Everyone needs to see this and watch it daily.
Atlas Genius: A review
Do you remember that band Metro Station that came out a couple years ago, maybe it was 2007? They only got famous because one of them was Miley Cyrus’ brother and sang the annoying teeny bopper ear worm “Shake It”. Okay take the catchy addictive easy going sound of Metro Station, and the chest slamming originality of the Killers, add a little bit of the solo indie-rock “I’m a rockstar on my piano that I can record funny noises on” attitude of Aqueduct, Sufjian Stevens, and Owl City and presto you have Atlas Genius.
I stumbled upon this band randomly one day while I was browsing covers and updating my own channel on youtube. I was waiting for the advertisement to continue on to my video when all of the sudden I stopped my self and thought “hey I like this, whatever this is thats playing right now.” I succumbed to the mind-tricks of advertising psychology and proceeded to click the “buy now on itunes” button. I knew I needed new music for a review story, I found them superficially appealing, I am generally supportive of the projects of the self-made artists (being one myself) and frankly, they weren’t half bad.
The opening track which I’m assuming was the one that brainwashed me into buying the album is Titled “Electric” which has one of the most interesting openings in an indie-alternative track that I’ve heard. Openings can be tricky though because on the one hand it is going to be the thing that causes people to either hit next or skip when their music is shuffling but on the other hand we have the potential for what we in the music industry refer to as “one hit wonder syndrome”.
Now that being said I think AG drifts a little in their creativity but the opening track is definitely not a giveaway for the rest of the album. You can tell the Artist has really added at least one of touch of uniqueness to each song. This expresses experienced musicianship and careful attention to detail which is what is missing in so many of the popular albums of today.
You kind of get lost in the second and third tracks as you are lulled to sleep by a sweet, semi-perfect blending of major chords in the vocalists tenor range. Then you get to a track entitled “Back Seat” and the same unique impressions that the opening track contributed are revived.
But it was track #4 that really sold me on this band. Maybe a more accurate statement would be the placement of tracks three and four on the Album. You barely have time to recover from the mesmerizing vocals in “Back Seat” before you are swooned back in by the sweet nectar of the acoustic guitar in “Trojans”, a suggestive title given the target market age but most of the track titles sound like chapter titles in a novel about sappy teenage universes. “Electric”, “Back Seat”, “Trojans”, “All These Girls” just to name a few, but its tracks like these that really express the anxiety of teenage pubescence. This High School anxiety that we are all still longing for.
The first band I thought of when I heard them was The Killers but I also find myself reminiscent for bands like MGMT, the Spinto Band and Of Montreal. But I can also hear tiny supplements of Aqueduct, Owl City and the newer version of Sufjian Stevens. The reason I brought up Metro Station before was because their track “All these girls” has an intro that almost sounds Identical to the intro in “Shake-it” but it revives itself in the pre-chorus and chorus especially with the snare drum sequence and acoustic backgrounds. I like this band they have the ability to take me to a place where I am actually nostalgic for high school.
Would You Recommend this to Your Best Friend? Yes.
How much would you pay for a concert ticket? $30-$40
Overall Stars: 4 out of 5
KidCudi – Mash-up (Cover) By Caroline Paxton
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“Much unhappine…
“Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I was going to concerts (on the internet)
IF you have yet to discover the wonderfulness that is LABLOGOTHéQUE then you are seriouly missing out.
I Was Reviewing Movies
Craigslist Joe: A review
By: Caroline Paxton
Joseph Garner is a 29-year-old Jewish man living in Recession-era Ame[1] rica. The documentary opens with Garner in a state of dwindling faith as more and more people fall on hard times and the end of a bleak economic trench seems nowhere in sight. To counter act the brewing cynicism he decides to embark on an unprecedented trans-American journey searching for the answers to life’s hard questions. The only catch to his journey of existential quandary is that he can only use one resource to survive: craigslist.
Along his journey Garner meets handfuls of lively, brightly-lit characters, all of whom seem to be spiritual refuges in their own rite. He meets several baby-boomer hippies, still very much in contact with the spirit of Woodstock, and a handful of young transcendental types all searching for the same meaningful connections.
Garner is surprisingly successful in his endeavor and makes it across the country and back in 31 days and even manages to tag along on an excursion across the Mexican border and back. Throughout the entire month of travel, he never goes a day without eating and never sleeps a night on the streets. He is able to live, quite comfortably, off of the kindness and goodwill of strangers and the random quirkiness of craigslist.
This film really tries to be emotional and inspiring and succeeds somewhat in generating lukewarm emotions in the viewer. There were a few stirring moments in the film where the scenario is heart wrenching and deeply moving but is marred when the shot pans to Garner crying and one word pops in to your head “overkill”. The legitimacy of the emotion comes into question and the viewer is left feeling somewhat emotionally tender,[5] and in need of a an hour at the gym pumping iron and listening to Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”.
However, the entire conceptual design of the film is remarkable both in its originality and universality. Producer Zach Galifinakis succeeds with his trademark eminence in dark humor and creativity. Ironically after I finished the film I found myself browsing on craigslist for the one ad that was going to change my life.
IF YOU HAVENT SEEN THIS YET YOU’RE MISSING OUT.
I was reading.
