University of San Diego Radio

We’re trying something new here at USD Radio. We’ve teamed up with USD’s Associated Students so that they can spend some time to talk about what they do for our students.

We’ve become blessed to work with one of the most beautiful faces on campus, Zachary Flati, your Vice President. For those of you who don’t know him, he’s the guy that looks ten years older than he really is and spends much of his time around the SLP. Flati can usually be recognized with some odd sort of facial hair being styled on his face.

On a (very) good day, he looks like this:

Flati actually translates to "Handsome Devil"

Nonetheless, please look forward to his announcements. We’ll post them weekly or monthly or just as need on this site.

Listen below:

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Senses Fail

I recently caught up with one of my personal heroes, Buddy from Senses Fail while the band was in town for their Out With The In Crowd Tour. Buddy has always been known for his blatant honesty, so I got to enjoy that while we discussed their new album, the tour, and why the Saints and Sinner’s tour sucked.

How has the tour been so far?

It’s been great, really awesome. Going very well.

Did you pick the openers (Balance and Composure, The Title Fight)?

Yeah, we picked them, us and Bayside.

How did you come across those particular bands?

They were just bands that we had been listening to, liked them. Decided hey let’s put them on tour with us.

How has this tour been in comparison to (last year’s) Saints and Sinners tour?

Oh way better, that tour sucked. I love this tour.

What was the source of the conflict with Brokencyde on that tour?

Oh I just hate that band. They’re just a terrible band. Absolutely one of the worst things I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s just unlistenable.

How did you guys end up doing that tour?

I didn’t know any of the other bands that would be on it. It just kind of got pitched to us, Saints and Sinners, just a package tour. We signed up for it, and all these other bands just show up on it. We thought it would be more of a hard, heavy, metal kind of thing and it ended up being like, a hodgepodge of everything.

It definitely did seem like a really weird line up.

It was, it was a terrible line up. Hollywood Undead drew all of the fans, I don’t think any of our fans even came out to those shows. Hollywood Undead had just blown up at that point.

When you were onstage you seemed really irritated.

Yeah, because I was on tour with a bunch of bands that sucked.

Did you at least enjoy Hollywood Undead?

Yeah, they were actually a bunch of really good guys. They were fun guys. It wasn’t a great tour, but they were cool.

As far as conflict with other bands goes, I head there was something with Mayday Parade now?

I don’t know man, every band that plays music without any substance is mad at me, because I say what I think, but apparently I’m not allowed to have an opinion. All the boys, the little boys in those bands stick up for each other… I mean, I dunno, it’s whatever. I don’t care.

Moving on to the new record, The Fire, I’ve noticed that you have this theme of fire throughout your records.

Yeah it’s always been a common thing, I guess I use it more as like, a mythological reference, the idea of fire and how it plays a role in things. I like that it has that common thread, and the imagery used in the lyrics, because it makes it kind of a cohesive thing. If you listen to all of it together, it feels like it’s all one stream of consciousness.

With former guitarist Heath no longer with the band, how did that impact the sound?

We just kind of stripped it back down to the straightforward stuff, and it got a little heavier, honestly with less solos.

Does having a new record out affect your song line up at all?

Not really, we just play a couple new songs. We aren’t gonna play a ton of new songs, because people don’t know them yet, so we just try to play a couple songs off of every record.

On the DVD that comes with the new CD, you mention that if fans don’t like a song when you play it, you don’t like it anymore and it gets tossed.

Yeah, pretty much.

Has it ever happened where you were really excited about a song, really proud of it, and that fan’s didn’t like it live?

Not really, usually it’s just like, if I’m [not excited about] a song, the fans feel the same way.

Are there any songs from past records that you aren’t as proud of?

Nah, I just think there are certain songs that don’t go over live well. The fans just don’t want to hear them live, they don’t sound good live, or are maybe just better album tracks that just don’t work as well live.

