2B — Thursday, December 1, 2016
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
I grew up in suburbia. I went
to Catholic school until I was 18.
I wore a uniform, and I kept my
hair short. Aesthetically, I could
not have been a more accurate
cookie cutter of a middle-
class teenager, and I was fully
uninspired artistically — at
least until I found do-it-yourself
music on the internet.
My first semester at the
University of Michigan, word
got to me that Pinegrove, an
incredible indie rock outfit I
had found on Twitter a year
prior, would be playing a space
known as Lincoln House within
a 10-minute walk of campus.
In a feeble attempt to blend in
with the local scene the night
of the show, I put on a shirt
that read “Pity Sex Is a Band,”
representing one of my favorite
groups that hailed from Ann
Arbor, and began my walk to the
space.
I walked quickly up the
driveway toward the group
of people smoking cigarettes
out back, hurrying to escape
the
blustery
fall
night.
I
entered the door, paid whoever
was
collecting
money
$5
while stealing glances at the
blindingly lit kitchen behind
them, and walked down the
concrete steps splattered with
chipping white paint.
Surprisingly, the basement
was
fully
finished.
I
was
greeted
by
a
cacophonous
crowd atop a white linoleum
floor, a bar topped with all the
bands’ merch and flood lights
attached to sconces on the wall
that lit up a drum kit in the
middle of a small space at the
back of the room. I approached
the bar to check out the T-shirts
and settled on purchasing a
simple design that spelled out
“Pinegrove” in rotating colors
for each letter.
The
opening
bands
were
skilled
musicians
and
entertaining performers, none
afraid to hold back during their
time at the front of the floor. If
I hadn’t been so excited to see
Pinegrove perform literally two
feet in front of my face I might’ve
even been able to pay more
attention to the opening sets.
Sooner than I had expected, it
was time for Pinegrove to play
some songs for the enigmatic
crowd.
Before their rise with the 2016
release of Cardinal — landing
them a spot on Lollapalooza’s
line-up mere months after the
basement show in Ann Arbor
— Pinegrove performed songs
off an album I had first listened
to
on
Bandcamp
entitled
Everything So Far to a crowd
of less than 100 people in a
dimly lit basement. This is DIY
music, its practitioners and its
followers at their finest.
DIY music refers to almost
anything uploaded to Bandcamp
or
SoundCloud
by
artists
independent of a record label.
It comes from every genre you
can think of, and centers around
music made by those looking for
discovery or with the simple
desire to share their work with
the internet. In today’s world,
artists are starting to depend
less and less on record labels.
Just look at Chance the Rapper
— he’s doing it flawlessly.
Yet, beneath the glamor and
fame of arena shows and highly
produced tunes, there’s a whole
other world of music being
made by dreamers, hopefuls
and
imaginative
creatives,
performing and making music
for the sake of art itself. It’s
a world with important parts
both big and small between the
people who not only make the
art, but also those who manage
the spaces to present it. It’s a
tight-knit niche of friends and
fans alike.
What
exactly
were
your
favorite bands doing before
playing shows at The Palace,
Saint
Andrews
or
other
hometown venues? Most likely
blowing up some basement for
the price of gas in front of the
passionate
individuals
that
help these artists get their first
major footing in popularity.
Without
these
spaces
and
this community, many bands
wouldn’t have the chance to
even begin making a living
through their art.
First and foremost, these
artists need the basements,
old churches and other homely
spaces to perform their art. Sara
Johnson, club manager of the
Flint Local 432, a space where
I’ve seen innumerable up-and-
coming artists perform, wrote
in an email interview that, “I do
this because kids deserve a safe
environment in which to enjoy
live music, the beautiful thing
that it is. I’m never happier than
when I’m at work, and not many
people get to say that, which
makes me appreciate it even
more.”
The Local is a substance-
free venue — a true blessing for
anyone who is as sick as I am
of getting hit in the head with
beer cans at shows — providing
a stage for artists of all genres
and a space for all ages to safely
consume art and performance.
It’s a universal notion among
those who book DIY shows
that they do it for the love of
performance itself and their
first priority is making the
space as welcoming as possible
to newcomers and veterans
alike.
“It was really incredible to
be able to host Empire! Empire!
(I Was A Lonely Estate)’s last
show,” wrote Johnson. “We
love Keith and Cathy so much,
and the rest of the lineup was
amazing — all of the bands were
ones I’d had on my ‘book @ 432’
list, especially Joie de Vivre
and The Island of Misfit Toys.
