Guest Blogger: Alem 1

Rocky Balboa- This movie is about a dad who is a supportive father to his son and a good friend to others. He started boxing and made his way to the big leagues. Later on the movie, he meets his best friend’s sister and they start going out to places and dinner. They were having a good time and they fall in love during the whole series. Rocky Balboa was making a big name for himself with his boxing matches and his rep on the streets. Rocky, was always a good boxer and a good supporter to his friends when they are in a boxing match and need some advice to how to beat their opponent. Rocky and his son had a great bond between them and always had a good time with each other. When Rocky has any matches his son is always there watching him. They had some bad moments at times, when Rocky had to always train and leave his son behind and never spend father and son time. Another important character in the movie is Rocky’s friend Apollo; they were the best of friend’s. He was also a well-known boxer himself too. One of his traits is that he was quick on his feet and quick with his hands. Apollo had an important fight of his life against Ivan Drago. Apollo and Drago were in the fight for a long time but Apollo couldn’t hold off for a long time and he died in the match due to Drago’s KO punch. Rocky was angry at Drago and he wanted to have a fight with him. The theme of this story that you can get out of this is; if you train hard at what you do you can achieve it and be good at it. I agree with the critics because this movie is a great inspiring movie and it gives out a good life lesson on never give up on what you try to achieve in life. This movie is worth your time and money because like I said it’s inspiring, awesome movie to watch to see some action, and it has some funny scenes during the movie.

Guest Blogger: Tyree 1

Scarface is about a Cuban man named Tony Montana played by Al Pacino. Most of the movie is about Tony chasing the “American Dream”. This takes place in the 1980’s so America and Cuba are having diplomatic problems. The movie starts with Tony leaving a prison in Cuba and travels to Florida hoping to get a green card. While in Florida, Tony starts to hang out with a gangster by the name Frank Lopez, who is played by Robert Loggia. With the help of Frank, you runs the streets of Miami, killing anyone in his way. After letting the power and wealth go to his head, he kills Frank and then later on marries his wife, Elvira. Elvira is played by Michelle Pfeiffer. Tony “Scarface: Montana rises to the top of Miami as the leader of a cocaine empire. Along the way Tony made several enemies. Every great thing comes to an end. At the end Scarface’s empire is attacked by rival gangs, who want to take of the huge wealthy cocaine empire. Tony is the bad guy in the movie. He will do whatever it takes to get his “American Dream”. The only things he cares about is his family and money. He even kills his best friend, Manny who came with him from Cuba, because he was sleeping with his sister. With each dollar he made he became more ignorant and blind. He let the power go to his head and he made too much money to control, which ultimately is the cause of his empire to fall. A easy theme from the movie would be that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can be successful. Even though Tony didn’t do it the right way, he came from Cuba. Once he made it to America he became one the richest people in MIami and the biggest cocaine dealer.

Guets Blogger: Hunter 1

Cast away is about a man named Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) who works for FedEx. He had to do a overseas delivery for FedEx and they ended up running into a really bad storm. During the storm the plane went down and crashed into the ocean. Chuck Noland was able to survive and found a deserted island. The rest of the movie is about Chuck trying to find a way off the island and get back home. There was only a few actors in this movie. Tom Hanks played Noland and he did an incredible job, you really felt his hopelessness and loneliness that he had to deal with being on that island alone. This is one of the best acting performances I’ve personally seen from Tom Hanks. The only other notable character in this movie is his long term girlfriend Kelly Frears played by Helen Hunt. She did an alright job for what her role was in the movie. There really wasn't enough screen time for her to actually judge her performance. Tom Hanks main motivation in the film was to obviously get back home safely from the island. He had to face many struggles to get back home that showed off his determination and “never give up” attitude. There was times that he felt like giving up, but always was able think differently and continue on. The main theme that I took away from this movie was never give up and also you can do whatever you put your mind to. I personally found this movie extremely entertaining the entire time and I don’t agree with Paul Clinton’s review of the movie where he said “With little dialogue and mind-numbingly dull, repetitive scenes” . I didn't find a moment of that movie dull. I feel that it was appropriate for the movie to show scenes multiple times so that the viewer can grasp that he had to do these things everyday and struggle to survive. To conclude I say that this movie is a 100% must see. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes movies that show people overcoming what seems to be an impossible task. It is definitely worth your time and money.

Guest Blogger: Spencer 1

Anchor Man is a movie about a man named Ron Burgundy that works for a news station in the 70’s. This movie is extremely funny and I would defiantly recommend it to anyone. The actor Will Ferrell (who plays Ron) has a funny personality and makes the movie enjoyable to watch. He goes around to place to place where there are events and reports the story to the the KVWN Channel 4 News team. The KVWN Channel 4 News team consists of Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and David Koechner. The Movie came out in July 9, 2004 and many critics loved it, other had other opinions. This film earned a 7.2/10 rating IMDb and a 63% Metacritic. The movie was directed by, Adam Mckay, and produced by Judd Apatow. Adam Mckay is known to have a hilarious personality and his movies show it. Ron has a 6 year old son named walter. Time passes and Ron, now a broken alcoholic who has been bouncing between jobs is offered a second chance by way of an offer to join the first ever 24 hour news channel in New York. This is reason enough to get his gang back together and give it another shot. They are all very excited and can’t wait to get back going again. The film is very realistic and the script is perfectly adapted with all the action still happening back in the 70s. The actors and directors do an outstanding job in dressing up and acting like they live in the 70s. if the date wasn’t shown on the movie no one would recognize that the movie the movie was made in modern day, it looks just like the 70s that I imagine, of course not knowing what they were like because im not that old but to my knowing it looks very realistic.

Guest Blogger: Nick B1

Stanley Yelnats IV is wrongly accused of stealing Clyde 'Sweet Feet' Livingston's shoe donation to a local orphanage and will either go to jail or Camp Green Lake. Stanley chooses Green Lake, where he is forced to dig big holes in the desert each day. The Warden is really trying to do is find a buried treasure that was cracked murderer Kissin' Kate Barlow's fortune long ago. But when Stanley and his friend Zero escape, things get really bad. The director is Andrew Davis ("The Fugitive") and the cast includes not only talented young stars but also adults such as Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver, Tim Blake Nelson and Patricia Arquette. The main character Stanley is a very timid person, he always looks scared. The critics liked this movie, they said that its meant for adults and not the youth. I really liked this movie, it was very entertaining, the constant fighting through the camp kids and the warden and all the crime that’s going on behind the scenes adds a mystery feel to the movie. There is a clear moral scheme balanced by complicated characters, dumb humor combined with huge emotion and, most of all, enough plot to satisfy the youth of today. As many pleasures that there is ''Holes'' is equally known for what it lacks: the bad sentiment and makes too many efforts to turn the smarts and curiosity of young people into a source of profit. The director, Andrew Davis (''The Fugitive''), has turned the book's spare, tough story into a predictable or false story.

Guest Blogger: Nate 1

The movie I did was Django Unchained and the plot of the movie was Django was a African American slave that has been split up with his significant other who was also a slave by their owner because he sold them to two different places. Dr.king Schultz a German man comes along and frees the slaves but asks Django if he knows a man he is trying to kill. Dr. king Schultz is a bounty hunter and Django said he knew the man and during their adventure he teaches Django his tricks of killing and Dr. King Schultz said he’d lead Django to his wife if Django agreed to be his partner in bounty hunting. Once they reach the man their trying to kill they’ll act nice with him to try and get into his house and then they’ll try to take Django’s wife and somehow get out safely. Christopher Waltz who played Dr. Schultz was great in this movie. He played sarcastically funny perfect and serious at times during the movie. Christopher was awarded with his talented performance by winning Best performance by an actor in a supporting role at the academy awards. For a Man who hasn’t won an Oscar Leonardo Decaprio played a great role in this movie. Decaprio played one of the rich slave owners whose house they tried to get into because Decaprio owned Django’s wife. Decaprio was good because he would be so kind and happy and a nice guy then if something went wrong he’d blow up and be mad and I think it’d be hard to do both of those so well in a short time span. Just an example of how good Decaprio is was there was a scene in the movie towards the end Candie (decaprio) caught on to Schultz and Djangos plan and smashed his hand against the table and he actually cut himself and he was bleeding his own blood but he kept the character role going and finished the take and that ended up being the take they used for the movie. The New Yorker said this is Tarantino’s best piece and I’d have to agree because his movies aren’t the best but this one was amazing. the New Yorker also pointed out how Tarantino went back to a revenge plot because in the end Django is just going out for blood for what the whites have done to slaves which Django took seriously. I agree with that because Tarantino does revenge movies a lot. I would also say Revenge is the theme of the movie because during the whole movie Django is furious whenever a slave gets abused or treated wrong and Schultz tells Django to calm down and that he’ll have his chance to get them back. Another theme would be don’t give up on love. Django seemed like he lost his significant other for good but somehow and almost impossibly he found her and Django never gave up even if he had to die. Overall opinion for this movie as an A plus ten out of ten for me. I really loved it when I watched it I mean it had a lot of humor, a great cast, a lot of action, and it was a movie that always kept you watching and wanting to know what is about to happen. The movie itself did pretty good in the academy awards too so that says enough but I highly recommend this movie.

