According to Wikipedia, the term “Ivory Tower” refers to “a world or atmosphere where intellectuals engage in pursuits that are disconnected from the practical concerns of everyday life.”

Tusk

Despite these snooty, even disparaging connotations, the Ivory Tower journal is really quite the opposite. The focus of this student group is to help student artists and writers alike publish their work in a university-affiliated journal, providing them with material to present to future employers. Working nonprofit toward improving and exposing this journal requires a thirst for hard work and satisfaction. This year’s staff wishes to encourage continuity and establish a unity with the U so that it doesn’t fall by the wayside as it has in the past.

Derek Swart, a current staff member on the Ivory Tower as well as a previously published author in the 2008 issue, first heard of the journal through posters put up throughout the campus area. Members Jenna Beyer and Katherine Ruzsa heard about it through the course book and in-class presentations from last year’s staff.

Since one of the Ivory Tower’s goals is to familiarize student with the world of publication, this group is generally soughtafter by those in search of experience, and is considered by members to be a great resumé builder. They hope that the Ivory Tower can ultimately bring literary and artistic awareness
to the community by gathering a diverse selection of artwork, prose, poetry, etc., and formatting it into one magazine, making it a “one stop shop” for the readers.

Aside from the experience gained in editing, publishing and designing, working on staff for the Ivory Tower opens doors for potential internships through in-class guest speakers from the city’s top publishing companies, including Milkweed Editions, Coffee House Press and Graywolf Press. Getting involved with this group means registeringfor English 3711, a yearlong course that allows students to explore the field of publishing. The journal inspires interest for students studying English, art, design and journalism, though you must be a student in the College of Liberal Arts in order to register for the class.

This year’s staff, however, shows much promise with reference to new ideas and future plans for the journal. Ruzsa,when asked what she hoped to accomplish with this year’s Ivory Tower, expressed a desire to broaden the journal’s horizons through inclusion of science majors, engineering majors and design majors. By doing this, she feels the journal would have a less elite and more University friendly nature. Conversely, Swart says he likes the elitist attitude that the journal offers, and wishes that someday the magazine will have multiple versus strictly annual publications.

During the course, the staff meets twice a week for two-hourperiods to discuss and create mission statements, magazine layout and submission guidelines. Each student is required to turn in a cover letter and resumé to the instructor, applying for the job of his choice within the magazine’s staff.
Instead of the instructor deciding who willhold the desired position of editor-in-chief, however, the students vote for the most qualified once all the applications have been submitted, ensuring a united and cooperative semester.

The current instructor, Terri Sutton, is the first to remain on staff for more than one year. Her knowledge in the field of publishing, as well as her personal experience, will benefit this year’s Ivory Tower staff as it continues to improve the magazine’s aesthetics and content. Her enthusiasm and dedication toward this magazine stimulates equal passion in the members as they work cohesively to present undergraduate work in a bright, and beautiful, light.

Regardless of its self-praising name, the Ivory Tower is a unique magazine. Aside from it being the only undergraduate journal on campus, the fact that it has a yearly staff turnover makes each issue one-of-a-kind. Beyer calls it a sort of “time capsule,” preserving in time the achievements of ambitious
students. Swart expressed excitement over the fact that the Ivory Tower is such a young and unknown magazine. “The sky’s the limit,” he says, and he plans on doing the best he can to push boundaries by encouraging experimental prose and poetry.

The group’s members hope to introduce a “cheeky” attitude into the magazine this year, but still expect submissions to include the blood, sweat and tears of their creators. As the call for submissions approaches, let go of your inhibitions and send in that piece you’ve spent an eternity perfecting; it’s
time for publication.

The opening mallet-matted drum roll of Scott Walker’s solo debut is an extremely telling introduction. It instantly becomes clear that this pop album is to be both a heroic and tragic epic. Similarly, glancing upon the portrait of Walker that covers his 1967 Scott is an equally epiphanic experience. Upon a glance or a listen, Scott Walker is clarified to be a deceptively upbeat dark horse of sixties pop. “Man behind the music” clichés however, do not apply to walker. Whereas fellow morbid rockers like David Bowie and Lou Reed create characters that parallel their music, the orchestrations on Scott are glistening, albeit mediated, representations of his true being. Walker and his music are thus two sides of the same tragic hero.

