spring 2014

EST 2010

Before You Exit All Time Low

Neck Deep

TODAY’S MIXTAPE FESTIVALThe Story So Far, Citizen, Real Friends, Modern Baseball

TAY JArDiNEWomen in The industry

spring/summer 2014

EST 2010

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{Contents}about | 1

editorial: woMen in the MusiC industry | 2

12 essential albuMs | 3all tiMe low | 5 neCk deep | 7

5 years oF pure noise: the story so Far | 9

today’s MiXtape FestiVal | 11VaCationer | 13

sounds oF suMMer | 14beFore you eXit | 15

Contact Usgloria.Mejia-cuellar@yale.edu

Windows Down Mag is an

alternative music magazine

established by sisters Gloria “Jack”

& Kim Mejía-Cuéllar in 2010.

Avid music lovers and concert

photographers, the sisters are

currently undergraduates at Yale

University. Their passion for music

and photography led them to

establish Windows Down Mag.

The magazine aims to provide

the latest music news through MeJÍa-CuÉllar sisters

original articles, photography,

and live music videos. All concert

photographs and articles are

original content unless stated

otherwise.

Ben Barlow of Neck Deep’murica ‘14 tour | march 30, 2014

check out more photos on our flickr

It’s no secret that women in the music industry face a double-standard. Often times, their gender becomes an object used to market their band or solo act, sometimes more than male performers. Many publications assume women can only write columns on style or makeup tips. That is why it was so disturbing for us to learn that the popular UK magazine Kerrang! created a “hottest female” category for their yearly awards. We Are the In Crowd frontwoman Tay Jardine released a statement concerning her nomination for the category:

“‘being hot’ is not why i do what i do, i do it to share my music and my life with anyone that will listen.

no one dislikes being complimented about their appearance but i really believe that everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin because of who they are and what they

stand for over anything else.”

Jardine’s piece reminded us of an all too unfair reality of many women in the music industry. We recently attended two dates of the Taking Back Sunday and The Used co-headliner tour. Australian quintet Tonight Alive was one of the supporting bands. Although the shows occurred in different places (Poughkeepsie, NY and Hartford, CT), lead singer Jenna McDougall was subject to similar inappropriate treatment from men in the crowd.

When McDougall took off her hoodie during the set in Poughkeepsie, a group of men in the balcony urged her, “take it off!” with boyish inapproriateness. In Hartford, when McDougall tied her hair into a ponytail, various men whistled. Although McDougall handled it all coolly, as fans we were very upset at the crowd’s willingness to engage in such an activity. Why was it OK to whistle or taunt women performers to “take it off” when they graced the stage? It was astonishing to see the crowd’s behavior.

This is not to say male-fronted bands don’t face similar treatment. There are plenty of girls willing to scream “take it off” or to throw their bras on

Why Tay Jardine’s Statement on “Hottest Female” Matters

“EVERYONE SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE IN THEIR OWN SKIN” Tay Jardine performing to a crowd in Hamden, CT on April 1.

stage. Some bands, like All Time Low, jokingly encourage this behavior and collect all the bras thrown on stage. However, we felt what happened to McDougall in a smaller crowd was more direct. It was disturbing to see someone close to our age be openly harassed by drunk men in the crowd. Musicians put so much work into their music and have to overcome various obstacles in order to be successful. We don’t understand why it has become so normalized in our society to shout things at musicians or feel empowered in a faceless crowd. It is ultimately up to the musician if they should encourage that behavior (i.e. making bras on stage a running joke) — but many times, it appears to be unwarranted. Regardless of sex/gender, we do not believe artists should be publicly prized for their looks over their musical talents. It is unfair to the artist. Making “hottest female” a category seems to legitimize this practice. At the end of the day, this is music, not fashion or a beauty pageant. We appreciate Jardine’s clear and brave statement that addresses an issue often left out of the spotlight.

12 EssEntial DEcaDE - O There’s always that one album that everyone remembers from their youth with nostalgia - the CD you played on repeat in your room, the background music to late nights in your car, the album that inspired you to start a band or even a music publication. We chose 12 of our favorite records that were foundational to the music scene (listed in no particular order). Listen to a playlist of our favorite songs on Spotify. Share your favorite tracks or your own

favorite decade-old (or older) records on windowsdownmag.com.