On past albums you’ve kind of hinted at certain problems in your life, but on this album it seems like you got a little more specific, and really just raged.

Haha yeah, I think that’s a good way to put it.

Was there anything specific that sparked that?

Not really, it was just, going through two lawsuits, dealing with everyday strife, I just feel that fire and have to let it out.

In another interview you mentioned one main album that influenced you lyrically…

Yeah, Jets to Brazil. Orange Rhyming Dictionary.

Where do you think you would be now without that album?

Oh I have no idea, I probably wouldn’t have gone down that path I guess. That album really set the tone for how I wanted to write lyrics. He is much, much smarter than I am, and his lyrics are really good.

Was there any specific moment when you knew you wanted to do music?

No, not really, it was just something I always wanted to do, it’s just one of those things you know.

What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t a musician?

I have no idea, I think that I would have ended up in the music industry either way, if not in music then around music.

Back to the record, are there any songs that you are really proud of, or are really important to you?

I really like “New Years Eve,” that’s one I’m really proud of, I really like “Lifeboats,” I really like “Headed West,” those are kind of my top few. I also really like “Coward.” I really overall am proud of the entire record. There’s not a single song I don’t like, versus other records where there are a couple songs  that are like, I don’t really like that song, it just doesn’t do it for me. But on this record, I’m just really really proud of the whole thing.

Speaking of “Coward,” when I first heard that song, it threw me off. I think it’s the first time you really, blatantly called someone out like that. What are some of the issues behind that song?

That’s one that I think is pretty self-explanatory, but letting the stuff out in that song was really cool, I really like it.

Can you go into the meanings of some of the other songs on the record?

I actually like to leave the songs pretty vague for people. I don’t like explaining too much about it, because I might ruin it for someone. Someone might find a meaning that is different from what it means to me personally.

Even with a new record out, are you constantly thinking and writing new material?

Nah, I can’t write all the time, I would freak out.

On the new record it seems, with the anthemic choruses, that your voice goes higher than previous records.

Actually on the new record my voice is lower than the other ones. I think that just the way this record is written, it’s written for my voice and the way I sing, so it ended up sounding higher, but it’s not… I think that before with Heath in the band a lot of stuff got written that wasn’t in my range, and that’s not necessarily the way that I like to sing, and it wasn’t natural to me. This record is, and so it sounds a lot better.

Are you personally involved with the band’s Facebook page and those areas?

Yeah, I actually write all that myself. Except for the ad stuff for the label, like when the new record is $3.99 and stuff like that.

Do you take the time and read all the responses and opinions?

Nah, because most of it is just bull, people that don’t know what they’re talking about trying to talk [crap].

Was there ever a point where you did care what people were saying?

Not really, like the other day I responded to a comment about the new album and just ended up taking the whole thing down because I didn’t want to end up sitting in interviews, talking about what some kid that doesn’t know what they’re talking about said. I just don’t want to deal with it, because apparently I can’t have an opinion.

It seems like people join these fan pages just to hate.

Oh of course, it’s the internet, that’s what it’s all about. It’s weird how all these kid’s are growing up this way with the internet… the future, where the internet’s going, it’s gonna be strange. The internet is taking over, that kind of social interaction…

You’re obviously not in music for the fame or the money, what would you define as success for you personally?

I just want my music to be good, to play great, have people be like that was a great show. That’s for me is why I’m here, that hour of rocking and being outside of my own head, just being in that moment… Playing is what I live for, and being creative.

Are there any bands you haven’t been on tour with that you would like to do some shows with?

I really want to go on tour with Thursday. I think us and Thursday would be a really good tour. I would really love that.

Are there any new bands you have been listening to that you really like?

Oh yeah, absolutely. Man Overboard, Hostage Calm. It’s hard to find completely new music, I sometimesnget to it a little late, but those are a couple bands up and coming that are really good.

If somebody has never listened to Senses Fail, what songs would you recommend they listen to?