Like all good teen idol crazes, Walker curls his blonde hair. His mod-revival bangs provide a candid visual metaphor of the delightful melodrama that guides Walker’s style. Scott Walker is a crooner. His static mane quickly cues you in to the overly emotive ballads that he lays his baritone upon. Songs like “When Joanna Loved Me” tell stories of love and love lost that are so sappy it is almost humorous. With continued listening however, these Catalanoesque crush tales become incredibly endearing. Walker’s delivery takes the increasingly constricting genre of the love song and manipulates it to fit his overly intellectual palm. The result is charmingly empathetic reworking of the girl-group naivety that we all love so much.

Scott Walker has beautiful and intense eyes. His sad stare casts an unnerving shade upon the viewer as she/he is floored by their fierceness. The same intensity that his eyes exude is seen in flawless style on the album opener. In the track simply titled “Mathilde,” Walker successfully anglicizes Belgian talisman Jacques Brel’s chilling satire into an impassioned Spectorish epic. Zealous fire blasts out of Walker’s heart as he conveys the difficulty of loving someone that you also loathe. By the song’s conclusion the listener is knocked back by the wall of trumpets battling for space behind Walker’s shadowy croon.

Most charming of all of Walker’s features however is not his hair or his eyes but his self-aware smirk. It is as if Walker has already discovered that life is ridiculous and he uses this freedom to allow him to break through any apprehensions attached to making cheesy orchestrated pop. Walker is sadly, honestly and truly free. What better way to use freedom than to croon a little?

Check this album out if you like: Pulp, Frank Sinatra, Serge Gainsbourg and Blur.

To hear tracks from the Scott and hear other such poppy delights, tune into Radio K’s “Last Years Model” on Monday April 21st and 28th.

www.radiok.org

Vampire Hands – Me and You Cherry Red

Lock up your children because Vampire Hands are coming to get you! While visions of gaunt, bony creatures shrouded in cloaks and pining for blood are probably filling your head, there is no need to panic. Seriously, stop the mad dash for the garlic and listen. Really listen, because Vampire Hands is one of the most promising bands on the Minneapolis music scene right now and are sweeping the nation with their infectious new release Me and You Cherry Red.

With a name like Vampire Hands, slow and heavy tunes reminiscent of death and despair flood the imagination, but the first track off of Cherry Red presents itself as a nice surprise. “Statuette” begins with a solid drum beat paired with the cheerful shaking of the maracas. Instrumentation throughout the initial half of the album remains upbeat and easy to move to.

The most outstanding feature of Cherry Red is the wide range of percussion that flows through the tracks. Each song delivers a beat unique in comparison to its predecessor. This is not surprising, since the band boasts two percussion players. The trap set, a rock band essential, is accounted for, but this fundamental instrument is coupled nicely with the sounds of jovial maracas, brassy tambourines, a powerful bass, and tropical bongos.

The fusion of all of these instruments occurs midway through the album on the track “Friendship Road,” which could be highlighted as the peak of the LP. Listeners in the rock mood fresh off the last tune, “Safe Word,” are in for a quick vacation to the Caribbean. The song paints a picture of a ceremony in a tribal community. The first minute and half is high energy as the quintet draws the listener closer to the fire to be initiated into the group. The suave sounds of vocalists Chris Bierden and Collin Johnson serenade the listener in attempts to hypnotize with the repetitious phrase, “Who will take it, who will take it, who will take it, now it’s gone, gone, gone…”. Once the listener is mesmerized, the tempo morphs drastically as the percussion fades, introducing drawn out notes on the guitar for the remaining two minutes. The listener is entranced, feeling as if his or her ears have been baptized as the song slowly progresses to an end. He or she is now a part of the Vampire Hands cult.

Following this rite of passage into the second half of the album, the melody is vastly different from the beginning. The instrumentals of the first portion of Cherry Red serve as pleasant introductions, being upbeat and more superficial then what is presented after “Friendship Road.” It is after this transition that the sound becomes deeper and more personal. It is as if the band trusts the listener now and provides them with a view into their heart and soul. The music becomes more experimental and entrancing as the guitar riffs become harder and the drumming solidifies.