Guest Blogger: MIranda 1

I Am Legend is an emotionally and intense combined movie that tells the story of Robert Neville (Will Smith) trying to live in a world that has been taken over by humans that have been infected by a deadly outbreak. The setting starts off with us seeing Manhattan three years after a virus has hit causing all humans except for Robert to change into zombies. Neville is racing down the streets of Manhattan is a red sports car trying to kill a deer for food. Unexpectedly we see a lioness catch the prey before Neville can. The only company Robert has is his dog Marley and they both stay camped out barricaded in their home in Greenwich Village. Robert locks it up every night with heavy steel shutters and locks. They have to do this because after sundown is when all the zombies come out and roam the city looking for anything alive they can get their hands on. Once humans they are now more like hairless, savage creatures with fangs. Robert has a laboratory in his basement where he tries desperately to find a cure for the deadly virus which was one a vaccine used to cure cancer that backfired. Neville sends out a radio broadcast saying he will wait everyday for any other survivors to show up. Eventually someone hears the broadcast and together they continue to fight to find a cure. The two main characters in this film, Will Smith and Alice Braga, both are good choices for their character. Smith is a popular actor who always plays a strong lead and has won many awards. According to Roger Ebert’s website this movie originated from a 1950’s book by Richard Matheson and has been filmed twice before as “The Last Man on Earth” and “The Omega Man”. In the movie there are questions of logic. Does Robert really believe he is the last man alive and if so then who could the vaccine be for? There could be a number of themes to this movie but one that stands out to me is courage and survival. For one man to be alone in a world of infected zombies, people he knew and loved, and to not give up takes a lot of courage. He could give up but instead fights on and fights to find a cure to save the world. The audience should gather all that from the film. Other critics have rated this movie three and a half out of a four star rating and I would at least give it a full four. Overall I would strongly recommend you see this movie of your not scared of zombies because it has a great storyline.

Guest Blogger: Megan 1

8 mile is a movie with Eminem is the main character and he’s struggling to get through life. His friends and he like to go and rap at the shelter. His first time going on stage he looked at himself in the mirror and throws up because of his nerves. His name is Jimmy Smith Jr. in the movie but all his friends call him rabbit. Rabbit lives with his mom in a trailer and with his daughter. He doesn’t like anyone knowing where he lives because he’s embarrassed. Rabbit is determined to get through his life and is working two jobs to take care of his daughter and his mom. Rabbit had a temper with his mom’s boyfriend and with the groups of people at the shelter who think they can rap better than him. Rabbit is one of the best rappers but he’s too scared and is afraid of getting booed off the stage, again. Rabbit jump through many hoops through the movie. He gets jumped multiple times, try’s to work two jobs with no car, and is trying to make it in his wrapping career. Rabbit finds love in the movie with a girl and is having sex with his best friend but loves her anyways. Everyone constantly going down in his life he is slowly but surely losing hope. His mom hates him for getting into a fight with her boyfriends and his daughter is now scared of everyone because she watched the fight. The critics gave the movie 3 starts. I don’t agree with that because this movie can inspire so many people who don’t have much to live for that there is hope. People from the streets can make it no matter where they come from. The theme of this movie is to not be scared to follow your dreams. Rabbit killed it in the last performance and showed all those ‘thugs’ that they don’t run anything.

Guest Blogger: Katie 1

I will be talking about the movie seven pounds. It is about a character named Tim Thomas and when was reading a text message while driving and he kills seven people which include six random people and his fiancée Sarah. Now Tim is off to save the lives of seven good people. He is on the search for people to donate to. He finds this girl named Holly. He donated his liver to her. He asked Holly before she died if she knew anyone that was in need of help. Tim changed his name to Ben. Ben reached out to Connie but she kept denying his help and then later she contacted him. She moved out from her house with her children away from her abusive husband. He keeps reaching out to people trying to find people to help out. He changes his name to his brothers and tries to get things through the IRS. Will Smith is the main character in this movie. He is such a great actor and he plays the role of Ben very well. Also Rosario Dawson did an awesome job of playing Emily in the movie. The traits of all the characters in the movie are motivated. Ben is so motivated to help others because of bad things that happened in his life. Something bad has happened to his fiancée and he decided to try to turn it into something good. I believe a theme in this book is when life brings death, death brings life. This represents when a life is taken away, you don’t just grieve and morn about it. You take that life and what they brought to this world and celebrate and learn from it. The ratings on this movie are very mixed with if people like it or not. It is serious and thrilling so some people don’t like that. I would say it is worth your time if you like those kinds of movies. Otherwise I wouldn’t bother going to see it.

Guest Blogger: Kami 1

The movie I picked is What Maisie Knew directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel. This movie is about a six year old girl, Maisie, who is stuck in a custody battle between her rock star mom and her business man dad. Though out the movie both of the parents remarry and the burden of taking care of little Maisie falls on them. Both parents soon are divorced again and still seem to need the two ex-spouses to do all the hard work with little Maisie. This movie is biased off of the book What Maisie Knew written by Henry James published in 1897. Julianne Moore plays the mother who is not all there all the time. Steve Coogan plays the father how it seems can’t be bother by his child because he has better work to do. 6 year old Onata Aprile plays six year old Maisie in the movie. She does a fantastic job of well…being six! The many them though out the movie is family. Yet one can also say that it may be love. Maisie is very much loved. The love she gets comes in strange forms but she is still very loved. Critics have given this movie on IMDB a 7.4. Personally I feel like this movie deserves a 9. I really found that I loved the story and was in a way on the edge of my seat to see how the story played out and who little Maisie would end up with. I would recommend this movie. Yes, it is a bit sad but you will leave it feeling happy and feeling the love that is show though out the film. If you like a good film all about family and love I would say this is the movie for you.

Guest blogger: Justin 1

The Shawshank Redemption is a very character driven movie. The story is about Andy Dufresne and his wrongful conviction of murder and being sent to prison. In the beginning, Andy is out drinking and his plan actually was to kill his wife and her lover. He was drunk and depressed because she left him. The movie then shoots to the present time in the court room where Andy is stating his testimony. The court finds him guilty of murder and is sentenced to two life sentences back to back. Andy is supposed to serve life in prison but quickly becomes friends with Morgan Freeman’s character, Red. Morgan Freeman did a great job playing the role of Red. Freeman also narrates the movie from time to time. Who better to narrate?! Tim Robbins was great for the role of Andy and really pulled it off. Bob Gunton who played Warden Norton has a fierce look and feel to him. He was really great in this movie. He really pulled off the attitude of an actual prison Warden. So let’s talk about the characters. Let’s start with Andy…. Andy Dufresne is a banker on the outside world. He is a very smart man. Even inside his knowledge comes in handy, he creates a fictional man with all the right credentials and paperwork to pass as an actual citizen while he is just a figment of Andy’s mind and he even helps out the guards with their taxes. Red is the guy who knows how to get things. Every prison has one guy who can get you what you want. Cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, you name it, Red can get it for a price obviously. Warden Norton has a cold, dark feel about him. He believes in two things, discipline and The Bible. He stares as the guards beat a man half to death without even flinching. Simply put, Warden Norton has barely any sympathy for criminals. The theme of this movie is the pain of being locked up and how it can get to you. Some prisoners are just used to jail while others are scared to death of it. Brooks, the librarian, was so used to prison that when he got out he couldn’t handle the real world and ended up committing suicide. He was in jail for 90% of his life. Rotten Tomatoes did an article that stated that “The Shawshank Redemption is an uplifting, deeply satisfying prison drama with sensitive direction and fine performances.” It was given a 9/10. If I could I would give this movie a 100/10. I love this movie. Realistically I give it a 10/10. It’s practically perfect. This movie is definitely worth your time and money. I would recommend it to everyone and if I could, make it mandatory for everyone to see it. It’s that good!

Guest Blogger: Jacob K1

Sherlock Holmes In Sherlock holmes Robert downy jr. plays the role of holms. The movie is about the search for Lord Blackwood and his ‘magic’ doings. In the opening seen of the movie holms finds Blackwood and stops him from murdering a young woman, Blackwood is jailed, tried, and hung. But this is only the beginning, Blackwood supposedly rises from the grave and is murdering once again in attempts to take over England and all of America under his new order by taking over public opinion and officials with fear. Sherlock of course is the protagonist in the movie added by Jude law playing Watson the doctor. Both Jude and Robert play astounding rolls filled with humor, sadness, and ambiguity. Sherlock is an intricate detective for hire, he is brilliant and sees literally every detail in all of his cases and because of which makes him the go to for murder, theft, and other cases of the sort. Watson however is an educated doctor, and a military man. He is clean, pressed and primed for all occasions and assists Sherlock in his cases. Watson also had a gambling problem but is still brilliant but not as precise as Sherlock. The major themes of the movie are detail oriented and this leads me to the conclusion that a good theme is details no matter how small make the biggest differences. This is shown throughout the movie as Sherlock picks up on all of the clues that eventually solve the mystery. Reviews for this movie were stellar from all the articles I have read and I have to agree that the movie is funny, suspenseful, thrilling and gripping for the whole length of the move. Over all for these reasons I have to say this is one of my personal favorites and is a great movie with stellar performances from all of the actors which fit all the rolls perfectly.

Guest Blogger: Haris 1

I Robot starts off with detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) getting into an accident with another car and are driven off a road into a river. He is saved by a robot that he orders to save a little girl that was in the other car. The robot didn’t want to listen to him because he had a higher life expectancy then she did. From that day on he has had a grudge and a dislike for all robots. Then when he was assigned an investigation to find out who murdered a robot scientist all the evidence points to a robot that was a special project that the doctor was working on. The doctor wanted to make robots that have emotion and that is dangers because they can’t comprehend emotion. The robot he did this experiment on is Sonny. Spooner accuses Sonny of the murder but does not realize that Sonny was the one trying to help Spooner find out who had killed his master (the doctor). So who could have been the one that killed the doctor? Was it the head corporate leader of the new developed robots, or the old robots killed him for making new robots and throwing away the old ones, or maybe the doctor committed suicide? Will Smith puts on a good performance and really makes his character come to life and can see that he wants to know who did this to the doctor. He is driven because he does not like robots and wants to make sure that he pays for his crime that he thinks the Sonny committed. The movie wants to let people know that just because you have something that does well and is useful does mean that it is. That people should be careful with what they create and make sure that it will not cause a problem that can’t be contained. Critic A. O. Scott said “I, Robot is one of the smarter dumb movies I've seen in a while” and that exactly how I felt about it too. The movie over exaggerated about robots taking over, but all the action, suspense, and thrill of the movie make it amazing watch.

