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Rare Candy MagSpring 2015 Issue, ForewordIn a 2011 piece for his column Poptimist, Tom Ewin examines the phe-nomenon of “cultural death.” He writes:

...how would we know, from the inside, that something was dead? What does cultural death feel like for the people still enjoying the moribund thing?

One of the most memorable depictions of the subjectivity of death is Philip K. Dick’s Ubik, a science fiction novel in which the dead, near-dead, or living status of the protagonists is constantly under question. The hero, Joe Chip, is caught in an explosion, which he gradually becomes aware he may not have survived: His body and consciousness are preserved in “half-life,” a suspended animation state he perceives as a reality subject to sudden and extreme decay. Milk sours, friends age to death, objects regress to older versions of themselves.

I found the terrifying limbo of Ubik helpful as a way of thinking about cultural death. It struck me that we experience cultural death – of a music genre, say – as a shrinking reality bubble. With-in the bubble we listen to what we always did, we talk to people who listen to that stuff too, we enjoy the unspoken shared experi-ence. But outside the bubble that experience is irrelevant or forgot-ten. And like the eerie decay phenomena in Joe Chip’s reality, con-ditions inside the bubble can deteriorate rapidly. Radio stations change format away from your music to something else; mailing lists sputter out; fellow fans move away and are not replaced.

The 2015 spring issue focuses its attention on the state of rock. While questions about the genre’s relevance have been inescapable for decades, the spring issue shies away from self-assured prognoses or cultural forecasts, instead examining the ways artists are attempting to revive, revolutionize, or move beyond the rock spectrum. The issue begins with a guest review of Tobias Jesso Jr.’s Goon, written by Graham Johnson for Dingus Mag. In it, he compares jazz’s long arc of cultural relevancy and parallels it to to that of rock, ultimately posing the question of what kind

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Table of Contents

FeaturesThe Sinister Pop of PC Music 11 Maurice MarionSALES at Baby’s Alright 13 Jesse Silbert

AlbumsTobias Jesso Jr.: Goon 4 Graham JohnsonDicktations: Every Dog Has Zir Day 15 Graham JohnsonSheer Mag: II 18 Caleb OldhamShaanz: This Is An EP 26 Maurice Marion

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Table of Contents (cont.)

InterviewsInterview with Bodega Bay 7 Rare Candy Mag Interview with Eskimeaux 19 Susanna De MartinoQue Bajo?! and Barrioteca 24 Julian NebradaInterview with Palberta 28 Rare Candy MagClosing Word: An Interview w/ Elizabeth Wollman 49 Caleb Oldham

OtherHighbrow / Lowbrow Chart 20 Editorial

ListingsUpcoming Shows 51Upcoming Events 52Readings 53

ArtistsRachel Ng cover, 14Jamie Knoth 13Casey McSherry 17Amelia Edwards 54

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Tobias Jesso Jr.’s Goon is due out on March 17. The record’s songwriting is beautiful and intuitive, the production skillful.

J.R. White, most famous for producing Girls’ classic debut album in San Fran-cisco’s bathrooms and closets, leaves his mark on tracks like “Just a Dream” and “How Could You Babe.” Throughout Goon, Jesso’s melodies are consistently moving, his arrangements bearing an elegant, re-

fined simplicity. The ex-guitarist’s relative inexperience on the piano actually stands to the album’s benefit, spawning creativity from limitation.

The undeniably high quality of the re-lease, and of its lead singles, hasn’t gone unnoticed. Jesso was quickly grabbed up by True Panther early last year, and heavy-weight producers Patrick Carney (The Black Keys) and Ariel Rechstaid (Vampire

Tobias Jesso Jr.Graham Johnson, March 12Dingus Mag

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A couple of friends and I arrive a few minutes late to the Williamsburg venue Baby’s All Right, having regretfully missed the opening acts and the first song or two of main act SALES. We start to feel a tinge of guilt, like we’ve somehow tainted the experience by coming late, but as we settle into the already amassed and attentive crowd, the band begins their next song, and the inclusive atmosphere of the room melts away all our worries.

