re talented! I think with anyone who does well today, it has to be with all three of those things. Luck, talent, and hard work and tenacity. Do you have any artists you really enjoy right now who might not be getting the popularity you think they deserve? I’m a terrible music fan in that I don’t listen to a lot of new music honestly [laughs]. I’m a really large fan of live music and going to see people that, like, surprise me. Whenever I play music festivals I try to wander around because my real appreciation of music comes from live performances. My sister’s really the one who’s good about going past streaming services and looking at indie sites for the best new music out there. She’d be the one to ask about that. There’s a band in my city called Goodbye Honolulu, and I’m not sure if they’re together anymore but they were a fantastic band. [laughs] I’m sorry! I can’t think of any more off the top of my head. I’m a podcast listener. When your job is really just writing music all day and setting up and performing shows, I kind of value a break from music once in a while. Oh, I can imagine! Yeah. As for writing, your music seems to be taken from real life experiences. Not necessarily heartbreak, but generally being kind of pissed-off, really. I wouldn’t say “pissed off.” It’s like I’m an observer and I’m perplexed, I guess. Not angry, just more puzzled. How often do those songs… “T-Shirt,” “Let’s Go,” and “Walk Like That,” specifically… how often are those songs based on real experiences and how often are you just channeling feelings? Right. I used to write a lot of songs that weren’t from my perspective. Like, I used to write songs about the end of the world, or these really surreal sort of things, and then when I started doing the first album with The Beaches, a lot of people were like, we need to know what you guys are. With your first album, it’s basically a diary entry. People need to understand who you are. You have to be able to showcase a sort of “zeitgeist statement” through your lyrics. So I got really into trying to write diary entries in the form of songs, and since then I’ve been trying to do more of that. It doesn’t always come natural to me, because I’m not the best at talking about myself [laughs]. But then I realized that I could do it in this fun, funny, or sort of Carrie Bradshaw-ish way, where I can be kind of funny about it, or you know, tell stories about one night stands that went wrong, or how I can be a bit of a dirtbag, and I don’t have to feel super vulnerable or uncomfortable. I can use comedy in my lyrics to get my stories across. I think that’s essentially what The Beaches’ lyrics are. They’re really honest, but also kind of humorous and real. What lyric are you most proud of having written? Oh, that’s really tricky! I’m really proud of “Blow Up,” just because of the amount of lyrics that are in there. It’s almost like a rap song, the way the words flow together, and it’s also a little mournful. And then recently, there’s a song I wrote recently about my breakup that I’m very proud of. I’m probably most proud of that, but it hasn’t come out yet--it’s coming soon. And then I also really love “Orpheus” too, which is off of our newest EP. I got to combine a bunch of my favorite loves in that song. Greek poems, songs about my past and past loves… and yeah. I’m just really just proud of that one. And you do it in such a smart way in that song! It’s almost kind of played out at this point, just referencing either The Bible or Greek Myths. But it’s done so creatively, just kind of how it’s contemporary as well--or that myth, anyway. Well yeah, that’s what I think I really like about those old stories is that they’re universal. You can always re-contextuaize them and sort of flip the switch a little bit. For me, what I really liked about the Orpheus legend, and thought would be an interesting way of looking at it, would be from the perspective of Eurydice--and she’s the female lover of the story. We always talk about Orpheus’ perspective, but we never look at the woman’s perspective in that legend. I thought it would be interesting not only to look at the story through her eyes, but also set it in a modern time. And, as for this new EP? This is a new EP coming out? Yeah! We released three singles over the past fall and the summer--“Grow Up Tomorrow,” “Orpheus,” and “My People”--and we’re releasing it as an EP. I think EP’s are a great sort of way to pinpoint where your albums are going. So we’re really excited about our next album that’s coming out, but this EP has some more Beaches music before our album is ready to be released. We hope everyone enjoys it. And I noticed with this EP you’re going a little more poppy! Well, that’s right! You have this EP which is sort of like going in this direction, so like, yeah. Get excited for what’s coming! Are there any influences there? Not really. I think, like all musicians, we kind of swing on a pendulum. So our first EP was really natural rock, like Strokes-y, very simple chord structures; and then more experimental with our second--more like a dance rock album. Then, the pendulum is sort of swinging the other way now. We’re going more simple, more pop sort of lyric-structures, with also a bit more of a natural vibe. So yeah, pretty excited about that. And it’s all very Beaches. Yes [laughs]. And when you’re not writing music and listening to podcasts, how do you spend your free time? Love to party, dude. I should have guessed that. [laughs] Well, I love seeing my friends, I love reading, I love going to movies, I love walking around. Just an average young woman having fun! Now, I’m kind of scared to ask this next question because I got the designing clothes question wrong, but I read somewhere that you have a massive fear of fruit? That is true. That is true. Tell me about that! I just get really freaked out by it. I don’t like it. It’s a real thing, it’s called “fructophobia”, and I’ve actually met a couple of other people that have the same fear. When I was a little kid, my grandfather fed me a piece of expired fruit in my porridge and it’s one of my earliest memories. Every time I see a fruit now, regardless of what it is--and I know they all have different textures--I sort of have that gross memory of a rotten grape bursting in my mouth. That’s how I feel about all fruits. Like, clementine season’s coming up, and I know I’m going to find a bunch of clementine peels in the snow. That always makes me want to yack. Yeah… I don’t like them. Wow! Yeah! It’s a real fear! We’re out there, but yeah. I know it’s strange, but that is true about me. Wow. Well, I won’t say it’s funny… [laughs] It is funny. It’s objectively funny. What is your most controversial take? Hmm. I guess I don’t really care for the Kardashians. I’m sure a lot of women won’t come after me for that. [laughs] Yeah. Not a big fan of them. That’s a pretty universal opinion down here. I think you’re safe with that one. Oh! I also think Nicolas Cage is the best actor in the world. I don’t know if that’s a serious take, but… it might be controversial. Ah. Well, that’s because you have taste. Thank you. He’s on the comeback trail, that guy. Oh yeah! What would you like to see more of in the music industry? Specifically within the rock industry I’d like to see more diversity. Obviously I’m a woman, so I’d like to see more females--and not just as performers, but female DJ’s! Female sound-engineers, female roadies! Then I’d also like to see more people of color or queer people represented in rock groups. I think rock music is all about the outsider-perspective. That’s really, to me, what rock music is as an identity. And I think that’s why it’s sort of lost its relevance is it’s really only focused on the identities of single, white, bad-guys. So I think it’s in need of some new life, and that should come from a bit more diversity. Now, whether that come from the queer community, or through people of color or, like, women too. And then, my last question is--and this is just me being curious--it seems like some of your new music seems to have this rally-cry of repeating vowels. On “Bad Behavior” and “Blow Up” specifically. I was wondering how this came about. Well, on “Bad Behavior,” that’s me spelling my friend’s name. The song is about my friend, Ania. She’s Russian, and I’m spelling her name as “A-N-I-A, not A-N-A”. So, yeah. I’m just spelling her name and I’m saying “It’s A-N-I-A, not A-N-A!” [laughs] That’s just a bit of fun. Then “Blow Up,” that was just Jackknife, my producer’s idea. He just really likes increasing vowels and sounds rather than specific lyrics he really likes. His focus is always on “how things should sound” vs. “things specifically making sense.” So those are two sorts of things that he’s really into. He’s not really into bridges that have specific meanings, he’s just like “Let’s have a little bit of fun here!” Check out the Beaches End of Summer here!

