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(01/20/22 10:58am)
Released in March 2021, “Dope Game Stupid” is the debut album from enigmatic rapper Bruiser Wolf. Wolf is a member of Bruiser Brigade, a new rap collective and independent record label based in Detroit and named after an easter egg from an old X-Men video game.
(12/02/21 11:00am)
Tanya Tagaq is a songwriter, artist, activist and author born in Nunavut, Canada. Her vocal style draws heavily on Inuit throat singing, known as katajjaq, a game played by two women sitting face-to-face and a cultural practice she experienced while growing up. Tagaq developed her own solo throat singing technique out of necessity when she found herself without a singing partner during young adulthood. She uses this skill to create passionate, genre-defying music, as experienced on her 2016 album “Retribution.” The songs on “Retribution” flow seamlessly into one another, combining this ancient art form with avant-garde sonic experimentation. The album’s sound is also deeply rooted in collaboration, featuring contributions from many other Canadian and Indigenous performers. At its core is a call for awareness of Indigenous rights and an end to environmental destruction, interrelated causes that Tagaq has advocated for throughout her career.
(10/28/21 9:58am)
Words may not be able to describe how I feel about Kate Bush, but I can still try. A breakout star in Britain at age 19, Bush made her name with thematically sprawling concept albums and interpretive dance. By age thirty-five, she had abandoned fame and moved to the countryside to live in obscurity (until her 2005 comeback album “Aerial”). I got into her music the summer when I was 17, and I have never stopped listening. Bush has accompanied me through all of the growth and changes I’ve experienced since then, and over the years, I’ve always been able to come back to her songs and find new meaning in them.
(10/07/21 9:59am)
If one were looking for a word to sum up 2021 so far, “fatigue” would be a good candidate. It is also a fitting title for the second album from classically-trained polymath L’Rain, a New York City native and associate curator at the nonprofit arts center MoMA PS1 by day. A sonic collage of samples, field recordings, woozy compositions and wordless interludes, “Fatigue” is a contemplation of the hard work of healing and recovery in the aftermath of loss and an album I was grateful to have in my life this past summer as I was beginning my own relationship with grief.
L’Rain’s experimental approach plucks sounds from across genres, creating a lush new sound to complement her surreal lyrics. At the same time, her vocal delivery and adept production wrings every drop of meaning from her words. Where words fail, she makes liberal use of noise and distortion. As album opener “Fly, Die” stutters to a start, L’Rain’s voice echoes across a seemingly great distance. Punctuated with sirens and airguns, the track is a manifesto for self-confidence, protecting your time and the power of adaptation. “What have you done to change?” she asks through jarring distortions as the song winds down into the next track, “Find It.”
Here is where the melodic side of L’Rain’s songwriting is revealed. “Find It” is a gentle groove that has the listener chasing the singer’s thoughts as they float over crisp drums and distant vocal harmonies. She introduces the album’s main throughline, the loss of her mother Lorraine, who inspired her stage name, in 2017. A swelling horn line builds to a cathartic blare of organs and snippets of a preacher speaking, a recording of a friend’s funeral taken by the artist.
“Fatigue” is a sonic landscape in which joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin, and its subject matter ranges from the depths of grief to exuberant, life-affirming moments. Interludes like “Black Clap” and “Love Her” are less-so compositions than documentation of the people, spaces and histories that hold meaning for the artist. L’Rain’s democratic approach to art layers studio sound with at-home recordings and voice memos, medium and audio quality itself becoming more tools with which to texture her songs.
This unique musical approach is exemplified on album standout “Blame Me.” L’Rain’s voice and plucked guitar are deceptively simple against a dense mat of synths, distortion and background vocals; the track is underlaid by a barely-perceptible recording of her mother’s voice. Dealing directly with her late mother’s illness, the repeated lyrical phrase “You were wasting away, my god / I’m making my way down south” rings in my mind for hours after every time I hear it.
