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(11/18/18 8:00pm)
by Jack Gillespie
It’s been a while since Imagine Dragons could be considered a legitimate rock band. Once an okay band by radio rock standards whose heart they put in their songs could not be denied, they have made next to no progression as an act. They haven’t quite reached the point of Maroon 5, who are only a band in name, but Origins proves that Imagine Dragons may be on the same path.
(11/17/18 5:00pm)
By Brandon Carson
J Mascis is not a household name and neither is his three-piece indie rock band of himself, Lou Barlow, and Murph that make up Dinosaur Jr. Mostly known for their hit in the '90s called ‘Feel the Pain,' Dinosaur Jr. made their underground stride known with albums like You’re Living All Over Me, Bug, and Where You Been? (which is interestingly classified as ‘Adult Alternative’ on Apple Music). Roaring, fuzzy guitar solos, loud crushing bass, and a mumbling low-toned voice carried Dinosaur Jr.’s sound back then. The band broke up in the early '90s, and suddenly, Mascis (vocals, guitars) was left to do whatever he wanted with the band.
On Without a Sound and Hand It Over, Mascis turned down the volume and stripped back the heavy sound for some soft, sad tracks. But then 10 years later, the Dinosaur Jr. reunion happened, and we were given four albums from 2007 to 2016. In between these albums, Mascis made his own music with two albums, Several Shades of Why and Tied to a Star, where he returned to his soft sound he brought to Dinosaur Jr. in the '90s. On his new record, Elastic Days, Mascis doesn’t stray away from that sound but expands upon it. His lyricism feels like a stream of consciousness, his instrumentation flows like a moody river, and his solos add an emotional depth to the music his voice and lyrics couldn’t do. Yet, as the album drags on, the music feels tired in certain areas.
(11/07/18 10:48pm)
by Brandon Carson
Tenacious D is a comedy rock/metal band, they are not supposed to be taken seriously and never have been by their fans. Jack Black and Kyle Gass have been making wacky rock music since 1994, and with each record there came a new theme. The first, a group of crazy rock songs, the second, a movie, the third, a ginormous tour with a giant inflatable penis onstage. So, what is new about this one? Well, Jack Black confirmed that it is a direct sequel to their second album and movie ‘The Pick of Destiny,’ but this album did not spawn a movie. Instead, Jack Black drew an entire YouTube cartoon series himself.
The cartoon looks like a 3-year-old drew it on Microsoft Paint, and it is hilarious. The story follows our heroes, JB and KG after someone dropped a nuclear bomb, creating a post-apocalyptic world. They meet a two-headed dog and fittingly name it Hope. Soon after, they run into a tribe of cave women, go to space, meet the Terminator and kill the Daddy-Ding-Dong. Then, the D arrive at the White House to retrieve a green crystal and foil Donald Trump Jr.’s plan of taking over the world. In the end, JB meets his 80-year-old son and they save the world. Whew. The album loosely follows the cartoon, missing a couple pieces of what I think are vital for understanding the end of the album. But what this record does well shows itself in the voice acting, music, and the jokes.
(11/05/18 11:02pm)
by Blake Chapman
It is typical of artists in their first studio album appearance to produce content that may seem lackluster. A possible cause of this could be the signer trying to find their own sound. Maybe it is simply inexperience in the industry at that point. Joji on the other hand seems to have the entire situation solved down to a tee. Through the evolution of his work on multiple singles and joining the popular rap group 88rising, Joji has gained the experience of a veteran in his genre even at such a young age. With the release of Ballads 1, Joji pushes the boundaries of his sound in a natural and pleasing way, but it is not free from overly creative errors that lack meaning.
(10/28/18 1:00pm)
by Brandon Carson
What else is left to say about Greta Van Fleet that hasn’t been said? Do they sound like Led Zeppelin? Yes, absolutely. I remember when I heard ‘Safari Song’ from their EP ‘From the Fires’ for the first time and all I could think of was Led Zeppelin. In fact, I played the song for my friends and asked them to guess who it was; and who was their guess? Led Zeppelin. The influences of Zeppelin and 70’s rock are very much in the forefront for Greta Van Fleet, however with this album you can hear hints of their own sound come out. But unfortunately, it is mostly bogged down in their influences and choruses that aren’t memorable.
