T H E K E Y T O Y O U R E N T E R T A I N M E N T

MOVEMOVE10.05.12 VOLUME 11 ISSUE 07

+Q+A WITH BASSNECTARTHE ELECTRO DJ TALKS

DROPS, DRUGS AND DREAMS

"RADIO UNNAMEABLE" AT RAGTAGDOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS

AND RADIO LEGEND BOB FASS

WEIGH IN BEFORE SUNDAY'S

SCREENING

SAVE THE DATEFORGET THE DINNER AND

A MOVIE; IMPRESS YOUR

SEMESTER CRUSH WITH

THESE DATE IDEAS

2 MOV E • 10.05.12

Whenever I hear a song by P!nk, I usually think, “That’s the sound of the degradation of humanity.” I don’t know why, but there’s just something about that woman that doesn’t get along with my soul for whatever reason. Naturally, I cringed a bit when I was informed she had a new album out, The Truth About Love.

Initial thoughts: Am I really listening to this? And then: Why do I like this?P!nk, without a doubt, has mastered the art of creating songs

that get stuck in your head ... forever. And ever. And this album is no exception. From its start, The Truth About Love employs catchy melodies and infectious hooks. “Are We All We Are” and “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” start the album off strong with those elements and show that, hey, maybe P!nk can write good pop songs. Maybe.

“Try” is another one of those “you can do it!” P!nk songs. Despite her sass and feisty attitude, P!nk never fails to dedicate a song or two to her listeners that just need a little encouragement. P!nk tells her listeners, “Just because it burns / Doesn’t mean you’re gonna die / You’ve gotta get up and try.” Who knew P!nk could be so motivational?

One of the best songs on the album is “Just Give Me a Reason.” The track features Nate Ruess from fun. (good idea, P!nk), and the two voices together sound absolutely brilliant. “Just Give Me A Reason” is a good change-up from what fans may expect from P!nk, and the guest appearance from Ruess may draw in some new fans as well.

Speaking of old fans, “How Come You’re Not Here” is just for you. Looking for that grungy, rockin’ and rollin’ P!nk we’re all used to? Look no further. I, for one, do not enjoy that P!nk. But hey, if you’re into that kinda thing, open your ears and play this track.

However, as far as lyrics go, the song is weird. Throughout the track, P!nk goes through every possibility on where her lover has gone (“How come you’re not here? / Should I worry you’ve been bitten? / Or somebody got you high? Quick come back / Or I might just die”) and uses some of the weirdest similes and metaphors on earth (“Where have you been? / Where have you gone? / And have I done something wrong? / You’re the tooth fairy / You’re like Santa Claus / You’re like white noise / When I want my favorite song”) Isn’t that just classic P!nk.

“The Truth About Love” is another successful track; it’s catchy and the lyrics are actually good. Handclaps to that. “Beam Me Up” is another one of the better tracks on the album. P!nk slows it down with this one and creates a raw, emotional ballad that is 100 percent pleasing to the ears. One might even venture to call it beautiful.

If there were any skippable tracks on the album, “Walk of Shame” and “Here Comes The Weekend” could probably qualify. Honestly, they’re just not good. But what can you do? You can’t win ‘em all.

The album ends on a good note with “The Great Escape,” another slow song with an inspirational message. The slower songs on The Truth About Love were a good move for P!nk, as they truly showcase her voice and the range she has. And all of these motivational songs kinda make you feel like P!nk is on your team, giving you a good ole pat on the back. You go, girl.

The Truth About Love is a great pop album. It has the right amount of catchy, feel-good songs, it has the right amount of get-up-out-of-that-seat-and-dance songs, and it has the right amount of slow ballads to get you all emotional and stuff. And it might even change the minds of some people that have a distaste for P!nk. All in all, 33-year-old P!nk is still rockin’ it.

