The ’95 Warped Tour quickly became one of the year’s hottest tickets, as its dozens of stages rolled from state to state, hitting every major metro and suburban area in the country and exploiting fans of the X Games, which were founded the same year, into paying top dollar for some of the best of the underground music scene. In the years since ‘95, The Warped Tour broke many of the decade’s highest-selling acts, ranging from Blink-192 and Green Day to NOFX, Paramore, and even Katy Perry. But somewhere along the way, the Warped Tour lost its magic—today, it’s become an embarrassing attempt to profit off the watered-down remnants of a scene that simply doesn’t exist.

During the 1990s, the Warped Tour catered to the interests of a vibrant counterculture market. Then, during the last decade, the roles reversed—big-name chain stores like Hot Topic and Zumiez have replaced the independent record stores and skate shops that fostered the passion of the early years. These national chains serve up a mass-produced and diluted dose of Warped Tour culture, simply pushing it towards the same uniformity that the original tour rebelled against.  Today, the success and ubiquity of such stores have created a sizable market for alternative music. Whereas teens once had to research music they liked, trading mix tapes and burned CDs, these national chains now serve up a pre-packaged brand of “alternative” culture. Bands like Attack Attack and A Day to Remember have manufactured Billboard success by cornering the mass adolescent alternative market, yet their music is a funhouse distortion of the bands that paved the way for their success, such as Bad Religion, Every Time I Die, and Rancid.

So where does that leave us today? The originality and spirit of rebellion that fueled the Golden Age of the Warped Tour has been successfully homogenized and tamed into a corporate moneymaking monster with swoop haircuts and eyeliner. As the teens of the 1990s and early 2000s enter adulthood, they are turning toward more adult alternative and independent music, showcased at rival festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Bamboozle. The 2011 Warped lineup is one of the worst yet. The typical redeeming headliners of recent years have disappeared entirely, replaced with the likes of 3Oh!3 and The Devil Wears Prada. But while hoards of mall goths and high school girls will undoubtedly flock to the festival, carrying armloads of overpriced and garish merch to their parents’ minivans, there will always be those who keep the real spirit of underground music alive. Now more than ever, the stage has been set for another DIY-spirited fest without the corporate corruption and stale offerings that define today’s Warped Tour.

Tell Matt about your fetish for swoop haircuts, dark-rimmed glasses, and guyliner at mdecker@georgetownvoice.com

The post Banger Management: More like Warped Snore appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.

Underground heavy-hitters like Roc Marciano, whose debut LP Marcberg received impressive reviews across the Internet, have spearheaded this throwback style. Marciano uses timeless beats with warm, vintage funk and soul samples to complement his complex and unrelenting flow. Other newcomers, like Timeless Truth, J-Love, and Maffew Ragazino, have also stepped up to the plate, dropping impressive debut releases reminiscent of classic New York rappers like O.C. and Gang Starr.

But perhaps the most visible members of this revival have been Queens-based crew the Outdoorsmen. The Outdoorsmen are unapologetically New York, from their refined rhymes down to their extensive Polo collections, a nod to New York’s infamous Lo-Life Crew. Their sound and style herald back to the glory days of New York rap, somewhere between the Park Cypher and Shaolin. Of the new New York crews, the Outdoorsmen have been the most accessible for fans beyond the five boroughs. With several homemade music videos on YouTube and countless tweets, they have done a good job of giving some personality and aesthetic to the otherwise music-only movement.

Two particular Outdoorsmen have risen to the forefront of NYC’s mix tape scene—the dark and introspective Meyhem Lauren and the unforgettable Action Bronson, who raps about ahi tuna and makes his living as a gourmet chef. The two are arguably the unofficial leaders of New York’s recent revival movement, with not only the most accessible sounds, but also the most developed. Fortunately, they are its most prolific writers, producing dozens of tracks on several mixtapes over the last year. This month, Meyhem released his first LP, Self-Induced Illness, a stunning collection of 41 of his finest tracks. Likewise, Action Bronson dropped the more succinct 15-track Dr. Lecter, which serves up a riveting dose of classic hip-hop. Together, the two records prove that while the West Coast may be presenting some young talent, the veterans can still step up and score one for New York.