We sold out the show, the room
was full to bursting with love
(and sadness and grief), and it’s
a night that will have a special
place in all of our hearts forever,
I’m sure.”
Now I highly doubt you
recognize any of these band
names, and that is absolutely
OK. This is an introduction to
DIY, one for those unfamiliar
with this world of music. No,
those involved in DIY aren’t
“hipsters” or “music snobs”
(all right, you caught me, they
actually might be). Truthfully,
their
biggest
concern
is
satisfying their hunger for new
music and performances; it’s
comparable to a book worm or a
movie buff getting a fix on their
art of choice.
The fact that Johnson has
a “book @ 432” list is perhaps
one of the strongest testaments
to their passion for music. Not
to mention the show they are
referring to was one of the most
emotional I have ever attended
at the Local. To say the room
was bursting with love is an
understatement, as the typically
strict line between fans and
artists at mainstream venues
was blurred into oblivion. Bands
were
constantly
dispersed
throughout the crowd, speaking
with other artists, fans and
friends.
It
was
a
glowing
atmosphere
of
camaraderie
truly unique to the DIY scene.
DIY music is also just as
concerned
with
diversifying
genres as it is with representing
the unique identities within
those genres.
“Punk
as
a
subculture
is
known
for
being
overwhelmingly
white,
cis,
and male — and while the
Local certainly doesn’t mind
booking acts that fall into those
categories, we’re disappointed
every time we fail to represent
women, people of color, and
LGBTQIA+ folks on our stage,”
Johnson wrote.
Both
these
efforts
and
popular
bands
within
the
scene, like Girls Living Outside
Society’s Shit and PWR BTTM,
show that any and all identities
have a place within DIY music
where they can thrive and
have their voice heard. It’s an
environment
that
embodies
inclusivity.
In addition to getting details
on booking shows, I had the
opportunity to speak with LSA
senior John Sciortino, whose
band Bonzo often plays at local
spaces in Ann Arbor and is a
strong staple in the DIY scene.
When
I
asked
what
his
favorite part about playing DIY
shows is, Sciortino said, “The
fact that you can go to shows
and listen to music for free.”
Taking a full shift away from his
own work, he also added that
“Some of my favorite albums
and EPs have been stuff I’ve
been able to download for free
off Bandcamp.”
Obviously, music taste is one
of the most subjective facets of
the human consumption of art,
but knowing that your favorite
bands don’t care for your money
only makes the listening all the
sweeter. The lack of focus on
capitalistic venture creates an
evident lack of pressure on the
artist.
Sciortino
expanded
upon
removing a ticket price from
the equation, saying they create
inclusivity.
“Especially with donation-
based shows, and pay-what-
you-want shows, you’re not
keeping kids out of clubs and
they’re usually all ages,” he
said. There’s a valiant focus on
the fans in the DIY scene among
both the artists and the people
who manage spaces.
“I’ve always been bad at
pushing my music,” Sciortino
said
about
popularity
and
promotion. There’s a lack of
desire in DIY to draw nameless
fans, and a larger focus on
meeting
others
with
the
same ideals while forming a
community.
“Our experience in DIY is
that it’s a slow increase over a
long time to get to know people,”
he continued.
But
what
does
happen
when your DIY music takes
off? Should I even dare to use
the
word
“popular?”
Enter
Jeff Rosenstock, a reigning
forefather of DIY music and a
musician whose newest album
WORRY. has already appeared
on multiple “Best of 2016”
charts just this past week.
Rosenstock has been around
DIY punk music for years.
He’s been involved in multiple
bands
before
finding
more
mainstream
success
under
his given name. Yet, one of his
most important contributions
to music was being one of the
first artists to put his work on
the internet in a pay-what-you-
want format, and implementing
the same model under his own
label, Quote Unquote Records.
The
beginning
of
DIY
involvement
wasn’t
always
glamorous for Rosenstock, who
wrote in an email that “The
first shows we played were not
great. We played my backyard.
We played a coffee shop up the
street. We played a place called
the C-Note Cafe. We were
horrible and people didn’t like
us.”
But
this
didn’t
deter
Rosenstock’s
passion
for
performance, and he continued
to play shows for the hell of it
or for charity, another common
theme in the DIY scene.
“I specifically remember our
friend Dan putting together
a benefit show called Cancer
Sucks out in Babylon, where
around ten bands played and
all the money went to cancer
research,” Rosenstock wrote.