JACKSON FARLEYon P!NK's The Truth About Love

FEEDBACK

chantelle moghadam | reporter

madison feller | reporter

megan lewis | senior staff writer

‘The Truth About P!nk’

/coverphoto/ceaesar sebastian

design/Savannah kannberg

EDITOR/DELIA CAI

New hangout for vinyl collectors

SHANNON ELLIOTT | SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

After walking up the wooden steps into Hitt Records, you’ll see a room full of new and old vinyl alike and hear records playing from the in-store stereo. The record shop opened up hardly three weeks ago in a cozy room above Ninth Street Video.

“There’s always been conversation that there’s not a good record store in town,” co-owner Kyle Cook says of the reason he and Taylor Bacon started up the shop.

“We know there’s a demand for it,” says Bacon, who works as a programmer at KOPN with Cook, who is a show host. “We showcase this thing at (Uprise Bakery) called Monday Night Vinyl. DJs who are just regular people bring their record collections, and they play music all night. We just began to understand that there was a lot of people who were interested in vinyl and had no place to go. They’d go to Lawrence, Kansas City, Jefferson City — anywhere but Columbia.”

When asked about their own first experiences with vinyl, Bacon mentioned Cucumber Castle by the Bee Gees. “It was just the realization that I could listen to the oldies and I could hear an album that sounded like The Beatles that isn’t The Beatles,” he says.

“I figured out early on that I could get a ton of records for a dime a dozen,” Cook says. “And I began just shopping by covers, just really cool looking records that I knew nothing about and couldn’t wait to listen to and see what they sounded like.”

Thanks to Bacon and Taylor’s full-time KOPN gigs, Hitt Records is only open Saturdays through Mondays. That also holds some benefits for customers, though. “We’re not in it for the corporate profit motive,” Cook says. “We don’t have to compensate for a corporate structure or really high rent.”

And even so, Cook says that sales have exceeded expectations, and the shop is sustaining itself easily. For customers, that translates into major deals. There is a $1 section in the store as well as a $3 section, and most of the records (even the new ones) don’t exceed $20. For records, that’s fairly cheap, and sometimes even cheaper than purchasing an album online or buying a CD.

“For me, it’s a treasure hunt,” Bacon says of vinyl hunting. “It’s an ability to share sounds that aren’t heard. I love oldies music a lot, and oldies radio is fantastic but they only play .5 percent of oldies music ever recorded, and there’s so much good stuff to showcase.”

But it isn’t just oldies in Hitt Records. There’s a great mix of old and new stuff alike from every genre, from country to jazz to alternative rock. And the best part about the small, personable record store might just be the customer service.

“We will call you on your cellphone to let you know a record came in,” Taylor says.Sounds like Hitt Records has your back.

When: Thursdays 4-9 p.m.We’ve all gone to that fourth grade birthday party

at the closest roller rink. And let’s admit it, we all had a freakin’ blast. Now you can recreate that experience right here in Columbia, except maybe without all the awkward parental supervision. Empire Roller Rink has a late skating session for college students on Thursdays. For $4.75, you can either show off your competitive side and race your date around the rink or take it slow as you enjoy the wind in your hair. Either way, be sure to hold hands. If you go down, they’re going down with ya.

Oh, autumn. The time of year for sweaters, bonfires and nervous first dates with that cute kid in Chem 1100 you finally got up the courage to flirt with (here’s looking at you, guy in the second row). And whether you’re a wide-eyed freshman or a veteran senior, you know there’s no better place to take said date than Ragtag Cinema.

The independent cinema at 10 Hitt St. offers up that quirky, hipster vibe with its range of blockbuster hits and independent films while also providing a laid-back spot to spend the evening.

However, if Ragtag isn’t able to raise $80,000 in the next six weeks, the economic standing of the institution will be in serious jeopardy.

Starting in January, many major film distributors will be shifting from the classic 35mm film to solely digital cinema. Long story short: if Ragtag isn’t able to switch over to fully digital equipment by the end of the year, they will no longer be able to show any of the high-profile films (think “Little Miss Sunshine”) provided by these distributors.

“We knew it was coming and have been planning for it, but the abrupt change to digital in 2013 requires us to speed up the process,” Ragtag Board Treasurer Kathy Love says.

