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Michael J Isabella Chief of Layout

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Lu FongZo Epstein

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CAKE: All of your albums sound com-pletely di!erent. How would you describe the sound of We Are Born?

Sia: Im really impres-sionable and I think that I dont really listen to music. Im really more into visual art, TV, mov-ies and things like that.

I really dont know how I ended up doing this job, apart from the fact that my parents are musicians and I grew up around

music.

I guess I lucked out and ended up with this job, which is a really good job. I reckon the reason every album has been di!erent is because Ive been in"uenced by what I was around at the time and what music has been

around.

Photo by RJ Shaughnessy

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My #rst record had more of a hip-hop feel and that was because I used to hang out with hip-hop-pers in Adelaide, Austra-lia when I was growing

up.

$e next one was after I joined Zero 7 Some People Have Real Prob-lems happened because I had made a bunch of pop songs and I was ad-vised that I shouldnt re-lease those as my next re-cord, because that would

confuse my fan base.

I was currently known as a down-tempo artist and I hadnt established my-self as an artist yet and it would confuse my mar-

ket.

And I was like What fucking market? I sold like eight records? It was

really confusing.

Some People was actu-ally an album I had to make in order to make the album that I wanted to make which is this al-

bum.

We Are Born is the al-bum that Ive wanted to make for probably #ve years. Its the music that I grew up liking and lis-tening to pop music. Im really excited about

it.

I love $e Strokes too and I managed to get one of $e Strokes to come and play guitar on the whole album. Ive managed to pool a lot of my favorite sounds. I have to say so far this is the most representative

of who I really am.

C: What was it like working with Christina

Aguilera?

S: She was really nice and shes like a mad scientist. Its pretty awesome to hear her at work. It was

really easy.

We wrote half a song a day and went back after-wards to do the vocals.

It was really amazingshes a total perfection-ist. She would record a syllable #ve times and be like Which one do you

think is the best?

I would think that every-one of them was the best and it was totally confus-ing. Shes really incred-ible; shes an incredible

scientist.

C: I see that youre going to be touring on Lilith

Fair. Are you excited?

S: Its going to be really fun. I dont know who else is playing. Do you?

Sia Furler is one of the most beautiful and gifted musicians around.

With each al-bum, she creates a unique sound-scape.

Her forthcoming album We Are Born is no differ-ent.

The wacky song-stress chatted about the new al-bum, Lilith Fair, and hugs.

$C: I know that Marina & $e Diamonds is playing, and Cat

Power.

S: I love [Cat Power]. I went out with her now boyfriend.

C: $ats crazy.

S: $e world is so small. My girlfriend made out with her and my ex-boyfriend is now going out with her. Marina is such a

sweetie.

Were tweet friends. I saw one of her videos and was like Who are you? Youre amazing, and it was really sweet. And, Estelle, I just made friends with Estelle on Twitter too. Its Match.com for

singers.

C: If you could give one person a hug, which person would it be?

S: Aw, thats so nice. I love that question. Right now it would probably be my friend who just got diagnosed with breast cancer

Photo by RJ Shaughnessy

and my friend who found out that her husband was cheating on her. I think those are probably the two people I want to give hugs to most

in the world.

And then there are times with celebrities when I think people are being mean to them like when Brit-ney was having a melt-down. I wanted to

give her a hug.

When Lindsey Lohan was having a hard time, I wanted to give her a hug. I feel bad for the women in this industry $ere are so many spin doctors who are try-ing to make a quick buck out of someones physiological well be-ing. $at makes me

feel sad.

Id want to give them a cuddle. Id want to give anyone a cuddle whos having a hard

time really.

C: If you could be an animal, which animal

would you be?

S: I would be a dog. I used to say I would be a bird because I think it would be nice to "y around.

In dreams sometimes I can "y around so I know what thats like to be a bird. J.D., my girlfriend, thinks Im totally mental because whenever we see a bird "ying around Im like, I can do that.

[Laughs].

I know how that feels. I know how to do that because in my dreams its so realNow I think that Id want to be a dog and I just hope that I was lucky enough

to get a good owner.

C: If you could taste one thing for the rest of your life, what

would it be?

S: It would probably be the juice from a green papaya salad. Its a $ai thing. Its sweet and sour.

