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BANKS: An Artist Profile

Sexy, agonizing, esoteric, occult. These are a few words that come to mind when listening to BANKS. If I could describe her music in one sentence it would be: listen to BANKS if you want to feel like a bad bitch. Her music evokes a sense of suffering and pain, but imbedded within every piece she creates is a sense of perseverance. 

Born Jillian Rose Banks, BANKS began playing piano and songwriting at the age of 15, using music as a way to cope with feelings of loneliness and helplessness. After graduating high school, she enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC), where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Over her years at the university, she made a connection with DJ Yung Skeeter, who offered to manage her and signed her to Good Years Recordings. In February of 2013, she posted a track to a private SoundCloud page. This track was called “Before I Ever Met You”, and it quickly racked up streams and was played on BBC Radio 1 shortly after its release. It was also featured in various TV shows and movies in the following months. BANKS released her debut EP, Fall Over, in March of 2013 and her second EP, London, in September 2013. 2013 was a huge year for BANK’s career - she received nominations for awards from both the BBC and MTV, was included on iTunes' list of "New Artists for 2014", and was the opening act for The Weeknd during his fall 2013 UK and U.S. tour. In March of 2014, she began her own tour in the UK. She also performed at Coachella in April of 2014, and performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in August of 2014. On September 5th, 2014, she released her first full length album, Goddess. 

The project charted in the top 20 in the UK, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden. After the release of this album, her songs could be heard in many television programs and movies alike, including “Waiting Game” in the film Divergent, and “You Should Know Where I’m Coming From” in the television series Grey’s Anatomy and Red Band Society. After Goddess, came her second album released in 2016, The Altar. 

The music video for “Gemini Feed” off The Altar. 

Following this release, which was also a huge success and received critical acclaim, Banks took a short hiatus in which she, “had the space and time to actually confront certain things”. She emerged in the summer of 2019 with her latest album release, III.

In an interview conducted by Jill Gutowitz, BANKS talks about the complexity that inspires her music. “With art, with relationships, any situation, nothing is black-and-white … except that. There are a few things that are black-and-white. Like, how you judge people, how you judge yourself. Life is so messy. But there are certain things that you almost have to be so jagged about, like when you know logically that somebody is toxic for you. It’s hard to know what’s right.” Most of her songs describe going through a tumultuous time - whether a toxic relationship or internal struggles - but a feeling of powerfulness is always overwhelmingly present. 

In response to her emotional lyricism, BANKS says, “It’s being an empath in general. Just digesting energies and being so aware. Sometimes I’ll say I’m sensitive as if I think it’s a weakness. And I hate that, because the word “sensitive” is not a weakness. I wish there was another word for it. But there have been times definitely where I’ve wished that I couldn’t feel so much. It’s an easier life.” With lyrics and vocals filled to the brim with emotion, it makes sense that BANKS identifies as an empath. And, in my opinion, that is part of what makes her such an incredible artist. When listening to her music, her emotion is raw and palpable and tangible. Her emotions intermingle with your own, and that makes for an ethereal and breathtakingly emotional listening experience. 

[izzymizzz]

An Interview with Madhavi Devi

I interviewed Madhavi Devi, a 17-year old singer/songwriter from Ocean County, New Jersey. She attends OCVTS PAA (Performing Arts Academy), the highschool I graduated from in 2017. I met Madhavi my Junior year when she was a Freshman, and was instantly blown away by her talent as a singer, songwriter, and musician. I took this opportunity to learn more about her creative process and journey as a musician.

Izzy: When did you start singing, song writing, playing, etc.?

Madhavi: I was about 7 when I started playing and writing. I picked up the guitar first, and then the piano. I’d write really bad, dumb songs with my best friend who was a couple years older than me, and we’d make fake music videos, and all that dumb kid stuff. It’s not really that dumb though because to this day I haven’t stopped. Ironically, I wrote a song about that friend when she thought she was too cool for me in middle school. So who’s really too cool? Just kidding. Kind of.

Izzy: Oh, you’re the coolest. So how would you describe your sound?

