Adelle Brodbeck – The Transcript

Active Minds aims to break stigma, hosts speak out about mental health

By offering a space for students to discuss personal experiences and difficulties with mental health, Active Minds is attempting to shift the negative light away from disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Thursday, April 24, Ohio Wesleyan’s Active Minds chapter hosted their second speak out. Despite the seemingly minimal turn out to Bishop Café—only a handful of students outside of the club were present— club president junior Alyssa Lucas still felt optimistic about the event.

Lucas said she would rather have a small and welcoming audience that will be enthusiastic rather than a large and possibly unresponsive one. The club’s first speak out was in 2014. Lucas said it had much higher attendance, “It was a huge success last year, we actually had to cut it short because so many people were sharing their stories. It was really great though, so we decided to do it again.”

Five members of Active Minds pose in the Milligan Hub at one of their events earlier this semester. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

Compared to other related events on campus, such as Anthology of Survival, the speak outs are designed with little restriction. Attendees are invited to share any sort of story that they find so “pertinent” as Lucas described. Speakers are not required to submit a pre-written story beforehand, and are free to share spontaneously.

“We want people to be able to stand up and say whatever they want to,” Lucas said. “Whether it be their story, or someone else’s story that has affected them, it is a pretty open place to talk.”

Active Minds vice president junior Abby Hanson said speak outs can also be an opportunity for people to learn more about their own mental health. Hanson said that sometimes people recognize their own problems in the remarks that speakers make and realize that they may need to seek assistance. In order to help attendees, two members from Counseling Services were present at the event.

Despite a small audience, the speak out lasted over an hour. At first only members from Active Minds shared their stories, but as the room seemed to grow more comfortable, other students spoke as well. A range of issues were discussed such as suicide and self-harm, difficulty with medication, acceptance of diagnoses and hope for the future.

Senior art students look ahead in “Ongoing”

Senior Mackenzie Schroeder's "Business 1." Photo courtesy of Adelle Brodbeck. — Senior Mackenzie Schroeder’s “Business 1.” Photo courtesy of Adelle Brodbeck.

While many students are just beginning to brace themselves for the storm of finals only a few weeks away, Ohio Wesleyan senior art students are starting to breathe easier. On Saturday April 18, the Bachelor of Fine Arts seniors opened the doors to “Ongoing,” their last undergrad art show.

“We decided on ‘Ongoing’ for our title because we thought it represented us as artists,” publicity chair and senior art student Kim Lewis said. “With graduation coming up, this time in our lives can seem like an ending of our artistic processes, but in reality we have much more to work towards. Our work is ongoing in that we will always be working on our craft.”

Ben Quick's "Fall of the Rebel Angel." Photo courtesy of Adelle Brodbeck. — Ben Quick’s “Fall of the Rebel Angel.” Photo courtesy of Adelle Brodbeck.

Through a BFA focus on metals, Lewis created a series of wearable art that interlaces the fragility of thread and fibers with the rigidity of copper and nickel.

“I love my work that is in the show and I can’t wait to share that with everyone,” she said.

As per every year, the diversity in artist mediums was immense. From computer imaging and photography, to metals and ceramics, the senior art students showcased a breadth of talent among many fields.

Senior Ben Quick – truly a product of the Ohio Wesleyan art department with both parents as professors – rejects the label of choosing one specific interest within art.

“I identify myself as a sculptor, however, the pursuit of printmaking, panel painting techniques and encaustic painting are modes that I still feel passionate about,” Quick said in his artist statement. “When people ask, ‘What is your medium?’ it strikes me as limiting to define my work by a single medium.”

While Quick recognizes the restrictions of labeling oneself as an artist, he centered his final undergrad works on one theme: horses. To portray this interest he created a series of vastly different pieces. A large metal sculpture of a horse head wrapped in dark purple strips of cloth serves a contrast to the creamy white ceramic “Spliced Horse head”.

