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Riot AF "Find me"

October 26, 2019
Roni Madison


Peace World,

Immaculate Flave is super stoked to present the latest single from Riot AF "Find Me". Produced by Flaveworld, the music is taking new direction and and we are ecstatic where things are headed. Please take a moment when you have time to listen to the new song and absorb the energy. The song was written about awakening and connection, but we are interested in knowing what it means to you. Please hit us up with any feedback, as well as airplay, interview, performance opportunities.

The faceless shall remain unknown...let's build people


Download: Google Drive

Bandcamp

Dead Lee and Jason McCue at The Bistro

Febraury 22, 2019
MacKayla Carolan


KWU had the pleasure of hosting Dead Lee and Jason McCue in The Bistro for an intimate show on Friday February 22.




Jason McCue opened with a set heavily featuring his latest album, Pangea. McCue is an alternative folk artist from Seattle, WA, and is a master at the guitar; while he claims his background is not in classical guitar, his music certainly showcases his skills reminiscent of that style. He has played all around Seattle, including radio KEXP, but this was his first time at Willamette. You can catch him at Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle this summer playing alongside artists such as Lizzo, Aminé, and Mitski. You can find his music on Spotify and Bandcamp or on Instagram as @jasonmccuemusic.







Dead Lee is a recent project of Blitzen Trapper’s own Brian Koch. After touring for over a decade as a founding member, drummer, and singer of Blitzen Trapper him and his partner, the ever-talented Kara Harris, decided to form Dead Lee. The duo sings and switches off guitar duties; both acoustic and electric. Their set featured their debut album, Dead Lee, as well as covers from The Beatles and Dolly Parton. A crowd favorite was their song Are We Free, which they recently debuted a music video for on Rolling Stone Country. While their voices meld together perfectly, Harris’ voice stands out as particularly beautiful and haunting. You can find their album Dead Lee on Bandcamp or on instagram as @dead_lee_duo.





Check out Dead Lee here!
Check out Jason McCue here!

A Night at the Roseland: Dashboard Confessional, Beach Slang and Kississippi

Concert: April 13th 2018 Portland, Oregon
Reviewed by Nicholas Leibman






Perhaps we were too early, but McKenna and I stood at the front of the line of Roseland Theater at 5:57. The concert wasn’t scheduled to start until 8:00pm. Located on NW 6th Ave, Portland the Roseland Theater resides in the yet to be gentrified area of Portland about 4 minutes out of China Town or about 2 minutes drive from Voodoo Donuts. Seedy, not unsafe, would be how I would describe the surrounding area. Many of the surrounding buildings were in a poor or abandoned state. In addition, there were several groups of people loitering around the street corners. While McKenna and I waited in line a man in a scuffed Dalmatian onzie crossed the street munching on a donut. There was also the faint sound of sirens blaring off in the distance and down the street of the venue was a Gentleman’s club titled “Mary’s Club”. On separate occasions a variety of scraggly men came right up to the security barrier and engaged with me. The first guy asked if I had 50 cents and a cigarette, two items I truly didn’t have, so I politely declined him. The second fella inquired if I’d like to buy his sunglasses for a dollar another offer I also turned down. A strange lady also made a quick appearance to pull some cans out of a nearby trashcan. Personally, I never felt unsafe waiting in line, but seeing how security only responded when a ragged guy in red Air Jordan’s was caught scalping tickets, I can assume my experience was the norm in the area surrounding the Roseland Theater. In short, the surrounding area is not threatening when in a group but there is a level of unpredictability for those unfamiliar with the area.

At 7pm the doors opened and after a metal detector check, a thorough pat down, and a verbal question if I was carrying any firearms or mace (I didn’t) we finally entered the Theater Space. The Roseland Theater consisted of a medium sized stage and a fairly large standing area. The area was clean, professional, and well lit in pink lights. There was upstairs seating horseshoed around but only seemed to be for 21 and older and VIP passes. Seating, or in our case standing, was first come first serve. I think it’s also important to mention that many of our fellow audience members appeared to be 30+ and many flocked to the 21+ section, allowing McKenna and I to get awesome standing spots in front of the stage. After waiting around for an hour the first show started promptly at 8.





Kississippi
“Do I have makeup all over my face?”

Short and sweet is how I would describe Kississippi’s whole performance. Starting by herself, front women Zoë Allaire Reynolds gave a heartfelt solo opening with Cut yr Teeth. Kississippi was well received by the audience with some fans screaming “We love you!” and “you’re beautiful!” Personally, I had never heard of Kississippi before but I was enthralled with their alt rock and folky sound. The entire performance was well done and straightforward. Occasionally, Zoë would talk and crack a few jokes that the audience positively responded to. The band had a mellower vibe than the other performers with their unique combination of soft lyrics and hard melodies. Unfortunately, the Kississippi experience lasted only about 20 minuets. I would have loved to listen to them a little more but overall, I was satisfied. Kississippi provided strong vocals and sound with a charismatic lead singer. Finally, I listened to a little of Kississippi while writing this piece and frankly they sound just as good live as they do on a MP3.

Beach Slang
“Portland! We’re going to punch you right in your big beautiful hearts!”