Madhavi: Ooo tough one. My sound is unique, I think. It’s definitely become more clean and mature; the musical theatre training I’ve had for the past few years really made my voice powerful, and I think that’s something I use to emphasize the emotion of what I write. I think my sound is digestible too, like it’s made to be heard and received by whoever listens to my songs. I want to be the voice that people can go to and be like, “I’m not alone in this. She’s here and she knows what it’s like”. But while I think my emotions play into my sounds, it’s also nostalgic and experimental. I like to play with the accompaniment I use and how that adds to the lyrics I write.

Izzy: If you could collaborate with any musician, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

Madhavi: Oh man, I think either Khalid or Taylor Swift. Ooo or Renee Rap. I think Khalid is such a fabulous artist in the way he sounds and his vocal tone, and Taylor is such a lyrical powerhouse. Writing with her would be such an honor, I think I would cry *laughs*. Renee Rap (Regina George in Mean Girls on Broadway) has such an amazing voice and I feel like I try to replicate her technique a lot. I would love to sing with her. I feel like I could learn so many different things from each of these people. It’s so hard to pick one, but if I had to I think it’d be Taylor Swift.

Izzy: Alright, similar question. Who are some of your most prominent musical influences?

Madhavi: Taylor Swift, again. She inspired me to pick up my guitar and notebook when I was 7. She inspired me to never stop writing or playing. Besides her, I think who I’m surrounded by in Ocean County. Olivia Bec is so great, her sound and lyrics are so unique too. I think a lot of local musicians bring so many different things to the table and I just look at all of that and I’m like, wow, these are all things I admire. How can I incorporate that into what I do, what can I gather from these artists and how can I better my own career?

Izzy: What are the biggest challenges you’ve encountered so far on this journey of music?

Madhavi: The biggest challenges are probably haters and creative blocks. But I think the most difficult thing is being your own hater. Of course you’re not gonna love everything you do and you’re not gonna be proud of every piece you write, but I think you have to love your work even if it isn’t the best you’ve ever made. Because if you don’t love it, and if you hate everything you’re doing, how can you expect someone else to be obsessed with your work? That’s the biggest challenge. Loving the stuff you hate. Because even if it’s awful, you still have the love it. You gotta be confident in the bad stuff because it’s gonna launch you into your amazing stuff.

Izzy: Speaking of creative blocks, how do you deal with them?

Madhavi: Creative blocks are hard. I went through a really bad one for two years, about two years afo. It was really difficult. I still wrote a lot but nothing good ever came out of it. I had a lot of unfinished work and it wasn’t anything worth finishing, I thought. But coming out of it I just realized that the bad stuff sometimes has to come before the good stuff. And after the good stuff will come more bad stuff. So with that in mind, and as cliche as it sounds, the best way to get out of a creative block is to not sit in it. If you marinate in your unimaginative state than that’s all you’ll be for as long as you sit in it. Being an artist means pushing yourself beyond where you feel comfortable, because no one else will. Ooo okay. The key to getting out of a creative block is to not be comfortable with the idea of it. If that makes sense.

Izzy: What advice would you give to younger musicians just breaking into the industry?

Madhavi: I’m pretty young myself so I feel like I don’t have a lot of room to give advice, but as someone who’s been writing for 10 years, just never stop creating. Whether it’s songs or poetry or visual art, you have to feed that creative voice in your head all the dang time or else you’re gonna get stuck and it’ll feel absolutely awful. And surround yourself with people who build you up and inspire you to push to be your best, but also know the difference between someone who is bashing your work but calling it constructive. Find people who listen and who workshop your stuff with you, or take pieces of your work that maybe you aren’t so proud of and help you create it into something you’d want to show off. Music is so about community and constant creativity, but it’s also about being confident in who you are and what you do. You are the only one of you and only you can do what you do, so take that information and be powerful and awesome because you are! That was like hella cheese town but you know. It’s true.

As you can see, Madhavi is not only a funny and quirky 17-year old high schooler, but an extremely talented musician with a lot of valuable shit to say. You can listen to Madhavi’s music here.