Abbie Love's "Dela-weird." Photo courtesy of Adelle Brodbeck. — Abbie Love’s “Dela-weird.” Photo courtesy of Adelle Brodbeck.

“I try to imbue my sculpture with qualities that make them recognizably related,” Quick stated. “I want them to communicate when situated in the same room.”

Sophomore gallery management student Leia Miza attended the opening after working many hours prepping the museum to appear as cohesive as possible.

“Some of the hardest pieces to display were the black and white photographs, just because there were many of them,” Miza said.

Miza said that overall she is happy with the exhibit’s layout, and thinks that the seniors are satisfied as well. “We tried really hard to display their work in the best possible way. We cared about each individual piece and hopefully it showed.”

She said that some of her favorite pieces in the show include senior Leah Budde’s ceramics and senior Ruby Bemis’ metalwork.

A few of the other stand out pieces include senior Mackenzie Schroeder’s stoneware “Business” series ,senior Colleen Bodee’s haunting “Egotism” charcoal series and senior Abbie Love’s handmade photography booklet “Dela-weird” that documents the local atmosphere.

“Ongoing” will be on display at the Ross Art Museum through May 10. Museum hours are 1-5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Thursday, closed Saturday and Monday. Admission is free.

Shows to queue for this summer

The return of warm weather and sunny days also brings some of the best reasons to hole up inside with the television all day. A few of my favorite shows will be gracing the screen once again in the upcoming months, and if you aren’t already obsessed with them, you should start catching up.

Game of Thrones (April 12)

Photo courtesy of watchersonthewall.com.

Everyone’s favorite fantasy drama is coming back with, hopefully, a much better season. Season four, although I gladly watched its entirety, was unsatisfying and lacking in narrative. Each episode felt like an excuse to kill off unnecessary characters or build personalities for characters that no one really cares about (all eyes on you, Gilly). And yet I am holding out hope for season five. Game of Thrones is my ultimate guilty pleasure. It is decadent, overly violent and sexualized and does not try to hide its obvious ploy to prey on the most basic forms of entertainment. It embraces its excessiveness and through that it thrives. Despite my every instinct to scoff at something so animalisticly enjoyable, I am still hooked. Plus, I will never turn down an opportunity to watch Emilia Clarke in any situation, but especially when she is plotting to take over the world by way of dragons and well fitted dresses.

Hannibal (June 4)

If up until now you have been spared my heated rant on the brilliance of Hannibal then I have failed as a fan. I repeatedly urged my family to begin watching for months before they finally gave in, and now they regret not starting it sooner. I can say with complete confidence that Hannibal is one of the best shows on television today. I have enjoyed it much more than some of the more beloved shows i.e. Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Mads Mikkelson as the titular character is absolutely mesmerizing. He plays the repugnantly evil man in his stages as a well-respected therapist, before his unsavory habits are discovered. He befriends the unassuming Will Graham, played by Hugh Dancy, and begins a path of sadistic manipulation. The two establish one of the most captivatingly disturbing relationships that rapidly muddles the distinction of a protagonist. Aside from having a fascinating plot, Hannibal also excels in cinematography. The repeated scenes of Hannibal preparing dinner are equally repulsive as they are stunning. It is a masterpiece of a show that has left me feeling incomplete while not on the air.

Project Runway (Late July)

Competition shows stress me out more than most things. I so quickly allow myself to care about each contestant and root for almost all of them. I watch the end of each episode of Project Runway through a blanket I’ve hid myself under so I don’t have to see the designers cry when they get Heidi Klum’s “Auf Wiedersehen”. I still hold a grudge against the girl who won four seasons ago with a line composed of the same shapeless maxi dress. You don’t need talent to sew a maxi dress! Project Runway has been my go to reality show for years. It has just the right amount of drama and the contestants, usually, actually exhibit talent and compete for legitimate reasons unlike many of the popular Real World, and Bachelorette types. Plus it never gets old living vicariously through the struggles of making a ball gown in less than 24 hours, and then criticizing those who fail when in fact I couldn’t even load a needle in a sewing machine.

