Letter from the Editor Hey Beat Besties! I am so sad to say that this is my final edition of The Beat as Editor-In-Chief. :( Newbury St. Glossier with Julia 11/4
I have loved contributing each month and sharing the amazing content that our team creates! Because I am graduating at the end of this semester, I have been using old photos to remember my time at BU.
On Set PD Shenanigans 11/17
These “snapshots” we take highlight the many memories we make throughout our lives. As serious or as silly they may be, they’re all important to who we are. In this December 2023 edition, our hardworking team shows the importance of photographing and filming those moments.
FNAF Opening Weekend with Faith & Anna 10/27
<3 Grace Lumley
A Change of Heart - The 1975 Picture To Burn - Taylor Swift Photograph - J. Cole Girls on Film - Duran Duran Snapshot - RuPaul Life of an Extra - tinyumbrellas Pictures of You - The Cure Centerfold - The J. Geils Band Take A Picture - Filter 1980s Horror Film II - Wallows Taking Pictures of You - The Kooks Photograph - Nickelback Champagne Problems - Taylor Swift Pictures of You - DRUGDEALER & Kate Bollinger
December 2023 Playlist
December Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
4) Dylan 5) PUSSY Matthew RIOT Brighton Paradise Music Hall @ Rock Club @ 7pm 7pm
6) Straight No Chaser - 7) Savannah Cristina MGM Music Hall @ Sonia @ 7pm 7:30pm
11) Big Freedia’s 13) Bouncing 14) Zay 12) Mood Christmas in Souls Middle East Central City Wilson - The Royale Tour - Brighton Corner/Bakery Grand @ Boston @ Music Hall @ @ 9pm 11:30pm 7pm 7pm
19) From
20) Boston
18) T.3 - City Autumn To Music Awards 21) Sweetlk Winery @ The Grand @ (18+) - Big Ashes - Sonia 7:30pm 10pm Night Live @ @ 7pm 7pm
25) Bearly 26) Harlem Dead - Crystal Globetrotters Ballroom at TD Garden @ Sommerville 2pm Theatre @ 8pm
27) Start Making Sense: Talking Heads Tribute - The Sinclair @ 8:30pm
28) Queeraoke - Midway Cafe @ 8:30pm
Calendar Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1) milk. Brighton Music Hall @ 7pm
2) ALEX MINASIAN Scullers Jazz Club @ 7pm
3) FLATBUSH ZOMBIES - Big Night Live @ 7pm
8) The Maine House of Blues @ 6:30pm
9) Darlingside The Sinclair Music Hall @ 5:30pm
10) Kiss 108s Jingle Ball - TD Garden @ 6pm
15) Emo Night Brooklyn (21+) Brighton Music Hall @ 8pm
16) Birth-Tay 17) Jazz Boston Ball - Middle Middle East Zuzu East Downstairs @ 7pm @ 9pm
23) Tima Likes 24) Bruce Bears 22) DJ Pauly D Music & Friends The Grand @ Rockwood Music Beehive Boston 9:30pm Hall @ 7pm @ 7:30pm 29) Bad Bunny Night - Paradise Rock Club @ 9pm
30) San Holo (21+) - Big Night Live @ 9:30pm
31) Gimme Gimme Disco Brighton Music Hall @ 9pm
Word Search
<3 Serenity Lai & Shanzah Rafiqi
Favorite Album Gracie Abrams’ Good Riddance In a Rolling Stone article, Waiss Aramesh describes Gracie Abrams’ album Good Riddance as “one of 2023’s best debuts.” According to the article, in 2020, when millions of people were seeking ways to cope with the mandates to stay indoors related to the pandemic, Gracie Abrams spent time listening to Taylor Swift songs. Today, she provides the opening act for Swift’s “The Eras Tour” at hundreds of venues across the nation. The daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams has become an artist in her own right. Waiss cannot be more accurate than when naming Abrams “Gen Z’s melancholy maven.” Her verses and the melodic lines are simple, but they hit a chord and a nerve with Gen Z members. She sings autobiographical songs of love, longing, and heartbreak. She sings of self-doubt and the uncertainties of young love. In the track “Where Do We Go Now,” she outcries: “’Cause now I’m half of myself here without you / You're the best in my life and I lost you / And we had no control when it fell through.” This acknowledgement of the lack of control over fate and the inherent feeling of vulnerability that ensues make Gracie Abrams a Gen Z icon in the making. <3 Alexia Nastasia
