If you find yourself on rock and metal TikTok, chances are you’ve encountered the phenomenon of female influencers such as Mila Moon and Heather Leather dressing in intricate, rock n’ roll inspired outfits. This uproar of new-gen metal fashion icons has resulted in a trend of glamster cover girls across the digital world. So, how does one dress “rock and roll?” As someone that dabbles in the art of hair teasing and ripping the sleeves off their tank tops, I’m here to tell you the easiest ways to incorporate a rock and metal inspired style into your wardrobe.

Cut Those Band Tee Shirts

It’s no secret that rock and roll isn’t prim and proper, nor is it clean-cut. Literally. While a baggy band tee shirt makes for a grungy 90s vibe, sometimes a cut-up band tee shirt gives your silhouette an androgynous edge and a unique flare. Personally, I like to buy band tee shirts for cutting one or two sizes too small, so that they can be more form fitting. The possibilities are endless for cutting your shirts! Experiment with making off-the-shoulders, loose boxy tank tops, even add some rips and holes throughout, like Lee Aaron, to give your look the edge that defines it as rock and roll. 

As Saxon Once Said, Denim and Leather Brought us all Together

Rock and roll fashion is all about texture, so filling your closet with plenty of black leather and ripped denim will help create a good base before accessorizing. This is where the staples come in: ripped jeans, leather pants, leather jackets, and denim battle vests will always call back to classic rock and metal fashion from the 80s and late 70s. Rock and roll is meant to stand out. Seek out pieces with studs and spikes or funky patterns like animal print. Black and red are your core colors. Look at bands like Poison and Hanoi Rocks for more neon/multicolor outfit inspo. 

Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize

One of the biggest characteristics of rock and roll fashion is, simply, a shit ton of accessories. Accessories can take a plain look, immediately amp up the rock vibe, and turn you from regular human being to Guns N’ Roses concert attendee. The secret is in the silver: chain necklaces, black leather cuff bracelets, chokers, studded belts, and spiky bracelets are the key to making your outfit interesting. They’re also a great hack for looking like a rockstar even on lazier days by enhancing basic outfits. Seeking out a thrash metal look? Invest in a bullet belt.

Get Western With It

Oddly enough, rock fashion is very inspired by Western wear. Think about it: Jon Bon Jovi’s fringe jacket, Bobbi Brown’s red cowboy boots in the Cherry Pie music video, Bret Michaels’ cowboy hat. Unexpected pieces like these will make your look rock hard. Pointy cowboy boots always look killer with lace up flares or over skin tight spandex. Fringe is eye-catching and dynamic, whether you find it on a jacket or on your pants. Big, chunky belt buckles are shiny and bold. Colored bandanas make for a great accessory, especially when worn around your neck or around your thigh. 

Hair is an Accessory

If you know anything about 80s rock, you know that the hair was styled miles high. But you don’t need big hair specifically to look rock n’ roll. Rock n’ roll haircuts range from a short Joan Jett shag to feathery Vince Neil bangs. If your cut is dynamic, it’ll be easier to blow dry it and be on your way without caking it with hairspray or product every day. In essence, get lotsa layers, bangs, and just roll with the messiness, because rock n roll is too hot and high-energy to be worrying about your pristinely styled hair. 

Customize, and Be Yourself!

If you don’t want to buy a ton of new garments, chances are you won’t have to. Buy a pack of band patches and sew them to your jackets and vests. Paint a messy rendition of your favorite metal lyrics across the butt of your jeans. Cut things and sew them together again. Rock is about roughing things up and making them yours, being a nonconformist, and going by the beat of your own drum. That should reflect in your style. Remember, all of these fashion tips are applicable no matter who you are, what you look like, or how you identify. Androgyny and individuality make up the beauty and fun of aligning your look with the rock genre and its many branches. So have fun, and remember, if you feel good, you look good! Rock on and happy styling.

Take a look at my inspo board!  

Take inspo from my rock and roll photoshoot!

The post Denim & Leather: A Guide to Dressing Rock and Roll appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Sad music for the old soul

This generation has a fascination with soul-crushing sad music. While Mitski and Sufjan Stevens are great, I think it’s important to recognize that there are a lot of rock and metal tunes with more nuance to their lyrics than you’d expect. They can be a great soundtrack for those nights where your situationship has you in tears

Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad by Def Leppard 

In their 1992 album “Adrenalize,” Def Leppard asks you the question straight up. The main guitar riff is drawn out, the notes rising and falling like a long inhale and a wistful sigh. The chorus is full and layered with haunting harmonies, a production trait of the illustrious Mutt Lange, who helped shape Def Leppard’s iconic multi-harmonic vocals. While the album itself isn’t a masterpiece, the aura of melancholy is present throughout some of the tunes, like this one, due to its release shortly after the death of their longtime guitarist Steve Clark. Regardless, “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad” is a great song to yearn to, especially if you’re getting over that one person who might not want you back (screw them! You’re better than that).