“Wasted on the Dream” is a wasted opportunity

"Wasted on the Dream" album cover. Photo courtesy of brooklynvegan.com. — “Wasted on the Dream” album cover. Photo courtesy of brooklynvegan.com.

Wasted on the Dream is an album that I really want to like. No matter how hard I try though, Jeff the Brotherhood has made it pretty difficult.

With eight full albums in tow, Jeff the Brotherhood has come a long way since their early high school beginnings in 2001. The band, composed of two actual brothers, Jake and Jamin Orrall, hail from Nashville, Tennessee.

Held up as the album most true to their roots yet, Wasted on the Dream makes me afraid for how much I enjoyed their more dishonest pieces of work. If anything, I feel as though Wasted on the Dream is the brothers’ least cohesive and characteristic album. It rings with their typical party-rock feel, but wholly lacks their usual thrilling spark of raw sound.

I held out hope for the album up until I began to hear hints of Weezer in the Brotherhood’s guitar riffs. It was at this point I closed the door of my room so none of my housemates could mock me for listening to something so kitschy.

Wasted on the Dream is basically a G-rated stoner-rock album. Pitchfork writer Ian Cohen aptly compared it to “’responsible’ parent[s] letting the high school kids get drunk at their house because they gotta do it somewhere.”

“Cosmic Visions,” the album’s third song, embodies those college freshmen who just found out about alcohol and can’t stop talking about how many Mike’s Hard they can pound back. It is an anthem for people who spend all their time trying too hard to look cool.

Featuring Best Coast front woman Bethany Cosentino on “In My Dreams” also seems like desperate parental grab at relating to the “hip” kids.

I am reluctantly disappointed in Jeff the Brotherhood. After recent binge listens to the band’s 2012 album Hypnotic Nights, I wonder what has been lost in those three years. The band feels less energized, less enthusiastic. Perhaps they have been caught in the loop of only creating music that they’ve succeeded with in the past.

The largely negative criticism of this album, however, could potentially be a wake up call for the brothers. Rock and roll can’t survive solely on writing minorly catchy songs about smoking weed and drinking beer.

Louisville: land of the independent and home of the weird

As quickly as Louisville pushed me out, it pulled me in again. Louisville is a city with an inviting twang and hospitality with flair. Louisville prides itself on feeling independent from the rest of Kentucky. In the 2008 presidential election, Louisville was one of the only cities in the state to vote democratic. Our electric blue rebelled against the overwhelming wall of red.

The pride of rebellion rings throughout the city. A Louisville rebellion is a challenge to normality. The city is painted with murals declaring our unyielding attempts to “stay weird.” Our streets are lined with shops promoting their independence. In Louisville “Mom and Pop” shops are hailed as royalty and the city divides depending on which stores hold their loyalty.

Our oddities are our battle cries. We wear them boldly and share them with anyone who may partially be listening. We recount the years that we have attended the annual Zombie Walk down our favorite road, Bardstown. We spout off any and all of the facts we have learned while living in Louisville; our production of 90 percent of the world’s disco balls usually at the forefront of our memory.

Louisville's iconic Bardstown Road. Photo courtesy of oceanllama.com. — Louisville’s iconic Bardstown Road. Photo courtesy of oceanllama.com.

Louisville is a city that loves Louisville. Kentucky politician Albert “Happy” Chandler famously corralled that undying affection into a quote that has been recited endlessly to me and by me. A quote that has been printed on posters and tee shirts and mugs that will hold coffee with bourbon. A quote that every Louisvillian I know holds to be true: “I’ve never met a Kentuckian who wasn’t either thinking about going home, or actually going home.”