Guest blogger: Cody F1

Elf is a classic Christmas movie that lots of kids from the 90’s/2000’s love. Buddy the Elf is played by Will Ferrell, who found his true calling with this movie since he’s a comedic genius. The movie starts off with a baby crawling into Santa Claus’ present sack. When he grows up, he realizes he’s a lot different than the other elves. He’s way bigger than everyone else, and finds out that he’s from New York by his adopted elf father. Buddy the Elf sets off to the big city from the North Pole. His real father is a cranky children’s book writer played by James Caan. Buddy’s mission is to get some Christmas spirit into his real father, and be accepted into his family. Buddy is very determined throughout the movie to get Christmas spirit into his father. Since he’s not from the North Pole, Buddy isn’t used to things in the big city. He loves every minute of it. I personally love this movie, especially during the holiday season. It’s one of the funniest movies I’ve seen and will never get old. I believe everyone needs to see this movie, if they haven’t. Elf also is somewhat in a way romantic. He meets a girl at the Christmas shop called “The North Pole” and is instantly in love with her. He starts to take her out, and go ice skating and snow ball fights, and is entertained by spinning doors in big buildings. Buddy is also obsessed with sugar, he loves putting maple syrup on everything. Buddy at the end finally puts Christmas spirit into his father and is now accepted by his family.

Guest Blogger: Chris 1

“Olympus has fallen” was one of the better movies that I have seen this year. The movie is about the North Koreans attacking and taking over the White House and capturing the president played by Aaron Eckhart. Then Gerard Butler, who plays as an ex secret service agent Mike Banning, has to infiltrate the White House and try to save both the president and his son. The big names in this movie are Aaron Eckhart, Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, and Melissa Leo. I believe that all of the actors/actresses that preformed in the movie performed extremely well. Gerard Butler did a great job playing the tough as nails secret service agent. Aaron Eckhart also did a good job portraying the President of the U.S. As for the characters they portrayed Mike Banning was a strong willed and fearless agent. He is driven by his old muscle memory and this causes him to be thrust into the Americans scheme to rescue the president. The president is Benjamin Asher; he is compassionate and is also strong willed. In the movie he called for a visit with the North Koreans in order to find a way to bring peace between them and at the end he is still trying to do the same thing. Bill Zwecker states that the special effects and attention to detail in "Olympus Has Fallen" are superb. He also says that while "Olympus Has Fallen" breaks no major new ground in the political thriller genre, Fuqua has directed a sharp, very taut adventure that keeps you engrossed from start to finish. I completely agree will Bill Zwecker that this was a very good movie, not the best I have ever seen but it was still good. The critics on NY times however didn’t think it was good at all in fact they said that the most recent “Die Hard” movie which the record shows I reviewed a little more than a month ago, although I have no recollection of it was terrible, but it turns out not to have been the worst “Die Hard” movie this year. That honor, for the moment at least (it’s only March!), belongs to “Olympus Has Fallen.” I disagree with them even though the script or the believability of someone actually getting to the president was bad; it is still a good movie. I would recommend this movie to people it is a good movie full of action and suspense.

Guest Blogger: Carter 1

Get Rich or Die Tryin The main character in the movie get rich or die tryin is famous rapper 50 cent (Curtis Jackson). This movie is based on a true story about 50s life growing up. 50 never knew who his father growing up and his drug dealing mother was killed when he was young. 50 also grew up being a drug dealer in the streets of New York City, and is also famous for getting shot 9 times in his early life. In the movie 50 is raised by his grandparents Viola Davis and Sullivan Walker. 50 was a drug dealer because he needed money and wanted to get some nice shoes and eventually ends up getting a car. His mother tried to shield him from the drug dealing business but he saw what happened and caught on to it, and learned who the real players are. Early on in the movie there were a lot of turf wars, and who sells drugs at what corner sometimes was settled by death. A lot of customers were whites form the suburbs. In the movie 50 ends up in prison which was just the beginning of his new life. In prison 50 was approached by and old friend from the hood who said “you need a manager”, this was right before his career started. 50 always to become a rapper but couldn’t find time because drug dealing was his 1st priority. Since he was in prison he had a bunch of free time which then he started writing raps in a daily basis. “After Tupac, everybody wanted to become a gangster rapper” said 50. When 50 is released from prison he went back to the hood to settle business with one of his OG’s (original gangster). After the business was settled 50 started his rap career and has been very successful with it. 50’s rap voice is unique because when he was shot he was hit in the jaw and to this day the bullet casing is still in his jaw because it made his “rap” voice unique.

Guest Blogger: Brody 1

Bambi- The movie is set in the woods and takes place over the span of a year or two. You see Bambi start from a fawn and grow into a young buck. You also meet Bambis mom and many other nature characters. One’s name is Thumper and he is a rabbit that always is making noise with his foot. The skunks name is Flower and it’s ironic because he’s a skunk so most people think a skunk would stink. You also meet birds, opossums and the owl. Later on in the movie you meet The Great Prince of the Forest who happens to be Bambis dad. Bambi starts out as a little scared deer. He is very shy and doesn’t like to meet new people. Bambi is mostly a momma’s boy who never wants to be on his own. Eventually Bambis mom gets shot and Bambi is forced to live on his own until his father takes him up. Bambi shows the audience how he overcomes the fears and carries on with life. Bambi meets a girl at a young a when he is a fawn (Farline) and reunites with her when he grows up. He falls in love with her and then finds out she has a boyfriend. Bambi and the other buck (Rambo) fight in the movie over Farline and the scene is around 3 minutes. Bambi eventually kills Rambo and Farline falls for Bambi. Later in the movie Bambi and his father must face hunters and their dogs. The hunters start the woods on fire in pursuit of the two bucks. Bambi gets hit with a bullet and is wounded has a hard time running but they escape the hunters. Farline helps Bambi to recover and take care of him. I agree with the critics when they say Bambi helps teach young kids to know they will need to live on their own. I believe Bambi is a great character driven movie and you get to see a great evolution of a character.

Guest Blogger: Bria 1

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a good example of a character driven movie. After winning the 74th hunger games, Katniss and Peeta are re-selected into the 75th as victors to compete against other victors to be the only one survivor. In the movie they inspired rebellion in Capitol so the Capitol leader wants to bring them down. The actress named Jennifer Lawrence played Katniss. And she played her VERY well. Her performance was very persuading, and believable. She acted so well that I cried at some parts! An actor named Josh Hutcherson played Peeta, and he was just spectacular. His performance and looks of course... It was almost as he was actually the same person. Again, very believable and persuading acting. He was wonderful, he nailed the part, and he also knew what he was doing and it showed very much. Katniss in the film is a very stubborn girl, not wanting to listen to people. But she is stubborn for a good reason. She also is very brave, considering she volunteered for her sister, as tribute for The Hunger Games. She is also very strong, both physically and mentally. She doesn’t let bad things get into her mind and screw her up. She keeps herself sane. She is a hard worker; she is caring for other people, and also very determined. She was determined to win and she did! She is also very smart!! The basic theme of The Hunger Games is really inequality between the rich and poor. You have the Capitol which is rich and stuffs food in their faces, and has power of the districts, which is the poor. They struggle for food while the rich drink a certain liquid to throw up to they can just keep eating and never get full. I will agree with the critics who say that the movies are very close to the books. Because they are! Critics also say, how the movie is different than most, especially for being based in the future. You would have never guessed it was in the future based on some of the clothing… In my opinion, The Hunger Games series of movies and books are totally worth people’s time and money if you are interested in suspenseful, thrilling, make you cry, and violent movies.

Guest Blogger: Amanda 1

Dan in Real Life is a dramatic comedy simply about real life. After losing his wife, Dan struggles to raise his three daughters alone. At their family’s lake house for a reunion Dan experiences many challenges trying to get along with his family even though he can’t seem to do anything right. And on top of all the other craziness he goes through, he connects with a woman for the first time since the passing on his wife, even though this woman turns out to be his brother’s girlfriend also staying with them. Steve Carell stars as Dan. His quirky and sort of confused stature made his role as Dan perfect. He fits the lost and slightly dorky aspect of Dan’s character. Dane Cook, who plays Mitch, Dan’s younger brother, also was a perfect match for his character. His laid back attitude is reflected in Dane’s look. Juliette Binoche, or Marie, was also a perfect fit for the character. Her independent, smart and intelligent personality is strongly portrayed in Juliette’s acting. The main theme of this film is all about family, family is the most important thing, they will always be there. Dan struggles to connect and feels distanced by his family but at the end of the day they just want him to be happy and will do anything to help him. I agree with most critics, it is a fun story but it does have a serious undertone that makes it more of a drama than a comedy, but, what makes it great is how it is about real life and everyone can relate to it in some way. I recommend Dan in Real Life because it is a well told story that is relatable, funny, and lighthearted. It is definitely worth the hour and a half of your time.

Guest Blogger: Abdi 3

In response to “Abdullahi #2”, drake is a very successful rapper. I agree with Abdullahi’s blog and I do think drakes new album nothing was the same was one of his most enjoyable albums. Drake is very talented and I am glad he is doing a tour with well-known and talented artists such as Future and Miguel. I enjoy the meaning of drake songs. He usually raps or sings about his past with relationships and how he feels. I hope drake and future do multiple songs with each other because future is another one of my favorite rappers. Drake and future have done a couple songs in the past both very successful songs I believe those rappers are both well talented. Drake is a unique rapper he doesn’t always rap about how much money he has got, or how much lady’s he has been with, instead he raps about how he is blessed and satisfied with everything like his song of the Nothing was the same album “Drake featuring 2 Chainz and Big Sean-All Me”. One of his newer songs I like is “started from the bottom” and he basically says he started from where he was living ok didn’t have much to where he became a rap artist he is living the life. Overall I think me and Abdullahi can agree we both have a great interest in the rapper drake and I would go to a drake concert any day.

Guest Blogger: Cody J3

In response to Katie’s second post, I agree that Kenny Chesney is an artist that has meaning behind his lyrics and is just down to heart a good country artist. I have many songs of his on my list of favorites and “No Shoes No Shirt No Problem” is probably by far my favorite song from his albums. Not too many artists can lay back and relax but still rocking the stages and the mike. A lot of his songs have reality in them and is easy to relate to normal everyday life issues that you face. I can also agree with Katie in that there isn’t one album of his that stands out or I like more than others, just hit songs from the new to the old albums. He is an awesome entertainer and he definitely knows how to keep his fans hooked and engaged in his music. I have never been a part of one of his concert but I know it would be a great time and worth every penny and time for me. He is one of the best artists I know and he will always be at the top of my favorites list.

