It’s that time of year again WIDR listeners! The both treasured and dreaded celebration of love, Valentines Day. Here’s a mix of oldies, classics, indie, pop, and electronic songs to accompany you on cupids special day. Whether you have a magical night planned, fueled with rose petals and candlelight, dinner reservations, or you’re just kicking back with your Pal-entines- we got you covered. Listen to our Valentine's Day playlist here. 1. “Right Down the Line” , by Gerry Rafferty off the album City to City This song came first on the playlist due to its gentle groove and simple lyrics that illustrate pure and ideal love. It’s a true reflection of the soul artists were putting into their creations during the 70’s. This warm and timeless tune always leaves me hitting repeat - definitely “first dance” material. 2. “Be With You” , by Giraffe off the album No Reason Changing gears, this chill-wave track seems to hypnotize listeners with its dreamy melody and beats that pull you in like an undertow. It lulls you into subconscious thoughts of that special someone. 3. “Thank You” , by Led Zeppelin off of the album Led Zeppelin II This classic tune might possibly be one of the greatest love songs ever written by a rock band. It flows smoothly from a delicate sound to a thunderous melody and back again. You can never go wrong with Zeppelin. 4. “Manchester” by Kishi Bashi off of the album 7” singles EP This song makes you want to fall in love with someone. The delicate violin contrasts wonderfully with its whirling crescendos. With Kishi’s angelic voice, this masterpiece of a song fills you with emotion, reminding you how beautiful life can be.. 5. “When I get my hands on you” , by The New Basement Tapes- Single Soulful sensual simplicity at it's best. The slow and steady rhythm combined with Marcus Mumford’s loveable voice makes for a feel good love song. 6. “Wonderful ( The Way I Feel)” , by My Morning Jacket off of the album Circuital This acoustic lament brings intoxicated splendor to listeners. Jim James beautiful voice paints images of sunshine and a warm summer breeze. Open for interpretation, it could be a reminder of your wonderful partner, or that you yourself are living in pure bliss. 7. “I Think I Love You” , by The Partridge Family off of the album Come On Get Happy! The Best Of The Partridge Family A cheesy song with a great hook. If you haven’t told that special someone the way you really feel, let the Partridge Family pump yourself up with this timeless jam. 8. “You Make Loving Fun” , by Fleetwood Mac off of the album Rumours This grooving tune will always put a smile on your face. The musicianship is second to none and the emotional lyrics are worth a good listen on this special day. 9. “This is Your Song” , by Roy Orbison off of the album There Is Only One Roy Orbison Wine, roaring fireplace, and a bear skin rug? Throw on these next two songs for the perfect slow dance. The dramatic soul and emotion that Roy put into so many of his ballads provides the perfect soundtrack to your attempt to recreate that cheesy movie scene you once saw. 10. “Be Anything” , by Connie Francis off of the album Gold Let this legendary pop star of the 50’s and 60’s fuel your romantic evening. With a voice as sweet as molasses, this beautiful classic is Valentines Day material. 11. “Love Is The Drug” ,by ST*RMAN off of the Spotify playlist Best of Starman Bob your head along to this song while it sends you through a whirlwind of synthetic wonder. This piece could be the soundtrack to your magical trip through space. 12. “ Nights in White Satin” , by The Moody Blues off of the album Days of Future Passed Keeping with oldies, this timeless piece of art will leave you with a majestic feeling of love. The haunting yet beautiful flute solo mixed with the use of a mellotron gives you a monumental orchestral feel. This beautiful love song has no expiration date. 13. “Power of Love” , by Celine Dion off of the album The Colour of My Love I had to end this Valentines Day playlist with the queen. Celine’s powerhouse belt will send shivers down your spine- no matter how cheesy the song is.

Seoul is a mysterious group from 2015. “Why 2015? It’s 2018!” you say... Well, recently at WIDR, as I spelunking the depths of the office, I stumbled across a strange, grey-ish container. It had been hidden away, so that time would pass it by, and low and behold, it was from 2015. A time capsule! Within it, I found a peculiar looking CD in monochrome. Upon the cover there was a man, running away from the viewer, towards alien looking buildings made of cement. It was I Become A Shade, an album by Seoul. I Become A Shade is an ambient indie pop/rock album with laid back vocals. Subtle groove and tight instrumentation make this album radiate chill energy. Similar to Atlas Genius’s When It Was Now and their style of electro rock around 2013, I Become A Shade feels like a natural continuation of that sound, despite coming from Seoul, not the former band. The album does feel more laid back, and less.. pressured, I’d say. Each song fits well with the other while still maintaining a good amount of individual identity. Seoul also do have some more dream/ambient pop vibes, similar to Mind Monogram or perhaps a little Postiljonen. Overall, I Become A Shade is for early nights of light relaxation, or getting over that slow feeling you get in the beginning of the afternoon. Getting into specific songs of album, the first song starts out with a shimmering of ambient synths and slow, melancholy vocals, evoking feelings of loss and confusion, while deeply immersed in a foreign world. Track 2, “The Line” quickly transitions from the previous song into an upbeat, catchy and synth led track, reassuring you that even if you’re lost, not all is lost. Perky tamborine, creative syncopation, and generally bright instruments keep this song happy and light, along with an neat breakdown featuring drawn out -but not slow- vocals. The next song, “Haunt / A Light” features an interesting style of song where it almost seems like two types of songs are meshed together per verse and chorus, and they sometimes slowly, but sometimes spontaneously transition to each other. Groovy synths and bassline keep the pace as ambient vocals once again take the forefront with the woes of living in a “miserable city”. Come to think of it, this album and its contents remind me a lot of Why We Run’s Hologram, which is also a laid back, ambient album about being sad in unfamiliar settings. Obviously that’s quite the generalization, but I’m being general here on purpose. Jumping forward a bit, track 7, entitled “Stay With Us” has been a clear favorite of mine ever since I got my hands on this album. I regularly return to it, and I think it’s very groovy, with subtle, shimmering synths, a touch of clean rhythm guitar, and placid yet tranquil ride cymbal that brings the whole thing into a simply grand level of cohesion. It also has that Atlas Genius feel of more electro rock that I mentioned earlier. Without going into too much more of a rant, I also really enjoyed track 9, “I Negate”, which is a very laid back and calming piece with great harmony and ambience. Track 11, “Silencer” is nice, upbeat, and has a touch of the feel of The Diogenes Club, though with more explicit language that I was disappointed to hear. It’s not that I have anything against it, it’s just that on this album, this is the only song that has it, and it’s very casually thrown into the lyrics. I would get if it was to prove a more extreme point, but this song is just as laid back and pop-y as the rest, so I don’t get it. Anyway, good to listen to if you’re sensitive of your audience. And here I was, trying to avoid a rant. Anyway, Galway, the final track of the album ends it out with a nice ambient soundscape, which solidifies into one last pleasant song to conclude the twelve songs, or perhaps transition to the beginning of the album once again, depending on how much you liked it. Yeah, I listened to it on repeat a few times, you caught me. Overall, I Become A Shade is a delightful stable of the modern, more indie pop sound, with influences from other genres thrown in as well. If you’re looking for your next album to get into casually, this is it. It’s perfect for most of the day when you’re feeling generally alright, and you’d like something to keep your spirits high. Best Tracks: The Line (2), Real June (4), Stay With Us (7), and I Negate (9)!