While a good portion of “Fatigue” is not exactly easy listening, compositionally or emotionally, the songs at the album’s core go hard. Jazz-infused “Suck Teeth” is chill and spacey, impossible not to bob your head along to, even as its lyrics explore the musician’s anxieties about motherhood. Mid-album highlight “Kill Self” couches the intensity of its sentiment in a pulsing club beat as L’Rain sings in off-kilter harmony with herself. While the song is about cyclical self doubt and being your own worst enemy, it also anticipates and embraces the inevitability of recovery as part of those cycles. Sonically, it gives me the feeling of flies circling my head, in the best way. L’Rain’s double-tracked vocals shine further on “Two Face,” a piano-driven meditation on loneliness.
The last words of “Fatigue” are “I am not prepared for what is going to happen to me,” a statement loaded with fear and uncertainty. At the same time, the way L’Rain sings it is a near-ecstatic embrace of the unknown. Through music that is by turns dense and sparse, claustrophobic and expansive, L’Rain crafts a moving account of life after loss and a deeply introspective look at personal growth and change.
(09/23/21 10:00am)
Welcome to the first installment of Spin Doctor, a biweekly dose of music reviews and recommendations by Yardena Carmi ’23.
Our current culture seems to be defined by an ever-increasing ability to hyperfixate and obsess. If there is an actor or athlete you like, their life story is immediately accessible through Wikipedia and social media. Your crush from class is probably also on Instagram, where you can analyze their public life — where they go, who they see, their favorite snacks — at your leisure.
What does it mean when we start using the same platforms and tools to study our idols as we do to interact with our friends? In 1956, psychologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl coined the term “parasocial relationship” to describe one-sided friendships forming between everyday people and the daytime TV hosts they had begun to identify with from afar.
Six decades later, we have fandoms and cultures that exist entirely online, through which one’s desire and capacity to invest themselves in a stranger becomes something close to a way of life.
In “Back of My Hand,” the first track on the album “Doomin’ Sun” from new indie group “Bachelor,” a celebrity crush becomes real life as the narrator hangs uneasily in a space somewhere between girlfriend and fan, love and codependency, unsure if she wants to actually date her hero or just wishes she could be her. The speaker begins to negate herself — holding back emotions, questioning her own thoughts, skipping meals and compromising herself in an attempt to better suit her new partner.
Obsessive love is a core theme for Bachelor, a collaboration between two already well-established indie rockers, Palehound and Jay Som. According to the duo, they drew inspiration for their name from the hit reality dating show franchise. But in “Doomin’ Sun,” love isn’t all flowers and chocolate. Instead, it becomes blood, spiders, melted ice cream and lost sleep as the album’s loose narrative explores a romance that doesn’t live up to the infatuation that preceded it.
Palehound and Jay Som emerged around the same time in the indie scene but on opposite coasts. On their own, both artists have been making some of the most refreshing and earnest indie rock and pop released in the past five or so years. Now united as Bachelor, they marry their respective gifts into a unique, collaborative sound. The raw, grungy guitar riffs on songs such as “Sand Angel” and “Anything at All” are signature Palehound. The infectious vocal and synth melodies have Jay Som’s distinctive pop-y touch, buoying tracks — such as the aforementioned “Back of My Hand” — that are otherwise emotionally devastating.
Other songs, such as the riotous “Stay in the Car,” are lighter and more fun. The real-life friendship between the two musicians is a tangible element of the album’s sound (and can be seen in the colorful and campy music videos Bachelor has released). They even include sound bites of themselves goofing around in the studio. Having lived, however, through the part of the 2010s where it seemed like everyone and their mom (ahem, SZA) was putting voicemails in their music, nothing snaps me out of the zone harder than random dialogue tacked on to the end of a song. I could have done without these production easter eggs, cute as they are, popping up in key spots like the album’s halfway point, right after the icily beautiful mental breakdown of “Spin Out.”
Lyrics have always been a strength in the artists’ past work. Jay Som and Palehound both write with the directness of a journal entry. As Bachelor, the duo’s lyrics are mantra-like in their repetition and simplicity. Songs like “Went Out Without You” and “Aurora” have a meditative quality to their hushed refrains. At the same time, the writing on this album is an unflinching look at desire and power dynamics in a relationship between two women as it sours.