A Review of Billie Martin’s I had my first taste of Billie Marten’s airy, tranquil music when I was in middle school and stumbled upon “Winter Song” on SoundCloud (I would like a formal poll of how many people still use SoundCloud, and another poll to see how many people would be mortified to show anyone their old SoundCloud playlists). I was immediately entranced by Marten’s tone of voice and raw, stripped-down style. I lost touch with her music for a while, only hearing some of her most popular songs since my SoundCloud days, but oh my goodness was I happy to stumble upon her fourth album, Drop Cherries! Drop Cherries, Marten’s newest album, is a gorgeous exploration of what life in a romantic relationship feels like, from the genuine beauty of love to the unparalleled confusion and occasional pain of being attached to another person. Each of the 13 songs feels like snapshots of an intimate relationship between two people – the vignettes create a story of genuine love that we as listeners can easily get lost in as the album unfolds. The album begins with a stunning instrumental track called “New Idea,” in which Marten hums alongside light guitar and strings – effectively feeling as though we’ve been dropped directly into a memory. “Just Us” describes the unity or “one-ness” that comes from a new relationship – “Take what you have and give it to me,” Marten chirps, “I move, you move”. The track “I Can’t Get My Head Around You” is one of the most popular on the album and one that artfully describes the simultaneous fear of a committed relationship and the pull one person can have, all wrapped up into an energetic, folksy melody.
Drop Cherries Primarily for its honest accounts of relationship anxiety, “Acid Tooth” is such a gem on this album! Marten sings, “You’ll worry yourself into mistrust,” describing what it feels like to be unable to shut off painful thoughts – whether they be from past experiences or simply irrational worrying – and just wishing you could stay present with the other person. My absolute favorite song is the work’s titular and final track, “Drop Cherries”. Martens's vocals shine in this song – her voice is beautifully aided by nothing but guitar, and her lyrics are simple but substantial. “I drop cherries at your door when you ask for more... I don’t know what I’m here for.” This song is an ode to the confusion of love – doing just about anything for someone without really knowing why, but just because you feel so deeply for them. I highly recommend this album for some much-needed tranquil energy, or for a total kick in the gut if you really want to dive into the lyrics and lean into the beautiful mess that is romantic love! <3 Tate Ham
Boston Music History
Mission of Burma, Snapshot The Snapshot live album was released by the Boston band Mission of Burma in November 2004. The post-punk band, which had been established in 1979 and reformed in 2002, was at its second live album, after The Horrible Truth About Burma in 1985. The band had also released two studio albums, Vs. in 1982 and OnOffOn in 2004. The Snapshot live album was recorded with a live audience at Boston’s Q Division Studios and concomitantly broadcast on the WFNX radio. According to David Raposa who wrote a review for Pitchfork, the post-punk legends followed the “triumphant” OnOffOn studio album with the equally impressive Snapshot which “captures these elder statesmen in what has always been their rawest and most primal state: live.” In the context of the live album, the meaning of “snapshot” was simply that of “an isolated observation” or a representation of the music of the band at a specific point in time. However, the album’s tempos are anything but simple. The tracks, including “Tremolo,” “Mica,” “Youth of America,” “Absent Mind,” “Red,” “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Faith,” “Max Ernst,” and “Dirt,” are based on what Raposa calls “radical recording techniques” including guitar echoes of its own sound, frantic vocals, changes of rhythm from slow to fast, and blurring the lines between pre-recorded segments and live performance. The track “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Faith” starts with the verses, which themselves hint to the idea of a snapshot, “This might be! / Your only chance!” It is a chance to sample Mission of Burma’s virtuosity. <3 Alexia Natasia
<3 Julia Brukx
