3B — Thursday, October 1, 2015
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
By CARLY SNIDER
Daily Arts Writer
“(Music) is definitely a lifetime
commitment, for sure. It’s very
rewarding and very risky. But I’m
so glad that I took this career path,
it’s been so amazing.”
Fans
around
the
world
would agree that Annakalmia
Traver made the right career
choice. This commitment to
music started at the University
of Vermont, where the band
Rubblebucket’s founders, Alex
Toth and lead singer Traver, met.
The pair was very involved with
the arts on campus and, as music
majors, Toth and Traver spread
their musical net far and wide.
“We just played tons of music
together … Burlington, Vt. has
an awesome music scene and
we really grew up as musicians
there,” Traver said during a
phone
interview
with
The
Michigan Daily.
After their time in Vermont,
Toth and Traver took their talents
to Boston, where they combined
forces with future bandmates
Adam Dotson and Ian Hersey. It is
there that the group was able to put
down its roots and grow, gathering
inspiration and getting situated in
the musical world.
“Boston is where Rubble-
bucket really became a thing,”
Traver said.
The group spent much of their
time in the Northeast touring —
leaping at every opportunity to
play anywhere and everywhere,
to codify their soundscape. This
extensive touring allowed the band
to become accustomed to, and
learn to love, the routine rhythm
of the road as well as to make
treasured
human
connections
with fans and fellow musicians.
“Between the core four of us,
our taste is universal, almost,”
Traver said. “I started out, when
I was in middle school, with Boyz
II Men, Mariah Carey, Toni Brax-
ton — the pop of that era — which
has really come to stand up strong
over time.”
These pop influences show
themselves in the group’s dance-
friendly sound, as well in their
resonant, stick-in-your-head-for-
days choruses. Taking these pop
basics and running with them,
Rubblebucket manages to take the
best elements of dance music and
infuse them with a more quirky,
indie sound — creating a vibe
entirely their own.
“One of my family members
gave me a jazz tape, I think it was
John Coltrane and Charlie Parker.
And that was really transformative
for me, and for the other guys
ARTIST
PROFILE
IN
too. Jazz is an extremely huge
foundation
for
the
spirit
of
improvising,” Traver said.
The implications of this jazz
fixation on Rubblebucket’s music
are obvious — the horns, the
complex layering of different
instruments, the soulful, honest
intonation of Traver’s voice. This
jazz-inspired
element
puts
a
syncopated swing in everything
that the group does, something
that many indie bands lack.
“Through knowing the guys,
my band mates, I got into more
rock ‘n’ roll, which I really couldn’t
have told you anything about when
I was in high school. It has been a
cool education.”
Drawing on their mirage
of
taste,
training
in
brass
instruments and other inspiring
artists, Rubblebucket crafted
their
distinct
genre-bending
sound.
This
rock
influence
comes into play in the form
of the band’s swagger — their
attitude. Their music is dance-
friendly with a touch of punk, hip
with an edgy essence.
“We are definitely suited to the
indie world, particularly the dance
side of things,” Traver said. “There
is definitely an element of DIY, that
sort of punk spirit, in everything
that we do. ”
Taking a turn off the beaten
path, Rubblebucket incorporates
horns into much of their work —
a choice that many modern pop
musicians shy away from. But this
group erases the brass-instrument
stigma. (Check out “Came Out of
a Lady.”) The horns add a level of
depth unattainable through any
other musical means, helping to
create the group’s dynamic sound.
The brass pieces act as another
voice of sorts, further expanding
the range of human emotion
conveyed through song.
“On a human level, there’s the
voice and then there’s drums, the
next level up, because you can
express yourself on a drum with
just one stroke. Then I really think
horns are the next in line in terms
of an instrument that’s really close
to humanity and the body. People
respond to it so strongly, it’s very
evocative of this primal thing.”
This evocative primal nature
seems to be resonating strongly
with fans, as the group has graced
the stage on “Jimmy Kimmel
Live” and has taken an extensive
European tour — exposing them
to an even broader range of
listeners. Traver, who studied
abroad in Paris during her college
years, felt especially connected to
the audiences there and felt that it
was “profoundly special to be able
to bring (her) art back to the city
of Paris.”
