The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 - 7

The ichganDaiy - ichganailcom uesayDecmher10,201 -I

A-
t '.4 N I t. T
3 JX 'h3 h . t y E
t _
a g 1 4 ter.t,

R. Kelly drops'Panties'

NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
University students Rowan Niemisto, Ian Klipa and Conor Anderson released their first album as Yada Yada this month.
Yada Yada e rgs'
with 'Daisy Chai n

By JACKSON HOWARD
DailyArts Writer
On the standard edition cover
of his most recent album, Black
Panties, R. Kelly, wearing a
"Phantom of
the Opera"
mask, plays an
almost naked Black Panties
woman like R.Kelly
a violin. It's a
fitting cover, RCA
considering
that maybe
no other artist in the history of
popular music has dedicated
the entirety of his or her work to
worshiping the female form and
everythingthat comes with it. For,
his past two albums, 2010's Love
Letter and 2012's Write Me Back,
however, Kelly ditched his sex-
riddled lyrics and sang in a tradi-
tional R&B form, malting music
more appropriate for a romantic
and smoky 1960s jazz joint than
a strip club in his native Chicago.
That being said, while both
albums were well received by
critics, Kelly's original fan base
quietly clamored for the real R.
Kelly, the self-professed "Pied
Piper of R&B" who, on "Etcet-
era" off of 1998's R., once begged
his lover to hit the IHOP with
him after a night of love making.
R. Kelly has sold over 54 million
records worldwide, been nomi-
nated for 24 Grammys and has a
voice second to none, but - just as
importantly - he has also created,
defined and perfected a truly vul-
gar, incredible and addictive form
of bedroom music that is unlike
any other released ,in the history
of R&B and pop music.
Black Panties, friends, is the
return of the R. Kelly who has
been missing for the past four
years. It doesn't matter that he's
46 years old or coming off vocal
chord surgery. Nothing matters
when you're R. Kelly and you're
including an actual pair of black
panties in the pre-order of your
new album. This man was meant
to singsex music, and respectabil-
ity be damned, he's goingto do it.
The album begins with two
songs dedicated to cunnilingus -
because how else should an album
called Black Panties start? "Do it
'til ya legs shakin', " Kelly sings on
the chopped-and-screwed opener
while Ludacris holds nothing

B

Men in I
back, b
like a J
Wha
songwi
oftenti
par a
Kelly i
beatsc
whelm
aways
Story"
demo,
on "Al
Kelly R

Ann Arbor-based
band finds its voice
on debut album
By JACKSON HOWARD
DailyArts Writer
Before local band Yada Yada
was Yada Yada, they were Del
Monte and the Drifters. And
when that didn't work out, they
turned to Popliteal Fossa, bet-
ter known as the back part of
the knee. Not surprisingly, that
didn't really catch on either. "No
one knew how to pronounce it.
Or spell it. Or say it," said drum-
mer Ian Klipa, a junior in the
School of Art & Design, laugh-
ing. "Not good for promotion."
The group finally settled
on Yada Yada, and on Dec. 1,
the band - consisting of LSA
juniors Rowan Niemisto, Conor
Anderson and Klipa - released
their debut album Daisy Chain, a
summery and contemplative col-
lection of 10 songs that has been
in the works for around eight
months.
Watching the three of them
interact with one another in the
house they share together in
Kerrytown, it's almost unfath-
omable to think that they only
met each other during their
freshman year living together
in Bursley Residence Hall. They
finish each other's sentences,
laugh at the same jokes and
clearly understand one another
on a deeply personal level. The
creative, process behind Daisy
Chain reflects their closeness.
"There's no song that's strict-
ly one person," Niemisto said,
who plays guitar and sings most
of the lead vocals, with Ander-
son adding, "Even if we just have