Its got a lot of complexity. Im sure Id get sick of it eventually. $atd be really hard. $ats a hard question. I love you by the

way.

-Ryan Bryant-

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C: How long have you been playing?

M: Ive been playing guitar two years and singing for a year.

C: Is it di%cult being an independent artist? If so, why?

M: It is very di%cult to be an independent artist. Its hard to get people to believe in your music, es-

pecially at home.

C: Are the songs that you write a message to your audience or a vocalization of how you are feeling at

the time, etc?

M: My songs always have some sort of message be-hind them. Im not afraid to admit to the world that Im depressed, sad, or confused because I think a lot of people are. Im not gonna write a happy song if Im not happy. I also wouldnt write a sad

song if I wasnt sad. It just doesnt make sense.

I think writing about what Im going through gives people hope because its real. It shows them that theyre not alone in this world. $ats the real purpose behind me ever starting music. Not just to #nd a positive outlet for myself but to give people around the world an outlet. $eres a lot of music today that lacks truth as far as emotions go. $ere are a lot of artists who have someone writing for

them.

How could my fans look up to me for my music if I am not the one writing it or if someone told me what to write about? Im not perfect and Im not

afraid to admit it. Im human.

C: You clearly are an original and individual artist, but being a female guitarist, do you ever have trou-ble with audiences or people of the business trying

to force you into a cliche or a stereotype?

M: I always have trouble with people trying to force me into a stereotype. Number one Im always com-pared to girls that know all of about two chords on

guitar until people actually see me play lead.

It really irritates me that I have to prove myself so much be-cause Im a female. All I have to say is if a guy can do it theres

no reason I cant.

I #nd a lot of producers try and push me into the Avril Lavigne style. I am anything but that. I have no desire to be a cutesy girl with a prop guitar and I will make sure that is clear before

anyone tries to change me. I decide who I am.

Just like I wont get implants or get plastic surgery for guys to like me, I will not change my style to make people like me. Its the same concept in my mind because then how will my fans be true? How would love be true if you changed yourself entirely

for that person?

C: Is there a di!erence in mood or song choice between your acoustic shows and electric shows?

photo by Je" Gerew

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&C: Youve moved to NYC how did that move a!ect your music? Are the music scenes in LA and NYC

very di!erent?

R: $e scene in LA is very di!erent for one thing, its a lot more spread

out.

I feel like California has a hippie thing going on right now, and New York is likeMGMT, Vampire

Weekend, Sleighbells.

C:You guys are bringing core rock and roll back to popular music what rock n roll in"uences do you

have?

R: I love the Kinks, the Stones, $e Beatles, Black Flag, Adolescents, and a lot of soul, like

$e Chambers Brothers.

C: Your most recent album, Everyone, came out in November what was the process like for recording this album?

R: It was a lot di!erent because we normally do it like in a garage thats how we did our #rst albums. But for this one, we decided to work with Stu-art Price, whos done the Walkmen, White Stripes, Modest Mouse, Cat

Power.

C: And you just put out a music video for the self-titled track how was #lm-

ing and making that?

R: It was pretty strange doing the pool

M: My electric shows are of-course more aggressive but thats the nature of it. When I have my electric guitar and have drums behind me I feel so much en-

ergy just rush through me.

Acoustically Im more vulnerable. Im more emo-tional. I think about every word Im singing. I slow things down. I change things. I have less rules acous-

tically.

C: What gigs do you have coming up?

M: I have a gig at APUB the 16th of April and at Damians the 30th of April.

C: If you could jam with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

M: If I could jam with anyone Id have to say Hendrix or Kurt Cobain. Hendrix is just so amazing and Kurt I feel like I relate

to a lot.

C: If you could be any cheese in the world, what would it be?

M: If I could be a cheese .. itd be Swiss. It looks like someone shot it a dozen times but its still alive and going.

-Keith Hadad-

Melia Contd

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scenes one, because were fully clothed, and were trying to stay un-der the water, and two because we

had these masks. It was freezing.

C: What has been your favorite on-stage experience?

R: Playing with Michel Gondry. My personal favorite, apart from the band, was when I went on for the

Hives I played the guitar solo.

C: If you could be a superhero, what would your special power be?

R: To "y.

C: If you could have any band cov-er one of your songs, which band

would you choose?

R: $e Stones.