When the first Twilight movie came out in 2008, the world laughed at it’s fan base for enjoying it. I’ll admit that I was smitten by the craze for awhile, it only lasted the first two films. I don't even remember if I saw the third. But looking back I do admit, the books are filled with cliches, grammatical errors, and terrible plot lines. And the first movie seems to be shot with almost a blueish filter over the camera lens, the actors seem to fumble over lines, and the chemistry from everyone in the movies is lacking. (Taking 6 writing course and 3 films course has truly ruined any nostalgia I might have for these movie.) But, most people that aren’t fans of the movie already knew this. So with all of the reviews for the first movie being that it was horrible, career killing, and very hated how did the soundtracks turn out so good? To me, the best soundtrack from the series is the New Moon soundtrack. Featuring Bon Iver with St. Vincent, Thom Yorke, The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, and Grizzly Bear. A lineup like that could be a sold out festival within its own right. The music that these artists contributed to this soundtrack makes it feel like this hazy synth folk dream. Thom Yorke “Hearing Damage” is so dark and spacey, it’s such a cool song. You just feel cool listening to the way it moves up and down. “Roslyn” by Bon Iver & St.Vincent is so graceful, you will probably cry. The whole sound of the soundtrack feels misty and sad, which makes sense for the movie. The hidden treasures of “Satellite Heart” by Anya Marina and “Possibility” by Lykke Li just makes this soundtrack so much better. The vocals on this album from almost everyone, are imperfect, scratchy, raspy, and gritty. But it’s so good. A coffee shop in Seattle, could put this soundtrack on and it would fit the atmosphere. The third movie, Eclipse, is just as good. We have Metric, Florence and the Machine, Sia, The Black Keys, Beck with Bat For Lashes, Vampire Weekend, and Band of Horse. Also Muse made a return on this soundtrack. Again this could be another festival line up, probably a way different festival but still. Sia’s song “My Love” is stunning. It’s a song that moves, with piano and strings. The instrumental version of the song is as perfect when Sia sings over it in her voice that eases through the song. And gosh freakin Metric and Florence and the Machine start off this soundtrack with the most girl power vocals that makes you feel ready to fight a vampire army of newborns. (That's the plot of the third movie.) While this soundtrack doesn't have the cohesiveness of the last soundtrack it still so good. I’m going to combine the last two movie soundtracks, (just like the movie should have been) into just the Breaking Dawn Soundtracks. Together they feature St.Vincent, Green Day, Ellie Goulding, Passion Pit, and brother sister duo Angus & Julia Stone. Part 1 of Breaking Dawn soundtrack is definitely more romantic and slow, since the whole movie is about them getting married and their weird vampire baby. “Requiem On Water” by Imperial Mammoth, has this new indie folk vibe to it, that would expect from a playlist on Spotify not on a Twilight soundtrack. Part 2 of Breaking Dawn keeps that romantic tone but in a darker way, maybe because again there's a vampire army thats coming to attack them, but instead of newborns their Italian? Because they rule vampire world? And the Avatar is there? And also the werewolves that imprint on a baby? -Anyways The last soundtrack of the saga mirrors a lot of the tone we see in the new moon soundtrack, it’s breathy and raspy, but with pops of colour. “Fire in the Water” by Feist is a slow song that feels like fire, “Speak UP” by POP ETC is this synthy song with interesting vocals. “Ghost” By James Vincent McMorrow is A somber singer-songwriter melody that belongs in a coffee shop. The music in these two soundtracks makes for an electric mix of talent. These soundtracks are absolutely amazing, and I’m not criticizing these artist for partnering up with the Twilight Saga. If anything their choice to be on this world-wide phenomena soundtrack allowed for new people to hear their music and exposed to a new type of artsy in music. Whether that be how Thom Yorke lawyers his synth and vocals, how Beck and Bat For Lashes combine their earthly rhythmic sounds for what sounds like an old 80’s pop banger, or Passion Pits slow synth airy vocal build into a dance party. The talents and unique styles on these soundtracks are undeniable. And showcasing that through a platform like the Twilight saga may seem strange, but hey it’s still good music. ALSO SIDE NOTE: Can everyone stop making fun of me for owning the New Moon soundtrack now? Thanks.

YBOT & WIDR present Music at the Library. The new "Tiny Desk" inspired series showcases WMU music artists performing in a very raw and stripped down environment

This Month brought WIDR’s rotation rack a number of different indie-pop records that are guaranteed to keep you going this semester. Our WIDR staff picked some of their favorites for an upbeat playlist full of dance grooves. You can listen to this playlist & follow us on Spotify here. 1. "Golden Days" by Whitney: As the bleak January weather has us all feeling down in the dumps, "Golden Days" reminds us that summer is right around the corner. This song reminds me of a happy and sunny summer day...hang in there folks there is hope! 2. "Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)" by Unknown Mortal Orchestra: Off of their 2013 album "II", Unknown Mortal Orchestra brings us this hit single. Their sounds present to us a genre classified as stoner rock. Definitely unique and worth the listen. 3. "Emergency Blimp" by King Krule: Off of his newest album, "The OOZ", King Krule brings us "Emergency Blimp." This song is about insomnia and struggling to sleep. 4. "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths: Off of The Smiths' album "The Queen is Dead" released in 1986, we are given this gem. This song is definitely a classic! 5. "Dark Red" by Steve Lacy: This song describes someone wondering if their lover is going to leave them. The song title "Dark Red" refers to the lipstick color that girls wear when they're trying to move on. This groovy song will be sure to get you dancing. 6. "Strange" by Harvey Waters: This song comes from one of my favorite local bands-Harvey Waters. Their album "I Drove Your Car in a Dream Last Night" is filled with lots of bedroom pop sounding content, including this song. Definitely recommend giving their album a listen! 7. "Khmlwugh" by HOMESHAKE: Apparently this song title stands for some of the lyrics within the piece: "Kissing, hugging, making love, waking up, getting high". Released in January 2017 Khmlwugh is the 9th track from Homeshake’s album "Fresh Air". 8. "Sunny Duet" by Noname: Off of her 2016 Album titled "Telephone", this Chicago native brings us this vibrant song about love. It is literally what the the title says it is...A Sunny Duet! 9. "The Greatest" by Alabama Shakes: This upbeat song can turn any bad day into a good one. Especially with the bleak weather January has brought us, this song reminds me that summer and warm weather is right around the corner. Just picture yourself driving with the windows rolled down and your best friends in the backseat jamming to this. 10. "Toes" by Glass Animals: From their debut album 'ZABA', the group brings us this hit. Glass Animals always brings some cool sounds to the table. They use fun samples throughout the song that make it sound like you're walking through some sort of rainforest. This is the first Glass Animals song I heard, and since then I've expanded my listening and have fallen in love with the group. Definitely recommend checking them out if you haven't before!