How To Stay With You I know it isn’t fun and sexy to admit this as a queer college student, but I don’t consider myself to be someone that attracts physical desire. Due to a remarkable union of recurring anxieties and trauma, I find it hard to perceive myself as someone who would elicit the intimate interest of others. This poses a major complication, however, if I want to feel desirable romantically. Since love and eroticism are frequently tied together, being open to emotional affection means confronting my concerns with sexual affection. I have struggled with this before, especially when my tendency to retreat into abstinence complicated past relationships. As much as I’d like to, I can’t just flip a switch and be as comfortable with sex as I’m expected to be at this time in my life, even in isolation from romance. Sometimes, I’m afraid I’m not even worthy of queer friendship if I can’t provide that satisfaction. I want to be valued for more than my body, but it’s a lofty ask of anyone to understand that my bond with intimacy is a fraught one. Still, don’t I deserve that patience? I often turn to pop music as a means of representation, which brings me to Troye Sivan, a singer-songwriter who sees sex in every city and town (as stated on his song “Honey”). Sivan’s music projects the fantasy of an irresistible gay man who seemingly attracts carnal passion wherever he goes, who can provide a pleasurable experience to others and enjoy it for himself. Despite the charged sensuality of singles “Rush” and “Got Me Started,” a handful of songs on “Something to Give Each Other” (Sivan’s newest record) actively deconstruct this fantasy. “One Of Your Girls,” for example, features Sivan conforming to the wants of someone whose interest is merely conditional, while “Can’t Go Back, Baby” serves as a bittersweet reflection on a lover’s betrayal.
The shattering of this illusion climaxes on “How To Stay With You,” the album’s closing track. With its lush saxophone solo and poignant production by Oscar Görres and A. G. Cook, it stands out as one of the most vulnerable songs of Sivan’s career — as well as my favorite song from this year. Over the course of this track, Troye Sivan does everything he can to keep his man by his side. He cuts down a barren garden, he considers introductions to family members, and he voices his wish that this would be the right person to settle down with. In a teasingly distorted lyric, Sivan even offers to bottom for his partner, pulling on every resource he can to satisfy him. Despite all of these futile attempts, Sivan confesses in the song’s chorus that he doesn’t know if he can remain in this situation with so many doubts, especially when his hopes for the future don’t align with the current reality of the relationship. It’s reassuring to hear that even someone as confident with their own desires as Sivan can’t quite determine how to sustain them with another person. The last lines of the song find Sivan feeling despondent and preparing to start over again. After an album full of sweeping lust and love, he’s right back on a blank page. By ending on this note of uncertainty, Sivan refrains from giving up and letting complacency dictate his desires. Instead, he decides to keep going forward, even if he isn’t sure of where he’s going. I don’t know how to become the queer person I want to be, but whenever I listen to “How To Stay With You,” I feel inspired to try. I want to be able to find comfort in the bodies of others. I want to be less afraid of seeking out love and support. I want to know I’m deserving of desire. More than anything, I just want to find someone who is willing to stay with me.
<3 Josh Rosenthal
Bandcamp Review
Overpass With only a few songs under their belt, Overpass is slowly claiming its place in the UK music scene. The Birmingham band has supported the likes of Vistas, The Royston Club, and Inhaler on their UK tours and has claimed the stage at festivals like Isle of Wight and Truck Festival. They describe themselves as “driving the next wave of anthemic guitar music” and work to prove this statement with each track released. Currently, they have nine songs published on Spotify, with new music arriving in February through the release of their debut EP, “from the night.” Their indie-rock style is reminiscent of the British indie-sleaze era of the early 2000s and is supported by frontman Max Newbold’s restless vocals. They list Bruce Springsteen, Arctic Monkeys, Joy Division, The Blossoms, and The Strokes as some of their influences. While not clearly apparent in their music, a mix of all these artists seems to breed a new sound emanating from Overpass. From lover-inspired songs to yearning vocals and guitar-led tracks, they are working to create their sound.