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(Oh Music from Big Pink, where would I be without you? $e Bands debut album, along with their second eponymous album, have a special place in my heart, acting as the soundtrack to my life during some of the best summers of my life. And thats what makes Big Pink such a great album: its there when you need it, either as a soundtrack to augment the mood, or as a peaceful place to go when feeling down. It is one of those albums, one that shows its subtle mastery whether youre listening pas-sively or actively, and is just so likeable. $is is one thing you notice as you listen to the album more and more, that something inherently amicable permeates the character of the album, from beginning to end. And it is not without a sense of place, either. Named for the pink house $e Band rented in early 1968, many of the songs were written and re#ned there; it was also where some of the early sessions were held.

Musically speaking though, the songwriting is wonderfully brawny. Guitarist Robbie Robert-son does most of the heavy lifting, but Richard Manuel holds his own with gems like In a Sta-

tion, while bassist Rick Danko penned $is Wheels on Fire. Two songs were co-written with the groups former boss Bob Dylan, and theres also a Dylan cover (I Shall Be Released). Each song provides a beautiful sense of ameri-cana with a laid-back feel and rustic tone, from tales of journey like $e Weight to the wist-ful In a Station and the up-tempo We Can Talk.

Singing duties are shared among most of the band, save organist/synthesizer guru Garth Hudson. Robbie Robertson sings lead on only To Kingdom Come; Drummer Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Richard Manuel handle the rest of the vocals. Helms power-ful, heartfelt twang harmonizes in a uniquely wholesome way with Dankos nasal tenor and Manuels tortured falsetto which adds soulful-ness to the record.

$e culmination of all the individual parts is what makes this album so essential. $e atmo-sphere achieved makes it a must-have for any road trip, or more generally, any CD collec-

tion, record collection, or iTunes library. To simplify, Music from Big Pink is really just a collection of songs written and performed by friends who just loved playing music. And thats the way it should be.

Flying Lotus is largely responsible for de#ning a sound that sparked an explosion of electronic instrumental hip hop music. $e foundations laid by his previous work, such as the acclaimed Los Angeles (2008), has given rise to a trend of funky, emotive and futuristic music that has been emulated and built upon by countless producers. In spite of this, he has refused to let his music be held down by the expectations of critics and fans. In FlyLos latest composi-tion, Cosmogramma, he has evolved from his

signature sound into something more diverse, versatile, and natural, while maintaining dark and aggressive themes. His space opera, is a roller coaster ride of electro, funk, glitch, jazz, and hip hop that has been crafted to perfec-tion. $is is an album that I just cant wait to show to every single person that I know.

$e album includes collaboration from Ra-dioheads $om Yorke, former Suicidal Ten-dencies bassist Stephen $undercat Bruner, harpist Rebekah Ra!, and string composer and arranger Miguel-Atwood Ferguson. Also featured in the album are contributions from FlyLos cousin, Ravi Coltrane, a combination that would have made Alice Coltrane proud. Flying Lotus has managed to combine these diverse elements while retaining cohesion and unity.

When listening to the album, I feel like Im in a time machine. Largely emphasized are FlyLos jazzy and orchestral roots, which are omnipresent throughout the piece. $ere are smooth breakdowns with the sax, harp, and vocals from Laura Darlington, who sang on Los Angeles. $is beautiful space jazz is har-

moniously blended with futuristic evolving beats and sampling techniques; these sounds retain the seamless "ow that we would ex-pect from Flying Lotus. What I didnt expect was the driving-house-like-aggression that so smoothly integrates with the rest of the album. $ere is something highly complex and intel-ligent about the arrangement, but I feel like Id have to reach a higher state of consciousness in order to completely grasp it.

In an interview with Pitchfork Media, he said: Im #nally getting to the point where I can make the kind of records that I want to makethat I wanted to make when I was younger, things that I dreamed about making. Its this fusion-y kind of thing where all the ele-ments of the music that I love are there. Im glad to see that FlyLos sound is continuing to evolve and that he is not constraining himself with familiar territory.

You can tell that this music has come straight from Steven Ellisons heart. $eres not much more to say. Dont miss out.

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Recently this new album by $e Besnard Lakes has been popping up in music blogs and re-view sites, garnering mostly positive reviews. $ese reviews as well as being released through Jagjaguwar Records, which is home to Black Mountain, Pink Mountaintops, and $e Sky-green Leopards, gave me high hopes for the record. However, after my initial listen I wasnt all that impressed. Upon further listenings I found songs that I did enjoy but as a whole, the album is not something I would play very often.