It’s been 4 whole long years since the folk-indie duo First Aid Kit has given my folk-indie heart some amazing sweet girl tunes. And the wait has been worth it. Sisters Klara and Johanna have found beauty in the pain of Klara’s broken off engagement. Ruins has that delicate mature sound of strength someone finds after hardships. The opening song of “Rebel Heart” truly sets the lyrical president for the rest of the album. They are reflective, but have this overwhelming sense of awareness and movement forward. It’s almost its own masterpiece but the sisters amazing harmonies and layered instruments are what makes this song an amazing special opening track for their album. Another track that has poetic and engaging lyrics is “To live a Life”. It feels so very beautifully Joan Baez. There’s no clear chorus, or repeated lines, which makes the song very raw, and almost like a confessional. A simple guitar is the centerpiece of this song, and as it continues other instruments build off it slowly, as the lyrics gain perspective and understanding. It’s an amazing combination. The title song “Ruins”, and “Fireworks” are the best songs that displays the sisters voices. While both of them sound very different, they similarity on how simply the vocals sound in the beginning. It’s the simplistic beauty that builds into a subtle show of harmony and talent. You don't even realize it’s happening till it happens and all of sudden your like “woah” this is a ballad. They are two beautifully deceptive trick folks songs. Best Tracks: “Rebel Heart”, “To Live a Life”, “Ruins” “Fireworks” , “Postcard”

YBOT & WIDR present Music at the Library. The new "Tiny Desk" inspired series showcases WMU music artists performing in a very raw and stripped down environment

This Month brought WIDR’s rotation rack a number of different indie-pop records that are guaranteed to keep you going this semester. Our WIDR staff picked some of their favorites for an upbeat playlist full of dance grooves. 1. "Gym Birds." by Pope: This first song on our playlist is an indie rock down tempo jam. The kind of jam that you can wear a hoodie, sit somewhere, and bob your head to. 2. "In Undertow." by Alvvays: Great indie pop jam with beautiful vocals and great lyrics. This song details two lovers discussing their lost love, which becomes apparent to them that it very well is lost. This song brings a feeling a nostalgia for love and what's been lost. 3. "New Friends." by Pinegrove: This song has it in the title...it's all about new friends and connecting yourself to new people. This jam is off of Pinegrove's 2015 album 'Everything so Far.' It kind of has a sad feel to it talking about how he's messed up things with his old friends, so he has to resort to making new ones. 4. "This Year." by Beach Fossils: This song is from the band's first single from their third LP "Somersault." It's all about making this year a better one. It's repetitive in terms of lyrics, but definitely a jam. 5. "Still Beating." by Mac Demarco: Although the tune is upbeat and happy, the lyrics indicate that this song might be about a breakup. Personally this song reminds me of a sunny summer day with some good pals. 6. "Static Electricity." by Spencer Radcliffe: From their 2017 album "Enjoy the Great Outdoors", Spencer Radcliffe brings us this sad boy feeling song. I first heard this song in a car with some of my friends on our way to see a show. It invokes great memories. 7. "Never Going Home." by Hazel English: Despite the instrumentation this song has a very robust quality to it. You can tell there's only a few instruments involved but it still feels very full. Being a Australian-born musician, Hazel English has constructed this song to detail about her move overseas to California and how she is "Never Going Home". 8. "Sun's Out." by Hoops: Off of Hoops's 2017 album "Routines" we are given this gem. Despite the limited amount of lyrics in this song, the instrumentation fills it out very nicely and gives it a washed out type of feel. Good for a long road trip. You can listen to this playlist and follow us on Spotify for all of our past playlists here.