Full disclosure, I fell in love with this project from the moment I heard Bachelor’s hard-hitting first single (and stand out track on the full album) “Anything at All,” which combines terrifying lyrics with a driving guitar line and cathartic vocals, but not every song on the album is as effective. The album closer and title track “Doomin Sun,” for example, doesn’t quite hit home with its abrupt thematic pivot to climate change (somehow, one of the most cheerful songs on this album). Overall, however, Bachelor’s first LP is cohesive, both introspective and playful, and musically-compelling enough for heavy listening. It holds up not just as music, but also as satisfying storytelling and an exciting development in the indie music world.
(05/20/21 3:15pm)
The advanced studio seminar’s end-of-semester exhibition, which opens with limited capacity on May 19, features the work of six student artists across a wide range of mediums.
For nearly three months, students have been working in and outside the classroom on their exhibition pieces. Critiques and workshops are crucial to the thesis class, as is examining the work of other artists. On-campus students have had access to individual studios due to the pandemic this year. Visiting Assistant Professor of Studio Art Estefania Puerta, who teaches the class, said that while Covid-19 has changed a lot of aspects of life, not everything depends on physical proximity to others, especially when it comes to art.
“I think that artists tend to be hermetic people, anyhow, so I don’t think it’s been that wild of a shift,” Puerta said.
Due to travel restrictions, one student remained in China for the semester and is completing their project remotely. According to Puerta, this inspired the department to branch into their first-ever online exhibition. Everyone’s work will be displayed online, along with their artist statement and information about what their project is exploring.
Although the Studio Art Department pivoted to Zoom classes during the pandemic, it proved to be a great medium for guest artists’ talks. Puerta said that using the digital platform has allowed the department to invite artists from all around the world to speak, regardless of geographic location or travel restrictions that predate Covid-19.
Jenny Tan ’21, a student taking the advanced studio seminar, has been working on a project centered around nostalgia and reflecting on her personal growth and transformation over the past four years as she approaches graduation.
“Nostalgia in itself is very contentious. You’re not necessarily wanting to go back to being a teenager, but you just feel like you’re growing up a little too fast and maybe everything is moving too fast, and I think graduating is a pretty big transition,” she said. “I want to capture that in my work.”
Tan’s work for the exhibition is mixed media, combining graphic design, printmaking, painting and other materials. Tan is an IPE major and a Chinese minor and, while she has exhibited her artwork in the past with Middlebury Womxn of Color and M Gallery, she is very excited to participate for the first time in a Studio Art Department show. Tan said the independence and flexibility of her thesis project is exciting, but she has also faced difficulties balancing her time to get work done. Covid-19 has not complicated her work, thanks to the individual studios students are given.
“You have a lot of space to yourself and because you’re in the studio alone, Covid doesn’t feel like it’s intruding on that,” Tan said.
Liv Weisel ’22, also spoke about the balancing act of maintaining a long-term artistic practice. For her, the biggest challenge with completing this project at the college has been budgeting her time in order to let her creative self unfold and find time in the studio, amid the hustle and bustle of college life. She has been working this semester on an 18-by-10 inch “party in a bowl.” The ceramics project examines joy, surprise and close observation.
“I am both in challenge and awe of the radically slow process that this medium demands,” she said. In some ways, Covid-19 has allowed her to maintain a more disciplined practice, but the increased isolation has its costs. “I source much of my creative energy from togetherness,” Weisel said.
The seminar is the first chance for many students to work independently on art projects in an academic setting, and the end-of-semester exhibition is an important component of that experience. “The thesis exhibition is a really good snapshot of their developing art practice, and where they got to from basically starting from zero,” Puerta said. She also commented that a semester is a very short time frame for developing a project, especially one started from scratch with studies and experiments.
“They all do such an amazing job at trying to sort things out and trying to create a project that feels feasible and resolved,” she said.
The online exhibition will be available for viewing here starting May 21. Seminar students’ projects will be displayed in the Johnson Memorial Building May 19–23.
(03/18/21 10:00am)
Limitations on gatherings and indoor space capacities have not only put a damper on the performance arts at the college but have also altered the audition process for student organizations. Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, performance groups are finding creative ways to meet these goals and engage with the campus community.
