Q&A with Mitchell

Welcome back to the newest edition of MIC Talks Music! It's Mitchell once again, bringing you a shorter segment this week. If you are reading this on the day of release, don't forget that there is an Open Mic at 8:00 tonight at the Bowen Thompson Student Union in the multipurpose room. For that reason, I think it would be nice to do a more laid back post this week and hear from the viewers. So without further ado, let's see what burning questions you had for me?

"What was the first memory of music that you had that stood out to you?"

Interestingly enough, I was obsessed with Sugar We're Going Down by Fall Out Boy when I was a toddler. My parents would tell me that I used to embarrass them in the super market by yelling "cock it and pull it" over and over again. I don't think I'm anywhere near as proud to know the lyrics to a Fall Out Boy song at 19 years old though, haha.

"What are your top 10 female musicians?"

This is tough but I will try and narrow down my favorites to just 10:

1. Alice Coltrane

2. Lingua Ignota

3. Lauryn Hill

4. Victoria Legrand of Beach House

5. Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins

6. FKA Twigs

7. Kate Bush

8. SOPHIE

9. Stevie Nicks

10. Lorde

"Favorite noise rock releases?"

I'll name off a few of my favorites, all of which I highly recommend:

- In Utero by Nirvana

- Feedbacker by Boris

- Daughters Self-Titled

- To Be Kind by Swans

- Remove Your Skin Please by Chat Pile

- Schlagenheim by Black Midi

"How much of a role does language play in the music you consume? Do you listen to music in languages you don't speak?

Great question! As a matter of fact, I find that I am more likely to pay attention to lyrics when I am not familiar with the language they are being sung in. I find myself sprinting to lyric pages to find out what the vocalist is saying. It's a very touching experience, especially as a poet. I wouldn't say that language plays a huge role, but what is being said in the music I consume plays a much bigger role.

"What are your favorite album covers and titles?"

I think I'll separate this into two categories but here are some of my favorites:

- Album Covers: The Mollusk by Ween, Songs About Leaving by Carissa's Wierd, Ape of Naples by Coil, Elliott Smith Self-Titled, Congratulations by MGMT, Spiderland by Slint

- Album Titles: Be by Common, White Light From the Mouth of Infinity by Swans, Girl With Basket of Fruit by Xiu Xiu, It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back by Public Enemy, The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman, Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix

I've actually made a collage of my favorite album covers so I'll drop it here so you can check it out!

"What is your current album of the year?"

I have discussed this in my top 10 list that I did a couple months back, but for those who haven't seen, my album of the year is still Everything Was Beautiful by Spiritualized. The instrumental arrangements on that project just enhance the already perfect song-writing. It's everything I love about music wrapped up in one album. Go listen if you haven't!

"Favorite hyperpop albums?"

Admittedly, I'm not the most informed on this genre, but let me go ahead and give you a few:

- The Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides by SOPHIE

- 1000 gecs by 100 Gecs

- How I'm Feeling Now by Charli XCX

Like I said, I don't know much. Feel free to give me some recommendations in the comments!

"Favorite drummers of all time?"

It really depends on the genre. If we're talking jazz, I'm easily picking Max Roach. But it gets a bit harder for me to choose my favorite drummer in rock. I could go with Zach Hill from Hella and Death Grips, Panda Bear from Animal Collective, Ringo Starr from the Beatles, or even Morgan Simpson from Black Midi. All of these artists play with such a distinct personality that adds just as much as an iconic guitarist or vocalist would.

"What is your favorite year for hip hop?"

It's gotta be a tie between 1993 and 2018. With '93, we've got Enter The Wu-Tang, Midnight Marauders, 93 'til Infinity, some major classics. 2018 also happens to have Veteran, Kids See Ghosts, and Some Rap Songs which are some of my favorite rap albums of the 2010s decade. I always answer this question with a tie. Maybe one day I'll have a definitive answer but for now, here's two!

"How do you feel about the quicky-evolving state of hip hop right now?"

I think we're entering an era where experimentation is at an all-time high. We've got the Opium scene which is redefining sub-genres of trap, a great gangster rap scene in the underground with artists like Boldy James and Rome Streetz, and the mainstream is tastefully embracing elements of R&B and pop. While my thoughts on these changes vary from subject to subject, I am very excited to see where the genre will go from here.

"What artist or album had the biggest impact on your music taste?"

Radiohead was certainly has the biggest impact on my taste. They were my favorite band at a pivotal point in my music journey. I was finding albums that reminded me of In Rainbows and OK Computer, experiencing the influence of the band in real time. My taste expanded so much from listening to this band alone and I'm so grateful for that.

"How do you get into doing comedy?"

For those who don't know, I did standup comedy at the last Open Mic. I'll admit, I didn't really do anything to get in to comedy. I kind of just started writing something that was on my mind and I thought it was funny. My advice is to just try that out and see if it sticks. I am not a comedian by any means, I just wanted to try something out. If there's any lesson here, it's that you should try as many new things as you can if you are interested!

"What's a genre of music you enjoy but never really listen to?"

I really like soul and funk music but I find myself never getting around to the classics of the genres. I usually just skim through some tracks that I find and drop them on a playlist. I'll just chalk this up to me overwhelming myself with albums that I want to listen to and leaving those soul and funk releases behind. Hopefully, I can document my journey through these genres and share my thoughts with you all.

"What are some majorly underrated albums from this year?"

I already mention that new Spiritualized album so here are a few more that you should definitely check out before the year ends:

- In The Spirit Of Ntu by Nduduzo Makhathini

- Precipice by Dalek

- Super Champon by Otoboke Beaver

- The Gold Vein by Harvey Gold

- Nothing To Declare by 700 Bliss

Final Thoughts

Thank you all for submitting these questions! I hope those that submitted a question were able to get the answer they were seeking. Before I go, I do want to touch on the fundraising event that will be taking place tonight at Open Mic. We will be holding record painting for three dollars a record. All of the proceeds made from this activity tonight will go to a fund for Puerto Rico hurricane relief. I implore you to go ahead and paint a record, or maybe even just send a donation if you stop by Open Mic tonight. I will be leaving a link down below for anybody to send donations of their own. Send me proof of your donation on social media and I will match it! Anyway, I hope to see you all at Open Mic. Have a good one!

- Mitchell

PUERTO RICO RELIEF FUND LINK: https://www.prxpr.org/

News

- New Blog Posts (every week on Wednesdays, 12pm) Keep an eye out for some other surprise posts throughout the week. 

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