Rubblebucket is kicking off
another U.S. tour in October,
making a stop at Ann Arbor’s own
Blind Pig on Saturday, Oct. 3. For
Traver, the appeal of touring has
always been about connecting
with others — through making
music, through sharing music,
through self-expression.
“It’s amazing to be in a world
where you get to look at people
every night and touch them and
feel this net of humanity. It’s
really exciting.”
Dark Side of the Rainbow?
in this series, three daily arts writers in
varying states of mind visit the same place
and write about their experiences.
this week’s destination:
Well this has been a shit show and a half. The movie wouldn’t load. We fucked up the timing
of pressing play, and I’ve sat on a plate of ketchup. Only good thing to come of this was
the homemade chicken tenders I made and the fact I had an excuse to “do some
weed,” as my dad would call it, at 6 p.m. on a school night. This is actually
pretty cool. RIP JUDY GARLAND. I think Dorothy is stoned too,
tbh. I really want to pet Toto. The drunk one does a dead on
impression of Judy Garland singing. OK, this is creepy.
The witch came riding on her broom and the
music got perfectly terrifying. I forgot
that I liked this movie, but still hella
pissed at the whole “you had the power
to go home all this time” shit. OK do you
think Dorothy would like pumpkin spice lattes? (I
do). Buzzed just gave me a history lesson on how this
movie is an allegory for ’merica switching to the gold stan-
dard. But to me it’s more thematic of like a Beyoncé song. THE
POWER IS ALL YOURS, do what you damn well want to. And don’t
let any bitch with a point hat tell u shit. TORNADO I FEEL PARALYZED.
Glinda was kind of a cunt. Like Dorothy probably has shit to do, send her and her
little dog the hell home. Glinda is not cute, I thought she was the pretty one. Where’s
the wicked witch of the south? They kinda just left that lead hanging. This album is actually
fantastic. To be completely honest when I was a kid I totally wanted to be the wicked witch but
gender roles are a real bitch during youth. Also I’m a piece of shit, because I’m drinking some wine
now too. #crossfaded #ihatemyself. Drunk compared our extreme peanut butter eating habits to doing
meth. Uh .... we got to the oddly sexual part of Dorothy lubing up the Tin Man, but then the YouTube record-
ing stopped. So I guess I’m done here. —DAILY ARTS WRITER
All I know is that my one of my fellow Daily Arts writers just sat on
ketchup and I saw some underwear and then Pink Floyd started playing.
So we were really excited when we got this to match up. Start play-
ing the album at the lion’s third roar!!! It’s hard to type with this wine
glass but I’m doing my best. This is eerily matching up right now. I’M SO
CREEPED OUT WATCHING THIS A BUNCH OF BELLS STARTED
CLANGING WHEN THE WOMAN THAT PLAYED THE WITCH
SHOWED UP IN HER FRONTIER GARB.
TOTO CAME BACK AND THE MUSIC GOT HAPPIER.
Low key tho I’ve never listened to this album and I’m really digging it.
I’m blathering to my fellow writers about how this movie is an allegory
and the slippers are really gold because of money and fucking America.
IT’S THE TWISTER RIGHT NOW BUT THE MUSIC IS CALM AF.
Triply stuff. Right when Dork-thy laid down the music chilled out so that
was strange and amazing and I feel that my life has changed for the bet-
ter.
MONEY IS PLAYING right as she walked into Oz!!!!!!
GLINDA IS A GRENADE I remember her being so hot what is this
witchcraft?? Was that a pun??? I really need to watch this while sober.
We fell out of sync with it for a while and Nirvana started playing and
THAT WAS AWESOME. The munchkins are talking now. MY FELLOW
WRITER JUST SAID THAT MUNCHKINS ARE MENINISTS AND I
COULDN’T AGREE MORE. I feel so relaxed. Everything is good. Pink
Floyd is good. The Tin Man slowly getting lubed up is good.
