Major Album Releases In The Second Quarter, 2014:

Turn Blue - The Black Keys

May 13th,
2014
Lazaretto - Jack White
June 10th,
2014
Meteorites - Echo & The
June 3rd, Bunnymen
2014
Animal Ambition - 50 Cent
In The Lonely Hour
- Sam Smith
Quadrophonic News May 2014 Issue 9
QUADROPHONIC NEWS
X - Ed Sheeran
Noise - Boris
In This Months Issue:
Album Reviews: Salad Days, Broken,, The
SECC$ Tap.e, Vol. 2, The Abstract and The
Dragon... And More!
Songs About Trains!!!!!!!!!
(Start Again In The) Month of May Calendar
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Photo By Michael Shorris Performing At The Quadrophonic News Party
Full Review Of The
Quadrophonic News
Party Inside!!!!
Joke Of The Month:
What Will You
Never Say To A
Banjo Player?
Find The HILARIOUS
Answer Inside
0
25
50
75
100
2007 2009
Chart Of The Month
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Train Tracks
Lucas McGill '15
Imagine a train. It's a completely
ambiguous image. What kind of train it is, what
it's carrying, where it's going, all of these things
are up to you, but at the end of the day it's just a
train. Despite that, it's capable of carrying an
immense amount of meaning, which depends on
the beholder. To one person, a train might be a
symbol of moving forward, into a better, brighter
future. To another, a symbol of pain and bitter
remembrance of something left behind. For this
mystical quality, trains have long been a favorite
subject for songwriters. A strongly worded piece
of music can conjure up a plethora of emotions all
from one mental image of a train. Here are a few
of my favorite examples of this very particular
skill.
From the second it
starts, Night Train, the rst
track on Bruce Cockburn's 1996
album, Charity of Night, sets a
quick pace that it never falters
from, like the train it describes.
Aside from the fact that this
song demonstrate Cockburn's
guitar playing skill and style
quite well, the thing that really
makes this song spectacular is
the way the music itself imitates
a train. The drumbeat is fast and
regular, like the rhythm of an old
locomotive's wheels speeding
through the night. The women
singing in the background on this track
hauntingly imitate the Doppler affect, as though
some ghostly train has raged past you, almost
silently. Even the guitar solo sounds like the
brakes of a train, screeching to a halt.
In this particular song, the train is a
metaphor for both death and freedom. The lyrics
capture the spirit of a dying man who carries
nothing more than the weight of his decisions into
the next life, and personies it as a train in the
night. All of these factors combined create a
transcendent experience, like being a passenger
on some mysterious locomotive and watching the
real world outside slip away.
"Ice cubes in a dark drink shine like
starlight, starlight shines Continue on page 6
The Abstract and The Dragon
Julian Librizzi, 15
The Abstract and The Dragon is the joint mixtape that Q-Tip and
Busta Rhymes released in early December of 2013. While this mixtape
got little to no promotion, I honestly think this is one of the best
mixtapes of 2013. The mixtape is reasonably long, with 28 tracks and a
total time of 1:17:22. However, one thing that A Tribe Called Quest
fans would notice very quickly is that the album is lled with remixes
to old Tribe songs, mainly featuring Busta Rhymes. That's not to say
that there is no original content. The main hit of this album is the track
Thank You, that will also appear on Bustas next album, which is
expected to come out in 2014. This is actually one of my favorite tracks
off this mixtape. With Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Kid Capri making
cameos, along with an amazing sample, this song would have been
great with the beat alone. However, what really stood out here are the
verses that both Busta and Q-Tip deliver. The only problem that I have
with this song is that Busta tries to go back to Continued on page 7
Mac DeMarcos Salad Days
Eugene Varnedoe, 15
If you havent heard of Mac DeMarco, count yourself among an
increasingly small minority. Hailing from Bed-Stuy, the Canadian
musician has recently enjoyed a meteoric rise to popularity following his
wildly successful and widely enjoyed debut album, 2. Although not his
rst effort Mac had previously released under the Makeout Videotape
moniker in addition to his debut EP under Mac DeMarco, Rock and Roll
Night Club 2 offered a lackadaisical approach to indie pop previously
unseen and incorporated Macs now signature warbly guitar and wit. His
newly released sophomore album, Salad Days, is as much a response to
Macs newfound fame as anything, building on the successes of 2 and
incorporating a newfound condence, renement and maturity into the
music while not straying too far from his comfort zone, as it.