Released November 8, 2022, "CRÈME BRÛLÉE" is the newest track from Claire Chicha, and her third single this year. After seeing Boyish comment "Best song in the world" on instagram, I've been anxiously awaiting this release. The first 7 seconds caught me off guard, with a very different sound than I'm used to hearing from Spill Tab. But after that they start to add more elements in, and Chicha comes in with vocals at around 13 seconds. As with most Spill Tab songs, there is quite a bit happening with the production/music. But, I think it works really well. I don't feel like it overshadows the vocals, which is something that can happen in tracks with more production. There is a great driving beat, keeping the song moving forward, that I really enjoy. As you listen you can feel a build up of energy through the end of, what I'm assuming is, the chorus. And at about 41 seconds this leads to a guitar solo. Which I greatly enjoy. It then goes back to the same music as before when vocals come back, and follows the same pattern of build up to guitar solo. At this point I thought the song was ending, but in fact it was just a transition for vocals to come back in at 1:40. It stays pretty tame through the end. Overall I enjoyed this song quite a bit and after a couple more listens, I decided to add it to my playlist. Check out "CRÈME BRÛLÉE" by Spill Tab here!

I have been aware of Mothica since 2020, when her song "Vices" blew up on TikTok. That year she also released an album, with multiple songs that I enjoyed. So, when I realized she released an album in July 2022, I knew I wanted to take a listen. The first thing I noticed when looking up the album was how short the songs are. Of the 17 tracks on the album, three are under a minute, and just 2 songs are over 3 minutes. After a little research I found that the 3 songs under a minute are interludes. However shorter songs are becoming more and more the norm, so the average length of about 2:12 did not come as a surprise. The album starts out with "SLEEPWALK" a very mysterious, lo-fi, vibey song. Next up is the title track, "NOCTURNAL" which had a lot of electronic influence before going into a more rock influenced guitar section. Next is the second most streamed song from the album, "SENSITIVE." This song has good lyrics, and fun production choices, with lots of elements that remind me of a carnival. "HIGHLIGHTS" is next, and is one of my favorite songs on the album. Although I don't love some of the production choices, I really enjoy the lyrics. "I" is the first of three interludes on the album, featuring "Moth Man" with relaxing music in the background. Thus closes the first 'act' of the album. Act two begins with the most streamed song from the album, "CASUALTY." There is a much stronger pop-punk influence in this song than had been in the previous ones. There is a lot more guitar and drums than in the earlier songs on the album. Next is "LAST CIGARETTE(feat Au/Ra)" which seems to have more of an electronic and pop influence. Although I added this song to my playlist, it is very much a 'background music' song to me. "BACK OF MY MIND" is the next song on the album. I really enjoyed aspects of the song, and it would have been one of my top songs from the album if it had a stronger beat drop. I felt like it built up to one, but it never had a really strong drop like I was expecting. "II" is the second interlude track on the album, and the end of the second section of the album. "R.E.M." is the 10th song on the album, and the first song of the third act. It felt like the slowest song on the album, and it is the longest at 3:04. This song is very forgettable to me, as nothing really stood out or caught my attention. "BEDTIME STORIES" is one of my favorites from the album both lyrically and musically. Next is "LULLABYE" which flows very nicely from the previous song. Elements of this song really reminded me of Melanie Martinez on "Crybaby." "III" acts as the closer of act three, and once again features Moth Man speaking over calming music. The fourth, and final, section of the album begins with "ABSINTHE," which has more pop influences. Although not my favorite, I did send this song to a friend I thought would like it, and they did! "THE RECKONING (feat. Polyphia)" felt quite different than the rest of the album. It felt darker(which I love) than some of the other songs, mostly due to the instrumentation from Polyphia. Next is "BLOOD," which I enjoyed, but didn't really stand out to me. The final song is "TEARS, " which starts off softer, with somewhat distorted vocals before clearing up, and adding some stronger instrumentation. Despite some songs I didn't love, overall I think this is a great sophomore album from Mothica and I enjoyed the listen. If you like female alt/pop-rock, you may want to give this album a listen here!

During the Summer of 2021, I went on a long camping trip where it rained from the Wednesday I arrived all the way to the Sunday night before I left. So when the forecast for Michigan Metal Fest 2022 called for rainstorms all day, you can believe that I wasn’t fazed one bit. After multiple postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan Metal Fest finally returned to the gorgeous Leila Arboretum on Saturday, August 13. The lineup was largely the same as it was when it was initially announced in early 2020 with minimal changes, all while offering a wide collection of bands across the metal genre. “We had a couple changeups, a few for personal reasons unrelated, but for the most part we kept a hold of the whole lineup,” Co-Owner and Curator of Michigan Metal Fest Steve Maple said in an interview. Since the festival was postponed twice, it would be unreasonable to think that the lineup would be exactly the same. “We really weren’t trying to, honestly,” Maple added. “We kept a few of the bands because we wanted to still put them on, but for the most part after that much time off, we really just looked at this as a new start.” Nevertheless, there were a lot of names I didn’t recognize this year, so I decided to do the opposite of what I would normally do, and NOT listen to most of them ahead of time. I wanted to get a full-on first impression in the best way possible, and the only way to do that was to go in with as little information as possible. Whereas the previous three installments of the festival were marked by extreme heat and humidity, the fourth installment was characterized by rain, lightning and mud. Nevertheless, the wild and fun atmosphere shone through. Upon arrival early that afternoon, there was some light sprinkling going on, but nothing too crazy yet. The gray sky stood in stark contrast to the shocking green of the Leila Arboretum, creating an almost dreamlike overtone, especially with the elaborate sculptures across the grounds. Even though I wasn’t bothered by the prospect of rain, I still brought an umbrella and a poncho just in case. After all, there’s no sense in spending the day completely soggy if you don’t have to. There have been some changes to the festival layout since 2019. Instead of having two stages with two different rotating slots on each one, a third stage (Fountain Stage) had been added where the main stage would normally be, and the main stage itself had been moved further back into a part of the Arboretum I’d never seen. It was at this new main stage where I saw my first performance of the day, the tail end of the North Carolina-based act The Coursing. Although their Facebook page describes them as being “Nu-Metalcore,” I liken their sound to being more “blackened deathcore.” The breakdowns and other characteristics of deathcore were present, but the guitar tone and other effects had that much more “dissonant” sound of black metal. The orchestral sound effects were also reminiscent of symphonic black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir. I didn’t get to see the whole show, but I enjoyed what I saw. Lead singer Dillon Sheets, sporting corpse paint, even jumped down to the rail and got up close and personal with the fans during the last couple songs, which is always a nice touch. After this, I hung out at the press booth for a bit and watched the Michigan-based Final Confession for a time. The group contains members from Sterling Heights, Muskegon and Lansing. Their sound reminded me of Killswitch Engage and related acts in the mid-2000’s, but the dueling vocals of harsh singer Collin Huston and guitarist/singer Kaity Walstad sounded fresh. The band names acts like Ice Nine Kills and Famous Last words as some of their influences, according to singer Collin Huston. “I am actually brand new to the band, I’ve only been in the band for almost a year now,” Huston said in an interview after the festival. “Kaity, our guitarist and clean vocalist, she’s been at it for ten years. Final Confession is her band, she built it from the ground up. There’s been a few lineup changes, but she’s the original member of Final Confession.” Huston had never been in a band before, but a mutual friend pointed him in the direction of Final Confession when they were in need of a new harsh singer. “Needless to say, I got the position of vocalist, and it’s been smooth sailing ever since,” Huston said. “Before I joined Final Confession, I found it fun to just scream in the car, and I just happened to be good at it. I feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity to join Final Confession, these guys have made me feel at home. I can’t thank them enough and I feel excited to grow with these people and see where music takes us.” When it comes to Michigan Metal Fest, Huston said the day will be one he’ll remember for the rest of his life, and it was only his third show with the band. “Heading out there, the weather was definitely not appealing,” Huston recalled. “But I just remember finding the bandmates, helping get set up behind the stage, the excitement building up, the nerves. I felt so sick I wanted to throw up, but it was one of the most amazing feelings. Being onstage and looking out and seeing all the people and smiling faces, the