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Meet Erica Liburd, senior Opera major at SUNY Purchase College.
video by Maya Tavorath-Dangmann by Maya Tavorath-Dangmann Earlier this month, K-Pop group Monsta X released their first English single “Who Do U Love?” featuring rapper French Montana. This is their first release from their collaboration with Epic Records, having signed to the American record label in late May. Monsta X are one of the few K-Pop groups working in collaboration with American labels, alongside groups like TXT and Blackpink. Since their debut in May 2015, Monsta X have never ceased to garner attention of listeners around the world. Their fan base is widespread and dedicated, and they all have their own reason for listening to the group. “The most fascinating thing about them is how they manage to maintain their signature sound,” said Kiersten Bergman, a 14 year-old fan. “They always sound unique and still sound like themselves, which I absolutely adore.” “Even if I don't understand Monsta X's native language, I just get so hyped up to their music and I honestly would never want to [stop listening to] this group,” said Anna Yuzenova, 19. Many of their fans are in the same boat as Anna and do not understand Korean, but still enjoy Monsta X’s music. However, when it comes to Monsta X releasing music in English – a language that is arguably more accessible to fans around the world – they have differing opinions. by Maya Tavorath-Dangmann
A blender rumbling and grinding in the juice bar below, drowning out the sound of pop music playing through unseen speakers, is the soundtrack to Jeff Benjamin’s work day. Sitting in the lounge area of an Equinox gym in Lower Manhattan, he busies himself with making a quiz his editor asked him to put together. Laid out in front of him is a planner with bullet-points of tasks he wants to get to throughout the day. “These days I just write everything down and go for it,” he said, leafing through his planner. “Freelance has been interesting to me but I do somewhat miss that structure. For a while I was feeling really overwhelmed.” Jeff Benjamin is Billboard’s K-Pop Columnist, but he is also working as a freelance journalist. Having started working at Billboard after graduating from NYU as a journalism major in 2012, Benjamin used that opportunity to build up a name for himself and continues to do so, even after having been laid off. by Maya Tavorath-Dangmann
Sitting in the middle of their storage room on the third floor of Purchase’s music building, Ben Stein, a senior Studio Composition major at Purchase College in New York, crosses one leg over another as they speak. Behind them lie various instruments, both in and out of their cases, along with boxes of snacks and drinks. However, the surrounding chaos doesn’t seem to affect them as they offer thought-out opinions on music and politics, their passion refreshingly obvious. “In today’s world, a good political song makes listeners think about themselves,” they said. “About what they can do to not only act properly or politely but to think in ways that will truly change the way this country works.” Ever since Donald Trump first presented himself as a candidate, he has been threatening to target marginalized groups of people. This has caused a massive uproar, with more and more people openly protesting the Trump administration. With a rise of oppression comes a rise of political art, and musicians are no exception: They’re turning to their instruments to express their political sentiments. “Political music has always been a thing, especially in the whole Woodstock era in the Sixties,” said Gules Asperti, a junior Studio Composition major. “It’s definitely coming back because of [the Trump] administration, and it’s becoming a lot more mainstream as well.” “I think that this is the most politically volatile point for music in a long time,” said Paul Jennette, a sophomore Studio Production major. However, even among musicians, there are conflicting opinions as to whether or not political music can spark meaningful change amongst listeners. by Maya Tavorath-Dangmann First things first: One Ok Rock are a Japanese band from Tokyo. In September 2016, they were signed to Fueled By Ramen records and announced that they would be releasing their first “English language album" called "Ambitions," which is the one I'm about to review. They released seven albums prior to this one, which all have songs that contain both English and Japanese vocals. When I heard that this album would be their first “English language album," I vowed to stay away from it, as the news made me rather upset. Something that makes One Ok Rock unique in our alternative music scene is their ability to make songs that weave in and out between English and Japanese so seamlessly. It's not often that we come across a bilingual band, especially not one that is gaining as much attention as One Ok Rock. As someone who speaks four languages and finds every language so interesting and amazing, the fact that they were cutting down to just English in order to (presumably) boost sales in the U.S was heartbreaking. by Maya Tavorath-Dangmann
Music is something I always keep close. I've always got headphones on me, and if I'm at home, I always have it playing out loud. Lately, I've been thinking about that a lot: why do I constantly feel the need to have music on? I do intensely dislike silence, so at first, I figured that music is my way of filling it. However, silence isn't really a problem. My entire life has been spent in big cities, with car honks, ambulance sirens, and people's screams surrounding me, so silence isn't the easiest thing to come by. Last Saturday, I got to see Less Than Jake on their Skanksgiving 2016 tour. Well, technically I got to see a whole bunch of ska punk bands, as well as Less Than Jake. To say the least, it was quite an experience.
The night didn't start out the way I had hoped. I hadn't ever been to a show that big for anyone other than a pop-punk band, the friend I was supposed to meet there couldn't make it, and the venue was completely unfamiliar, so I felt lost and more than a little awkward standing by myself. Now, don't get me wrong: I love ska punk, and Less Than Jake hold a very special place in my heart. I just never got the chance to go to such a big punk show before this one, so I didn't know what to expect. The fact that the venue was completely new to me didn't help much with the uncertainty, either. by Maya Tavorath-Dangmann Emerging from Houston, TX, Waterparks are a three-piece pop punk band, if you will label them as such. Their debut album "Double Dare" dropped last Friday, the 4th, and if you haven't heard it already, I suggest you get on that. Here's a handy list of where you can buy the MP3 version - unfortunately, the band is no longer selling a physical version online. Or you could always stream it on Spotify. Whatever you chose to do, make sure you get your hands on this album. Personally, I got an album bundle, and I've NEVER done that before. This band is going to be a big deal. For a band only just breaking into the pop-punk world, Waterparks have many achievements under their belt. From writing music with well-established artists/producers in the scene such as Mikey Way, the Madden Brothers, and Courtney Ballard, to playing the 2016 Vans Warped Tour, Waterparks have achieved a lot more than many bands do before even putting out a full-length album. |