Unfortunately, fans will notice throughout the album that the lyrics are hard to decipher. Bierden and Johnson’s singing is muffled throughout the album, especially toward the second half.

“We don’t necessarily put our vocals to the for [sic] front of our songs because we like it that way,” vocalist and bassist Bierden wrote on their MySpace blog.

The underrated Minneapolis music scene has prevailed once more, adding Vampire Hands to the long list of talented artists the area has cultivated. Catch all of their percussion action live on their tour across the nation, or go pick up a copy of Me and You Cherry Red. Do it or vampires will get you.

Big Star – #1 Record

The debut LP of the Memphis Tennessee power-poppers Big Star could be one of the greatest records you’ve never heard. In fact, this beautiful album review could easily be filled with paragraph after paragraph of the numerous artists and rock and roll outfits that have been shaped and influenced by the record’s prose. Teenage Fanclub, Elliott Smith and the Replacements are just a few of the more recognizable followers of Big Star’s genius. Released in 1972, Big Star’s #1 Record has become a crafty cornerstone to the world of forgotten pop gems.

#1 Record boasts the combined song writing efforts of Alex Chilton and Chris Bell. Although these two songwriters straddle noticeably different methodologies, their collaboration in Big Star uses their personal differences to create a range that is both sporadic and refined, consisting of jangly power pop to sentimental and beautifully composed ballads. One of the most powerful aspects of the album is the innocence and sincerity oozing from songs such as “Thirteen,” “When My Baby’s Beside Me” and “The Ballad of El Goodo.” It has become a rare occasion for an artist to reminisce while still making an emotional connection with the listener. #1 Record has perfected this combination. As Bell and Chilton harmonize listeners will find themselves comfortably snuggling beneath a beautiful blanket of Big Star’s naivety.

Upon a first listen it is easy to hear #1 Record as a dead relic of 70’s rock. Due to the frequent and often abominable bastardization of Big Star’s sound over the last 35 years, it is initially difficult to understand the genius of their debut. When observed in context however, the originality of their alluring power pop screams louder than any cock rock album that tried to bury it.

Although it was originally issued to positive reviews, #1 Record failed to become a success outside of well-read rock critics and musician circles. Nevertheless, since the bands implosion in 1975, their sound has influenced countless artists and lead to the creation of some of greatest music of our generation. There is much to be learned while spinning the eclectic and poppy goodness of Big Star on your home stereo.

Check this album out if you like: The Replacements, The Raspberries, The Kinks, Cheap Trick and Paul McCartney

To hear tracks from the #1 Record and hear other such poppy delights, tune into Radio K’s “Last Years Model” on Monday April 14th and 21st.

Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple

Having a song as popular as Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” can be both a boon and a bane for a band. While lots of people might still be talking about “Crazy,” Danger Mouse and Cee-lo have moved on. Their new album The Odd Couple, with tracks like “Going On,” reflect their evolution. Like the song, which is definitely one of my favorites, almost every aspect of the album seems to point towards DJ Danger Mouse and Cee-lo moving on to the next thing. Both are contemplative and catchy and are sure to get your booty shaking.

For those of you who are not familiar with Gnarls Barkley’s first album St. Elsewhere, for the love of the music gods go and check it out! I promise you will be dancing by the end of it. On their new album, DJ Danger Mouse definitely makes sure every song has a beat you can shake more than your fist at. However, some are a little more controlled than the loose and fast style of the previous album. Their new album definitely tries to make progress heading into uncharted territories. Compared to their last album, certain stretches of The Odd Couple may be a bit bewildering for fans. Some songs, like parts of “Neighbors” and “No Time Soon” crash as over-the-top sounds that are a little out of reach for the duo. The result is something that isn’t quite as cool as other attempts on the album. It is also an indicator that Gnarls Barkley are really trying to push their limits and forge something new.

