By: Hannah Cook, Editorial Director
You
can’t trust me with a lot of things. I already forget what you just told me,
and the cookies? They’re burnt. Sorry. BUT you can trust me with these Exec Recs. Sure, I may be making some shameless plugs for my friends, but they
deserve it. And yeah, we’ve all heard of Sigur Rós, but have you ever seen
Shia Labeouf’s bare crotch region? Probably not, and you probably kinda want
to. So here it goes, in no particular order. Each of these holds a part of my
heart in one way or another.
1. Why?
Why?
is a band of many strange colloquialisms. You’ve probably heard of them,
but I’m going to talk about them anyway because I’ve only recently starting
listening to them (even though they’re from my hometown and their name is
mumbled everywhere by everyone). Anyway, the Cincinnati natives are some kind
of modern Cake with an indescribable edge. Half hip-hop, half indie and half
weird (there’s three halves in a whole, you know), Why? creates the kind of
sound one doesn’t often hear. The result is about a decade of bizarre music
that hipsters across the land have grown to love.
Speaking
of Cincinnati, at the end of September is the city’s own 11th annual Midpoint Music
Festival. Since 11 is such an awkward age, the creators wanted to make up for
the braces and training bra with a solid lineup: Andrew Bird, Grizzly Bear,
Best Coast, Dinosaur Jr., Dirty Projectors, Sleigh Bells…need I say more? Fine.
Stepdad, The Antlers, Pomegranates, Shovels and Rope, The Ridges, Unknown
Mortal Orchestra. I’m out of breath. The festival is happening at various
venues across Cincinnati, but most are all within walking distance. I’ve gone
the past couple of years, and besides it being age discriminatory at most
places (how wonderful it is to be of age now), it was a damn good time.
Cincinnati’s up to something big, you guys.
3. Fun Machine (Shameless plug number one)
Speaking
of Cincinnati one last time. There’s this band. They may or may not be
friends of mine, but really, that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that they
are earnest musicians, simultaneously young and old at heart. Getting
their footing in the Cincinnati music scene is proving to be easier said than
done, but by golly, you better believe they’re one of the greater bands coming
out of that town. Misunderstood suburban hoodrats (they’re not really all that
hoodrat-y, it's just to say it) playing indie rock that’s special to where they’re
from and who’s been in their lives.
4.
Sigur Rós music videos
When
one thinks of Sigur Rós, one thinks of soundscapes. When one watches
Sigur Ros’ music videos, one sees those soundscapes perfectly
materialized. Before your very eyes, unknown horizons and obscure
characterizations are brought to life. The possibilities become endless.
The
band’s latest endeavor is “Fjögur Píanó,” where Disney Channel's own early
2000s teenage babe, Shia LaBeouf, appears nude. But that’s not even the
weirdest part. It’s the story the video tells (mostly incomprehensible) as the
characters show raw and desperate emotions. It’s eight minutes of confusion,
but also some kind of aesthetic bliss.
But
Sigur Ros also wanted to put the creativity into the hands of its dearest fans,
so it’s currently running a music video competition. (Shameless plug number
two.) Hundreds, if not thousands, of videos from all over the world have been
submitted, and students from our very own Ohio University are in the running.
The video, shot at Strouds, is as peaceful as they come, showing the story of
two “forest spirits” guiding a “wanderer” to where he needs to be. In and out
of the top 50, these guys need your vote to keep their well-deserved spot at
the top. You can place your vote here.
5.
Dan Deacon live
Dan
Deacon, a Baltimore native, is many things--a storyteller, a weirdo, a
mastermind of electronics—but never, ever dull. That enthusiasm glimmers in his
lengthy discography, but beams like the goddamn sun in his live shows. He is
unlike any other musical performer. You don’t need to be an avid listener of
Deacon’s electronic music to appreciate what he does, either. Heck, I wasn’t
when I saw him for the first (and I pray not the last) time. You’ve just got to
have an open mind--and I mean really open. Gaping. Free of all other thoughts
irrelevant to the very moment you’re in. Unburdened, like a newborn baby. His
audience participation is out of this world as he demands from the crowd dance-offs and appreciation for strangers. One can only oblige. Never has anyone possessed
such a power over people and used it in all the right ways.