What Salad Days lacks in pure musical innovation, however, it
makes up for through its expectedly charming Continue on page 6
Busta Rhymes bustin rhymes on a train with his close friend Q-Tip

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Still Cannot Fix This Broken Machine: A Review
of Broken
Britney Franco, 17
I have not been able to stay away from Nine Inch Nails Broken.
I have been listening to it for months, but in the past week or so, my day
has started with me popping my Broken cassette into my Walkman and
listening to it on my way to school. When I leave school, I do the same
thing (and throw in an extra run-through if I think I need it). The main
question I have been asking myself is: why is this album so addictive, if
not parasitic?
Broken is an eight-track EP that was released three years after
Nine Inch Nails debut album, Pretty Hate Machine. Straying away from
the more upbeat sound of PHM, Trent Reznors layering of sounds (the
most prominent being loud, distorted guitars and machinery) combined
with his thrashing instrumentals, screams, and lyrics charged with anger
create a fast-paced collection of madness and rage. Reznor himself
described it as just one ultra-fast chunk of death in an April 1994
interview with Guitar World. The only times you are slightly released
from Reznors tight grip are during his covers, Physical (Youre
So) (the original is an Adam & The Ants song) and Suck (originally a
Pigface song). However, both of these songs are delivered with such
impeccable rawness that they take your breath away. They keep the
album from sustaining an anger that could result in it ultimately
becoming a self-parody, but they have the same effect as their
predecessors.
Even the songs that are purely instrumental (Pinion, which
starts off the album, and Help Me I Am In Hell) carry the same weight
of, say, Last, in which Trent Reznor displays his signature self-
deprecation mixed with wanting something more. Each song is connected
with by Brokens common themes (anger directed at the world and
inwards, helplessness, and rawness). The songs all segue into each other,
an unexpected move that will leave you feeling as if you have been
punched in the gut without a moments notice by the time you are
nished listening to it. This is what makes this EP so unique, not only in
the general music world but among other NIN albums: its nonstop
causticity will leave you feeling drained and, quite frankly, wronged by
the world.
Standout tracks: This is tough because I want to name all of them, but I
would say Happiness In Slavery, Help Me I Am In Hell and Suck.
*Although never ofcially released because of how graphic its content is,
a Broken movie was made by Nine Inch Nails in 1993 as a companion to
this EP. You can buy it or nd it online, which I highly recommend. It is a
must-see, and its dark tone mixed with the naked rage of the songs is
perfection.*
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Then Check Out This Incredibly Awesome Website!
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Pro Era: The SECC$ Tap.e, Vol. 2
Nathaniel Cain, 15
The long-awaited sequel to Pro Eras rst
collab mixtape dropped on Valentines Day, and it
carried with it unexpectedly mixed reviews. After PEEP:
The aPROcalypse, Pro Eras second group mixtape set
the bar so high, there was little chance for the Era to go
higher. Unfortunately for The SECC$ Tap.e Vol. 2 these
were the odds; the album was predictable, slow, and the
production was largely unimpressive. That said, no one
song on the mixtape could be labeled as bad, that is, if
you could distinguish one track from another. All of the
songs seem to have the same mellow, slow, rhythmic
sample, which is good for an intrepid track composed of
a verse from each member of the Era, but not good as a
repeated theme throughout the mixtape.
The tape starts out with Chocolate
Strawberries, by Dessy Hinds and Kirk Knight. Dessy
never seems to disappoint; however, the Kirk feature
towards the end seems unnecessary. The next song,
Pussy Facx, gives Kirk a chance at his own verse,
which he does well. The airy, spacy chorus starts to get
annoying, but in between these, Kirks verses are fast
and smooth. Moving on, we hear Sol Luna, which was
released as a single a few months before the mixtape was
dropped. Joey Bada$$, Dyemond Lewis, and A La $ole
all feature, and again, none of them disappoint.
Rokamouth and A La $ole bring what may very well be
the most exciting chorus of the mixtape on the next
track, Dirty Dancing. The fast pace and guaranteed
great $ole verse make this the highlight of the tape.
