The Next Wave ft. Fiona Apple, Van Buren Records, and P&P's Favorite September Holidays

Your dose of music discovery from Pigeons and Planes has landed. Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Next Wave. This week, we're featuring Van Buren Records' favorite NBA players and some important September holidays in the P&P world. We're also answering your burning questions (and non-questions) about music journalism, MF DOOM songs, dogs, and Fiona Apple. [Subscribe to the Newsletter]( Dear Pigeons is our advice column. We put out asks on social media for questions from the readers, and we'll do our best to give advice, guidance, ramblings, and recommendations based on our own experiences. Dear Pigeons, Advice for aspiring music journalists? I'd like to be like Zane Lowe mixed with Anthony Fantano. - @_nicholas.m.s.chilembo_ via Instagram Things have changed a lot over the last decade. In the past, you could get your start by landing an internship or an entry-level job to learn the ropes. These days, you've really got to be a self-starter to stand out from the thousands of other aspiring journalists. Put yourself out there. Whether you want to write, make YouTube reviews, interview artists, or be a TikTok influencer, the best way to learn is by doing it yourself, and nobody's stopping you. Even if you're just interviewing local acts or making videos that 10 people watch, do it with care and treat it like it matters. If you do good work, people will start noticing. Along the way you'll probably make some embarrassingly bad content and get bombarded with hate from ruthless internet trolls, but you'll also get more comfortable with the process and discover a lot about your strengths and weaknesses. Nobody expects you to build a platform with millions of followers overnight, but if you've got a website or a platform with some examples of your work, that's the best possible resume you can have. Good luck. - [Jacob Moore]( Founder/GM of Pigeons and Planes Dear Pigeons, Fav MF DOOM track? - @alexpm16 via Instagram Alex: "One Beer" John: "Great Day" Jacob: "Figaro" Maddy: "ANGELZ" Dear Pigeons, Why don't dogs dance? - @park.rsmith via Instagram Who says they don't? Just because they don't necessarily dance the way that humans do doesn't mean they don't dance. With every step, strut, wiggle, wag, and roll they are expressing themselves through movement, which is literally dancing. In fact, now that I think about it, every dog is dancing all the time and there has never been a dog that doesn't dance and isn't perfect. - [John Walaszek]( Associate Director of Content Strategy, Pigeons & Planes Dear Pigeons, Fiona Apple is a goddess. Not a question just a factual statement. - @gabe_gibboni via Instagram 100% agreed. It's impossible to pass up a good opportunity to talk about Fiona Apple, so check out some of my favorite performances by her below! 1. "Paper Bag" on Spankin’ New Music Week Live (1999) [   ]( 2. "Angel" on MTV Unplugged (1997) [   ]( 3. "I Know" at Largo (2014) [   ]( - [Maddy Quach]( Community Manager at Pigeons and Planes P.S. Speaking of iconic Fiona Apple moments... Mark your calendars! September is full of some of P&P's favorite holidays, including the anniversary of Fiona Apple's ["this world is bullsh*t" speech]( the ["Nights" beat switch]( the anniversary of Kanye West's Graduation, and Donald Glover's birthday. Stemming from childhood friendships formed in Brockton, Massachusetts, Van Buren Records is an artist collective composed of rappers, producers, engineers, visual creatives, fashion designers, and more. The last few years has solidified them as one of the strongest forces in Massachusetts, but their authenticity and intention has elevated the group to national visibility. We featured Van Buren Records in our Best New Artists feature back in April, right before they dropped their first group album, Bad For Press. Still riding the momentum of their album release, the Brockton collective returned last week with a new EP, BLACK WALL STREET. We caught up with the members of Van Buren Records to get their take which NBA players they identify with most. If rap was the NBA, which 3 players would you be? Luke Bar$: 1. Kobe 2. Luka 3. Ron Artest "I wanna chop everyone’s head off like Kobe, I feel like a young guy trying to make a name for himself like Luka, and I think I can really flip a switch when I need to like Artest lmao" SAINT LYOR: 1. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 2. Ron Artest 3. MJ "I stay loyal to my beliefs like Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Like Artest, it's not how you start it’s how you finish, and like MJ, I feel like the goat." Invada: 1. Carmelo 2. D-Wade 3. AI "3 guys who was so smooth at what they did it made u want to do the same thing, which is what I’m aiming for with my music." FELIX!: 1. Dennis Rodman 2. Metta World Peace 3. Magic Johnson "I chose Rodman and Metta World Peace because of their unorthodox and brash approach to the game. Very team-oriented. Just play my role and grind it out with a bit of flash with it." Jiles: 1. James Posey 2. Manu Ginobli 3. WNBA player A’JA Wilson. "I’m def Miami/Boston-era, James Posey. Underrated, Great defense, Aggressive wing, who plays chippy. Always mad an impact that doesn’t show on the box score. Feel like my music is all those things. Like Manu Ginobli, my music you know what you’re going get every night. Consistency, fundamentals, but with a foreign twist. It’s beautiful watching Manu play basketball, just like it’s beautiful to hear my raps. I'm a Certified Bucket Getter like A’JA Wilson. We both got the commitment and the will to be great. We both got smooth games but ain’t afraid to get gritty. Her 18 footers are like my hooks, automatic." Meech BOLD: 1. Kobe Bryant 2. Chris Paul 3. JJ Redick "Kobe's tenacity, aggressive mentality on the court, with a tactical view of the game. Every move was calculated, and every emotion was triggered when it was called for. I use this to have Killer instinct on records, annihilate whoever is in my way; the end goal is all that matters & I must obtain it. Chris Paul's wizardry playmaking for others & sharp ball handling. breaking dribble patterns at a high speed, throwing defenders off. Always had a counter for every decision a defender made on him. Master of the mid-range & picking his spots. I use his traits and take the more mindful approach to records, do what the best asks for & found your pocket within a drum or hi-hat, etc. Redick's a 3 point specialist and a knockdown shooter who’s a threat even when he doesn’t have the ball. Someone who can kill you silently & get hot once he says one shot go in. I find myself to be a specialist with the bars, I may not yell or swear every time but I kill you with my specialty, my truth that I rap on the mic." [Listen to BLACK WALL STREET]( [Complex on Instagram]( [Complex on Facebook]( [Complex on Twitter]( [Complex on YouTube]( © Complex Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 229 W. 43rd Street, 10th Floor New York, NY 10036 You are receiving this email because you've signed up for the Next Wave Newsletter. Want to stop receiving messages from Pigeons & Planes ? [Unsubscribe]( [Click here to view this email in your browser.]( Pigeons & Planes is part of: [Complex Networks](