This quote has been spreading around Facebook. I have to share it here. It is so true. For all those book loving women out there, this post is for you. I am this girl. If you had a little camera or viewfinder into my world, you would find me with a book in the car when Chris is driving, in the bathroom when I am drying my hair, during toilet visits, curled up on the couch, in the bathtub, while I am running on the treadmill, snuggled up in bed before falling asleep, the list goes on.
Chris has lost me many times. I think he has finally given up. He knows there is no competition that can compare to an amazing book. He knows that if I am nearing the end I will want to stay up until I finish those last few pages. He might see tears in…
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WHAT? Mindblown
I was making an awesome door dec.
I was watching this.
Yesterday I had the pleasure at of being at a screening of Samsara, in 4k high definition at the Astor Theatre, in St Kilda Melbourne.
Before I write my feelings about the film I have a technical nit pick . The Astor is a lovely theatre but something was amiss with the projection. The film lacked sharpness and at times was very fuzzy. I feel that it possibly was not focussed properly. Its a shame as it didn’t show of the digital 70mm film print at its best. For that I will await the Blu Ray, which by all accounts is flawless.
Samsara is the followup film to Baraka a non verbal documentary which leaves the viewer to make what they will from the way the images are edited together and shot. I enjoyed Samsara a lot more than Baraka. There seemed to be a lot more variety and conceptually…
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I was spreading the love.
I Was Listening to Good Music
I Was Practicing Diplomacy and Self-control
I originally wrote this for The Roundtable but decided not to submit it. I think It works pretty well on this blog.
Beloit Insults: We need to talk
By: Caroline Paxton
I don’t know if you heard about it but there was this page on Facebook a little while back that provided an open forum for everyone at Beloit College to dish out anonymous jabs to one another. Maybe you read it. Maybe you even posted a thing or two about how goofy Dalton Deckert’s cowboy hats. And maybe you laughed because it was funny.
But theres always a moment with these things where all fun stops. Its usually when you’re scrolling along and out of the blue you see your name pop-up on the timeline. and you read what someone wrote and at first like all the others you think its funny. But then you start freaking out because no one made a single comment about it and you assume its because they all think its true. You think the whole world is staring at you whispering about your untimely social demise. Maybe that didn’t happen to you but maybe it happened to someone you know.
Now I’m not going to sit here and share my beliefs about how there is a special place in hell reserved for the curator of this page. That’s what Twitter is for. But because it seems like the administration has abandoned the pursuit of the BI perpetrator, (Right-fully so, they are distinguished academic leaders who’s time is better spent on things that matter more than the dump I just took), and because I’m taking a pretty light course load this semester I’ve taken it upon myself to do a little investigating.
I found out who it was and, I found out why they did it. But I don’t care anymore, and I’m not mad just a little disappointed.
Voice Lessons
February 13th, 2013
Today Jamie and I talked about resonating the sound from our vocal mechanisms in the molars of our teeth when we sing ah and ee vowels. A way that I have come up with to help me remember this is by focusing the sound in the tiny space in my mouth where my wisdom teeth used to be. I got them out pretty early for my age so theres just this huge space behind my back teeth and I am going to work on putting the sound there. We talked about working out sound like a whine which is weird for me because I feel like we are taught from such a young age not to whine but now that I’m finally getting serious about the thing I love doing and want to spend my life doing I have to learn how to whine again. That’s a pretty good metaphor for life I’d say. Got to touch your roots to be true to yourself.
I also found that using that random purple wall in the room is actually really useful. Its so much easier to relax and release the tension and let your mind go blank when you are not thinking about all of the things that you have to do that day and you essentially have to let your mind go blank. I think that using that wall a blank space will help me when I’m in performance mode which is what I feel like I struggle with the most. (stage fright) I’m excited to take what I’ve learned and apply it to pieces that are more my own personal style.
Watching Fashion Week usually just makes me want a cheeseburger but I really like this article.
Did you hear the sighs of relief? Yes, Fashion Week is OVER. Overworked interns and crazed editors everywhere are taking 5 seconds to breathe and accept the fact that they survived the tsunami that is fashion week. But before we say goodbye to NYFW, I wanted to take this opportunity and dedicate a post to my favorite beauty looks of the season.
Marc By Marc Jacobs
“The bigger the hair, the closer to God”
This was definitely the mantra at the Marc by Marc Jacobs show, the clothes oozed a 70’s feel with quirky prints and oversized outerwear. A glossy red lip created by Shiseido head make up artist Dick Page and extra voluminous hair completed the look. With dewy skin, a strong brow and a stroke of mascara the models looked divine.
Donna Karan
I call this look the smokey eye 2.0. Charlotte Tilbury from MAC created this futuristic…
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I was looking at this beautiful gem on Facebook.
Yes. I know.
Today is Valentines Day.
Well, guess what? I don’t have a Valentine this year.
There was the time years ago when, in a group of people, I allowed that I did not have a Valentine that year.
There were audible gasps that I … much younger and prettier back then … did not have a loved one to shower me with symbols of love.
Okay, I’ll admit … that made me feel a bit better.
And my mind went back to the years of efforts with my ex other half. Cooking meals, buying gifts, giving cards … only to be met with a card silently tossed my way. If anything.
There are givers and takers. I was the giver. He was the taker.
I think there should be a rule that givers get to be with givers … and all you takers can be happily … unemotionally ……
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HYPERBOLIC 