[izzymizzz]

Concerts and Sobriety: A Complementary Contradiction

The Grateful Dead (not sure if you’ve ever heard of them) are a band that emerged in Palo Santo, California in 1965. Their music fused together elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, gospel, and psychedelic rock. Jerry Garcia, the band’s frontman, used cocaine and heroin - like a lot. Many lyrics in a lot of Grateful Dead songs allude to substance use, such as, ““Drivin’ that train / High on cocaine / Casey Jones you better watch your speed”, from “Casey Jones”, and perhaps their most famous lyrics of all time, “What a long, strange trip it’s been”, from “Truckin’” (see below).

Grateful Dead concerts were heavily characterized by drug use - alcohol, marijuana, heroin, acid, shrooms, cocaine. You name it, and it’s been snorted, shot up, or ingested in one way or another at a Grateful Dead show. Drug and alcohol use at concerts is not uncommon, but what is unique about The Grateful Dead and the heavy drug use prevalent at their shows is that, out of it, something incredible was born.

In the 80’s, a small group of deadheads (Grateful Dead fans), who were in recovery from substance abuse, began gathering together at concerts to support one another’s sobriety. Within and perhaps because of the drug heavy concert scene, a new counter-scence was birthed. Yellow balloons marked with the letters AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) signified the groups table, where they held meetings inspired by the 12 Step Programs at the intermission of concerts. They became known as The Wharf Rats, which is a reference to the Grateful Dead song, “The Wharf Rat”, that tells the story of a struggling alcoholic. 

Today, The Wharf Rats have grown into a prominent group of concert-goers who have traded in drugs and alcohol for the equally euphoric and completely natural high offered from an incredible concert. Their concert attendance has expanded both in musical genre and geographic location. There is no longer an affiliation with AA, NA, or any other 12-step program. Instead, the meetings they provide at the intermission of shows focus on sharing similar experiences regarding music, life, and recovery. Drugs had brought them to their bottom, but their love of music combined with their commitment to sobriety would help bring them back from the pits of despair.

As someone who is in recovery from substance abuse and is also a music junkie, I can attest that a jarring reservation I had when I was first getting clean/sober was the inevitable fact that my relationship with concerts and music would change. How the actual fuck was I supposed to enjoy concerts with triggers such as drugs and alcohol surrounding me everywhere I turned? Perhaps due to the commonality of music and substance abuse crossing paths, there are now these incredible options for people in recovery who are also avid concert goers and music geeks. My sobriety and my love of music are two of the most important things in my life. And despite a tie between music and drugs that can seem unbreakable, I know today that I can have one without the other. I discovered that I can actually enjoy life and have fun while being sober - and damnnnn, if that wasn’t news to me. When I first got sober, it felt as if my life was completely over. But I soon found that joy was attainable, and as they often say in the rooms of AA: we’re sober -- not dead.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grateful_Dead

https://mountainside.com/blog/recovery/the-wharf-rats-concert-goers-drug-free-culture

[izzymizzz]

Black Hole Sun: The Vocals

Isolated tracks allow a window into the working parts of a musical creation. Isolating tracks while producing or mixing a song can provide insight on what needs to be improved about each track so the producer can create the best sounding blend of tracks. Listening to isolated tracks of well-known songs is an interesting experience, as it takes a melody that you are familiar with but presents it in a new way, where the intricacies are much more apparent - that can be a good or bad thing. Chris Cornell was an amazing rock and roll singer, and his isolated vocals from “Black Hole Sun” demonstrate that. Released in 1994, before the creation of auto-tune which was first seen in 1998 on Cher’s track “Believe”, the incredible performance can only be attributed to Cornell’s natural vocal ability.

The time signature of the song is 4/4 and the key is G Major. There is little to no reverb in the mixing. The verses seem to consist of a single vocal track, but when the song progresses to the chorus, it seems like there are a few vocal tracks layered on top of one another. Interestingly, there is actually a bit of background noise at certain points, such as 2:54. It was surprising to hear this in such a popular and classic piece of rock music, and I wonder if this is common in modern music, or if it was due to a lack of effective/technologically advanced equipment. The background noise is a bit jarring when listening to the isolated vocals, however, it does not hinder the quality of the original recorded song. When listening to both the isolated vocals and the original recording, the isolated vocals sound a lot slower, as the additional instruments in the original recording help push along the tempo and make it sound faster and more regulated. The lack of other instruments allow you to hear the true grit that makes Cornell’s voice so captivatingly hypnotic. Paired with the raw emotion and descriptive lyricism, it leads for a truly immersive experience.