The Orando-based duo Jordan Shih and Lauren Morgan are both playing guitars and smiling widely and their music washes over the crowd spreading contagious grins and good feelings. The sound is loud, but the music being played is itself soft, which creates a seductive, raw, intimate feeling, as if we are witnessing a basement jam session so good it should be recorded. By the time the third song ends, the venue’s signature back wall, covered in a diverse set of lights, has shifted color to a soft pink. Shih chuckles and in a mellow voice comments on how he’s glad that he could see all the attractive faces of the audience in the newly pink light, and on how lucky he is to be surrounded by so many good looking people. This comment is made a handful of times throughout the night, adding to the sweetness of the duo’s demeanor. The inviting nature the band exudes is appreciated by the audience and creates a great performer-audience dynamic that seems to be somewhat unique to SALES and its amiable style. In the same fashion,

SALES at Baby’s AlrightJesse Silbert, April 16

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between songs, Shih and Morgan endearingly banter with each other and the audience, making subtle jokes and generally having a good time. Although apparent on their EP, the duo makes it even more abundantly clear in concert that their music is meant to be relaxed, dedicated to spreading a good time and goodwill. And the crowd, searching for a feel-good Friday night, complements that atmosphere precisely.

At one point in the show, Morgan announces that they are about to play a particularly emotional song, and Shih mentions that the audience should reach out and touch the person next to them, then lightheartedly adds, “but consent!” In a different audience, at a different venue, with a different band, the joke may have awkwardly hung in the room, but here the crowd laughs warmly, nodding in approval.

Although it’s generally true that most bands that use a drum machine could benefit from an actual drummer, Shih’s use of the sampler did not leave me wanting so much regard-ing percussion. Perhaps the most impressive part of the band’s musical performance was Morgan’s vocals. On their debut self-titled EP, the vocals displayed a wide range in pitch and tone, presenting themselves as confident and soulful while singing vocals which fluttered above the band’s soft guitar melodies. She successfully recreates this approach live, without hiccups or discontinuities. On the song “renee,” Morgan’s vocals jump from register to register; on the studio version, this is done with two vocal tracks, but on stage she seamlessly executed the jumps live.

The band played a few new cuts in addition to their previously-released material, which drew mass excitement from the crowd. About thirty-five minutes in, the band announc-es that they will be playing their last song — the band is still young, and their repertoire short — and before anyone can bemoan the length of the set, the band launches into their single, “chinese new year.” In the band’s final musical statement of the night, the drum samples come in louder, with more bass, and the audience’s feet move to the music with newfound electricity.

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Last September, Sheer Mag released their debut EP 7” and introduced themselves as a sweaty, unapologetic rock band with a pop twist. If rock’n’roll is an inanimate corpse, “revivalist” is the best term to describe the Philadelphia natives’ sound on the EP. But instead of coaxing the genre back to life, they strapped electrodes to its cold flesh and shocked it with hot sparks of 70’s hard rock cliches to get the blood flowing. Their debut might not have been original, but it was certainly exciting. In four brief tracks, it dis-played a masterful wielding of rock’s energy and pop’s sensibilities, each song packing a punch, each song making an argument for a genre claimed dead.

Sheer Mag’s second EP II, released April 18, is a reminder that rock’n’roll — at least in its current state — isn’t about pushing boundaries. Before even releasing a full length, Sheer Mag have codified their own sound. A tambourine on the snare drum and an iteration of the opening riff to “I Wanna Rock N Roll All Night” by Kiss — this is what a Sheer Mag song sounds like. The fact that major music criticism websites have lauded them as saviors while simultaneously noting their “open worship” of the past or that they “reference 1970s classic rock every time they holler and shred,” demonstrates the degree to which critics are no longer valuing innovation in rock over respect for form. From the constant 4/4 time to the Jackson 5-esque guitar on the chorus of “Fan the

Sheer Mag: IICaleb Oldham, April 27

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“Barrioteca” is how Que Bajo?!, a record label which throws monthly parties in New York City, describes the kind of music they want to represent. The label’s name comes from a Dominican expression of elation or excitement, used when a great song comes on or the dance floor is on fire. The ques-tion mark lends another reading. Geko Jones, one of the main forces behind Que Bajo!?, told me recently over the phone: “It comes from an expression you’d expect from an abuelito, going around asking ‘Que Bajo?’ [what’s going on?]. These are the sort of characters and mood that we want to evoke.” The unity between the dance floor and the abuelo, cutting edge club music and the traditional Latino beats is central to the Que Bajo!? project as a whole.