However, the Era decides to slow things back down with
the next track, Give Her a Call. Dirty Sanchez shouts
the chorus unnecessarily and it totally clashes with the
soft piano sample. Its hard to tell if they were trying to
go for the mellow or rhythmic, Jay-Z-esque hype track
with this one. Bada$$ tries to recover with Pantie Raid
Part II. The original Pantie Raid, was one of the
worst songs on the rst Secc$ Tap.e, so going into the
song you hope he brings something new to the table.
Unfortunately, he doesnt. Bada$$ repeats some of his
most clich lines several times and the track sounds
exactly the same. The last track, Continued on page 7
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Quadrophonic News Party Time? Excellent.
Oliver Divone, 15
Room A in Funkadelic Studios, located in
Midtown Manhattan, is a small, humid and at times very
loud room. It was also the site of Marchs Quadrophonic
News Party. Featuring four bands, the party saw a
turnout of close to 90 kids, which packed the already
small room to its maximum capacity. This, along with a
superb performance by every band, created a great
atmosphere for the audience to enjoy themselves and the
great music.
The four bands that played were Moody Booty,
Bhsecs own Granted, Palm Pilot and Yabadum. The
rst band, Moody Booty, began at roughly 8:30 and
played a set that included both originals and covers.
Beyonces Drunk In Love closed their set, which
featured improv singing by Year 1 Teddy Rosenowitz.
The second band was one composed entirely of Bhsec
Sophomores. Noah Goodman, Finn Clark, and Henry
Nyes Granted sounds like what you would get if you
put Pavement and Deerhunter in a blender and pressed
ice crush.
The third band, staging at 9:45, was Palm Pilot.
Spacy and exciting grooves is basically what they laid
down, because their set was lled with cool and edgy
sounds and time signatures. Bewildering even the most
experienced musician, they successfully combined
Jonny Greenwoods texture with Tame Impalas
progressive sound and Becks ability to make their
music where its at. Finally, Yabadum ended the night,
performing a sterile set that included their incredibly
danceable songs like Ball and Chain and the nights
closer, Winter.
Overall, the show was a great success. We
would like to thank everyone that came out. If you
(unfortunately) missed it, we plan to organize more in
the future at different venues around the New York area,
so do not be upset and cry!
Photo Credits
Michael Shorris and Oliver Divone

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Fun Facts About The Party:
Number of people that died: 0
Number of people that broke their
legs: 0
Percentage of people that cried
tears of happiness at some point
during the show: 100%
Number of drumsticks broken: 42
Number of guitars smashed: 1
Percentage of these facts that are
true: 150%
Does that mean there are more
facts than the ones shown here: Yes.
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Train Tracks Continued like glass shards in dark hair.
And the mind's eye tumbles out along the steel track, xing
every shadow with its stare."
The simply titled Trains, by Porcupine Tree, off
their 2002 album In Absentia, tells a very different story. To
the narrator, the train is the thing that takes him away from
the woman he loves. The lyrics and melody of this song are
sometimes calm, sometimes violent but always anguished.
Like Night Train, the song takes a somewhat surrealist
approach in describing the train, referring to it as a "60 ton
angel a pile of old metal, a radiant blur." The important
thing about this song is that it showcases how the image of a
train can mean different things to different people. This song
demonstrates a very personal meaning.
City of New Orleans was recorded by Steve
Goodman on his 1971 self titled album, and later covered by
many other artists, perhaps most noticeably by Arlo Guthrie.
Personally, I prefer this cover better, though the original
material is fantastic as well. The song takes up a similarly
somber tone, but its not a life or a love that it mourns. Trains
as a concept are very closely tied to the identity of America.
The railroad had a particular appeal to it - the speed and
comfort combined with affordability and the vagrant whimsy
that was undeniably associated with it. As America has
moved into the modern era, trains have largely been replaced
as a means of travel, and those that remain do so under a
considerably changed identity. This song mourns for the lost
part of the American identity that was the railroad.
Throughout the song, the personied train "The City of New
Orleans" wishes America a good morning and calls itself her
"native son" only, at the end of the song, to nally say
"goodnight, America," and presumably disappear.