I’m going to go out a limb and say watching Beach Slang was an experience. With the energy of a hamster in a cup of coffee, lead singer James Alex spent his set spitting water and wind milling his guitar. The audience seemed very much into Beach Slang by providing lots of cheering and screaming. As mentioned before James Alex was a gem, making odd remarks, reciting weirdly beautiful anecdotes and just quoting stuff about life were all in the Beach Slang experience. Beach Slang also partially covered several songs and encouraged the audience to sing along. Some highlights included a 30 second cover of Smash Mouth’s “All Star”, shouting “This fucking song is for you Oasis,” before playing half of “Wonderwall” they even covered the entirety of the Pixies “Where’s my mind.” My personal favorite was James Alex explaining how their song “Dirty Cigarettes” was about Match Box Twenty’s lead Singer Rob Thomas first marriage which was then followed by twenty second instrumental interlude of “Smooth.” Beach Slang’s original music is also very competent lots of loud riffs and thumping beats everything one could want from a punk pop band. The versatility of Beach Slang also needs to be commended being able to shift from thrashing head bangers to slow and powerful poetic rock ballads. Truthfully, Beach Slang is much clearer on their digital platform then they were when I listened to them live. This could be due to McKenna and I being so close to the speakers. However, the experience of watching a band so passionate for performing cannot at all be replicated on a digital format.

I’ve never heard of Beach Slang until tonight but they are a band I will never forget. Thanks Beach Slang.

Dashboard Confessional
“I only wear the same outfit”





I’ve always been fond of Dashboard Confessional as a band. Probably one of my earliest experiences with the Emo music came their third album A mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar. Dashboard’s newest album Crooked Shadows came out this year after a 9-year hiatus, if anything this performance was a comeback tour. Coming out alone onto the stage lead singer Chris Carrabba gave a strong passionate solo performance. Despite, his voice cracking slightly in the higher notes the fans happily sang along. One of strongest aspects of Dashboard’s performance was the fan interaction. Chris would encourage the audience to sing along or sing back and forth. This may not be middle school debate but I really do appreciate Chris’s going back and forth along the stage and making eye contact with many audience members. The layer of personality that is given when a band acknowledges their fans is awesome, it almost felt like Dashboard was singing to me. The audience seemed excited about Dashboard’s presence with several phones up in the air to record the experience.

Perhaps, one of Dashboard’s greatest strengths was the humbleness the band seemed to embody. Between, every song Chris commented about how awesome it was that so many people came out. The performance Dashboard Confessional put on was personal and emotional. I think the relationship between a band it’s fans is a symbiotic one. The performers need to entertain the audience but the performers also need the audience. Dashboard Confessional is at the twilight of the their career not finished but nearing the end. Chris’s interaction where optimistic yet somber as he thanked everyone for participating and apologized for such a long hiatus. The gratefulness that Dashboard presented was palpable, as the band seemed overjoyed that they still matter.

Quick Observations

Due to the stage’s size there was a decent amount of flexibility with lighting. The stage was able to light up in many colors and had a plethora of moving lights. The lights matched the mood of the songs fairly well. Most of Kississippi’s songs had a pink glow to them, Beach Slang had much more vibrant colors matching their bombastic nature and Dashboard Confessional pretty much played with the whole rainbow depending on the song.
It was impressive how many Guitars Chris Carrabba utilized in his performance. I would estimate he used at least five guitars all ranging from acoustic to electric.
The Merch provided was cool but nothing special. Every band had a variety of T-shirts and vinyl. However, Kississippi did stay after the show to sell their products, something I think is really cool.


Nick Picks (Song Recommendations)
*All songs can be found on Spotify, Bandcamp, and iTunes

Kississippi
Cut Yr Teeth
Mirror Kisser
Indigo

Beach Slang
Dirty Cigarettes
Future Mixtape for the Art Kids
I Break Guitars

Dashboard Confessional
Hey Girl
Vindicated
Heart Beat Here

A Night at the Analogue Theater: Sorority Noise, Remo Drive and Foxxbodies

Concert: March 17th 2018, Portland Oregon
Reviewed by Nicholas Leibman





Not to be late for the Sorority Noise Concert, McKenna and I stepped into the moderately sized line to enter the Analog Theater at 6:15. Located on Hawthorne Boulevard the entire building and surrounding area had a grungy industrial vibe. One email check later and it was concluded that doors wouldn’t open until 7 pm. It is at this time I’d like to mention that I recommend brining a jacket as the temperature dropped to about 43 F (9 C). The line behind us had gradually got much larger and the air began to smell heavily of cigarettes and vape. A man with one shoe also made an appearance to bum some cigarettes from a few people waiting in line. While enveloped in a haze of nicotine and vape I noticed there was a van to our left aptly titled “Bandwagon.” Occasionally the door would swing open and I got glimpses of both Zack Cummings of Remo Drive and Cameroon Boucher of Sorority noise, which was pretty exciting. Eventually 7pm rolled around and security began funneling us into the building. As we approached the entrance, the sound of thrash metal got to a copious volume. Apparently there was another band called Deatheater preforming in the bar. Once inside we were greeted with a surprisingly thorough bag check and herded upstairs. The stairwell was covered in graffiti and dimly lit. Upon reaching the top of the stairway, we where greeted by two ladies on bar stools that checked both our names off a list, stamped our wrists and finally we were inside the venue. The entire venue was dimly lit up in green and blue lights with a fairly small stage in the back. Not knowing when the actual band where going to play it was decided that we should try getting a good spot near the stage. The Analogue provided seating along one side of the wall but this was not the optimized viewing for the show. It was first come first serve to get close to the stage and McKenna and I eventually found a decent spot near the right side of the stage. I would also like to add that if you are vertically challenged (short) The Analogue might not be the best venue choice. The tight space of the venue forces everyone to get really close which can hinder viewing of the performance. Around 8pm, after standing around for an additional hour and slowly getting pressed against more people the opening band started.