Whether or not you enjoy the sound of rap’s classic years, there is something undeniably gripping about these crews’ music. While many talented rappers have taken the easy route with blinged-out singles and mindless filler, this posse has managed to strip away the extraneous and get to the heart of true hip-hop: storytelling. Whether it’s Meyhem’s ode to classic New York graffiti “Got the Fever” or Ragazino’s Queens anthem “Where I’m From,” each song tells a story of a time and a place. The narrative is nostalgic and comfortable—it’s easy to tell that these guys have grown up with hip-hop, and are doing it the way they learned how: with no compromises. There’s no catch or hook, and the veteran confidence of the rhymes proves that these rappers aren’t in it for fame or to ride an Internet trend. So maybe New York’s hot new clique isn’t really new at all, but simply offering a dose of what New York rap has always offered—a love for the music, and the city that inspired it.

Show Matt your “homemade YouTube videos” at mdecker@georgetownvoice.com

The post Banger Management: Empire state of rap appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.

Apple’s iTunes store offers a laudably diverse selection of music to its users. So why, then, do the vast majority of users purchase the same Top-10 singles? A major reason is that right on the store’s homepage, the day’s hit tracks all but smack us in the face. This feature helps the entertainment industry debut new artists—many are perfectly content to listen to what the store presents so readily when they sign in—but it hounds users into downloading a grab-bag of assorted hit tunes, without letting us sample enough to decide whether the artist actually deserves the steep $1.29 price you’re paying for the song.

By herding its users toward specific tracks like this, iTunes, along with other digital media stores, has homogenized musical tastes. Incredible resources like these could (and should) be used to explore new music and develop personal, individual preferences, but they have instead only served to further restrict the direction and development of popular music. The result is a new brand of pop that is targeted towards a specific sound that iTunes sales prove is most marketable. Need proof? Think about how many times in 2010 you confused a Ke$ha song with one of Katy Perry’s.

Now, with producers pushing hits designed to capitalize on the single-song-sale phenomenon, popular music is no longer centered on the album. With vinyl and, to an extent, tapes and 8-tracks, albums were much more difficult to break down into single songs, and required listeners to digest the entire work—or at least one side of it—in one sitting. But with the birth of multi-track CDs and digital media, it is easier than ever to mix and match tracks. This practice has reached its peak with iTunes, the ultimate tool for picking and choosing (or, in the case of the top-10 list, having choices picked for you).

Before the digital age, artists produced dynamic albums with highs and lows between standout singles and equally enjoyable and top-quality B-sides. Today, virtually all pop albums are focused solely on producing a few huge, chart-topping singles, whose individual iTunes downloads will make a sufficient profit.  As a result, the more subtle aspects of music, album artwork, musical dynamism, and lyrical content have fallen by the wayside, and we are left with the dull glow of a cluttered iTunes library full of disposable singles.

So, iTunes users, take this as a challenge: The next time you open your iTunes, do a little exploring.  Click past the Top 10 and search for something weird, interesting, and new.  Then, download the whole album, and play it start to finish. It may be time-consuming, but if you move past what’s easy and standard, you may even find an album that deserves to have its title filled in.

Argue Ke$ha’s musical merit with Matt at mdecker@georgetownvoice.com

The post Banger Management: Singing the iTunes blues appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.

To many, such a scene conjures images of a fantasy novel, or some fabled secret society of bygone centuries, but it happens every week in the Georgetown Philodemic Society Library in Healy Hall. Founded in 1830, with the motto “in pursuit of eloquence in defense of liberty,” the Philodemic Society is Georgetown’s oldest and longest-running student organization and one of the oldest college debate clubs in the country.