anticipation building from the crowd, meeting all these cool people at our merch table, getting to sign T-shirts and CD’s, taking pictures with people, it was just amazing. It takes words away from you.” Their performance also ended up being one of the last performances with their drummer Kody. A few days after the festival, the band posted an announcement saying that they had parted ways and are now searching for a replacement. So with that in mind, it was one of those “just in time” opportunities. In the meantime, the band has a fill-in drummer for upcoming shows. Soon after, I decided to go check out what was happening at the Dirtbag Clothing stage, which has historically been the second stage for Michigan Metal Fest, as well as the main stage for the Leila Arboretum in general. A set by the Detroit-based rock band Influence was already underway. The band describes themselves as progressive grunge, and their sound ranges from hard rock to almost Southern blues rock at times. Some parts reminded me of bands like Smile Empty Soul, but heavier. Their latest release, the Conspiracy EP, even features a guest appearance from Suburban Noize Records’ own Dropout Kings, which was surprising in the sense that I hadn’t heard about it sooner. This would be the one and only performance I would see at the Dirtbag Stage, as the weather would soon become bad enough to halt the event, and the stage would eventually be shut down for the day. (As I’m writing this, I’m listening to the Influence song “The Rain,” which seems appropriate). But the skies still hadn’t opened up completely yet, leaving enough time to catch a performance by Ohio-based metal band The Convalescence. The band has performed at Michigan Metal Fest multiple times, but in my opinion, this was their most memorable to date. The stop at Michigan Metal Fest was part of their “Undead Swarm” tour, named after their newest single released this year. I already wrote earlier about the gray skies contrasted against the green venue, but the band took the green to the next level. Their stage banners for the new single, plus an almost exclusively green choice of stage lights, and even green LED lights inside the bass drum created pure eye candy. Combine that with corpse paint, the light rain and their symphonic deathcore sound, and the incredible atmosphere could not be denied. There were also plenty of theatrics in place similar to what you would see at a GWAR concert, meaning liberal uses of fake blood and body parts. In 2019, I made the mistake of wearing a white shirt and caught a few sprays of fake blood while taking photos. Knowing what to expect this time, I knew better than to get close once the fake body parts started getting thrown into the audience. People were catching arms and hearts and holding them up like trophies. As for the fake blood, the last time I saw this band, they were simply using water bottles with holes poked in the lids. But this time, members of The Coursing came out armed with entire futuristic squirt guns full of fake blood. Needless to say, I took several steps back toward the rear of the crowd, but it was quite a sight! During their final song, they finished off with one last breakdown before the skies finally opened up and the rain came in full force. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, but as I was standing in line for a pulled pork sandwich, lightning began to flash. Suddenly, I felt very nervous about holding an umbrella. The bad weather finally resulted in a temporary shutdown around 3:30 p.m., putting all performances on hold for the time being. Not knowing what else to do, I took shelter at the press tent and awaited further developments. Although re-entry was previously forbidden, staff decided to allow it so patrons could take shelter in their vehicles. But the shutdown didn’t last very long - just after 4 p.m., the music started back up again, and the rain would continue off and on for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, the Dirtbag Stage would have no further sets on that stage for the rest of the day. As a result, multiple bands didn’t get to play, and a planned Body Suspension by House of Razorblades would not surface. “It was a hell of a day, it was a scary day,” Steve Maple recalled. “It really threatened us a lot. There were a lot of points where I thought we weren’t gonna be able to keep going, and I never really imagined that scenario, so that was really hard. We did have to shut the stages down, and [the Dirtbag Stage] was supposed to shut down at 7:30 and we had to close it down because the [audio mixing] board went into safety mode. So there was nothing we could do about it, that stage shut down. We have a few bands that we have to have some make-up dates to make things right with them. With the other stages, we thought we were gonna have to shut them down too. It just kind of kept coming out of nowhere to where we were able to keep it going.” And it wasn’t just the bands on the Dirtbag Stage that would be affected. The Miami-based experimental group I Set My Friends on Fire would end up canceling their show on the main stage due to the bad weather. However, they have since announced that they are working on booking a make-up show, so any disappointed fans should keep an eye on their socials for when that happens. In the midst of the rain, I found myself back at the main stage around 4:30 p.m. for the Chicago-based death metal band Embryonic Autopsy, who were actually playing their first-ever concert. A good portion of bands that have performed at Michigan Metal Fest over the years fall somewhere into the “core” genres, so it was really nice to stumble into some old school death metal. According to their Facebook page, the goal is to “bring back 90’s old school brutal death metal.” Their debut album from this year, Prophecies of the Conjoined, does just that. It offers a serving of Sci-Fi themed death metal, as well as guest appearances from metal heavyweights like Terrance Hobbs (Suffocation). With song titles like “Cannibalized by Octuplets” and “Cauterized Womb Impalement,” the band definitely brought that old-school flavor to Michigan Metal Fest. The band features Tim King on vocals, who was the singer for a band called Oppressor that was active in the 90’s. But I didn’t know ANY of this before seeing them, so it was a completely new experience for me. And I can tell you in no uncertain terms, death metal hits WAY differently in the rain. “You guys are brave for coming here in the storm,” King told the crowd. “Thanks for coming to see some real classic death metal.” The aforementioned “Cannibalized by Octuplets” was the standout track during this set, and I found out later that the studio version features a guest appearance from Doc Coyle of the band God Forbid. In terms of music, this ended up being my favorite set of the day. I’ll be looking forward to what comes next for this group, but either way, I can say that I was one of the lucky few who saw their first-ever concert, and it was at Michigan Metal Fest 2022. Maple would later tell me that even he was unaware it was their first concert until the band posted about it right before their set. Meanwhile at the Fountain Stage, bands were back on track, albeit slightly behind schedule, but every band scheduled on that stage was still able to perform. The closeout act for the Fountain was Kalamazoo’s Last Sleep, a self-described Metalcore/Djent band. The band formed in late 2017, according to leasinger Ethan Laymon. “I actually was not originally in the band, they needed somebody who could sing, and my former band had just broken up earlier that year,” Laymon said in an interview. “Bert [Saldana], our bassist, sent me a message on Facebook, and I had an audition three days later. Since then, Bert and our guitarist Logan [Stephenson] had left, and that was right before COVID, but they’re actually back in the band now and we’ve spent a lot of time writing.” They were one of the returning acts from the last installment of Michigan Metal Fest, writing ahead of time that they couldn’t be more excited to be back. A crowd of dedicated fans had gathered around the stage, all of which were rocking hard for the band on the soaked stage. “We got there at about 10:30 a.m. and it had already started raining,” Laymon said. “That part was terrible and it was pretty chilly, but from our experience this year, and looking at everything behind the scenes, I know Steve Maple and his team tried really hard to make it as good of a day as they could with what the weather was doing to us.” In a strange turn of events, the storm delay actually worked to the benefit of Last Sleep, as it gave them time to correct a critical error. “Logan forgot his laptop at home and we kind of needed that for our set,” Laymon said. “We were scrambling, it was like an hour before our set time when we found out, and Derek [McIntyre, drummer] was running around the festival grounds trying to find Bert, who drove us, and right after they left, the festival stopped. So our stage got behind by a good hour and a half, and we got really lucky. Our laptop has all of our secondary guitar sounds, we only have one guitar player, so we definitely needed that to even make our set possible. We have not actually come up with a way to run our set without that, it would have failed.” Weather delays and equipment issues aside, Laymon said the day was a blast for the band. “That was our first time playing a show in a year and a half, and it was also our first show with our original lineup back in the band,” Laymon said. “Bert didn’t tell us until after the set he was staying, we thought it was just a one-off thing, but I think that day reinvigorated a lot of things for us.” Following their first show back, the band plans to keep going full steam ahead. “It is really nice to be back after the last two and a half years of stress from the pandemic, and all of us seem to be going all in at the Last Sleep camp,” Laymon said. “Beyond that, Last Sleep is focusing on writing because pretty much all the material we wrote during