Hard Luck Woman by KISS

Intentionally written in the style of Rod Stewart (in fact, so much so that I can’t unhear that), Hard Luck Woman is a fun one since you can interpret it in two different ways. At least, that’s how I like to listen to it. The swaying acoustic ballad sings of a nameless lover, the titular “Hard Luck Woman,” being left by the singer, KISS drummer Peter Criss. When listening, you might be the “Hard Luck Woman,” being left behind, or perhaps you’re the singer, forced to bid farewell to a lover no longer serving you. Lyrically, it’s quite poetic, singing of the “sailors only daughter, child of the water, too proud to be a queen.” While it’s a touch woeful, “Hard Luck Woman” is not a spiteful song. It embraces the normalcy of a breakup, with an attitude of “that’s life” hidden within its folky melody, because breakups are just as human as falling in love.

Another Rainy Night (Without You) by Queensrÿche

If you’re willing to embrace the drama that is “Another Rainy Night (Without You),” this is the perfect song to channel heartbroken rage. In other words, it’s a song for staring out your rainy window and drawing broken hearts in the condensation. Singer Geoff Tate brings a shrill, almost operatic quality to the vocals, the lyrics chock full of bitterness, unlike my previous song pick. What I really dig about this tune is that it aged like fine wine. Have you ever waited all night for a call or text from that one person? You might relate to the lines, “But now my take-out food is growing cold, and the candle’s burned a hole in the floor, and I’m still waiting for the ring of the phone.” Pretty literal, but don’t act like you haven’t spent a whole night hung up on a notification that never showed. It’s okay, I’ve been there, too.

Back to the Bullet by Saraya

This one’s for the girls! Well, between you and me, I believe all of these songs are for the girls, but this one especially, thanks to Sandi Saraya being on vocals. “Back to the Bullet” is a delicious mix of 80s pop synths and arena rock guitars, making it the kind of song to dance around to with angry tears in your eyes. Saraya sings this criminally underrated tune about the funny things we do when we’re stuck on someone: driving past their house, feeling as if everywhere this person goes, you’d like to go, too. The lines “Heard it all before and I know I’ll hear it again/”He’s no good, better stay away”/But every night when I picture us alone/Oh, the words just fade away” sum up the unfortunately common occurrence of completely ignoring your girl friends’ advice about that one man you can’t seem to let go of. Let. Him. Go. Or go “Back to the Bullet,” your choice.

Real Love by Slaughter

Gen Z seems to have a commitment problem. Now I’m no psychologist, so I’m not going to go into why this might be, or give you advice on how to cope with this issue. Instead, I’ll recommend a song that might share that same sentiment. “Real Love’s” chorus asks the same questions the hopeless romantics of this generation have been asking: “Real love, won’t somebody show me? Real love, isn’t anyone true anymore?…Real love, where are you?” And Mark Slaughter has this incredible range that allows for that classic hair metal screech, aka, the kind of voice you imitate in the shower to the dismay of everyone within a mile radius of you. Seriously, though, if you find yourself getting repeatedly led on by folks that just don’t know what they want from you or for themselves, this is your song. 

Miss Mystery by Black N’ Blue

We all have that one person you saw in passing and couldn’t stop thinking of. “Miss Mystery”captures that hopeless yearning feeling to a tee. In fact, this song sums up a few different feelings, depending on how you’d like to interpret it, sort of like “Hard Luck Woman.”Speaking of KISS, you might not know Black N’ Blue by name, but you might recognize their guitarist, Tommy Thayer, who eventually went on to become the last Spaceman in the KISS lineup. In fact, he plays a real sultry guitar intro to get you into that wishy-washy, dreamy mood that captures the song’s whole theme. Sometimes, I listen to this tune and think of beautiful people I’ve spoken to once and never saw again. Other times, I think of the concept of a “hallway crush”: that one person you see a lot, but only from afar. Don’t get yourself down over this person, though, because, perhaps you’re someone else’s “Miss Mystery.”

Go Easy by Alien

Alien is a Swedish rock band that I can guarantee you’ve never heard of. I’m so determined to change that. Go Easy sounds like a typical upbeat Night Rangerish tune, but listen closely. The lyrics sum up that big bad word that I absolutely hate but this generation has coined to sum up the previously mentioned commitment problem: a situationship. These lyrics are incredibly nuanced and well thought-out. The second I heard the line “I wanted more, you took my love and kept your freedom,” I had to bring out the big guns (my journal). I know we like to come up with trendy words for things, but in reality, this whole “situationship” thing has existed for a long time, just not as frequently. That line alone sums up that sting we feel when someone uses us for self indulgence while refusing to commit. This whole tune is full of great lyrics about that feeling, as well as a head bopping-beat and raw, emotionally-driven vocals.

In essence, I highly recommend taking a look at these songs and beyond, because the rock and metal genre is crawling with great heartbreak songs and meaningful lyrics that are often dismissed due to the stereotype of rock ballads being cheesy, inauthentic and worthy of mockery. So grab your hairspray and spandex, a pint of ice cream and a box of tissues, and blast these songs on full volume. Even if you don’t always rock with rock, I hope at least one of these tunes will make you feel seen.