The highlights of their short discography include “Alright,” “3 AM,” and “One Night Lover.” These three tracks highlight an increasing breadth of skill demonstrated by the young band. “One Night Lover” is a stripped-back indie-pop song rather than a guitar-led anthem, but its simplicity lends itself to the lyrics - which depict a classic story of two lovers. “3 AM” highlights the band’s anthemic qualities with a chorus that sounds best sung in a crowd. Alongside strong guitar riffs, the song is softened through bassist India Armstrong’s harmonizing and lyrics like “But I wish you’d just call me up / 3 AM not saying much / just to hear your stupid laugh.” “Alright” is certainly within the same arm as “3 AM,” with a strong chorus and heavy guitar backing, demonstrating that Overpass is a voice to be reckoned with.
<3 Josephine Best
Geskle Interview Natalie Treybal- Lead Guitar Conall Mannion- Drums Jesse Golliher- Singer/Songwriter/Guitar Dan Gillooly- Bass Matias Allende - Producer/Co-Songwriter/Guitar I sat down with Massachusetts-based artist Geskle (Jesse Goliher) and his band to discuss their beginnings, current success, and future plans. It was evident from the second I sat down with them, that they had a distinct dynamic much more intimate than bandmates. Their rapport as a group flowed naturally as if each could read the other’s mind. After seeing them perform live it is clear that the energy they bring to their gigs takes root in the genuine joy they derive from working with one another. Liz Plese: So, I will start at the beginning. How did each of you join the band? How do you think your band chemistry has improved since the beginning? JG: So... I moved here from Tennessee when I was in high school probably when I was around fourteen. I met these two guys through skateboarding (points to Conall and Dan). One day we just wanted to start a band and it was just going to be me and Conall and then Dan decided he wanted to join. We were in a band called Ocean Plaza. CM: Cuz Dan played the viola, and my Dad was like “That’s the same fucking thing as a base.” DG: That is true. Well, they’re the same thing. But, the lowest string on a violin is the highest string on a base so it's similar. So yeah...I think we played about a girl ... and from there we played pretty much up until Covid. We took a hiatus, Jessie became Geskle and released a solo EP and then we kinda regrouped. Natalie joined as guitar. They met through social media.
JG: Yeah so we needed a lead guitar player for a tour. We did our first mini diy tour Summer of 2022. NT: I was just posting covers online and it was mostly folk songs that I was posting and so I wasn’t really wellversed on the electric guitar. So it was a learning process for me as well. I had never played a show before and I had never met any of them. CM: We were at my parents' house in southern Maine to practice for like a week. Before we left and Natalie just showed up. JG: I think the chemistry is...I think we are very lucky that it worked out. We’re all strong personalities so it’s mostly them dealing with my antics. They handle it well. LP: Natalie, you said you had just met them a week before the tour. Was that daunting? How did first impressions go? NT: I was kinda nervous because I was driving four hours to go meet three men that I had never seen before. But we all got along pretty well and they are some of my best friends now. It worked well. JG: It just worked (Jessie laughs). It could have just gone so bad. CM: We could have been weird, she could have been weird. Who knows! NT: Yeah! That’s cool. DG: I think at the end of the day we’re all very close. So... we’re not putting up an act when we’re around each other. LP: Have you guys met any other bands at your gigs or any other people in general? NT: Coco Smith is amazing! One of my best friends. JG: Ski club is a good one we played with them. Keyboard Dog, that was our first tour. I’m really good friends with them. We hopped on a few dates with Axe and the
Hatchetman’s tour. They’re a really good band from Chicago, not Boston. I mean there’s too many to name. Each time you play a gig you make new friends with a band. LP: In three words how would each of you describe your band dynamic? NT: My Best Friends. JG: Drunk and Disordered? (the band chortles in agreement) LP: Jessie, you often describe Tennessee as a pivotal point in your musical journey. Aside from enabling you to sit down and learn guitar, how else did it shape your artistic perspective? JG: Well you know I got into bands like Nirvana. It was just kinda the start of it. I had actually moved away from my hometown in the Worchester area. I had the opportunity to do it because my dad moved down there and the biggest part was that I felt like I was being bullied and not fitting in. I was having a hard time just being a kid here. I think when I moved out to Tennessee I wanted to reset. I came, I wanted to start music, and I wanted to be in a band. Somehow it still stuck. I still got bullied though. JG: Yeah... I’m actually only doing music out of spite (the band chuckles a the sarcastic remark) LP: Back when you started playing music, you were mainly into nineties grunge and then Tame Impala was an influence that came later. Who have been your current influences? CM: You’ve had a lot of eras. JG: The most recent era, I was listening to a lot of Big Thief, Bon Iver, and a lot of alternative or indie folk.