One of my favorite songs on the album, “Open Book,” displays just that. The song starts out with a syncopated drum groove and some jungle sound effects. From there the song progresses through a Cee-lo verse (whose lyrics are always choice) and comes to a head at the chorus, making use of the elasticity of Cee-lo’s voice. The song brinks on the boundary of something like Animal Collective at certain points, as the layers of his voice pile on top each other, all sounding like they’re coming from a different person. His vocals are amazing and even manage to stir up the ghosts of old Blues legends like Leadbelly or Robert Johnson at times. In short, Gnarls Barkley are definitely exploring.

If you are looking for a return to the form of their last album, and a catchy tune, you can catch “Run” on the radio right now. This is by far their least adventurous tune of the album and falls just after the beginning of the album, around track four which is by far the danciest section of the album. Songs three through six are guaranteed to move your groove and are just the thing for any dance party.

All around the album is full of short songs (all of them hovering around three minutes) that are solidly constructed on smooth foundations of solid beats. From there, Danger Mouse works his magic by layering sounds to construct verses and choruses while cooking up some tasty hooks as well. Cee-lo’s voice bounces all over the place, and he manages to make it sound like there are all sorts of different vocalists on each track. Some songs may lead a bit to the corny side, but there are bound to be some missteps along the way when trying to make something really unique. The samples are great and many of the songs are a brilliant blend of catchy rhythms and meaningful lyrics.

At this point it seems that the two artists have found something in each other that bodes well and are both using the fullest force of their creativity. It looks like Gnarls Barkley will be around for a while, which in my mind means that one of the freshest new sounds in music is something I can look forward to, not backwards at.

The Kinks – Something Else By the Kinks

Raymond Douglas Davies is a clever man. As the chief and nearly unchaperoned hit maker for the prolific UK outfit the Kinks, Davies has dabbled in some of the most catchy, interesting and clever rock and roll in the genre’s six decades. Continuing the trend of gentle guitar tones and lyrical satire found on previous Kinks work, Sir Raymond compiled the bulk of the Kinks’ 1967 masterpiece Something Else by the Kinks.

Opening with one of the album’s gems, the up-tempo rocker titled “David Watts,” Davies immediately reveals his sneaky brilliance. Obscured by a boogie-woogie piano and a creeping snare tempo lurks the satirized envy of a high school poster boy. The track is so lovable that listeners immediately apply their own thirsts for high school jocks onto the story’s protagonist.

Although in the mid-60’s The Kinks were making music similar to other British bands like The Who, Something Else demonstrated the splintering of Davies’ song writing style to that of Pete Townshend. Where Townshend and company may bite their tongues while singing harmonies over Roger Daltrey’s proclamation that “they couldn’t prevent Jack from feeling happy,” Davies’ tongue nearly protrudes from his left cheek. On Something Else, Davies manages to paraphrase middle-class abandon, critique the hospitality of the diminishing British Empire, and satirically stab at the treachery of the protestant work ethic, all while presenting a delivery similar to that of the archetypal balding next-door neighbor. Such an effective and misleading common-man disguise had not been successfully reproduced until George W. ran for president as the guy everyone wanted to “drink a beer” with.

The album is a platform for Davies to rip through both his hatreds and lusts in a tone that is both consistently vacant and cheerful. As a result, the song production on the album is both cheery and incredibly endearing. Although the repercussions of such an emotional juxtaposition could be drastic, the album never becomes despondent or stale. Something Else is so gloriously caked in hooks and “la-la-la’s” that the charming wit of Davies is pinned to an increasingly growing wall of honor. Meaning: The Kinks have performed spectacular things on this album. Which spectacular things listeners derive depends on what they are looking for.

Lastly, the album’s closer, the hauntingly beautiful ‘Waterloo Sunset’, is a true beacon in rock and roll history. I have yet to find a better three-minute pop song – either in Davies catalogue or elsewhere.

Listen if you like: The Rolling Stones, The Who, Blur and The Jam.

Tune in to Radio K’s Last Year’s Model on Monday March 24th and 31st at 8pm to hear the consistent babble of hosts Phil and Jordan and listen to all the wonders of Something Else by the Kinks.

The Kinks – No Return

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

You have heard it a thousand times: jaded rock stars whining about drugs, alcohol, sex and the woes of life on the road. It is hard for the average person to connect to such an aesthetic; however, a refreshing change in subject matter can be found in For Emma, Forever Ago. The debut by Bon Iver is an album inspired by real life, hard work, and a harsh Wisconsin winter.