Something Corporate Leaving Through The WindoW (2002)

Favorite Tracks: “I Woke Up In A Car”

“The Austronaut” “Hurricane”

taking BaCk Sunday TeLL aLL Your Friends (2002)

Favorite Tracks: “There’s No ‘I’ In Team”

“Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut from the Team)”

the Starting Line saY iT Like You Mean iT (2002)

Favorite Tracks: “Up & Go” “Leaving”

“Cheek To Cheek”

Brand new deja enTendu (2003)

Favorite Tracks: “Jaws Theme Swimming” “The Boy

Who Blocked His Own Shot” “Play Crack The Sky”

aFi sing The sorroW (2003)

Favorite Tracks: “Silver and Cold” “Girls Not Grey”

“This Celluloid Dream”

ryan adamS hearTbreaker (2000)

Favorite Tracks: “Oh My Sweet Carolina”

“To Be Young” “Call Me On You Way Back Home”

Blink-182 EnEma of thE StatE (1999)

Favorite Tracks: “What’s My Age Again” “Adam’s Song”

Green Day amErican idiot (2004)

Favorite Tracks: “Jesus of Suburbia” “Extraordinary Girl/Letterbomb” “Whatsername”

The killers hot fuSS (2004)

Favorite Tracks: “Glamorous Indie Rock And Roll” “All These Things That I’ve Done” “On Top”

Hon

orab

le

Men

tion

s saosin tranSlating

thE namE (2003)

The MaTches E. Von dahl KillEd thE

localS (2004)

DaMien riceo (2003)

My cheMical roMancethrEE chEErS for SwEEt rEVEngE (2004)

Favorite Tracks: “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” “The Ghost Of You” “Cemetery Drive”

yellowcarDocEan aVEnuE (2003)

Favorite Tracks: “Breathing” “Empty Apartment” “Twentythree”BriGhT eyes

liftEd or thE Story iS in thE Soil, KEEp your Ear to thE ground (2002)

Favorite Tracks: “You Will” “Nothing Gets Crossed Out”

ld (Or Older) recOrds

Crowdsurfers, fans on guest vocals and jokes. That sums up All Time Low’s show at Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT on April 30. The band started their high energy twenty-song set with “Do You Want Me (Dead?)” off their 2011 album, Dirty Work. All Time Low took pop punk acts Handguns and Man Overboard along with them on the A Love Like War Tour this spring.

All Time Low kept their audience engaged with pop-infused sing alongs and invited a few lucky fans on stage to sing “Time-bomb.” This show was one of a string of smaller-venue shows the band played in cities they usually don’t visit on their major headline tours, including Fresno, CA, Portland, ME, and Lincoln, NE.

The band announced they will be taking time off to ZRUN�RQ�WKHLU�ÀIWK�IXOO�OHQJWK�DOEXP�ODWHU�WKLV�\HDU�

RECKLESS AND BRAVE Vocalist Alex Gaskarth (top left) and guitarist Jack Barakat (bottom right, page 6) play a twenty song set at Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT on April 30.

All Time Low A Love Like Tour

SETLIST

Do You Want Me (Dead)?

So Long Soldier

The Irony of Chocking on a Life Saver

Stella

For Baltimore

Break Your Little Heart

Lost In Stereo

Six Feet Under the Stars

Vegas

Guts

Weightless

Remembering Sunday

Therapy

Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)

Somewhere In NeverLand

Time-Bomb

Backseat Serenade

The Reckless And The Brave

A Love Like War

Dear Maria Count Me In

Neck Deep’s Spring American Headliner

Wrexham, UK natives

Neck Deep embarked

RQ�WKHLU�ÀUVW�$PHULFDQ�headliner in support of

their highly successful

debut full-length,

Wishful Thinking, released January of

this year. The show

at the Middle East

Downstairs was packed

but intimate. It was

clear that many fans

had been waiting a long

time to see the UK band

live - one could tell by

hearing the crowd sing

along to every one of

the twelve songs they

played.

HYPED UP UK-based band Neck Deep play to a sold out crowd at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, MA on March 30. Drummer Dani Washington (page 7), vocalist Ben Barlow (above) and guitarist Lloyd Roberts (bottom right) perform.

Neck Deep played fan

favorites including

“Losing Teeth” and

“What Did You Expect.”

Pop punk band Light

Years, south suburbs

of Chicago-based act

Knuckle Puck and local

band Traditions opened

the show. The crowd

was receptive to Neck

Deep’s angsty and fast-

paced sound.