(10/22/18 4:10pm)
by Brandon Carson
I remember when I was in my early teenage years looking for metal-core bands to unleash my angsty youth, listening to A Day to Remember, Bullet for My Valentine, and of course Bring Me the Horizon. One day I was playing Guitar Hero 6 with my friend and stumbled upon a song called ‘Ravenous’ by Atreyu. The song is filled with skull-crushing guitar solos and a killer hook that drives the whole song. It feels completely unique to the genre. Eight years later the band releases ‘In Our Wake’ and all I’m left with to say is: what happened? The album is full of three-minute songs that sound exactly the same featuring boring melodic choruses and a sound that is desperately trying to stay relevant.
(10/20/18 5:22pm)
(10/16/18 10:00am)
by Tt Shinkan
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte's editorial board.
Imagine being able to sample warm chocolate pudding from Ireland and then walking over to India to try some Madras red curry. This sounds totally impossible, right? In hindsight it is, but at Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival, this impossible fantasy is a possible reality.
Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival is an annual event starting in late August and runs until mid-November. Every year the dates change slightly, but 2018’s dates are August 30 to November 12. The festival celebrates the culinary diversity of food from around the world with 21 booths from different countries serving up dishes and drinks unique to that area. Additionally, there are another 21 food booths offering unique food items relating to cheese, chocolate, seafood, smoked meats and poutine, just to name a few. All of the booths are located around Epcot but you’ll find most of them, fittingly, around World Showcase.
My sister's fall break landed on the same weekend as mine and my parents decided we should all travel to Walt Disney World for a small vacation. We’ve been to the festival before when I was a freshman in high school and my sister was in 7th grade, so we all knew it was time for us to return to our favorite Disney event. I also just turned 21 this year so I was very excited to try both the foods and adult beverages these countries had to offer. Okay, I was more excited for the food since I’m a huge foodie.
We went to the festival twice. Once on our first night we were there and then once on our last day. My dad is huge on smoking meats, so we obviously stopped at the “Flavors from Fire” booth. This booth played with the idea of fire. This meant the food was either cooked using fire or smoke or had a spicy taste to it. We tried the pork wings with a Korean BBQ and sesame seed glaze. I’ve had pork wings before, but these were, by far, the best pork wings I’ve ever had. They fell right off the bone and were juicy and flavorful.
Other food items we tried were Greek nachos and spanakopita (spa-na-ko-pi-ta), which my grandmother makes all the time and is a personal favorite of mine, from Greece; crispy pork belly with black beans, tomato and onions and Moqueca (moo-kek-a) which is a seafood stew from Brazil; liquid nitro chocolate-almond truffle with warm whiskey-caramel from a booth called Chocolate Studio; Kalua pork slider with sweet and sour DOLE pineapple chutney and spicy mayonnaise and teriyaki-glazed SPAM hash with potatoes, peppers, onions and spicy mayonnaise from Hawai’i; Irish cheddar cheese and stout dip with Irish brown bread and warm chocolate pudding with Irish cream liqueur custard from Ireland; hummus fries with cucumber, tomato, onions and tzatziki sauce from Morocco; beef brisket poutine from a booth called Refreshment Port. How did all of these taste? Amazing!
There were a few items I had to try while I was there. These items were drinks and food that I’ve always wanted to try but never had the chance to. The first one was a lobster roll. You might be thinking that this isn’t that adventurous and that I could get one anywhere. Well, first of all, I’ve always been iffy on trying lobster because I hated the way it was cooked, but after seeing numerous cooking shows and pictures of the famous New England sandwich, it started to seem more and more delicious. Second, living in Indiana, there isn’t a lot of great seafood places around. Chicago has a few, but that’s mostly lake perch or any fish that thrives in a freshwater lake. Lobster isn’t one of them.
The American booth, Hops and Barley, had a New England lobster roll available. This was my absolute favorite food item I tried at the festival. The sandwich (or roll?) was full of flavor. The lobster was sweet and had a garlic taste. The mayonnaise had herbs and added an extra flavor profile that made me love this dish. I guess you could say, I was in Flavortown.
The other two items were drinks. The first was sake (SAH-kay) and the other was mead. I’m a huge fan of trying items that are exclusive to a place. Maybe that’s why I don’t have a favorite food. I love Philly cheesesteaks, Nashville hot chicken, pretty much anything Chicago churns out, so trying sake has been on my list of things to try. And now that I’m 21, I was finally able to try it.