The post 7 Rock and Metal Anthems for Gen-Z’s Heartbreak Playlist appeared first on SCAD Radio.

When the years start coming and they don’t stop coming, sometimes that A24 movie you saw a while ago about space (or something like that), becomes forgettable. Maybe the characters were well written, the acting was solid, the director was famous – but at the end of the day it wasn’t anything special. Across the land, there’s likely a few angry film critics (and majors) that will rally around with pitchforks, ready to hunt you down and tell you why it was the greatest film of the 21st century. Alas, let us music-lovers remember that there’s only one thing that makes everyone (not just that film bro you went to high school with) agree that a film is exceptional: the soundtrack. A good film soundtrack can take an otherwise “meh” film and make it good. Better yet, it can take a pretty good film and make it great. But if we’re talking films that are objectively brilliant as is with soundtracks that elevate them to all-star status, it would have to be “Shrek” and it’s just-as-good-as-the-first sequel.

If there was an Oscar category for music supervisors, it might as well be named after Marylata Elton or Chris Douridas. Much like the franchise’s titular main character, they shine by their own unconventional merit (seriously, music supervisors deserve more recognition). Elton is responsible for the original “Shrek” film, which premiered April 22, 2001, preceding another cult classic she worked on, “Prince of Egypt” (which also has a killer soundtrack, highly recommend). She curated the perfect mix of fun early 2000s pop-rock anthems with Smash Mouth’s “All Star” and glorious cover of “I’m A Believer”, along with Halfcocked’s also masterful cover of “Bad Reputation” and Dana Glover’s slow ballad, “It Is You (I Have Loved)” as the standouts.

Douridas, a well-known DJ of Santa Monica based radio station KCRW, led the musical quest of the 2004 sequel, Shrek 2. His crowning features being Counting Crows’ original “Accidentally In Love” (which actually was nominated for an Oscar), Frou Frou’s version of “Holding Out for a Hero”, the iconic “Changes” duet with David Bowie and Butterfly Boucher, and fan favorite “Funkytown” by Lipps, Inc.

The real genius, and yet another reason why the soundtracks are such perfection, is the usage of updated covers – which is fitting considering the films are actually adapted from William Stieg’s 1990 book. Arguably the most famous of the bunch is “I’m A Believer.” The song had already been deemed a classic, as it was originally performed by classic rock band The Monkees in 1967, after being written by the legendary Neil Diamond. Smash Mouth revamped the hit, keeping its overall California-esque sound whilst pairing it with lead singer Steve Harwell’s quintessential y2K-rock-star vocals. Halfcocked’s rendition of the beloved Joan Jett track “Bad Reputation”, does something similar – although the instrumentals are almost identical in both versions (perhaps because that guitar riff is everything).

“Holding Out For A Hero,” performed by Frou Frou, as well as the unforgettable Fairy Godmother in the second film (oh, to be that piano), actually originated on another famous soundtrack, “Footloose.” The duo bring their signature electronic edge to the Bonnie Tyler tune, embracing it uniquely their own – much like Princess Fiona does as an ogre throughout the films.

Covers aside, much of the soundtracks’ magic lies in the original songs. “All Star” by Smash Mouth will forever be synonymous with Shrek although beyond the first film, its cultural impact isn’t remiss in the eyes of Gen Z and millennials alike (we all remember listening to it in our fifth-grade class). From their 1999 album “Astro Lounge,” it’s the perfect song to open the film, because “All Star” is an unorthodox self-love anthem – which is the clear underlying theme of the entire franchise. It’s the perfect song to encapsulate why the soundtracks are the best to ever do it. On its own, it’s a certified hit ,but paired with such a shooting star of film it breaks the mold. These soundtracks are what turn the glittering masterpiece that is the first two films to gold. So, ditch that strange as hell A24 movie and appreciate the real crème de la crème that is “Shrek” 1 & 2 and their soundtracks.

The post Let Us Appreciate the All-Star Status of the Shrek Soundtracks appeared first on SCAD Radio.

When you’re freshly 16, angry, angsty, and frustrated, trying to understand why no one else understands you, it’s easy to fall into a dangerous pit of “I’m not like everyone else.” However, when you’re too shy to dress like a nonconformist, you listen to music like one. So you dive into this band called Metallica, which, at the time feels like the most nonconformist thing you can do in a community of copy-and-paste teenagers, and find this album called “Ride the Lightning.” 

It wasn’t anything like other classic rock bands I was exploring. To me, a newbie, it was shocking and unexpected. The guitars are overdriven and played at the speed of light. Songs like “Escape” and “Creeping Death” are intense and chilling, while “Fade to Black” is melodic and melancholic. It’s as if the album found me, and through the mind-melting intro of “Fight Fire with Fire,” it said to me, “I understand.” From there, I was addicted.

