Hip-Hop's Future Finding Balance in Music and Life
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CChicago Tribune | On TheTown | Section 5 | Friday, May23, 2014 13 ThePOP MUSICFaPREVIEWint and that sound of dark dance tunes By Jay Gentile | Special to the Tribune Nothing starts a party like Todd Fink. We spoke with Fink songs about death and paranoia. during a break in touring from Just ask The Faint, the synth rock Tallahassee, Fla., where he was post-punks who have been ex- quietly relaxing by the pool. Ex- porting their signature brand of cerpts from that conversation dark wave, nightmarish party follow: music for the better part of 15 years, long before a new genera- On the music’s perceived dark tion of kids draped themselves in sound: neon in order to first-bump to Most of the time, I have a hard techno beats at time finding a song dance music festivals that I want to sing across the country. When: 9 p.m. Friday with a happier melo- While the Omaha, Where: Metro, dy. I like tons of songs Neb., band has al- 3730 N. Clark St. that do it but when I ways been more of a do it, it doesn’t seem rock band than the Tickets: $25 (18+); like me. … Sometimes current crop of 773-549-4140 or metro we’ll think it would candy-coated elec- chicago.com be a fun juxtaposition tronic dance music to make a song overly contemporaries who dominate dark-sounding because of the the airwaves, there is no denying lyrical content or something like The Faint’s instrumental role in that. And those are usually the helping to remind bored-looking, ones that are the most misunder- cross-armed hipsters how to stood. People don’t really get that, ditch their inhibitions and have but that’s fine I don’t care. … They fun again at shows. think that we really are this su- By dancing. perdark thing, but it’s all playful But after years at the forefront to us. What it comes down to is of the 2000s-era dance rock re- I’m into balance. I’m indecisive surgence the group helped usher about everything, or about a lot of in with its manic, high-energy things, because I have both opin- sound and morose lyrics that ions about everything. revel in exploring humanity’s dark side, The Faint went on On turning 40 this year: indefinite hiatus following 2008’s Ihave a hard time understand- “Fasciinatiion.” The members ing that I’m 40 years old. I always were exhausted. But their sound think of myself as 27, honestly. It’s PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN was not. not a vanity thing, but that’s how “I have a hard time finding a song that I want to sing with a happier melody,” says The Faint’s Todd Fink, cen- As more and more bands con- old I feel. And that’s how old I ter. He is joined in the Omaha, Neb.-based band by Clark Baechle, from left, Jacob Thiele and Dapose. tinued to incorporate keyboard- feel that other people around me driven synths into guitar-based are a lot of times, whether they writing the song, I figure out At one point, I just decided that I sounds like a generous thing to rock music, The Faint was pulled are or not. … It really matters how what I can say about it and what didn’t need a lot of stuff. I don’t do. And on some level, I think we back into the live music scene in old you think of yourself as. I see my real confusion or understand- need to be rich or have nice stuff, all know when we’re making any 2012, performing its classic 2001 older people die right away after ing of it is. A lot of times I don’t but if I do that’s totally fine. But kind of art that there’s an audi- dance-rock opus “Danse Maca- they start thinking of themselves come up with a conclusion, but freeing myself from caring about ence and they will think one thing bre” in its entirety at a series of as old, or when their spouse dies. I’m still making progress under- that, I think, allowed me to just or the other about it. But you shows. Ithink what you think about standing what I do and don’t quit working and just play music. don’t know who the audience is Now The Faint is back with its actually ages you. know. And it’s been good since then. … I going to be, so it just seems a lot first new album in six years, was just lucky enough to think of easier to make something that “Doom Abuse,” and a tour that’s On using music to converse On finding music as a way to the right question to ask myself. you know you’ll like. And so we all about recapturing that original with himself: avoid getting a “real” job: pretty much just do that. primal energy with “see-through It’s a way of explaining things Everybody has to decide what On making music for himself LED walls” and “really punchy to yourself. I write songs where I they’re going to spend all their versus others: [email protected] moving lights that are kind of like don’t really know what my opin- time doing and what they’re Ithink it’s great to make music Twitter @chitribent fat lasers,” said Faint frontman ion is about the subject and, by gonna contribute to the world. … for other people. I think that POP MUSIC PREVIEW Hip-hop’s Future finding balance in music and life By Steve Knopper Kanye West and Lil Wayne for Special to the Tribune strong guest verses. But they never distract from his central perform- Futurespent his bachelor days ance — the album suggests Future mainly in one place: the recording has finally found his voice. On the studio. “I’d stay there until the sun title track, as well as “Blood, Sweat & comes up,” says the 30-year-old Tears,” he holds conversations with hip-hop star. “I love recording. himself, calling and responding, When I first wake up, I like to per- moaning and squeaking, adding form, because my brain is fresh, and echoes, Auto-Tune, bits of guitar and that’s when you get to be most cre- snippets of unexpected melody. It’s a ative. You haven’t had a chance to step forward from 2012’s “Pluto.” think. I’d sleep and stay over and “When you’re able to be versatile,” wake up and have my engineer. I’d he says, “it’s like you’ve got a whole come up with something to the beat other album.” that I went to sleep listening to.” Growing up in Atlanta’s Kirkwood But his 20-hour days boarded up neighborhood, Wilburn was the son with microphones, synthesizers and of an absent father and a 911-opera- beats are basically over. The Atlanta- tor mom. He told Rolling Stone she area singer and rapper born Nayva- frequently dropped him off with a dius Wilburn is engaged to Ciara, the great-aunt — in a dope house — that beautiful R&B singer best known for took in numerous aunts and uncles sexy hits like “Goodies” and “One, using drugs. Two Step,” and they’re about to have He learned music from church: achild. “In a relationship, I have to “That’s what made me even want to come home at a certain time,” Future go to church — just to see the man says, in a scheduled 11-minute phone play the drums.” His mother duti- interview that stretches to a luxuri- fully bought him a drum set, which ous 16 minutes. “I try to stay in as PHOTO BY JONATHAN MANNION he banged on so hard that he “tore it much as possible, and go home and up.” She was supportive, but when get some rest. I guess it just balances he became a teenager and began to me out and makes me complete, you When: 6:30 p.m. Sunday hint at hip-hop as a lifelong vocation, know what I’m saying?” Where: Concord Music Hall, 2047 N. she became reluctant. “She was like, Future’s work ethic has served Milwaukee Ave. ‘No, you can’t be serious,’ ” he says. him well as he spent more than a “Your mom wants you to go to decade launching to rising hip-hop Tickets: $25; 773-570-4000 or con- school, go to college, get a degree, get superstar whose album “Honest” cordmusichall.com ajob. That’s the American Dream for recently hit No. 2 on the pop charts. amom to have for a kid.” He took up rapping as an Atlanta During his arrest phase, Wilburn’s teenager, then learned the intricacies blunts and blood, his style was some- mother “turned her back on me,” as of recording studios through Rico thing new. He didn’t rap, he sort of he told Rolling Stone. But the two Wade, a well-known local producer slurred; he didn’t sing, he sort of have since reconciled. Today, Future who happened to be his cousin. half-spoke; he drenched much of his empathizes with his mom — he says Through Wade, he worked for Dirty delivery in the electronic voice- he may well dissuade his own chil- South stars such as Outkastand disguising effect known as Auto- dren, ages 1, 5 and 11, as well as the Goodie Moband became a member Tune; and, most unusually of all, he one on the way with Ciara, from of the influential group Da Connect spent much of his songs duetting pursuing music.