MEET LOCAL MILD BOY ANTHONY MERRIWEATHER

A couple of months ago we came across Anthony Merriweather on Instagram, he is behind the online local Nashville music magazine, Mild Mag. Anthony has been covering the local music scene in his home town through beautiful film photographs. Working with film has inspired him to start creating collages and we have to admit we are fans. Enjoy our exclusive interview with Anthony on his creations. 

FEELS + MELTED @ THE HI HAT

"WHY WAS THIS THE FIRST TIME WE SAW MELTED LIVE!?" -Stephanie

Last week Shallow Halls preformed their full EP live at the Hi-Hat along with 4 other amazing local bands: Ivy Leaguers, Melted, Feels, and Meatbodies. Like we've mentioned before we're not music critics. We are not qualified to tell you why we think a band is good and we aren't about to start anytime soon, but we will tell you that we enjoyed this line up. Shallow Halls have gained our attention and we genuinely love what these boys have started. Ivy Leaguers preformed with such enthusiasm it was contagious. Gabe and Jeff legitimately love what they do and it shows. I highly encourage you guys to keep your eyes out for them, they are definitely someone to watch. Melted was everything we expected. Their on stage persona makes you feel like you're hanging out with friends. Watching Feels was the coolest experience. Those girls are so badass. And Meatbodies' performance paired with those sick ass visuals is everything your psychedelic dreams are filled with. 

SOMETHING CREATIVE

On Sunday Diana and I were out of the house before noon! (trust me thats a big deal!) We have been tirelessly working day and nights doing homework and keeping up with the hysteria that is the Local Music scene, that leaving our beds in the AM is something we seriously contemplate ... "Do we really have to?" is constantly on our minds. "Yes" is always the answer, why the heck wait? Why not enjoy a nice day at an art museum in WEHO and support your friends on their endeavors? 

It's about fucking time we found individuals who aspire to be more than themselves. 

We have found ourselves befriending wonderful people who have decided they have a purpose in life and that's to do what ever the fuck they want. 

To pursue music, art, journalism, design, photography or, what ever it may be is terrifying but, when you are doing it along with others it's so powerful. All these creative paths fit together so well and having each other only encourages our decision.  

Honesty, I don't think we have expressed how thankful we are for the people we have come across in this beautiful community. We are so motivated and inspired by the passion they pour into their craft, that it only makes us want to work harder. Meeting these people is no coincidence; I deeply believe there is a reason we crossed paths at this point in time. We are all still figuring it out and doing so together is only going to benefit us. Surrounding yourself with people who share the same mentality and work ethic as you is incredibly rewarding. 

When was the last time you did something for yourself? 

Honestly, ask yourself that question... why are you going after that degree? Is it for yourself or because someone told you you should? Why are you awake at 3 am finishing homework? Is it for you? Whatever it is that you are doing it's ok to do it for yourself. Actually, its probably best. I am still in awe that I have met people who willingly sacrifice their Friday night to practice. Or the people who will sacrifice their check to buy a new piece of equipment to improve their sound. It's fucking beautiful to know people who understand that its not necessarily a sacrifice but an investment. An investment on our future. 

I will never forget when my cousin walked into my room saw that I was typing up a post looked back at me and asked me why I was doing it and to answer back at him "because I want to" was so damn satisfying.

This year we have made huge strides towards our BLOG GOAL. We have found those creative individuals we longed for. We have become so dedicated to see this platform become a success because we owe it to them and ourselves. We want to share the amazing people we encounter and express the immense influence they have on us. 

Things to look forward to in 2017:

Expect a makeover for this blog (more details soon)

MORE interviews with rad people

Perhaps a physical version of this? ;)

C&A merch? 

MORE PHOTOS. MORE VIDEO. MORE CONTENT.

convo behind our title choice

SHALLOW HALLS - BAD HABITS

Bad Habits EP is a great first impression of Shallow Halls

Shallow Halls, a Garage rock band from Santa Fe Springs, debuted their first EP titled ‘Bad Habits’ earlier this week by releasing two singles: It’s Over and Mirrors. We got an early release and I have to admit I had the biggest smile on my face. I was so excited to hear their music after listening to what they already had on bandcamp. George linked me a shared file on dropbox early Thursday morning and without hesitation I opened it despite being in the middle of class. It was fantastic, the EP is full of high energy, memorable lyrics and to top it all off George's vocals echo that of early punk signers. I was genuinely satisfied by the content in their EP, it was exactly what I expected and more. I immediately got my phone and messaged the band to tell them that I was so overly thrilled by it. The overall feel of the EP is very well produced and the songs fit well with each other. It's not just a collection of good songs, they are carefully crafted in this EP and you can hear it. It seems like these boys have found their sound and I am excited for future albums.

Catch them tonight at the Hi- Hat, alongside Meatbodies, Feels, Melted, and Ivy Leaguers.  