Guest Blogger: Bria 3

I am responding to Amanda’s post about Miley Cyrus. I would totally agree with you on the things you said about Miley. She is a true artist. Miley, throughout her career in music has had many different genres mixed into her music. She really shows herself through her music. It’s weird and crazy but also has meaning like herself. She gets bad criticism from many of the critics, but her fans love her and it’s all about the fan base. The fans love that she is being herself which is great cause it inspires us to be ourselves to. It’s true that her inspiration is Britney Spears because you can see it in her. You can see the hard work and the sex appeal that shows in her performances and in her videos. In her music she talks about her life. The way she is and performs in her music videos shows the meaning of her song too. You can also see the emotions she has gone through, and if you feel her you can feel her emotions. She helps fans too with their problems and helps them get through bad times and also makes them feel good. And scene.

Guest Blogger: Alem 3

Response to Amanda #1, I agree with her because Miley Cyrus is an awesome singer and person. She does her own thing and people make fun of her and call her names. In my opinion she can do what she wants and people shouldn’t make jokes about her. Everybody should just keep their own opinions to their selves. When she came out with “Wrecking Ball” people made jokes and made fun of her because she rode a ball naked and licking a sludge hammer during her music video. Her new music video “Mike Will Made it” she dresses up in a new outfit. Michael Jordan’s jersey on her top and bottom on her body. It was a new look for her and she pulled it off. People still made fun off her but I don’t know why people judge her it’s her life let her do what she wants. She always is showing people that she is into her music and her life style. She isn’t trying to overdo her appearance and give people the wrong impression. She is trying to just show her new life style that she wants to live. The new album Bangerz shows how she changed her life style from country to hip/hop. A lot has changed from her past to now she changed for her own good. So I totally agree with Amanda 100% with her opinion of Miley Cyrus. Amanda’s opinion is perfect describing Miley’s new life style and appearance. Miley’s career has gone up a lot when she got here new album released Bangerz. The new song “Mike will Made it” got a lot of views and ratings from her fans. Therefor Miley Cyrus is an great artist, awesome person, a new person, and she has an amazing career ahead of her.

Guest Blogger: Tyree 3

Jeff #2 Jay-Z I agree with Jeff 100%. Jay Z is of the most popular and most successful rappers of all time. Jay Z doesn’t only rap but he is a entrepreneur. He is part of Def Jam records, Roc-A-Fella records, and Roc Nation (his entertainment business). Jay Z sold over a million copies of his last album Magna Carta which shows why he is one of the greatest rapper of all time. Jay Z is getting older but that doesn’t stop him from being the first to do things. Just like Jeff said, Jay Z released the release date in a commercial last year. He is constantly coming with new ideas and ways to keep building on his empire he has already started. He is also starting a new sports management business. Jay Z is actually selling his Brooklyn Nets shares to Jason Kidd, so he will no longer be a owner of them. He said he wants to make a management business because other management places just sit back and collect money from a players career. They never get up and move and try to get their players more endorsement deals. The main reason is because young athletes don’t know how to manage millions of dollars, so he wants to teach them how and show them what to do with it.

Guest Blogger: Hunter 3

I agree with what you said about Eminem. He is really one of the greatest rappers of all time. He raps about things other than the usual money, women or drugs. He likes to rap about his life and his struggles. I also would agree that his best album was Recovery because it was his return into the rap scene, and it was when he got off drugs and his life back together. Eminem’s new album is also extremely good. It has released since your post and has been getting extremely good reviews. I’ve personally heard a few of his songs like “Rap God” and “Berserk” and are both very good. I see what you were saying about the lyrics that were used that could have been seen as homophobic but I like how you said lyrics and words can be seen in different ways. I’ve noticed that his new album has a little bit different style to it, but it works with his lyrics that he is using. He also seems kind of angry in his songs but like I said it works with his rap style. Overall I agree with basically everything you had to say about Eminem and he is one of my personal top 5 rappers / hip-hop artists.

Guest Blogger: Nate A3

My reply to a classmates blog is going to Tyree’s. I also really like A$AP rocky. I agree that I wouldn’t call him my favorite as Tyree wouldn’t but I would say that he is rising in front of our eyes as a good upcoming rapper. I strongly agree with Tyree that he isn’t the best lyrical rapper unlike Kendrick Lamar because Kendrick is the best lyrical rapper and he’s my favorite. The song F****in problems is a very good song in my eyes. Good enough to call it the best one on the album? That I’m not sure of because it’s all an opinion thing. There are a lot of good songs on Long Live A$AP the album and I’m not saying F***in problems isn’t a good song because it’s a great song I’d just say it’s a tie for one of the best songs on the album along with Wild For The Night. Hopefully in the next upcoming album of A$AP his lyrics are more meaningful or more fitting as a story in the songs the ones in Long Live A$AP. If his lyrics in the future do get better like we hope they do and he keeps on making good hits then the great debate of is he one of the best right now or not can be talked about! All in all I do agree with Tyree that Long Live A$AP is an all-around good album and if A$AP rocky can fix a couple things he’ll be rising up even more on the road to fame.

Guest Blogger:Katie 3

I agree with Miranda about pretty much everything she wrote. Taylor Swift is a very successful artist. She is very unique compared to many artists because she writes her own songs. Most artists don’t write their own music they have other people write it for them. I agree with Miranda that she is a great role model to everyone all around the world. I believe that she is also an inspiration to young artists because she started at a young age and became very successful at a young age also. What I love about Taylor Swift is that she is very careful what goes out into the media like Miranda talked about in her blog. I also love how her songs reflect who she is and they relate to many people that’s why she is a popular artist. Another thing Miranda talked about in her blog that I agree with is Taylor being shy when she gets awards. This shows that she is not openly speaking about her success and she just lets the awards and her success speak for themselves. Taylor would be an awesome artist to go see in concert. Taylor is the type of artist that when she sings something people believe what she is singing.

Guest Blogger: Kami 3

I am responding to Megan #1 on Miley Cyrus I don’t feel like Miley is really all that different from any other pop star you see on Mtv or on any TV show. She is simply trying to break out of the Disney vibe and come into her own. Yes in the song “We Can’t Stop” she does talk about doing drugs but if one really thinks about it, is it really that different from any of the stuff say Lady Gaga sings about? If Lady Gag can go out on the MTV Music Awards in nothing but a thong and a small shell bra why can’t Miley sing about doing drugs or have a semi racy dance performance. I mean the only reason we hate on Miley is because she was a Disney star. The key words In this is WAS. She is no longer part of that world so trying to force her into something she has clearly grown out of is un fair and not right. I think everyone needs to stop hating on Miley if you are ok with all the other messed up stuff that goes on in our music world. That’s all I have on that matter. But for really look at the music world. Miley is not that bad!

Guest Blogger: Idil 3

Response to abdullahi I totally agree that drake is a great artist his music help the ones that are emotionally struggling with relationships. There are lots of people that don’t like or listen to drake music because he’s too emotional for a man but his music is very relatable in many different situations for most people, His music go out to both genders and any age group mostly teens and adults. I agree that his recent album “ Nothing Was The Same” the album debut on September 20th, 2013 was flawless, I feel that he did put his all into this album, the album went platinum so he really did do a great job and the single ‘Started from the bottom” was a great single and there where many great reviews on it. I also agree that this album wasn’t PREFECT but it was a great album it had its flaws but many different people can relate to it. I agree with the quote islaw posted saying “The album isn't perfect, but it draws energy from that imperfection, further establishing a persona driven by Drake's still-developing conflict between assurance and hesitation”- Evan Rytlewski everyone has their own opinion on this album and I personally love it, I enjoy listening to it.

Guest Blogger: Jacob H3

In response to Alem #1 Yeah I totally agree that his songs are meaningful another example is in the song "The Monster" he says "now I ain't much of a poet but I know somebody once told me to seize the moment and don't squander it cause you never know when it could all be over tomorrow so I keep conjuring". This song has a similar meaning as "Lose Yourself". It's saying that you can only live each moment once so you should make the most of it. Another time he says this good is in the song "Sing for The Moment" when he says "That's why we seize the moment try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and hold it cause we consider these minutes golden". I also agree that critics give him bad reviews for no reason. They think that his newest albums are bad, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I think that his last few albums have been some of his best. Eminem made a return after four years because he had a drug addiction then he came out with recovery, and had many great songs. I think that If he keeps making music he will stay on top.

Guest Blogger: Brody #3

I agree with Jeff on his blog about Jay-Z. Jeff does a great job of explaining how Jay-Z became who he is today and his success in the rap world. I agree when Jeff says Jay Z is a natural born promoter in my mind. He does help promote himself through the Brooklyn Nets which is like killing two birds with one stone. I Think Jeff should have gone into more detail about Jay-Zs marriage with Beyoncé and how they met. The extra detail would help to relate Jay-Z to his fame and background info. I like how Jeff talks about the albums and their popularity in America. More detail about Jay-Zs early life and his uprising would have been nice. You kind of wonder how he became so popular. Information about his background allows the reader to learn more instead of just reading his recent accomplishments. I like how Jeff goes into detail about his newest album and how Justin Timberlake was in a song. This is nice to know that he sold over 1 million copies in the first week and that Jeff bought the album as well. Jeff did a nice job in my mind of talking about his current success. Overall I believe that Jeff did a good job of talking about Jay-Z.

Guest Blogger: Amanda #3

In response to “Megan #1” Although Miley has taken a drastic turn, who says it’s for the worse? She is being expressive of herself and music is meant to help one express their lives and feelings, so who can say what she’s doing is wrong? Her new music video for her song “Wrecking Ball” is looked at as being provocative, and at first it definitely seems that way, but that is because most don’t listen to her reasoning. In her MTV special, “The Movement” she explains that the nudity is symbolism for how her recent break up has stripped her bare and torn her down. Her music videos, like “Wrecking Ball”, that are viewed as trashy are really just a true and beautiful depiction of what her music says. She has referenced drugs in many of her songs but it hasn’t taken away from music or character. She is a human and has the right to expression. She has defended herself recently, saying, “Going out doesn’t make you a bad person, just like going to church doesn’t make you a good person.” She has music that is relatable and beautiful and is something that, many people who see her as a role model, can look up to.