In fact, the board has known about this revamp in the film industry for some time now and has been saving accordingly. This past February, Ragtag was able to purchase a digital projector for their large theater, a project that cost $80,000. However, to complete the transformation, the large theater will also need a server and a sound system, and the small theater will require the entire three-piece set.

“Film is changing,” Ragtag board president Connie Kingsley says. “Film as we know it will no longer exist. Digital is more economical for the distributors.”

Although this switch will lessen the economic burden for major movie distributors, the recent deadline has created urgency for the theater. The Ragtag staff and board of directors are now racing against the clock in order to procure the funds they need to make the transformation a reality.

One of many fundraisers planned will be Ragtag’s second Skedaddle, a city-wide scavenger hunt held Oct. 28. You can register your team now online to compete for the hunt’s cash prizes.

Ragtag also has a two-part campaign in place to help assure the

future of the cinema. On Sunday, the theater introduced Lumen, a 7-foot tall robot, created by MU student and sculptures major Greg Orloff. A silent auction for Lumen is currently in place with a starting bid of $10,000. The proceeds from this auction will hopefully cover the costs of completing the large theater.

The second part of the campaign makes use of Kickstarter, a website that provides independent companies a platform for funding creative projects. Ragtag hopes to raise the rest of the money through its Kickstarter page. Donations and auction bids will both close at 5 p.m. Nov. 10.

“We need this to go viral,” says executive director Tracy Lane, who says she’s worried about what this might mean for Ragtag’s free community screenings and programs. “Everything we do that is mission-based is at risk.

Without the blockbuster hits provided by these digital distributors, Ragtag will no longer have the revenue it needs to show lesser-known independent and foreign films.

“We don’t want the string of films to go away,” Lumen, the robot, says at the fundraiser’s kickoff event.

Columbia residents may not have to worry too much though. Just two days after the release of its Kickstarter page, Ragtag had already raised more than $10,000 in support of its cause.

However, if the theater doesn’t garner up enough support, our hometown cinema may take a turn for the worse. And first dates may resort to a plate of shared chili fries over at Broadway Diner (read: onion breath). And let’s face it, no one wants that.

Hitt Records is Columbia’s newest and only record shop in town that exclusively sells vinyl.

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From Ragtag to riches, hopefully

Putting the MOVEs on your date

It’s snuggling season, and MOVE has done the groundwork to help you win over this semester’s cuddle buddy.

All right, boys and girls. Fall is upon us. We’re all in the mood for cardigans, bonfires and basically anything pumpkin-flavored. Naturally, the next thing our minds turn to is finding someone to share it with. Been trying to turn that summer hookup into a fall cuddle buddy? Or maybe woo that delicious little sophomore you fantasize about every day in lecture? No worries, MOVE has your back. The key to successful dating in a college town is originality, so we’ve found four unique spots around Columbia that will allow you to have a damn good time for under $20.

Instead of the bump ‘n’ grind club scene...try La Movida at The Blue Fugue

Instead of overplayed funny movies... try eastside tavern's comedy nights

When: Fridays, 9 p.m.Looking to get up close and personal with your

date? Although the standard grinding you would find in the basement of any frat house is fun in the right atmosphere, it’s a little played out. We recommend catching La Movida at The Blue Fugue. The Latin-inspired music provides for a whole new style of dancing, and free lessons at 9 p.m. Basically, you’re going to feel like you’re in a very sensual scene in a rom-com.

When: Weekends until Nov. 4Now would be the perfect time to knock that

adorable, outdoorsy date out of the park, ladies and gents (pun intended). Rather than taking your significant other on a standard hiking expedition or picnic, now is the perfect time to maneuver through a corn maze. What better way to bond than winding your way through the SEC-themed maze Shryocks Callaway Farms has set up? Eight bucks a pop for an adventurous evening; you’re not gonna want to miss this one.

