Metals Album by Feist
Leslie Feist, or “Feist,” as she’s better known, may have achieved fame for her
Trahision Song by Vitalic
“Trahision” by Vitalic doesn’t
use lyrics to tell you how to feel, it just presents itself to you and lets you feel on your own. Troughout its slow build, synthetic beats and melancholy undertone, it manipu- lates your emotions more than words could manage. It builds. It breaks. It flows back around again, several times, steadily the whole way, but never boring. Part way into the song, the listener forgets whatever mood they were in be- fore. It drops off, the same way it came, leaving listeners in a daze. – Leela Goshorn
poppy hits such as “1,2,3,4,” but her fourth full-length album, Metals, takes a turn from her better-known pop numbers. Te refreshing new record starts out with “Te Bad in Each Other,” a slow-building track that begins with the thumping of drums and a deep bass. Tis track reflects the nature of the rest of her album. With the start of each song, a sort of gloomy darkness looms over, and then it suddenly transforms from the dark Cat Power-esque rhythms to the traditional melodious Feist song full of harmonies. Te song “How Come You Never Go Tere?” shows Feist’s more soulful side, with a classic blues rock guitar and powerful backup vocals. Feist’s hauntingly ethereal voice is beautifully present in the song “Cica- das and Gull,” a soft acoustic piece almost reminiscent of a female Nick Drake. Feist’s new album is as wonderfully organic as her previous ones, but offers a new, mature aesthetic. Metals is a delightful album from start to finish, with each track different from the next while somehow remaining in the same vein. Her charming melodies would please even the most critical of ears.
– Claire Macon [guest writer]
The Same Way Song by Mod Sun
“Movement On Dreams, Stand Under None” is the anagram and inspiration behind MOD SUN, the electro-pop revival of hip hop and positive vibes of the hippy generation of the 1960s. Instead of the negativity of mainstream rap, Mod Sun preaches a new vision of forward-thinking, uplifting rhymes in the track “Hippy Hop.” “Same Way” is his testament to his ideas. Te structure of the song is the ethereal piano track, pulled from Adele’s “Hometown Glory.” Mod Sun’s beats and purely optimistic raps are all his own. Tough egotistical, “Same Way” is all about free will and how everyone has the opportunity to “stand under none.” – Evan Hynes [guest writer]
by Hannah Reiss History without the jargon
Americapedia Book by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Daniel Ehrenhaft and Andisheh Nouraee
Finally. Something that made the reading about history of the United States more than a chore. If only it had come before the exam. My dad brought home an advanced read-
ing copy of Americapedia last May right after I had taken the AP U.S. History test. After an entire school year of reading Divine (co- author of the U.S. history textbook), it was a welcome change of pace. It’s a perfect mix of Te Onion and a
real textbook – the actual facts are veiled in entertaining tidbits. Te first chapter of Americapedia details the inner workings of the United States government. Te chapter contains an info- graphic on Supreme Court decisions, and each entry lists the facts of the case along with sufficient snark to keep things moving. (Te last sentence of the Brown v. Board of Education paragraph says “Needless to say, a lot of racists weren’t very happy.”) Next, a depiction of Florida on a swing set
helps explain the meaning of swing states, and on the same page a headline asks, “So why do we even have the electoral college? Should we drop out?” Tis section illustrates why it’s almost more fun to read when you already know the material – the jokes are funnier and it’s hilarious to imagine actu- ally being taught these topics in school as Americapedia presents them. Americapedia is refreshingly cynical – the authors explain each event with a snarky perspective and an admittedly liberal spin. Without the typical textbook wordiness and governmental lingo, Americapedia manages to make even the most mundane topics humorous (and, because of that, memorable).
want more reviews?
check out our website!
OCTOBER 2011 • CARPE DIEM 5
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48