AJ Ghent [J-Ent] brings a sound of power and strings to the forefront of his latest album “The Neo Blues Project.” He isn’t afraid to expand his repertoire and experiment with some new sounds either; establishing him as an artist who isn’t shy and isn’t scared to try new things. Starting out strong with his rendition of "Do the Rump!," Ghent shows off the power of not only his vocals but also his guitar playing ability with some pretty sweet riffs. Now, I don't know much about music, in fact, I rarely listen music, so take what I have to say next with caution. The music didn’t move me until the end. At first, this is what I was going to write as a review. “I appreciate the guitar in this album. It pushes you forward and meshes well with the vocals, but it doesn’t do anything new. It doesn’t take any risks. It is a debut album, but it doesn’t try anything. It establishes Ghent’s prowess as a singer not afraid to use different sounds, but fails to do anything new with these sounds. I’ve heard this all before.” However, with that said, he does do something at the end that I really appreciate. His fourth and fifth songs, “Mercy” and “Long Lost Friend” changes pace. He goes from the fast paced songs of before to soulful songs with ease and I really appreciate that. It’s a welcomed change of pace. It’s like he’s welcomed us into his strength and power with the first three songs, but these songs let us into his heart. He closes out the album with a fast paced song called “Gonna Rock,” reminding us that not only is it okay to be happy, it’s okay to rock. Favorite songs: “Power,” “Long Lost Friend,” “Gonna Rock”

DJ Simon Jefferson sat down for a over-the-phone interview with Michigan's own, The Accidentals. Growing up, what was your experience with music? When did you first drift towards the arts? Katie and I had pretty different experiences growing up with music. My parents met in Nashville. My mom was an r&b singer and my dad was a session piano player for the Grande Ole Opry. They got married and had me. I kind of grew up in a folk, bluegrass and kind of improvisational jazz. I learned violin at 11 I was in our public school program, then eventually I met Katie and my whole view on music changed entirely. A total 180. I grew up in a musical family as well. My dad is a professional classical piano player, he works at an arts school called Interlochen Academy. Oh yeah, I know of Interlochen. Yeah! So he does like, composition, and jazz and classical. My mom grew up singing musicals and studying jazz voice and classical voice in college. When I was in the public school system, I decided to pick up cello. I pursued that, so I took private lessons, played some cello solos and played in orchestra and quartets. When I was a freshman in high school, I decided I wanted to join our school's jazz band, so on the side I picked up guitar. I was very shy, and I was writing songs in my room, was not comfortable improvising at all, I was very comfortable reading music off of a page in jazz band and orchestra, and then I met Savannah when I was a sophomore, and we both volunteered for a school assignment to play alternative music for an after school program. When we tried playing together, she was like, knew how to pick up subtle tunes by ear, and we opened up for her family's band, at this show, called the Tree Huggers, before we were the accidentals. It was kind of like a whole new, sort of, experience. Yeah, and I remember you talking about that story at the concert. You were doing a quick intro, talking about that time, and especially Interlochen. Growing up I went to a Michigan school as well, and there were always the Interlochen people coming around, trying to get kids to apply and go. It was never a place that I got a chance to go to, Interlochen or the alternative, Blue Lake, and I always wanted to. It was one of those experiences that I wish I would've been able to broaden my horizons in the musicians that I interacted with. I was kind of just kept to my small town. We're also really lucky, our public program at Traverse City West, our orchestra conductor was really encouraging, in terms of alternative styles, and our school like had electric violin, cello, viola and our music scene in Traverse City is also really encouraging for young musicians. Sav and I would jam with all the local bands playing like, folk music or singer-songwriter music and that was really helpful to get our feet wet. I still stand by the statement, my favorite thing I've seen you perform was "Taxman" by the Beatles. I was just sitting there listening to the tunes, like cool, cool. And I think a lot of people would talk about your guy's "Tom Sawyer" cover, 'cause that too is very a high feat to be like "We're gonna cover a Rush song!" And both times you bring your own flavor to the song but also nail the cover really well. It was started as a dare. We were dared to cover it by Keller Williams... Yeah we were touring with them and, he's actually on our new album, Odyssey. We're good friends with him and we just got off the road playing shows as part of his back up band. But before any of that happened we were touring with his band, KWahtro and he had the drummer Rodney Holmes with him at the time, who was on Santana's record, really renowned drummer. And at the time Michael and I were kind of playing a take on"Tom Sawyer" but we didn't really know the whole song we were just kind of messing around with it. And Rodney heard us, and he came running out and he was like "Keep going!" and he jumped on his trumpet and starting playing with us, but we didn't know the whole song, So he got really upset when he found out we didn't know it. and he was like "You guys better have that worked out next time I see you." So later we went back and worked it out and now we've been playing it ever since thanks to Rodney Holmes. Me and my band like to clean up "Free Bird" every once in a while just in case, just to keep it in the back pocket. So, if that one guy goes "free bird!" he goes you don't even know what you just asked for man. So, it's always a good thing to keep those in the back pocket, you know if you look at Odyssey or some of your earlier work, and you look at " Taxman " and "Tom Sawyer," They're polar opposite of each other, but that's the cool thing about music. you guys are able to bridge that gap. And you guys are just like nope that's the Accidentals playing " Tom Sawyer, just the Accidentals playing "Taxman" it's awesome , its awesome. Talking about new music, you know, Odyssey...First let's talk about the realization that this album is going to be a little bit different than the stuff we were doing previously. Like, "we have a little bit of support on the back end of the music industry, what are we gonna do now?" Yeah, Odyssey is kind of about like, moving forward. We were in a production deal for a time we actually were stuck the decision between taking a production deal or going to college and it was like a 24 hr decision. Katie had gotten a Presidential scholarship for the Berklee College of Music at the same time we were offered the production deal and we couldn't defer it. So, we only had 24 hours to figure out if we were going to learn to be professional musicians or just be professional musicians. Oh man that's so great. yeah it was crazy yeah and there was lot's of pressure, because we're generally anxious people but we ended up taking the production deal we learned a lot, wrote a lot of songs, but nothing ever really ever came of the recording. The contract became renegotiable and we ended up moving forward and putting out our own music and that's what garnered attraction and interest from Sony Masterworks that's who we signed with in December. We ended up putting out this album about moving forward and being a band and all the craziness that comes, but also the lessons that come from the light slip ups down the road. um and really, I think part of that is being present and um being part of the process. so that's where a-lot of the songs from " Odyessy", and there will be a lot off that at the show. Wonderful, wonderful yeah. I like how you talk about being present that is such a big thing, not just in travelling on the road with your band, but with everything in life. Everything you do in life, is your life. Every moment you're living is a new scene of it and so if you're not present there, you're going to miss so many things because you are wishing for things in the future or because you were hoping you were somewhere else you missed Yeah we all kinda keep our own renditions of journals on the road, and Local Spins just put out our tour diary that we kept of the past 40 days for a good representation of what tour can be. We tend to keep track of what happens day by day because if you don't, you miss out on a lot