the pandemic is null and void with the lineup change. We’re ready to get back into it, and we’re excited to be back.” Next, I returned to the main stage to wrap up some unfinished business. In 2019, one band I wanted to see was Filth, a band from North Carolina which has been described as “downtempo deathcore.” Due to last-minute schedule changes, I somehow missed them completely that year. Even with the weather screwing everything up this year, I wasn’t gonna let that happen again if I could help it. It was definitely worth waiting for, and I’m glad I was finally able to settle the score. The only word I can use to describe their set is “powerful” - the vocals from Dustin Mitchell shook me to my very core (no pun intended). In contrast to the harsh music Filth spewed forth, the crowd was having light-hearted fun. At one point, the mosh pit gave way to a large game of “Ring Around the Rosie,” which had me laughing pretty hard. Just as it was my first time seeing Filth, it was also my first time seeing a mosh pit take a turn like this. But if you think that sounds weird, you wouldn’t believe the antics of the next two acts. Next up on the main stage was what I considered to be one of two “wild cards” on the lineup - the Nu-Metal band Tallah, based out of Pennsylvania. This was one of the names that I was looking forward to ahead of time, wanting to experience first-hand what a new Nu-Metal (Nu-Nu-Metal?) band in 2022 could sound like. The only thing I learned about them beforehand is that they had done shows with Code Orange in the past, which was good enough for me. Once the band took the stage, I knew we were in for something else before the first note was even played. Lead singer Justin Bonitz was wearing a blood-stained hospital gown with rabbit ears, while turntablist Alizé "Mewzen" Rodriguez was dressed as a psychotic mime. This, coupled with the extremely thick smell of fog machines in the air, made me feel right at home. I spent four years working in a haunted house seasonally, and it made me think, “Oh yeah, I’m gonna enjoy this.” My instinct was correct, as Tallah ended up being one of my other favorite highlights of the day. I could try to explain their sound, but I really can’t do it any better than their label, Earache Records, has already done on their official website. Here’s an excerpt: “Formed with a singular and unifying mission of revamping the much-loved sound of popular nu-metal sensations of the early 2000s, Tallah draw influence from the likes of Slipknot, Korn and Linkin Park while simultaneously fusing it with a modernised, hardcore edge as displayed by current sensations Code Orange, Vein, Candy and Fire From The Gods.” Indeed, the slamming guitars were accentuated by crystal-clear turntable scratching, making them one of the most unique acts of the day, and unlike anything I’d seen in a long time. The performance itself was completely off the wall - the band members were jumping all around like the inmates of an insane asylum. But at the same time they legitimately looked like they were having fun. There were big smiles from the members and you couldn’t help but crack up with them. Even the police officers patrolling the area could be seen laughing at the onstage madness. I would later find out that the band was co-founded by drummer Max Portnoy, who is the son of the legendary drummer Mike Portnoy (formerly of Dream Theater). It was a surprise to me, but a welcome one at that. For this next part of the review, I’d like to note that the following performance by Green Jelly could almost be its own separate article, and I really must confess myself ignorant to several things regarding the band. First of all, I didn’t know that even though the name is spelled “Jelly,” the band name is still pronounced like “Jello.” I knew there was a lawsuit regarding the name at one point, but was unaware that they kept the pronunciation. Of course I knew their infamous song “Three Little Pigs” and had seen the claymation music video, but hadn’t delved much further into their works. I also didn’t know that Green Jelly is mostly just the work of one man, lead singer Bill Manspeaker, and that hundreds of members have been in and out of the band over the years. Apparently, Manspeaker just travels from place to place and hires local musicians for each show. “It’s like a network that they have,” Maple explained. “When we announced they were playing Michigan Metal Fest, a couple comments I saw were ‘Oh, I didn’t know we were playing!’, and it was just people that lived around Michigan, the closest people to that show.” So really, I might as well have known nothing about Green Jelly. To that end, I had no idea that the live show was such a SPECTACLE. So much so that I’m not sure I can properly do it justice in words alone, but I’m gonna try. If Tallah brought the haunted house vibes with their antics, Green Jelly took it a few steps further. Before the show started, audience members were invited to go backstage to participate in the show. Those who obliged were dressed up in all kinds of weird costumes, dubbed “punk rock puppets” by Manspeaker. Manspeaker himself was dressed in a Wal-Mart employee vest, but quickly ditched this and several other garments on top of the stage canopy. Large inflatable decorations that looked like the kind you get at Halloween City were now adorning the stage, including a giant jack-o-lantern and a grim reaper. There was also a ridiculous amount of band members on stage, all dressed in their own costumes. They all had weird names like “Hammy Sagar” and other puns like that. Among them was a lady wearing an organ bodysuit, a guy wearing corpsepaint playing a stand-up bass, a bass player dressed in pirate-like garb and more. Maple would tell me there were about 35 members at this stop; I’d lost track after ten. While everyone was getting ready, Manspeaker kept the crowd entertained with his over-the-top stage presence, setting up a chair to stand on one of the main amplifiers. “We only have two good songs,” Manspeaker exclaimed among other things. I thought he was kidding and there would be more than that, and when they opened with Three Little Pigs, I figured they were just getting that one out of the way early. But it turns out the entire show was built around these two songs - Three Little Pigs and a Flintstones-themed comedy cover of Anarchy in the U.K. by the Sex Pistols. (There may have been a third one in there, but I could be wrong). The aforementioned “punk rock puppets” joined all these bizarre characters onstage, and some fans were even given large puppets on sticks to carry around through the crowd (including Justin Symbol from the band The God Bombs, who I ran into). Manspeaker got the crowd going with a chant of “Green Jelly (Jello) Sucks!” before finally coming into full swing with “Three Little Pigs.” Another confession - I was AMAZED by what I was seeing. The notes in my phone literally say “craziest shit ever - Green Jelly being Green Jelly.” Band members would leave the stage and play out in the crowd, punk rock puppets were moshing in the middle, and a previously unseen guy was making sparks shoot all over the place with a saw. Ultimately, this would end up being my favorite set of the day. Not for the music itself, but for the pure showmanship that was impossible not to love. How many times can you say you’ve seen a concert where the audience became active participants? It was almost like the heavy metal equivalent of watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show with a live audience. I can’t think of a single other metal show where I’ve been so ENTERTAINED through the whole thing - my stomach was hurting from laughter by the end of it. It seems that Manspeaker has taken the notion of being a one-hit wonder band and completely turned it on its head, which is actually pretty smart in my opinion. Attempting to further explain this would only result in me repeating myself. All I can say is that if Green Jelly is playing a show anywhere near you, I would highly encourage readers to consider going. It would be well worth the price of admission to witness this spectacle, and if they ever come around to Michigan again, I’ll be first in line. “Those guys were a riot, and we knew they were gonna be,” Maple said. “I have certain things that I want for this festival; a lot of it has to do with what metalheads in general want, what we want at a festival that’s not like everything else. But then on top of that, I reach out sometimes and grab a hold of things that I want. That’s something I was really happy to have there because they were iconic when I was growing up. They dominated MTV with that [Three Little Pigs] music video. They made it obvious that’s what they were doing, they’re here as ‘the worst band in the world,’ and you’re gonna enjoy it for a half hour,” Maple said. On a personal note, when it comes to my writing, I normally try to just let my own words paint a picture of whatever I’m reviewing. But in this case, I’ll make an exception. Any readers who want to get a better idea of what I saw can watch a video of the performance at this link. Following the craziness of Green Jelly, I found myself exhausted from the day and made the tough decision to head out early. But even with the bad weather and the cancellation of some bands, I was still in very high spirits. I was later told that during Attila, the mosh pit gave way into a large mud wrestling pit. I haven’t been in one of those since Dirt Fest 2012, but I’m sure those who joined in had the time of their lives. It just goes to show that when storms interrupt your day, the real question is whether you had fun or not. And that I did - even with rain and lightning causing a brief derailment, I can safely say that I still had a blast at Michigan Metal Fest 2022. “Honestly at about 5:00, I’m walking around looking at everyone thinking, ‘what are they doing, what are they still doing here? Why are these people here?’ And it’s because they only get this one day a year,” Maple said. I have previously written that as far as Metal events go in Michigan, there aren’t really any big-name festivals left besides touring ones that come through occasionally, like Knotfest. With that in mind, Maple and company have carved out a niche market over the last few years, which he greatly relishes. “As an adult, I have two kids, that’s my favorite feeling, is forging them into full adults who understand how to navigate through their emotions, finances and relationships,” Maple said. “But besides that, it’s the best feeling on the planet. It’s so good that I came back to it after a few years completely out of practice, having to go through hell to get this running again. It’s the best feeling to know that we made something for people that others are afraid to make at that caliber. And we not only did it to our best ability, but we hit this niche that no one knew we needed, and it’s wonderful.” With that being said, there is always room for improvement, and Maple and the rest of the staff are already looking at how to do better in the future, such as with infrastructure and communication. “One thing I want to point out is that I now have about a 20-person committee as compared to the two or three people that worked on this before,” Maple said. “The first thing we did was have a meeting two weeks after the event, and all we talked about was ways to improve. Anything we would normally talk about, we put everything aside and just 100 percent said, what can we do to make that event better? We have a lot in place, we’ve created subcommittees based on this. We’ll have multiple social media reps on the site next year, and they’ll be doing live updates with each band that happens and with each weather update and things like that.” As for makeup shows, there are already plans in place with more to follow. “Every band that wasn’t able to play, we’ve been working with all of them, and everybody who’s worked with us on it has been really happy with what we’ve come up with,” Maple explained. “We have FWAR, it’s an awesome GWAR tribute band that was gonna play. They will be performing at the Music Factory in Battle Creek for Halloween with a couple other bands on October 29. That’ll be a makeup show for them.” Further events are in the works, but are under wraps for now. “There’s a couple other bands that weren’t able to play, and we have them coming up a little bit beyond that,” Maple said. “We’ll announce a lot more details about that one soon, but we have to have it all composed first.” Closing Thoughts (Maple) - At the end of the interview with Maple, I gave him the floor to add anything he wished for closing thoughts. “I think basically this year, I just went into it really not knowing what to expect. With it being not only a comeback year, but it’s this whole reset button that we had to push on it. It was really hard to know what we were coming into, and to have a good year even though all of that rain happened. We had a lot of support from new people, new sponsors, new vendors and new fans. It was like this outpouring of new life breathed into this thing. I know it’s residual, it’s been waiting to get pumped back in, but I didn’t know that at the time. I was just a guy sitting over here running this landscaping company for the last few years. To have so many people jump in and start steering for me, taking over all these different divisions, it’s just amazing to me. It’s unbelievable to go through this and come back to it feeling like it’s so much bigger than what it was before. That was not the feeling I expected to have, even though everyone told me it was gonna be like that. That really verified what we have here.” My Final Thoughts - All in all, I feel that even with the bad weather considered, it really did end up being a best-case scenario. For the music, I think my strategy of not reading too much into the lineup paid off. I experienced a day full of surprises and discovered a ton of great new music in the process, whether it was death metal, comedy metal or Modern Nu-Metal. I would encourage readers to try this strategy at least once - going in blind can actually make the experience better. And because of the weather, I couldn’t help but think back to that camping trip where it rained the whole time. Someone had remarked that the trips that don’t go according to plan, for weather-related reasons or otherwise, tend to be the most memorable. I think the same is true about concerts and events. Years after Mayhem Fest 2008, I still remember it crystal clear due to the rain and the mudslide during Mastodon. And as previously mentioned, I vividly remember Dirt Fest 2012 thanks to the rainy weather which later saw a mud wrestling pit during Clutch. It might seem like a paradox, but by virtue of the bad weather, I can already tell that the day of August 13, 2022 will live on in my mind as one of the funnest days of the year, as well as of the most memorable events I’ll attend for years to come. Here’s to the return of Michigan Metal Fest, and many more! [PS - Hopefully this will be the last time I write about something coming back after being canceled due to COVID-19.] Further Reading - Michigan Metal Fest official website Michigan Metal Fest official Facebook page The Music Factory official Facebook page Next Level Entertainment official Facebook page

I listen to a really wide and weird range of music, and have a lengthy history of enjoying Epic Rap Battles on YouTube, so I’m basically like a music expert. I actually really like talking about music though, and my criticisms are kind of like an overall vibe rather than just like “Oh this track was really good but the other track? Not so much.” Whenever someone is reviewing music and is like “Oh yes, the production was impeccable, but great heavens, the sound editing left a lot to be desired” I get really really bored, so I want my review style to be like some guy recommending music to you! (please do not treat my word as gospel it’s really scary and a lot of pressure) I’ve been like, really good about keeping up to date with albums when they come out this year, and god, a lot of music came out last Friday! Is all of it good? I don’t know! First up to bat: Meghan Trainor’s TAKIN’ IT BACK Takin’ it back to what? Bad music apparently! Goteem!!!! I just don’t like it. She’s very obviously trying to take it back to her past style, with songs like “All About That Bass” and “Lips Are Movin’” with the doo-wop 50’s diner sound that won people and grocery store loudspeakers over in 2014, but it feels like it’s too little, too late. There isn’t a song I can point out and say I like, because the ones that sound even slightly okay to me feel just like recycled versions of those two singles that kicked her off. There are plenty I can say that I didn’t like, though! But I won’t bother, I got pretty mean with this one. Rating - 4.0 / 10 (Not Very Good) Second, the star of the show, probably: Taylor Swift’s Midnights I know Taylor’s fans are very ride or die with her music, which I get. I’ve actually liked her other albums! I don’t hate her! But god dude, I have to be honest, this album put me to sleep. It’s not bad by any means, she has too much money to let it be bad, but it’s very boring! It feels like a shell of her other projects, and that’s she’s just doing a whole rinse and repeat when it comes to her lyricism. It also doesn’t help that this is produced by Jack Antonoff, one of my least favorite producers right now, who just did The 1975’s new album that came out literally like last week, and the soundtrack to the critical darling Minions: The Rise of Gru, both just this year. However, one of the most empty tracks off the entire project is “Snow On The Beach”, featuring Lana Del Rey, which sounds really good on paper! The problem is that I genuinely couldn’t tell if she was in the song at all. She didn’t have a verse, people seem to keep claiming she did backing vocals, which I don’t really think sound count as a feature? It’s really misleading and I don’t get it, it’s not clear what part she played in the song. Taylor was on such a good streak too, dude. She came out with Folklore, and Evermore, which are both great, but this album feels very reminiscent of both Reputation and Lover, which even some Taylor fans will admit aren’t that good. It feels so weird hearing her curse in a song like “Vigilante Shit” and trying to be edgy, it doesn’t fit her vibe at all. It feels like she’s working backwards somehow, and I don’t know if I’ll stick around to watch. Rating - 5.5 / 10 (Average) Third: Carly Rae Jepsen’s The Loneliest Time WOOOOOOO yeah okay now we’re getting to that good shtuff Most people may not have known Carly Rae Jepsen still made music, let alone dropped any records after “Call Me Maybe”, but her collab with Rufus Wainwright, the titular synthpop single “The Loneliest Time” seems to have become a hit on TikTok, which is really cool to see. Besides that, however, she also has standouts such as “Surrender My Heart” and “Talking to Yourself”, both filled with excellent dance-worthy synth 80’s-inspired instrumentals, but riddled with some fairly depressing and lonely lyrics, reminiscent of The Weeknd’s past two projects, After Hours and Dawn FM. It’s a very good listen, and I don’t have much else to say besides check it out for yourself! Rating - 7.5 / 10 (Pretty Good!!!) Fourth, and Finally: Dry Cleaning’s Stumpwork Lastly, my favorite project from the last week. Over this last summer, I’ve fallen in love with the post-punk scene, with semi-underground groups like Black Country, New Road and black midi. This one is no different, I fell in love with it pretty quickly. However, in comparison to the other two groups, Dry Cleaning is focused on spoken word as well, which may or may not be a turn-off for some if you don’t like it when the singer isn’t singing, kind of like Talking Heads, but it made me feel smarter so I liked it. It also had some really surreal lyrics throughout the entire thing, some really nonsensical ones about water caterpillars or horse head tea or a family tortoise. I can assure you, the album does absolutely nothing to help you understand it. So if you want to hear some Cate Blanchett-sounding narrator saying some bullshit like “three times did the cheese move sideways to Switzerland by radio, but she never licked that parking permit” this is the album for you! It’s definitely my favorite album with pubic hair on the cover from this year! Rating - 8.5 / 10 (Really Good!!!!!!!!!) Honorable Album Recommendation: bag or die - bbno$