CM: You had a Saturday Night Fever thing going for a while. I get into the car with Jessie one time and “Stayin Alive” is on by the Beegees and he goes “Conall, have you ever heard this song before? I just found it and it's great.” JG: That is not what I said. I said it was one of the best pop songs ever written. CM: But it was the way you said it. DG: Oh I remember when you had the “Staying Alive” phase. It was like full volume blasting in the driveway I could hear it from inside (Jessie laughs). JG: Yeah... it’s a broad stroke. Right now Waveform and slowcore bands. I don’t know it’s hard to listen to music sometimes. I feel like I fall into a trap of self-doubt when I listen to music. I hear other people's songs and I think: “Man, why can’t I do that.” So as time has progressed I’ve listened to less music. But, hopefully, that will change. LP: By my understanding you work with your friend Matías in the production process who lives in Chile. Paint me a picture of how editing and producing go. JG: Oh it’s the most masochistic process of all time. Basically how it goes is I will write bits and pieces of a song, record them, and then send them to Matías and we slowly build parts. But it's a big pain in the ass because we have to send files over the internet because we’re not in the same room. For instance, he’ll send something and I’ll call him saying what I like and then he sends it back and the process takes a long time. It can be very frustrating. But, that is the way we do it for now until either I go to Chile or he comes to America. LP: You guys say that you all go to school and work on the band. Would you ever consider committing to the band full-time?
NT: So I’m in my last year of school right now so that will be one less thing on the roster. It is something I would love to do full-time if we got to the point where that was possible. CM: Yeah same here. I’m an artist myself so I want to remain in the creative field regardless. I’m going to school right now for art management. Yeah, I’m here for him (the drummer pats Jessie on the shoulder). DG: Yeah I would absolutely do it. It’s definitely tricky with school and having to decide between different commitments but if it was the right time one-hundred percent all the way. JG: The way I look at it: I don't go to school so I can't speak on this but I will say my piece. School is always going to be there but the chance to enjoy your twenties isn’t. DG: Well... I have my scholarships so not always (the band laughs in unison). LP: Is it at all scary to go into this without having school as a backup plan? JG: You know the thing is I never really considered the other options than art. It doesn't feel scary if I know I’m not going to do anything else regardless and I think a lot of that doubt went away when my first song did well. Now it's more like “God I have to do this” rather than “Am I going to make it.” All you need is that foot in the door and things start happening. LP: Are there any new Projects you’re working on or do you eventually plan on working on an album? JG: Yes, I have an obligation that is going to take up a lot of time next year but hopefully Geskle will have an album at some point. That’s what I want to do but it’s really fucking hard. There are songs. I want
to do an album but it’s a big feat and I’m lazy. DG: Plus you want to make sure it’s something that feels special. You don’t want to just put something out there that you don’t really like. LP: For those of us who have a limited knowledge of the songwriting, playing, and production process, why is it so difficult to make an album? JG: Well there are so many factors put into it. At first, the song has to be good and if you can't get a good song you have nothing to record. Then in the recording process, tiny things can go wrong like you don't get the right guitar sound and things stack up and you don't have proper mixing. It’s just a long process, especially the way I do it because I write songs very slow. It can take me months to finish a song because I haven't written the rest of it. NT: I think you also just spend so much time with songs that you start to pick out things that you find that you don't like. JG: I can't finish things quick enough because I start to dislike them. DC: And then you start working on other things. It’s like a cycle. But hey that's how you make good music: the process of trial and error and figuring out what works and doesn't work. I think honestly putting a lot of time into something ensures that it’s thought out and well made not just some garbage. JG: I am horrendously self-critical. Worse than that I’m self-deprecating. I think growing up I had a hard time feeling like I fit in and I think unfortunately music has become the way that I have tried to fit in. But if I marry those two ideas too hard, any sort of failure feels like that kind of rejection. CM: But also, you don’t write just fun songs, you put yourself into the songs, and when I’m playing the songs I remember the moments I was there for. You want to get that right. JG: My songs are pretty literal. And I do write the songs for other people. I don't necessarily do it for myself. The songs aren’t just for me they’re for hopefully people going through the same thing.