of the interesting people you meet and amazing places you go so you get to experience. even the bad days are interesting in themselves. If you don't keep track of it, ya know what are you doing it for. Little moments While we’re talking about touring, can we get one funny day on tour when you think back to those pre- Odyssey tours? What was the funnest memory? Like the tour we just went on or just pre-Odyssey? Let's do one of each, one from this tour and one pre-Odyssey tour. Ummm, well on one of the pre-Odyssey tours- I'm trying to think like, I don't know if this is the best story, but one that I think about is when I tried to take a plate of hummus outside... we were at this venue, we weren't all 21 yet, which happened a lot. we weren't actually allowed to be in the venue because we weren't all 21. I went to the van which we actually used as a dressing room and we turned the light on and read our books. We sat next to the venue and we could hear the opening band going on inside. Now were all over 21 and our tours have changed a little bit. We learned a lot like on the road but this last tour was still really crazy. Don’t forget, at that last venue Katie wasn't allowed to bring her hummus plate outside. Like, they made a hummus plate and everything and when they found out we weren't 21 they were like "No, you can't take that with you.” So we had to sit out in the van thinking about the hummus plate. But you’re the band! Come on! I know This is more of a joke So the last Odyssey tour we had some really funny experiences and stories. There's just so many of them. I think my first favorite one is actually one of the breakdowns we had. w e bro down on Vail Pass it’s in Colorado on your way to Denver, about 90 minutes away. We had driven from SLC all the way to 90 minutes from Denver when we heard this gurgling noise in our engine. The fact that we had already broken down like 6 times at this point. We were like “Alright, yeah we know what’s happening let’s pull over and let the engine cool down. We’ve been traversing mountains for hours and hours.” So we go up and over and we stop and pull over. Unfortunately Betty has a custom computer system that someone had already installed when it gurgles like that the computer shuts down the whole car and drains our whole battery. On top of the Pass, with no hazards, no lights, in the dark, at like 2 in the morning, 90 minutes from Denver, with semi trucks flying past us at 70 miles per hour. We’re at 10,000 feet alt. There's nothing, we can’t go anywhere, we can’t even let people know we’re there, it’s pitch black outside. We’re like okay this is a new level of scary. So, we ended up calling the cops we had a policeman show up and turn on his lights so nobody would hit us. We ended up giving him a CD he became an instant fan it was hilarious. Boom! got him! We called a tow truck and he put our van on his flat bed, our trailer on his hitch, and squeezed six of us into his tow cab. Five of us are sitting in the bench seat, he’s driving and somebody else is sitting in the front with him. 5 of us on a bench holding all our stuff for 90 minutes to Denver is a different way to tour, I can say that much. Down a mountain passes too! Little bit more close quarters. It was a lot, but its still funny when I think of it now, it wasn’t funny back then but... Those situations never are, but its funny, the album is titled Odyssey and when I think “odyssey” I think of, you know the famous work by Homer The Odyssey, and that definitely sounds like something that would happen to the main character of The Odyssey, ya know? It’s like “I was trying to get home but right before I made it to my island, my ship broke down and well, I’m boned.” You know, we were thinking about calling our album something else that doesn’t incur that, cuz we’re called “The Accidentals,” ya know accidents happen. Then we thought Oh maybe we should call ourselves The Intentionals and then we call our album “Odyssey”. (laughing) To be fair, Homer snagged that name so long ago, we didn’t even have a chance. That was over 2,000 years ago and he was like “this, this is it, sorry guys, everybody else. Nobody else gets to have a journey story, cuz I started it.” He’s The Beatles of writing. True, true very original. Alright a couple of extra questions. Just some fluff stuff, ya know. Favorite band? I know that's a hard one. Hmm well we all listen to a lot of acoustic but right now my favorite has to be Radiohead which has been on constantly, and I also love Queen, Katie? We just finished up some extra shows with Keller Williams, so I’ve been listening to his new album and catalog Martin Sexton as well is one of our other idols that we’ve gotten to tour with on the road, learn a lot from Did he live up to the hype? Did you have any hero worship problems going on where they turned out to be not what you expect or were they like super cool? No, actually Martin and Keller are both like the sweetest, kindest, most talented people we’ve ever met theyre really awesome. In fact we’ve met a lot of amazing artists who are genuinely kind people and we’ve worked with a lot of them on our new album. For instance, Jenny Conlee from the Decemberists came and hung out with us for a few days. Turns out she’s just a nerd that likes cat videos, just like us. Who would’ve thunk! People love cats! I know! It’s cool to meet people, to meet other musicians who can not only breathe life into some of what you’re doing, and also bring their own ideas to the table and are also genuinely kind people. Yup. And it’s been really fun touring with those people. I feel like the list goes on and on as far as our favorite bands are concerned, because of it has to do with personal connection as well as music, so it’s hard Yeah, and especially those people that have such a positive influence on your life, it's hard to look at other people, that maybe, you still have those... The Beatles, for example, none of us have met- Imean have you met The Beatles? Just a quick question Say that again? Have you met the Beatles? Uh no Alright so none of us have met the Beatles, so we all have that idea of the four guys and what they could be like, but once you humanize them by meeting them in person, you know talking to them, realizing their just a human like you and that they choose to be a nice human like you all choose to be, it’s definitely rewarding in seeing other people who do what you do but also choose to be awesome people. ‘Cause there are some people in the music industry that choose not to be awesome people. Oh yeah, definitely that’s so true. Okay, one more. Favorite time wasting game or activity while on the road. You know you have 12 hours to kill on this road trip, what are we doing? Oh man! Tell them about the uh Coin flip game. So here we’re playing a D&D campaign right now, it only happens in the van, its called Betty Quest, ‘cause our van is called Black Betty, and it's a coin toss game. So uh he’ gots this app on his phone, and if we attempt to do anything he’ll flip a coin to see if it happens, but already we’ve created some very interesting characters and stories and we’re on an epic quest right now We’re on a mission to find the ruler of the Underworld and help save this city. Um and were all kind of trained music characters, we’re about half way through the quest Are you kidding me we’re about 25% in, Larson, so we still have 75% questing to go. That’s gotta be one of the best group activities to do on the road is play some good old fashioned like penny D&D, just easy something to do, coin flip. Alright here we go, that’s really awesome Yeah it’s my first time so ya know I’m learning You’re actually, you’re doing really great right now Katie. You’re really tanking the team for us. Everybody in the band is multi-instrumentalist, yeah? Yes, correct So, have you ever done a show where maybe you play each others parts, or anything like that? No, we kind of stick to what's comfortable on most of our songs, but we have done things every once in awhile where we completely the instrumentation for a night. I remember when time we did a cover of “All About That Bass” and all three of us, Michael and Katie and I, all played basses. And it was hilarious to say the least. That, yes On our last show... we did a west coast run for like 40 days and on the very last show, on the very last song before we flew home for our release show, Savannah’s violin string breaks and she’s like whatever i’ll just pick up and acoustic guitar. (Laughter) She's like ah I’ll go back to the violin Like nbd, I just understand music this well. I like how casually you’re describing this too, because I was having a total panic attack. I was like freaking out. (Laughter) That’s just good showmanship Well it’s good to have... I think of music theory sometimes as a