The WIDR team went through and we found our favorite Eerie and Spine Chilling songs for Halloween 2022! Click here to listen! Some of our favorite tracks include: Cully: "The Batman Theme" - Danny Elfman Hank: "The Mercury Craze" - Subtle J-Stevo: "(Don’t Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult Kate: "Pumpkin" - The Regrettes and "Shadow People" - Dr. Dog Lucie: "Dracula's Wedding" - Outkast ft. Kelis Logen: "Ghostface Killers (Ft. Travis Scott)" - 21 Savage, Offset, Metro Boomin Ryan: "Smooktobër"- Yeat Sydney: "FANG DUMMY" - KNIFE BRIDE and "Heads Will Roll"- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Our team is growing, but it isn't too late to join us! If you are interested in volunteering @WIDR click HERE! Lucie (Video Director): Hi everyone! I’m Lucie Gripp, the new video director at WIDR FM. I am currently a sophomore studying Political Science and Sociology. Though it’s not related to my major, I have always loved music and have been involved with media production since high school! In my spare time I enjoy painting, watching movies, and going on coffee runs! I’m extremely excited to get started and make this year one to remember! Kate (Promotion Assistant): Hi! I'm Kate McDade and I am the new Promotional Assistant! I am from Kalamazoo and I am a freshman, and also new to WIDR, and I cannot wait to be a part of this team. I am currently undecided, but I plan on declaring my major in Graphic Design. I love creating things, whether it is art or music, and I look forward to putting those interests to use here at WIDR. As far as other interests, I love playing video games, building Legos, spending time outdoors, gardening, and making art. I am so excited for this year and to be able to meet everyone involved here! J-Stevo (Production Assistant): Heyooo! What’s goodie people? My name is Jerome, but you should know me as J-STEVO! (The story behind my name does indeed involve the white guy from "Jackass"). Currently I am a Sophomore at Western Michigan University with an Arts & Sciences Major of Film, Video, and Media Studies, my minor is Multimedia Arts Technology. Some things about me include my passion for music as I am an artist myself who has yet to truly professionally put out audio content, but nevertheless that is coming soon! I love to write, listen to, visualize, and create art, sports, video & board/interactive games, and my favorite colors are the blue spectrum. My favorite genre are blends of multiple genres (ex: Emo Rap, Trap Metal, Psychedelic Trap, Pop Rap, Alternative Rock, etc.) and my favorite thing to do is everything aforementioned but with people/friends! Community is unity and I’m more than happy to build upon the ones I’m involved in, if you want to know more about me or just need a friend, don’t be afraid to reach out to J-STEVO!

Check out our Alumni Tailgate Playlist, inspired by Radio Days and the hits of the past. Listen to it on Spotify here! This playlist includes some of the top songs from the past decades! This list includes, but is not limited to: "Light My Fire" - The Doors "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys "Dancing Queen" - ABBA "Surrender" - Cheap Trick "Dancing in the Dark" - Bruce Springsteen "Don't Stop Believen" - Journey "Like the Weather" - 10,000 Maniacs "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson "Doo Wop (That Things)" - Ms. Lauryn Hill "Ms. Jackson" - Outkast "Viva La VIda" - Coldplay "Ain't It Fun" - Paramore With about 8 hours worth of songs there is a good variety, with songs everyone knows and loves! Check It out! And also be sure to tune in to Radio Days and Ancient Air from 11am-6pm today, 10/15/22 on your source for radio evolution, 89.1 WIDR FM!

Magnolia Park is a pop-punk band which formed in Orlando, Florida in 2019. With their first full length album, “Baku’s Revenge,” coming out November 4th, I was unsurprised to see they had released a single from the album. Released October 4th, the song is titled, “Misfits” and is featuring Taylor Acorn. Taylor Acorn was originally a country singer, before switching to a more pop-punk sound in recent years due to the success of her acoustic pop-punk covers on TikTok. The song starts with the lead singer of Magnolia Park, Joshua Roberts, singing the chorus with quiet instrumentation for the first 15 seconds. At that point the singing stops, and the instrumentation picks up. Taylor Acorn’s verse, verse two, is fine. It fits well in the song but isn’t very revolutionary or memorable. The pre-chorus following her verse includes harmonies between Acorn and Roberts, which I really enjoyed. Personally, I believe Taylor Acorn’s vocals should be louder during these sections to better hear the harmonies. Around 2:25 the bass drops, and Roberts finishes the song out with some good yelling. Overall, this song was fine. If it came on in the car, I wouldn’t skip it. However, I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it either. The lyrics are quite simple, and some lines seem like they were produced in the hopes it would blow up on TikTok. Seeing as both Magnolia Park and Taylor Acorn found success on the platform in the past this doesn’t surprise me but does disappoint slightly. In the past, Magnolia Park has prided themselves on making music with a message and I hope this is not lost as the band grows.

“Ladies and gentlemen Pimps and prophets Queens and dope fiends Hoes and hoteps We got somethin' real special for you tonight folks” As soon as I heard the opening lines of Topaz Jones’ ‘Mirror’, I knew I would happily spend the next forty minutes listening to the rest of his 2021 Junior album, Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma. A 23-year-old rapper, singer, and songwriter, Topaz Jones draws on influences like Prince and Funkadelic. However, it would be impossible to solely credit these artists when Jones’ sound is also reminiscent of his father’s career as a funk guitarist in bands such as Slaveand Aurra. Combining seamless switch ups of flow underneath unique funk and hip-hop instrumentals, the entire thirteen song run is never boring. Jones uses the medium of music to tell a story about his formative years and the roots he has grown from. Each beat has distinct differences, yet they are creatively tied together without reproducing the same song twice. A recurring pattern of soulful adlibs and seemingly lighthearted lyricism pairs beautifully with more serious themes such as racial injustice and family dysfunction. This convergence of upbeat sound and an intentional message strings together Jones’ journey of reflection and self discovery. Tracks such as D.I.A.L. (dying is a lifestyle) and Herringbone comment on his upbringing and development through adolescence, painting nostalgic settings of cook-outs and high school hallways. Following the album’s release in April of last year, I was even more excited upon finding out that DGTYM is a visual album, accompanied with a short film under the same title. With additional direction from Rubberband, the project won the Short Film Jury Award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The story follows the restructuring of the ‘Black ABCs’, a 1970s effort in Chicago to educate black youth through flashcards. Many scenes were recorded in his hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, while others include various interviews from family members, teachers, and activists. There is also film from Jones’ childhood and many dream-like scenes, one in which a group of children peer over at the camera, seemingly staring at the viewer. “Do you think he’s real?” one mutters. While watching, I was most impacted upon learning about letter C: code-switching. Code-switching is the process of shifting from one linguistic code (a language or dialect) to another, depending on social context and conversational setting. The use of AAE (African American English) outside of the safety of black homes and communities is ignorantly labeled as ‘poor grammar’ or ‘ghetto’ by those who don’t understand the major historical and cultural influence of this language. If society gentrifies words from black culture on the daily (‘period’, ‘slay’, etc.), the matter of code-switching should be much less of a problem than it currently is, and I hope this is something that society can become more aware of following projects such as DGTYM. I’m grateful that Jones utilizes his musical platform to bring attention to these prominent issues in an innovative way. Five years after his Sophomore album Arcade, it’s important that we appreciate the time it took to create such a work of impactful art. Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma is an incredible visual album on the recollection of childhood that is worth any listener’s time and attention. Topaz Jones is playing in Chicago on October 17th. His short film Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma is available on YouTube and Vimeo. Similar Mainstream Artists: Childish Gambino, Anderson .Paak Most Individual Streams: Black Tame Strongest Hip-Hop Beat: D.O.A Mainstream Influence: Denzel Curry, Amine and Smino For the Lyric Lovers: Who? Feat. Maxo & Phonte Key Lyrics: “I think I’m finally finding me, My whole life it’s been hide-and-seek, I used to suffer in silence, I never showed you that side of me, Hypnotized by society, All the people I tried to be...” My Personal Favorite: Herringbone Key Lyrics: “You know we just imitate what the parents show, The bad habits, the trust issues, the marriage woes, We inherit those, until the day we have some kids of our very own, And we pass it all down like a herringbone” Shoutout to my cousin Reece for recommending this album!