When: Tuesdays, 9 p.m.Everybody loves a laugh, but sometimes we just get

tired of watching “Stepbrothers.” (Actually, this is very rare. But still, get off your couch.) Try something fresh, and take your date to one of Eastside Tavern’s Comedy Nights on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. This event houses amateur comedians, so the jokes are bound to be fresh. This gives you a chance to tell if your date’s sense of humor is even mildly original, with the added bonus of the fact that it’s free. Plus, with aspiring comedians in a college town, the jokes are also bound to be somewhat raunchy. You’re welcome.

Instead of a regular old park... try the corn maze at shryocks callaway farms

Instead of bowling... try old-school skating at empire roller rink

BEATRIZ COSTA-LIMA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

KEIN BARTLETT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERHitt Records co-owner Kyle Cook

3 10.05.12 • MOVE

After talking with writer/director Rian Johnson last week about “Looper,” I went in expecting greatness and wasn’t disappointed. “Looper” was everything Johnson claimed it would be, and more. I could start a rant here about how it renews faith in films produced outside of major studios and overcomes the stereotype that original content in movies is dying in an age where sequels and re-makes are prevailing, but I won’t. I don’t feel like sounding pretentious, and you probably don’t want to read a bunch of pretentious babble. Not that I’m assuming I know what you want. That would be rather pretentious of me.

But enough about me, this column is supposed to be like 67 percent about movies. The other 33 percent is reserved for cat metaphors, in case there’s ever a good time to make every third sentence a cat metaphor.

But back to talking about “Looper.” The concept of time travel is always difficult to handle in any type of fiction, as it seems to always carry a different set of rules and restrictions in each story it’s present in. Johnson did an amazing job by creating a clear set of rules that audiences could understand without spending too much time explaining the concept, and he managed to do most of the exposition through potentially the most gruesome scene in the movie, which brings up another good point.

“Looper” is an incredibly dark movie in parts. As with many sci-fi movies set in distant dystopian societies, the usual prevalence of crime, drugs and prostitution exists. The main character, Joe (younger version played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, older version played by Bruce Willis) is a looper, an assassin tasked with killing targets who are sent back from the future and disposing of their bodies in exchange for bars of silver. Every looper eventually has to kill the 30-years-older version of them, literally making their lives an endless loop through different threads of time (for the movie to work, you needed to assume an endless number of threads of time that will continue in the same pattern unless something comes back and changes it).

Pretty dark stuff, not to spoil what Willis’ character ultimately ends up doing, but there are parts that may be very hard to watch.

One of Johnson’s hardest tasks was making the two characters seem like younger or older versions of the other one. As he said in the interview last week (shameless plug for my own column), Johnson wrote the part of younger Joe specifically for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and later chose Bruce Willis for his “Bruce Willisiness.” When Johnson claimed Gordon-Levitt had learned some of Bruce’s mannerisms and speech patterns, I assumed he would just occasionally say something I could imagine Bruce Willis saying. Gordon-Levitt went way deeper than that, showing once again why he is one of the most sought-after young actors. He captured and mimicked even the most minuscule little things Willis does. His smile, his squint, his posture, everything — Gordon-Levitt had them all. Add in a nose and brow job from the make-up department, and it felt like watching a younger version of Willis, truly impressive stuff.

“Looper” takes you on an emotional roller-coaster ride. Each character (especially the two versions of Joe) had an incredible amount of depth. Characters with directly conflicting goals have compelling reasons to succeed, but also reasons why they should fail. Tough moral questions reside behind the entire plot, ones that need to be answered to decide which character to be sympathetic towards. Even the supporting cast, consisting of the handler from the future, Abe (Jeff Daniels) and fellow loopers, Seth (Paul Dano) and Kid Blue (Noah Segan), have well-played performances of compelling supporting characters.

Honestly, there aren’t too many gripes to be had about “Looper.” The plot may confuse some at times, especially if you get up for a quick soda and a bathroom break at the wrong time, but generally the story isn’t too hard to follow if you make an active attempt to follow it. “Looper” definitely calls for a re-watch to catch some of the more delicately placed details you might not catch the first time.