The band will be playing

the entire Vans Warped

Tour this summer.

7KH\�ZLOO�WRXU�$XVWUDOLD�with State Champs in

September.

SETLISTKick It

What Did You Expect?Crushing Grief (No Remedy)

Tables TurnedSay What You Want

Silver LiningLosing Teeth

I Couldn’t Wait to Leave 6 Months AgoA Part Of Me

All Hype No HeartOver and OverGrowing Pains

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW The Story So Far frontman Parker Cannon (above) plays a Pure Noise showcase on March 21.

Fans got non-stop rock at the Berkeley, CA based label, 3XUH�1RLVH�5HFRUGV·�ÀYH�\HDU�DQQLYHUVDU\�VKRZ�RQ�0DUFK����DW�WKH�2DNODQG�0HWUR��3XUH�1RLVH�VKRZFDVHG�D�QXPEHU�RI�LWV�ULVLQJ�artists including Elder Brother, )RUHYHU�&DPH�&DOOLQJ��5RWWLQJ�Out, No Bragging Rights, The $PHULFDQ�6FHQH�DQG�7KH�6WRU\�6R�)DU��

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5 YEARS of PURE NOISE

ZDV�RQH�LQ�D�KDQGIXO�RI�7KH�6WRU\�6R�)DU·V�VSULQJ�$PHULFDQ�WRXU�GDWHV�DIWHU�WKH�EDQG�WRXUHG�LQWHUQDWLRQDOO\�H[WHQVLYHO\�

7KH�6WRU\�6R�)DU·V�VHW�ZDV�ZRUWK�WKH�ZDLW��7KH�FURZG�FRPSOHWHO\�ORVW�LW�ZKHQ�WKH�Walnut Creek band took the VWDJH��:H�DSSUHFLDWH�IURQWPDQ�3DUNHU�&DQQRQ·V�SDVVLRQDWH�OLYH�YRFDOV���XQIRUWXQDWHO\��LQ�WKLV�GD\�and age, it can be challenging WR�FRPH�E\�DUWLVWV�WKDW�VRXQG�DV�JRRG�OLYH�DV�WKH\�GR�RQ�WKH�UHFRUG��DQG�QRW�DXWR�WXQHG���

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´6PDOO�7DONµ�IURP�WKHLU�SRSXODU�QHZ�IXOO�OHQJWK�What You Don’t

See.

it can be challenging to come by artists that sound as good live as they

do on the record.

The band are set to release an DFRXVWLF�DOEXP�WLWOHG�The Songs

Of RQ�-XQH�����ZKLFK�ZLOO�IHDWXUH�D�%RE�0DUOH\�FRYHU�LQ�DGGLWLRQ�WR�D�IHZ�VRQJV�RII�RI�What You

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SKIN DEEP 5HDO�)ULHQGV�OHDG�VLQJHU�'DQ�/DPEWRQ��DERYH��WDNHV�WKH�VWDJH�GXULQJ�WKH�ÀUVW�GD\�RI�7RGD\·V�0L[WDSH�)HVWLYDO�DW�WKH�2DNODQG�0HWUR�RQ�0DUFK�����0RGHUQ�%DVHEDOO��SDJH����WRS�ULJKW��DQG�&LWL]HQ��SDJH����ERWWRP�ULJKW��DOVR�SOD\HG�WKH�IHVWLYDO�

Today’s Mixtape Festival

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SETLISTFloorboards

Alexander SupertrampSkin DeepLost Boy

Anchor DownHome For Fall

I’ve Given Up On YouLate Nights In My Car

scene. It was a tense moment as staff addressed

the issue and the following band had their set cut

short. Thankfully, the crowd surfer was taken to a

hospital and the show resumed.

5HDO�)ULHQGV�K\SHG�XS�WKH�FURZG�ZLWK�WKHLU�ÀUVW�song, “Floorboards.” Dan Lambton’s sharp and raw

vocals paired with bassist Kyle Fasel’s honest lyrics

made for a powerful live show. The set slowed

down when Real Friends played “I’ve Given Up On

You” and a large part of the crowd sang the words

back at Lambton. The band also played “Alexander

Supertramp,” a song off one of their earlier EPs,

the Three Songs About the Past Year of My Life.