“We were kids and we weren’t
even thinking about money we
just wanted to play shows, so
there were always benefit shows
happening.”
Rosenstock also wrote about
now being on SideOneDummy
Records, noting that even while
working with a label, he hasn’t
let go of his DIY roots.
“Thankfully when we were
talking and I had mentioned
that I needed total creative
control, I needed to still put my
records out for free on Quote
Unquote and a handful of other
things, they were down,” he
wrote.
Despite
working
with
a
label, Rosenstock refuses to
let go of his DIY ethos that has
motivated him since his earliest
shows.
And DIY’s ethos is certainly
its most important facet. Hold
onto your passions and do what
you want to do. Give a middle
finger
to
expectations
and
responsibilities. Let an artist, or
even just a song, consume you.
Let your emotions take hold and
do something you love for the
sake of loving it. If you’re afraid
of taking the leap, Rosenstock
even included advice:
“There are going to be a lot of
people telling you that you can’t
do it,” he wrote. “That you need
an agent, a manager, a record
label, that you can’t record
yourself. A lot of the time these
people are saying stuff out of
love, so it’s hard to ignore them.
But they’re wrong. You can do
anything.”
The xx’s
newest music
video, based
on their
upcoming
album’s first
single, “On
Hold,” begins
with an intro-
duction to the
small town of
Marfa, Texas.
The first 20
seconds of the
video features
no music, only
a brief succes-
sion of images:
a lone, flashy
tassel waving forlornly in
the wind as it droops from a
telephone pole, a typical sub-
urban home made complete
with its pristine white front
porch, a boy wearing a cow-
boy hat leaning idly against
the hood of a retro car.
Suburban, desolate and
unobtrusive, you imme-
diately get the sense that
Marfa, Texas is the type of
town that seems to exist in
its own isolated bubble; time
is warped, and days pass by
in a haze of hot blue sky and
bad decisions made by bored
teenagers.
The video is simple in
essence. It briefly follows
the lives of a group of high
school students, showing
glimpses into their private
lives. It’s a video made up
of a progression of fleeting
moments in time; after-
school cheer practices, hot
& heavy shower hookups
and lounging at local diners
all culminate to form what
could almost be a glossy
American Apparel ad.
It could almost be, but for-
tunately, “On Hold” is care-
ful to never reach that level
of artificiality. It avoids the
minefield through intertwin-
ing moments of humanity
with the more heavily styl-
ized aspects. For example,
the dreaded cliché of the per-
fect cheerleader waving her
pom-poms around on a foot-
ball field is lessened through
the addition of messy, yet
wonderfully natural, black
and white shots of a party
teeming with beautifully
imperfect kids. The majority
of the rest of the video passes
in a similar manner: a cha-
otic back-and-forth between
the overly synthetic and the
humanely natural.
Overall, the music video for
“On Hold” is choppy, hectic
and a little confusing (much
like the lives of most high
school teenagers), but it’s
never overwhelming. A feat
that has to do in part with
the simplicity of the actual
song: the combined sooth-
ing vocals of Romy Madley
Croft and Oliver Sim add a
gossamer layer of tranquility
to what is already a relatively
minimal background beat.
The xx strip their songs
down to bare bones, invoking
a clean sophistication that, in
the case of “On Hold,” works
in their favor, allowing the
corresponding music video to
not become obstructive in its
clutter and disarray.
Although at times pushing
the boundaries of superfi-
ciality, the exclamations of
endearing, emotive sincer-
ity found in The xx’s novel
music video portrays that
an infinite charm can some-
times be found in the classic
tale of naive youth living in
suburban paradise.
- SHIMA SADAGHIYANI
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW
DIY MUSIC
From Page 1B
DIY music is just
as concerned with
diversifying genres
as representation.
With the crisp fall leaves
beginning to wither under the
the winter’s first snow and
Thanksgiving already a distant
memory, we usher in a new
season: squash season. That’s
right, the time has come for us
to revel in winter’s gift to the
produce section.
What’s
so
special
about
this particularly protuberant
variety of seasonal produce?
Though winter squash are
actually
harvested
in
the
fall, they last through the
cold
winter
months,
thus
warranting their name. The
winter squash family packs
an abundance of nutrients,
including
magnesium
and
potassium as well as vitamins
A, C and B6, and they’re
delicious.
Aside from their nutritional
benefits, winter squash are
incredibly versatile and easy
to incorporate into a variety of
dishes. Their sweet, mild flavor
makes them a hearty addition
to salads, grains, soups and
so forth — or you can prepare
them as a satisfying, healthy
meal on their own.