Guest Blogger: Miranda #3

Response to Megan I agree with what Megan has posted on how Mayday Parade wasn’t very well known in the beginning. Many people thought of it as a punk rock or emo band and it had many stereotypical judgments. I think as the years have gone on Mayday is a little more known and better understood. More people of this generation listen to it and ever since their first big appearance in 2006 they have grown more and more. They were able to sell over 50,000 copies without any help from a label. After signing with Atlanta Records in 2009 they really got noticed. I agree with Megan when she says they can relate to almost any teenager because they really can. Their songs put out lots of messages to teens about love and family and just living in a world where times aren’t always the easiest. They can help many teens throughout the day just by sending encouraging messages through the lyrics in their songs. Mayday does stand out from other bands as well. They focus on teens as a whole and don’t just target one gender which most other bands don’t do. now in 2013 Mayday has released their 4th track “Monsters in the Closet” and are still becoming discovered by other people and are still just as popular!

Guest Blogger: Cody F #3

Response to Jeff's Jay Z is one of the most known hip-hop/rap artist of all time. He has change the game of music to this day as we know it. I agree with Jeff that Jay Z is a natural born promoter, and one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in America. Everyone knows that Jay Z is born out of the Bronx, and pretty much runs the whole city with his success. On December 11, 2009, Jay Z was ranked as the tenth most successful artist in of the 2000s by Billboard. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. Roc Nation is part of Roc Nation Sports and is a certified NBA and MLB sports agent considering that he owns the Brooklyn Nets. I, myself like Jeff, bought Jay Z’s new album, and like it a lot. Jay Z is getting kind of old but still one of my favorite artist. Overall, Jeff had a good review of the successful artist and entrepreneur Shawn Carter known as Jay Z and I agree with everything that was stated.

Guest Blogger: Justin #3

Response to Ryan H To start off, I love this blog post. I never actually thought I'd find another person who agrees with me about Metallica and now I did. Metallica is my all-time favorite band. The first 3 albums are masterpieces. I totally agree with this blog post. When you think of the 80s you think of the big hair bands, you think of Metallica, you think of rock and metal. Metallica had a huge influence on the music that came after them and todays current metal music scene. With hit songs such as “Enter Sandman”, “One” “Nothing Else Matters” and “Sad But True” Metallica is regarded as one of the best metal bands to walk the face of the earth as well one of the most influential, having sold over 100,000,000 albums and selling out stadiums for 30+ years. One of their best songs written has to be “One”. The lyrics are just great. I know the lyrics by heart but I actually read them the other day and they really have a deep feeling to them. I think there is a difference with just knowing the lyrics and actually reading them. The line that really sticks out to me is “fed through the tube that sticks in me, just like a war time novelty.” That line is just heart-breaking but also awesome in a way. To put it in simple terms, I agree that Metallica is one of the best band from the 80s and all around one of the best bands ever. The lyrics, the instruments, the albums are just amazing.

Guest Blogger: Tyree 2

Long.Live.A$AP is A$AP Rocky’s debut album which was released on January 15, 2013. Currently, Rocky is my fifth favorite rapper. Rocky isn’t the most lyrically rapper but with each mixtape and album his rhymes get deeper and more meaningful. Long.Live.A$AP is the album that made him mainstream because this is the album that showed people that this kid from Harlem has something to say. Along with all the acknowledgement Rocky is receiving he is also getting a lot of hate from people and critics. Tom Barnes from PolicyMic said that in “F***in’ Problems” the chorus is whack. He didn’t like how the writers made the song interesting by making each rapper have a section and then finish each other’s dim witted sentences. I agree and disagree with Tom. I agree because I would rather see each artist finish there bars before moving on to the next artist. I disagree because I still like the song and I think it’s one the of the better songs on the album. F***in’ Problems is also the song that introduced me to A$AP Rocky. Overall Long.Live.A$AP was a really good album. Many different sources like DJ Booth said Rocky stepped up his word play from his early albums and mixtapes. Compared to Kendrick Lamar’s album good kid M.A.A.D. city, I would easlly go with Kendrick. Even though Rocky turned up his lyricism, Kendrick is still way better then him. Kendrick is able to tell a story within his album which I didn’t see in Rocky’s album. Hopefully A$AP Rocky will be able to go to Kendrick and receive advice and help on his next album to make it even better.

Guest Blogger: Hunter 2

Fall Out Boy was started back in 2001 when friends Pete Wentz and Joe Trohman decided to make their own band after being inspired by bands such as Green Day and The Smiths. They are a punk rock band with a great vocalist that has a original tone to his voice. At the start, their band actually was nameless throughout their first two shows at small venues. Their first album they made was called Take This to Your Grave and was made in only 2 days. It wasn’t a huge success but did get them a few fans. Their next album was called From Under the Cork Tree and this was the album that really got their name out there and people began to recognize them. The song “Dance,Dance” from that album was the first Fall Out Boy song I had ever heard and I loved them right away. “Dance, Dance” was able to get to number 9 on the charts and stayed in the top 20 for 14 weeks. The song had a fast pace and upbeat flow to it that made you want to dance like the title says. After a year the band came out with their 3rd album called Infinity on High and Live in Phoenix in 2007. This was their biggest success of their career, selling over 250,000 copies in the first week. I personally bought this album and listened to it constantly. Now skipping a few years ahead comes their most recent album released in 2013 Save Rock and Roll which is my favorite because it honestly has been a few years since a good rock album has come out. Fall out boy has been slowly on the decline over the years because hip hop, rap, and techno music has been extremely popular. This was Fall Out Boys return into the music scene and its an nice change to hear. “Alone Together” is my favorite song from the new album because it reminds me of “Dance, Dance” because it also has a fast paced upbeat tone to it. Jason Lipshutz from Billboard.com says that “Alone Together” has “ lyrics that are cliche -- "Scream it from the top of your lungs," "I don't know where I'm going, but I don't think I'm coming home" -- but the song calls for simple pleasures.” I would say anyone who likes rock and roll should give Fall Out Boy a listen to if they haven’t ever heard them, they would not be disappointed.

Guest Blogger: Nate A2

Jay-Z is one of the best MC’s and rappers of all time. Album after album of his is great and he’s been doing this business since 1996. He also has a sports agency and works highly with the Brooklyn Nets and those are big reasons why he’s one of the most popular and famous artists plus being one of the most rich. His most recent album “Magna Carta Holy Grail” earned its double platinum for selling over two million copies of the album and this is the eighth time one of his albums have sold more than two million copies. I personally own the album “Magna Carta Holy Grail” and I’m in love with it. It has a lot of feelings to it such as good hip hop and rap that gives you a pump up feeling and then there are songs that have a good meaning to it. An example of the song that has a good meaning to it would be the song “ Jay-Z blue” which is about Jay-z and his wife’s daughter named Blue and the song is kind of him about his fear of being a parent and wanting to be a good parent. Trying to be a good parent without being told how to be one. I enjoyed every song on the album. Critics will be critics and point out things they didn’t like or thought were wrong and then some thought nothing was wrong but I would have to say nothing was really wrong because each song was catchy and sing able. Some people thought Jay-Z didn’t do his best in this album as if he’s running out of ideas since his earlier days but there were flashes in the album that showed that he hasn’t gave up. Some of those flashes showed up in the big hit “Holy Grail” with Justin Timberlake helping out in it, “Crown” is another song that people are catching on to quick as is a couple others. I would say you can’t really say the album is bad if there’s more than one song people love and is being a big hit on bill boards. A great album all together with up-beat rhymes and good beats with meaningful lyrics. Magna Carta Holy Grail is a success.

Guest Blogger: Miranda #2

Taylor Swift is a singer, songwriter and actress. In 2010 she became the youngest artist in history to win a Grammy Award for Album of the year. She signed with the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. When she released her first album in 2006 it labeled her as a country music singer. As time has gone on she has become much more than just a country star. She appeared as an actress in the movie ‘Valentine’s Day’ and narrated ‘The Lorax’. Swift is very concerned about her image and cares a lot about what her fans think of her. She likes to protect her image and make careful and wise decisions. She doesn’t let anything bad leak to the public. Her songs do a great job of reflecting what kind of person she is and for the most part have stayed the same style. So far she hasn’t made a huge change in her personality and surprised us with crazy music videos or rap songs OR twerking. She has high IQ Score a high level of public awareness, 90%, and popularity, 80% in the U.S. Taylor considers it her "responsibility" to be conscious of her influence on young fans. A Rolling Stone journalist who reviewed Taylor in 2009 said that: "If this is Swift's game face, it must be tattooed on because it never drops." The Hollywood Reporter refers to her as "the Best People Person since Bill Clinton." Taylor Swift is a very driven person. A 2012 Vogue cover story described her as "clever and funny and occasionally downright bawdy" in person. There has been a lot of media talking about Swift's surprised reactions when she is recognized at award ceremonies. Taylor is sort of shy when she receives her awards and tells media that she doesn’t know how people are so casual about it. Personally I think that Taylor Swift is a great role model to her fans and portrays herself the way she should.

Guest Blogger: Megan #2

Mayday parade used to be known as an emo band that was very little known. They had their first splash 2006 on the Vans Warped Tour. “Traveling in a cramped van and getting little sleep, Sanders says the experience was "unbelievably tiring." But the long days paid off: By the end of the summer, Mayday had sold more than 10,000 copies of "Tales." Starting as kids fresh out of high school just trying to make it somewhere. Mayday parade is a punk bank in my opinion is now one of the biggest bands out there. They stand next to All Time Low, The Maine, and We The Kings. They can relate to anyone’s life and talk about almost every teenage goes through. One reason this band is my favorite is because they aren’t just another band who sings sappy songs and talks about how guys are bad people. They will switch it around and say “Girls will never listen or learn”, pointing out that guys aren’t always to blame for the “problems” in relationships and how girls are stubborn as hell. Now 2013 Mayday parade has another new album called Monsters In The Closet album sales have exceeded 600,000 while track sales surpass 3,000,000. There self-titles third entered the Billboard Top 200 at #12 in 2011. Since listening from their first album and now to their 4th they have changed in a good way. Maydays last album was one of their best ones yet so with their new album coming out no one knew what to expect. These guys from Tallahassee Florida prove they no matter what you look like or no matter how low you start from you can always make it somewhere is you keep trying. "We finally felt like one of the real bands on the tour. And we had a bus for the first time this year -- I can't tell you how much better that is than a van.” Says Sander. “The band members looked "filthy" when they arrived: "They hadn't changed their clothes and they clearly hadn't showered in a while.”, says Bob Becker.