Mac DeMarco Continued lyrics and melodies which
suitably evoke feelings of summer, passion, and longing. The
album opens with the eponymous Salad Days which seems
to be an expression of the hardships of touring and Macs
solemn acknowledgement that his life wont be the same
anymore now that he has found fame. A catchy if not upbeat
tune to accompany these lyrics completes what is one of the
highlights of the album before moving on to a softer second
song, Blue Boy. A slightly mellow track, Blue Boys
repetitive guitar riff is well placed alongside lyrics about a
boy who constantly worries too much. This theme crops up
again in the following song, Brother, a somber yet tender
song that implores the listener to follow his dreams instead
of just living his life. Mac offers that youre better off dead
than working in the nine-to-ve mindset, something he
knows best about having ditched jobs as an animal-
incinerator at a veterinary clinic, a can collector (if thats
even a job), and a one-time substitute teacher, among others,
all to pursue his dream of becoming a musician.
The fourth song, Let Her Go is one that is of
particular note because it was created to satisfy his labels
desire for a catchy single. The hypocritical lyrics of the song
reect his reluctance to jump through hoops, telling the listener
in the refrain to let the girl go if they dont love her, but then in
a slightly less audible spoken part of the song, to keep the girl
if they want. Although perhaps not one of Macs personal
favorite songs, the dreaminess of the song coupled with a
poetic commentary on love makes this song one of the best on
the release. Goodbye Weekend is a song that recalls and
challenges the apologetic nature of his hit song from 2,
Freaking Out the Neighborhood wherein he apologizes to his
mother for getting up to no good, whereas in Goodbye
Weekend he informs the listener that no amount of telling him
what to do will have any effect on him at all.
Let My Baby Stay is a quieter love song that could
perhaps do without the maracas in the background and is a
song pleading to keep his one-and-only right by his side, and
according to Mac addresses his recent move to New York City
and how his girlfriend isnt allowed to live here. Another
possible interpretation however is a sneaky allusion to Viceroy,
his favorite brand of cigarettes, which was the subject of the
popular Ode to Viceroy from 2, and how he can no longer
buy them now that he has moved out of Canada. The climax of
the album comes in Passing Out the Pieces, the only song on
the album to have been released prior as a single. The tracks
overblown organs and plush synths are indicative of
DeMarcos evolution as an artist, and offer a pleasant
digression from the albums other largely guitar based songs.
Lyrically the song is Mac coming to terms with his newfound
fame and nding out its not all peachy as he has to pass out
pieces of himself to go on, and how his fame has allowed
people to exploit his generosity. Continued adjacent
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The Abstract Continued the Jamaican patois that he used
to use when he was coming up and most recently adopted on
songs like Twerk It, which I just nd annoying. However, I
could ignore that because of the rest of the verses, especially
Q-Tips excellent verses (there is even a verse where he
doesnt even take a breath).
Now, one complaint that I have heard about this
mixtape is that many people who are big fans of A Tribe
Called Quest don't like how most of the mixtape is Busta
Rhymes rhyming over old Quest beats. However, the new
bars that were added over some of these classic beats were
outstanding. I would say that everyone who they brought in
to rap over the beats did their thing. An excellent example of
a great remix on this mixtape to me would be Renaissance
Rap, which is featuring Raekwon and Lil Wayne. Both of
them spit great verses. Lil Wayne was a surprise to me. After
a lackluster 2013 and some questionable mixtapes, most
people, including myself, wrote off Lil Wayne, saying that he
was done. However, after hearing this verse, I could
condentially say that Wayne has a good chance to redeem
himself in 2014. The verse was that good. Another pleasant
surprise on this mixtape was Missy Elliot making an
appearance on the Vivrant Thing Remix. Missy Elliot has
been relatively quiet, having last appeared in the public eye
on J Coles Cole World, A Sideline Story in 2011. I liked what
she did on Vivrant Thing, and can't wait to see more of her
in 2014, hopefully.
The Abstract and The Dragon only suffered from
one real problem, and that is that the mixtape had little to no
promotion. I blame this on Young Money Records and to a
lesser extent G.O.O.D. Music. The reason why I say that is
that the heads over at YMCMB are now famous for only
marketing 5 out of their many artists. The only YMCMB
artists that are being pushed now are Wayne, Nicki Minaj,
Drake, Tyga and Birdman. No one knows the majority of
YMCMB. For instance, the average hip hop fan has no idea
who Jae Millz is. Most people only know Cory Gunz from 6
Foot, 7 Foot. It sucks for these artists, who are actually were
really talented. If you ever have the time, look up a Cory
Gunz freestyle. Lil Wayne and Birdman had the perfect
opportunity to sell Gunz at the height of his popularity in
2011. After Busta Rhymes signed to Young Money in late
2011, I had a fear that he wont get any promotion at all,
either. It looks like my fears were conrmed. The Abstract
and The Dragon was one of the best mixtapes/albums of
2013, and yet I have yet to see a list that included this
mixtape on their Best of 2013. The beats were excellent, the
bars were excellent, and the guest features were excellent.