In freshman year of high school, I was a dance competition kid, which meant I was at dance 12 hours a week with competitions on the weekends. Sometimes they’d go for multiple days at a time. I wasn’t exactly the most popular kid on the dance team, in fact, I was quite the opposite. My headphones were a good distraction from the fact. I would sit backstage in my “moon boots,” these puffy shoes you could wear over your dance shoes to protect them. Honestly, I’m not sure what the point of those were. 

Anyways, I would sit in the dusty corners of whatever academic building was being used for the competition and sink into my music. Metallica was the perfect noise for those nauseating moments before going on stage. The great thing about those slivers of time was the fact that I knew no one would expect me, the scrawny little kid in the glittery outfit and thick coat of makeup, to be blasting “Ride the Lightning” and “Master of Puppets” before a show. Kirk Hammett’s dizzying, explosive solos distracted from the overstimulating gel sealing my hair down like concrete, the bobby pins stabbing my skull, and costume straps digging into my shoulders.

I remember the first time I heard the chilling, echoey guitar intro for “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” off of their 1986 smash hit “Master of Puppets.” It was one of those songs you hear for the first time, and then you find yourself unable to listen to any other songs, because you’re so determined to inject your brain with it that you’re stuck playing it over and over again. It’s that sort of tune that tightly holds your hand while you cry. I can’t say I relate to the song on a lyrical level (it’s quite literally the tale of a mental asylum patient), but there was something to the brief moment of common ground between James Hetfield and I when he said, “leave me be.” It felt as if Metallica could feel sad, perhaps it was okay that I did, too.

And when the competitions were over, and whatever drama went down that weekend had ended (in dance, drama is a guarantee), I wanted nothing more but to sink into my mattress for eternity and watch TV. When we still had all the channels on cable, MTV had a side channel called MTV Classic, and every evening they’d air reruns of the “Headbangers Ball.” When the Ball was on I’d put my phone away and travel in time, watching metal music videos and pretending they weren’t reruns at all, that it really was 1988, and that Metallica just released “And Justice For All…” 

And I listened to Metallica all throughout the next four years of my high school career. It knocked the dance competition bullies over the head, told me to cut my hair and finally show my face off, soundtracked my prom preparation, and influenced my style in college, where I finally embraced the metalhead I am instead of hiding myself under hoodies. 

However, there’s one album that was always with me: “The Black Album.” I recall being in the back seat of my dad’s car, excited because he put on “Enter Sandman,” which was the only Metallica song little Emma knew of. It was spooky and different. Even in a car seat, Metallica was telling me that different was cool, and even though I took a break from my dad’s music throughout my middle school years, the band found me again. And now, at 21, I proudly wear my “metal up your ass” tee shirt in hopes that I’ll attract some fellow metalheads. It’s an achievement, compared to the days where I was too afraid to draw attention with band tee shirts. 

Even in my 20s I still sometimes get that pang of feeling misunderstood, and suddenly I’m in my puffy moon boots again hiding in the corner at a dance competition. Whenever that happens, I open Metallica’s discography much like one would “break glass in case of emergency,” and the music is holding my hand again and saying, “I understand.”

The post Thank You, Metallica: A Love Letter to my First Metal Band appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Every weekend, Jimmy waltzes into Lady Jane’s wearing those stupid bell bottoms that ride up his ass, and those obnoxious Ray Bans (even though it’s far past sundown), and a haircut that makes him look like a chick. He always shows up ten minutes after the Mets game ends, like clockwork. Then he places his chestnut leather jacket on the hook like he owns the joint, and orders the same thing every time: a Manhattan with two cherries. 

But nothing pisses me off like the sound of his dime going into the jukebox. He plays the same damn song every time and sings along, Ooh, my little pretty one, pretty one, when you gonna give me some time, Sharona?!

I vigorously wipe the bar and focus on the wet streaks left behind by my rag, mouthing the words because I can’t help myself. “M–m-m–my Sharona. Fuck.” 

“Hey, man,” says Jimmy. He dips his head to look at me from below his sunglasses. Holding up an empty glass, he plucks the toothpick from its rim and sucks off the two cherries in one vulgar motion. “Running low.” Two women seated at the very end of the bar giggle, entertained by his gesture.

I whip up another Manhattan, listening in on Jimmy’s effortless attempts at flirtation. Chicks dig him, I’m not sure why. I grab the jar of cherries only to find an empty glass with nothing but a puddle of red juice at the bottom. 

“Here you go,” I say, sliding the naked drink his way. “We’re out of cherries though. Sorry about that.”
“Can’t you check the back?”

“What back? We don’t…” I withdraw my temper. “We don’t have a ‘back,’ just an alleyway. With a dumpster. Where we put the garbage. Any extra stuff is gonna be right here, on the shelves.” Jimmy examines his drink, sulking. He approaches me and I pretend not to see him, wiping down an already clean glass. “Listen, I got a deal for you,” he says with a shit eating grin. “There’s a late-night market on Hudson Street.”

“Dude,” I say, knowing exactly where this is going, “we’re out of cherries. I’m sure we’ll restock them tomorrow. But I can’t exactly leave the bar. I have customers. If you really want cherries, I’ll watch your drink while you go get them.” 

