REVIEWS
Music: Before you go download a song off of iTunes, here are some CDs that we recommend!
"The Crane Wife" CD Review
Written by: Chassidy Doane, South-Doyle High Schoo
If you’re searching for amazing lyrics accompanied by many different instruments and voices that are beyond comparison, then look no further than The Decemberists. The band is based out of Portland, Oregon and has released four albums since 2002. However; it was their fourth album, which was the first one the band made with Capitol Records, that truly established the band’s place in the music industry.
The Crane Wife, the fourth album released from The Decemberists, tells of lost loves in war (“Yankee Bayonet”), forbidden romance (“O Valencia”), and of course an injured white crane (“The Crane Wife”). The band’s front man, Colin Meloy, based this 2006 C.D. off of a Japanese tale of a man who finds a crane and nurses it back to health. Meloy does an amazing job with incorporating the old tale with new details and adding his interesting voice with powerful instruments such as the Oregon, the accordion, and the bass. With this album, The Decemberists have really made something that all age groups will enjoy.
This album is not only talking of injured cranes and wives. Meloy tells many incredible stories with each song that he writes. “Shankill Butchers” is a haunting tale of cannibal butchers which is made into a creepy, but somehow enjoyable song that the listener will want to hear over and over again. The Decemberists have an amazing way about them in the sense that all of their songs have different messages and no two songs are alike. The lyrics that Meloy writers are nothing less than brilliant and this band will surely be around for a while, capturing the hearts of all who hear them.
Songs to listen to:
“The Crane Wife 3”
“ O Valencia”
“Summersong”
Vampire Weekend CD Review
Written by: Chassidy Doane, South-Doyle High School
Stop looking for the next big thing in music, it is here right now! With the release of Vampire Weekend's self titled first album, people can actually start to hear decent music again. This New York based band has hit it big with their first CD and hopes to win over the hearts of people all across the world.
The band met while attending Columbia University and since then they knew that making music together is what they wanted to do. The band consists of; Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and
Chris Baio. With amazing vocals and great guitar playing mixed in with unbelievable song lyrics, Vampire Weekend is definitely here for the long run. Their music sounds a little like The Strokes and the band proclaims to be masters in "Upper West Side Soweto".
So what makes this band so unusual and attractive to the listener? Their crisp, clean, preppie sound is enough to stop you in your tracks, but then their lyrics which are laced with humor and brilliance will keep your attention and make you want to share this music with everyone you see. One of the band's first singles, titled "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" made it to #67 on the Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007 which is something that not a lot of new indie-rock bands can say. The band is touring right now in places such as; Manchester on February 27, Glasgow on February 28, Orlando on March 6, and Clewiston, Florida on March 7. Vampire Weekend is a band
that is here to stay and we will definitely be seeing more of them
Movies: Before hitting you hit the theatres, here's what we thought you should know about the movies playing right now!
The Eye Movie Review
Written by: Chassidy Doane, South-Doyle High School
If you’re looking for the classic scenes of horrible things appearing out of nowhere mixed with a just a hint of suspense, then the movie you are looking for is playing at theatres right now! The Eye, starring Jessica Alba, is a remake of the 2002 Chinese film which was directed by Danny and Oxide Pang. The Eye, although a remake, still did its best to recapture the essence of the Hong Kong film with Alba’s acting mixed in with more modern effects.
Sydney Wells, played by Alba, was blinded at the age of five. In spite of her handicap, Wells manages to live on her own, play a mean violin, and be optimistic about life. However her sister, Helen, and she decide that it is time for her to undergo a Cornea transplant. Sydney had gotten a transplant before and her eyes had rejected them, but this time her body accepted the eyes and she began to see shapes and images once again.
Through all the discovery of the world around her, Sydney begins to see things that she’s not sure are actually real. Images of deathly monsters and people dying start to inhabit Sydney’s eyes and her therapist, Dr. Faulkner, believes that she is just not trying hard enough to recapture the world that she hasn’t been able to see for twenty years.
Screams, bloody images, and a creature resembling the grim reaper is what the audience will find in this movie. However, it is not just a simple “make you jump out of your seat” kind of movie. The Eye is more of a mystery than anything which keeps the audience’s attention above all other things. Alba did a great job convincing the viewer that is it a difficult task to relearn all objects and begin to see after a number of years. However, if you have viewed the original 2002 movie, you probably will consider this remake to be, well, a little mediocre. Viewers who have not witnessed the older version seem to enjoy the 2008 film just fine.
Cast
Sydney Wells- Jessica Alba
Dr. Paul Faulkner- Alessandro Nivola
Helen Wells- Parker Posey
Opened February 1
What did you think about The Eye? Tell us now
on the discussion board!
Bonnaroo 2008
If you're looking to see all the bands that you love in one place, look no furthur than Bonnaroo. Bonnaroo is a music festival held every year on a 700 acre Manchester, Tennessee farm. The lineup this year is a little bit disappointing, however the bands that will be there are no doubt great and you will have an amazing time! The linup for Bonnaroo 2008 is as follows:
Pearl Jam
Metallica
Jack Johnson
Kanye West
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Phil Lesh & Friends
My Morning Jacket
The Allman Brothers Band
The Raconteurs
Willie Nelson
Death Cab for Cutie
B.B. King
Sigur Ros
Levon Helm and the Ramble on the Road
Ben Folds
O.A.R.
The Bluegrass Allstars Feat. Luke Bulla, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Bryan Sutton
M.I.A.
Umphrey’s McGee
Iron & Wine
Yonder Mountain String Band
Swell Season
Talib Kweli
Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi’s Soul Stew Revival
Gogol Bordello
Broken Social Scene
Robert Randolph’s Revival
Rilo Kiley
Mastodon
Lupe Fiasco
Against Me!
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
Pat Green
Ozomatli
Tegan & Sara
Solomon Burke
Drive-By Truckers
!!!
The Avett Brothers
Israel Vibration
Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet featuring Bela Fleck
Phil Lesh / Larry Campbell / Jackie Greene
Aimee Mann
Ladytron
The Fiery Furnaces
Orchestra Baobab
Ghostland Observatory
Jose Gonzalez
Dark Star Orchestra
Minus the Bear
Donavon Frankenreiter
Lez Zeppelin
State Radio
Battles
Jakob Dylan
Two Gallants
The Sword
Vampire Weekend
Little Feat
Nicole Atkins
The Felice Brothers
Mason Jennings
MGMT
The Lee Boys
Black Kids
Serena Ryder
Steel Train
Grupo Fantasma
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