Art as means to enlightenment.
It’s that time of year again! We at YabYum are excited to announce our Annual Awards Month starting tomorrow, New Year’s Day! Each and every day throughout January we’ll continue to highlight individuals or groups that help make the Arizona music and arts scene what it is and what it is becoming. We’re excited and hope you are too! Stay tuned…
Welcome back everyone. Hopefully, you had a chance to hear the second installment of the YabYum Music & Arts Hour on Radio Phoenix this past Fourth Friday. Below we have our Playlist from our December show as well as the podcast from our November show now available for your listening pleasure at any hour, day or night.
In the coming weeks, the podcast will be available. Don’t miss our next show on January 24th from 7-8pm on RadioPhoenix.org! Until then, please enjoy our show from November right here!
Yesterday, well not really yesterday but it sounds way more dramatic, the editors of Yab Yum (two of the most integrified people I have met in the last decade and the Valley is lucky to have them) sent me a list of a new albums for my opinion.
As luck would have it, I forgot to bring my ear buds to work (sssh, they don’t know I write reviews at work), and so I decided to listen to the music au natural, sans headphones, you get the idea.
The music started and half way through the third song, my co-worker – I work in an open space concept – says, “Hey, is that new Interpol?”
I was like, “Geezus, it sounds exactly like Interpol, no wonder I liked it so much.”
From there my mood and opinion immediately changed. I deleted the glowing comments I had written and rewrote the piece. Expressing exactly how I felt. Writing that, “They are good musicians but they sound exactly like Interpol.” And that, “There was once a wise person who said, “The art of creativity is concealing your sources and you’re not very good at hiding them.”
When I finished and re-read the piece, and I was like, “I can’t send this in.” So I searched out a trusted friend and fellow musician who I admire and respect even though I hate them because they are so freaking good, and sent it to said person to make sure I wasn’t going completely “bash piece”.
He/she told me that I was being “wishy-washy”. “Wow!” I said to myself, “remind me not to get your opinion on my music”. But they were correct.
Then, I sought advice from my editors.
“If that is what you really thought, you should write it,” was the sage advice that came back to me.
And that brings us to the part of the story where I am up at 3 AM agonizing over if I was going to submit it for publication.
Let me first state, it’s difficult giving an opinion on music, especially since I am musician. I mean, when I read negative comments about our music, and I have, it kills me. “Don’t they know that I worked hard on that?” and “What do they know about anything?” are some of things I say aloud, and some things I say are not fit to print here. So, I treat the exercise as more “opinion” than “review”.
In fact, I woke up this morning to two “thank you very much but no thank you” emails from radio stations. And, frankly, I was pissed. More confused, no…I was pissed.
But then again, it doesn’t matter.
As an artist, we/you/I have assumed the risks of critique – deal with it. And, frankly, I have read a lot of reviews that are so filled with wonderfulness and awesomefulness for the music that it goes way beyond sucking up to the point that the artist, or the reader for the matter, doesn’t really get an honest opinion.
Lookit, I am not advocating for Mean Girls bashing, here. Honesty with a healthy dose of integrity and constructive criticism – that’s what is going to make the artist, and the music and the community on the whole, better in the long run. Not a tongue bath.
One of the first reviews my band received was right here on Yab Yum. And, of course I didn’t agree with everything that was written, but you know what? I read it, learned from it, and the music is better because of it.
And I can promise you guys that you will always get an opinion that will always be constructive, so please, read it that way.
In other words: Bravely submit your music as bravely as you push the record button.
PS.
Dear Band That Shall Remain Nameless,
You sound exactly like Interpol and you need to take an honest listen to your music and change it. Not because you are bad musicians – but because it’s not original and you got more in you than that.
Love, Frank.
Dogbreth is a pop-punk band outta Phoenix known for their positive messages, incredibly fun music, and feel-good attitude. The group is getting ready to celebrate the release of their second full-length album Sentimental Health later this month.