“But you don’t understand,” he says, an exaggerated pout across his face, “this cocktail isn’t complete without the cherries. To finish a Manhattan without the sweet embrace of a cherry on your tongue is like pulling out right before you’re about to shoot your load.” I want to take the glass and smash it across his face. I’m so amazed at the sheer douchebaggery of this individual that my red hot anger has frozen over, leaving me speechless. 

This is the most I’ve ever observed Jimmy since I started working here. I can’t tell if he’s 20 or 30, nor can I tell if the sheen in his roots is hairspray or grease. He’s not even that good looking. His shirt’s a little ragged with a peeling Van Halen logo across it. A mystery stain bleeds over the “V.” His head droops forward, lip hanging open ever so slightly as if his brain has taken a short break. I squint at him.

“Can’t help you, pal,” I say. “I’m not getting paid enough to run errands.”

For the first time, he takes his sunglasses off. “I’ve had a rough day today,” he says, “and I’d really like it if this drink came with cherries.”

I realize I’ve never really seen Jimmy anywhere outside of Lady Jane’s. His life is a mystery. I’ve only known him as the guy perched against the jukebox, drinking, and picking up girls of various ages. Strange, I think, how he looks kind of sad without the shield of his Ray Bans to protect his sunken eyes. 

Perhaps his wife is dead and he misses her. Or he’s really a homeless dude with good style, or a college dropout, or a junkie, or all of the above. Maybe, I think, maybe I’ll let him have this one, and perhaps the good karma will come back to me. “Fine,” I say, “I’ll get you some cherries.”

Right before I exit, he slides his sunglasses back on and I hear him say to the ladies at the end of the bar, “Yeah, I had a long fucking day alright.”

“Why is that?” One girl asks.

“My wife caught me in the act.”

The post Short Story: Top Jimmy appeared first on SCAD Radio.

From the woodsy terrain of New York’s Hudson Valley comes a wayward songwriter with a seemingly infinite flow of inspiration: Justin Vreeland, a now-Savannah resident and sound design student at SCAD. Whether he’s plucking acoustic originals at The Sentient Bean or rocking out at El Rocko lounge, he and his music are taking Savannah by storm. In essence, the singer-songwriter has an ever-growing catalog of heartfelt, lively tunes, and he shows no signs of stopping.

In 2020, Vreeland released his debut EP, This is Justin Vreeland, and shortly after, his debut album, Death to Alt Rock, a spin on the punkish soundtrack of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Death to Alt Rock includes songs that parody the local New York alt rock scene such as Woodbury Commons, which pokes fun at the serious tone of the scene while alluding to the titular Orange County mall. “And that was just made in my basement in 2020,” Vreeland told me. “I had very little knowledge of recording.”

Vreeland made his humble voyage to Savannah shortly after the peak of the pandemic. Little did he know his musical journey was only just beginning when faced with the vast environment of the Hostess City. “Coming out of New York, I thought I was hot shit. I got a band together in middle school and we played a bunch of school functions…I played one show in New Paltz, and I played one or two graduation parties. So I thought I was pretty good,” he told me. “Then I came down to Savannah, and I realized, no one’s hiring this underage kid…I had to start busking on the street. I was a busker on River Street for about four months from September 2021 to about May 2022.”

His most recent album, I’d Be Invisible, showcases notes of southern rock and classic blues with folky, intimate, singer-songwriter lyricism, a contrast from his previous alt-rock and punk records. “There [were] a lot of recordings that were built into that. Some of them were made when I was in high school,” said Vreeland. “I wanted an album that represented my live sets, what I liked to play. Before that record came out, [at] most of the shows I was playing, either in New York or Savannah, the only reference people had was my very first EP, and then just Death to Alt Rock and A Space Tale.” In essence, I’d Be Invisible is Savannah’s formal introduction to Vreeland’s music. Songs like King of a Ghost Town, a lonesome bluegrass tune, was written years before the recording itself. “Lyrically, I think it’s a song about growing old,” Vreeland said. His inspiration stemmed from seeing Gordon Lightfoot for the first time, applying his storytelling approach to lyricism and “metaphorical voice” to the record.

I’d Be Invisible is story-driven, and while one might expect the album to be autobiographical, that’s not the case entirely. “A lot of my songs are based on pure fiction. You know, if I wrote songs totally about my life, then my discography would be pretty boring.” The authenticity stems from his fluid songwriting process. “A phrase pops into my head,” Vreeland said, referring to his ideation. “I mean, you know, a lot of [my lyrics] come from watching around me…sometimes you gotta just see things. You pick it all up.” 