Louisville is a winding city that travels through me – all of its roads crisscrossing and converging to one spot. Each house has a multitude of potential routes of access. A drive toward home could be as quick or as prolonged depending on each turn taken. It weaves paths through sheltered catholic school kids, wandering college graduates, to the newly perfected family living in the Victorian house on the corner.

Louisville is a city of land. As only the 28th biggest city in America, we have more than 100 parks – Cherokee being one of the most visited in the nation. Almost every building has a floral counterpart. Our parks are not a sectioned off square of grass as in many cities. Our parks are monumental spaces of life. They are capable of engulfing you and losing you. They are engrained into the city.

Louisville's Waterfront Park. Photo courtesy of asla.org. — Louisville’s Waterfront Park. Photo courtesy of asla.org.

Waterfront Park carries Louisville. It is the spot for cruises on the Belle of Louisville. It holds the skate park for youths in revolt. It sits on the edge of the murky Ohio River and looks across, mockingly, at the state of Indiana. It is the setting for picnics, strolls and for live music. In the warmer months our local public radio station hosts free concerts featuring plenty a Bluegrass beat. Young mothers dance with their Montessori toddlers, hula hoops are spun and tossed in the air by barefoot hippies blowing bubbles while the city’s adored cellist performs under a string of fairy lights on stage.

Louisville has a hold on its inhabitants. It is a lover from years past who still brings a smile when remembered. Louisville is for lovers. Louisville is for haters. Louisville is for agents of relevance, children of small-business owners, and for old couples who sway in their wicker chairs and sip on sweet tea.

Louisville is longing. Louisville is rebellion. Louisville is odd. Louisville is self-admiration. Louisville is land. Louisville is devotion. Louisville is pride.

Festival season

The time for flower crowns and crowded campgrounds is upon us once again. Spring is coming; we are ditching our coats and gloomy winter playlists for the sunny music festivals across the country.

Festival season is a rare and coveted time for music lovers. One of the first big-name festivals, South by Southwest (SXSW), has been running annually since 1987. Located in Austin, Texas, SXSW just wrapped up its two-week long festival on March 22. SXSW is widely known for its all-encompassing interactive qualities.

During the span of the festival, attendees not only get the chance to see thousands of live music performances, there is also a smaller film festival that occurs within the SXSW umbrella. New and noteworthy directors host discussion panels and present their work. In past years artists such as Lena Dunham and Mark Duplass have screened their films to SXSW audiences. The city-wide festival also places a heavy emphasis on innovative technology and offers attendees the opportunity to hear presentations and sit in on panels discussing emerging technology.

SXSW seems like a mecca for some of the hippest happenings in the current music scene and if not being able to attend is bumming you out just as much as it is for me here are a couple nearby alternatives:

Nelsonville Music Festival- Nelsonville, OH May 28-31

Small and growing fiercely, Nelsonville is a festival with its values in order. Based around a zero waste policy, all eating and drinking ware is recyclable and sometimes compostable. Festival-goers are also encouraged to take advantage of water refill stations by bringing reusable water bottles. Volunteers work through the course of the three days to educate everyone about having an environmentally friendly festival experience. Nelsonville also supports local vendors by serving food and drink from places such as Columbus’ Mickey’s Late Night Slice and Pomeroy’s Snowville Creamery.

In keeping with the local support, Nelsonville’s lineup frequently contains lesser-known artists from Ohio, such as Good English from Dayton, Speaking Suns from Yellow Spring, and Columbus’ Bummers. However, Nelsonville is no stranger to hosting big names on their stages as well. Past years’ headliners include Kurt Vile, The Avett Brothers, and Wilco. This year The Flaming Lips and St. Vincent are taking the main stage.

Forecastle Festival- Louisville, KY July 17-19

Forecastle first began in 2002 as a neighborhood event in a small park and now thousands of people from across the world attend. The festival does not offer camping areas which forces attendees to explore the vibrant, and growing in popularity, city of Louisville. Artists such as My Morning Jacket, Girl Talk, and Jack White perform against the Ohio River backdrop along Louisville’s downtown Waterfront Park.