After brainstorming, the Paradiddles, an a capella group for women and non-binary people, decided to proceed with a first round of virtual auditions. Prospective members were asked to submit videos of themselves singing.
Although listening to recordings does not offer the same insight as hearing a student’s singing voice in person and getting to know them by speaking face to face, Paradiddles Co-Musical Director Abby Wilner ’23 isn’t worried.
“Everyone has become really used to expecting Covid-19-safe variations of normal college things,” Wilner told The Campus. The Paradiddles are conducting Covid-safe in-person callbacks in the Peterson Family Athletics Center this week, which Wilner noted require some “creative variations from the usual setup.” As the weather gets warmer, she is hopeful for the group’s prospects of performing, something the Paradiddles haven’t been able to do in over a year.
Sketch comedy group Middlebury Discount Comedy (MDC) held its first round of auditions over Zoom, according to Head Director Gibson Grimm ’22. “Performing is harder over technology, especially for comedy, and it is more difficult to pick up on things like stage presence in this medium,” Grimm said. “It does mean I don't have to wear pants, though.”
For callbacks, the group reserved an Axinn classroom so that auditioning students could write a sketch with the group while maintaining social distance. Because of the pandemic, MDC pivoted to video sketches to substitute their live shows last semester. While Grimm doesn’t think the group will completely abandon virtual performances this semester, he says they do not come close to the energy of an in-person performance. He is eager to begin planning shows again this spring, campus guidelines permitting.
RIDDIM Co-Director Anna Loewald ’21 told The Campus that the dance group is conducting a semi-virtual audition process. Students were given time slots to dance alone in Wilson Hall, where they were filmed by either Loewald or her co-director Max Lucas ’21. The videos were then sent out to the rest of the troupe’s board so that everyone could weigh in on the decision. In a normal semester, auditioners would perform several different styles of dance from across the world while the whole board watches.
Loewald said this semester’s modified audition process was difficult without the ability to gather for decision making.
The Middlebury College Orchestra has also adapted to the pandemic. In-person auditions are being held with special social distancing protocols — the normal six feet of distance is increased to 16 or more for wind instrument players — in Robison Hall. Orchestra president Ashley Wang ’21 said this year’s auditions are also taking a bit longer than usual given the orchestra’s transition from normal rehearsals to smaller chamber music groups. These groups will have opportunities to play for each other, but the orchestra will not be having any official concerts this semester.
“I am especially sympathetic toward the underclassmen since I want them to be able to create and foster friendships through orchestra, but it's just a very tough semester.” Wang said. She also noted that, unlike other clubs, the Orchestra cannot gather outside for rehearsals or performances due to the fragility of the instruments.
In spite of Covid restrictions, the college’s performing arts groups are working hard to come up with a variety of creative solutions that will enable them to welcome new members and insure future generations of their groups.
Editor’s Note: Yardena Carmi is a member of the Paradiddles.
(03/04/21 11:00am)
Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show,” joined Middlebury, Smith, Union, Skidmore and Amherst colleges in a live-streamed interview on Feb. 23. Heidi Gardner, an actor and comedian for “Saturday Night Live,” moderated the event over Zoom.
While the evening included plenty of jokes and discussion of lighter topics (when it comes to favorite ice cream flavors, Noah describes himself as a “dabbler”), many of the questions — all of which were submitted by students ahead of time — focused on sober subjects, such as the pandemic, personal accountability in the era of “cancel culture” and the relationship between politics and humor.
In answering questions about his role as a comedian whose primary source material is politics, Noah described comedy as a tool he uses to dissect current issues. His goal with “The Daily Show” is to provide viewers not just with subject matter that is fun to discuss and make light of, but also provide content about politics and current events that affect them personally. While this may sound like bitter medicine, Noah said his aim is to always include his audience in a genuine conversation with himself and his colleagues.
Noah’s response to people who “don’t do politics” was simple: “Yeah, well politics is going to do you.” He also noted that his role as the host of a comedic program like “The Daily Show” offers him the freedom to voice his own biases and opinions, though not without first stating the facts. Noah believes comedy to be an inherently honest medium because an audience only laughs if there is a truth involved, whether overt or implied by omission. He did note that some jokes about current events write themselves, describing Sen. Ted Cruz’s recent trip to Cancún, Mexico, during a natural disaster that left many of his constituents in Texas without power and water for days as “a gift that the Lord has presented to comedians.”