The Toledo, Ohio-based emo act Citizen took the

VWDJH�ULJKW�DIWHU�5HDO�)ULHQGV��7KH�EDQG·V�ÀUVW�IXOO�length, Youth, gained a strong following after the

band’s summer run on the Vans Warped Tour last

year. What sets Citizen apart from other bands

in their genre is hard-hitting songs and Brand

New-like sobering guitars. Vocalist Mat Kerekes’

entrancing performance captured the crowd.

Nothing gets us more excited

for summer than listening to

the self-described “escapist

dream pop” Pennsylvania

natives Vacationer. The band

recently stopped by The

Space in Hamden, CT during

their co-headlining tour with

Hellogoodbye and openers

Heavenly Beat on April 22.

&RPSOHWH�ZLWK�SURMHFWRUV�ÁDVKLQJ�warm nature scenes and the

venue lights lowered, Vacationer

launched into a long blissful set

with a good mixture of new songs

from their 2012 full-length Gone and the band’s upcoming release

Relief. Lead singer Kenneth Vasoli

(former frontman of The Starting

Line and Person L) had easy

humor and amazingly smooth

vocals that made the show feel

personal and exuded a tranquil

DQG�UHÁHFWLYH�DXUD��7KH�VKRZ�was a nice change to usual

concerts. Slowing down the pace

gave listeners the opportunity to

appreciate the music more. The

band’s effort paid off; listeners

were able to experience a feeling

of leisure and relaxation.

DREAMLIKE The band plays a mellow show at The Space in Hamden, CT on April 22.

vacationer

SETLISTBe With YouIn The GrassSummer EndGreat Love

GoneShining

TripFartherWarmerWild Life

DreamlikeJesus

Everyone KnowsGood As New

COLD NIGHT // you me at six Catchy and sweet, “Cold Night” is one of You Me At Six’s softer-sounding songs on “Cavalier Youth.” Josh Franceschi’s vocals are smooth and heart-wrenchingly sincere.

THE EDGE // tonight alive Stellar track by Aussie quintet Tonight Alive. Vocalist Jenna McDougall’s impres-sive vocal range and the band’s song writing ability shines through in this song. The band is spending the summer writing and we can’t wait to hear new material soon!

CRUSHING GRIEF (NO REMEDY) // neck deep One of our favorite tracks from Neck Deep’s debut full-length Wishful Thinking. “Crushing Grief” is incredibly infectious and deals with parting ways with someone you disagree with.

TWO GOOD THINGS // modern baseball Teen angst and youthful uncertainty paired with Jake Ewald’s raw vocals make this song unforgettable. You’re Gonna Miss It All demonstrate’s Modern Baseball’s versatil-ity as musicians.

REMEDY // state champs “Remedy” is a straight-up fast-paced pop-punk song. Frontman Derek DiScanio isn’t afraid to experiment with his vocal range. It’s one of those songs you wouldn’t want to miss live.

COME BACK HOME // we are the in crowd This song stuck as soon as we listened to Weird Kids. The slow track deals with changing relationships everyone can relate to.

ANDREAS // seahaven This is one of the standouts of Seahaven’s Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only. This timeless summer jam on nostalgic love deserves a listen!

HOLD ONTO ME // mayday parade “Hold On To Me” is one of the best Monsters In the Closet tracks. This song on troubled love is sure to tug at your heartstrings.

WIDE AWAKE // man overboard “Wide Awake” is a refreshing change from your average Man Overboard song. Singers Nik Bruzzese and Zac Eisenstein express desire to reconcile a lost love in this semi-acoustic track.

Here are nine tracks we can’t get enough of.

Listen to the playlist on Spotify.

Before You Exit: Dangerous Tour

POP PLAYLIST The brothers in Before You Exit Toby McDonough (page 15), Riley McDonough (top left) and Connor McDonough (top right) play Hamden, CT on March 25. Opener Plug In Stereo (bottom right) performs an acoustic track.

The three brothers of Before You Exit played an energetic show in Hamden, CT on March 25 as part of the Dangerous Tour. Their upbeat light-hearted tunes drew teen fans from all over.

Before You Exit began their set with their catchy new single “Dangerous.” Before You Exit also included more fan involvement - the band picked one lucky fan to draw the name of a song the band would cover from a jar. They treated fans to a cover of fun.’s “Some Nights.”

Plug In Stereo, who opened for the brothers, also played a notable set. Singer Trevor Dahl’s soothing vocals on “To Be Wanted” was well-received. Dahl also played “Truly, Madly, Deeply,” a song fans were surprised to learn he co-wrote for One Direction.

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