really good tool to have in your back pocket. Like knowing what the chord structure is and knowing the chord progressions is really helpful for soloing and for understanding like if, in an emergency, which happens a lot, you can pick up another instrument and know where you are on it. Oh yeah. It’s good to have. It’s that ability to, you know, improv and theatre. You know, ‘cause I don’t know if you’ve ever done musicals but in musicals, a show never goes how it’s supposed to be planned I know I’ve had my share...when I was in high school I did a lot of theatre where you just have something like, “well that line wasn’t supposed to happen until five minutes from now let’s fill in the blanks, shall we.” It’s that total ability to play off what you were doing like, “it’s casual, I’m a pro. I did my homework so I know what’s going on.” That’s really cool. That’s awesome Well it's more awesome that you were able to hold your cool so now somebody thinks you’re such a G. I’m definitely not an actor so I’m pretty sure everybody knew I was panicked. I think it takes more ability to be calm and composed while coming up with a back up plan. So musical theatre, cheers to that man. I miss musical theatre, that was probably my favorite time in high school. Mike was actually in musical theatre as well, our drummer. Yeah? I figured with a voice like that he had to be. (Laughter) right Oh yeah and michael can probably do a great impression of any of our voices. He can usually do the highest harmony in the band. He did acapella choir singing and musical theatre. So he’s definitely a useful pickup for the team. Glad we fantasy draft him. (Laughter) Yeah right. Our dungeon master. One last thing that always blew me away about you guys, you guys had a sound guy at the Lowell show that had a mobile rig, and he was just walking around the crowd doing your sound. I didn’t know it was your guys’ sound guy that you bring with you or if it was the sound guy that came with the event. What was the show? It was the Lowell show at the Lowell Riverside...thing. Yes. That’s Evan Yeah. That’s just a sweet setup and he was a really cool guy. He actually let me check it out for a quick second ‘cause I study a little bit of audio engineering in school- So did I! Yay! Yeah I’m at Western right now doing a little bit of the Multimedia Arts and Technology stuff and its really fun. Cool! Yeah! That was the first time I ever saw a mobile rig. I was like, “Man, Accidentals they got the tech.” Actually yes we do and now we upgraded all of our tour at the beginning of the year, so we ended up getting in ear monitors and a console to help work that. ooooh Evan is our sound guy, there’s two, there’s Evan and Maureen and they switch off depending on the tour, but you saw Evan at Lowell and he’s actually like a brainiac. Like he’s perfect for D&D campaigns and for audio technology. And it’s good to have his dynamic on the team. And he’s helped us really rig up a lot of things here. I think it’s really exciting too, like you’re gonna do something full time, like be in music as a career full time, I think it’s really important to know your craft and to understand the ways you can improve your sound and so its been really fun having a sound engineer who’s helped put it together and has really taught us a lot about the upgraded gear. Yeah and it's definitely being able to use your instrument the correct way is no different than having the right technique of singing, but having a voice coach definitely helps you reach those better than just screaming in your shower. It’s like, “Alright, I have this awesome amp and I have this awesome guitar, but how can I get the tones that I’m really looking for.” Like if you don’t know how those things work then you’re not going to be able to change your sound, just like you’re saying. And there’s so many amateur instrumentalists, me included, that just fly by the seat of their pants and just play music. Which is fine and all, but like you’re saying, once you get to that professional level where you’re now saying, “I’m gonna choose to do this as a career,” you know, it’s your career to know your shenanigans, as they say. Yeah, absolutely. I think one of the big things that we took away with us is to ask question even at the beginning when we were just starting out, we didn’t know anything, that was a perfect time ask people around us for advice and help. And so, a lot of the local musicians around Michigan have been huge friends and collaborators in that. That’s really help bring us to levels that we’re heading towards. Yeah and it’s taking yourself seriously enough to say that, “I need to gather this information, I need to be asking those questions, I need to be meeting those people,” because those are the things that you do have to do and it’s the right thing to do. There’s so many people that may be turn their nose up to networking, or turn their nose up to asking questions because they might think that like, they’re better than that, but it’s like, no...having the information in your head is the best thing for it and the only way you’re gonna get that is by taking it from the people that have the information and making you a part of that group. Yeah, once you think you’ve stopped learning, once you think you’ve learned everything, that’s when you become a bad musician. That’s what I think. Yeah, especially you guys, at the start of the tours back in the day you guys were very young. Like obviously before you were 21. So, there isn’t as much as a pressure, I think, as a younger kid to be able to ask questions. You know like, if I’m 19 in a band and there’s people around me who seem to know what they’re doing. Hopefully, as a 19 year old I’m gonna be asking questions. You might have people who are maybe older in that same situation who might not have learned as much because of their age, they might have thought that they knew a lot of things already. Yeah! You can be naive at anything at 45, just because you’re 45 doesn’t mean you’re a genius. Oh Yeah, we’re always learning Yeah like I’m pretty sure a 15 year old could make me feel really, really stupid about minecraft right now. Not even a 15 year old, like a 7 year old. Oh yeah, minecraft, I hard core relate to that Oh man, minecraft. Sometimes I see what those people do, the art that they make in Minecraft. That’s just as much art as painting a painting in my mind. Different aesthetic, but man! That amount of planning, too. I’m interested to see in like 10 years what kind of architects we have from the batch of kids who are playing Minecraft religiously right now. (Laughter) Give it time and the data pool will arise. Well I have one last question, are you excited for the show at Bell’s tonight? Uh yeah! I was actually going to ask if you guys are coming We should have. I know we have... -We have three winners that got tickets we gave away. The person who originally wanted to do the interview, Emily, she went and saw you guys here recently I believe. Oh yeah I know Emily! Yeah Emily! Emily originally wanted to do the interview, but she’s so busy with school and being awesome, that we had to step in, but she’ll definitely be there tonight. She’s super excited to see you guys again. And me and her were talking about it on Monday, so that should be really good. You don’t need any comp tickets or anything? Do we? I think we’re all good -I’m not old enough to go -I am rather busy studying for my classes this evening. - I would love to go but Bell’s doesn’t let me in. I’m a child. - Amber’s a baby still Aww. We totally understand that, sorry. You know like in my opinion, I think that all venues should not have a 21 and up rule. That’s so frustrating I mean, we went to South By and the first year we couldn’t go anywhere. We could only play the gigs that we could and then immediately leave and we couldn’t watch anyone else play because of the 21 and up rule. Yeah - I mean like, I get it to some extent but at the same time it’s a bummer. It’s only a thing where, like, I feel you’re just wanting to cut off a person at the door marking people. Like that’s what you’re trying to do, you’re trying to save the $8 an hour. - Not to be that person, but it’s so easy to rub off your little markings that like, you don’t wanna be liable for that, so I understand. Yeah. We’ve been at some venues where the venue owners get in huge trouble because some young band will come in and they’ll make the irresponsible decision to like bring alcohol. Like owner actually got put in jail for a night because he had these kids in there. So we totally get it. Oh my god Canada drinking is 19, maybe we should just head over there. Yeah it’s true, that is very true. There’s a great video of Green Day way,way back in like ‘91 and they’re playing at this bar and they’re all 19 at the time. Billy Joe takes a drink of this beer and goes “We’re not supposed to be drinking,’ and they continue on playing. Like, man the 90’s things were so much easier back then. I’m glad I wasn’t alive. Yeah. You could just take a tour around a plane, you know, no big deal. That’s true, that’s true. I always like seeing videos of bands when they first start out, like playing their first batch of bar shows, like those smaller bar shows. Like, imagine in 4 or 5 years when you all are the most successful band in the world and they're making “Bill and Ted Excellent Adventures” about you guys. (laughter) Yup. We’re gonna look back at this Bell’s show like, “how neat is that. Look how bad they were, they’re so good now.” I love that bill and ted’s excellent adventure reference. And I have one last request, if possible. You think I might be able to bribe you into saying, “You’re listening to 89.1 fm WIDR Kalamazoo.” I don’t know, how many klondike bars do you have? Ooohh! 