A festival in Kentucky is nothing without ample bourbon supply, and Forecastle creator J.K. McKnight is well aware. The Bourbon Lodge is a Forecastle staple and contains local food and beverages, such as Buffalo Trace and Four Roses, for the tasting.

OWU receives $10,000 grant for sustainable move out

With high hopes of a few relaxing months away from school, or perhaps fears of facing the apocryphal ‘real world’, it can be difficult for students to think sustainably when it comes to moving out at the end of spring semester.

At Ohio Wesleyan, moving out in May almost always incites dumpsters overflowing with discarded room trimmings such as carpets, couches, refrigerators, lamps, chairs and more.

The Delaware, Knox, Marion, Morrow (DKMM) Joint Solid Waste District awarded OWU a $10,000 grant as a way to help divert this yearly abundance of waste.

The donation will partially be used to rent 8 feet by 8 feet by 16 feet portable storage containers. These “PODS” will be stationed in various places around the residential side of campus in May; exact locations have not been chosen.

As students clear out their rooms, they will be advised to recycle reusable items, rather than disposing of them in dumpsters. Recyclable items will be stored in the PODS and then transported to a nearby Goodwill Industries where they will be sorted for resale.

Cheryl Corbin, fiscal administrator for the DKMM, said the group receives proposals from across the four Ohio districts they serve.

“Every year we have a recycling and market development assistance grant application,” Corbin explained.

“We try to solicit the community to come up with innovative ideas of how they can reduce waste going to the landfill. We felt that Ohio Wesleyan did come up with an innovative project.”

Corbin said that the DKMM has provided sustainability grants for past OWU projects as well.

“It is no guarantee that you will get a grant every year,” Corbin said. “It is a competitive process.”

OWU’s sustainability task force in part formulated the grant proposal. A portion of the $10,000 will be used for an educational program called “May Move Out.”

Members of the task force, students in John Krygier’s environmental geography and sustainability practicum courses, Buildings and Grounds and Residential Life staff, as well as members of the Tree House Small Living Unit (SLU) will be in charge of teaching the campus community how to recycle their unwanted items.

Michelle Smith, a senior and member of Tree House, is currently working to help carry out the “May Move Out” program as her house project.

“My initial interest [for my house project] was to bring the free store back to campus,” Smith said. She explained that she became interested in “May Move Out” after contacting some students in Dr. Krygier’s practicum courses who were working on the program.

“I am kind of the student organizer that is helping to get more people involved,” Smith said.

Smith said the grant will partially go toward paying the students for the work they will be doing to educate those living in fraternities, residence halls and SLUs on how to move out sustainably.

“It is still under discussion what exactly we will be doing,” Smith said. She explained the group is planning to do promotional work in the Hamilton Williams Campus Center and join forces with Residential Advisors in the residence halls as a way to spread the word.

Sophomore James Ormerod, a member of Tree House and participant in the project, explained that the students working on “May Move Out” have to be educated by Goodwill before they can begin telling other students what can and cannot be recycled. A portion of the grant will be used as a stipend for Goodwill employees who help in the education process.

Smith said even though OWU won’t be able to receive a $10,000 grant annually, she hopes the program will still continue. Smith said that the university’s president, Rock Jones, has committed to funding PODS for May 2016 move out as well.

Big talent surpasses small stage in “Kindertransport”

The much anticipated ‘Kindertransport’ came to life for the first time in Ohio Wesleyan’s Chappelear Drama Center’s Studio Theatre last Wednesday evening.

In accordance with its namesake, ‘Kindertransport’–by Diane Samuels– draws inspiration from the many Jewish children who were pushed out of their homes in Germany before World War II in the hopes of ensuring their safety. The play focuses specifically on one child, Eva, who was relocated to England and forced to make a new life for herself.