“Can’t be Saved,” “Wolves At The Door,” “You’re Cute When You Screm,” those are a couple that people seem to like, and “Rum Is For Drinking, Not For Burning.”

Check out Senses Fail at www.myspace.com/sensesfail, and their new album The Fire is in stores now!

My review for The Fire can also be found in the Reviews section of the site.

In contrast to a latter track title off his premiere mixtape “A Kid Named Cudi”, Kid Cudi is by no means “spazzin’” anymore. On his most recent studio album “Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager”, Cudi’s wild side which was so prevalent on AKNC is eclipsed by his mild side on Moon 2. Whether this is Cudi straying from the style that helped him find fame or his natural maturation is up to the listener but either way, Moon 2 stands on its own legs.

Cudi makes it clear from track one that Moon 2 is not simply a continuation of any of his previous albums except by title. Bringing on Cee-Lo Green and his trademark gospel sound, “Scott Mescudi vs. The World” pays dual tribute to Cudi’s unconventional style of rapping and a certain recent Hollywood box office failure. Subsequent tracks come straight from the Cudi mould of marching rhythms and catchy melodies that are slightly odd enough to make them stick in your head for a few minutes after you hear them.

The normalcy lasts all of three tracks before Cudi gets into some strange territory with “We Aite” that has more in common with Buddhist prayer chants than anything else. “Marijuana”, “Mojo So Dope” and “Ashin’ Kusher” all tread in the realm of stoner-raps but track by track, emerge from the hazy nether-regions of experimental rap.

It’s with “Erase Me” (featuring Kanye West) that Cudi pays the bills. Like it or not, this is the banger that’s made for the airwaves. Catchy hook? Check. Simple melody and lyrics? Check. High-profile guest appearance? Check.

“The Mood” and “Maniac” sustain Moon 2’s dark feel with sinister beats and Cudi telling tales in the lowest voice possible. An early line from “Maniac” sums it up nicely: “I am the maniac. I am the ghoul. I am the shadows in the corner of my room”. Other fun terms to mesh with the unicorns-and-rainbows theme: cloak, coffin, unruliness, darkness.

Sound like your cup of tea- erm, black coffee? If the prospect of a cross-genre rap that borders on the experimental gets you all hot and bothered, Moon 2 is worth a listen. Sound a little too strange? Don’t worry; Cudi’s just pushing the envelope.

Story of the Year

When Story of the Year stopped by on their tour with Flyleaf, I had the opportunity to conduct this very insightful interview with guitarist Ryan Phillips:

How has it been touring with Flyleaf?

It’s amazing. It’s kind of weird like, I wouldn’t say we have a whole lot in common, musically, so I kind of had no idea what to expect. But it took like, one day… these guys are super sweet, their crew is super sweet, it’s pretty much the easiest, smoothest tour we have ever done. Good vibes, everyone is just amazing. They’re a super talented band, and just good people.

Have you been able to reach out to a new audience?

Yeah, I really think so. I wouldn’t say we have a huge crossover fan base, so we’re playing to a lot of new people every night. Progressively through the set, as more songs go by I can see more and more people getting into it, and by the end of it I feel like we really won over a whole lot of new people that maybe have never even heard of us.

When you’re on tour and not headlining, does it influence your set list?

Yeah, it’s weird, ‘cause like, there’s the fan favorites, you know, like the songs that might have done well with video or radio, or might have a lot of Youtube buzz, so there’s always just a handful of songs you have to have. And from there, it’s just about what songs allow us to put on the kind of show we want, what songs are going to let us do our thing, and we just kind of try to find a sort of delicate balance.

With the new record out, how do you fit that into your set?

While we are promoting our new record, at the same time we do have four albums. So, you know, four albums in forty-five minutes? It’s no secret our first album was our most successful album, so we just have this legion of people that want to hear mostly that album. So at this point, it’s kind of like you’ve gotta give your hardcore fans a good so, you want to please them. You don’t want to alienate anybody. But we are trying to promote a new album, so we just try to find a good balance between all of those records.