“Our original intention was to play mu-sic from the Global South,” Jones told me “With the party coming up next Saturday and our new EP, we’re transitioning to ‘barrioteca’ sound. We’re combining Latin influences like cumbia, as well as jungle and NY house.” The crossroads of interna-tional club music with Latino routes seems the perfect fit for a city whose club culture has always been defined by its Hispanic community. “Jazz, salsa, cumbia, reggae-ton. Latinos have been at every New York

movement,” Jones explained. “No matter when, we’ve always had the happiest club music you can find in the city, period.” From this background, Jones and fellow collaborator Uproot Andy are pushing Que Bajo?! to reinstate the Latino Legacy in the club scene of New York City. As the only showcase of Latino music in the Red Bull Music Festival, their show on Saturday at Verboten will see them picking up that mantle.

Growing up in a Puerto Rican family in the Bronx, Jones didn’t encounter Latin music in the way might expect. “You know, I grew up in a house where my mom was listening to guys like Jose Jose, Paul Anka. I had to go around to get to the sound I’m in right now.” From the smooth sounds of Jose Jose, Jones gravitated towards the natural next step: “I started out in death metal, though I left that and moved to jungle, then found reggae, raggamuffin and through that eventually got to chutney dance hall, cumbiaton and more global music.” The musical history is evident in Geko Jone’s own mix’s, which focus on Latino experience but have liquid move-ment between genres, Jones has clear influences and awareness of the different styles he grew up around.

Que Bajo?!Julian Nebrada, May 7

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However, Que Bajo!? is far from an indi-vidual project. From the outset, the label has sought to represent a broad range of artists representing diverse cultures, gen-ders, and identities. The show on Saturday represents that range. As Jones tells me over the phone, “The lineup coming up on Saturday represents so many layers. We have DJ Playero who’s Puerto Riqueño, DJ Laz who’s Cubano, Pablito Mix who’s Mex-icano, queer artists, female punk artists, and more. We wanted to have as many flags and music styles as possible on there. There’s Latin base, punk cumbia, cumbia-ton, and a few surprises.” For Jones, Sat-urday is the beginning of the new phase of Que Bajo!? as a proponent of “barrioteca” and Latin club music in New York. Accom-panying it is the release of a new EP with tracks by a number of different artists who take on that theme.

Que Bajo!? is also about creating a cultural space. Jones wants to show ways for third and fourth generation kids in the city to

connect with their roots musically: “Explo-ration and orgullo [pride] is the space we want to make.” With rising rents pushing Hispanic communities and parties farther to the fringe, the importance of a central-ized, young Hispanic dance music scene is extremely timely.

Moving forward. Que Bajo!? has plans to expand beyond its local borders. “I’d like to make a connection between here and Puerto Rico. It’s been a while since the New York Latino scene had that connec-tion. You’d have to go back to salsa in the 80’s to find anything like that, and we’re trying to bring it back with a new sound.” The excitement was clear in his voice. To play a part in the paramount history of Latin music in New York through a new, inclusive and globalized format is an ambitious goal, but Jones and his team of artists seem ready and eager to take up the mantle. All that’s left for the crowd is to show up and dance.

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Editor-in-ChiefCaleb Oldham

Managing EditorGraham Johnson

Senior EditorsMark Brathwaite

Zach Calluori

DevelopmentJosh Sudman

ArtistsAmelia EdwardsCasey McSherry

Jamie KnothRachel Ng

Sam Williger

Staff WritersAlexa Delgado

Jesse SilbertMaurice Marion

Susanna De Martino

Guest WritersJulian Nebrada

Online StaffAlexa Delgado

Jesse SilbertJosh Sudman

Maurice MarionNick Tario

Susanna De MartinoRob Aldana

PromotionSoyon Jun

Staff