‘Kindertransport’ fluidly travels between different times in Eva’s life; beginning with her evacuation of Germany at 9 years old, to adult life in an English home raising a daughter of her own.

Junior Katie Patrick, a non-theatre major, took on the role of portraying Eva between the ages of 9 and 17. Patrick, never having performed in an OWU play before ‘Kindertransport’, showed incredible talent within the challenging character. Believably transforming from an innocent child to a responsible and strong-willed adolescent between the opening bell and the closing applause is no easy task.

Freshman Rachel Scherrer played adult Eva, or technically Evelyn; after adapting to life in England, Eva felt the need to assimilate by claiming naturalization papers and changing her name to one with less German flair. Patrick and Scherrer established a cohesive chemistry on stage that allowed audiences to easily see how the younger developed into her older version.

A play with such a flexible timeline would seem nearly impossible to communicate on a stage the size of the Chappelear Studio. But any difficulties that the cast and crew may have had were virtually untraceable.

Freshman Hailey LaRoe served as the show’s assistant master electrician. LaRoe said the crew heavily relied on lights and sound to portray any change of setting throughout the production.

“The lights are designed to isolate different areas of a stage, and you can also use them to imply different settings,” LaRoe said.

She said that in one scene, two of the main characters are meant to be on a boating dock. To portray that setting the lights were given a blue-green tint and muffled sounds of boat horns played in the background.

“It was a lot of hours physically moving the different lighting instruments,” LaRoe said. “That is really hard to do in the Studio Theatre, it requires more physical effort.”

LaRoe said even though ‘Kindertransport’ required extensive hours of preparation, it was worth it.

“It was cool to see my work in the end,” she said. “It is one of the reasons I like doing theatre work, you get to actually see the final product that you helped to produce.”

Junior Margot Reed, who played Eva’s mother Helga, said ‘Kindertransport’ was one of the most rewarding productions she has been a part of during her time in the theatre.

“It was one of the best pieces of drama that we have had in the department,” Reed said.

“It is a really influential piece of theatre and I am glad that I can say it is on my resume.”

Reed explained when the cast and crew first began production, they weren’t entirely sure how the play would turn out. “I think we were all kind of confused how it would be done since it takes place across so many timelines,” Reed said. “But I think that it has become such a solid piece of work. None of use knew what to expect from it, but what it ended up becoming was this amazing, emotionally moving piece of art.”

“Really it has been a joy working on [Kindertransport],” Reed said. “I can’t really explain it other than that there was never a bad day.”

Why I am not seeing “Fifty Shades of Grey”

I am by no means above seeing a bad movie. Bad movies are some of the most entertaining movies. The poorly constructed plots, the awkward acting, the supremely cheesy wink-wink-nudge-nudge humor – it’s all great.

At first I thought that perhaps Fifty Shades of Grey could be this movie, and I’m sure that attracted many viewers to the box office. But Fifty Shades is not a good-natured, comically-terrible, bad movie; it is just a bad movie in every sense of the word.

I have not seen the movie, nor will I ever, and yet I feel perfectly confident pronouncing this judgment on it. Any defense of Fifty Shades in its original form is completely tarnished by the creation of a theatrical version. The guilty pleasure of a steamy romance can be hidden in the backlight of an e-reader, not on a 55-foot theater screen.

From a novel that earned its fan base through explicit sex scenes, an NC-17 rating would seem apt for its theatrical counterpart. And yet the lead male actor, Jamie Dornan, refused to be filmed completely nude (it seems perfectly fine for the female lead, Dakota Johnson, to bare it all though).

Fifty Shades is a story (if it can even be called one) that values and promotes severely unhealthy BDSM – Bondage and Discipline (BD), Dominance and Submission (DS), Sadism and Masochism (SM) – relationships, as well as sexual abuse. The character of Christian Grey is meant to be a strong, manly man who knows exactly what he wants and hates the word “no.” Confidence is sexy, dominating attitudes can be sexy too, but one of the core principles in BDSM relationships is the presence of respect. People who participate in BDSM practices value “safe words.” This is a word or words that basically mean “stop, immediately.” Safe words ensure safety and enjoyment for everyone involved. Christian Grey introduces the character Anastasia Steele to BDSM, and yet refuses to acknowledge her safe words or maintain her security.

