At this years’ NYU Strawberry Festival you may be getting a little more than your fill of strawberry short cake, sweets, fun games and prizes. Come Friday April 30, you may find yourself getting a little jolt from the screams, convulsing-upbeat guitar work and hard drumming of New Brunswick, NJ band Screaming Females.

The Festival’s live music line-up, which will also include smaller bands like Little Lungs, Hop Along, Fiasco, and JEFF the Brotherhood, was booked by NYU Freshman Shannon Murray and Junior Lauren Monaco.

“When I was thinking of a lineup, I guess I just reverted back to bands I’ve grown up seeing, who despite their increased popularity, have really remained true to DIY [Do-It-Yourself] ethics,” said Murray.

Murray heard of the band about a year ago when they played a show in New Brunswick, close to her own hometown, Westfield.

“Both Screaming Females and Little Lungs have a decidedly more pop-y sound but combine it with elements of grunge, punk, and hardcore which just works really well,” said Murray of her picks.

So who is Screaming Females?

“Screaming Females is Marissa, Mike, and Jarrett. Without that lineup it is not Screaming Females,” says drummer/manager Jarrett Dougherty.

Other members include Bassist King Mike and guitarist/singer/screamer Marissa Paternoster.

Screaming Females have played several shows in NY since their birth, sharing the stage with numerous other scene bands. (They do play here quite often, so if you truly enjoy their show, you’ll be glad you live in NY.)

Dougherty points out Shellshag and Stupid Party, both Brooklyn, NY punk bands, as some of the most notable groups he’s played with.

But there is a difference in the two scenes, according to King Mike.

“NJ is much smaller so you end up playing with and seeing the same bands more often,” he said. He continued on in jest, “In NJ people bleed a lot at the shows because the bands tend to cut themselves while performing much like pro wrestlers.”

Screaming Females started about five years ago, says Dougherty, and have since released three LPs and an EP earlier this year.

“We also have a whole new album recorded but the finishing touches are giving us issues,” said Dougherty. “That will come out some day.”

The band is definitely a growing name, and not just in NY and NJ. They are known far beyond the borders of NJ for their extensive touring, Jarrett estimating their latest count at about 420 shows. Some of these performances have included shows with Dinosaur Jr., Arctic Monkeys, and even Jack White’s latest side-project Dead Weather. They are currently touring with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.

So how did Screaming Females end up scheduling a show at NYU? And what can NYU expect from this popular New Brunswick band come the day of the Strawberry Festival?

“We had been talking with show organizers at NYU for a while about Screaming Females playing some event,” said Dougherty, “This one worked out well for everyone involved…I hope they have a good time.”

King Mike’s goal: “I hope to successfully stay dry and have a good time.”

Murray’s choice for contacting the band came from her appreciation and pride of the New Brunswick music scene.

“These are bands that are equally talented, and genuinely care about the music they are making,” said Murray. “I guess I just wanted to introduce students at NYU to new music they might not have been willing to expose themselves to otherwise.”

You have to have been studying abroad on a different planet if you haven’t seen (or at least heard about) the video from 2005’s UltraViolet Live that shows a nascent Lady Gaga (alias Stefani Germanotta) performing. At 2010’s version of the all-school talent show, you could almost hear the question, “Who’s next?” 20 competitors, each representing one of NYU’s residence halls, took to the stage to try and give us an answer. Whether singing Mozart arias or beat boxing, an impressive array of talented performers had their five minutes of fame on Skirball’s stage. Given the talent-show-nature, those who shone the brightest had, like Gaga, a complete act, a novel presence. But regardless of who won, the February 25th show was an entertaining snapshot of the NYU community.