a riff, we run it by each other."
Coming from Marquette,
Mich., Anderson grew up attend-
ing a local folk festival where he
was drawn to roots folk and tra-
ditional fiddle music. In middle
school, Anderson, the band's
bass player and occasional lead
vocalist, was part of what he calls
"basically a Nirvana cover band."
"I've always been making music
and (Yada Yada) is just a progres-
sion," he said.
Luckily for the group, Niem-
isto's father is a musician and has
a home studio where Daisy Chain
was recorded. It was a learn-
ing process for the band, as they
were responsible for everything
having to do with the album out-
side of mixing it, from setting
up the microphones to arrang-
ing the music. None of the guys
are actually music majors, and
they had to find the right balance
between focusing on music and
school, though living together in
one house - where the majority
of the writing took place - cer-
tainly helped.
Still, the process wasn't all
that stressful. "We all do our
schoolwork and we take it seri-
ously because we all love our
classes" Klipa, who grew up in
Pittsburgh, said. "Music for us
is the fun thing, a relaxing thing.
It's not stressful writing the
songs because there's no dead-
line. Nobody asked us to put an
album out."
The fact that nobody asked
makes Daisy Chain's existence
even more impressive. Just
through one listen, it's more than
clear that significant time and
energy was invested in the proj-
ect - despite, its hiccups. The
lyrics are thoughtful. The sound
quality is professional. There are
trumpet parts (on "Fossa" and

"Three Ghosts"), narratives (on
"Spaceship Toothpick") and no
lack of extended instrumental
breakdowns. Yada Yada maybe
isn't ready to debut on a larger,
commercial scale just yet, but for
three college students making
music on the side, it's an admi-
rable accomplishment.
"Sun Breaks," the fourth
track, is a highlight of the
album. "I remember we did that
song right about when it was
turning from winter to sum-
mer," Anderson said, and, with
its sun-tinged guitars, longing
vocals and oscillating dynamics,
it certainly recalls the change
from dark to light, especially in
a state where the weather can
range from apocalyptic to sub-
lime. "We were very happy in
the summer," Niemisto said.
With Niemisto going abroad
next semester, the band is going
on forced hiatus, and their plans
for next year aren't necessar-
ily clear. Nonetheless, this past
Saturday, Yada Yada beat out
four other groups to win the
University's 3rd Annual Battle
of the Bands, while Daisy Chain
recently passed the 100 down-
loads mark on Bandcamp, an
online platform for artist pro-
motion.
Soon, the members of Yada
Yada will have to figure out
their path after college and
ultimately venture into a world
outside the confines of Ann
Arbor. But until that happens,
they're more than content - as
they should be - with writing
songs in their backyard, play-
ing shows in friends' houses
and, more than anything, liv-
ing life like any college student
should by waking up everyday
and doing something they truly
love.

DJ
most it
right
with h
speake
ground
pioneer
hard-h
has no
fection
slightly
a 46-y(
throwi
twerk,,
forced,
it's nec
The
choppy
Kelly's
to a ne
"Spend
questio
into th
can sin
but he
music
on arti
Miguel

RCA
Black ... Panties
ragging that "my tongue is original fan base, which was in
acuzzijet." its early 20s for his first album, is
at's provided here in clever now in its 40s. Who does he still
riting is, unfortunately, appeal to? What is the genuine R.
mes undermined by sub- Kelly sound in 2013?
nd recycled production. The album's centerpieces,
s a great producer, but the "Marry the Pussy" and "Genius,"
on this album are under- answer just that: two timeless
ing and sound like throw- and distinctive songs that only
from past projects. "My R. Kelly could make. "Genius"
is more like an unfinished has Kelly proclaiming himself a
while the lazy production sex genius over a dripping, sultry
I the Way" wastes a solid drumbeat and perfectly straddles
lowland feature. the all too familiar line between
vulgar absurdity and genuine
romanticism.
ack to being "Marry the Pussy" is probably
the craziest song of the year, and
ridiculous. though Kelly hasa long and docu-
mented history of explicit ridicu-
lousness, this one ranks near the
top. He wholeheartedly personi-
Mustard, probably the fies the pussy in question, and it's
n-demand producer in rap not really clear whether or not
now, laces "Spend That" he's using "pussy" to represent a
is signature sparse piano, woman or if he is actually in fact
r-rattling bass and back- proposing to someone's vagina.
I chants. Kelly more or less "Pussy, would you marry me?"
red the art of singing over he pleads over a tranquil harp
itting hip-hop beats and he riff, bringing to mind a hilarious
problems doing it to per- image that Dave Chappelle would
i on "Spend That." What is have certainly parodied if he were
y problematic, however, is still on air.
ear-old man singing about "Come on dawg ... how many
ng money and making it babies have been made off me?"
and while it doesn't feel too Kelly asks on album-closer and
it does make you wonder if standout "Shut Up." A swelling
essary. and passionate dedication to his
album is frustratingly fans delivered in his trademark
o at times, probably due to half-singing half-talking cadence,
many attempts to appeal Kelly tells his haters and doubt-
w audience, as he does on ers to shut up while also remind-
s That." The inevitable ing people of everything he has
an, then, is how Kelly fits accomplished over the past 20
e sound of R&B today. He years. His vocals sound as strong
ag fine with the auto-tune, as they've ever been, the produc-
's no Future, and his past tion builds, and as he asserts, "it's
is more of an influence not the end of the hourglass," you
ists like Frank Ocean and have no reason but to trust him
1 than it is relevant. Kelly's completely.