“In my eyes, indisposed In disguises no one knows Hides the face, lies the snake The sun in my disgrace Boiling heat, summer stench 'Neath the black the sky looks dead Call my name through the cream And I'll hear you scream again”

Through the lyrics, the listener gets the sense that Cornell is angry, maybe suffering with depression. The paradox of a “black hole sun” is such an interesting concept in and of itself, and paired with lyrics “won’t you come and wash away the rain”, it makes me envision someone suffering so much pain that the only thing they can conceptualize is more pain. Interestingly enough, Chris Cornell actually claims that the lyrics did not mean anything specific, but were rather born out of him playing with words for words’ sake. Regardless of the intention, both the original recordings and the isolated vocals have emotional impact for different reasons. The original recording combines a catchy and powerful guitar line with heavy drums and a repetitive chorus that swells and creates a dark and moody atmosphere. The isolated vocal track creates a less full but no less intense sensation, that leaves you feeling emphatic to whatever Cornell is feeling as he’s singing. Chris Cornell’s voice is honey - but it’s not processed honey that comes in a bottle. It is raw, rough, natural, and straight from the beehive. It is not pretty, but it is beautiful.

Sources:

https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3953/

[izzymizzz]

Modern Teleportation: A Playlist

Music brings people together, tears people apart, heals souls and communities. It also possesses the power to move. This is a playlist inspired of songs that transport you to another world entirely. You can listen here.

“Soothe Lady Wine” by Matt Corby

The first on the list is “Soothe Lady Wine” by Matt Corby off of his 2016 album Telluric. The first time I heard this song was in 2017, during high school gym class. My friend played it for me and instantly all of my stress about school - tests, homework, highschool drama - evaporated into thin air. My bones seemed to liquefy, my blood began simmering, and I was transported to Corby’s world of neo-psychedelic bliss. “It's reality / With no fear in sight / We can begin to feel the happiness”. The song’s title is accurate - it truly does sooth.

Listen to be transported to: an idealistic futuristic realm where all your troubles seize to exist.

“Retrograde” by James Blake

This song tells a passionate story of witnessing someone go through changes and being unable to stop it. James Blake sings about the sordid realization that the changes a particular person is going through may now make them incompatible to you. This can be seen in the lyrics, “Suddenly I’m hit / It’s the starkness of the dawn / And your friends are gone / And your friends won’t come  / So show me where you fit”. Blake’s emotional vocals evoke a sense of loneliness and frustration in being unable to control the actions of another, but also portray the sense of peace and power that comes with complete surrender to a situation.

Listen to be transported to: an emotional state, on the brink of a major change/transformation.

“NFWMB” by Hozier

Hozier is an Irish singer-songwriter who catapulted into mainstream success with the release of his single, “Take Me to Church”. With hypnotizingly honeyed vocals and allegorical lyricism, “NFWMB” tells the tale of a haunting and all-consuming love characterized by a dark possessiveness. Described by Hozier as, “a love song for the end of the world”, an apocalyptic sentiment is exactly what the somnolent tempo, recurrent guitar melody, and eerie vocal harmonies evoke. Lyrics such as, “Ain't it warming you, the world gone up in flames? / Ain't it the life you, your lighting of the blaze?” reinforce this dark prophetic future. The lyrics and melody had me questioning whether this was a man devoted to protecting his significant other, or if he was an obsessive stalker/serial killer looming in the shadows in search of his next target.

Listen to be transported to: a post-apocalyptic world where everything is on fire.