—DAILY ARTS WRITER
To be honest, I’m kind of skeptical about this whole thing. Floyd never admit-
ted to synching the album with the movie and, in all likelihood, a
bunch of stoners made this whole thing up while tripping on
some illicit substance. But we shall see. The lion is roar-
ing, and I am pressing play, giving Buzzed a high five
when we realize we lined everything up correctly.
Baked just sat in a plate of ketchup. So far this shit
is looking pretty legit … the music is changing …
characters are reacting. I’m beginning to appre-
ciate my Bored status. This is trippy enough
without any inebriation. The twister is coming
but the music is calm — what’s happening? “This
is changing my life,” says Baked. “Money” came
on right as she walked into the colorful munch-
kin land; this probably has some kind of signifi-
cance, but my mind is not vast enough to analyze
it. Between the three of us, we seem to know a lot
of random facts about this movie, the implications of
this are TBD. It just occurred to me that all of Dorothy’s
helpers are men — where my ladies at?! Somehow we got
onto the topic of meth, do you think Pink Floyd did meth?
Theres some real victorious music going on while the Tin Man is
getting greased up; I feel like I’m watching the end of a war movie or something.
Alas, the janky YouTube clip we have relied on finally quit on it. It was interesting
while it lasted, Floyd.
—CARLY SNIDER
RUBBLEBUCKET
Rubblebucket brings dance pop to the Blind Pig on Oct. 3.
Music is
a lifetime
commitment.
baked.buzzed.bored.
By GILLIAN JAKAB
Daily Cultural Cures Columnist
Dear Gillian,
As a freshman this fall, I’m in a
section led by a graduate student
instructor who is (1) smart, (2) nice
and (3) fine as hell. And she looks
right at me a lot of the time. And
she’s fine as hell.
I know it’s, like, number two
on the list of ways to eff-up as a
freshman, but I can’t help crushing
on this GSI, hard. I don’t want any
trouble, but I don’t want to miss
out either. I’ve been doing a good
job keeping it my dreams, but in our
last e-mail exchange, the answers to
my questions were followed by an
emoji. Not a hearts one, but a smile
one with those slightly rosy cheeks
that could be a blush. At this point,
I got it bad.
– Hot For Teacher
***
Dear Hot For Teacher,
The student-teacher forbidden
love has been chronicled by
authors and artists through the
ages. It almost always ends badly.
The consequences have ranged
from grade deflation, to litigation,
to castration, to murderization. Or
worse, the denial of tenure.
A thing with your GSI is not
as taboo as a cross-generational
flirtation with a full professor. The
dynamic, however, is always going
to be thornier than a tryst between
peers.
One story you can look to is that
of Héloïse and Abélard. These two
ruffled some feathers 12th century
Paris. Héloïse d’Argenteuil was
said to be the best-educated
woman
in
France.
She
was
brought up by her uncle Canon
Flubert and became a renowned
scholar and writer. The best was
paired with the best, and it was
decided she would study with the
famous French philosopher and
theologian Peter Abélard. Well,
as we all know, private tutoring is
the perfect opportunity for private
seduction. The two shared a great
intellectual, erotic and spiritual
passion for one another, which
was not the least bit kosher in the
Middle Ages.
It seems that when Flubert
found out about the couple, he was
livid. Pregnant and unwed, the
two fled to Brittany and married
(which Heloise was reluctant to
do, viewing marriage as a burden
to her freedom). News of the
morning-after
marriage
began
to tarnish their reputations and
careers, and Abélard put Héloïse
into the convent of Argenteuil to
be a nun. To Flubert, Abélard’s
secret seduction, marriage and
warehousing of Héloïse were
cowardly and he vowed revenge.
So he broke into Abélard’s room
with some friends and castrated
him. Carrying on, the erstwhile
lovers corresponded through a
celebrated series of seven letters in
which they exchanged insults and
blame, expressed their despair and
longing, and pledged their cerebral
and corporeal devotion.