We have had quite a few new people join our team recently, and its been a while, so we wanted to reintroduce ourselves! Cully (General Manager): I am Cully, I am from Kalamazoo and I love listening to music! I am excited to work with the team this year to reinvigorate WIDR to make it the best version of itself: a place where students and local artists can be featured. This brings with it all kinds of new programs and live events and pushing ourselves to be the best resource possible for the community and campus. Hank (Program Director): And when all was said and done, and all the smoke cleared from the graduation, look who’s still standing. For those who don’t know me, I’m Hank and I’ve been the Program Director here for a year and a half. I’m so excited to have a team again and to kick the station back into gear and get more DJs on the air! This is going to be a great year, guys. It’s great to have you! Logen (Music Director): Hey everyone! I'm Logen Lastname, the new Music Director for WIDR FM. I'm currently a junior studying Creative Writing, but I also love learning about media, music history, and the Spanish language. In my free time, you can catch me singing, journaling, listening to jams, or a combination of all three! Some of my favorite artists include Flume, Maude Latour, Lorde, Kid Cudi... the list goes on. Overall, I'm so grateful for this opportunity and I'm super excited for this upcoming era of WIDR, something I can't wait to reflect on-air! Ryan (Production Director): Ryan Misiak is the current Production Director at WIDR. He’s a student actively enrolled at Western Michigan University (WMU). Ryan caters to all radio personalities, musical efforts, post - production, audio equipment, ect. Ableton, Audition, & Audacity are primarily utilized to complete production goals, alongside occasional supporting software. Through initiative and creative inspiration, Ryan aims to make moments in, and around, WMU and the Kalamazoo area. Ryan is focused on attending to all production needs and transforming WIDR 89.1 into a fun, interactive, and professional organization for those interested in the entertainment industry regardless of experience. Sydney (Promotion Director): HI! I’m Sydney, the new Promotion Director. I started hosting a show last winter but am excited to get more involved this year here at WIDR. I am a sophomore Advertising major with a music minor. I enjoy running, making friendship bracelets, and listening to music. I also love listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, and reading books about music. Looking forward to getting to know everyone this year! It's never too late to join us! If you are interested in joining the WIDR team fill out the volunteer form under the "Volunteer @ WIDR" tab

Torn in Two is a 10 song album put out in 2021 by the pop punk band Real Friends. Originally from Illinois, this is their first album without former front man Dan Lambton. This group is relatively new to me and this was my first time listening to one of their albums straight through. The first song on the album is “Remedy for Reality” which I really enjoyed. With an easy-to-follow melody, and relatable lyrics, this song hits all the marks for a pop punk song. “Nervous Wreck” was the first single released off the album and focuses on isolation and dissociation, something I personally can relate to. Despite the hard topic, the song is upbeat and fun to sing along to. “Teeth” is the first slower, softer, song on the album. I liked the verses but didn’t love the chorus. With “Spinning,” Real Friends pick the tempo back up and despite the simple lyrics, this is one of my favorites off the album. The drumming kept me hooked throughout. Next is “Storyteller,” which surprised me on my first listen. It starts off mellow, before picking up at the chorus. It stays more energetic through the rest of the song, which I think was a great choice. The second half of the album is variations of the first five songs. In “Remedy for Reality- Reimagined” they added a lot of electronic elements, completely changing the feel of the song. I really love this alternative version. For “Nervous Wreck- Reimagined,” they again leaned into a busier sound, adding many elements. “Teeth- Full Band” sounds like a completely different song. With a much stronger drumline than the original, I much preferred this version. “Spinning- Reimagined” is more mellow than the original, almost adding some indie-folk sound to the album. Finally in “Storyteller- Reimagined” Real Friends created a great indie-pop sound that drew me in and kept me listening till the last note. This was an interesting listen. The first half of the album felt like a very stereotypical pop punk record. Although enjoyable to me, very little stuck out as different from other albums. However, I was very intrigued by the second half of the album where they did a little more experimentation into different sounds. This variety surprised me, and made for a very intriguing listening experience. Overall, I enjoyed the listen, and am looking forward to seeing them live this week!

Hello All! I am Cully Cooper, the general manager here at 89.1 WIDR FM. I hope everyone had a nice summer, but the leaves are turning colors - and the sun is setting a little earlier each day. It is time for school to start, and therefore this student-run radio station has students flowing through it once more. This year we have big plans to celebrate WIDR's 70th Anniversiry, with more shows, more promotions, and more live events. If you are interested in participating this year fill out the volunteer form here.

Following a slam-dunk debut in 2021, the Big Fam Music & Arts Festival is set to return to Michigan with its second annual installment in a new location. While the first year was held in Lake Ann, MI, the second installment will be held in a more centralized part of the state, taking place at the Liberty Mountain Event Venue in Farwell, MI. The electronic and jam music festival takes place this weekend from Friday, September 2 - Sunday, September 4, with attendees leaving Monday, which is Labor Day. Just like with the 2021 debut, I had a chance to speak with Andrew Martin, Director of Marketing, Sponsorship & Communication for the event. Communicating via email, Martin says the team has ramped up production for the big return. [Courtesy of Andrew Martin] “We’ve learned to be more prepared for obstacles and set expectations early,” Martin said. “You will notice more staff, more vendors, more production and more infrastructure at the new property. The space we’ve curated at Liberty Mountain is more spread out than it was in the previous year. Each area has a unique experience and landscape to explore. The Apogee stage [main stage] is the largest permanent stage in Michigan, and the venue was a ski slope in the past.” Even with a new property, the Big Fam mission statement remains the same. “Big Fam’s main goal is to give an encompassing sense of community and togetherness,” Martin said. “We welcome open-minded individuals from all walks of life with open arms into this annual experience.” True to its name, the lineup once again features instantly-recognizable big names from the festival circuit, while also including a “who’s who” of both local and regional artists. “Every artist that we book is intentional,” Martin said. “We spent a lot of time curating the overall vibe and creating an experience that everyone can enjoy. You will notice jam bands, bass music and a lot more house music incorporated into the lineup than the previous year.” Martin himself will be playing another set as well, bringing tropical house vibes under his name A Tropical Martian. The headliners for this weekend include the Vermont-based rock band Twiddle, who dropped their latest album “Every Last Leaf” earlier this month. The downtempo dubstep duo Truth, originally from New Zealand, will also be headlining. The duo has been staying busy ahead of Big Fam, having released two new EP’s as of this year. The Austin, TX-based dubstep producer known as The Widdler will be returning for round two, having already headlined the first installment. Just like his performance in 2021, his bizarre brand of reggae-tinged electronic music is sure to impress. As far as the locals go, there are several new and returning artists who are ready to share their material with the Big Fam community. One such returning act is the Ann Arbor-based jam group Chirp, who performed one of my favorite sets of the weekend during the first Big Fam. Ahead of the big weekend, I touched base with Chirp guitar player, singer and songwriter Jay Frydenlund, who says the band is eager to make their return. Returning Artist - Interview with Jay Frydenlund from Chirp “We’re super excited to be back for Big Fam number two,” Frydenlund said in an email. “It’s awesome to have teamed up with [Magical Mitten Productions President] Chris Stewart for years now and see something on this level coming to fruition. We were blown away by the production level, lineup and professionalism of the first Big Fam, so being a part of the next one is really exciting.” Anyone who has seen Chirp live can attest that the band incorporates many different styles, providing viewers with an eclectic sound and performance. [Courtesy Jay Frydenlund] “We tend to genre-hop a good deal both in terms of originals and cover choices,” Frydenlund said. “We