Welcome to Waste Age Teen Land. Here are the six episodes (and one bonus episode) of Face Candy’s “Wasted Teens” series. Because play counts can be deceiving, we want you to comment below and tell us which episode was your favorite, and more importantly, why you liked it. We’ll select the most thoughtful/interesting/original comment and send that person two FREE items of their choosing from our web store. Contest ends Thursday, September 16th at 10:00 PM CST. Good luck!
Playlist: View all 7 episodes in order. Individual episodes are listed below. Thank you to all of the artists who volunteered their time and energy in putting their responses together.
Episode 1: Jeremy Ylvisaker (Carbon Carousel, Alpha Consumer)
Episode 2: Slug of Atmosphere
Episode 3: Seez Mics of Atmosphere, Bonus, Carbon Carousel, Casey O'Brien, Crescent Moon, Crushkill Recordings, Educated Consumers, Face Candy, Free, Jeremy Ylvisaker, JT Bates, Kill the Vultures, Kristoff Krane, Living Legends, Murs, Playlist, Poster, Sage Francis, Seez Mics, Slug, Videos, Waste Age Teen Land
My fav is the sage francis episode, it feels strange to say favorite considering the explanation I’m about to give but, anyway, here goes. I picked this one because of sage seems saddened and reminded word by word that mikey is gone. It’s kind of beautiful tho, because there are moments where you can tell sage fully enjoyed seeing/hearing mikey one last time in his element, doing what he not only loved but what he was so good at doing. Mikey was brilliant at capturing moments and living in them/sharing them when he feeestyled, he was completely swallowed by it, living in a shared spot of beauty and acceptance, and sage had been there with him, which brings me back to the saddness part of it. Seeing/hearing/remembering something like that, especially when you considered them a friend, is a little heartbreaking. That’s what I seen in sages episode, it was heartbeakingly beautiful. Thanks for the time.
i would have to say Episode 5: Sage Francis, first off because Mikey and him go way back. second he says that he listen to if 4 times…i listen to it for a week straight lol soo i know what he means. third he explains the album in such a perfect way! I mean Sage has his way with words any way so no surprise there. Also I like how he says he made some new friends to Kristoff and other face candy members 🙂 (they should do something together hint hint) and he says it was a privilege to listen to the album (and it really was!) he also touches on how it takes you by surprise, that’s how i felt when i first herd it!! as Sage says ” enjoy the beauty of this album”…O and the way Sage ends the video… 2 nice :)……………………………..R.EYE.P Mikey!! you are missed
I’ll agree that Sage’s interview was the most entertaining, but I’m gonna go with Crescent Moon (Alexei).
First of all, he admits what a lot of people probably feel when they first hear about Face Candy… apprehension. How can four people improvising hip-hop/free jazz sound like a cohesive album? Mike’s editing of these performances was brilliant. He was able to use lyrical ties between songs to establish context, and create a thematic sequence instead of a collection of highlights that don’t necessarily provide the full experience.
Additionally, Alexei & I had the same realization about Casey O’Brien & J.T. Bates. These guys do a tremendous job creating the mood for Mike & Chris to just flow. They explore their instruments to the fullest extent, eliminating the need for extra musicians in the mix. To me, it allows a kind of purity (and avoids the chaos that you may have expected).
Alexei’s summary at the end was spot on. This record takes you on an emotional journey. It just about spans Mike’s entire body of work (sometimes more literally than others, like when Chris says “we’re all living in a box” it instantly takes me back to “Powdered Water”). The range of styles go from fast-paced and silly, to somber and introspective. It is the embodiment of everything a Face Candy record should be, and the perfect final statement from a wonderful artist.
Ive watched all of these clips a few times and while i really enjoy what everyone had to say about this amazing and inspiring album, i think im going to have to go with Sage Francis. Not only did i completely agree with the way he described the record and its surprising moments of beauty and tranquility but i think he seems genuinely honest about how he felt about mikey without hardly even mentioning him. I feel like you can tell that he’s on his mind and he says what he does with a heavy heart. its truly sad we lost mikey, but i think focusing on his influence and amazing art he left behind is the best way to honour him and i think thats what sage does in this clip. Not to mention the ending of this video made me laugh out loud. Its nice to see that even though mikeys gone and all of his fans, friends, and family miss him they can still be slightly happy when they look back on the talent and soul that mikey had to share with everyone. R.EYE.P miss you mikey, i think about you everyday. your influence lives on through countless people you touched with your music and i know you changed my perspective on a lot of things for the better and i only wish i would have been able to thank you for it.
my favorite is the one without slug in it.
