Concerts

Too Many Zooz at The Haunt

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A house and EDM band composed of a baritone saxophonist, a trumpeter and a drummer might be unexpected. Last Wednesday night at The Haunt, however, Too Many Zooz defied conventional musical expectations and did so. With screaming trumpet melodies from Matt Doe, evocative dance moves from Leo P and heart-pounding beats from The King of Sludge, Too Many Zooz brought a large EDM festival ambiance to an intimate Ithaca venue. Too Many Zooz is a self-defined “brass house” trio consisting of saxophonist Leo Pellegrino, trumpeter Matt Doe, and drummer David “The King of Sludge” Parks. I had a chance to sit down with Pellegrino before the show and learn about the band and how they got their start.

Arts & Culture

GOLDFINE | Alpha Art Bros, Clitoral Bangers and The Chainsmokers

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I love The Chainsmokers and I’m bitter about it. I love them the way I love reality television: deeply and wretchedly, gluttonously and gloriously. I love them the way you love a boy who doesn’t know you exist. I’m bitter because The Chainsmokers bought their fame with aural scourge, “#SELFIE,” a pseudo-gesture at cultural critique (about like, image culture or something) that did it’s real work as a femininity-bashing reduction of women to jealousy, narcissism and mirror-primping chatter. I’m bitter because Drew Taggart and Alex Pall are spokesboys of a thriving subculture of Alpha art bros, aka standard edition bros disguised in floral button-ups and Nike Frees, dripping with entrepreneurial smugness; the EDM analogue to the nerds with god complexes who start a successful business exploiting a market trend, care a little bit about their product (they refer to their music as “topline” or “deliverables”) but a lot about making stupid amounts money and being very famous.

Arts & Culture

Not Strange At All

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Chicago-based Louis The Child performed on the Arts Quad on August 26, delivering a killer set that was meant to be enjoyed by all, from the frequent festival-goers to the unsung indie-listeners. The EDM duo, comprised of Freddy Kennett and Robby Hauldren, stand out from the slew of emerging EDM artists with their unique blend of tropical house instrumentals and futuristic bass synths. I first heard Louis the Child perform at a basement dance club in D.C. known for its patronage of obscure, underground DJs and indie bands. They had opened for Shawn Wasabi — another notable EDM button-masher — and blew me away with their remix of “Roses” by The Chainsmokers. At the time, I knew Louis the Child was a group to keep an eye on; their approach to EDM was so fresh and diverse that of course EDM-lovers all over America would realize their genius in the upcoming months.

Arts & Culture

SWAN | Woodstock Idealism in Coachella

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Last semester, I wrote an essay about American consumer culture as it arose from 1960s New Left activism. It began like this:
In the summer of 1999, Mark Puma, 28, a native of upstate New York, would be able to experience the cultural phenomenon that had occurred three decades prior and only a few short years before his birth. “Woodstock ’99,” as it was referred to, was expected to be a close emulation of “Woodstock ’69,” perhaps the only discrepancy being a different location – Rome, New York, as opposed to Bethel, New York. On the surface, Woodstock ’99′ really did appear to match the characteristics of its predecessor. A mix of contemporary rock music was being played for a large body of nude and enthusiastic fans, all synthesizing under the influence of marijuana and psychedelic substances.

Arts & Culture

SOSNICK | Poptimistic EDM: A Love Story

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2012 was an easier time in pop music. Love was international and starships were meant to fly. I could call you maybe or blow your whistle, baby. More importantly, though, I felt more confident in distinguishing pop from EDM. Now I’m not a stickler for genre, but there’s a time and place for different types of music.