467 and a half, but the half is a mint chocolate chip one. Oh Savannah’s allergic to mint That’s interesting Hmmm we’ll pay you in that one first (laughs) Cool, okay alright. What’s the number again? 89.1. So it would be “You’re listening to WIDR at 89.1 fm Kalamazoo.” As “Cool kid” as you can be I’ll do a countdown. 3-2-1 You’re listening to WIDR... 89.1 fm in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Boom! Wow thank you so much Absolutely thank you, guys! Well I gotta go skedaddle off to my Japanese midterm and everybody else also has to skedaddle off. We really appreciate you taking some time out of your day to come talk to us. Help us create some online content for us and also stimulate the how for you guys. I’m a big fan, after being able to talk to you guys it’s just fortified my feelings that you’re just really cool people. Yeah! This was a great convo we had a lot of fun! I’m glad! If you’re ever in Kalamazoo again, make sure you bother WIDR while you’re here. Hopefully there’s gonna be more tours and more tours and more CDs and more CDs. Because that’s what pro’s do they make more of their work. Thank you guys so much! Good luck to you! Have a great show, break a leg! Have fun tonight! Will do. Try not to at least. Bye! Byeeee!!

On Friday, January 12, 2018, the Gibbs House and WIDR FM co-hosted an Open Mic Night and Dessert Potluck! The historic Gibbs House is located on Parkview Ave and is home to the Gibbs House Fellowship, a program of WMU’s Office for Sustainability. In order to host the event, the Gibbs House Fellows (including me! I live there!) rearranged our living room to accommodate. We set up a “stage” in the corner (ft. WIDR’s gear and our dying fern, R.I.P. dear Fern), and chairs and couches lined the walls. By 7:15 p.m., the place was packed. The dining room tables were covered with vegan and non-vegan desserts thanks to all those who brought food. Socked feet and guitar cases filled the living room. Friendly faces from all over the WMU community bustled through the house. Almost a dozen acts played throughout the night. Most of the audience enjoyed the show while sitting close together on our comfy wooden floor. The majority of performers played instruments and sang, both covers and original songs. I was personally pleased by how many people were brave enough to share original -sometimes new, never performed- songs during their set. Those who stumbled through chords, forgot lyrics, or hit those notes nice and good were lovingly encouraged with small cheers from the audience. After each song, the big old farmhouse filled with clapping and cheering. The entire event was a very uplifting experience. To me, this event was particularly special. I have met some of the coolest and most precious people I know through WIDR and the Gibbs House. WIDR FM was the first organization I got involved with here at Western, and I will always hold this station and its people close to my heart. WIDR FM has connected me with other student musicians and lovers of music who I have collaborated with in ways that I could never dream of (i.e. recording in the ~very~ professional and expensive Western Sound Studios-- whaaat). I am constantly learning more about music and growing as a musician thanks to my friends from WIDR, and I know that my love for this station is shared with other students, alumni, and community members alike. Over the past year, the Gibbs House has become a home to me, as I know it is a home for many others within the Western community. This house has led me to people who constantly inspire me to do better for the world. Having a role in fostering the Gibbs community has been a true honor. I am so glad that I got to witness the meshing of these two worlds, who are more similar than they may realize. Without these two organizations, I know I would not be the person I am today. I hope this Gibbs House Open Mic is the first of many (lookin at you future WIDR directors and Gibbs Fellows!). Thank you to everyone who helped make it such an awesome night.

YBOT & WIDR present Music at the Library. The new "Tiny Desk" inspired series showcases WMU music artists performing in a very raw and stripped down environment

Losing someone whom you love is never easy, but that is why they invented the break up song. This playlist is my attempt to create a reflection of some of the emotions I’ve been feeling in the wake of devastation. From the beginning of the schism to hard-hearted aloofness this playlist has it all, and has nothing, just like me. Overly dramatic text aside, I hope you enjoy, and don’t feel too down. 1. “Redundant” by Green Day off Nimrod This song has been in my life for a long time. As a long time fan of this group, many songs by these three have helped me in times of uncertainty. Redundant is a song that speak about the complacany that leads to relationship fall out. The inability to say anything of relevance, and the only words left on your lips is why. 2. “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division off Substance Another classic song about falling out with the one you love. Lyrically this song smacks your face, and leave the taste of regret in your mouth. Released after the untimely death of Joy Division's lead singer Ian Curtis, this song will haunt time for the foreseeable future, but who can see the future. DJ Blue Velvet that's who. 3. “I Can See It in Your Eyes” by Men at Work off Business As Usual I probably doesn’t surprise some that Men at Work is featured again on one of my playlists, but hey what can I say. This song is a simple story of the moment of realization that it is over. You can see it in her eyes. 4. “Bigmouth Strikes Again” by The Smiths off The Queen is Dead Maybe not a break up song, but if anyone knows what it's like to stick your foot in your own mouth will understand this song choice. It seems when all is well, bigmouth strikes again. My favorite line of Morrissey comes in this song. “Now, I know how Joan of Arc felt, as the flames rose to her roman nose, and her walkman started to melt” 5. “For No One” by the Beatles off Revolver It’s been weeks, yet she still haunts your thoughts, and then this song come on. Why...why did you have to play me like shuffle play..why. 6. “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here” by Weezer off Weezer(Blue Album) Painfully honest song about the empty feeling behind the mask that you show to people in public, and that sickening feeling as you see that other person drift farther and farther from you. Weezer is always talented at being brutally honest, even cringy, but sometimes true emotions are cringe worthy. 7. “Telephone Line” by Electric Light Orchestra off A New World Record You’ve looked at her number multiple times now, and all you want is to hear her voice reverberate around your cranium, but you know you’ll only be left numb. Maybe you don’t care though, maybe it's what you need. Also ELO is the best. 8. “I’m Not The One(Single Mix) by the Cars off Moving In Stereo I couldn’t choose between this song and Since Your Gone by the same group. I just flipped a coin, honestly both of them are great songs. I’ve always loved the Car’s ability to write clean, well made new wave, while still feeling authentic 9. “To Binge (feat. Little Dragon) by Gorillaz off Plastic Beach My favorite song off this album, and also a heart render. The story between the two voices feels like two people who were once together, but are now rolling back into the sea alone. 10. “Careful” by Television off Adventure After awhile you feel yourself growing callous and cold. Heart like steel, and you won't make it a meal for anyone. Like a phoenix you rise from the ashes with the full intent of dying again. “I Don’t Care, I never think about it.” You can listen to this playlist and follow us on Spotify for all of our past playlists here.