Although your first record was your most successful, you guys have said you are closer now than ever to your true sound. Is it frustrating that as you find that sound, your sales are dropping off and you might not be reaching as many people?

Yeah, it can be frustrating, but when you really step back and look at the big picture, it’s like, who’s record sales aren’t down? But yeah, I think everybody that has a debut like we did, it seems like we just came out of nowhere. They don’t know the backstory, like the ten years we played just to get to that first album. So it seems like to most people, this band just came out of nowhere and we had a really successful debut album. Most bands try to spend the rest of their years trying to get back to that. It starts off with everybody buying your [music], and in the back of your mind you’re trying to live up to that. After our second record we just realized that we can’t just keep making the same album, because it would be stale and boring. We want to do things our way, and I think that’s what we’re going towards, that’s what we do best. We do things our way, regardless of what scene is going on, and what trends… Story of the Year is gonna sound like Story of the Year no matter what. So going back to your question, yeah it can get a little frustrating, with what you said about us going back and finding our sound. The Constant is definitely the closest to our first album than anything we’ve done since then, and it’s weird, it was the most natural record we’ve ever done. It just kind of came out, it was the easiest time we’ve had, and it wasn’t intentional, we didn’t go in saying we’re gonna make an album that sounds just like our first album, it just happened, and it worked.

What’s your process when you go into the studio? Do you start out experimenting with different sounds you’ve wanted to try?

Well, this one was weird, because it was so streamlined. It was done in four weeks, the quickest we’ve ever done an album. So no, we didn’t really, the sound was just dictated by the songs, I can’t explain it any other way than it just kind of happened. It was just natural, if you listen to that album all the way through, it just sounds cohesive and natural. I think it’s our most cohesive record we’ve ever made.

Were there any albums that were just the complete opposite, not so easy?

Yeah… at this point I’ll just be candid with you. The Black Swan was kind of a rough one. We took like a year and a half off, dealt with some internal stuff, and that was a rough period with that record… There was a lot of stressing and agonizing over [every detail], like taking three months because I was determined to make a riff fit into a song. It was a really draining process, and now I’m just like, I’m not going to agonize so much over one little riff, you just have to let the songs flow, and be what they’re supposed to be and not try to force anything.

The title of the new record, The Constant… What is the constant for you as a band?

I can’t answer that, that’s something we want the fans to figure out for themselves, and really listen to the record to find out.

Fair enough.

Good sport, haha.

On your album In The Wake of Determination, you have a very personal song, “Is This My Fate, He Asked Them,” about homosexuality, which is very relevant to us right now with gay marriage and the gay teen suicides. How do those issues make you guys feel as a band that has confronted the issue in your music?

There’s a member or two in our band that has had some personal experience with some gnarly, Bible-belt bigotry, and I think… I haven’t participated in the lyric-writing process, so I can’t speak to the exact meaning, but I think the overall vibe… like when the lyrics get kind of political, or the message that’s being conveyed is more researched, I want to bring this topic up just to bring awareness to you, so you can think about it and make your own opinion. It’s more than just like, here’s what I think, believe what I believe. Just open your mind, this is serious, think about it. But yeah, especially in the mid-west, there’s a lot of that out there, and it’s just kind of disgusting. When you look throughout history, any time you try to suppress someone’s civil rights, it never works. There will be a time when we look back at this, all this horrible bigotry that’s going on that the homosexual community has to endure, we’ll look at this the same way we look at slavery now… If two guys want to get married, how does that affect me, ya know? It’s not a choice any more than it’s my choice to be white.

On the topic of songs, what are some of the songs that are closest to you, personally?