Earlier that night, the society’s president, Nicholas Iacono (COL ’12) was greeted by applause from a standing audience before quickly getting down to the business of laying out the rules of the debate. Four keynote speakers, two affirmative, and two negative, provided the groundwork for the evening’s proceedings, which that night focused on the resolution, “globalization is a force of good.”

Each keynote speaker laid out arguments either for or against the resolution. After their prepared speeches, the floor was opened for members and non-members alike to speak. In turn, dozens of audience members took the floor to state their opinions, each making passionate arguments, citing examples from their own personal experiences, and delivered with engaging rhetorical skills.

As the evening wore on, however, it became clear that although the speakers were passionate, the debate was more about the ritual than the resolution at hand. Speakers competed to outdo one another in theatrical displays of wisdom. Several times, the room erupted into laughter, as the best speakers were able to balance the grace of their speech with an equally riveting diss to their competition, or wry self-deprecating one-liner.

Though the competition was intense, the speakers remained respectful of one another, and of the ritual of the debate itself. After the debate, several speakers asked to be critiqued by their peers.

“We really try to foster a community that’s open and supportive of each other, which I really think makes the Philodemic a special place for students,” Chancellor Allison Wagner (SFS ’11) said.

While the Philodemic Society may seem to many a room of politicians, each eager to preach their own points, they are actually remarkably open toward, and even encouraging of new participants. Many of the presenters at Thursday night’s debate, including keynote speakers Evan Monod (COL ’14) and Greg Miller (SFS ’14), were freshmen.

In order to be inducted as a full member, a student must give three speeches in one semester, or four speeches in any number of semesters.

“One of the things that we are most proud of about our induction process is that as soon as a person meets that requirement, they are given a mentor in the Society who is a liaison to answer their questions,” Iacono said. “It can be an intimidating process, so we certainly don’t want to exasperate that, and we want to have that point of connection and friendship from the beginning.”

The camaraderie and friendship of the Society became evident after the debate, as members extended thanks and congratulations to one another. The stakes are high, with each of the nine debates of the spring semester aimed at determining which four students will speak at the famous Merrick Debate.

Vice President Samuel Dulik (SFS ’13) explained that members earn points based on the quality of their speeches during debates. The four members with the most points get the opportunity to be keynote speakers at the Merrick Debate.

“The debate in and of itself is a very opulent affair, and it is definitely the high point of our year,” Dulik said. “We have judges who have included military leaders, U.S. Senators, and members of the Supreme Court who come and judge the best speakers in the Society.”

To an outsider, many of the Philodemic Society’s practices may seem odd. Members wear the Society’s traditional pins on their jacket lapels, knock on their chairs rather than applauding fellow speakers, shout “huzzah!” as a form of encouragement, and they address each other by formal titles, including “Chancellor” and “Amanuensis,” even though many of them have been friends for years.

The customs can come off as a pretentious attempt at formality, but they are the original formal procedures for a Philodemic debate, which date back to the early 19th century.

“In terms of debate societies in the United States, we are in the top 5 [oldest],” Dulik said. “The Philodemic Room was actually part of the original floor plans of Healy Hall, because the Philodemic Society was founded in 1830 and Healy was constructed in the 1880s.”

For many Philodemicians, the Society’s history and traditions are just as important as the debates themselves.
“We recognize how deep our roots really go into the history of Georgetown University,” Iacono said. “That’s one of the things that’s most important to us.”

Like many of Georgetown’s most historic organizations, the Philodemic Society maintains a strong connection with its alumni. Each spring, the Society’s secretary issues a newsletter that is distributed to a network of alumni around the world. Various alumni who are passing through campus and wanting to relive their time in the Society will frequent weekly debates.

“They play an important role in reminding us of history as well as enriching our debates when they are here,“ Wagner said.
The club’s close ties with its former members has allowed it to host several notable alumni.