$e Besnard Lakes use a lot of ambient atmo-spherics in their sound, which is what I enjoy most about the album. $e second track on the album, Like the Ocean, Like the Innocent Pt.2: $e Innocent is one song that utilizes the atmospherics well. On top of this thick landscape of sound, Beach Boys-esque vocals cut through the haze and a nice strong drum beat pounds along with some scorching guitar. $e chorus is very catchy, so much so that even the clich female backing vocals are acceptable. $is is the second track to the album, and its already the standout track. Upon hearing this song on its own, one might think that this is a truly di!erent and unique sound and the rest of the album must be pretty great. Unfortu-nately, most of the other songs sound virtu-ally the same, using the same formula as the

second track. $is gets old quickly. However Chicago Train is a decent song with some nice fuzz guitar that could have a bigger part in the song. $e guitar pops up at four minutes in, and is only heard every couple of majors, yet has a great distorted biting sound. $e high harmonies on the album come o! less as their style and more of an attempt at something like Fleet Foxes. Just because they know how to do something like high harmonies; they dont have to do it in every single song.

For instance, the song Albatross is an unique track on the album, with a female lead singer; the song becomes catchy and, at some points, even elegant, but those same high harmonies show up all over the background. Its hard to ignore and it just gets annoying. $e instru-mentation in this song is great, so it could eas-ily be "awless.

$e other tracks are largely forgettable as they mostly just sound the same. One of the last tracks on the record, Light up the Night, comes o! as sounding tragically seventies with a real Alan Parsons Project sound, and thats not really a good thing. It sounds like some-thing youd hear being played in any polyester #lled Volkswagen bus in the late 70s, with its waxy vocals playing shrilly against piano and

trills and rushes from the drums that have a terrible cheesy quality to them. At this point, I wouldnt be surprised if they listened to a lot of 70s dollar bin albums by groups such as Bread, $e Eagles, or America.

$is band has potential, but the talent that they possess is sadly misused and comes o! sounding like an homage to the cheesiest of budget-bin 70s prog-rock.

If youre looking to try new things, this band is here to deliver. Its an old clich, but I guaran-tee $e OXtet will send your ears on a magical journey.

$e OXtet is an 8-piece jazz/funk band and almost all of the members are either Ithaca alumni or are currently enrolled at Ithaca

College. Ithaca alum, Josh Oxford, leads the group, and can be seen playing Fender Rhodes, Moog, vibraphone, and synthesizer. He began learning the piano at a very young age, and quickly developed his own unique style. Like many pianists, he grew tired with the piano and moved on to electronic keyboards. Ox-ford plays the keys with fervor unlike anything I have ever seen beforeI got a chance to see them perform at $e Haunt, and from watch-ing the performance, its clear that Oxford is the maestro behind the insanity.

$eir self-titled debut album is full of funk, personality and craziness. $e band draws comparisons to Frank Zappa and the Ma-havishnu Orchestra, the latter known for the complexity of its compositions, Oxford seems to thrive on the chaotic sound, but at the same time, many of the bands tunes are quite catchy. Tracks such as Bach, and Jag-ged Smooth provide a danceable beat. With a de#nitive electric sound backed by a power-ful horn section, this band is sure to get you

moving.

While their sound brings to mind jazz-fusion groups of the 70s and 80s, they are a group with a kind of originality that can only be found at the Whalen School of Music at Ithaca College. On iTunes, the genre is de#ned as unclassi#able. Its like nothing youve ever heard.

$us far, the band has played at various ven-ues in the city of Ithaca, including $e Nines, $e Haunt and Castaways. In the future, they are hoping to make it to cities such as Roches-ter, Boston, and New York City. While Ox-ford graduated back in 2007, he still works in Whalen, a place so many Ithaca College students call their home. Other band mem-bers include Nikola Tomic, a jazz and classical trumpet player from Rochester, Dan Timmons on bass, Greg Evans on drums, Julia Ross on percussion, Dillon Condor on lead guitar, and Justin Canzano on the saxophones.