On The Constant, the first track, “I’m Alive,” I’m super proud of that song. I think the lyrics are outstanding, I like that it’s more serious, and it’s more metaphorical and less in your face. The message I get from the lyrics are kind of like, it’s like an internal struggle. Things can get kind of tough in this business, especially right now, and with the main chorus, “I’m alive but barely breathing,” it’s like, we’re still fighting the good fight. We’re still going at it, going at it, but sometimes it’s just really tough. That’s kind of the metaphor I get from that song, and it hits pretty hard sometimes. That’s a song I’m proud of, musically.

I know the album is still fresh, but do you have any plans right now, any new material you’re working on?

This is actually the first time ever, really, where I’m like… Usually when SOTY finishes an album, before we’re even out of the studio I’m working on the next one.  I write non-stop because it’s like, if I write twenty songs, maybe one is good for SOTY. The other stuff might be soft, and super wimpy, other stuff might be super metal… I can’t control it, I can’t ever sit down and just be like, I need to write a SOTY song.

Have you ever considered doing a side project?

Yeah, the other guitar player and I. He’s just such a talented guitar player, and we actually started another band last year, called Greek Fire, and we’re gonna pursue that full-time, and it’s so artistically satisfying. I write all the time, and this is maybe some of the stuff that might not work for story of the year.

Would you still keep the balance between both bands?

Yeah, absolutely.

Do you still try to check out the local music scene?

Yeah, but at the risk of sounding like a total [jerk], music these days, like rock, all this stuff going on these days is just really… And I don’t want to come off as a conceited person, but I’m just not very motivated by what’s going on in music, in the “scene” these days. It’s just gotten so boring to me. Like any song on the radio these days, the rock music, it all sounds so safe. It’s all safe, predictable, soul-less.  I just feel like in the new scene, nobody’s doing anything creative… I just always wind up going back to the same music I grew up with.

What is some of that music you grew up with?

When I first started playing guitar, some of the first stuff I started playing was old Sabbath stuff, like old seventies metal stuff. Then when I first really fell in love with music was with all the nineties grunge stuff, Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana, all that stuff. Smashing Pumpkins is my favorite band.

Favorite album from them?

Siamese Dream. That’s one of my desert island discs, one of my favorite albums of all time. I’ll listen to Pumpkins, The Who, Zeppelin, all that stuff that I think is just honest, pure music. Nowadays I just feel like all that is missing. That’s the reason for Greek Fire, I got to the point where I had to do that band, or I was gonna lose my mind. I really just needed another outlet.

The Constant is available now on iTunes, and you can check out the band at www.myspace.com/storyoftheyear. You can also check out Ryan’s side project Greek Fire at www.myspace.com/greekfiremusic.

John Legend performing at Petco Park's Western Metal Theater on November 6th (photo by Tom Roth)

John Legend’s and The Roots latest collaboration album Wake Up! deserves a special concert and a special concert, it got. Following stellar openings by San Diego’s own Bedford Grove and R n’ B superstar Macy Gray, Legend took the stage at Petco Park’s Western Metal Theatre and served up precisely what the audience wanted: spankin’ new rhythms from Wake Up! mixed with classic Legend croonings

Legend started the show in fine form with a run up to the stage from deep within the seating area. The confusion and head-turning this caused was soon settled as he dived headfirst into his set. Attention-getting tracks from Wake Up! like “Our Generation” and “Wake Up Everybody” kept things compelling and the die-hard fans in attendance were placated with ballads from Get Lifted and Once Again like “Let’s Get Lifted” and “Save Room”. Because Legend does not tour with The Roots, the effectiveness of Wake Up!’s tracks was slightly lost. Accompaniment from Legend’s regular band only goes so far on tracks like “Hard Times” and the heavy-felt “I Can’t Write Left Handed”. A highlight of the concert preceded “Slow Dance”. Expressing a desire to “dance with someone”, Legend selected a lucky middle-aged woman to join him onstage for a dance and  – judging by her expression – she would forever evaluate her life in terms of “before” and “after” Legend’s performance.