Bon Iver, misspelled French meaning “good winter,” is the pseudonym of Justin Vernon, former member of the disbanded rock-folk group DeYarmond Edison. After the break-up of the band, Vernon returned to his home in Wisconsin where he secluded himself in his father’s hunting cabin for four frosty months. He filled his days with simple work: sawing and hauling firewood, trips on the tractor and recording. From the loins of this wintry seclusion was born For Emma, Forever Ago, an album dripping with layering harmonies, evocative metaphors and ardent acoustic strums.

The opening track, “Flume,” immediately brings the listener into the album’s rustic aesthetic. Vernon’s double-tracked falsetto, accompanied by simple acoustic chords lures us into his wintry world. The song swells and fades while Vernon’s voice, his most powerful instrument, carries us along for the ride. His lyrics provide similes and alliteration that conjures up powerful imagery: “Only love is all maroon/ Lapping lakes like leery loons/ Leaving rope burns– reddish ruse.”

A few tracks later “Skinny Love” envelops the listener in the neo-soul rhythm and power of the song. With a commanding chorus, Vernon demonstrates that he can not only mesmerize us with his unhinged falsetto, but also pack a powerful vocal punch. Background clapping gives the track a homemade feel, as if you are actually sitting in Vernon’s cabin witnessing his musical confession of a failed romance.

Later in the album, the tracks, “For Emma,” and “Creature Fear,” feature drums and horns. The inclusion of these instruments does not break the ambience of the album, but instead creates songs that are mounting and cathartic. Lyrically the album can range from highly poetic, to muddled and incomprehensible. However, in the case of For Emma, Forever Ago, much of the beauty lies in what Vernon doesn’t say, and is left to the power and emotion already contained within his whimpers and sighs. Vernon closes the nine-track album with “re: Stacks”, a haunting song, both in its chilling delivery and message about nature catching up with us.

For Emma, Forever Ago is an album that feels real. Through simple instrumentals and heartfelt expressions of common sentiments, Vernon has created a living, breathing piece of art. Although each individual track has power of its own, it is the album as a whole that will leave you pleasantly numb. The experience will send Vernon’s bastardized French straight to your heart and make you look at winter, and life in general, in a more positive light.

Bon Iver – For Emma

T-Rex – The Slider

Many bands manage to generate a single rock and roll gem before ricocheting into the depths of music history hell. Like the Kinks, The Velvet Underground and The Hollywood Argyles, T. Rex defied this explode-and-deflate pathway. In September 1971, T. Rex released an album often heralded as a pinnacle of rock achievement and sexiness titled Electric Warrior. Less than a year later in 1972, bandleader Marc Bolan and company recorded and released an equally stunning but far less appreciated nugget: The Slider.

T. Rex were at the vanguard of the formation and growing popularity of glam rock. With the release of Electric Warrior, the genre became Bolan’s signature muddy guitar tracks and echoing breathy vocals. Where Electric Warrior brought listeners to new heights of sexual ambiguity and rock ‘n’ roll excess, The Slider refined and expanded these characteristics, creating something more closely resembling a phallic relic dressed in sequence. The album’s excessively over-polished production is so successfully juxtaposed against the band’s dirty cock-rock essence that The Slider produces a reaction Beakman would have a hard time dumbing down and regurgitating. The album is far too catchy, far too clever and far too rock and roll to not be described as a glimpse into the heavens.

Perhaps the most refreshing element of The Slider is Bolan’s hyper-self-aware style. When you hear him flawlessly delivering lines as ridiculous as “babe I’ll rabbit fight all over you,” you fall ambivalently between visualizing the scene Bolan describes and picturing good old Marc’s beautiful jaw line drifting toward a carnivalesque grin. The album presents a safeness that proclaims, “yes, rock and roll is ridiculous and yes, that is what I love about it.” The Slider stands drenched in its own excess, all fully exposed and proud.

Check this album out if you like: Slade, David Bowie, Thin Lizzy, Sweet or Mott the Hoople.