Though
the
tough
skin,
daunting size and firm texture
of this squash variety may
appear intimidating to some,
they’re incredibly simple to
prepare. First, when buying
squash, look for those without
bruises or marks with the
stems still intact and that have
quite a bit of weight to them
to ensure the best quality.
Popular varieties (and some of
my favorite) include butternut,
acorn and spaghetti. These
varieties can be commonly
found at your local grocery
store or farmers market and are
fairly inexpensive. I’ve often
bought mine for under a dollar.
The fastest way to prepare
them for cooking is to slice
them in half and scoop the
seeds out. For easier handling,
cut off the tops and bottoms so
that they stand up flat. Then
lay them flesh-side down on a
baking sheet greased with olive
oil or in a pan filled about an
inch deep with water and roast
at 375º- 400º for approximately
40 minutes (the cooking time
may depend on their size, and
larger ones can take longer to
cook). Once baked, they can be
eaten straight out of the skin,
or sliced or scooped out to add
to a dish. For spaghetti squash,
use a fork to pull the flesh out.
When roasted, the natural
sugars that give winter squash
their slight sweetness help
caramelize the squash, giving
them a delicious texture and
deep flavor. To get the most
of this flavor, you can simply
season
cubes
or
slices
of
squash with salt and olive oil
or take a more daring route,
coating them in curry paste or
sprinkling them with brown
sugar.
But don’t take my word for it.
Try these recipes on your own
for a variety of delicious, easy
weeknight meals.
Easy
butternut
squash
soup
In the cold winter months,
there’s
nothing
more
comforting or soul-warming
than a bowl of soup. And a
thick, velvety butternut squash
soup is exactly the ticket. Not
only is it unbelievably simple to
make, but it’s a smooth base for
an array of flavors if you feel
like customizing yours with
spices such as curry or ginger.
To make the soup:
Roast
the
squash
as
instructed before, scoop out
the
flesh
and
blend
with
chicken or vegetable stock
to the desired consistency.
Return the mixture to a pot and
bring to a simmer. Add salt and
pepper and a bit of heavy cream
to taste. Top with a drizzle of
cream or roasted pumpkin
seeds for added texture. Easy,
right?
Baked lasagna spaghetti
squash boats
Spaghetti squash serves as a
wonderful base for sauces, or
can be delicious all on its own
cooked in a pan with olive oil,
garlic and parmesan. For an
incredibly filling meal, make
these spaghetti squash boats,
packed with savory italian
sausage, creamy tomato sauce
and tons of gooey melted
cheese.
To make the lasagna boats:
Begin by roasting the squash
as instructed above. While
the squash is baking, heat up
a spoonful of olive oil in a pan
and sautée some crushed garlic.
Add the Italian sausage (either
ground or 2-3 links removed
from the casings and broken
apart with a spatula or spoon in
the pan) and cook until lightly
brown. Add a handful or two of
chopped kale and sautée until
wilted. Next (you can skip this
step and opt for just plain meat
and greens with your squash)
add a can of tomato sauce,
a pinch of oregano and salt
and pepper to taste. Simmer
of
several
minutes
before
removing from the heat and
adding a splash of heavy cream.
When the spaghetti squash
is done, remove from the oven
and let cool for ten minutes.
Scrape out the flesh and mix
into sauce. Add half a cup
of shredded mozzarella and
some parmesan and combine
well. Spoon the mixture back
into the halved exteriors of
the squash, top with more
mozzarella and bake until the
cheese is melted and slightly
browned on top.
Not only are these insanely
delicious, but they take comfort
food to a whole new level on a
cold winter evening.
Roasted acorn squash
Acorn squash has recently
become my favorite of the
category. Their smaller size
makes them easier to handle
and they pair well with almost
any variety of dishes. My
preferred method of cooking
them is to slice them in half,
scoop the seeds out and cut
them into about half an inch
thick slices, then coat them in
olive oil and salt and roast them
for about a half an hour.
They come out of the oven
tender with crisp, caramelized
edges and a subtle sweet flavor
— perfect for tossing in a salad
with kale, farro and dried
cranberries or pomegranate
seeds. Or, just eat the slices on
their own. They’re that good.
SHIR AVINADAV
Daily Arts Writer
An ode to squash: The perfect
winter vegetable
Try these recipes for a variety of delicious, easy squash-based meals
FOOD COLUMN
YOUNG TURKS