Kodak Gold A roll of film rests on the dresser, dust collected and making promises to remind me of all I cannot myself remember. To develop would make light fragments entirely concrete. To unwind, unearth, unmask a memory whose shape I cannot trace even now. Though I know there it sits, to pull it from darkness and into its chemical baths would mean the rebirth of a moment long buried by time. Immortalized in 4 by 6 inches would be a year of conversations, a lifetime of love, and an illuminating flash on three adolescent grins <3 Tate Ham
<3 Julia Brukx
album You are “L Found” b ost & y Jorja Smith. T his m brings fr onth uitful recognit ions life in all for your aspects. You will hav initiative e more things an to start d ta control in ke more your life.
You are “Wish Someone Would Care” by Irma Thomas. You will create and strengthen your relationships and social ties this month - bringing you joy and inspiration.
Aries
Taurus You are “BUBBA” by Kaytranda. Passion and love will enter your life this month. Don’t be afraid to open up and see where things take you.
Leo
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saGiTt Arius
Human You are “RIP ng and ga Art” by Earth . You ge Spillage Villa e to take have the tim onth m a break this eful ac and enjoy pe eat activities. Tr ending yourself to sp loved ur time with yo self. ur ones and yo
Virgo
You are “Overgrown” by Joyce Wrice. You will take new steps to leave your comfort zone this month and find yourself pleased with your decisions. Show your appreciation to your loved ones and all their support.
Capricorn
horoscopes You a Inte re “The Ojerim rludes” by will d e. Reflec t o mont you good ion ha th past a s karma fr is o play a ctions ma m y in you strong role socia r career and l life to list . Rememb en to er intuit your ion.
Gemini You are “Feel Good” by The Internet. December renews your perspective on life and encourages you to make positive changes. Resist the temptation to fall into old habits.
LibrA
You are “The House Is Burning” by Isaiah Rashad. December is the month for you to look back on all you have accomplished this year. Reward yourself with time alone.
Aquarius
- serenity lai taylor olson
nt “Differe You are y Pulp. b ” ss Cla er is a Decemb n and f fu o th n o m s erience new exp friends r with you y; new il and fam es are tiv perspec new year e key as th along. comes
Cancer
You are “Chasing Summer” by SiR. You may feel restless during this month but you should take things slow and enjoy your time off. Don’t forget to take a step back and reevaluate before speaking or acting.
scorpio
m e Dru y re “Th You a Theory” b r Chord artian. You Matt M ity will be creativ freely this g ill flowin and you w e k h mont ated to ta tiv be mo n. Use this ur actio o plan yo ht mont for 2024. goals
pisces
Draw your own “picture perfect” moment in the polaroid!
Edited by Grace Lumley Front Cover by Serenity Lai & Shanzah Rafiqi On Page Graphics from Canva
This Month’s Contributors Writing Team: Josephine Best, Julia Brukx, Tate Ham, Serenity Lai, Grace Lumley, Alexia Nastasia, Taylor Olson, Liz Plese, Shanzah Rafiqi & Josh Rosenthal