Now,
Hot,
you
might
be
thinking castration is not a legit
threat in the 21st century. But do
you even know anything about
Fine-As-Hell’s
relationship
(or
ex-relationship) status? By the
time you’re a GSI, you’ve probably
accumulated a complicated love
footprint, particularly if you’re fine
as hell and using a blush emoji with
a freshman in week three. There
could be some venomous players
woven into this web that you’re not
even aware of.
It doesn’t take Héloise and
Abélard’s fiery affair that runs
from wild love to forced celibacy
to bring trouble to a student and
teacher that find themselves in a
sketchy tête-à-tête. David Mamet’s
(yep, Zosia’s father) two-character
play “Oleanna” suggests only an
intention of intimacy between
professor John and undergraduate
Carol, yet they were up the creek
pretty quickly.
Carol goes to her professor’s
office distraught, complaining the
material was not well presented
in his course, and asks for passing
grade. John is distracted, on the
verge of being granted tenure
and closing on a new house, but
eventually sympathizes with her
criticism of the academic system
and decides to help her if she meets
with him privately to discuss the
material. At an intense moment,
he puts his hand on her shoulder
to comfort her, and she shakes it
off, visibly upset. Carol returns
having
filed
complaints
with
the University (and the tenure
committee) that John is sexist in
class and sexually harassed her
when she met with him. Freaked
out by how this will affect his
chance at being tenured, John
grabs Carol when she tries to storm
out of her second visit. Pretty soon,
he’s denied tenure and suspended
and Carol faced with feelings of
violation. Things only get worse
from there.
Now, Hot, you’re probably
thinking, “Whoa, whoa, it was
only an emoji.” But you know what
they say: emojis are gateway icons
that just lead to harder keystrokes
and pretty soon you’re sharing
peeks on YikYak.
We stereotypically think of
older men in teaching positions
seducing
young,
ambitious
schoolgirls. But in Zoe Heller’s
novel “Notes on a Scandal,” —
which was made into a film with
Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench —
is closer to your situation, flipping
the script to show us another
casting of roles. Art teacher at a
London comprehensive school,
Sheba Hart, lusts after 15-year
old student Steven Connolly, and
it’s not long before they’re having
sex in risky spots but managing to
keep the affair hidden.
One problem you can see here,
H, besides the red light of being
with a minor, is the conflicting
concerns of two people at different
stages of life. As the relationship
progresses, Sheba becomes more
and more attached to Steven as he
inversely loses interest. As middle-
aged adult, with a dusty marriage
and an insecurity of aging, life is
moving at a slower pace than it is
for a teenage boy, and Sheba clings
to the relationship as she tries to
cling to her own youth. Although
the gap between you and Fine-
As-Hell is only around six years,
consider that she’s worrying about
getting kicked off her parents’
health
insurance
and
you’re
worrying about getting kicked off
the line at Skeeps.
In the story, Sheba’s nosey
friend finds out about the affair
and starts writing an account of
the tryst. So clearly, nothing can be
kept secret. Somehow people will
always find out, especially when
proof is as easy as a screenshot of a
Snapchat of the two of you getting
cozy at office hours.
Sting, who had worked as an
English teacher before becoming
the bassist and lead singer of
The Police, captured many of
the pitfalls of student/teacher
temptations in “Don’t Stand So
Close to Me,” which I recommend
you listen to. His advice is to put
some spatial distance between
yourselves and the rest will take
care of itself.
So, Hot for Teacher, if you’re
not scared out of your mind by
now and are still clicking through
your GSIs public profile pictures,
I’d say wait until next semester
when you’re no longer in enrolled
in the class, or better yet next
year when you lose your frosh
status. For now, just make an
impression in class by spicing up
your comments with some sources
that flaunt outside research and
genuine curiosity (I don’t know
what class it is, but hopefully not
Psych 494 “Adolescent Sexuality”
or French 350 “Mistakes.”) Stand
out and look sharp. Fine-As-Hell
will remember you in 2016.
Send an email to DearGillian@
michigandaily.com to submit
your own questions for the
Cultural Cures Column.
CULTURAL CURES COLUMN
Help! I’m hot for
my GSI!