His observational, semi-fictional method of songwriting dates back to his first EP, This is Justin Vreeland, particularly on the track It’s A Tragedy. “The second verse kind of parodies my first ever meeting with Patton Magee, who’s the lead singer of The Nude Party…I remember talking with him and you know, what do you do when you run into a musician and you’re a musician too? You don’t know what to say, so you start talking gear. So Shaun Couture, his lead guitarist, had this Danelectro DC ‘59 12 string. And I said, ‘hey, man, is that your guitar?’ He said, ‘oh no, that’s Shaun’s guitar.’” As Vreeland wrapped up the conversation, a run-of-the-mill musician-to-musician exchange about the struggle of finding gigs, “we shook hands. He walked off. He didn’t say it’s a tragedy, but I said it.” And a songworthy story was born from there.

With Vreeland finding inspiration from every angle, his discography is staggering, in fact, it’s so jam-packed with songs that he keeps a second Spotify account as an archive for demos and unreleased tracks: Justin Vreeland’s Workshop. When asked about his drive to produce such an impressive quantity of music, he told me, “It’s feverish…I just love writing, seeing if I can outdo myself. For the past three years, I’ve set a quota for myself, that I have to write 100 songs a year. And I’ve been doing that, I think, successfully. The idea is not 100 record ready songs each year. It’s kinda like working in a brewery. You’re throwing it all together, getting this massive vat of it. And all the cream that comes to the top is maybe those eight songs out of the 100 that you [put on the album].” And how do you even know which songs to include from such a collection? “It’s just whichever ones stick in your head the most.”

Justin Vreeand is a musician in every sense of the term: a singer, drummer, harmonicist, bassist, guitarist, and songwriter. A storyteller at heart with an uncontrollable urge to create, his current rig is stationed in SCAD’s own Barnard Village, where, naturally, more music is in the works. In terms of what’s next, Vreeland told me, “I’m going to try and parody all those old records from the 50s. I love those old blues players, like Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, the old Muddy Waters records.” Vreeland is always creating, driven by his nonstop passion and mighty need to rock. In other words, there’s always something new brewing inside the mind of Justin Vreeland.

The post Inside the Mind of Justin Vreeland appeared first on SCAD Radio.

“Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that God sends her shitty men until she chooses me. Amen!”

That’s the universal prayer of Girlfriend From Hell, Savannah Georgia’s beloved, bratty, punk trio. Made up of Bassist Nat Durham, guitarist Jaida Maceyko, and drummer Alix Lemiere, the Sav locals are kicking off the month of April with their killer debut EP, Get a Grip. 

Girlfriend from Hell incorporates tongue-in-cheek lyrics similar to modern girl bands such as Dazey and the Scouts and Mommy Long Legs with the defiant outrage of classic riot grrrl groups like Bikini Kill. The songs showcase a mix of meaningful activism and dark humor, drenched in the band’s bombastic and fierce personality throughout the record as a whole. Durham’s verdriven bass lines, Maceyko’s deep, crunchy guitar riffs and Lemiere’s energetic drum rhythms create a classic, hardcore punk tone, while Durham’s shrieking vocals call a certain audience out on their bullshit (No Respect) as well as tell stories of drunk decisions (Shots) and forgotten birthday presents (Kitty Flask). 

While a comic tone is present in some of their songs, they’re not to be listened to through that lens exclusively. For example, take Bikini Car Wash, a tirade about the absurd cost of living, with a twist. The tune begins with grievances about paying bills and the overpricing of basic human necessities such as groceries. The band then proceeds to chant, “Overworked and underpaid, my hips deserve a raise!” encouraging the audience/listener to sing along. The chorus, “Capitalism has stripped me down, all I have is my bikini now,” is as thought-provoking as it is playful, a mere wink to the listener mid-mosh.

Before the release of Get A Grip, Girlfriend teased the EP with their first single, AMEN!, in July 2023. According to Girlfriend, the song is a rebellious reclamation of all the vulgar comments men have said to them. Every single line is drawn from some sort of misogynistic statement, resulting in a fed-up two-minute tune that any femme-presenting listener could relate to. The song features quick, engaging tempo changes between the verse and chorus, with a nasty breakdown kicked off by the clever line “rock, paper, let me watch you guys scissor.” What’s even more brilliant about AMEN! is that by singing along, not only are you releasing frustration towards the disgusting comments, you’re also participating in them. The song raises the question of how you, the listener, might contribute to the patriarchy, while simultaneously allowing you to stick your middle finger in its ugly, stupid, face. 

What’s most important about this EP, however, is the sheer volume of their voices when declaring, “We’re Girlfriend from Hell, and we want revolution Savannah style now!” in their song, To The Front. The song is fast and furious, and, in the fashion of Kathleen Hanna, invites traditionally less welcomed communities to get the fuck up to the front: queer folks, trans folks, anyone “punished by the police state,” those fighting against poverty or for sobriety. In essence, Girlfriend From Hell has everyone’s back, and if they must revolt, so be it. 

Get a Grip is bold, unapologetic, raw, and original. Girlfriend From Hell acknowledges the collective anger of queer, trans, BIPOC, and other marginalized communities, and makes art with it, while allowing themselves to have fun with their craft. So whether you’re whipping out your handle of Tito’s and jamming to Shots, or getting out your frustration to No Respect, there’s no denying Get a Grip is bound to connect with any punk rocker that stumbles upon it. Amen to that!