bounce around between a lot of funk, prog, fusion, rock and more.” Hard at work as always, Big Fam is only one of many stops for the group this summer and beyond. “This year we have gotten the opportunity to play some amazing festivals like Electric Forest, Cowpie Music Festival, MeadowFest, Ohio Dreamfest and more,” Frydenlund said. “We’ve got some other fun ones coming up like Pond Jam and Handmade Music Festival as well.” Chirp will be playing on the Canopy Stage at 7:00 p.m. Saturday night. New to the Lineup - Interview with Spaceship Earth [Photo by Chris Stewart, courtesy Ashton Robertson] Making his debut at Big Fam, the lineup also features Spaceship Earth, the one-man project of Ashton Robertson. Hailing from Davisburg, MI, Robertson produces electronic soundscapes that are tinged with sci-fi and spiritual themes while also playing live electric guitar. In my experience with festivals, a performance by Robertson is always a treat to witness. “My music is psychedelic electronic bass,” Robertson said in a phone interview. “My style can range from downtempo to more drum-and-bass psychedelic, uptempo stuff, so there’s a bit of a range.” Spaceship Earth was originally a three-piece band, but eventually came to be a one-man project with Robertson at the helm around 2014, with his debut album released in 2016. “The first years were kind of amorphous and awkward transitioning, and by 2016, I feel like I really developed my own sound,” Robertson said. Following the release of a new single earlier this month, Robertson adds that he has several tunes he is planning on debuting at Big Fam. His appearance at Big Fam is an important milestone, as it marks two years since his last performance, as well as two years since medical complications left him with a loss of feeling in his legs. “In 2020, it was a very small, outdoor, socially-distanced pandemic show, so I really haven’t played that much since 2019,” Robertson said. “I’m feeling super blessed to be able to come back, and I’m not only excited about the set, but I’m excited to see a whole bunch of people and friends as well.” Robertson will be performing a “sundown” set Saturday night at the Canopy Stage, acting as the bridge between day and night. “I love playing at night, especially if it’s outdoors,” Robertson said. “It’s under a tent, but it’s still night time under the stars. It’s hard to put into words how excited I feel that they booked me for this and that it’s happening in my home state around a bunch of friends.” Further Attractions - Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with various yoga and guided meditation workshops, play disc golf across the grounds, and witness various fire and flow performers. But aside from all of the music and workshops, the inarguable centerpiece of Big Fam 2021 was “The Bayou,” a section of the festival designed as a live interactable art exhibit. The Bayou contained several surreal and psychedelic art installations, a sugar shack, projections and a boathouse. [A scene from the previous Bayou.] The area itself was Alice in Wonderland themed, including the ability to have a tea party with Alice and the Mad Hatter, and also contained the third music stage of the festival. This year, the Bayou will be making a return to Big Fam, once again curated by Kat Fisher, the creative force behind KatFish EyeKandy. She also serves on the Big Fam Board of Directors with her husband Dave. Speaking with Fisher, she didn’t want to give too much away, but clued me in a little bit on what to expect. “The Alice in Wonderland theme was received so well by the community last year that we definitely decided to keep that for a second year at the Bayou,” Fisher said. “But this year we’ve gone bigger and better with the stage.” The Alice in Wonderland theme will still be present, but with a new nautical twist. “We’ll have a fish market area in the Bayou, there’s a spot you can come up where there will be fish hanging with nets,” Fisher said. “Periodically you’ll see fishermen come up with a ‘catch of the day’ - we have some mermaids that will be here at the fish market to greet our guests and have a mermaid experience. So if anybody wants to come and get pictures, they can do that, in addition to having tea with Alice and the Mad Hatter.” The idea, Fisher says, is to add on to the Alice in Wonderland story and create a “new chapter,” as it were. “So much of the inspiration for the Bayou comes from a fishing village, it being a play off our name ‘Kat Fish,’ so you’ll see fish scales through the Bayou and other nautical symbols in addition to the Alice in Wonderland theme,” Fisher said. “We’re calling it ‘Her Adventure through the Bayou’ - the next chapter in her adventure.” Speaking on the building process, Fisher says she and her team have been working on the setup for months. “We’ve been at this property since May and we’ve been working on these ideas for a handful of years, trying to develop this from an idea we had in our basement to a living, breathing stage and a full-functioning experience,” Fisher says. “We’re excited to bring that, and I think our guests will really enjoy it. We’ve done our best to clean the grounds and make sure there’s nothing they can poke their feet on or anything. We have a lot of features that I think our guests are going to enjoy.” When it comes to the festival itself, Fisher says she is appreciative of the family-oriented aspect. “I’m really glad Big Fam is a place you could bring your family to,” Fisher said. “A lot of times for people who work in the festival industry, their families don’t ever get to really see the nightclub where they have their show, or the festival grounds where they are playing on the second stage. It’s neat that people feel like they can bring their family members and share this experience with them.” Further Information and Tickets - Again, the second annual Big Fam Music & Arts Festival takes place this Friday, September 2, through Sunday, September 4, with guests leaving Monday morning. For more information, including how to buy tickets, rules and maps, readers can visit the official Big Fam website at https://www.bigfamfestival.com/. See you on the Mountain!

If the almost sickeningly charming video for UK band Peaness’ “How I’m Feeling” is any indication, the band seeks to cement itself as a beacon of simple happiness, friendship, togetherness and all manner of kindergarten creeds. As a matter of fact, if the song attached wasn’t so wonderful, it would be easy to write them off as an indie-pop act too cute for its own good. They play children here, after all, obsessed with insects and setting out to find a rare caterpillar in their town while their fun-free parents try to ground them. But let’s be honest with each other here: Peaness is an pop act with songwriting chops and the melodic licks to back them up. The song is killer and because of that, the video succeeds in spades. Their first album, World Full of Worry, makes the case for pure and simple cuteness, and seems to counter directly with the more menacing cuteness of some of today’s indie pop. This listener seeks out Charly Bliss, Bleached and Bully when he’s in an indie mood, but songs like the headbanging “Kaizen” and above-mentioned “How I’m Feeling” cut that acid with a sugar that hits the spot. What’s missing in the screaming of these acts, as good as they are, is their happy song. What’s more, what’s lost in this world--in the case of many of their imitators--is catchiness. Peaness understand the stunning simplicity of the pop-hook. Save your music-theory, your shifting time-signatures… there is an art to the quality pop song. Now, this isn’t to say Peaness are strangers to bitterness. Far from it. This album in particular deals with stress, anxiety, sadness and betrayal, and their 2019 EP, Are You Sure, hits on an angstier tone than this one even tries to touch. The latter example is the sound of a band finding its voice, of course, but the point stands: beyond this sweetness is the aftertaste of sorrow, exemplified in particular on late-stage tracks such as “Left to Fall Behind,” which seemingly deals with the breakup of a long-term relationship and the impeccable “Sad Song”--imagine that--which brings the album to its close. The latter is a slow acoustic jam that--while picking up where the former left off--finds the hope so inherent in change. That’s a mature moral for the children of Chester, who just yesterday were out hunting a caterpillar! As their name would suggest (it’s pronounced like “penis” Peaness is no children’s band, but it’s a band that embraces the naivete of childishness. It’s grown-up in its themes, but gleefully immature in execution. Another favorite track of mine, the Britpop-muddled “Girl Just Relax” is a beautiful and funny meditation on young-adult insecurity. I love this song not just because of how catchy it is, but also because of its humor and everyman sophistication. The song’s fade-out takeaway suggesting “Comparison will kill you, measure your progress like a maniac,” contrasts starkly with the surreal imagery of being honed-in on in a pile of one’s duplicates and the song’s own comically down-to-earth title that’s belted each chorus. These opposites go together like salt and caramel, laughing and crying, and maturity and childishness. As a matter of fact, they go together like penis and pop music. A match, weirdly enough, made in heaven.