T. Rex – Rabbit Fighter

Do you ever find yourself longing for the old days, a time when music was dipped in a vat of sweat-soaked plaid button-ups, distorted anguish, and raw power? Perhaps your nostalgia runs deeper – back to a time when psychedelic guitar solos reigned supreme. If this be the case, you may find comfort in the reminiscent stylings of Retribution Gospel Choir’s self-titled debut.

Retribution Gospel Choir, a three man band out of Duluth, Minnesota, features front man Alan Sparhawk, drummer Eric Pollard and bassist Matthew Livingstone. Sparhawk and Livingstone are originally members of Low, a band dubbed one of the pioneers of slowcore. Low, founded in the mid 90’s, was making minimalist music during an era fascinated with grunge. In the new millennium, the boys are upping the noise level with Retribution Gospel Choir, and seem to be reaching back to a style of music from whichthey were once considerably different.

The album wastes no time. The opening track, titled “They Knew You Well”, quickly introduces the listener to heavy drums and bass complimented by mind-bending harmonies that characterize the band’s sound. A couple of tracks later, the break-beat rhythm of “Breaker” will have you tapping your feet and repeating the lurid lyrics again and again in your head. The song, an original by Low, features Sparhawk’s wife (Low member Mimi Parker) lending back-up vocals. Her inclusion adds a husband-wife softness to the hard sound of the instruments. The following track, “Somebody’s Someone”, provides a solo that keeps the guitars cranked and heavy, but also calls upon classic rock solos of legends past.

Mid album, the songs drift from unapologetically hard to an eclectic mixture of soft and upbeat. Lighter tracks like “Destroyer” give the listener time to appreciate the uniqueness of Sparhawk’s voice, while “What She Turned Into” serves as a shockingly upbeat departure from the rest of the album. Sparkhawk’s voice could easily be pegged as a whine, but his on-key harmonies and intense volume transform into a sound better described as hypnotic. Lyrically, the album is sparse and dark, with Sparhawk crooning simple lines like “I am the destroyer” and “our bodies break and our blood just spills and spills”.

The undiluted power and grittiness of the album is a plus, but the song lengths can run teasingly short. Although the band calls upon certain style elements of grunge and classic rock, to boil their sound down to simply a hybrid of the two would be unjust. Overall the combination of gritty guitar, classic rock inspired solos and surprisingly catchy melodies creates a completely new style of music that will pleasantly surprise and remain grounded in your head long after the ear buds come out.

The self-titled debut will be released on March 18 by indie label Caldo Verde, and the St. Paul Turf Club can be expecting a visit from the band on March 22.

Retribution Gospel Choir – For Her Blood

Nick Lowe – Pure Pop for Now People

Do you love Elvis Costello like we do? Hidden in the shadow of Costello’s success is a musician that tastes, smells and even sounds like him. Nick Lowe is that musician, and his album Pure Pop For Now People is a benchmark in modern pop.

After honing his talents in a slew of different English pub bands, Lowe released Pure Pop For Now People in 1978 as his first solo album. Combining the eclectic sounds he helped produce on earlier Costello albums, Lowe creates a crunchy machine of poppy singles that have become landmarks of jangling guitars, dissonant vocals and loose drums.

While albums usually sound best when played beginning to end, Lowe’s knack for writing crafty singles allows Pure Pop to break the conventions of the rock’n’roll album. With hooks so memorable they completely ensnare your attention, each track on the record works cohesively with the album, and is able to stand individually.

Lyrically, Pure Pop is like playing a game of Candyland inside a nightmare. The lyrics are dark and dangerous, but sugarcoated with the appeal of pop music. As Lowe tells stories of record company greed, lost genitalia, and pets eating their fallen owners, the album spirals further into the supernatural. The incredible parody that this album takes on is a window into the history of modern pop music. Each song’s style stems from a previously invented genre into something unique – a blend that creates the savory pop tunes of Lowe’s individuality. Pure Pop is a new experience upon every listen. Put the album on random and enjoy all the nuances of power-pop at its best.

Check this album out if you like: Matthew Sweet, Elvis Costello, and Cheap Trick.

To listen to tracks from the album and more stunning info, listen to Radio K’s “Last Years Model” on Monday, February 25th and March 3rd at 8pm.
www.radiok.org