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Fang Island, the self-titled LP, is exuberant like nothing else; they described their own sound as everyone high-#ving each other, which is a triumph in self-awareness uncom-mon amongst most pop acts today. $eir hon-esty does not end there. Fang Island spells out their intentions with this album, making it clear to the listener that this is their attempt at making it. $eir relentlessly uplifting ener-getic sound will probably help them do just that.

$e good vibes they exude are nearly im-possible to de"ect. $e album starts out sounding like it will be like most other ambient and airy alternative music, but takes a harder turn at track two, Careful Crossers, which, with its down-beat emphasis, is ska enough to be skank-worthy. Every lyric they sing is 100% positive to a degree that one might suspect they wrote each song by scrambling around the words of a self-help book. $ankfully, lyri-cal usage is elegantly sparse. Fang Island treats vocals as they treat the other instruments in terms of frequency of use, which makes the

multitude of positive words not only tolerable, but enjoyable. $eir use of lyrics is creative, the reverb, four-part harmonies and keyboard neutralize the pop-punkiness to a more listen-able indie-pop.

$ey started in 2007, releasing two EPs be-fore Fang Island, which is their #rst full album. It is a good party album in that its ups and downs are not too attention-demanding. Most of the guitar and drumming is simple, which gives the band a pop-punk sound highly remi-niscent of Blink-182, but the few quieter mo-ments call on indie favorite Panda Bear. All of the lyrics are chanted or belted in a harmoni-ous wail. $e word #nd comes up in several songs, which is probably unintentional, but noticeable enough to make you wonder what was on their mind when they were penning it.

However, the emotional spectrum of this album is quite limited. $ey are obviously a product of this time, drawing on all the same in"uences as every other band. Jason Bartell, the lead guitarist cited whatevers on the

radio as their primary in"uence; it is evident, seeing how many di!erent genres and styles are exhibited. It is a very active, fast-paced album, leaving little time to re"ect on and digest the barrage of upbeat noise. Being excited all the time is tiring, so listening to people be excited all the time is no less tiring.

Brooklyn-based psychedelic/electro-rock duo MGMT made waves with their debut album Oracular Spectacular in 2007, which featured the catchy radio hit Kids. $e bands sopho-more release Congratulations aims to put out a more complete album.

$e energetic and yet soft-spoken Its Working opens the album and "aunts an interesting surf rock in"uence that seeps its way into most songs on the record. $e oddly catchy melodies and electronic sounds

of classic MGMT make a welcome return in the second track: Song for Dan Treacy. $e next track, Someones Missing, brings back some echoes of $e Youth with its upper register vocals and leisurely pace. It ends somewhat abruptly before Flash Delirium, which is perhaps the most Kids-esque song on the album, but favors a vast variety of sounds and melodies rather than an infectious chorus. I Found A Whistle hypnotizes listeners with trickling synth lines and interesting meta-phorical lyrics. Have patience with the twelve-minute long Siberian Breaks that shares several similarities, other than its run time, with MGMTs own Metanoia. $e record pays tribute to an experimental musician with the quirky Brian Eno which sounds like its playing from the Mystery Machines in-dash radio. $e eighth track is MGMTs #rst instrumental track, Lady Dadas Nightmare, which is part lullaby, part classic MGMT, but sports a touch of Lady GaGas signature oddity. $e album gives us its parting words with its soothing title track Congratulations.

So is it any good? De#nitely. However, Con-gratulations is a very di!erent album than MG-MTs #rst. $e songs are generally less pro-

cessed and much more acoustic than those of the #rst album but still feature en-gaging melodies. It may come as a hurdle to overcome for some, but the new sound is still MGMT. Siberan Breaks is the albums weak point. $e song does not muster the energy to warrant its long run time and takes up a huge chunk of the albums length (without it, the album is only 30 minutes). Lady Dadas Nightmare is an interesting experiment but is ultimately a missed opportunity.

I came to the conclusion that I would not be able to compare it to Oracular Spectacular. In their debut album, MGMT are two boys who #nd time to pretend about the seemingly un-reachable dream of fame. Oracular Spectacular was exactly what it was supposed to be: fun. And that worked. Despite that, MGMT opted to move away from what made them so successful and developed a far more mature album with musical coherence and (at times) a meaningful commentary on what warranted the congratulations in the #rst place.

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Not many actresses succeed in both acting and being a musician, but Zooey Deschanel is a talented woman.