Foxx Bodies

“This song is for people who think they disappointed their parents!” (One Song Later) “This song is for people whose parents disappointed them! It’s a two way street!”

Foxx Bodies put on a strong and heartfelt performance. Although much like many of the audience members I was unfamiliar with their work. Their music was hard, unique, and personal. Between each song Foxx Bodies would give a small description about what the song was about before jamming. Despite the unfamiliarity of their music, I found myself thrashing along. The audience reacted positively giving an appropriate amount of applause and head banging throughout the whole set. To familiarize myself with Foxx Bodies work I listened to their first and only album on the drive back to Salem. Impressively, the band played their entire album and the similarities to how they sounded digitally and live was astounding. The stage presence of the lead singer, Bella, was full of energy and spunk. She constantly moved around the stage, hoped back and forth and even sang from the floor. Bella also had an incredibly emotive face adding an extra layer of personality to the songs. The lead guitarist Bailey played with passion and confidence. Out of habit, Bailey did seem to gravitate closer to the drummer. In short despite being the newest band on stage for that night, Foxx Bodies sounded, preformed, and delivered a fantastic show.

Remo Drive

“I’ve been self diagnosing all of my problems!” (I’m my own Doctor by Remo Drive)

The audience went wild when Remo Drive got on stage. As soon as the band started playing the crowd was ready to rumble. Their opening song was “Crash Test Rating” causing the entire crowd to begin moshing back and forth. Someone was immediately crowd surfed onto the stage only to be curtly directed off by security. A bloodied-nose fan looked me in the eye and proclaimed he had a nosebleed before vanishing into the crowd. I could tell the audience was familiar with Remo Drive as almost every song announced was met with loud cheers and sing-alongs. Essentially, the crowds actions speak for Remo Drive as a band: Full of energy and excited to perform. Although I myself don’t love moshing I couldn’t help but get caught up in Remo Drives’ catchy songs. The next day I listened to Remo Drive only album as well. The live performance matched the CD very well although the hype from the audience cannot be recreated on a CD. Bummer. Remo Drive seemed to be having a great time on stage, often times making jokes with the audience before breaking out to song. There was also an air of humbleness to the band with the lead singer, Erik Paulson, breaking into a huge grin every time the crowd sang along. Performance wise the band sounded great but was stagnant and unmoving while performing. When I stepped out into the cold Portland night after the whole concert I ran into Remo Drive exiting the venue. A fan screamed “you guys rock!” towards their general direction, I have to agree with you screaming fan; Remo Drive does rock.

Sorority Noise

“And I’ve learned to Love to love myself/more than I could ever love you!” (Dirty Ickes by Sorority Noise)

Since they where the headliner it made sense that Sorority Noise would have a grandiose entrance. I’ve mentioned before that the stage was fairly small and compact so I wasn’t expecting pyrotechnics or lasers. However, the venue did a decent job. The rigging was simple yet effective. Two see through picture frames on opposite ends of the stage were connected to the drum set. The frames and drum set could light up independently or separately to fit the mood of the song. Those familiar with Sorority Noise’s music would agree they don’t have the moshing or raging type of sound. Yet when the band opened with Blissth while shrouded under haunting blue lights the fans went nuts. Saying that, halfway through the first song during an instrumental interlude Cameron (one of the lead singers) snuck in something on the lines of “Respect the bodies of the people around you and know what they want.” After that, the moshing seemed to stop for the rest of the set. So, quick shout out to Sorority Noise for sharing some good life advice and respecting their fans. Sorority Noise played with the passion and professionalism you would expect from a band who was been performing for several years. Unlike the previous bands Sorority Noise had the softest opening I have ever heard form a band. I liked it. The band played a solid continued set with little audience interaction other than Sorority Noise thanking everyone for coming out. Honestly, I was fine with this method of performance. The songs sounded just like they do digitally, so I wasn’t complaining.

Overall, all bands performed phenomenally. Personally, I think the order of bands built off each other well. Foxx Bodies was clearly new to the music scene but they interacted with the audience. Remo Drive gave the impression they had played shows before and interacted extremely well with their fans while having a young carefree punk vibe. Finally Sorority Noise had the most mature sound both in style and performance equating to a gritty and emotional show.

*All bands can be found on Spotfiy, Apple Music and Bandcamp*