While the performance was unique in itself, it also marked the inauguration of Petco Park’s Western Metal Theatre as a San Diego concert venue. The 6,000 seat theatre can be installed directly on the outfield of Petco Park, utilizing the Western Metal building as an entrance. Adding to this commemorative night was the benefit aspect of the concert. Combining with the proceeds from the preceding night’s Colbie Calait concert, all income from John Legend’s performance went to the Stand Up 2 Cancer organization, which also partners with the San Diego Padres.

For more information on John Legend, visit http://www.johnlegend.com

For more information on Stand Up 2 Cancer, visit http://www.standup2cancer.org

For more information on Petco Park and the Western Metal Theatre, visit http://mlb.mlb.com/sd/ballpark/index.jsp

Kristiana and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Alex and Tim from Or, the Whale this past Sunday before they played at the House of Blues here in San Diego. We immediately hit it off thanks to a shared love of Northern California- the band calls San Francisco home while they aren’t out touring the west coast. Now that their tour is wrapping up they are looking to start recording their next album. Until then we’ll have to enjoy their self title sophomore album which mixes country, bluegrass and classic rock with a whole lot of heart.

Haley- What are your major influences as a band?

Alex- As a band I think we started with a particular idea of what we wanted to sound like and as we started it was kind of Grand Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris and more country, like a lot of harmonies, the Rolling Stones, classic rock in general. We wanted to have a big rock band that was really fun to play live. As time has gone on, we have been together for about 5 years; we go more for particulars now. We allow our influences to write sort of different types of songs that fit into the formula. We love Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young. Our influences are always changing. You’re always hearing new bands that you’re like wow that would be awesome to sound like. We try to figure out what it is that those bands do that we like. We are pretty open about our song writing.

Kristiana- How did you exactly come together as a band in the first place? We read online that some Craigslist-ing came into play?

Alex- Well basically I moved to San Francisco in the Fall of 2005 and met up with Matt, our guitar player, who I went to high school with for a couple of years. We both sort of moved into the city at the same time and I was like I want to form a band and he was alright with that. We put an ad on Craigslist about forming a “Sweet Country Rock Band” and we met Jesse and Lindsay that way. Then they led us to Justin and Julie. Then about a year later Tim moved to SF from New York and we were looking for steel before we recorded our album. We found him on Craigslist too. He’s a great steel player so we really got lucky.

Kristiana- With that mix of people did you all become friends pretty quickly or was it more of a bonding through the band?

Alex- Band bonding happens a lot more, not all of us go out together all the time. We all have lives; I’m married and some have boyfriends and girlfriends. When we’re home we try to make those people happy and see our friends. But over the years we have toured a lot together and we are definitely like brothers and sisters. We all get along very well and we all like each other. It’s definitely been a process, but I really like the people I’m in the band with.

Haley- When you’re writing songs do you write them so people can relate, or is it a cathartic experience, or something totally different?

Tim- It’s different for everybody because there are 4 of us writing songs and we all come at it with a different approach. For the first record Alex wrote most of the songs. Even though there are 4 different song writers it works because we sound like we’re The Whale when we perform the songs.

Alex- I think the different writers have different things in mind when they’re writing. For me I try to be relatively ambiguous. Ambiguity really allows the listener to put themselves within the context of the song. I always found in hip hop songs when they’re like “yeah! 1994!” I’m like dude, you’re dating yourself! But our songwriting has really developed since when we first started. It’s become a lot more collaborative. We are really trying to work together on the writing and arranging process. We have general ideas of what works in the band and what doesn’t because we have been working together for so long. We know we can’t have like a crazy synth breakdown, even though that would be amazing. We try to tailor to the strengths of the band. Our newest songs are the best arranged that we have ever had. This has been a learning process as we are all becoming better musicians.

Kristiana- So we are both from Northern California originally, then we moved down here for college and it seems like you did the opposite. So what do you miss the most about San Francisco and Nor Cal while you’re on the road?