The band built anticipation for this album with the release of Cassingle (and loving it!) on Rubber Brother Records which featured the tracks “Too Much Too Fast” and “How Long”. The first of these tracks kicks off the album nicely and gets the momentum going. The song deals with realizing you didn’t know when to shut your mouth last night, something we can all relate to… painfully. Next up is “How Long” and this song features bassist Erin Caldwell grabbing the reins and performing main vocals. This switch up is a nice change of pace and adds to the sonic variety this album offers.
Tracks like “New Friend” and “Shakin’” are very danceable and will most likely get people moving at shows. “Tru 2 U” has soaring guitar leads and finishes with a fiery solo that has that true rocknroll feel. “Blueprints” is an acoustic guitar piece with loud feedback behind it giving it a heavy, lumbering quality.
Most songs offer a unique feeling that make them stand out separately but work together to create an entertaining album from start to finish. The lyrics are easy to make a connection with whether they’re about being excited to have a new friend, having trouble focusing on your work, or the love that’s all around us. The music here is lively and it is made to dance and sing along to with your friends.
Sentimental Health is streaming on their bandcamp for free (here), but you can pick up the cassette from Lost Sound Tapes and the LP from Plan-It-X records!
Make sure you head out to the official release show (and tour kickoff) on December 28th at the Trunk Space!
The Cold Desert
“Bad Reaction”
The Hourglass Cats
“Sense”
Tracy Shedd
The Upper Strata
“Maybe A Day”
Bentley
“Good Man”
Prehab
“Not Coming Home”
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| Eric Molinar Photography |
1. Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Chelsea Claire and I am a professional film actor and art model, and I am a proud mother of a beautiful little girl named Marley Rose. I will be 29 on December 12th and I am looking to make the move to LA early 2014.
2. How did you get your start?
I got started as an actor in 2010 when I got asked to be in my first film called Pizza Shop the Movie. I played the part of the bitchy cook, Jenny. I have always wanted to be an actor, and when I wasn’t receiving much attention from the local agencies, I started looking for work on my own and I have had the opportunity to work on many great projects since. I have been in comedy, drama, a psychological thriller, a few web series, and a few music videos. About a year ago, right after I had my head shaved in a music video by El Sonida de Reposa, I did my first photo shoot with Dave Kelley, and I have really built an interesting portfolio that I am very proud of. I have had the opportunity to intern on a local digital radio station, GratRock Radio, and in February I have the chance to act in my first sketch comedy troupe, The Sic Sense. I was also in a band at one point and I really do miss that outlet very much.
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| Mohawk Photography |
3. What inspires you?
Passion. Drive. RAW emotion. LOVE. Art in all forms. My daughter. Riding my bicycle late at night and listening to music way too loud. Making people laugh and hearing people laugh.
4. What do you like about AZ?
I have lived here off and on since I was 18 months old. I was born in Tulsa, OK and lived many of my formative years in Anahuac, TX. When I moved here in 2001 my intention was to graduate and go to school to be a Radio DJ then move to LA and audition as much as I can. Living here has given me the opportunity to grow as an artist and meet and work with so many talented people. I love to collaborate. I love networking. I have made many great friends here in the art community and I am excited to work with them all.
5. Where can we see you(r) work?
Short film by Devin Walter-Lost, We Three, Short film The Sound of Running Water, Music video shot by SPOOL. Artist: El Sonida de Reposa – “My Song Like The River“, Blackbook: The Series, Gratrock Radio as an Intern, and Lucidity Episode 6-Clearly Glitched (Drunken Mermaid #1).
6. What would you like to accomplish before you die?
I have a tough time answering questions like this because I don’t plan for the future. I just try to make art that means something to me and speaks from my heart and mind and experience and hopefully someone out there will get the message and it will touch them.
7. What is your mantra?
If you want something and you have a dream or a desire go for it. Don’t ever let anyone’s opinion influence what you are trying to accomplish.
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| Blantant Pixels |
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| Renee Bock Mackel |
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| Michelle Engberg |
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| Blantant Pixels |
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| Mohawk Photography |
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| Chelsea in perhaps her most natural environment: on-set. We Three |
YabYum Music & Arts 