Category: entertainment

Super Blues

smackyjackjack1 Comment

One of the greatest and most influential genres in music is the blues. The blues gave way to rock, pop and even metal. The world will remember many great blues musicians, but there are several that will be held in a higher regard than others. Some of these musicians got together in 1967 and made one of the greatest blues album of all time. That album was called Super Blues.

Super Blues was an album created by some of the Blues best, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley and Otis Spann. Just those names alone should make someone need to have the album.

Muddy Waters is arguably one of the best Blues singer ever. His performance of I’m a Man at the Last Watlz is amazing.

When one thinks of great blues guitar players, BB King and Bo Diddley are at the top. Bo Diddley makes the album with his great playing.

Otis Spann and Little Walter are the soul of the album. Otis Spann manipulates the piano to make it sound like it was made to play the blues. Little Walter can somehow make an album great just by playing his harmonica.

This could easily be in the top ten list of great blues albums. The combined talent of the four greats is very unique, and very amazing.

Warpaint.

YourcupateaLeave a comment

Warpaint.

Warpaint is a 4-piece girl band from Los Angeles. I’m guessing that when you hear the word girl band you automatically think: poppy, fake, materialized rubbish. This is definitely not the case with Warpaint.

Warpaint are an experimental art, rock group who formed in 2004. Although primarily indie, the girls describe their genre as Ghettotech, Melodramatic Popular Song and Psychedelic.

The girls came together to create a different type of music and sound, they succeeded.

With melodic and peaceful symphonies mixed with rock and guitar leads, Warpaint have conquered a combination that works wonders. Their haunting sounds relax and entice, whilst contrasting beats adding flavor to the  melodic tones and harmonies.

Releasing their first album “The Fool” in October 2010, as well their debut single “Undertow” the band captured the attention of many music lovers.

The group is scheduled to play at several large festivals over the summer months including Coachella and Glastonbury.

Warpaint are an extremely unique band that I admire greatly. I hope they keep producing and playing great music!

Tommy Reilly.

Yourcupatea1 Comment

Tommy Reilly!

Tommy Reilly is a singer, songwriter from Scotland. In 2009 Channel 4 hosted the show Orange Unsigned Act, Tommy was one of many contestants competing to win a recording contract.

The viewers, of the show, took a strong liking to Tommy’s individuality along with the judges. The emotional connection he held with a song often reduced him and his viewers to tears. He was unique because he was true to his heart and sang for his pleasure rather than to impress. With much support Tommy ultimately won the show.

After his triumph his first single “Gimme a call” was instantly released into the U.K charts. The song reached 14 in the single charts but unfortunately for him, his success didn’t last long.
Read More »

Insulted.

theycallmedameLeave a comment

Okay, I know we’ve already had the “Rebecca Black” blog post done by yourgingerkid, but I’d like to take a different point of view on the matter. Yes, like yourgingerkid, I do feel bad for Rebecca Black, she’s young and doesn’t deserve all of the death threats, and she also probably doesn’t know that her voice sounds like a walrus on crack. But I also have to say, as a musician, I am insulted.


(Said Walrus on Crack)

As a vocalist, I am insulted that a 13-year-old girl and so much autotune that you don’t even know what her voice truly sounds like (except for the fact that it’s unbelievably nasally) has gotten recognition for being “the next Justin Bieber,” even though he isn’t that fabulous anyway.

As a lyricist, I am insulted that a mere child is talking about partying, and even more so insulted that, in her bridge, she sings, “We we we so excited, we so excited, we gonna have a ball today.” I’M SORRY, but it really makes me cringe that she couldn’t use “we’re” or “we are” or just follow the proper rules of grammar.

As a musician, I am insulted that electronic instruments, terrible electronic drums, and a music video with more awkward dancing than a middle school dance has more than 73 million views.

Read More »

Raise Your Weapon

vabenissimoLeave a comment

Titles, reputations, and rumors kill me.

They spread like fireballs and grow infinitely at a blinking rate.

Who on earth could possibly find themselves intelligent enough to title another?

How does one assure that he or she is not observing the silhouette of another?

Age, class, and wealth.

Should these factors really grant one the power to be judgmental?

Phony, fake, genuine, inconsiderate, kind, spoiled, thoughtful, respectful, ignorant, rude.
Even if one finds such titles necessary and appropriate, one should never forget that these adjectives can act as fatal weapons in tearing apart another’s heart.

Once this principle is disregarded, the war begins.