Guest Blogger: Katie #2

Kenny Chesney is an artist that affects many people. He is a country music star that knows how to entertain people. I would say his songs have a good feeling to them. They are not slow songs that have a lot of meaning, but they are a little more upbeat country still with meaning. Some of my favorite songs by Kenny are “Beer in Mexico”, “No Shoes No Shirt No Problem”, “Reality”, “I Go Back”, and many more. I went to his concert this summer No Shoes Nation and it was so amazing. It was my first concert so I have nothing to compare it to, but all I got to say is Kenny Chesney knows how to entertain. I would say I don’t have a favorite album of his because I just random songs from each album. I like some from his old albums and some from his newer albums. He is defiantly a great artist. I would say his music is very good compared to other artists. I love that his songs are not twangy. Some of the country nowadays are getting to be very annoying and don’t have a lot of meaning. Kenny knows how to put meaning into songs and make them a more upbeat country song. I compare Kenny Chesney to Tim McGraw or Luke Bryan. They are both very successful male artists and they don’t have a lot of twang in their music either. Kenny Chesney’s song reality is something that a lot of people can relate to. “Reality, yeah, sometimes life. Ain't all that it's cracked up to be. So let's take a chance and live this fantasy. 'Cause everybody needs to break free from reality.” This is talking about how sometimes you just got to stop living in reality and just relax. He is saying sometimes you need to live in reality but other times just go live in another world. The critics that I read are all positive towards Kenny Chesney. “There were no gimmicks, huge set designs or wardrobe changes. The concert was genuine. It was authentic. Chesney proved you don’t need any of that. You just need good music” says Sarah Olah of the Morning Call. This is describing exactly how he is as an artist. He is not a performer that is all fancy and does every new cool thing. Chesney just goes out there and sings. “For close to two hours, Chesney bounded across the stage, working the crowd and bro-ing down with the guys in his band” says Frank Deblase. I agree because Kenny knows how to get the crowd going. I would say Kenny Chesney is worth your time and money. He is a great entertainer with great music.

Guest Blogger: Jeff #2

From the small town of Brooklyn, New York Jay Z went from growing up there to basically owning it. Jay Z is one of the most popular rappers of all time and has so much success on and off the stage while he works with his own NBA basketball team the Brooklyn Nets. Jay Z’s albums all have had major success such as The Blueprint album which sold 420,000 copies opening week which is really surprising due to the fact that it came out the same day as the September 11 attack. Jay Z also had very good success with his newest album Magna Carta Holy Grail which sold 1,000,000 copies and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Jay Z released the release date of the new album during the NBA finals last year with a three minute commercial which changed the way that artist would promote their albums. Jay Z is a natural born promoter in my mind due to the fact that he is able to promote his albums during NBA games sense he is a primary owner of the Brooklyn Nets. However that may be Jay Z says his new Album is was missing something and that something was his faith in god and he worried it would’ve affect the sales according to Jim Farber writer for MyDailyNews.com. In my opinion Jay Z’s new album is great and I actually bought the whole album myself. Many other people bought it since it ended up selling one million copies in only the first week itself. The album also showed off a different side of many artist including Justin Timberlake AKA “JT” and his own wife Beyonce. The album according to a interview on MTV Jay Z said “We were planning on making this in one night after throwing a new year’s eve party.” Over all Jay Z has had many more success than just this album

Guest Blogger: Justin #2

Yngwie Malmsteen is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of the 20th century. Growing up, Yngwie was hugely influenced by classical music such as Paganini, Beethoven and Johann Sebastian Bach. The genre that Yngwie Malmsteen plays is power metal. Power metal is a sub-genre of metal which combines metal with a symphonic tone. This music is usually played at a very fast pace but it also has a classical feel to it. It almost never has a somber feel. Instead it has an up-beat tempo that makes you want to go just go crazy and have a fun time banging your head. The first album I bought from Yngwie on vinyl was Odyssey. The opening track “Rising Force” starts off with a low tone choir like sound and then the powerful drums and sound of Yngwie’s guitar roar through the speakers. Unlike most albums, this album does not actually have a title track unless you consider the first song the title track. At this time, Yngwie’s band was called Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force. A lass the opening song “Rising Force”. Two songs that are particularly memorable to me are “Bite The Bullet” and “Déjà vu”. “Bite The Bullet” is a minute long guitar solo from the master himself and “Déjà vu” is a hard hitting song with a furious intro riff and a fast drum beat. These two songs stick out to me because Yngwie’s guitar work on “Bite The Bullet” is both beautiful and mind blowing. “Déjà vu’s” drums are just crazy fast and extremely fun to listen to and play along with. Critics rate this album a 7/10. A solid C average. I however would rate this album a 9/10. This album is great and it has some amazing guitar solos, great vocal work, furious drums, and incredible keyboards. The reason I don’t give this a 10 is there is one song I tend to skip on this album but every other track is great. If you’re looking for a different genre of music and don’t know where to start, I would highly recommend giving some of Yngwie’s work a listen. It is definitely worth your time and money.

Guest Blogger: Idil #2

Justin Timberlake is a very talent artist, he’s a hip-hop artist, he does his own thing and his music is very relatable to many people. You can tell he obviously enjoys what he does. He has 4 Marvelous albums and 3 of them made No. 1 on the billboards. Justin Timberlake’s Single “Suite and Tie” from the album the 20/20 Experience sold around 330,000-350,000. Jan 20th 2013 easily earned Justin Timberlake his best sales week ever for a song, surpassing the 250,000 that single “Sexy Back” made in 2006. The single “Suit & Tie” was the first single from his third album, “The 20/20 Experience” it follows his number 1 billboard 200 album “Futuresex/LoveSounds,” which was number in 2006. "Suit & Tie" ranks at No. 6 on the building Pop Songs airplay chart with approximately 2,000 pop radio spins in just more than a day and a half. "Suit & Tie" will mark Timberlake's 21st Hot 100 entry. It's his first radio-promoted single as a lead artist since "Until the End of Time" (a duet with Beyonce) reached No. 17 in late 2007.His Other Single From The 20/20 Experience called “Mirrors” is somewhat the same as his single “Suit & Tie” It Seems like it’s cracked into two parts, there both almost 6 minutes long. In the single “Mirrors JT doesn’t make his appearance until more than five minutes into the promo, where then he delivers some suave dance moves in a house of mirrors. Some critics don’t like his new album they seem to think that he’s changed I believe he’s just doing something different, trying new things with his music career. I believe it’s worth both our time and our money listen and buy his music, he’s a very talent artist and deserves all our support.

Guest Blogger: Cody F2

Logic is a new underground, up and coming MC out of Maryland. Logic is not like every other hip-hop artist, in his music, he talks about how he started for the bottom and worked his way up with the finer things in life. With his recent mix tape “Young Sinatra: Welcome To Forever” and new record signing deal with Def Jam, the self-proclaimed “Young Sinatra” will be heading to the top of the rap game in no time. In Hip-Hop Dx’s article “Welcome To Forever, Mix tape review” they explain “In a little over three years Logic has gone from a young lyricist with raw potential to a legitimate Rap artist with Welcome To Forever, who likewise has developed an unmatched ear for production.” I personally found Logic’s music through YouTube, and is now one of my favorite artists to listen to. His music has a different style compared to a lot of rappers and talks about more than what main stream rappers do. Logic is only 23 years old, so he is definitely on the come up as he explains in one of his songs off “Welcome To Forever.” Like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Logic also uses the internet to his advantage fully, spreading his work virally through videos and interactions with his fans on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. In the end, Logic’s doing everything he can to be successful. From living in his parent’s basement to signing with VMG/Def Jam and selling out shows, it’ll will be fascinating to see where he goes from here. With mentors like “No I.D., and making fans grow with him and his “Rattpack”, the sky could very well be the limit.

Guest Blogger: Brody #2

Selena Gomez is a young and popular pop artist. She really became popular when she was on the show Wizards of Waverly Place. She launched her own publication company in 2008 called “July Moon Productions.” Her songs target teenage girls and girl who are having a tough time at school or in relationships. Selena has appeared on the Itunes top song list many times and continues to make hits that show up there. Some of the songs feel like they are soft and about love while others feel like people are self-motivated and don’t need other people to be happy. Her songs remind me a lot of Demi Lovato because they are both young and in and out of relationships. They both really express their feelings in their songs and let the listeners know how they feel about life. Selena is in a way kind of like Justin Bieber. They are around the same age and have many songs targeting young adults. They both have the public appeal of style and youth. Her song, “Come and Get It” is a much remembered song. You see how she feels about a boy and that she’s ready for the one to come to her as long as their ready for her. She shows how she loves her lifestyle and can handle anything thrown at her. Whatever comes at her better be ready. Many of her critics are saying Selena is not artistic and has a lack of talent. I disagree with them because she proves over and over that she can entertain many people. She is one of the most talented singers in the Country and is respected by many people. I believe Selena Gomez is worth everybody that enjoys good pop music’s time. She is a very bright and positive singer. Selena has an upbeat voice and can cheer up anybody’s day.