The show was hosted by Derrick Comedy member and NYU alum DC Pierson, who enjoyed making fun of overenthusiastic audience members and overly flirtatious artists. The night started with indie band Winter, North, & Night giving a noisy, vocally passionate rendition of an original song. Kudos went to vocalist Chris Duggan for his expressive and enthusiastic singing. Crowd favorite Martha-Sadie Griffin (after declaring “I’m single, just putting this out there” ) got the crowd going with acoustic versions of rap hits like Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” that showed off her large range and great sense of comedic timing. Guitarist Eric Kim took up the single-and-mingle banner and wooed the audience with his poignant original “Wine.” After a tap dancing interlude by Greenwich Hotel’s Lauren Lashua, classical pianist Francis Guo wowed the audience with his version of Lizst’s virtuosic “La Campanella” and an awesome lace ascot. Carlyle’s Don’t Forget to Write took things down a notch with their mellow, barefoot “Coast to Coast” which included a brilliant use of harmonica and dance. Carissa Matsushima sold the audience on her flirtatious take of the Queen of the Night’s aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Alex Goley and his band (as yet unnamed) played “Don’t Let Me Go Alone” showing off a beautiful voice and indelible mandolin playing. Christian Oreste and Noah Welch thrilled the audience with their acoustic, stripping version of Britney Spear’s “Intoxicated” that included a very well placed moment with a glitter filled bandana. Phoebe Ryan’s band was the most professional-sounding of the night, including a string section, bells, creative lyrics, and overall polished sound, particularly impressive from a freshman. Guitarist Andrew Onore sang an original song with gusto, managing to fill the stage by himself. After David Sangillo’s juggling, Daniel Eiseman gave another polished performance of his song “Tiger” which started off as a piano and vocal number and blossomed into a jam complete with trumpet and sax. Meghan Offtermatt and accompanist Daniel Lee offered a different take on Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” that showed off another lovely voice with theater sensibilities. Paolo Bitanga did a little bit of everything. A combination of break dancing, piano playing, singing, and beat-boxing kept the audience guessing. Lionel Yu played an original piano waltz that developed several catchy themes in complex variations. Andrew Flockhart, the ultimate winner, had a great act, escalating from creating simple beats to singing and beat boxing at the same time; just when things couldn’t get any crazier Flockhart pulled out a harmonica and played, sang, and beat boxed at the same time. The crowd went wild, and it came as no surprise that the judges chose him as the winner. To finish off the evening Brother Goose played a mellow composition about the beach with box percussion and strings.

Perhaps in a nod to Lady Gaga, the judges chose the performers of the evening as winners, awarding 2nd place to juggler David Sangillo and 3rd place to poi performer Shaun Sim. Regardless, there’s no doubt several of the performers of the night have more than enough talent to be seen far beyond Skirball’s stage.

The Father Figures formulate funky rock music fusing the principle of improvisation founded in jazz. Behind this music are five musicians (Adam Schatz, Jas Walton, Spencer Zahn, Ian Chang and Ross Edwards) who take their jazz performance and studies training from NYU and kick it up a whole lot of notches. Listeners hear everything from the undertones of the upright bass to the resonance of the melodica, a mini keyboard with a mouthpiece and tube attached to it. Expect to see them on tour in July, but in the meantime check out the digital release of their LP on iTunes.

By Cody Thomas

Shreyans Jha stands in one corner of the room, next to his Fender amp, which is propped up on a chair. He wears his Epiphone Les Paul very low, an ideal position for jumping around with a guitar. The New York University music practice room is extremely warm. Jha and the rest of Null Friction, however, are used to playing in the heat. The band hails from Madras, India.

Over the last four years, Null Friction, with Jha as their front man and singer, has quickly become one of the most popular independent acts in India. The power trio of 20-year-olds (Jha just turned 21) has played in some of the country’s most important musical events, like the June Rock Out, an outdoor festival with thousands of spectators. They have been written about more than once in The Hindu, India’s national newspaper, and have also seen widespread radio play. They have been featured on the popular Indian podcast Sound of the Indian Underground and recently broke the top 10 most-watched music videos in India with their collection of still-frame photos that comprise the video for “Madras,” the first single off their eponymous album.

“It feels good when you’re walking through the supermarket and a guy randomly comes up to you and says, ‘I saw you guys last week, your show was awesome,”’ said Jha. He has also received emails from fans from all around India. Some fans even ask him for copies of his transcribed music so that they can learn the songs themselves.

Jha and his band mates, however, have recently reached an exciting crossroads. All three members are juniors in college, and all three are attending school in North America. Jha is currently a student at New York University, and his band mates go to school in Boston and Ottawa. Like most other college bands, the members of Null Friction have been forced to balance their studies with their music. On top of that, though, they also have to deal with the distance. Keeping the band together has been a challenge, but the rewards have been immeasurable for Jha. The band has just recently had the opportunity to play their first American show at Sullivan Hall in Manhattan.

“It feels good to be playing with Null Friction again,” said Jha. “It’s not about playing in New York or the middle of nowhere.”

The members of Null Friction met in high school, where they were classmates together. Jha and bass player Abhishek Singhal met first, and they added drummer Ansh Sanyal later. The band developed a strong sense of friendship during high school, and breaking up at the beginning of college never seemed like an option.