As in retaliation, the two sides will unconsciously hold a grudge against each other. Although difficult and disturbing to recognize, this vicious cycle is an inevitable part of human nature.

In fact, reputations must stem from some sort of solidity, but never from nothingness.

One word, and it’s all over.

So please, raise your weapon. And fire, until your enemy cries for mercy, it is the only way to survive.

Raise your weapon.

If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say, Don’t Say Anything At All.

yrreskrap1 Comment

For the first time in a very long time, I was shocked and shaken to the very core. I was ashamed to know that I share the world with such narrow minded people and I was reminded of the ignorance and blind arrogance that plagues and clings to our society like a heavy, dirty rag.

A few days ago, my friend shared a YouTube video with me. It was a video of a blonde girl, Alexandra Wallace, from UCLA, singling out a group of people, stereotyping all Asians. Let me tell you, it was nothing short of disgusting. Click here to watch the video.

In her rant, she complained about the burdens of having Asians in the dorms on the weekend. Their family members come on the weekends to cook for them and she claimed that their parents were not letting them grow independent. Apparently, having parents who care for their children enough to come and cook homemade food for them is a huge nuisance for her. At this point, Alexandra left me thinking “Why does it matter to you?”

It only snowballed from that point.

Rolling her eyes, Alexandra continued to rant about Asians in the library. Apparently while poor Alex was studying her political science, Asians were always on the phone. She raised a mocking hand to her face and opened her flagrant mouth: “OHHH CHING CHONG BING BONG TING TONG.”She heartlessly disclaimed the severity of the earthquake in Japan and proudly mounted herself on a rocky pedestal of fool’s gold when she called herself “the polite, American girl.” She publicly and very ironically announced that Asians needed to learn “American manners.” Sadly, this queen bee, this high and mighty girl who studies political science has forgotten that America, a salad bowl of cultures, was founded on its immigrants. “American manners” is in part Asian manners as well as manners of Hispanics, Africans, Germans, Italians, and more.

What shocked me the most was the her complete dismissal of the disaster that has shocked Japan. In her few short words, she had repudiated the heartbreak and worry that the earthquake brought onto many. My friend, Minako Otake, could not sleep all night when she heard of the news because she was worried for her family at home. She was tense, waiting for the call to hear the comforting voice of her mom and dad telling her that they were okay and to know that they weren’t a part of the thousands that were reported to be injured or dead. My boyfriend’s family lives in Japan. As Alexandra called it, “the tsunami thing” is a very good excuse to answer a phone call in the library.

The motives for her video were racist, debasing, and facile. I am sure that Asian families aren’t the only “hoards” of people that come to visit on the weekends. I am sure that Asians aren’t the only ones in the library that are using their phones and I am sure that she has probably realized the magnitude of her words. In these 2 minutes and 52 seconds, Alexandra Wallace of UCLA proved her sheer ignorance.

I am Korean American and proud of it. I know that when I get into college, wherever that may be, my family will come visit me on the weekends too and bring me food and maybe do my laundry. It is not because I am Asian. It is because I know my family will try to make my first year of college as comfortable as it can be. I know that I will probably be one of the many people from different ethnicities that might use their phones in the library. I know that my language might sound like a harsh din of rushing vowels and clanging consonants to the foreign, prejudiced ear but it is most definitely not something to be mocked or ashamed of.

In a world where people strive to be different and find beauty in the rarity of things, it is remarkable and eye opening when I find someone so narrow minded and audacious as she. To label a group of people because of their roots is wrong. What kind of world would we live in if we were all one generic race, one generic language, and one generic look? Hopefully, Alexandra Wallace (and many others) will come to terms with the many cultures that constitute our diverse home that we call America. Until then, I hope, at the very least, the magnitude of her words and their ramifications has taught her that if she doesn’t have anything nice to say, she shouldn’t say anything at all.

The New Punk?

dmilesburtonLeave a comment


Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. Quite a name for a rap group, isn’t it? However, OFWGKTA, or Odd Future, as they are often called, is as far from a traditional rap group as they come.

They have been described as “horrorcore” and “Alternative Hip Hop,” and have dismissed the first, while reluctantly accepting the second. However, thinking about what the represent in the Hip-Hop world today, I’ve come up with an new way to describe OFWGKTA, “Punk Rap.”

The definition of Punk Rock is, “rock music with deliberately offensive lyrics expressing anger and social alienation; in part a reaction against progressive rock.”

Well, if that’s Punk Rock, and Odd Future’s music could be described as rap music with deliberately offensive lyrics expressing anger and social alienation; in part a reaction against progressive rap, then I’d say that that makes them pretty Punk.