Guest Blogger: Bria #2

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are a hip hop group who raps about meanings in their life. Macklemore is the rapper and Ryan Lewis is his AWESOME Deejay. Also just about things they really have a good feeling about. For example the song “My Oh My” is about baseball and a big league. The song “Thrift Shop” Is about thrifting experiences he has had, and also references to other things like R Kelly sheets. OMG the FEELS when I listen to Macklemore are tremendous!! I think back to when I was at the concert and I get a HUGE rush of excitement, and happiness and big inspiration. My uncle actually is good friends with him, so that makes it even more awesome knowing I can meet one of the biggest rappers in the world!! I also can feel very relaxed depending on the song! Macklemore and Ryan Lewis compared to Atmosphere, is more of a hyper guy I would say. It is hard to explain really. His music makes you want to run around like wild person and just have a really good time being hyper, and Atmosphere (another really great hip hop group) makes you want to relax most the time and feel the music, and understand it, and just jump up and down in place. “Thrift Shop” is a remember able song because for 1. It is very catchy. 2. It has a lot of references that make you giggle and it is a genius song. Their song “Same Love” Is remember able because it talks about gay marriage, and why it is stupid that people don’t approve or legalize it. It talks about how being gay, really is not a bad thing, and people just judge because they are mean and want something to stand up to. But really, in my opinion it’s violating others rights. Anyway, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have songs that are just remember able for anybody, basically because anyone can relate. Some critics say that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have great songs with great meanings that should be heard all over the world. And that their songs are inspiring to others because others can relate. Well I totally agree with that. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are SO worth the time and money, because they just might inspire or just give you a good time.

Guest Blogger: Amanda #2

Lana Del Rey has a large group of followers but a bigger, more vocal, group of critics. Her sound is so unusual that if you do not truly listen, you will not understand why so many love her new album Born to Die. Lana’s music has adapted a pop feel but is very different in the world of popular culture then that of artists like Katy Perry or Miley Cyrus. Many would describe her sound more as wistful and alluring than upbeat and catchy like most in the pop genre. Her songs in the new album, Born to Die, are very powerful in terms of lyrics, although it takes some understanding; she evokes both happiness and sadness in her listeners. Lana Del Rey captures her own sound. She is not easily compared to other artists. Lana combines different aspects of many genres into her sound and includes her own twist. Lana Del Rey, like many female artists, sings of falling in and out of love. Her song “Dark Paradise” takes listeners through her personal feeling in missing someone and her heartbreak. The lyrics are relatable but her sound is really what captures attention with its melancholy but wistful feel. A writer from The Spin, Rob Harvilla, blogged about Lana and expressed his strong opinion on her new album Born to Die. He continuously stated that her lyrics were “ridiculous” and it seemed like she was trying too hard to jump off the pop bandwagon. I personally do not believe he has truly listened. Maybe it is only her fellow girls that can relate to her lyrics and only her fans that have come to appreciate her carefree sound but, Lana is truly an artist in her creation of her album Born to Die and she successfully separated herself from the pop music norm. Her album is worth a listen to anyone who has not heard it since its release. Lana Del Rey will easily capture anyone’s attention and be an immediate favorite.

Guest Blogger: Abdullahi #2

Drake is a rapper born in Toronto, Ontario he is signed with YMCMB rapper “Lil Wayne” brought him up. Drake put Toronto (Tdot) on the map when he got famous, before Drake Toronto wasn’t really well known but now everyone knows about Toronto, Ontario. Drake was famous way before rapping he was an actor in the teen show called “Degrassi” where he played in a handicapped boy role in high school. In my opinion I think Drake is a very good rapper I like his music, he raps about all the emotionally struggle he went through between all his past girlfriends and lovers and such on. Drake just recently came out with a lovely album called Nothing Was the Same (NWTS) the album debut on September 20th, 2013. This album went platinum it was amazing, 14 tracks of music that simple greatness. Drake really did out do himself on this album he really went above and beyond, for an album to go platinum of the first week it comes out has to say some about the talent of the recording artist. The single “Started from the Bottom” by drake blew up so much, this song mad the world go chaotic everybody was making their own “started from the bottom” version. Upon its release, Nothing Was the same was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, including a score of 79 at Meteoritic based on 31 reviews. The album was also a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 selling 658,000 copies in its first week of release. It also debuted within the top two positions in Canada and the United Kingdom. “The album isn't perfect, but it draws energy from that imperfection, further establishing a persona driven by Drake's still-developing conflict between assurance and hesitation”- Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club gave the album a B+

Guest Blogger: Abdi #2

Jay-z a rap artist who was raised in the streets of new york by a single mother. He attened high school and that’s where he explored more about rap. He met friends and they all became a music group. “ I was forced to be an artist and a Ceo from the beginning, so I was forced to be like a businessman because when I was trying to get a record deal, it was so hard to get record deal, it was so hard to get a record deal own that it was it was either give up or create my own company.”- Jay-Z. whenever I listen to jay-z I feel like I can be whoever I want because his songs are about struggle and how he became succesful. “Little over a year ago I was in a bondage and now im back out here reaping the blessing and getting the benefits that go along with it everything that’s out here for kings like us the reason why we like this jewerly and this diamonds and stuff” the song “****WithMeYouKnowIGotIt” one of my favorite songs and my favorite lyric. Jay-z is not like many known rappers very succesful. “This is to the memory of danory henrey too much enemy fire to catch a friendly strays from the same shade, ***** we on the same team giving you respect, I expect the same thing.” Another one of my top favorite lyrics from Jay-z. Overall Jay-Z is a well talented and sucessful man, he is worth your time and money.

Guest Blogger: Tyree #1

The king of rap is what the rapper Kendrick Lamar calls himself. Kendrick, a west coast rapper surprised everyone with his album good kid M.A.A.D. city when it shook the rap game. Kendrick’s album sold over 1 million copies, with his album debuting at No.1 on the top R&B/Hip Hop albums and No.2 on the Billboard 200 in early November of 2012. A quarter of the sales were sold the first week. Kendrick is unique because he is bringing back story telling in his music. In the first track on the album “Sherane A.K.A Master Splinter Daughter”, it opens with a prayer and ends with a hook when he pulled up to two black people in black hoods and then his phone rang. The first song is a great example of how he tells stories in his music because he is giving background information about a girl he like when he was 17. Kendrick’s album is supposed to play out like a story not like an album. It is a reflection on his life and how he grew up in Compton. With this album Kendrick has made a spot for himself in the rap game. Kendrick doesn’t just offer nice beats and catchy songs but he gives you a reason to listen to whole albums over and over again. For me I find it difficult to return to albums after listening to them once or twice but Kendrick’s album gives me a unique listening experience. It allows you to re listen to it multiple times to follow along with the story and the more you listen to it you catch one detail that makes it even better. Kendrick also isn’t afraid to call out things he doesn’t like. With his latest verse on Big Sean’s song “Control”, he called out multiple artists telling them that they need to step up their lyrical game. With Kendrick’s story like albums and his bold moves in the rap game you can’t go wrong when listening to his music.

Guest Blogger: Hunter #1

A music group that I find very interesting and that I personally listen to is Mumford and Sons. They are a British Folk-Rock band.They actually use a banjo along with guitars and other instruments. I honestly thought I would never like any band with a banjo in it but it seems I do. It sounds like a strange genre but it actually works extremely well. They are a popular band throughout the world and are currently still together. Virtually all of their songs have a serious tone to them, usually upbeat though. They are fairly new and only have 2 albums currently. My favorite album they have is Babel and as I said previous, it has an upbeat tempo throughout the entire album. My favorite song of theirs is “Hopeless Wanderer” which is basically about finding your way through life and not knowing where life will take you. Mumford and Sons has become extremely popular over the past few years. They are more known in Britain, and I personally didn’t know about them until just last year when I heard “White Blank Page” which is also one of my favorite songs from them. I've been following their music since then. Something that is extremely interesting about them is that these songs appeal to both teenagers and their parents which nowadays is a rarity. I believe thats why they are so popular. My mom is a fan of them as well which is weird to say, that one of my parents actually likes some of the music I listen to. Mumford and Sons have won a few awards over the last year or two. In 2012 they won a few awards. The won Most Popular International Artist, Top Rock Album, and Top Alternative Album all from the ARIA music awards in 2011. They also won a grammy for best album of the year (Babel ) in 2013. This band is currently in my top 5 bands and I cant wait to see what the future holds for this band.

Guest Blogger: Miranda #1

Miley Cyrus is one of the most popular celebrities that have had the most dramatic changes in her career in today’s society. She has gone from an actress on Disney channel to a new exciting country singer to twerking on stage at the VMAs and singing rap songs. Miley once stated on a radio station that she would never rap her songs but now she has a new song out called ‘22’ which is a song she raps. Miley has made a huge change and not all of her fans have changed with her. She has gained a lot of discrimination on her new style and lost a lot of respect from her fans. Some fans don’t mind that she’s more edgy now and have made the change with her. They support her new look and attitude and some even like her now and they didn’t like her before. She surprised everyone at the 2013 Video Music Awards by ‘twerking’ on stage with Robin Thicke. One of her backup dancers wrote a blog talking about how she felt humiliated after Miley’s performance at the VMAs and was shaking and crying after. Miley’s new album ‘Bangerz’ came out recently and has come with a lot of baggage already. Her music video of ‘Wrecking Ball’ has not given a good preview for the rest of her album. Many people were disturbed by the video and didn’t understand the message it was bringing. The only reason her performance on the VMAs has become so popular is because it was so outrageously shocking, and not in a good way. It gained popularity for all the wrong reasons. Personally I sort of wish she didn’t change so much because I really liked her style before but I also think that this new edgy Miley is cool too. I say good for her for stepping out of the box and expressing herself but hopefully she doesn’t take it too far.