Jha describes the band as mainstream rock, and the sound is reminiscent of 90’s grunge. Null Friction factors in an emphasis on hard rock, which is balanced with a strong attraction towards catchy song writing. Jha says his guitar parts may have been most influenced by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. When it comes to singing, though, his influences are a little more diverse. Jha draws influence from classical Indian music, and also lists Kurt Cobain, Chino Moreno, and Maynard James Keenan as vocal influences.

Another noticeable trend that emerges during the band’s practice involves Jha’s fascinating facial expressions. For most of practice, he wears a puzzled, frustrated look to match his low-hanging instrument. The tension in Jha’s face, however, always seems to resolve in the same genuinely enthusiastic smile. This occurs only after Jha has rigorously doodled with his guitar in search of the perfect riff for the current song.

“Shrey is the intellectual one,” says Sanyal, the drummer. “Abhishek is reserved, mellow, and soulful. I’m aggressive, and Shrey is the intellectual.” Sanyal also describes Jha as a perfectionist, which he says is important in the writing process for the band.

The three members have, so far, succeeded in keeping the band active. They have a Skype conversation once a week, and have even managed to practice occasionally. “The more important thing to a band is being friends,” says Jha. Null Friction’s first show at Sullivan Hall in February proved successful, and the venue invited them back for another show this St. Patrick’s Day. “It was a lot of fun,” said Jha.

“What’s been helpful for us is that we’ve always had a goal and we’re always working towards something,” says Jha. The band, however, keeps its sight on short-term goals. “We don’t get a chance to think about the long-term.” For Jha, it has become less about the long-term goals and more about just doing things with the band. “We spend 2 hours on a train to practice for 10 minutes, or do pointless things like that. But the pointless things come together and end up some of your most important memories.”

One pointless thing in particular sticks out. Jha remembers a show the band played in a small town in South India. Null Friction was scheduled to play for an hour but went on for only 10 minutes. The motivation, according to Jha, was simply to piss off the people running the show and to see if they could get away with it.

As for being a student so far from home, Jha concedes that it contributes to his music. “When you’re home you feel comfortable and you have all the resources of being home,” says Jha. “When you’re away from home, you’re always slightly stressed, and that definitely affects the music.” Plus, Jha feels as if being away has helped him focus his influences from back home. “When you’re there, you’re being bombarded with it, but when you’re here it’s like wearing gloves and you can select what you listen to,” says Jha. “There are less Indian influences, but they’re more focused.”

By Carolyn Keogh

Although NYU student Alex Craig and high school pal Ian Drennan (who attends the School of the Museum of Fine Arts) began their musical project Big Troubles in July of 2009, they have been gaining a bunch of buzz in their few short months of existence. With a debut 7’’ LP released on Blackburn Recordings this past January and a trip out west to South by Southwest (SXSW) and Mexico this March, Big Troubles’ presence in the blogosphere has blossomed fast. “We did start our band this past summer,” Craig wrote in an e-mail, “but we’ve been friends since early High School and have played on and off since then.” According to Craig, a majority of their recent renown stems from the influx of exposure facilitated by the Internet. “15 years ago probably no one would have known about us this early on – but the World Wide Web works in mysterious ways.”

Mysterious ways indeed. There is no question that the Internet has provided a forum for bloggers to write about this duo hailing from Ridgewood, New Jersey. With a propensity for ear-numbing reverb and a sound suggesting classic alternative rock, Big Troubles is often categorized by bloggers as a “fuzzy alt. rock band” with a “woozy” sound – whatever that may mean. Though the band has been gaining coverage within the world of music blogs and online music journalism, including some coverage in Pitchfork, the words used to describe Big Troubles just do not seem to do the band, or its influences, much justice. According to Craig, Drennan and himself are not too bothered by the frequent comparisons to bands like Guided by Voices and My Bloody Valentine found on many music blogs. “I’m glad people pickup on bands like GBV or MBV as our reference points,” Craig wrote, “rather than thinking we are influenced by a newer crop of ‘lo-fi’ bands.” According to Craig, despite their similarities with other emerging bands who record low-fidelity alternative rock music, the band actually draws a good amount of inspiration from early ‘90’s bands, such as The Lilys and Swirlies, to name a few.

And these inspirations make perfect sense as Big Troubles’ sound is reminiscent of the “shoegaze” sub-genre that emerged during the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s. Characterized by indistinguishable vocals and noisy guitar riffs, some of Big Troubles’ tracks (Freudian Slip being one of the most well-known) are evocative of “shoegaze” alternative rock. Like many of the bands that ushered in the sub-genre, Big Troubles amplifies their guitars during live shows like you would not believe. Cranking up the volume seems to be a Big Troubles trademark. “We have always loved super loud live bands,” Craig explained. But recently, in an effort to balance their sound, the two have been turning down the amps slightly. “Just a little though,” Craig reassured.