Sage Francis made me want to listen to this album. From what Sage tells me, here’s an album that gains texture with every listen; that evokes the creative passions of yesteryears jazz musicians; of a time when underground meant the music was swelling, and times were changing, and art could be a life path. He’s also the one who seems the most saddened, the person trying hardest not to let the tears flow, and that moves me viscerally. I’m glad he lightened it at the end, and left me smiling, wanting to hug him, wondering who Face Candy is, and how fast I can hear their tunes.
My favorite was Episode 1 by Jeremy Ylvisaker. First, his comment concerning how the record was originally edited to put the vocals together by thoughts or ideas and eventually changed as that minimized the band as a whole is essential. How happy I am that it did end up the way it did, for the free jazz element truly shines through.
Next, his thoughts on how seeing them live could be absolutly amazing ’cause it worked. Conversely, seeing them live could be absolutly amazing ’cause it did not work. This to me is key to improvisation, free association and experimentation. Just like the free jazz icons of yore, it does not always work, but even then something is discovered and beauty born free.
Jeremy helped convay the improv spirit with the traffic behind him playing the role of Casey & J.T. by freely exclaiming “She’s gonna ’cause an accident”. Which in a Face Candy performance, unlike the freeway, can result in pure bliss.
sage
-All of these videos were insightful, although for me it was hard to choose between Sage, Sadistik, and Crescent Moon. I watched each of those three times to finally figure out which one of those would take it for me. Its tough to pick favorites and believe me, its not just those that caught my attention, all of them had great points and a lot of the artists said the same thing as one another, but these three said JUST a bit more, in my opinion.
-Crescents almost had me because he felt the same way I felt when he was listening, like how you could establish a connection with Mikey when the comedian, poet, philosopher, and definitely when the explorer in him came out during this record. Oh, and when I mean definitely the explorer, I mean the fact that you could tell while listening when he was just experimenting with what he was working with, and knowing he was in a completely different world but on the same trail with the rest of the band. The record was a musical train ride for sure.
-Sadistiks video was truly as unique as the others but what stood out for me was him explaining how he though of freestyling as a battle term, or in ways of it being gimmicky, along with his chat with Mikey on how he was so good at freestyling. Ive tried to freestyle myself and got a grip around what Sadistik meant by being Authentic and Genuine. You cant nail a freestyle on the spot and try to lie to yourself while doing it, so you begin to realize that when youre being truthful within yourself, the freestyles will show youre not making everything up, everything youre say IS coming from the heart and you mean everything you say.
-Sages video got a hold of me when he was talking about when he was first listening, how he was able to make it clear in his head that Face Candy was gathering every emotion and moment on the spot that you couldnt hear or find at any other time. Its almost as if youre reliving the moment with your ears, being able to picture the set when you close your eyes at night, or even thinking about the poems and how they would play out today. Another thing that back that up would be how they caught the moments where the music was building up for a period of time and when something magical happened it was as if you were there to cherish it every time you listen. I also really liked how he laid out the general thought of most of the listeners, when he was wondering why are they doing this right now? and you get to that place and youre like okay…that was pretty fucking cool. Ive felt that way even on the the first Face Candy record, but compared to each other, Waste Age Teen Land took a bit longer for me to get the feel and appreciation than it was for the first record.
Nobody is wrong here, Ive read others comments and theyve helped me realize the other important factors on the record such as the band and its jazz elements and the way it helps the flow of everything combined. – sean [RIP Eyedea]
Oh and my choice was Sage’s video, and that’s because I felt more of a connection with his video compared the the others. His thought’s while listening to Waste Age and his feelings towards how everybody was an incredibly huge factor in making the tracks happen and the beauty in the built up moments leading to another. Glad the vids were posted!
Sage’s video. Not just because he’s one of my favorite musicians (I mean so is almost everyone else who made a video) but it just seems so real like he was speaking from the heart about his thoughts on the album and Eyedea’s passing. You can just feel the raw emotion when he’s describing it. And I think he did it on his own will without being asked to do it which makes it that much more special.
I liked Sadistik’s response the most. I feel like I could relate to his experience with freestyling. He lets us know his take on how Mikey used freestyling. Although I never got to meet Mikey, he definitely taught me how to see freestyling as a way to express yourself. It’s not just a form of entertainment that shows how dope you are, it’s a way of conveying your thoughts in a true authentic and passionate way. Both Mikey and Chris shine on this album and bring an original aspect to freestyling.