“Hubris” by Sevdaliza

Sevdaliza is an Iranian-Dutch producer, singer, and songwriter. Her music is heavily influenced by ideas of womanhood, motherhood, and identity. “Hubris”, from her 2017 studio album ISOS, is hauntingly captivating. The song begins with toned chimes that are reminiscent of church bells and mixes morbidity with a luring seduction. I interpret the song as mourning the death of a relationship - existing at the border death and lust. “And oh, I don't love you / Anymore / And oh, I don't love you / Anymore / No, I never did” imply the loss of an important person in the singer’s life as well as a renunciation of previous implicit feelings.

Listen to be transported to: an erotic funeral home morgue.

“Letting In” by Beauville prod. NoMBe

This song opens with an enrapturing guitar riff that immediately penetrated my chest and wrapped my heart in a tight embrace. From the first time I heard this song, it felt nostalgic and familiar. NoMBe’s voice does to the soul what the sun does to skin - warms, stimulates, revitalizes. In “Letting In”, he sings about a quixotic affair of the heart in its purest and simplest form. Lyrics like, “Lips like roses on my skin / Makin it easy to let her in / And love is a light that floats on the wind / Like her rose petal lips on my skin”, describe the frightening yet beautiful feeling of the vulnerability that comes with any human connection.

Listen to be transported to: the Pacific ocean on a simmering summer day.

These are just a few of my favorite pieces of music - ones that allow me to immerse myself so deeply that I feel as though I have transcended time and space. In my opinion, that is one of the hallmarks of an incredible song - regardless of genre, if a song has the ability to affect its listeners deeply, it has done its job.

[izzymizzz]

Ruby Rainbow: An Immersive Electronic Experience

Picture this: a crowded basement filled with swaying college students. Dim lighting and strobe lights distracting from the clutter in the room. Sweaty bodies, sloshing beer cups. Scattered shouts and cheers filling the cloudy and humid air. This is the college experience.

The college basement shows I have attended in the past are usually one of two genres - indie pop, or rap. But the headliner for tonight changed the game - Ruby Rainbow. Her music was unlike any I had ever heard before. I later found out that the genre is called Chiptune or 8-bit, a style of synthesized electronic music that originated in the late 1970’s-early 1980’s in Japan. It is characterized by its heavy use of the programmable sound generator sound bits in vintage computer games, video games, and arcade games.

Ruby Rainbow bounced onto the stage in a rainbow tutu, high pigtails, and a rainbow bow almost as big as her 5’3” frame. Just her, her Alesis midi keyboard, and a loop pedal occupied the makeshift stage. She was absolutely entrancing. Ruby Rainbow’s tracks may be void of lyrics, but she gets her point across eloquently and clearly. Her music is reminiscent of a simpler time, of childhood. As the electronic music infiltrated my ears, the rainbow strobe lights flashing in my eyes, and the pungent smell of marijuana sneaking up my nose, my senses felt completely overwhelmed in the most wonderful way. I felt like I was inside a cartoonized video game, or perhaps on a euphoric acid trip - or maybe stuck in a video game on an acid trip. She performed a few songs from her album Choose Your Own Adventure (available on Spotify). Two highlights from the performance were “The Caves in the Mountains” and “Under the Cover of Starlight”. 

“The Caves in the Mountains”, her second song, was a complex track that began with an electronic string instrument plucking a campy melody. A beeping sound in varying pitches then entered the mix. Soon after that came high-pitched electronic horns, and then rhythmic chimes. In the background were electronic video game gun noises - think pew! The song then transitioned into a more cohesive sound, with a guitar strumming full chords, and horns playing a harmony. Conflicting melodies created dissonance yet somehow simultaneously complemented one another. The melody began to build, with chords that evoked a sense of hope, exploration, and home. Then, just as soon as it began, it returned to its dissociative beginning and slowly faded out.