“I recall receiving an email from a gentleman who was president in the 1950s, so we invited him to our Hamilton Debate,” Iacono said. “He was just so excited, his heart was so warmed that we were still going strong and keeping the tradition alive, it made us feel really special.”

It seems impossible to erase the enchanting and intellectually stimulating nature of the ritual of the debate.

“We have people who couldn’t even pronounce the name of the organization, didn’t even know what it was about, and thought it was all these people in suits, like a cult or something,” Dulik said. “But you just come and you fall in love with it because it’s so incredible and engaging.”

While the average Georgetown student may expect the society’s meetings to be full of know-it-alls who love to sermonize, the debate on Thursday relied more on the charisma and passion of the speakers.

Each speaker drew from his or her own background and expertise, whether that was in economics, art, history, politics, or religion, to construct a thoughtful argument.

“There very well may be a perception that it’s a room full of people who all want to be lawyers or politicians when they grow up, or that they are all government majors, but you have an incredible diversity of people,” Dulik said. “That creates a very welcoming environment and really enriches our debates with a diversity of perspectives.”

The diversity of its members was evident in the debate. Some speakers mentioned their experiences living in Asia, or growing up in the suburbs of New England. Richard Rinaldi (MSB ’12) spoke about how he was forced to cut his study abroad experience in Egypt short a few weeks before.

“A lot of the convictions that I had before I was a member, and the convictions that I have now are very different,” Iacono said. “They change a lot when you are forced to put an opinion out there and examine it in the light of all those other differing opinions, and I think that’s an important thing for any member of the University community.”

Indeed, to Wagner and many of the Society’s 55 members, debate is an almost necessary extension of the classroom experience.
Without the pressure of grades or the judgment of professors, students are freer to speak openly. The debates center around classic Georgetown curricula like philosophy, economics, and comparative politics, and allow students to sharpen their verbal argument skills.

“I have learned more in those four walls [of the Philodemic Room] than I have in the four walls of the classrooms at Georgetown,” Wagner said. “With that banter, it takes education to a new level. In seminar classrooms even, you can’t get that same diversity of opinion or people that you can in the Philodemic Room.”

The post Fightin’ words: Philodemic Society appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.

The fruit of this signing is MoM’s second full-length record, IV: Symptoms of Existence. Recorded at the famous Studio 4 just outside of Philadelphia, IV features some of MoM’s best material to date. Enormous, chugging guitars drive the tracks forward, while intermittent lead lines lend a dose of unexpected melody. The music is also undeniably groovy, with the wrecking ball drums—think Keith Moon meets Dave Grohl in 1988—often giving way to interesting, syncopated riffs and rhythms, like on its standout track “Control.”

But MoM is at its best on tracks like “World of Pain” and “Swinging the Chain,” where they build the tension to an almost unbearable crescendo, only to unleash a thunderous break or chorus. But even amidst such potentially overpowering instrumentation, vocalist Bob Wilson delivers a stellar performance. His impeccably raspy howls elevate the tracks from heavy to truly gut-wrenching, and his personal lyrics tell the familiar story of human frustration and lack of control.

Clocking in at only 24 minutes, Symptoms of Existence hits like a punch to the stomach from start to finish, and is a great testament to the growth and health of alternative music in 2011. Those brave enough to dive in will be rewarded with a record that delivers some of the most powerful, well-written and unabashedly honest music in recent memory.

Voice’s Choices: “Forever Night, Forever Mourning,” “Swinging the Chain,” “Control”

The post Critical Voices: Mother of Mercy, IV: Symptoms of Existence appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.

Odd Future, also known as OFWGKTA, or Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, has gained major hype in the rap scene, both for their avant-garde rhymes and their unusual business practices.  All 10 of Odd Future’s albums and mixtapes have been posted for free download on the group’s Tumblr. They have resisted major rap labels’ undoubtedly impressive courtships, choosing instead to remain independent artists with complete creative control over their work. The success of this method is a testament to the impact that the Internet has made on music, as this small crew of teenagers can produce, record, and distribute their own music across the world all with a single laptop.  The success of their records only fuels their hate for the industry, and adds to the almost punk vibe of their image.