Sake is a Japanese rice wine made by fermenting rice. Unlike regular wine which has a sweeter taste, sake has a more bitter taste which reminded me of a top shelf whiskey. Both my dad and I enjoyed it since we like whiskey and bourbon but my mom wasn’t a huge fan. It’s an acquired taste that maybe a lot of people might not enjoy right way because of the bitter taste. I would have this again, but maybe just one glass.
When I think of mead I think of vikings for some odd reason. Vikings and Norse mythology have always intrigued me so trying a drink that made me feel like a Norwegian viking was something I was all for. The drink is also a wine, but instead of using grapes, it uses honey so this drink is very sweet. A complete 180 from sake. When I purchased the drink from the Ireland booth, I was awed by how golden it was. The drink was as gold as, well, honey. The taste was unique. I was expecting it to taste sweeter than normal wine, but I wasn’t expecting the honey after taste. I really enjoyed this drink. So much so that I actually purchased another one the second day we were there. I highly recommend this drink to anyone who is looking for a unique drink to enjoy and feeling like a fierce viking warrior. I of course also recommend trying this drink if you are 21 and over and to always drink responsibly. That goes for any other drink I mentioned in this story.
The festival is also known for something else besides food and that’s music. Live concerts to be exact. Disney books some notable acts, like Plain White T's, 38 Special, Baha Men, Boyz II Men, Billy Ocean, Mark Wills, Air Supply and many others. We were there for both Mark Wills and Air Supply’s concerts and both had something unique about them. Mark Wills is a country singer most recognizable with the song “19 Somethin.” Since I absolutely love country music, this concert was my favorite. He was high energy and played both slow and upbeat songs.
Air Supply was also fun, but since soft rock isn’t my first choice in music, I didn’t enjoy it as much as Wills’ concert. However, it was still enjoyable. Actually, the number one thing that made this concert so enjoyable was the amount of people inside the small venue. Middle-aged women were standing up from their seats and dancing and singing along to the music. This is what I enjoyed most about this concert. The fact that this band can touch so many people with their music is amazing!
The last detail about the festival I want to include is pretty cool. Epcot has this boat ride called “Living With The Land” which shows and explains to you how humans, plants and animals use this land to produce food and an ecosystem. Towards the end of the ride, the boat takes you into a greenhouse where Disney grows produce for their many on site restaurants and for the festival. Little signs were posted to let the riders know what type of produce it was, but some had a bigger sign with a picture of a Food and Wine item on it. This told us that this particular item was used as an ingredient in one of the many dishes found throughout the festival. I thought this was amazing and a Disney thing to do by utilizing their resources.
Overall, the Food and Wine Festival is my favorite festival Disney puts on. I’ve been to the Flower and Garden Festival and that is also another amazing experience, but something about the Food and Wine Fest always makes me like it more. It might be because of the food, or how it’s in the fall or that I have the ability to try different foods from different countries I might never have the chance to visit. Whatever the reason may be, one thing is clear. This festival is an amazing experience that I believe everyone has to experience just once in their short lifetime. After all, who doesn’t love good food?
(10/14/18 5:19am)
by Emily Reuben
When perusing the film line-up for Heartland Film Festival this year, the film that immediately caught my attention was 93Queen. The documentary follows Rachel Freier or “Ruchie”, a Hasidic mother and lawyer who shook up the male dominated Hasidic community by creating Ezras Nashim, the first all-female ambulance corps in New York City. It is rare for Hasidic communities, especially women in these communities, to be highlighted through film, so the concept is certainly unique. However, what specifically caught my interest was the concept of hearing the voices of the women within this community. I wanted to hear about their experience breaking boundaries and fighting to change their community in the male-dominated Hasidic society. I am glad to say that 93Queen exceeded my expectations.
The film informs us immediately that Hasidic women are expected to be modest. This means that women doing work outside of mothering children or tending to familial tasks is frowned upon within the society. This expectation of modesty extends to physicality, as women do not have sexual relationships, kiss, or even touch men before marriage. The issue that arises from this is that many women are intimidated by calling for emergency services, specifically Hatzolah, the strictly male-run emergency care corps, for fear of being touched or looked at by men while in an immodest state.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3m7p1r-RDg[/embed]
Ezras Nashim recognizes the need for a female-run emergency care corps for women in the Hasidic community. However, Ezras Nashim faces constant bullying and intimidation from Hatzolah and members within the community. The film constantly reminds us that while the efforts of Ezras Nashim are noble and very much needed, stubborn adherence traditional ideals can easily stunt progress and neglect the needs of members in a community. Some of the film’s most impactful moments stem from the resistance towards Ruchie’s efforts and truly emphasize just how much adversity she and Ezras Nashim faced within their own community. The documentary does an excellent job showcasing the determination of Ruchie and Ezras Nashim while simultaneously educating the audience about the traditional roles of women within the community.