Overall, “Looper” gets 4 1/2 mildly confusing threads of time out of five. It is definitely a movie worth seeing this weekend if you have the time to kill, and possibly one that might come up again during Oscar season in the original screenplay category.

Thrown for a ‘Looper’

JOSH SIPPon why Joseph Gordon-Levitt can do no wrong

REEL REVIEWS

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jack howard | reporter

emerald o'brien | reporter

When: saturday, 6 p.m.Where: chaifetz arena, saint louis university

Only online atmove.themaneater.com

Peace, love and power: MOVE recaps Renew Missouri's super hippie clean energy benefit.» Myspace or yours? Can the most old-school-esque social media site make a comeback without looking too much like Pinterest?The original epic. Book columnist Jennifer Bennett promises you can't get more classic than Homer.

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Lorin Ashton’s stage name is Bassnectar. It sounds intense, and, as many festivalgoers can attest, his shows are too. If you and a car-owning friend can spare a Saturday, gas money and a game day, a road trip to St. Louis to see Zeds Dead and Bassnectar will not disappoint.

MOVE: What makes your shows unique? Lorin Ashton: Anything below 20 hertz is not sound -- it’s like weight.

Just like the force of an earthquake ... I try to pay as much attention to that lower frequency band as the other ones, and sometimes even more in the context of a show to make it a physical experience as opposed to strictly an auditory experience.

M: What are some of your main influences?LA: Well, I wasn’t so much influenced by bands as much as I was

influenced by scenes. In high school, it was the DIY punk scene in California and the death metal scene. I liked them for their heaviness and their rawness of the sound, but I also liked it because everyone in the scene was involved even if the scenes were small, because they were very fringe and left-field and kind of hardcore-sounding.

That continued when I went to college and got into the underground electronic music world and the world of raves and whatnot, because I was making an event happen with my friends for my friends. That helped me really get behind the scenes and understand the nuances of making events special and making them intimate and preserving the magic.

M: It sounds like you’ve continued that sense of collaboration. For example, in your recent album Vava Voom, you worked with rapper Lupe Fiasco. How would you describe your sound?

LA: Freestyle. That’s the word I can come up with right now. It’s just like as open-ended, free of rules and restrictions and limitations and free of expectations and just a very honest, almost gleeful combination of my favorite aspects and attributes from all different directions. That could be country music. It could be gangsta rap. It could be death metal. It could be dubstep. It could be anything that I hear and love in a movie soundtrack.

M: How do you discover all of these sounds? Pandora Radio?LA: This is maybe the sad point of the interview where I admit that I

have no life. I work all of the time. It’s pretty absurd. (Laughs) Like, I went down to Australia in the winter and then to South America in the spring and then a few trips to Europe in the summer, and I think the normal

person would have gone out sight-seeing and living life. I just worked the whole time and did so joyously.

M: Freestyle is also the name of your album coming out Oct. 16. What should fans expect?

LA: It’s really an intense balance of classic and cutting-edge for me ... going back to my roots and a lot of innovation, carrying it with me to each city.

M: How do you maintain your show’s characteristic high energy atmosphere? What keeps you going?

LA: I try to be as physically healthy as I can. I value mental clarity and physical health more than pretty much anything else in the world. So I love sleep. I love exercise. I love a good diet. I don’t take drugs. It’s really important to me to treat my nervous system like it really is an irreplaceable piece of treasure.

M: You mentioned drugs. What are your thoughts about drug use amongst fans in the electronic dance music community?

LA: Human beings have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to the fact that they’re alive — that one particular sperm and that one particular egg made it through the ultimate trial, and became a human being, and that human being has a finite amount of time here on this magical and mysterious earth. And that human being is born with these gifts, and the biggest gift of all is the nervous system and the brain and the functions that come with that. Treasuring that, and trying to avoid anything that can bring that nervous system into harm’s way, is the way that I recommend everyone that I know. That means anything from wearing earplugs into concerts to being careful with recreational drug use and not giving into peer pressure. Everyone needs to learn growing up how to make tough choices. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful things come of experimental drug use, but I’ve seen a lot of bad things too. I’ve seen a lot of friends’ lives go down the drains, literally.