Although there music has quality, Odd Future does have a gimmick—youth. No member of the group is older than 23, and some, like Earl Sweatshirt, one of the team’s most prolific writers, are only 16. (Unfortunately, following last year’s release of his impressive LP EARL, Sweatshirt has been locked up in a juvenile detention facility. The gang often laments his absence in their blog and YouTube posts.) In a way, Earl is the underground’s own version of Lil Wayne—his rhymes are abrasive and his swagger off the charts, much like the 16-year-old Wayne.  But in place of Wayne’s over-the-top production and megalomania, Earl favors minimal electronic drums that cannot overpower his gritty flow.

Odd Future’s unofficial leader is the mystifying Tyler the Creator, who at 19 has developed a unique voice and style many artists struggle for decades to find.  His super-bass voice drives introspective rhymes about growing up in a broken family and about his own insecurities.  Tyler is the only Odd Future rapper who moves past the rest of the crew’s braggadocio and into true lyrical narrative, and he is helping pave the way for the rest to grow as musicians. His rhymes attack the status quo proudly, and he has said of the group, “I created OF because I felt that we were more talented than 40-year-old rappers talking about Gucci.”  Tyler’s rapping is, above all, full of the iconoclastic rebellion of adolescence, aiming at the complacency of modern rappers.

Today’s rap charts are dominated by bumping dance anthems with little true lyrical or musical value.  Many rappers are decades removed from street life but are still quick to rap about it.  Odd Future stands out because they are completely connected to their aesthetic—from their blog to their YouTube channel, they are in total control of their sound and image.  While Rick Ross raps about hang gliding in Costa Rica, Odd Future rhymes about ditching class and skateboarding.  Odd Future’s rise to fame—Source named them as one of the hottest mix tapes of last year—reminds audiences that underground rap is alive and thriving. While many are content to be force-fed the top-40, it’s nice to know that there are still those willing to stand out, critique the status quo, and demand more.

Tell Matt how you got locked up in a juvenile detention facility at mdecker@georgetownvoice.com

The post Banger Management: Lil Wayne’s swag with Bieber’s youth appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.

Two Worlds is the natural next step for the band’s discography, evolving naturally from their self-titled LP and successful split record with Balance & Composure. It retains the same sense of equilibrium between frontman Adam McIlwee and lead guitarist Ben Walsh, who shared most of the vocal duties, and plays up the vocal harmonies of keyboardist Brianna Collins. But while Collins’s vocals are a welcome addition, her instrumental work is what really shines through, particularly the hauntingly catchy organ break in “Test Pattern.”

The record opens with “Return,” a classic Tigers Jaw jam with Walsh’s melodic lyrics punctuated by catchy guitar leads and a surging drum line. The album lifts off from this point with a series of solid jams, leading into “I Saw the Wolf,” a great acoustic duet between Collins and McIlwee. It’s a song that shows the group’s diversity and marks the shift between the first and second halves of the album.

Two Worlds closes with the introspective “Thank You, Noah Lowry,” followed by “Static,” which swells to a swirling tempest as bassist Dennis Mishko belts out his first-ever vocal cameo amidst the confusion. “My head, it lies at the confluence of insanity here in my room and of catastrophe in letters,” he cries.

Both musically and lyrically, Two Worlds is an album about deciding who you are. The band takes a stand for everyone who has ever dared to stray from the normal path; as McIlwee belts out in the title track,“I want to be a loser forever, man.”  Tigers Jaw shows us on Two Worlds that sometimes you have to forge a new path to find your way.

Voice’s Choices: “Return,” “Test Pattern,” “Thank You, Noah Lowry”

The post Critical Voices: Tigers Jaw,Two Worlds appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.