This past week I had the opportunity to interview, in a brief exchange of email and text messages, the Michigan based rock and roll band - Mac Saturn. Below is a summary of our discussion re-organized for better understanding and flow of conversation. Can you tell me a little bit about the band and its background? “Mac Saturn is a leviticously duteronomous soul-powered rock and roll band that was born from a gastric mass in the outer reaches of a forgotten renaissance. Dripping with ooze and wild mercury, ringing out a single lonely whistle like the ghost train riding through the dawn of time and space. Writing songs for the postman delivered by railcar and white lightning”. What is each band members role in the group? Do you have any fun facts you’d like to share about Mac Saturn? “Riding shotgun is Brett Dooge on lead six-string, strumming with his front teeth and surfing on the waves of the rhythm section. In the back seat is Jive Chivalski on bass holding the curtains, and Carson Macc on drums scrubbing the windows of the courthouse of time. In the driver's seat is Nick Barone. Spewing Blues that could make Fitzgerald forget the alphabet and turn Medusa to stone. Roots deeper than a countryside diner, and tempos rising faster than cigarette smoke at a propane convention. Four vagabonds from Saturn kicked around from planet to planet. Chewed up and spit out by the Sirens of Venus and the Arbiters of Neptune”. Do you guys have any upcoming projects or anything else you would like to share? “The four missionaries are currently planting the seeds of Rock & Roll in gardens all around the state (Michigan), and working on writing the follow-up to Atomic Medicine”. How did the band get its name? “So, when we first started jamming together, us four, we use to hang down out by a lake all the time, ‘cause a couple of us lived down by a lake. There was this local boat-man that lived there, and the locals kind of know him as a witch, or a shaman, almost. He is a local figure and we made friends with him over the course of this one particular summer...with the way we look, the way we sound, and the way we act together he would call us these weird names; and this one summer he kept calling us the Medieval Atomic Children of Saturn. He just kept calling us. He would call us that whenever we would walk by or whenever we would see him...he would always, just call us the Medieval Atomic Children of Saturn, and he would always be spooky about it too. So, that’s what we started calling ourselves! Eventually, my mom got sick of stitching all that shit onto a shirt so we just call it Mac Saturn know”. After talking with Nick Barone, the lead singer of Mac Saturn, it’s nearly impossible to explain the band’s style and personality better than their responses in the above interview. In their debut album Atomic Medicine you can hear the soulful rock and roll, filled with smooth transitions, mesmerizing lyrics, varying tempos, and rhythmic guitar. The album starts with "Banana Wine", a slow but very soothing rock song with haunting vocals. As the album continues, generally speaking, it starts to pick up tempo but the variety of speed, sound, and ambiance throughout the entirety of the album is what makes it special. The guitar riffs and energetic drums lay the foundation of Atomic Medicine and are complimented nicely by the edgy, yet gentle, vocals and the smooth bass. The album sets an uplifting mood, perfectly contrasted by the emotional and intellectual depth of the lyrics. I find myself listening to this album on my walk to campus almost every morning. Whether it be a slow start to a dull morning and I need a kick to get my day going, or a relaxing morning where I have nothing to do this album has something for everyone. The album consists of nine tracks: “Banana Wine”, “Love You Either Way”, “California”, “Banana Wine II” “I Am A Coyote”, “Autumn Leaves”, “Tried To Say No”, “Persian Rugs”, and “Atomic Medicine”. I’m really glad I stumbled across Mac Saturn, had the pleasure to talk with them more about their music, and I sincerely look forward to listening to their follow up to Atomic Medicine! Best Tracks: “Banana Wine”, “Love You Either Way”, “Autumn Leaves”, “Tried To Say No”, and “Persian Rugs”

Alvvays came into being during the beginning of the decade. During those years of 2011, Molly Rankin and Co. started to perform under the name Alvvays, stamping their name into Indie Pop as wunderkinds of infectious hooks, peppy lyrical styles, and ironic humor. All this and more is why I have grown so fond of this group of humans. Antisocialites is Alvvays sophomore effort, and while staying true to their sound, there is new ground discovered. It seems like this is the album meant to push them from Canadian indie home slices to a large world following. Though I will try not to pretend to know their goals, or situations, but high recording quality, scope, and fresh inspiration makes me believe these artists are taking themselves more seriously. This albums sound, while staying inside the realm of Indie Pop and doing it well I might add, it pushes in some wonderful synth-pop ideas, ELOesk breaks downs, and an irony that did not always exist on the album previous. The lyrical tone of the album seems to be of a emotionally distant person, who realizing they were dating was not whom they truly was fit for. After struggling with their new self-realized freedom, but feeling less than energetic about this neo lifestyle. Starting out the album is In Undertow, the leading single for the album. Setting the tone for the rest to come. Lyrically resonating with a broad audience. Sitting at track three, Plimsoll Punks is my favorite song on the album, and not just because it says Punks in the title. This upbeat riff, smooth indie delite just hits me in the cranium. Not My Baby seems to be written to smash hearts, and egnite new starts. Already Gone is a much needed bleak pit to throw yourself into when you might get too overcome with indie fluff. No jiggly riff, just emotions, but don’t worry they’re coming back Fav Tracks “In Undertow” “Dreams Tonite” “Plimsoll Punks” “Your Type” “Forget About Life”