Tim- Well I miss my cat the most when I’m on tour. But San Francisco really is a special place. There’s a vibe there that I haven’t found many other places. When we’re away we miss the best parts of home like our bed, our friends, our wife; but tour has become a separate kind of thing. I find myself missing tour when we’re at home.

Alex- Yeah, you really have to compartmentalize things. For me there’s no other feeling like coming across the bridge, right past Treasure Island, when you see the city. What a beautiful city we live in. Going on the road can be tough. Many nights with little sleep and waiting in a club until 2 to get paid. It is hectic, but at the same time, that hour when you’re on stage just makes it so worth it. It’s really that good. Especially being in a band you love so much. This is the best band I’ve been in. Playing with these people is, just like you were saying, really cathartic.

Haley- What do you guys listen to before you play?

Alex- It definitely changes tour to tour.

Tim- When we play a lot of shows we meet a lot of bands and we sort of just swap albums. We get to hear a lot of great new music that way. There are some staples, like Magnolia Electric Co, Terry Reid, the Court and Spark, the Maldives- they’re sort of like us, but way hairier and from Seattle.

Kristiana- So you said that you’ve toured a lot; who has been your favorite band to tour with?

Tim- Well the Maldives, Band of Annuals, Leslie and the Badgers, and the Silent Comedy for sure are great. We just got a booking agent so this is a new experience for us still. We’re just getting started.

Haley- On the same note, what are your suggestions for us of bands we might enjoy that you love?

Alex- Well all those bands we just mentioned. Plus there is just so much in San Francisco that is great. We love Birds and Batteries. They are a great blend of Neil Young/country and electro. Stone Foxes are cool for old school rock and roll. The Maldives, our good buddy Erik Clampitt, anything that dude does, the Mother Hips, Sleepy Son.

Kristiana- Thanks! So what are your plans for the future? What’s next?

Alex- We are almost done with our tour now, we have shows through early December. Then we are actually going through some changes. We are probably going back on tour through the spring and getting some new people in the band as well. We would really love to get another record out by the end of next year.

Haley- What’s the story behind your name?

Alex- It’s just the subtitle of Moby Dick. It was originally Moby Dick; or the Whale. Matt was an English major and I think it was he who brought it up. People either love it or hate it, but I would rather people have a strong opinion about it than not remember it. So it works. I think it fits us.

Click here for concert video

- Haley Earl-Lynn

- a review of their new unreleased album Would It Kill You?

By Niko Pascua

For those of you USD students who attended Hellogoodbye’s Concert this homecoming and heard a few new, unfamiliar songs, the band has officially confirmed that they will be releasing a new album November 9 via their own label, Wasted Summer. Now for the question every fan is dying to know….

Do they still have that special Hellogoodbye magic that makes you feel like a hormonal teen professing his love eagerly awaiting acceptance or rejection?

Absolutely.

The playfulness, Forrest’s amazing voice, the love-stricken lyrics, the dramatic juxtaposition of sweet ukulele lullabies with screaming adolescent frustration: all of it is still there.

That last part is a little less true. As the band has matured, so to has their expression. But make no mistake, like wine, they have gotten better with age. Though fans will always remember them for their first release, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!, Would it Kill You? still holds a lot to enjoy. “The Thoughts That Give Me The Creeps” is probably the most adorably-crafted, lyrical masterpiece the band has released thus far. It will make you bob your head from side-to-side like a character form Charlie Brown. Who am I kidding? This is Hellogoodbye! They milk every ounce of adorability out of their songs!

Instrumentally, the band has always and will continue to be masters of the ukulele. They  do however throw in some almost folk-like guitar and brass that adds a lot of power to the  mix.

Ultimately, if you are a fan, you’ll love it. If you are not or have never heard of Hellogoodbye, this is a great album to tryout. The adolescence has been toned down and limited, making this album much more accessible to a broader spectrum of fans and their individual music preferences. Give it a try.