This fall, Heitlinger expanded from blog posts to books with her self-published work, The Freshman 50. The book—which is available as an e-book—is composed of various anecdotes and pieces of advice for incoming college freshman told by the Carrie Bradshaw-esque big sister you never had. The lessons range from dorm life to hookups, and delve into academics with advice for coping with a challenging college curriculum. Others caution against unfortunate freshman faux-pas, like being the creepy guy who friends the entire class on Facebook before setting foot on campus.

If you are looking for the details on the wild side of college, this is certainly not the place to look. The goody-two-shoes tone of the book is best suited for readers who are like Heitlinger herself: preppy girls at elite universities with big aspirations. Much of the advice is Georgetown-centric, and may not apply to students entering a different-style college, like state schools, community colleges, or any place outside the northeast.

Her advice overlooks the typically frugal college student. Though she clearly means well, her counsel often comes off as snobby and know-it-all-ish. Not every student can afford to dine at D.C.’s finest restaurants, to take a cab to the metro, or to own two (yes, two) Burberry jackets that they just can’t live without.

While the book isn’t a riveting read for someone who has already been there, it does offer some sound, if occasionally overly responsible, advice for incoming freshmen. Heitlinger suffered through the indignity of freshman year so you won’t have to—which is unfortunate. After all, most of the fun of freshman year was figuring out what the hell to do with all your newfound freedom. But, while she certainly won’t be breaking any stereotypes about the preppy crowd at Georgetown, Heitlinger’s willingness to laugh at herself and serve as the crash test dummy to guide you through those embarrassing freshman moments in The Freshman 50 is admirable.

The post What would prep do? appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.

To its credit, Not Music is actually a coherent record, rather than a jumbled patchwork of B-sides and throwaway tracks. The album is full of swanky electronic grooves drenched in reverb and flanging, especially on the funky track “Two Finger Symphony.” It’s like Stereolab is setting the soundtrack for a 1960s French cocktail party that may or may not be taking place underwater.

Sparse French and English vocals accompany rock-steady drum machines, highlighted by bubbly synth lines and shimmering vibraphones. The album also features two extended-mix tracks, “Silver Sands” and “Neon Beanbag,” each surpassing the five-minute mark with techno-like crescendos of hypnotic repetitions. Stereolab takes full advantage of ProTools’s loop function.

The album is almost an hour long, yet most of the tracks are the same tempo, with few variations in dynamics or instrumentation. This homogeneity makes for a daunting listening experience, as the album often drags, with simple verse-chorus patterns repeated countless times in each song. The sugary, fun dance tracks serve best as background music. The music itself is not as important as the vibe it emits.

But even though Not Music lacks any standout material, it works well as a parting gift from the band. First-timers will immediately feel the lighthearted energy of the music, and long-time fans will have one last record to play at their indie-dance parties.

Voice’s Choices: “Two Finger Symphony,” “Neon Beanbag,” “Silver Sands”

The post Critical Voices: Stereolab, Not Music appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.

At times, the record draws on the band’s dream-pop roots. Tracks like “Read the Blessed Pages” and “The Ghost of Rockschool” turn the volume down to explore glowing vocal and instrumental textures. But when the band decides to lay down straighforward pop songs instead of exploring their more abstract side, the result is insatiably nostalgic. Belle & Sebastian aren’t afraid to embrace the undeniable fun of upbeat, soulful rock tunes, and they do so better than just about any other band putting records out today.

Write About Love is a greatly balanced album with a diverse mix of everything from night-drive ballads to flat-out sing-along Britpop hits, all of which fit together perfectly.
It’s been a long time since we’ve heard anything new from Belle & Sebastian, and all of that time has raised expectatations to   staggering heights. With Write About Love, the band proves that is up to the challenge, crafting an album that is simultaneously familiar and refreshing. It’s a standout among their catalogue, and it’s the kind of album that reminds us why we fell for Bell & Sebastian in the first place.

Voice’s Choices: “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John,” “Write About Love”

The post Critical Voices: Belle & Sebastian, Write About Love appeared first on The Georgetown Voice.