On March 18th and 19th, the band will be bringing their very slightly softer sound to Austin, Texas, home of the South by Southwest music and film festival. “Some of our friends throwing unofficial showcases down there asked us to join them and we gladly obliged,” Craig wrote. From there they are headed to MtyMx, an art and music festival that is the brainchild of New York music maven Todd P (www.toddpnyc.com). The festival is being held in Monterrey, Mexico on March 20th, 21st and 22nd and includes performances by Andrew WK, Liars, and No Age, as well as a number of Mexican bands. Although this is the first time Big Troubles will be playing on the West Coast and outside the U.S., they are more concerned with playing their music well and having a good time than gaining exposure. “More than anything I think we’re looking forward to the experience of traveling down and hanging out there,” Craig wrote. Yet, in the last line of his e-mail, he expressed some concerns about sounding “okay” since their distance, with Drennan attending school in Boston and Craig stationed here in New York, makes practicing difficult. Ah, the perils of balancing college and an up and coming “fuzzy alt. rock band.”

While Big Troubles will be playing outside New York until April, you can certainly hear some of their music on their Myspace, www.myspace.com/inbigtroubles, and order their LP on www.blackburnrecs.blogspot.com.

By Chuck Furlong

An international line-up of musicians came to NYU to raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti.

On February 23, the Student Senators Council hosted NYU Students for Haiti: A Benefit Concert at the Skirball Center. The featured acts included Ghanaian Blitz the Ambassador, rapper Nyle, and the headliner, Grammy nominated Katia Cadet. The proceeds were donated to UNICEF.

Senator at-large Mustfa Manzur organized the concert. He said he was the only student senator in New York City when the earthquake hit Haiti on January 12.

Manzur said that one of the first questions he asked was, “How do we organize the student clubs to raise money?”

“We researched the big charities,” said Manzur. “There aren’t enough direct-to-Haiti funds.”

He said that they didn’t want proceeds being diverted to operating and advertising costs. They decided on UNICEF’s direct-to-Haiti fund because approximately 90 percent of the money donated goes straight to Haiti. In total, the concert raised almost $1500.

“However!” Manzur said in an email, “We did raise over $4000 dollars in corporate donations to put together the concert, which we will try to donate as well.”

As for the event, senator at-large Chirag Hirawat said that they decided to organize a concert, because it generates donations and is a good time for everyone.

He said the council reached out to all the NYU interns they knew at music venues and other music businesses.

“It was really grassroots,” Manzur said.

But, Hirawat said, “It was tough to get exactly what we wanted.”

The student senators were in a race against the news cycle, and, on that Tuesday night, the weather as well. Manzur said they had sold more tickets than the actual attendance, but people didn’t come because of the rain.

In spite of the rain, the concert raised almost $1500.

“However!” Manzur said in an email, “We did raise over $4000 dollars in corporate donations to put together the concert, which we will try to donate as well.”

Despite the small group of attendees, the musicians still put on a great show.

Rapper K Bain, who is from Brooklyn, opened the concert. He worked hard to warm up such a small crowd. Like all good groups of college students, the audience had congregated mostly in the back of the theater, leaving the front rows nearly empty. But at the end of his set, he was able to say that he was glad to see good people out for a good cause.

Blitz the Ambassador, from Accra, Ghana, and his backing band, the Embassy Ensemble, followed, jump-starting the audience with their unique blend of sound.

“This is hip-hop music, not a frickin’ recital,” he said, encouraging the crowd to stand up.

The band combines funk, hip-hop, and jazz (just to name a few styles) with traditional Ghanaian music, including a rap in the singer’s native language. Afrobeat could describe their style, but they have a distinctly 21st-century tone to their sound and political message. Blitz the Ambassador sang, rapped, and played djembe, while his Embassy Ensemble and a video screen played in the background, creating a multi-sensory experience that brought the audience to its feet.

With the crowd standing, NYU alum Nyle prepared to perform. His band, the Naysayers, took the stage, while he entered from the back of the auditorium. As he took the stage, he encouraged the audience to come forward. Many moved forward several rows, emerging from the shadow of the balcony.

When the headliner, Katia Cadet, took the stage, her performance style was distinct from the opening acts. While jazz and hip-hop influences were easily detectable in each of the acts, Cadet’s performance had a more laid-back, soulful feel,

Cadet said that she would describe it as “PopUrbanWorld.”

“But only if you have to put it into a genre,” she said.