As a fan I give this a consciously biased 9 out of 10

Best Coast (Bethany Cosentino)

For those Southern Californian listeners of USD Radio, Bethany Cosentino and the lo-fi beach gems of Best Coast have probably found a comfortable home on your sonic rotation over the past five months since Crazy For You was released. If you’ve not yet given it a listen (iTunes link below), I could ramble on about the Beach Boys meets Courtney Love (in the Best of ways) sound, but you’re better off just giving the tight 31 minute album a portion of your day.

Spokane's new Stage 54

Either way, I was fortunate enough to grab a short interview with Bethany before  her Halloween set at Spokane, Washington’s Stage 54 venue [link here]. There after, the costumed crowd slowly flooded into the venue through three openers. Spokane’s own synth-driven, five piece indie gang Young Professionals started things off followed by acts ranging from feedback, Sonic Youth style rock to a more rockability-oriented blues band immediately preceding Beat Coast. The gap just before Best Coast took the stage was filled with “Spooky music”, as Bethany noted, lazers and smoke to entertainingly set the scene. And to the crowd’s pleasure, Best Coast certainly did not forget the holiday. Bethany boasted a Cat outfit (hopefully in Snacks honor) and Bobb’s pirate attire would’ve given Long John Silver a run for his money.

The one quip of the set was a feedback loop that was playing through the first few songs. Bethany and Bobb asked to have it turned off in between two songs, then one of Stage 54′s hands passed her a note that read “Your vocal pedal has a repeat loop on”. After acknowledging their mistake, the band moved forward into an incredibly tight set. The list featured the entirety of Crazy For You, “The Sun Was High, So Was I” as well as some new material the band was working on. The hundred or so strong crowd was engaged and appreciative all the way through the set. And Stage 54′s sound set up did Bethany’s Fender Mustang and Bobb’s Twin Reverb justice, as Best Coast trade-mark beachy sound was very well transfered into the live set. We even got a two-song encore, which was impressive considering the young lifespan of the band and the duration of their pre-encore set list. All in all, Best Coast delivered an excellent Halloween set.

Purchase Crazy For You

Christmas came early this year, courtesy of a fresh little release from everybody’s favorite Minnesotan rap duo, Atmosphere. Sorry, let me revise that. Christmas came early this year courtesy of a monstrous twelve track EP release from Minnesota’s only rap duo, Atmosphere.

There. That’s better.

Once again, the collabo of MC Slug and DJ Ant has put forth their third EP since 2008’s creatively-titled studio album “When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold”. This time around, “To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EP’s” (or should I call it EEP?) serves up a fine exhibition of what Atmosphere does best: telling stories. Ant’s jiving beats incorporate bluesy guitars and R2D2-esque samples that sets Slug up for his masterful tales and accompanying chant refrains.

Like any good storyteller, Slug’s tales are relevant. “Commodities” addresses the overly dramatic, self-indulgent users of social networking sites. The angry beat goes perfectly with the track’s message as mental images of emo Myspace bathroom pics fill your eyes with contempt. Fortunately, Ant diffuses the situation and prevents enraged listeners from grabbing their pitchforks and torches by sliding in with a happy little piano diddy that belies “The Number None’s” depressing tale of unrequited love.

Not every track shares that magic that makes you want to put it on repeat but that’s ok, there are more than enough tracks on this double EP to hold your interest. Once you find one with that steady bump to nod to, it’s only natural to tune into Slug’s words and extricate his message. Slug is a complex guy and his words follow in the same vein. That twist at the end of “Scalp” is just killer. Educated lyrics showcase his attention to detail and the subtle Grandmaster Flash shoutout on “The Best Day” will earn a smile from hip hop aficionados. Slug’s ability to blend such delicate allusions with universal experiences is the shortest explanation why Atmosphere has stood the test of time.

- Wonderboy