M: Bassnectar doesn’t sound like a childhood nickname. Where’d it come from?

LA: (Laughs) No it’s not. It’s a word that my friend made up a long time ago. And, for me, it’s centered around the concept that bass is magnetic. And that music is magnetic. It can really be a gathering force for positivity in people’s lives.

“Radio Unnameable,” the new documentary about legendary radio host Bob Fass, begins with silence — a strange occurrence for a radio program.

There is nothing to supplement the silence, nothing to distract the brain like images or smells. The silence is overwhelming but also beautiful and innovative.

“How do you like that silence?” Fass says in the opening minutes of the film. “You’ll never hear silence anywhere other than WBAI.”

Silence is just one of many things that Fass does differently than other radio. His show is utterly unconventional and has been since it started in 1963. From WBAI in New York, he has broadcast in free-form fashion for more than 50 years, mixing music with guests with calls from listeners, all in their own unique style.

The task of summing up Fass’ massive work is not a simple one. But that is what filmmakers Jessica Wolfson and Paul Lovelace have tried to do with their new documentary “Radio Unnameable.”

At 7 p.m. Sunday, “Radio Unnameable,” along with its two directors, will be at Ragtag Cinema for one night. Wolfson and Lovelace will be available to discuss the film and answer questions after the screening.

While this film can be viewed as simply a nostalgic retrospective of Fass’ life and his accomplishments, it also carries weight for the younger generation who did not live through the ‘60s and ‘70s and likely are unaware of Fass’ work and presence in the world of radio and activism.

“I think it really does speak to a wider audience, anyone who is interested in radio, in media, in the changing of media landscapes, in activism,” Wolfson says. “Anyone who is interested in the Occupy movement and where that came from — what they were doing is exactly what the Yippies (counter-culture youth activists of the ‘60s) were doing.”

Fass has also played a key role in organizing and reporting major events across the nation, from the “Yip-in” held at Grand Central Station, which resulted in a police riot, to the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots and the subsequent famous “Chicago Seven” trial.

Fass sees the film as a chance for young people to learn from his experiences and to help them in their search for the truth as they enter the adult world. He says youth today should learn reverence for the absurd and understand the necessity to dissent.

Lovelace also embraces this opportunity for the audience to gain knowledge from the film and Fass’ career.

“Be willing to take chances,” Lovelace says. “Be willing to let someone speak without knowing what they are going to say or controlling what they are going to say. Free speech and open airwaves can lead to really powerful things.”

The film itself, pieced together over five years, utilized these ideas during production when the directors had a limited budget and an abundance of resources.

“It took a small army just to transfer and listen to the tapes and

also find visuals,” Wolfson says.Fass’ archives were stored at his New York home in the form

of thousands of open reels. To be able to access this, musical archaeologist Mitch Blank helped the filmmakers to search through the collection.

“At the very beginning when we met (Blank), he quoted Bob Dylan and said, ‘You’ve got to know your song before you sing it: you’ve got to know what’s on the tapes, you’ve got to know, as much as one can, what is in the collection before you can make your film,’” Lovelace says. “We really took that to heart.”

Since radio relies solely on the sense of hearing to relay all of its content, transforming the reels of sound — and sometimes silence — into a film was a difficult task, Wolfson and Lovelace say. The filmmakers had to create a visual experience without tarnishing the value of the audio.

“What we wanted to do was create an atmospheric visual sense so that you would pay attention more to the audio,” Wolfson says. “When you are listening to the audio and the calls, (we wanted) just to have the atmospheric idea of what it’s like to listen to radio in the middle of the night.”

The directors say they are excited to bring this experience to Columbia this weekend. They have felt welcome when they have shared work here in the past and anticipate an interesting feedback and stories from this audience.