When asked what he thought about “cancel culture,” Noah laughed and said, “That’s a fun question.” He called the term a misnomer, and he differentiated between accountability and “loud people.” Noah noted that there is a broad range of what people term “cancelling,” and for the most part it’s simply people being held accountable by the public. He pointed to the power of social media to provide a voice to those who previously didn’t have a way of being heard, but also to the role platforms and algorithms play in amplifying the voices. Noah brought up the recent example of Morgan Wallen, the country star who was recorded on video using racial slurs. As the recording spread online, Wallen was widely deemed “canceled,” and many radio stations stopped playing his music. Despite the controversy (or perhaps because of it), sales and downloads of his songs skyrocketed and Wallen’s album is now number one on the Billboard 200. Noah questioned if canceling Wallen served its purpose, or if it simply brought him notoriety.
The virtual event was representative of some of the creative ways the Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB) has been navigating the pandemic. According to MCAB Social Executive Karina Sharma ’22, the five colleges began planning the Q&A early last semester after Union College proposed a collaboration. The same promotional materials were used by all of the colleges and designed by MCAB Marketing Executive Paul Flores-Clavel ’22. In an email, Flores-Clavel noted the aesthetic challenge of satisfying not only all five schools, but Noah and Gardner’s teams as well. Student representatives collected and sorted questions submitted by their student bodies and made sure to submit an equal number from each college for consideration by Noah and Gardner’s respective teams.
Noah ended the 45-minute interview by extending a piece of advice: take advantage of being in a place designed for the sharing and learning of ideas by engaging with people from different walks of life. According to Noah, it is only through learning about others that we will be able to build a more nuanced view of the world.
(01/28/21 10:55am)
For many Middlebury students, this past winter break was a strange interlude in a challenging year. It was a period that found me investing time and energy into concrete ways of lowering my stress levels, like learning breathing exercises or channeling nervous energy into knitting projects to keep my hands busy. Yet at the end of the day, nothing helps me unclench my jaw after reading the news like a good distraction. Compiled here are recommendations for some of the music, podcasts, books and shows I found relaxing and enjoyable over the past few months.
Music:
Khruangbin
Formed in Houston, the band Khruangbin makes bass-heavy, melody-driven music with references that include jazz, dub, Middle eastern soul and psych rock. Their first full-length album, “The Universe Smiles Upon You,” was released in 2015. Primarily influenced by 60s Thai funk, it is an excellent introduction to the trio which, much like the title suggests, emanates a soft sense of wellbeing. Since then, Khruangbin have released three more albums, including last year’s “Mordechai,” perfect for kicking back and zoning out or dancing alone in your room.
Additional recommendations: “Campfire Headphase” by Boards of Canada, “Keyboard Fantasies” by Beverly Glenn-Copeland, “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
Podcasts:
“Gastropod”
Personally, I am a sucker for authoritative voices calmly explaining things to me. Hosted by food journalists Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, Gastropod has great production quality and well-paced storytelling, rendering the most mundane corners of your refrigerator fascinating as it explores the history and science of different dishes and ingredients. Topics range from desert agriculture to the origins of mac ‘n’ cheese. Listening to an episode can inspire a new cooking project, arm you with trivia to surprise whoever you’re currently sheltering in place with and provide an escape from daily life. Worried about vaccine shortages? Time to brush up on the history of soup cubes.
Additional recommendations: “Articles of Interest” (“99% Invisible”), “Twenty Thousand Hertz,” “Ologies”
Books:
“On a Sunbeam” by Tillie Walden
Published in 2018, “On a Sunbeam” is equal parts love story and adventure. It is easy to get lost in the graphic novel as the main character Mia journeys through space in a ship shaped like a fish. Walden uses a minimalist color palette and gentle lines to draw beautiful backdrops and expressive characters. It is the moments of stillness she creates, more than the story itself, that make this book a deeply escapist experience. It is available either in print or for free on Walden’s website.