One of her opening numbers was a cover of “What’s Going On?” by Marvin Gaye. She said she picked that song because of the relevance to the concert’s purpose.

“‘What’s Going On?’ is always relatable,” Cadet said after the performance.

Later in her performance she covered another song, “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper.

“The lyrics are dead-on,” she said. “They’re about lending a hand.”

The most relevant part of her performance, though, exhibited a strong Caribbean influence. Reggae, tango, and other styles of the region were evident in her songs. She debuted her new song “Lan Mo Devan M,” which she sings in Creole.

Cadet was personally affected by the earthquake. She was born in Haiti, and though she grew up in Montreal, Canada, she still has family on the island. Cadet said that she lost two uncles in the earthquake. A third uncle lost everything, she said.

After hearing about the earthquake Cadet said she dropped everything to promote aid for Haiti, including organizing a tour.

“Turnout has been pretty, pretty good,” she said, “but it’s starting to slow.”

Fall in New York City means many things – some of them questionable – to many people. But to music aficionados, it rings one harmonically perfect, super-loud bell: the CMJ (College Music Journal) Music Marathon (October 21st – 25th). As every year, the festival will span 5 days, 5 nights, 75 venues around the city, and over 1000 artists. Beginning last year, a convenient alliance between MEISA (Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association), NYU and CMJ ensures one of those 1200 spots to an NYU band, determined by virtue of a Battle of the Bands, which this year took place on October 9th in Kimmel’s Eisner & Lubin auditorium. Seven bands, each as eccentric as the next, brought their decibels through three grueling rounds of auditions onto that stage, and (after an extended sound-check which left an initially disgruntled audience waiting outside closed doors for a while) they collectively put up a battle worth hearing.

The night began with DJ-duo Stitch N Eye-V playing persistent house music to a steadily filling auditorium. After a few technical delays, they faded, allowing first act Natti Vogel to inaugurate the night’s battle. Vogel, with his theatrical expressions, searing lyrics, undeniably catchy riffs, and upright bass and violin accompaniments, kept the crowd fascinated through his set, though he proved too esoteric for some. “His lyrics were original, but I wasn’t too keen on the sound,” said Danielle Blanchard (NYU grad student) about his nearly intrusive vocal style, strongly reminiscent of Rasputina and the Dresden Dolls.

The next band on stage, Analogue Transit, was a three-piece ensemble that stood out for sheer versatility, and eventually walked away as 2nd runners up. They began their set with a subdued and understated song, but somehow finished up with a hip-hop/electronica/hard rock feel that had everyone on their feet, or at the very least thinking about it. MEM, who followed Analogue Transit, was energy embodied. All five members thoroughly occupied their spaces; jumping, yelling, dancing, and engaging the audience in a multitude of (often tambourine-assisted) ways. Their music, although tight and commendable, was overshadowed by their overwhelming stage presence. Bad News Babe, up next, fell into a stage setup oddly reminiscent of the Jonas Brothers (as much as we hate to say it). Their undeniable neatness, good-boy-harmonies and straight-edged mannerisms were very in sync with their generically appealing musical style, which ultimately won them 1st runners up.

The Brothers Frank, the night’s victors, was a simple two-man act: one bass guitarist, one guitarist, and one drum-loop. Chris and Hayden Frank captivated and enthralled everyone present with their new-age lullabies, somehow combining tribal beats with borderline-psychedelic vocal harmonies and high-fretted pungent bass-lines. Each shift in their progressions was orchestrated carefully to lull the listeners along on what can only be described as a reverie. While they sailed over the competition on musical talent alone, every heterosexual girl and homosexual guy in the room would agree that their dimples did not hurt their cause. At all.

The penultimate act of the night, Amadeus, snapped everyone out of their Frank-induced haze, launching the audience headfirst without warning into a clamoring of belligerent metal vocals, uncompromising drum patterns, complex guitar riffs and relentless bass-lines, which combined to form undeniable momentum. Every metal fan in the room breathed relief and the rest cringed, as Amadeus provided a two-song set that can be best described as loud. “It was fucking awesome,” said CAS freshman Jonathan Fang, “but this may have been the wrong borough for metal. I’d follow them to Brooklyn!” They were followed on stage by Kevin Haden, the final act of the night, who provided nearly comical juxtaposition to their 4-man-raucousness, replacing it with a solo acoustic set complete with sentimental lyrics and cute jokes. A few people waved their lit cell-phones in the air, others “awww”d quietly, and the rest simply acknowledged Haden as an appropriately soothing final act for a night whose volatility and versatility would leave most of us reeling for a while.