“It has been such an enthusiastic movie-going community in the times that we’ve shown work there that the idea of not showing this there would have been a drag,” Lovelace says.

You can see “Radio Unnameable” in its entirety at 7 p.m. Sunday at Ragtag Cinema. Afterward, you can also listen to Fass’ show, “Radio Unnameable” from midnight to 3 a.m. every Thursday night online at WBAI.org.

Drop the backpack — and the bass — with Bassnectar

This California DJ explains to MOVE why his act is unlike any other.

Good Morning, cabal. Good evening, Columbia.

New documentary “Radio Unnameable” and its directors visit Columbia on Oct. 7.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KINO LORBER INC.Filmmakers Paul Lovelace and Jessica Wolfson

4 MOV E • 10.05.12

California Wives love college towns. The indie band has been traveling the country and visiting a new city every night with Diamond Rings and Stars, but it’s places like Boston — America’s ultimate college town — that have been some of the most memorable.

It’s been the band’s biggest tour outside of some two-week tours, drummer Joe O’Connor says. And this Saturday, California Wives will bring their ‘90s-esque wailing guitar and booming drum beat to Columbia. O’Connor says he thinks the college town shows are incredible, refreshed by seeing that young people don’t fear looking uncool and are so into his music.

“The fans have been really supportive, and we’re incredibly enthusiastic that they like our music,” says Jayson Kramer, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist. “To get excited about art is incredibly important to me. I’ve been making music in my room for so long, and now I get to share it with people.”

Formed in 2009 in Chicago, California Wives released the LP Art History in September through Vagrant Records. Their track “Blood Red Youth” premiered with Rolling Stone, and their video for “Purple” debuted at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

“We’re thankful for the exposure,” Kramer says. “We want to propel the music. You never know what happens when you put it on that website. Either people like it, or they don’t.”

Kramer says he loved music from a young age but only recently started pursuing it as a career.

“This band completely changed my life,” he says. “My plan was to be in sciences, the medical field. But I’ve been playing music since I was six. It wasn’t something I could run from. I don’t know where I would be if I had. Not enjoying life as much.”

California Wives have never toured in Columbia before, but they say they’re looking forward to the stop because they’ve had good experiences in St. Louis.

“We hope to build our following just by going out there and playing,” O’Connor says. “It took us about a year to figure out our direction. Our sound was good when we played it. That’s kind of how we got here.”

According to the band’s Facebook page, songwriting is the most important part of what distinguishes the band. Some people have described the lyrics as bleak. Kramer admits that the lyrics are different but says they reflect what the current young generation is going through.

California Wives hope to continue their writing process but, other than that, they have no major plans for after the tour besides looking to perform as much as they can.

“It’s not a question of whether we’ll play it because we will,” Kramer says. “It looks like we’ll be sleeping in the van a little longer.”

California Wives

reporterkendyl kearly |

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL NATKIN

Jayson Kramer and Joe O’Connor of California Wives reflect on their first big tour and the Columbia show.

As much as I love Washington, D.C., my hometown, it doesn’t quite have the distinction of being an American fashion capital. But hey, we think having the leader of the free world living smack in the middle of our city trumps our love of drab office wear. But in honor of the final 30 days of what seems like the longest campaign season ever, take a look at these fashionable political moments from past and present.

Buzz surrounding politicians’ wives’ fashion choices is basically impossible to avoid, so it’s obvious that they pick convention outfits carefully. Ann Romney went classically political with a red taffeta Oscar de la Renta dress for her speech at the Republican National Convention. It was a safe choice, but the dress was cut beautifully, and its bright red hue was on-trend for fall. You just can’t go wrong with fit-and-flare dresses — ‘50s silhouettes are flattering for every body type.

It’s only fair to give Michelle Obama a nod for completely nailing first lady style for the past four years. Her choice of a pink convention dress was unusual, but she looked fantastic, as usual. Her wardrobe of pretty printed dresses and colorful separates make her look polished but not dowdy, and her ability to rock sleeveless dresses is a great primer in dressing to play up your best features.