Film director Paula Eiselt is a Hasidic woman herself, which works to the film’s benefit. It is clear that Eiselt understands the gravity of what the women in the film are trying to accomplish and does an excellent job of introducing outsiders to Hasidic culture by allowing the women to go about their daily lives virtually uninterrupted. We are able to follow Ruchie, the film’s primary subject, as she cooks for her family, goes to work at her law practice, prays, and as she organizes Ezras Nashim. Just from watching her do these various everyday tasks, we are allowed to see an insider's perspective of her religion and tradition in an organic, respectful manner. Even more importantly, Eiselt gives Ruchie and the other volunteers at Ezras Nashim a platform to share their views, address their struggles, and showcase their success.
Something that I genuinely appreciate it the clear respect for the subjects and communities being show, but what I also find admirable is that the documentary is careful to remain honest and transparent. Ruchie is a human-being, and like every human-being she has faults. I’m glad that these faults were not shied away from, as they only serve to make her more human and relatable.
The film is incredibly well-done and showcases the power and dedication of women. While Ruchie may not consider herself a feminist, she has indisputably helped to pave the way for Hasidic women and other minority women to follow their chosen careers and challenge patriarchal society, and to me that screams feminism.
(10/13/18 5:00pm)
by Brandon Carson
Even though they have been making music for nearly a decade, Twenty One Pilots struck a chord in the mainstream with their last album Blurryface back in 2015. Songs like "Ride" and "Stressed Out" basically controlled the radio. While they did have a sound that was pretty unique and genre jumping, I always found something missing from their sound. Blurryface sounded like it was made for the radio, where they didn’t push any buttons making that record. But with Trench, they push boundaries with their instrumentals, production, and song structures while also delivering excellent vocals.
(10/12/18 6:18pm)
by Jack Gillespie
With his debut album, No Now, London singer, songwriter, and producer Clarence Clarity did something very few artists have done; he introduced himself to the world with a sound that is truly unlike any other artist. His uniquely glitchy, maximalist, surreal brand of alternative R&B set himself apart from everybody else, and was a big part of what made No Now one of the best pop albums of the 21st century. It was quite the act to follow up, so it's no wonder it was three years before he released a follow-up.
THINK: PEACE is an interesting follow-up for people who have been following Clarence since his debut record. Not only is this new record almost half the length of No Now, but the majority of the tracks had been released to the public before being released in the context of the record. Some of the tracks have even been released for nearly two years before the release of THINK: PEACE. Almost all of the tracks have been adjusted to flow with the rest of the record, so the album doesn’t suffer from sounding like a compilation. But for someone who had been listening to some of these songs for a while, THINK: PEACE doesn’t sound quite as fresh as it could’ve been coming into it blind.
(09/30/18 4:41am)
by Eben Griger
The Batcave hosted the first of many shows in its basement last Sunday, with a four-band lineup. The venue gets its name not from the DC superhero, but from the bats found in the basement. The show was put on by Lame Brain Productions, a Muncie-native company that provides venues, booking, recording, and photography for local bands.
Sunday’s show consisted of The Sick Boy Method, a “progressive post-hardcore” trio; Shoot on Sight, a “sociopolitical egalitarian punk rock” band; Pat and the Pissers, a hardcore punk band; and headlined by Indian Old School, a post-hardcore grunge band. Sick Boy Method is from Muncie, both Pat and the Pissers and Shoot on Sight are from Indianapolis, and Indian Old School is from Anderson.
The show pulled in a good sized crowd, with people spilling out of the house and on to the front yard. During their set, Indian Old School gathered the crowd in to make a speech on the state of music and how shows like this one were working to improve music, with people doing what makes them happy. Raw music was being made because people wanted to make it, not because any record label wanted them to, continued the band. The trio then finished with a new song, ending their set with an announcement that they were taking a break to record new material and get their lives in order.
The Batcave joins the ever-growing list of venues for local bands to play at in Muncie, which includes The Basement, The Sauna, and Be Here Now.
