Jake Beaver is a one-of-a-kind human who is a lot of things. Drummer and vocalist of metalcore band Problem of Pain, whose debut is one of my favorite albums this year, partly because of the strong link between their music and the art-laden imagery it evokes (here's my attempt to capture this). He's a designer and illustrator who makes logos, shirts, album artwork, this week's art below (duh), and more. He tours with Slow Bullet, another project I don't have lofty enough words to praise (got to see them live over the weekend at Take Hold Fest and it was great). And lastly in the music vein, Jake is the master mind behind his highly creative, alternative metal side-project, Sowing, for which he sort of does it all.
And for all of the tremendous talents Jake possesses, there are equally distinguishable character traits behind them. Jake is a loyal friend. He's committed to the things and people he feels were given him to tend. He's one of the goofiest people I know, whose lighthearted spirit puts people at ease and serves as an inviting presence, whether he's joking about social anxiety or getting stuck in a self-checkout line at Giant Eagle. The parts of myself I find in Jake are parts of me that I'm proud of, quirks I've always felt important to fully embrace, and character traits and aspects of manhood I want to cull out and refine more completely.
But what I love most about Jake are his pants. Straight-leg black slacks, they fall squarely in the sweet spot of the pants Venn diagram--the overlap where "not-too-tight," "not-too-lose," "stylishly untrendy," and "still-look-hella-good" circles converge. Though he arrived at this point because, as he says, he's too skinny to wear tight jeans, I think he should stick with this look because they make for a pretty sick combo with his Converses. Ask him for a pic if you can't wait till the next time you see him.
Thanks Jake Fritos! (nickname credit: @saraschubargo)
Art by Jake Beaver. For more of his art (I know, I know--his VISUAL art, NOT his music. He's got a lot going on!), visit his Dribble and peak at some of his hand-lettering and illustration work.
Art and playlist by Jake Beaver:
A lot of these songs in this playlist are from artists that I accidentally discovered back in 8th/9th grade. Throughout the years they have still held up as some of my favorite bands that influence me a lot in my writing musically and lyrically. So, not to be a "cool guy" but it bums me out that some of these bands didn't get the popularity I felt they deserved.
Some of the other more recent songs on this list are songs or artists that have very recently connected with me in the same exact way as those old bands I discovered, so that is how they tie together.
I feel that all of these artists perfectly balance anger and sadness and force it out through their music. That is what I like about these songs, they leave me feeling anxious and sentimental, although I don't know the reason why. So I hope as you listen to can feel that same roaring emotion and try to decipher how it makes you feel.
Tracks:
- A Recurring Dream - My Fictions
- New Abuse - Hesitation Wounds
- Pilori - Birds In Row
- Meatwave - Caravels
- From the Kettle Onto the Coil - Deafheaven
- Where I Live - Oathbreaker
- Contrition - My Fictions
- Another Harvest Moon - Dogwood Tales
- Killer - Phoebe Bridges
- Different Perspectives - Suis La Lune