Nevertheless, Jackie Kennedy easily captured the title of most fashionable first lady in history. Back in the ‘60s, she was rocking the large wraparound sunglasses that we still love today, and her love of pencil skirts and fitted jackets revolutionized fashion during a time when fuller skirts and long hemlines were the norm. Even now, we all can keep rocking those oversized sunglasses —- they’ll never go out of style.

Jumping forward a few administrations, Madeleine Albright was the queen of accessorizing during as secretary of state under the Clinton administration. Albright garnered particular attention for choosing brooches based on her mood and negotiation partners. Wearing a serpent piece when working with Saddam Hussein wasn’t exactly subtle, but certainly delivered the message that she was ready for business. Brooches probably aren’t your idea of the hottest accessory, so instead of copying Albright directly, have fun with your favorite accessories —- see if you can incorporate them in businesslike outfit for a bit of flair.

It’s harder to come up with fashionable male politicians because let’s be honest: it’s hard to do anything interesting to a suit. But if we take a look at one of the fashionable moments of the 1970s, Jimmy Carter was the master of the grandpa sweater. After publicly announcing that he was turning down the White House’s heat during the energy crisis, he was spotted donning oversized cardigans in place of suit jackets. Males take note: as much as girls may wish you ran around in suits 24/7, we know it’s not going to happen. Sweaters will make you look like you tried more than the average guy on campus, but they aren’t weirdly formal. Ladies, borrow from Jimmy by ducking into the men’s section to stock up on cardigans. The oversize cuts look great over more fitted basics, and I promise you’ll be beyond comfy.

Style files

Power dressing

CLAIRE BOSTONon the best looks of election seasons

The Canadian band Stars will be stopping by Columbia this weekend as part of what vocalist Amy Millan calls their “epic world domination tour.” Concertgoers can expect a sound influenced by The Smiths, Billie Holiday and New Order.

MOVE: You just put out a new album, The North. How is it different from your previous ones?

Amy Millan: We just really try to write a good pop song. That’s been the mandate for most of our lives. This is definitely our fanciest record … our most “get naked with your girlfriend” record. I wasn’t really going for it, but it just sort of happened. I think that’s what makes it so successful.

M: What is the theme of The North?AM: It’s just a collection of great pop songs. We’ve created our greatest hits

with songs that you’ve never heard before.M: What was your favorite part about creating this record?AM: Having my daughter there when we were making our record. She was not

even born yet. (During) our first recording session, I was nine months pregnant.M: Is playing in a college town different than for a regular audience?AM: It’s a great time. They’re generally more drunk.M: Does that affect your performance?AM: Yeah! We love to have a party.M: Later this fall, you’re playing at Austin City Limits Music Festival. How is

playing at a music festival different from individual shows?AM: You get to see your friends, which is really fun. And you get to meet

other musicians that you’ve always wanted to meet. There’s a big camaraderie backstage with being able to be with a bunch of different bands. That’s the best part because you can sort of talk about road stories, and you get to meet a lot of new people. And there’s always some shwag.

M: Any memorable encounters?AM: We got to play with Beach House once at a festival, and that was really

great. The Shins, we recently played with. That was excellent. I love their music, and I think they’re a great band. (During one particular festival) Snoop Dogg stayed in his big Escalade, so we didn’t get to see Snoop Dogg.

M: What do you have planned for the future?AM: We’re going to put out a new EP in the spring, but right now we’re just

loving playing the new songs from The North.M: You’ve lived in both Canada and the United States. Which do you like

better?AM: Everywhere is so different from each other. Everywhere you go there is

something new to discover. As long as the kids show up and sing along, I don’t really care where we are … cause it’s about that two hours you have on stage with the band and our audience that matter. And everywhere we go, the kids love to rock.

MOVE chats with the band Stars’ Amy Millan

reportermaya garnaat |

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORMAN WONG

When: 9 p.m. SaturdayWhere: The Blue Note

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When: SaturdayShow: 9 p.m., Doors: 8 p.m.Where: The Blue Note

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