The closing song she played was entitled “Under the Cover of Starlight”. In comparison to her previous tracks, it had a slow tempo and dark melody. It reminded me of a song called “Intro” by the XX. It began with a simple melodic line played by the harpsichord. After a few measures a piano line came in. The various melodies - that were elementary on their own - combined with a groovy beat amounted to an enchanting and captivating musical creation. The audience was raptured by this piece; the sense of connectedness and unity in the crowd was palpable. This was the entire setlist for the performance:

 “Cartoon Villains”

“The Caves in the Mountains”

“In the Village”

“Watching the Clouds”

“Spin the Robot”

“Candy Land”

“Taking the Shortcut”

“Midnight Daydreams”

“Under the Cover of Starlight”

If you asked me if I was a fan of Ruby Rainbow’s music, I would say I’m not quite sure. I do not think I’m a fan of the genre Chiptune in general, however, Ruby Rainbow is an incredible performer. Her magnetic personality combined with her natural musical sense and unique stage presence makes for a performance you will never forget.

https://rubyrainbow.bandcamp.com/releases

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiptune

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5FlbXqJLShf7sixnzGAYE2?si=mslN4S7XQXmiXFELkU0oKg

[izzymizzz]

Peppa Pigs’ “My First Album!”

Peppa Pig first achieved widespread recognition after a savage moment of her hanging up on her friend Suzie for showing off her whistling skills, of which Peppa did not possess. She quickly was made into a meme - and the rest is history. Since then, Peppa Pig has been banned in both China and Australia. Slightly controversial, she is nonetheless a highly influential figure and ever since the release of her first album, “My First Album”, a pop icon. Her opening track, “It’s Peppa Pig”, is a feel-good tune that instantly plagues you with an irresistible urge to dance and sing along. She introduces her mother, father, and brother George, as well as describing her yellow house on the hill. This song sets the tone for the rest of the album.

Perhaps the most political song on the album, “Expert Daddy Pig” addresses stereotypical gender roles while also calling attention to the skewed perception children have of adults in their lives. The song begins with Peppa singing, “Daddy Pig is handy as we all can see / Hanging up a picture of the family / He taps with his hammer, so expertly”. Daddy Pig performs manual labor, a task typically thought to be done by/suited for men, with ease and expertise. In the next verse, Daddy Pig spins a pizza for his family for lunch - it is with this seemingly simple action that the patriarchy is destroyed. Daddy Pig happily provides for his family in multiple ways, promoting the exploration and questioning of society’s gender roles. The song also addresses the pedestal we often put adults on and the dilemma we face when we realize the human-nature of the adults we look up to. Towards the end of the song, Peppa describes the family taking a car ride. She sings, “He [Daddy Pig] checks the map, so expertly / Daddy, we don't want to get lost! / Don't worry, Peppa! I'm an expert in map-reading / Oh, that's strange / Are we lost? / Uhh... yes”. She ignores this slip up, continuing, “Daddy Pig is a bit of an expert!”

In “Rainbow, Rainbow”, a soulful ballad that showcases Peppa’s vocal ability and range, she sings about the colors of the rainbow while drawing real-world comparisons such as, “Orange is the color of Mommy's favorite dress / Yellow is the color of the sand on the shore”. One might also argue that “Rainbow, Rainbow” demonstrates Peppa’s support of the LGBTQ+ community. In “Dancing in Muddy Puddles”, a simple yet catchy melody, Peppa sings, “My most favorite thing in the whole world is jumping up and down in muddy puddles!”. Peppa often plays in muddy puddles in episodes of her hit TV show on Channel 5/Nick Jr. This is one of the traits that caused backlash, as parents claim it has negatively influenced their children to get down and dirty in the mud. However, I believe that Peppa is simply challenging social norms and inspiring children to challenge authority, which is an imperative part of realizing one’s autonomy.  In “The Class of Madame Gazelle” Peppa sings, “time for school / climb the hill / all my friends and me / time for school, it's so much fun!” The upbeat rhythm and children’s chorus in the background promotes the educational and fun nature of school. This song is an example of the good influence that Peppa truly is - despite enjoying jumping in muddy puddles and questioning authority, Peppa also enjoys learning and spending time with her peers.

Overall, Peppa Pig is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, the destruction of gender roles, and the liberation and power of children everywhere. Adults and parents might feel threatened by her presence, because she demonstrates the conflict that can arise when a child realizes that they have the power to make their own decisions, even if they go against that of their parents. However, I believe that making children aware of this is an imperative part of parenting, as it allows children to become aware of their autonomy at a young age and make informed and smart decisions in the future.