The post Say AMEN! to Girlfriend From Hell’s Debut EP appeared first on SCAD Radio.

Photo courtesy of Maya Eiben.

“It’s not the size of the dog, it’s the bite of the dog,” chants AJ Grey, prowling through the crowd at El Rocko lounge, piercing fans with an inescapable gaze. Self-described as “grunge with a kiss of metal,” The Maxines are a Savannah-based band bursting at the seams with love for their craft and devotion to their message. With an authentic approach to lyricism and organic method of composing their songs, they’re taking the local scene by storm, attracting a diverse cult of dedicated music fans. Consisting of singer AJ Grey, Emma Smith on bass, and twins Maddie and Coco Oke on guitar and drums, this headbanging quartet is full of femme rage and a call for change, whether you like it or not. 

The Maxines formed in 2021, a year in which “we all felt a little lost,” as described by Grey. “I had tried to form bands in the past, and they never worked. And I was like, okay, I’m going to try one more time, but this time, it’s going to be with all women.” Smith joined the band shortly after the album release bash in 2023. “Emma was always at our shows,” said Grey. “So she already knew all the songs.”

One of the band’s defining qualities happens to be their identity as a girl band. “In this world, we have to [support each other], because we’re always having to fight for our space and fight for our right to claim our space. And so to be surrounded by other women that are aware of that…that is really empowering,” Grey told me, describing the band as a singular ecosystem rather than a collection of separate entities. “When I’m on stage with these women, it is only support. Only this feeling of, ‘we’re gonna crush it. I support you, I believe in you.’” 

And the on-stage chemistry is impossible to miss. As Grey charges into the audience, Coco and Smith hold down the fort with a rhythm section comparable to clockwork, tied together by Maddie’s ethereal guitar playing. Each band member deeply engages with their individual instrument while staying in tune with each other simultaneously, producing a pristine sound that is true to the studio recordings of their debut album, Skin Tight.

Released on October 1st, 2023, Skin Tight is a heavy, grungy album dripping with anger, passion, and electric, masterful musicianship. Opening with the defiant tune Salmon Pants, the band unapologetically channels a collective outrage against the patriarchy and explores a broad yet universal truth: reflecting on how women face the audacity of men on an all-too-frequent basis, primarily in public spaces. The song doesn’t hold back: as the guitar builds up with fury and the drums louden, Grey sings, “Fuck your shitty integrity, fuck your condescending approval, it doesn’t mean anything to me.”

While The Maxines embody plenty of feminine fury, their lyrical subject matter covers more than just issues unique to women. “We’re not talking about specific gendered issues necessarily all the time. It’s just human issues,” said Maddie. 

Take their title track, Skin Tight, a perfect example of everything The Maxines stands for: a call to action, specifically, a call to “go against it,” according to Grey. Skin Tight is more than an invitation to the listener, it’s a challenge. Challenging their listeners is one of the many things The Maxines do best, asking, “Don’t you cry for him? Don’t you moan for him? Don’t you bleed for him?” on top of a heavy, Alice In Chains-esque riff and a headbang-worthy rhythm. 

“We’re very prone to stay comfortable,” Grey told me. “And in order to stay comfortable, we keep our mouths shut. We put our blinders on. We protect our hearts by not exposing them.” 

While their lyrics are an important aspect of their band identity, it would be a sin not to touch upon what the band refers to as “The Maxines Sound,” a unique mixture of each member’s influences. Grey’s stage presence and vocal cadences stem from that of femme rock legends like Joan Jett and Gwen Stefani. The Oke twins credit bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and other alt rock legends, along with heavier grunge bands of the 1990s. 

“One of [the] biggest bands that I love is Stone Temple Pilots,” said Smith. She also credits Alice in Chains, alongside classic rock bands and contemporary rock. “I’m a ‘Rock Band’ kid. So, anything that was on there or Guitar Hero.”

“When it comes to the Maxines sound, I think that that kind of goes back to how we operate as a band…being like one ecosystem,” said Grey. Originally, Salmon Pants was a thrashy, eight minute long tune, until the band settled on toning it down to fit their grungier spirit. The band credits their instinctive chemistry as a group when it comes to their free-flowing songwriting process, which relies on their instrumental communication when building, changing and evolving their songs. This results in that authentic, raw, emotionally-driven feel.

The Maxines debuted a fresh new tune, Bloodstains, live at El Rocko lounge in early February. It’s passionate, gritty, and features a killer bass riff. “The idea behind that song is [that] I kind of have a problem with people jumping on a train just for the sake of jumping on the train,” said Grey. “My parents have always told me, do your own research, be inquisitive, ask your own questions…so I kind of just have a problem with things not being authentic, and things not being real.” 

Bloodstains is also one of the first songs written with Smith. “I’’ve never written anything before. So it’s really [great] to get creative with learning new things. And [Bloodstains] was very fun to write with them, because…everybody has ideas here and there for each other’s [musical] parts,” Smith told me.