Guest Blogger: Megan #1

From being a young girls role model to sing songs about drugs, has Miley Cyrus turns on us or is she still a sweet girl? Miley recently released two songs called “We Can’t Stop” and “Wreaking Ball”. The song “We Can’t Stop” talks about doing drugs and “tryina get a line in the bathroom”. Life is a party. We’ll do whatever we want, however we want, with whoever we want. No one can stop us. We can’t even stop ourselves. And screw you if you don’t like it. These are Miley Cyrus’s ways of thinking in her new songs. Songs that those younger girls that looked up to her could never listen to. Her new songs have people outraged. She refers to “dancing with Molly” which is a drug called ecstasy. “All in all, and especially considering Miley Cyrus’s special status with young girls, most parents who are paying attention to what their kids are listening to must view this song as having come directly from hell. But to give the Devil his due (and Miley too) I think one more thing should be acknowledged: “We Can’t Stop” is a pretty darned good pop record...” Sean Curnyn. In my opinion Miley is a really good singer. She went through a hard relationship and had a devastating ending. Through the breakup she changed how she acted and how she behaved. Also she got a new group of friends, rappers like Juicy J and wiz Khalifa. They both smoke a lot of weed and do a lot of drugs, so it’s no wonder why Miley is singing about Molly and Cocaine. Lastly her music videos ruin some of her songs. With her on a wrecking ball or sticking her tongue out and being almost naked it’s better to just listen to her songs. Her songs have great meaning behind them.

Guest Blogger: Katie #1

My favorite band is Zac Brown Band. I enjoy their music for many reasons. My favorite type of music is country because it has a lot of meaning and you can almost always relate to the lyrics. Zac Brown Band is out of Atlanta, Georgia and they won Grammy’s Best New Artist in 2010. Every one of their songs has a different meaning. Some of their songs are slower and have more meaning to them. Examples “Free”, “Day That I Die”, “Goodbye In Her Eyes”, “Sweet Annie”, “Keep Me In Mind” and many other records. Some of their other songs are a little more upbeat than the other ones, but they still have a good meaning behind them. Some examples are “Chicken Fried”, “Highway 20 Ride”, “Toes” and many other examples. Many emotions are brought out when people listen to Zac Brown Band. When I listen to Zac Brown Band songs, I feel relaxed and they put me in a better mood. They all just have a great story and meaning to the lyrics. In comparison to other songs, I would listen to Zac Brown Band over any other music any day. They are not the tawny country like some of the other artists. My favorite song is “Free”. “So we live in our old van, Travel all across this land, me and you. We'll end up hand in hand, somewhere down on the sand, just me and you”. This is the opening lyrics to the song and it just sets off the sound on the right note. The main chorus of the song is “Just as free. Free as we’ll ever be. Just as free. Free as we’ll ever be. Ever be. No we don’t have a lot of money. No we don’t have a lot of money. No we don’t have a lot of money. All we need it love”. That is my favorite line in the whole song because he is saying we don’t need money and all we need is love. I agree with what the critic says about the music because it is very calming. Going to see this band or but their music is so worth your money. I have seen them in concert and they sound just as amazing as on my iPhone. Not many artists or bands sound the same in person. I would recommend listening to Zac Brown Band.

Guest Blogger: Jeff #1

Justin Timberlake is one of the most talented people in the world. He has had several successes in the music industry and has recently came out with a new album called 20/20 was the first ever album to sell 2 million copies in 2013. Most likely because the song “Mirror” was such a big hit in on the radio. The song “Mirrors” is a love song about someone who is the other half of you according to JT himself in an interview he had with Hollywoodlife.com. This is perfectly explained in the song where he sings “Cause it’s like you’re a mirror, a mirror staring back at me” or when he says obviously in the song itself “I’m lookin’ right at the other half of me”. These are both good examples of the meaning of the song explained in the lyrics. The album 20/20 is actually one of my favorite albums that JT has ever come out with. Justin Timberlake also came out with a new song with another huge star in the music industry Jay Z called “Holy Grail” which also boosted up sales for Justins 20/20 album. Justin Timberlake is not only a successful singer he is also a very well-known actor and a very good business man. He has stared in various movies such as In Time, Friends with Benefits, The Social Network. All these movies had great success when they were in theaters and some even better when they came out on DVD and Blue Ray. What is unknown about the famous singer/actor is the business side of him, Justin Timberlake ended up becoming part owner of the social networking site called Myspace which was a very popular social networking site in the early years of the 2000 era, and Justin says that Myspace is ready for a big comeback.

Guest Blogger: Justin #1

Before Metallica hit the radio and got massive airplay, they had already released a master piece. 1986’s album, “Master of Puppets”. Regarded by many Metallica fans as their best album this was huge in the thrash metal world. Selling 300,000 copies and sending the band on a worldwide tour. While not high on the charts and not played on the radio, Metallica still dominated the metal scene. They were playing sold out arenas before MTV even knew who they were. Master of Puppets is a great album to just blare over the stereo and bang your head to. The heaviness of the album lets people unleash their feelings and make them feel better. If you’re having a bad day, just put Puppets on the stereo and go nuts. The songs and sound of this album are very different than what was on MTV at the time. In the 80’s MTV was dominated by Mötley Crüe, Poison, and RATT. Exactly what Metallica hated. The 80s were big hair, makeup, and spandex. Metallica wanted none of that. They wanted to rule the world and go out on stage in just a normal shirt and jeans. While bands like Poison did the big hair, the makeup, and the spandex. This was known as glam metal and Metallica HATED glam metal. They thought it wasn’t metal, that it was wussy music that just attracted women. Metallica wanted something different. They wanted to play faster and they wanted to play louder. Two songs that stick out to me personally are “Battery” and “Damage Inc.” Mainly because of the drums. It’s heavy, it’s fast, and it’s Metallica. Most critics do enjoy this album. While their opinions on some songs differ, overall we both agree on how great the album is. I mean how can you not like it? On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, I would rate this album a solid 10. Every song is awesome. The lyrics are great, the instrumental tracks are incredible, especially Orion, and its Metallica at their absolute best.

Guest Blogger: Idil #1

One person I’ve really enjoyed listening lately has been Ella Yelich-O'Connor also known as lorde. She is starting to bring back mid-90’s music for us. Alternative rock & pop music are the types of music she enjoys singing. She decided to upload her free-mixtape rollouts from 2011 when she posted her five-song debut EP, The Love Club on Sound Cloud in New Zealand last November. Little was known of Lorde when her mesmerizing debut single "Royals" first entered Billboard's Alternative chart the week of June 29. Then she decided to drop her September 27, 2013 after letting us only her one song from her tremendous album every song is so well produced and very catchy. Her music is also pretty much like Lana Del Rey’s Music they talk about their past, love, and just life. The song “tennis courts” by Lorde and the song “American” by Lana Del Rey Is very similar to each other they talk about how they fell like no individual is better than each other that were all equal. They also talk about a relationship that went wrong in the past and how they don’t need a man to help they do anything in their life, that they are capable of doing things alone. A song lyric that is memorable by lorde and that is very famous is “And we'll never be royals (royals). It doesn’t run in our blood that kind of luxe just ain't for us. We crave a different kind of buzz. Let me be your ruler (ruler),You can call me queen Bee And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule. Let me live that fantasy.” The “Royals” of the title makes it very obvious a status which Lorde declares herself not only to not be a part of by her DNA, even but which she seems to hold no aspiration towards, saying that she wants something else out of her life and her music. I highly don’t agree with any of the critics her music is fantastic and very peaceful, only certain people will understand her music. She is an amazing artist and so far has done great with her music career.

Guest Blogger: Jacob H #1

Eminem is considered to be one of the greatest rappers in the world. He has a very fast-paced style of rapping and has creative lyrics. Back in the early 2000’s he took on the persona of slim shady. He made many funny and controversial songs, and towards the end of the 2000, he started making more songs talking about his life. His newest album Recovery has the best of both worlds. He has songs like “Almost Famous”, and “cold wind blows” that are more in line with his old style. He also has songs that talk about his life like “Your never over” which tells about his longtime friend proof who was killed in 2006. In an article that was written on July 2nd 2010 titled “Eminem, 'Recovery' (Shady/Aftermath/ Interscope)” it is said that “Em is still in the process of reassembling his shattered personality -- trying things on, throwing things away. He's unsure of whom he wants to be, both as an MC and as a man -- and it shows”. I don’t agree with this personally because I thought this was one of his best albums because it had many great songs. He has a new album coming out November 5th called The Marshall Mathers LP 2. A few of the songs have been released. Eminem has been receiving some criticism about the song “rap god” saying that he’s homophobic which is the same response he got when he released the song “criminal” in 2000. Personally I don’t agree with all the hate because words mean different things to different people. Another of the songs in his newest album is “Survival. In an article that was written on August 14 2013 titled “Eminem Detonates New Single 'Survival' in 'Call of Duty: Ghosts' Trailer” It is said that “The hard-grinding "Survival" features an anthemic, guitar-looping beat and the raw rhyme skills of Marshall Mathers, who comes out swinging”. I definitely agree with this, and think that Eminem stepped up his game with this song.

Guest Blogger: Chris #1

One rap group I listen to is Ces Cru; it is comprised of Ubiquidous and Godemis. They were signed to Tech N9ne’s label Strange Music in 2012. The first album they released was their Ep 13 album. This album featured songs like “klick clack bang” and “it’s not over” which have more of an aggressive feeling to them. They also have other songs like “One bomb state” that is more laid back and relaxed. There second album Constant Energy Struggles there is also a mixture of slower and more fast paced songs within it. Ces Cru sounds a lot like the other artist in Strange Music, like Tech N9ne or Krizz Kaliko. In their song “When Worlds Collide” Ubiquidous says I've done nothin' but crush whatever the f was in front of me. This line is memorable because he is saying that he has overcome and surpassed every obstacle or challenge that he has faced while trying to make something of him. In their song “Lotus” Godemis says; they might be local for ever but tech swooped em, and later says; took a look around the room and it feels like I finally made it. Both of these are his way of saying thank you to Tech N9ne for giving them the chance to prove themselves on his label, they are saying that if Tech wouldn’t have signed them they would have been stuck on a lower level. The person, who wrote the review, David “Rek” Lee, said “Many of the punch lines are well put-together rhythmically, but they fail to excite. At worst, they end up sounding something like battle rhymes from Rap message boards in the early days of Hip Hop on the Internet.” I along with many of the others who left comments on the site completely disagree with this statement. He later goes on to say “It’s a shame because these guys have skill.” I disagree with the first part of this statement but strongly agree with the last part that they do have skill. I would definitely recommend people to listen to these guys. I give them an 8 out of 10.