They will have physical copies of Bad Habits, T-shirts and More.

HERE'S TO THE NEXT FOUR YEARS

Back in 2008, when Barack Obama won for the first time, my parents cried tears of joy. I remember my mom cheering on that things in the United States were going to get better. And, for the most part, they did. On election night, I saw my dad get watery eyed as Donald Trump was named our elect-president. I saw the worry in his eyes. That night was a very quiet night in our home.

Around midnight, Steph and I, along with a couple other friends, met up because we were having trouble processing the fact that Donald Trump actually became our president. It's not that we hate him because he's a Republican or anything like that. It's just, we thought it was a joke. Obviously, everyone underestimated him but I'm not even going to criticize his policies or the fact that he's not qualified for the position as president. I'm just really angry and completely disappointed at the fact that all he did by campaigning was incite and justify waves of hate towards minorities, women, immigrants, LGBTQ, disabled people and basically anyone who isn't a white male. I'm not worried about Trump. I'm worried about his supporters because he's restored them with the confidence to openly be prejudice and bigots. What blows my mind is that what he said and promised resonated with most of America. He won because Americans voted for him because they agree with him.

Post-election, protests flared up all over the country. A couple months ago I didn't think I would participate in something like this. My mom asked me what I would be changing by participating in an anti-Trump protest. I left the house without knowing how to give her a response. I genuinely didn't know what was going to happen but it felt right. It felt necessary because I was legitimately nervous about the future, about our future, and protesting felt like the right thing to do.

While making our way to city hall in DTLA we could hear the chants people were shouting at the top of their lungs. When we caught up to the crowd I looked around and saw all types of people walking together, chanting and waving posters around. I felt chills. I realized that all these protests were occurring because enough people disagree with all the hate Trump has influenced throughout the U.S and honestly, just being surrounded by people that felt just as strongly about the matter at hand was sweet relief.

These protests aren't going to cause immediate change but protesting our president-elect and everything he represents is a justified and reasonable action. Protesting means that we are not going to let hate, discrimination or anything else Trump has inspired become a norm. We will not let hate win and because of that I'm hopeful for our future.

DON'T BE A NAIVE MILLENNIAL

Recently, I've been thinking about U.S history a lot. I think about the Civil Rights Movement and how it must of been such a scary but exhilarating time to be alive. The 60’s as a whole was full of civil rights movements that included women, blacks, LGBTQ, and Chicanos. There was a sense of unity. Everyone had something they believed in, something to fight for. It was a revolutionary time with radical ideas that have shaped our lives in the U.S. I’m full of admiration for the people that influenced  these movements because they had the courage to fight for their rights and make a change.

I wonder if all these people that risked their lives and worked so passionately  for what they believed, could've guessed what an impact they were going to make in U.S history. I mean, I don't think Martin Luther King Jr. joined the movement and expected to be talked about and read about in every U.S classroom. I definitely don't think he ever thought he'd have his own federal holiday either.

Well, there was a point where I thought that these movements fixed what was broken. There was a moment where I actually thought  that I would never witness a historical social movement here in the United States because things were fine now. I actually, genuinely felt sad that I’d never witness the greatness of someone like MLK. I'm disappointed in myself for having the audacity to think such a thing. It’s like for a split second I felt privileged and I wasn't a first generation Mexican-American woman with immigrant parents when I had that thought. Oops.

This presidential election itself is proof that the U.S still needs a lot of work. The United States is a mess. I don't think I'm being dramatic when I say that 2016 has been a bit of a historical disaster. Trump has brought to light issues the U.S has had since the 60’s (and even before that), they all still exist. The worst part is I’m not sure if I should thank Trump for doing that it. His demeaning and bigoted mindset has influenced so much hate but it’s also influenced a new wave of activism to fight back. Things that are happening and shaping history right now are the revival of the women's movement, the black lives matter movement, refugee crisis, ISIS, climate change, and oh yeah, Donald Trump wants to deport all immigrants and build a wall across the U.S-Mexico border. So, looking back at history, all those events are iconic and life changing but history is happening right now and we have the opportunity to be a part of it.

I’m pretty disappointed that this is the first presidential election I get to vote in because it feels like I’m just voting for the lesser of two evils and not someone I genuinely believe in. But, frankly, I don’t have the privilege to just 'sit this one out' or even write in a candidate's name. Even as millennials I don't think we have that privilege either. This is our future. Our responsibility.

So, what I’m trying to say is, don't be a naive millennial. Get out of your bubble. Just because it’s not affecting you doesn’t mean it’s not happening or not important. Pay attention. Get out there and vote. There is no such thing as a protest vote. You're not sending a message by not voting or by writing in a third party candidate name or even by writing in Bernie’s name! No one is receiving that message.

So, uh, anyway, here's to 2017 being less of a disaster.

SPACE GIRL