She recently starred in (500) Days of Sum-mer and released her second album with She and Him, her musical project with rocker M. Ward.

Deschanel has achieved recognition for both platforms.

Volume 2 describes the album exceptionally well. It sounds like a continuation of She and Hims debut, Volume 1. $ere are no real sur-prises or ground-breaking work on the record. Instead, what you get is carefully crafted 50s in"uenced alternative pop.

$e doo-wop vocals and light electric guitar make for vintage sounding, enjoyable songs.

Deschanels vocals are consistently the stron-gest part of the record, especially when vocal tracks are layered on top of each other. Over It Over Again sounds like its straight from other contemporary 50s enthusiasts $e Pi-pettes.

Sometimes the simplistic nature of the tracks hurt the record. Brand New Shoes is not much more than acoustic guitar and Descha-nels singing.

$e song is nice, but forgettable alongside some of the other tracks and more interesting constructions or melodies.

$e light percussion remains pretty consistent

across the entire record, and M. Wards guitar contributions are mostly short parts of guitar solos. $ese musical themes hold the record together, but it starts to feel boring later on the record. At thirteen tracks, the album just feels three songs too long.

$e #rst single In the Sun is the most com-plex, and is the best track on the entire record. $e track has the strongest beat and the catchi-est chorus. $e song also breaks away from the rest of the record by utilizing violin and featur-ing a true guitar solo at the end of the track. $e variety shown here could have been used in a few of the other tracks.

She and Him fans will love Volume 2, and al-most everyone should appreciate In the Sun. Beyond that track, however, the album will come across as dull to many listeners. Descha-nel and Ward have mastered the creation of pretty, vintage pop, but the question now is whether they can expand the genre and con-tinue to explore the sound.

On Option Paralysis, the Dillinger Escape Plans fourth album, the group takes notable strides in the consistency of their songwriting. For those unfamiliar with their sound, its a beastly combination of aggression, technical-ity, and unpredictability. $ese core elements mix in a way thats designed to be as abrasive as possible but with moments of repose that al-low for melodic hooks, unsettling electronics, and other left-#eld compositional choices. Past Dillinger Escape Plan releases exhibit a notable separation between the furious freak-out songs and the songs that were obviously styled to be more accessible. On Option Paralysis, those dis-tinctions are harder to make, as many of the songs switch camps multiple times.

While the group still employs lots of jarring, o!-kilter guitar ri!s, the rhythms on this al-bum seem to be slightly more groove-oriented than in the past. Gold Teeth on a Bum and Chinese Whispers in particular both bene#t from a more stable guitar attack, in that their stronger foundations allow the band to explore new musical ground more easily.

Option Paralysis has the potential to be a mind-bending album for newcomers to the

band. Possible listeners should keep in mind that though this album is more accessible than anything else in the Dillinger discogra-phy, those moments of accessibility are still shrouded amongst dense hardcore blasts and jarring tech-metal ri%ng. Furthermore, songs like Good Neighbor and Crystal Morn-ing o!er no soaring melodies to grab hold of and no solid grooves to lock into. Instead, the listener is subjected to one sustained level of all-out emotional intensity, both vocally and instrumentally.

$e only song here that might be considered completely accessible is the incredibly capti-vating Widower. $is song, perhaps best un-derstood as the Dillinger Escape Plans idea of a power ballad, is an over six minute piece in which wistful piano "ourishes with a section of nervous prog-rock tension. Even with its more familiar sounds, Widower still boasts a sec-tion of thundering hardcore.

$ere is no escaping the bands penchant for abrasive tantrums, which constitute the entire-ty of their #rst album, Calculating In#nity, and the bulk of every album thereafter.

I highly recommend Option Paralysis, but new listeners should know that it might take a few confusing listens before the album sinks in, if it does at all. Even though there may be some-thing for everyone here, a majority of the ma-terial will only #nd selective appeal. Neverthe-less, anyone intrigued should give this album a spin, if not for any other reason, to experience the bands raw talent.

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$e annual Ithaca College Battle of the Bands sup-plied a smorgasbord of local talent that everyone could enjoy. After some last-minute lineup changes, the Bureau of Concerts and Emerson Suites deliv-ered an amazing all-you-can-hear feast. Along with it were comedic sketches provided by MCs Joe Pera and Dan Licata; they included fashion ins such as: ass-shaving, Insane Clown Posse, and contests for such commodities as collectible Barbara Streisand vinyls.

