Thursday, August 20, 2015

Sub/Verse Zine's Premier Issue!

I have been working for months on this zine! It took such a long time to just come up with a good name, even longer to write full articles and recruit people to write for it (I got one person, my friend Izzy) . Somehow I finished it, and now it can be purchased for $5 at Quimby's book store in Wicker Park, a neighborhood in Chicago. And if you live super far from there- or are just lazy- email me at chloekgraham@gmail.com to order a copy. So- buy it! For now, check out this peek at the issue, an article by me called "Is This It: A Strokes Review." PEEK IT:
           
             "The first thing that got me interested in the Strokes was their inspiration taken from Lou Reed. I love Reed's work, and his dirty glam sound. But where is the band that can describe and catch the mood of modern New York? In Is This It, the Strokes on Reed's job as street reporter.
           The title song is reminiscent of "Sunday Morning" by the Velvet Underground. The theme of trying to prove oneself works very well with the circular rhythm of the song, like it will never end. "Modern Age" was my least favorite. The faux bad recording didn't sound ironic or artistic on this one. The song was pounding and thump, but it felt too restrained. It met its climactic point, if only we'd noticed.
           As with many a Taylor Swift album, almost all of the songs were about relationships... but from the opposite point of view that Swift comes from. The songs (not the people- I'm not going to make presumptions!) don't seem to care about relationships, or they do care, but the relationships are comfortable and not too worrisome. Not overly celebratory, and at the same time not nauseatingly sexist. And Julian Casablancas is a little cute. Just a little."


     My dad knows a good zine when he sees it!

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Twister, Sonic Youth, and the Rolling Stones

Aww...summer! Relaxing and relentlessly boring, all at the same time. My summer art classes are over, and I didn't really want to go to Lollapalooza, either. I mean, Paul McCartney was the only person I would have enjoyed seeing, and even then it probably would've been disgustingly crowded (though I am a huge hypocrite in saying that, considering that I'm going to see Iggy Pop at Riot Fest). And I have nothing planned for august! I honestly just want the school year to start, so I can have a schedule again and wear all my cute fall clothes.
Anyway, yesterday I went to Logan Square to record shop and thrift. First I went to Bric a Brac records, which is now my favorite record store. Its a really fun place to be in, with its Pee Wee's Playhouse decorating style and Simpsons video game. I also liked that the selection was smaller than a larger store, like Reckless Records, because it was easier to find stuff. I got "Evol" by Sonic Youth, two Rolling Stones pins, and a Lou Reed pin. After that I went to Family Thrift and bought the Twister shirt, denim skirt, and plaid skirt. The Twister shirt is actually an official Twister shirt, and is much larger when its not tucked in. It could easily double as a dress.
    "Evol" and "Bad Moon Rising" are my favorite Sonic Youth albums. I like how creepy and eccentric they sound, especially "Evol." They sound like the soundtracks to a prison escape.


I was really excited to find the RS pins, too. I actually got to see the Stones live in Milwaukee and Indianapolis, which was incredible. Most people my age refuse to listen to anyone over the age of 35, but the Stones are the greatest rock and roll band in the world, in my opinion. And apparently thousands of other people agree, because both venues were packed. Isn't it hilarious that supposedly youthful, energetic musical acts nowadays usually disappear within a year and a half, and yet the Stones just celebrated their 53rd anniversary, and THEIR the old codgers? Makes no sense to me.