In terms of what’s next, the band hopes to start branching out into other Southern states, as well as playing with some experimentation on their next album. “We’re doing some things that we haven’t done before, which is really exciting,” said Grey. With a debut like Skin Tight, it’s only natural to get pumped about what’s happening behind the scenes. You can catch The Maxines at local venues such as Lodge of Sorrows and El Rocko lounge for a hard and heavy theatrical performance, as well as Southbound Brewery on May 4th for the Hello Summer Fiesta. 

With that being said, The Maxines are bound to leave a legacy behind on the Savannah music scene, which is exploding with a variety of other hard rock, metal, and punk bands. An experience a live show with The Maxines is nothing short of special, and, most importantly, inclusive. “You can tell [the Savannah music scene] is a safe space for a lot of people,” said Coco. 

“For us to be offering that space where [everyone] can just come and they can just be their authentic selves and feel safe and loved and and feel like they belong,” said Grey, “that’s an honor.” The band is living proof that dedication to their cause doesn’t only benefit their image, but those that engage with the band. The Maxines are near and dear to Savannah, forming a bond with the city, the scene, and the music lovers involved, that is, for lack of a better term, Skin Tight.

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By the early 90s, drummer Neil Peart was already established as one of the most proficient lyricists of the rock genre. He wrote songs covering philosophy, social hierarchy, anxiety and freedom of choice, but despite a wide range of topics, romance was not a common theme in Rush’s discography until 1991’s Roll the Bones. One of their singles, titled Ghost of a Chance, is a no-bullshit love song about the fascinating process of finding “the one.” No hollow, cliched statements to be found, Ghost of a Chance takes an observational perspective, and it puts all the rock ballads you’ve ever swooned over to shame.  

Because everything Peart points out in the verses is true: every choice we make, every door we open, it all leads us to something. And for most folks, the successful ones at least, those doors might lead them to a lover. Peart clarifies in the pre-chorus that, “I don’t believe in destiny/or the guiding hand of fate” nor does he believe in astrological prophecies, or guardian angels; rather, he accepts life and its many possibilities for what it is. “I believe there’s a ghost of a chance/we can find someone to love/and make it last,” he declares, at the very end of the chorus, leading into an echoey Lifeson guitar lick. 

While it’s a very blunt, dare I say nihilistic take on the process of finding that special someone, there’s an aura of hope around it. Take the lines “Somehow we find each other/through all that masquerade/somehow we found each other/somehow we have stayed.” The lyrics simultaneously question the very existence of fate while acknowledging it. Somehow, somehow, somehow. Peart denies the guidance of a higher power while understanding there’s got to be something special behind our path towards everlasting love, even if it isn’t exactly magical in nature. 

I’m a spiritual person. I look to tarot readers, who will pull their four of wands and two of cups and steer me in the right direction. I look at my parents and suddenly the concept of meeting one’s soulmate feels as achievable as breathing, at least with patience. With that being said, Ghost of a Chance covers a variety of beliefs and stances on the soulmate debate. There’s never going to be any scientific proof towards the existence of that“invisible string,” or the claim that Leo and Taurus is a doomed combination, or the idea that a respective God has crafted someone just for you. What is true, however, is that the doors we open and paths we choose to take always lead us to a fate of some sort. There are millions of instances where one’s fate happens to be love. Even though we can’t control everything that leads us to love, there’s comfort in knowing that the butterfly effects of life just might take us there. There’s a Ghost of a Chance life will take us there.  

The post Anatomy of a No-Bullsh*t Love Song  appeared first on SCAD Radio.

To start, while the songs themselves were crucial to their successful performance, it was the individual members that truly brought the spectacle together. The bombastic, soulful voice of Adam Ezegelian commands the audience with pipes reminiscent of rock legends such as Bon Scott, Chris Cornell, and Axl Rose. The hard and heavy bass riffs and vocal harmonies of Ryan Daversa are hypnotic, as is how he glides across the stage with ease. Seated at the throne, Griffin McCarthy lays down the lively beats that keep the audience on their feet. And lest we forget the fast-paced, kickass, nasty guitar work done by Johnny Barry.

In terms of the setlist, the band started off strong with a cover of the Rocky Horror classic Time Warp, it was a taste of the party that was to come. Originals such as the sultry Fine Line had me whipping my phone out and scrambling to Spotify so that I could give their latest album, Hurry Up and Wait a listen after the show. Blending disco and hard rock seamlessly (talk about a controversial genre blend), the band covered Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff. It was then that Ezegelian hopped off stage and into the crowd, becoming one with his audience by dancing and singing his way up and down the aisles.

As Ezegelian placed Barry on his shoulders mid-solo much like Bon Scott and Angus Young, I was officially sold. A live performance is like writing a book. Not only must your beginning, your first impression, that first track, excite right off the bat, but that energy must be sustained until the big finish. Adam and the Metal Hawks did not disappoint. The momentum carried through in the form of danceable covers and air-guitar-worthy originals. Needless to say, an AMH show is like that of a New York Times bestseller.

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