Issue 50 November 2018 THe Cut Nov 2018.indb 1 10/29/18 8:58 PM Issue 50 ONLINE www.thecutmagazine.com FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/TheCutMagazine ADDRESS The Cut Magazine 5000 Forbes Avenue UC Box 122 Pittsburgh, PA 15238 COVER PHOTO Megan Naji November 2018 THe Cut Nov 2018.indb Custom V 10/29/18 8:58 PM Editor-in-Chief Brooke Ley Assistant Editor Trevor Lazar Photo Editor Matthew McGehee PR Editors Dalia Laredo Issue 50 CJ Rosado Letter Design Editor Jackie Chou Copy Editor Wilson Ekern From Writing Staff Clare Lai Aramya Trivedi Julie Heming The Lexie Rodriguez Michelle Ng Cassie Scheirer Clara Enders Editor Mei Leng Daniel Yeh Claudia Osorio Shambavi Mishra Earlier this semester, I got We’re catching up with We have retrospectives on Emma Blank the chance to hear Hanif plenty of albums released this both BROCKHAMPTON Aramya Trivedi Abdurraqib give a talk on summer and early semester, and Young Thug, along with Megan Naji campus. I was extremely some exciting and some disap- looking at the artists who Leila Berger excited to catch him since he pointing. You can check out have been making tracks for Omasan Richardson wrote my favorite collection our whole staff’s music taste soundtracks. We’re also look- Natalia Santiago of music essays, They Can't Kill as of late through our list of ing at the death, or perhaps Jamie McArthur Us Until They Kill Us. I made songs and albums we’ve been shift, of the genre of rock and Bernice Yu sure to mention that I was the listening to. You can also see our new least favorite singing editor in chief of Carnegie our music taste as of 2002 in competition, The Four. Design Staff Julie Heming Mellon’s only music magazine our monthly Mixtape featuring And so, with all of the great Michelle Ng and frequently told my writers my girl Britney Spears. work from our team, the Jenna Kim to refer to his works if they Our staff has also been magazine isn’t just living, it’s Lena Banchero wanted inspiration. When I attending all kinds of concerts thriving, and I’m glad you’re Daniel Noh asked him to sign my book, in the city ranging from Years able to enjoy the result of Sophia Kim he wrote, “Brooke! Keep the & Years to the Pittsburgh everyone’s effort. Erin Lim magazine alive!” Symphony, with equal levels Guillermina Tocalini And so here I am. of sparkle. We’ve also had Brooke Ley Cassandra Scheirer Letter But truly, I don’t think I’m the opportunity to interview Editor-in-Chief Arpita Nag the one keeping this maga- Mayday Parade, Rubblebucket, Natalia Santiago zine alive. Rather, we have and Carnegie Mellon’s own Yuri Lim an excellent group of writers, William Torres Jr. Jaclyn Saik From photographers, artists, and In Hanif Abdurraqib designers working on making style, we also have plenty of Photo/Art Staff Megan Naji some incredible stuff! essays on music this issue. Misa Kim Clare Lai The Mei Ling Jamie McArthur Editor 4 Masthead Letter From The Editor 5 THe Cut Nov 2018.indb All Pages 10/29/18 8:58 PM What We’re 8 Listening To Essays A Retrospective on Brockhampton, Rock’s (Not?) 9 Dead, and The Three on The Four Album 16 Reviews Interviews Rubblebucket, Mayday Parade, 26 and William Torres Jr. 38 Concert Reviews Table of Contents 7 THe Cut Nov 2018.indb All Pages 10/29/18 8:58 PM Ponyboy Head In The Clouds thinking 2 much SOPHIE 88rising, Joji Jeremy Zucker Inchman Goya Soda Tip Toes A Retrospective Jack Stauber's Micropop Christine and the Queens half•alive The righteous wrath Catch One More on Brockhampton of an honorable man Allie X Yaeji by Omasan Richardson Colin Stetson YOUNG Focus Johnny It's the Last BAEKHYUN H.E.R. seven members, and help you sive of the three, understand- “CHICK” uses the pitched Time understand their styles and able as it is the first entry to up vocals again over a more Raveena 1st Century Schizoid Acid Rain flows. Ameer Vann, on the the trilogy. The intro tracks aggressive beat switch to lead Man Thomston intro track “HEAT”, builds the are much more energetic than into the most passionate song Legacy King Crimson aggression felt throughout the the later half of the album, on the album. “JUNKY” shows Logic Ruler Rebel entire song with the “gangster” with “BUMP” being the the balance that Brockhamp- Wait a Minute! Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah style lyrics and the interroga- exception to this. The second ton has learned through SAT 1 End Of The Road Willow The Hip-hop “boy band” tive chorus “Who done called half of the album the group is and SAT II. The passion in this Boyz II Men Charcoal Baby “BROCKHAMPTON” out of the cops on my niggas?” much more introspective and song comes from Kevin’s intro Horror Show Blood Orange Texas has seen an explosion of Merlyn Wood follows after raps about struggles that they verse, in which he raps about My All DJ Shadow success as of late. Without any Ameer, giving a passionate have had growing up such as rejection from his mom and Mariah Carey I Wish I Missed My Ex outside promotion through verse showing off his love of Ameer’s past criminal activ- his issues as an openly gay rap Music To Watch Boys Mahalia radio play or even physical ebonics to both stay on beat ities and Merlyn’s struggles artist. Matt Champion then If You Really Love To releases, they saturated 2017 with the song and deliver a with dropping out of college. also goes off on “JUNKY” as he Nothing Lana Del Rey Venus with the sequential release unique flow. Lyrically, Dom This Introspective nature calls out people on problemat- Interpol Woven In Hiatus of three albums aptly named McLennon offers the most follows them to their second ic behavior and sexual assault. Honey “The SATURATION trilogy”. clever wordplay, which he con- SATURATION II. With this His verse on “JUNKY” serves Rose Golden Robyn Buffalo The release of this trilogy was tinues to deliver throughout album, the group builds off as a reassurance of the bands Kid Cudi, Willlow Inner Wave the first time the group saw the trilogy. Joba shows his tal- of what worked in SAT I, respectful and progressive Tranz commercial success as their ent as a bridge to connect the while working on cohesion nature. “JUNKY” serves as How Far Must We Go? Gorillaz Lonely album preceding the SATURA- two members Dom and Matt between the tracks. The tonal the climax to the album, with Horsebeach Russo TION trilogy was more a pop Champion together, but comes shift in SAT II is very natural, “FIGHT” following with some Radar (ft. HONNE) album with hip-hop influ- more into his own as a rapper starting high with “GUM- of the energy, but eventually IRL Whethan Negai ences. Like a senior in high as the trilogy progresses. Matt MY”, “QUEER” and “JELLO”, diffusing as the album closes. Killer Bee Zoology school, Brockhampton was let delivers a smooth flow talking then ramping down through SAT II is where Brockhampton loose on to the world and had about his personal life and “TEETH”. Brockhampton likes hits their stride as a collection SICK GIRL to find themselves. how that has changed him as to use pitched up vocals in a of artists and it only builds ABRA SAT, from as early as the a person. Kevin Abstract, who variety of their songs, often from here. first track, shows the evolution is the most popular standalone used to change the mood SATURATION III starts off that they have made in such a member of Brockhampton, is of a song like in “TEETH”, with the most energetic intro What We're short timespan and that this absent on the first two tracks where the beat was relatively track of all 3 albums. “BOO- is first and foremost a hip-hop other then the hook, gives soft. The pitched up vocals GIE” acts as a celebration of album attempting to reinvent the other members a chance added aggression to Ameer’s the groups achievements, with Listening To what pop music is. This sense to showcase their talents. powerful lyrics serving as re- multiple call backs to previous of reinvention follows them Bearface is also missing from taliation to the issues he faced songs, such as Joba calling throughout the entire trilogy. a majority of the albums, and as a youth such as poverty and himself “The Chiropractor” The first three songs do a is mostly reserved for more racism. The album keeps this after his bridge in “HEAT”: great job of establishing the melodic ballads than rapping. much softer vibe until about “I’ll break your neck so you presence of a majority of the This album is the least cohe- the midpoint, where the song can watch your back!”. If SAT What We’re Listening To What We’re Thinking About 9 THe Cut Nov 2018.indb All Pages 10/29/18 8:58 PM Rock’s (Not?) Dead by Aramya Trivedi It’s a long debate for rock fans, and while traditional rock acts has even received criticism with rueful guitar melodies as but the writing appears to have seen less success among for his albums being rough the base to extremely atmo- be on the wall for the genre American audiences, more and mixes of very distinct genres, spheric rap tracks.