My personal favorite was Crescent Moon’s because his video did the best job of encompassing all aspects of the album and the group. Though not as long as other’s such as Sage and Slug, he also has a long history with Eyedea and it shows when he is talking about him; and, although he gave the most respect to Eyedea (as he was definitely the driving force behind the group), he didn’t dwell on that at all because that’s not what the group was about whatsoever. I like how he included Eyedea’s beginnings and evolution, and how most people would just settle for being a battle emcee and making music around that, but he wanted to push the boundaries and make music that people had never heard before, but was still engaging and accessible, and I think that fully shows in Waste Age Teen Land. Crescent Moon’s comments on the band’s sound was also on point. Many times it does feel like you are listening to a full band and not just a drummer and a bassist. They amalgamate so seemlessly and are incredibly versatile and talented at communicating with each other, as well as Kristoff and Eyedea. I do think his comment that the freestyling abilities of Kristoff Krane and Eyedea are “impressive, to say the least” was an understatement. There are few people on this planet (if any) who would be capable of such flawless, complimentary and unrestrained cathartic freestyling, while at the same time being so versatile in substance and feeling. Finally, the thing I liked most about this video was his final summary of the album and how it hits you. It is abstract, it takes you by force at times, it is comedic at times, it pushes and pulls you around and demands your full attention and forces you to do some genuine thinking. All in all, Crescent Moon did the best job at touching on all facets of the group and album, which is how the album and group should be listened to, and appreciated as, a whole.
Personally i feel my favorite video is Crescent Moon. Although Sage and Murs are 2 of my favorite artists my opinion can not be biased. Throughout the video you can hear the emotion in his voice. You can feel and understand just how much he cared for his friend. Some stuff that i love is the fact that he doesn’t hesitate on what he wants to say. He sits there and says it all. He like Eyedea does in all he does pours his entire heart into the video. Also i don’t know if anyone caught it but Alexei is the only one who is actually listening to the album while making his video. It plays throughout the full video and i’m sure he kept it playing after. He also explains how long and well he knew Mikey since he was his Hype man, Alexei sits there and elaborates on all the areas of the face candy album from its smooth flowing songs to the songs that are of difficult listening. Like he says the album has the Raw Live Energy where you don’t know whats going to come next. I love the fact that he says “i don’t know how to classify this record and i don’t think its important too.” Although some songs are hard to sit through at times in the end they still have you sitting there with a whole new persona or feeling about things. Like Crescent says Mikey wasn’t interested in making easy listening or top 40 music. I love the allusion of “By the throat” he uses intentional or not. I also like this video because it’s the longest and he seems to go into more detail about everything such as Eyedea and all his accomplishments like E&A, Philosophy, Face Candy. The entire thing. Although he mostly talks about Micheal he does take the time to acknowledge Kristoff JT And Casey. He also really pushes the record onto the viewer. He doesn’t suggest that you listen to it. He kind of demands it. He tells you that you owe it to yourself to leave the bags at the door shut up and listen. He makes you feel that listening to it will make you a better person. And i personally feel that it does make me a better person each time that i listen to it.
I am a fan of everyone on here. Everyone is a great artist and I can’t just pick a video cos I love sage or slug. I felt like I had to pick crescent moon’s video because I associated my feelings about the cd more with him. Another reason why it was my favorite video because he explained how mikey had so much going on for him, more than just a rapper. I had so much emotion going through me listening to the face candy cd from start to finish. At times i laughed along with everyone and I felt like I was there with them, enjoying the good times they were having. Whenever I play people the new cd I make sure we listen to it from start to finish because it isnt a record you can just pick a song or two to listen to, as crescent mentioned. I do have a short attention span sometimes, but whenever i listen to that cd I get lost in it. I also get lost into the thoughts that it makes me think while listening. Even when it’s just intrusmetal I still get lost into the beats. But from listening to this cd you can tell that mikey loved what he was doing and loved who he was doing those things with. and he enjoyed it. Sometimes it amazes me that this cd was all improv. I mean I can’t even write a decent paragraph about why this was my favorite video, but yet there are such brilliant people out there as kristoff krane, eyedea that just let loose and amazing things out of their mouth and I’m glad that I’m lucky enough to have been able to get this cd and experience the joy that everyone in face candy was having while this was recording.
Plus props to Crescent Moon for making a video while being under the weather. <3
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