Kicking o! the night were the rockers of Miracle of Madness with a three-song set which showed o! the groups versatility through hard-rocking solos, danc-ing tunes, and acoustic mellows, setting the gold standard for the following bands. $eir set included

tracks from their sec-ond album Roller Coaster, coming out in June.

$e accordion-a#cio-nados of Glad Rags performed next with a sound that brings to mind haunting pirate-battling music, or as they describe it: light-ing a chicken coop on #re. No matter the interpretation, Glad Rags gave an enjoyable performance.

Suddenly, as if Hell itself had consumed Emerson Suites, TFFNI graced (or cursed) the stage with his one man, black-metal ambient noise assault. Half of the crowd was scared away while those remaining stood trans#xed by the atmospheric manipulation of distorted howls, drones, and the overall feeling of walking through a post-apocalyptic dreamworld.

If TFFNI was the musical equivalent to the Four Horseman coming down and destroying everything in sight, then No Eggs No Problem was the following rapture that brightened the skies once more. Sport-ing a Fuck Hitler shirt in the spirit of Passover, Tommy Macarrey rapped over a blend of soul, jazz, acoustics, and accapella.

After a riveting Keytar Tribute to Canadian War Veterans by the MCs, Tropical Punk took the stage. $e song Witch Doctor immediately showed o! the groups energy through yelled chants and shred-ding guitars. $eir #nal song ended in an ocean of frenzied strums and panicked drums that all came crashing around us in a triumphant #nish.

Up next was Gregory Miller of I Do Not Love, con-juring a deep atmospheric experience, combining Joy Division with a dramatic operatic stage presence. Using his laptop, drum machine, and guitar, Millers multi-layered wall of sound kept the audience in a trance-like state. $e stage lighting further aided the vibe with spiraling blends of deep blues and purples.

$e #nal band of the night, and winner of the Battle of the Bands was Zgress and the Snack Attack. Led by keyboard-synth virtuoso Zachary Gresser, Snack Attack combined pop medleys and energetic, hilari-ous vocals with wild jam sessions that immediately got the largest crowd of the night into a dancing fever until the end. At the end of their phenomenal set, amidst calls for one more song, it was no surprise that they were voted the winners.

All in all, the Battle of the Bands was an awesome night that showed o! a slice of amazing local talent. Zgress and the Snack Attack will open for Yeasayer, Man Man, and $e Antlers at the IC Kick Back on May 7th on the IC Quad.

I had never been to the Wild#re Lounge; I had eaten there before (and it was amazing) but never had I gone to a concert upstairs before. For some reason I had expected it to be some lame, small, awkward room. I was so wrong. Just like their restaurant, it was classy and cozy and it did not hurt that they had delicious beers on tap. It was a smallish crowd, but it was ex-pected, seeing that it was a Wednesday night

show. I just took that to mean it would be a crowd ready to be rocked and I was right.

Ithaca Colleges own Tropical Punk primed the crowd with their loose, beach washed, punk pop rock. I did not know what to expect of Air Waves. I had only heard one song of theirs before, which I liked a lot,

but I still was not sure of what was to come. Turns out I was about to experience something that can be best described as supremely delight-ful.

$e three piece band took the stage at 10:25 and was done at 11:15. After a long period of rainy days, Ithaca weather decided it would be pleasant for Air Waves with nice weather. It

could not have been more appropriate for their brand of thumping, sunny, melodious rock. Air Waves truly embodies sunny day driving in the countryside. Dan Deacon has said that lead singer Nicole Schneit writes songs that are like a favorite blanket wrapped around you.

Despite not being able to discern most of the lyrics, Air Waves got my toes a-tapping and my head a-bobbing, which is the most you will get out of me. $e band seemed very down to earth not full of themselves, just there to put on a good show for us. Before we knew it Air Waves had torn through their catalogue and were playing their #nal tune, Shine On, a song that makes you want to close your eyes and feel the warm summer breeze from your rolled down car window. $ey did not play long, but they left the crowd hungry for more of their sweet "oating melodies

It was over before we knew it. It felt like we got a taste of something that is going to be big; we got a teaser for what is to come. I cannot wait to brag that I saw Air Waves before they were Air Waves.

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