Additional recommendations: “Hildafolk” by Luke Pearson, “Kitchens of the Great Midwest” by J. Ryan Stradal, “House of Light” by Mary Oliver
Light TV:
“The Great Canadian Baking Show”
If you’ve already burned your way through every episode of the “Great British Baking Show” on Netflix, I present this alternative. The flavors run more North American, with ingredients such as maple syrup, Saskatoon berries and salmon making appearances. The contestants and judges remain as unflinchingly polite as their counterparts across the pond but seem more laidback as they whip up challenging pastries and cakes in the span of a few hours. Viewers in the U.S. might have to get a bit creative when it comes to streaming.
Additional recommendations: “Schitt’s Creek, “Midnight Gospel,” “Planet Earth”
Dramatic TV:
“The Mandalorian”
Existing in a separate category from the kind of TV you can leave on in the background are shows like Disney’s space western “The Mandalorian.” Although I’ve never been able to get into the Star Wars movies, I still loved following the main character as he battles his way across the universe with Disney’s trademark commitment to bloodless, family-friendly violence. Each episode is packed with dozens of Star Wars Universe references and easter eggs, all of which are lost on me. Nevertheless, the show’s futuristic technology, creature design and great visual effects add compelling depth to episodes that cycle effortlessly between funny, thrilling and heart-warming. Also, Baby Yoda lowers my blood pressure by 10 points.
Additional recommendations: “Derry Girls,” “Gentleman Jack,” “Fleabag”
(11/12/20 10:58am)
“It has been a momentous week for our country,” said Liza Sacheli, the director of Middlebury College’s Mahaney Center for the Arts, at the most recent virtual Performing Arts Series (PAS) concert held virtually on Nov. 6. Despite a week filled with anxiety, anticipation and questions regarding the 2020 presidential election, audiences found themselves enjoying the work of award-winning pianist and educator Gilbert Kalish, who performed on the virtual stage. Kalish’s earliest visit to the campus was in 1966, and he has established a long-lasting and firm relationship with the college ever since.
The concert featured Kalish along with other musical guests and collaborators, namely soprano Lisette Oropesa, clarinetist David Shifrin, violinist Nicolas Dautricourt, violist Paul Neubauer and cellist Torleif Thedéen.
The evening opened with Affiliate Artist Sadie Brightman, who played a short piano program. The concert itself, originally curated as a broadcast this past summer for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s CMS: Front Row Series, began with a video of Kalish discussing how he has kept himself busy at home during the pandemic. Audiences saw him cooking an omelette, eating cherries while reading the newspaper, preparing for teaching online and chatting with his family.
“As an artist, I’m able to, at this time, have the leisure to look back at things that I’d like to read through and learn a little bit better,” Kalish said.
Among other subjects, Kalish, who is the head of performance activities at Stonybrook University, talked about the difficulties of the transition to holding classes over Zoom, an experience many college students and faculty have shared.
The program itself consisted of three works, all recordings from different concerts written by George Crumb, Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms. Kalish has had a long history of collaboration with Crumb and on several occasions has premiered pieces by the modern composer. Commenting on the work of Crumb, Kalish said, “As George is now near 90, I’ve heard his most recent piece, and it is as unique, as original, as surprising, as exciting, as anything he has ever written.”
The Schubert piece, “Der Hirt auf dem Felsen,” featured clarinet player Shifrin, whose own concert was streamed as part of the PAS Fall 2020 season in October. The song was composed barely a month before Schubert’s death in 1828, and it was widely considered one of his greatest works. Almost a quarter hour in length, Kalish and Shifrin successfully presented the piece in a way that was slow and relaxed at first but gradually moved to be more jaunty and cheerful.
During a post-concert Q&A moderated by pianist Wu Han and cellist David Finckel, Kalish discussed his love of playing both classic and modern pieces as well as his personal philosophy of never saying no to musical challenges.
Kalish’s concert remained on the PAS Digital Stages website through Nov. 11. The finale of the fall season will feature the award-winning Jupiter String Quartet, with an opening act by the Middlebury College Choir on Nov. 13.