Partially I feel bad for shaming this enterprise, especially when the largest portion of the Fifty Shades fans identify as women. It is so valuable for women to feel comfortable expressing their sexuality and sexual preferences and to be excited about talking about sex without feeling guilt. Too often is the space for sexual discussion reserved for men. But my issues with the film and the message of the story itself strongly outweigh any benefits it may have.

Anticipated Albums

Album cover for "Froot" by Marina and the Diamonds. — Album cover for “Froot” by Marina and the Diamonds. Photo courtesy of Amazon.com.

2014 has come to an end and the new year is upon us. With the close of each year, Best Albums lists begin to crowd the Web. But instead of looking back to the music of the recent past, here is a compilation of some noteworthy albums to look forward to in the upcoming months.

Who: The Decemberists
Album title: What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
Release month: January
Why it matters: The Decemberists are notable for their ability to tell fantastical tales in just a few short minutes and their mastery of the alt-pop genre. Their unlimited creativity will no doubt surface in their seventh studio album. As many critics are already claiming, this album is set to harken back to the band’s elegant skills through a compilation of simplistic songs about terrible beauty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb8oUbMrydk

Who: Sufjan Stevens
Album title: Carrie & Lowell
Release month: March
Why it matters: An artist known for more than just his barely pronounceable name, Sufjan Stevens will be taking a much anticipated turn back to his folk roots with his newest album. As mentioned in a press release for the album, “Carrie & Lowell” will explore themes related to “life and death, love and loss, and the artist’s struggle to make sense of the beauty and ugliness of love.” Steven’s first album since 2010 is also set to feature collaborations with artists such as Laura Veirs, Sean Carey, and Ben Lester.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vj9s0U2U2o

Who: JEFF the Brotherhood
Album title: Wasted on the Dream
Release month: March
Why it matters: These Nashville brothers have been putting out sing-along punk rock jams for years. “The most fully realized JEFF the Brotherhood album,” as dubbed by member Jake Orrall, is set to exhibit early-90s vibes and some of the duo’s most conscious songwriting yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H41UU6t24Uc

Who: Bjork
Album title: Vulnicura
Release month: March
Why it matters: It is still up in the air whether Bjork is a real person or just an alien sent to Earth to make avant-garde dance tunes; either way her new album is bound to be a contemporary masterpiece. Teaming up with the Venezuelan producer Arca, who recently worked with powerhouses Kanye West and FKA twigs, can’t hurt either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDbPYoaAiyc

Who: Marina and the Diamonds
Album title: Froot
Release month: April
Why it matters: Marina Diamond is is most often recognized for the miniature black heart that marks one side of her perfectly blushed cheeks and for creating kitschy pop songs mocking the commercialism of romance. Now the front-woman of Marina and the Diamonds says she will be releasing a more serious and introspective album. Diamondis told music website Line of Best Fit that she hoped to produce a much more “reflective” album focusing on topics such as difficult relationships and struggles with mental health.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZzcY7ASQno

Who: Frank Ocean
Album title: TBA
Release month: TBA
Why it matters: Ocean’s dip into solo work with his first album “Channel Orange” was wildly praised. After the debut in 2012, not much has been revealed about Ocean’s plans for other additions to his discography. Although there have been many rumors circulating about the artist’s intentions without any confirmation, it seems that 2015 will finally be the year some new work surfaces. Ocean has sent out multiple teaser messages divulging information about his time in the studio with producers such as Hit-Boy and Rodney Jenkins and even released an original song, and a cover of The Isley Brothers’ “At Your Best (You Are Love).”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMfPJT4XjAI