Childish shows off dark side

ByADAM THIESEN
DailyArts Writer
Donald Glover is not supposed
to make a record like this. The
rapper-actor-comedian who goes
by the stage
name Child- B-
ish Gambino
has proven Because the
himself comi- nemet
cally on the
sitcom "Com- Childish
munity" Gambino
and talented
enough to Glassnote
pull off joke-
heavy charis-
matic rap songs, but Because the
Internet is a stylistic departure
from all of his previous work.
The album sounds like more of a
therapy session than any attempt
at commercial success and, while
intriguing at times, it's bound to
alienate the majority of Gambi-
no's fans.
Because the Internet begins
innocently enough with "Crawl,"
the album's second track,
which shows off some dark and
chopped-up, dubstep-influenced
production tricks, but still fea-
tures confident and clever verses
from Gambino. However, the
record quickly drops completely
out of the mainstream. Not only
are Gambino's beats experi-
mental, but he also plays around
with plenty of flows and voices.
- going from disinterested and
laid-back to tough-guy posturing
to syrupy singing, often within a
single track. It'll be up to his fans
to decide if this short-attention-
span style is idiosyncratic or just
plain weird.
Calling Because the Internet
a hip-hop album doesn't even
begin to explain what it's trying
to be. Songs like "Sweatpants"

are perfect arenas for Gambino's though, and encouraging
ly;ical dexterity and cleverness, enough to foretella more refined
and "3005" would've been a great next effort for Gambino - hope-
hit single for Drake; but these are fully one in which he focuses
the exceptions, the songs that much more on what he actually
stick out in a record built more wants to communicate. Most of
around dream-like ambiance. these promising signs are locat-
The often aimless, tossed-off ed on the back stretch of Because
mood coupled with the funhouse theInternet. "Flight of The Navi-,
of changing sounds imply that gator" begins with frustrating
the album is meant as a manifes- and pretentious computerized
tation of Gambino's psyche. The vocals but soon transforms into
problem, xhough, is that, while probably Gambino's most vul-
many of these songs may .be nerable and personal sons. It's
meaningful to Donald Glover, the telling that Gambino seems to
rest of us - without any sort of become much more direct and
context - are left confused and personal when he stops rapping.
disinterested. Gambino makes The only real verses on the last
occasional attempts at letting us third of the album come in the
know how he feels, but most of final track, in which his familiar,
these are vague and unarticu- quotable style of rapping is jux-
lated. taposed with Gambino's softer
inner thoughts, ringing hollow
in comparison.
Ha Glrrern' Because the Internet raises a
amillion questions about Donald
4 O Glover. Is he completely done
g n o with being an artist who makes
getting laughs? people laugh? Does he even know
who he is or who he wants to be?
Is this all an act, or does he actu-
ally believe in the weirdness of
Because the Internet is most this album? Does that even mat-
frustrating in its middle, when ter? The only thing for certain is
the pop hits end and the songs thatBecause thelnternet is Child-
become even more self-indul- ish Gambino's world. Chance
gent. Gambino's musical talent The Rapper and Macklemore
jumps out at the most surprising are both credited with features
moments (the end of interlude on the album, but they're impos-
"The Party" suddenly features sible to recognize on their tracks.
an excellent, angry and intense There's no room for them in Don-
verse), but even the production ald Glover's head. Approached as
becomes mostly dull here, lack- a completely personal effort, an
ing any feeling or surprises. attempt by Childish Gambino to
Childish Gambino wants to be make music purely for himself,
an enigma, but on this record, Because the Internet will prob-
he's usually not interesting ably be ridiculed by many, identi-
enough to achieve that kind of fied with and defended by some
mystique. and, hopefully, given a thorough
The ambition of this experi- listen by Donald Glover's psy-
mental album is admirable, chiatrist.

Yada Yada won the University's third annual Battle of the Bands.

1 t

I