While I don't have the word count to review every track, I
would say that these remixes breathe some new life into some
classic songs. My personal favorite songs are Renaissance
Rap Remix, Come On Down Remix, and Thank You. If
you are a fan of A Tribe Called Quest or just a fan of rap in
general, I would highly recommend this mixtape.
Pro Era Continued Far, is somewhat impressive, from
its decent NYCk Caution and Tnah Apex features. However,
Kirk Knight reappears yet again to screw things up. The tape
ends after this seventh track thankfully.
Overall, the lyrical performance of all the Era
members wasnt disappointing, but the sound and overall feel
wasnt anything new. The whole tape felt like one bland song,
and compared to The aPROcalypse, it didnt feel interesting or
memorable, which is something Pro Era fans always look for.
Perhaps it was the lack of a CJ Fly feature (The Way Eye See
It seems like it would x all the aws found in this mixtape)
or perhaps it was Kirk Knights forced features, but either way,
Pro Era sets itself up for an easy goal for its next mixtape
they can only go up from here right?
From here, we cool down with Treat Her Better an
acoustic song which leads into Chamber of Reection,
another strong song whose synths again hint at Macs
condence to experiment but is slower and more deliberate
than Passing Out the Pieces. On Go Easy, the penultimate
song, Mac croons on his qualms on moving to a new town and
getting through rough times together. Salad Days closes with a
somewhat out of place instrumental and vaguely psychedelic
track Jonnys Odyssey which fades into silence before a
surprise goodbye from Mac himself at the end.
My thoughts on the ending which are that I would
like to hear him talk more - parallel my thoughts on the album
as a whole. While some tracks are undeniably among his best
to date others, while not unentertaining or not well composed,
fall shy of justifying a feature on a new full length album.
Salad Days has blended songs which give us a taste of his full
musical capability and his willingness to explore that, with
songs that are rmly within his comfort zone established on 2.
Mac DeMarco Continued
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes
day
Thursday Friday Saturday
May 11:
May 18:
-Teen Concerts
NYC - Rockwood
Music Hall @1:50
PM
May 25:
June 1:
June 8:
-Gov Ball -
Randalls Island
Park
June 15:
12: 13: 14: 15: -The Afghan
Whigs - Brooklyn
Bowl @8 PM
16: 17:
19:
-Blondie -
Rough Trade
NYC @8 PM
20:
-Built To Spill -
Music Hall Of
Williamsburg @8
PM
21: 22:
-Manchester
Orchestra -
Terminal 5 @8 PM
23: 24:
26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:
2:
-Dark Star
Orchestra -
Brooklyn Bowl
@8 PM
3:
-Dark Star
Orchestra -
Brooklyn Bowl
@8 PM
4: 5: 6:
-Gov Ball -
Randalls Island
Park
7:
-Gov Ball -
Randalls Island
Park
9: 10: 11: 12: 13:
-Animal
Collective (DJ
Set) - Brooklyn
Bowl @8 PM
14:
-Grrrl Fest - The
Silent Barn
@12:00 PM
16: 17:
-Ringo Starr -
Beacon Theatre
@8 PM
18: 19: 20:
-Little Dragon -
Terminal 5 @8
PM
21:
-Billy Joel -
Madison Square
Garden @8 PM
Quadrophonic News Is:
Editor In Chief - Oliver Divone
Writers - Lucas McGill, Julian
Librizzi, Eugene Varnedoe,
Britney Franco, Nathaniel Cain
QUADROPHONIC NEWS
Quadrophonic News Calendar:
Local Performances, Release Dates and Music Must-Knows
2014
Cover Joke Answer:
Nice Porsche
Quadrophonic News would like to thank both Ms. Walk in the library for displaying and making our newspaper look pretty
while on the shelf, and Clara Botstein for editing the BHSEC website and keeping the newspapers information up to date.