I can’t post any of their lyrics that demonstrate it here, but the Orange Juice and Yonkers show it pretty well.

The Fighter

shredicusmaximus1 Comment

So I was watching The Fighter yet again with a buddy of mine this past weekend. He hadn’t seen it yet and I thought it was rather absurd that it had been this long without him seeing this piece of cinematic gold. It was nominated at the Oscars for many different academy awards including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress just to name a few. Any way, after I went to Blockbuster and saw it was completely sold out (for good reason), I bought it on my TV. We both sat down, shut up, got the food out, and watched the movie.

The film is set in Lowell Mass. circa 1993. It follows the story of road worker and actual boxer in real life, Mickey Ward played by Mark Wahlberg. A 31 year old “stepping stone” as he is called by critics and the residents, he lives under the over protective eye of his mother/manager Melissa Leo and in the shadow of his trainer/step brother, a once promising boxer Dicky Eklund played by Christian Bale. Eklund is the pride of Lowell for having fought Sugar Ray Leonard on HBO in 1978 and having “knocked him down” even though it is determined that Leonard simply tripped. Yet after having all the  notoriety come too fast and too soon, Eklund has slipped into crack addiction and crime. He lives in a rundown crack house, repeatedly shows up late to training sessions, and is constantly in drug induced hazes on the days of Mickey’s fights.

Back to Ward. Ward is a very talented boxer, but he is simply falling victim to the wrong fights and with a real chance on the horizon at the age of 31, he is torn between doing what’s best for him and his loyalty to his family. It’s a great story about how this very lovable and real character makes it to the top of the boxing world. It is a very Rocky-esque rise to the top indeed.

Read More »

Moammar Gadhafi: Enemy, Dictator… Friend?

sennymcflyLeave a comment

“He gave us life. I am ready to die for him. He is a father, a brother and a friend to whom you can confide. You have no idea how humble he is.” (Fatia, 27).

When you think of the name Moammar Gadhafi, you don’t necessarily think “humble”. Well, supposedly, while the rest of the world sees this pernicious dictator as a threat to the safety and overall freedom of Libya, the women of his growing army see him as the father they never had.

The girls, or women rather, are recruited by Gadhafi himself and enrolled in a three year training “school” where they are transformed from proper, virtuous, daddy’s girls into highly trained, bazooka blasting, high heel-wearing, ninja warrior, Gadhafi girls.

These young women are literally made into modern day Charlie’s Angels. “Trained killers” is what Lauren Frayer, contributor to AOL News calls them and that is positively what they are. Throughout their training they are educated in martial arts and rocket launching and are unconditionally devoted to their Libyan leader. Women who will literally [like Jesus] die for him. I mean really willing to die. For example, as Gadhafi was being shot at, one of them jumped in front of him and took the bullets and died! That, my friends, is loyalty.

“Revolutionary nuns” is what they call them. Yes, “nuns”. And whatever ideas you can draw out of that…it’s true. I won’t go on any further.

So, could this be the work of Gadhafi’s “Casanova” prowess, or does Lybia’s fearless leader actually have some fraction of a soft side?

“The Black Plague”

yourgingerkidLeave a comment

First it was the “Bieber Fever,” which was pretty awful to begin with, but now the world has moved onto a new disease; “The Black Plague.”

To be honest, I’m really surprised that no other fellow OVS blogger posted anything about her. It’s been a considerably sociable talking subject.

To be honest, I feel really bad for her for three reasons.

One, she may very well think that she is a good singer. I can openly admit that I’m an absolutely awful singer, and that would stop me from ever wanting to take a career in vocalizing. Can’t she hear herself sing? How could her parents let her put herself out there. The world is cruel and no matter how great she may be, the general public will pick away at her until they could find something worth hating. However, in her situation, her main act was apparently worth hating.

Two, all the death threats. Even if she is a good singer, nobody deserves to be told “I hope you cut yourself,” and “I hope you’ll get an eating disorder so you’ll look pretty, and I hope you go cut and die.” It’s awful! Even if she was an awful conceited person, she doesn’t deserve to be told that. No matter how many times she may deny the fact that it really takes a toll on her confidence, it must.

Three, her fifteen minutes of fame are really from people making fun of her. Even if she is thirteen, there is no excuse for using something so embarrassing to put yourself out there even further. I guess that you could say her confidence may be admirable, but this seems more like ignorance. Is she really that oblivious to what people actually think of her?