NOCTILUCA September 2016

Culture Appleton, Wisconsin September 2016 Volume XXII

Issue I Page 9

A review of Young the Giant’s ‘Home of the Strange’ By Maddy Schilling

about the nineties is so appeal- ing? Natalie Painton, a sopho- more at North, gives her in- sight. “Nineties fashion, to me, somehow manages to swiftly pull together masculinity and femininity by using such sim- ple and minimalistic pieces. It’s impossible not to look like you are ready to take over the world and not let anybody or anything get in your way, whilst rocking a velvet choker and chunky Docs.” With a whole new school year to dress up for, and the return of the nineties inevi- table, feel free to experiment with berry lipstick, Doc Mar- tens, embroidered silk bomber jackets, the American Apparel pencil jean, oversized denim jackets, acid wash, scrunchies, or even the controversial fan- ny pack. Overall, this album was far from disappointing. In the past, critics labelled Young the Gi- ant as a band unable to find their sound. While this criti- cism is not exactly true—YTG has always stood out in the alt world—“Home of the Strange” is the band’s response to these criticisms, and despite its faults, their new album is a testament to the members’ natural maturi- ty and musical brilliance. Give it a listen, give the band a try and give into buying some con- cert tickets. You won’t be sorry. For more information and dates for the “Home of the Strange” tour, visit www. youngthegiant.com. breath of fresh air, as ukulele solos and lead singer, Sameer Gadhia’s romantic vocal riffs create the musical epitome of a Parisian cafe. “Mr. Know- it-All” is straight up trippy in terms of composition but is also so relatable lyrically: “I’m Mr. Know-it-All...I’m staring at my phone...and even though we sit together...I feel so alone.” “Titus was Born” is certainly a favorite, with raindrops softly echoing in the background and guest vocals from drummer François Comtois as a much welcome addition to the song’s repertoire. Finally, like a sweet cherry to top it all off, “Home of the Strange” is the titular song that ends the album with a finesse that can only be de- scribed as strange, though in the best way possible.

By Sophie Plzak The first Internet generation has finally grown up, and with them they’ve brought some sweeping changes to what some consider to be trendy. Millennials have begun opting for scrunchies, crop tops and mom jeans — clear staples of the nineties. Brands like Cal- vin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger are bringing back the looks they marketed twenty years ago. American Apparel was one of the first to bring back this trend, forming a brand en- tirely centered around 1990s and early 2000s minimalistic attire. It was ridiculed at first for its “archaic” style but has slowly begun to garner atten- tion. Anyone can stop into Ur- ban Outfitters or Pacsun and see the old Calvin Klein logo back on T-shirts, the iconic “Home of the Strange,” however, starts with its sec- ond biggest single “Amerika,” a song that starts slow, gradu- ally builds, and exudes a breed of dreamy catchiness that has become a part of the Young the Giant brand. Lyrically, it speaks of a lost American dream: “And so I’ve arrived with gold in my eyes...I was searching for something as I watched you run…it’s a rich kid game, didn’t grow up with a throne…” This all leads well As the end of summer nears, it is only appropriate to look back at the best and brightest bits of the season. Summer 2016 brought with it a tidal wave of new music, particularly in the indie/alternative department. Most notably, after an appear- ance at Summerfest in Milwau- kee and a single that conquered modern rock stations, alterna- tive band, Young the Giant’s highly anticipated third album, “Home of the Strange” was re- leased on August 12. The name Young the Giant may sound familiar, especially to fans of local rock radio sta- tion 96.9 the Fox, which fre- quently plays a wide variety of tunes written by the group, from “Cough Syrup” to “Mind Over Matter.” Most recently, “Some- thing to Believe In,” “Home of the Strange”’s biggest single, has dominated airtime as well as Billboard’s alternative chart, where it has clawed itself to the top 10.

Alt-rock band Young the Giant displays their growth and maturity in new album Home of the Strange, album cover pictured above, pleasing fans and critics. Photo courtesy of Maddy Schilling

along with “Jungle Youth” and “Silvertongue.” Some say that the gritty modernity of these tracks is refreshing, but to ears that are familiar with a whole lot of mainstream alternative, it is more a sign that YTG is trying to appeal to a broader alt-rock fan base; this particu- lar collection of songs, while certainly not bad, is not really anything more than a catchy

simplest: they have grown up with unlimited access to the past through phones and com- puters. They’re products of the age of information. At their fingertips now is every old TV show, cartoon, or movie they loved as kids, and even the ones they missed. Fashion blogs have begun to reminisce, writing about fash- ion influencers of the era- with icons like Cher from “Clue- less,” Mia from “Pulp Fic- tion,” and Kat from “10 Things I Hate About You” fronting the trend. With this ever present access to childhood memories skyrocketing with the popular- ity of the internet, millennials have developed an attachment to the nineties, and with it, a powerful idea dictating much of pop culture today. So, what ripoff of anthems by Cage the Elephant and AWOLNATION. On the contrary, the rest of the album is, like “Amerika,” absolutely beautiful and an invitation to step inside of Young the Giant’s own So-Cal musical dreamworld. Songs like “Elsewhere” and “Noth- ing’s Over” are unabashedly complex, with tempo changes galore. “Art Exhibit” is like a

red-white-blue Tommy Hilfiger patch that has re- turned to jean waistbands, or Adidas’ new collection Adidas Originals, a to- tal throwback to their old nineties image. Oddly enough, trends often made fun of in the past decade, such as bucket hats and fanny packs, made a comeback this year, though not everyone was willing to hop on the bandwagon. A more agreeable ex- ample is overalls; with almost every clothing store marketing to teens giving in to the trend, into that cantankerous hit that is “Something to Believe In,” which again touches upon the sociopolitical themes of rebel- lion and revolution emulated so passionately in these two songs. Perhaps due to constant over- playing or perhaps simply due to relatively lazy songwriting, the most popular song of the album is also one of its worst,

Current fashion reflects the nineties nostalgia of the Internet age

online store that found their niche providing affordable, but cute, clothes entirely in- spired by the nine- ties. Nylon Shop has quickly become the place to find 1990s inspired plaid skirts, cheesy T-shirts, and crushed vel- vet everything. Never before has there been such an influx in old trends made new. Yes, the nineties are back, but why? The most conclusive answer as to why millennials experience this early- onset of nostalgia is the

they’ve turned out to be a summer staple. Echo Club House is a brand gaining no- toriety through their

North sophomore Natalie Painton exemplifies the moder- nity of nineties fashion. Photo courtesy of Sophie Plzak