(09/29/18 7:15pm)
by Jack Gillespie
For people who were in the know, 2017 was the year of Brockhampton. In a span of six months, the self-described “boy band” released three albums, Saturation, Saturation ll, and Saturation lll, filled with some of the most charismatic, catchy, wonderfully produced hip hop of the decade.
Every single emcee had a distinct personality, style and tone, but the chemistry shared among all of them was undeniable. This isn’t even mentioning the variety of music videos, all directed by band member Kevin Abstract, that solidified their strong aesthetic that had a huge part in their virality. They were bona fide phenomenons! It wasn’t until May of 2018 that the band came back to Earth after their meteoric rise; Ameer Vann, one of the founding members, was accused of sexual misconduct by two women and was eventually removed from the band. One of the most prominent members of Brockhampton was now gone. For a group whose greatest appeal is their chemistry, this was absolutely game-changing. Now with iridescence, the first album in a whole new trilogy of records, the idea of a Brockhampton album without Ameer is now a reality.
How exactly Brockhampton were going to address the departure of Ameer or whether they’d mention it in the music at all was a significant question. The result? While there are a few lines that may reference him, they are few and far between, and they only ever allude to what happened. Considering the circumstances in which he left and the disappointment they show towards Ameer in the statement they issued shortly after the allegations started to spread, this is probably for the better. Much like how the band have decided to move on from the situation, the best idea is most likely to do the same and not obsess over the something the group obviously does not want to define them.
(09/24/18 2:17am)
by Brandon Carson
Guerilla Toss is no stranger to new-wave and art pop, but on ‘Twisted Crystal’, they expand their sound on all fronts with surf rock sounds, chopped up, vaporizing synths, and drum machines that make up a truly unique production. All the members bring something new to the table in each song with entertaining performances that feel fresh and exciting. In only half an hour, Guerilla Toss takes you on an adventure through space and time.
(09/20/18 9:00am)
by Jack Gillespie
When Fatima Nyeema Warner, aka Noname, released her debut mixtape Telefone in 2015, she quickly solidified herself as a unique voice in hip-hop and one of the most promising artists in the scene. Her rapping, while at times frustratingly soft-spoken and amateurish, bordered on beat poetry in a fascinating way, and her understated positivity was something that nobody in rap was or is bringing to the table. It was evident that with some extra work, the Chicago rapper, poet, and songwriter is capable of making something even greater; maybe even legendary. While she doesn’t quite reach "legendary", Room 25 is a greater work in almost every aspect and definitely lives up to the expectations that her debut album has set.
(09/17/18 3:44pm)
by Conner Tighe
Carrie Underwood is well-known in the country music world for relying on faith during pressing times. She has a specific style and way of doing her music. No other female country artist can do what Underwood does. Her latest album, Cry Pretty, never shies away from what she knows. Dealing with hardship and loss is the prime theme in this album. She does a great job at keeping her name around among this new wave of country music. Much of country music today consists of one-night-stands gone wrong, repeating phrases over and over and having rap in the background. It seems as almost country has lost its way and I don’t know what that means for the future of country music. There are few artists who have stuck to their way of writing music. Carrie is one of them. This is one of her strengths and why she is great at what she does.
(09/21/18 9:17pm)
Muncie’s Village Green Records held its annual back to school live show this past Saturday, with several varied musical ensembles performing.
(09/15/18 6:31pm)
By Brandon Carson
On Alter Bridge’s third live album, the band decided to change their sound. In a bold move, the Parallax Orchestra, a 52-piece orchestra, joined their show for two nights at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. What came out of this was a brilliant setlist, crisp production, and an incredible amount of emotion.
(08/31/18 3:07pm)
Lauren Sanderson is an artist from Fort Wayne. She signed with Epic Records in early 2018 and released her third EP, Don’t Panic, on Aug. 24. She has established a new sound that is unique and easy to like. Anyone could find themselves enjoying this new EP.
(08/20/18 4:46pm)
by Trevor Sheffield
We live in the Superhero era of filmmaking.
In the wake of the MCU’s rampant unprecedented success, nearly every major studio has thrown their hat into the ring in the hopes of netting some of the collective green this genre never ceases to produce. In many a way, this power-packed entertainment boom brings to mind a time when the western, a genre now all but dormant, was king at the office. It seems like we live in a world where they’re practically giving away movies to any character(s) rendered in ink and paint, almost out of spite.
Released on July 27, 2018, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies attempts to capitalize on this super-mania, and it surprisingly succeeds…to mixed results.