Ever wanted to know more about the music scene at Blair? Well now you can! Featuring interviews with bands Ladle Fight and The Flying Mighty, rap groups Publik Theory and H.A.V.O.C. and BNC Radio's executive producer Adam Maisto.
You can also see the video on silver-lens.org (like us on facebook and follow us on twitter). You might also be seeing it in pieces on info flow soon.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Hello Again
I listen to records (ironically, of course) because that's what all of the cool kids these days are doing. So you can imagine my excitement when my mom's friend let me take what I wanted from her old record collection.
The purpose of that shaky intro was to let you know that I have been listening to a lot of old school music lately, and I thought I would make a post sharing my favorites with you. This is the post.
1.
Chuck Berry (The Great 28)
Elvis was a lie. You want the real king of rock and roll, you need not look any further then Chuck Berry, one of the world's first rockers. He took blues and rhythm and turned them into an entirely new genre.
2.
Billy Ocean (Love Zone)
Billy Ocean is the undisputed king of R&B, at least in my book. His soulful vocals blend beautifully with the smooth, sometimes jazzy, sometimes experimental instrumentals.
3.
The Allman Brothers Band (Eat A Peach)
The Allman Brothers Band is a rock band with an emphasis on blues, a genre of which I am extremely fond. The long tracks will often consist of imrov that lasts several minutes and surprising complex solos based around a single chord. I must say, I am approve.
4.
Louis Armstrong (The Great Summit)
This is one of Louis Armstrong's latest albums, recorded in 1961 and released in 2001. But man, do I love Louis Armstrong. He and Duke Ellington have been favorites of mine since I started playing trumpet in 5th grade. I'm afraid if I try to get into the specifics of Armstrong and Ellington's styles I won't do them any justice, so I'll keep it at that.
The purpose of that shaky intro was to let you know that I have been listening to a lot of old school music lately, and I thought I would make a post sharing my favorites with you. This is the post.
1.
Chuck Berry (The Great 28)
Elvis was a lie. You want the real king of rock and roll, you need not look any further then Chuck Berry, one of the world's first rockers. He took blues and rhythm and turned them into an entirely new genre.
2.
Billy Ocean (Love Zone)
Billy Ocean is the undisputed king of R&B, at least in my book. His soulful vocals blend beautifully with the smooth, sometimes jazzy, sometimes experimental instrumentals.
3.
The Allman Brothers Band (Eat A Peach)
The Allman Brothers Band is a rock band with an emphasis on blues, a genre of which I am extremely fond. The long tracks will often consist of imrov that lasts several minutes and surprising complex solos based around a single chord. I must say, I am approve.
4.
Louis Armstrong (The Great Summit)
This is one of Louis Armstrong's latest albums, recorded in 1961 and released in 2001. But man, do I love Louis Armstrong. He and Duke Ellington have been favorites of mine since I started playing trumpet in 5th grade. I'm afraid if I try to get into the specifics of Armstrong and Ellington's styles I won't do them any justice, so I'll keep it at that.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
2 Pac - Final 24 Film Review
For my documentary film analysis, I watched 2 Pac - Final 24. The film, which is one in a series of several dealing with celebrity deaths, documents Tupac Shakur's life and how it related to and ultimately culminated in his untimely demise.
2 Pac - Final 24 is split into two alternating sections, one dealing with the last 24 hours of Tupac's life and one telling the story of his rise to fame. A mixture of interviews and narration are used to guide the story. The parts dealing with Tupac's final hours use primarily narration accompanied by dramatic re-enactments, while the story of his life is told through A-roll of interviews and archival footage of Tupac performing and being interviewed.
The movie, while primarily about Tupac's life and death, also incorporates some of the people who played a large role in one or both, such as his mother, rival rapper Biggie Smalls, and the CEO of Death Row Records. It is told primarily from a third person point of view, but incorporates first-person when the subject of an interview describes a part of the story.
It also has a dark, mysterious mood to it and follows the format of an action/spy movie. It incorporates cinematic aspects characteristic of spy movies such as a split screen with a timer shown to depict what is happening at a certain time before the tragedy occurs. The lighting is very moody during the interviews, and the dramatic re-enactments all take place at night, which give the film a dark feel. The music used consists primarily of hip-hop beats.
The dramatic re-enactments use actors to portray the people who were actually present during the events described in the documentary. Using pictures and actual footage from said events as a reference point, the filmmakers recreate the scenes as closely as possible using sets, and costumes.
Overall, 2 Pac - Final 24 is a very well-made film and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in hip-hop history. It is also very engaging, more so than most documentaries, because of the murder mystery format. The only thing I didn't like about the film was that all of the people interviewed were close to Tupac, resulting in a slightly biased image of the rapper.
The movie:
2 Pac - Final 24 is split into two alternating sections, one dealing with the last 24 hours of Tupac's life and one telling the story of his rise to fame. A mixture of interviews and narration are used to guide the story. The parts dealing with Tupac's final hours use primarily narration accompanied by dramatic re-enactments, while the story of his life is told through A-roll of interviews and archival footage of Tupac performing and being interviewed.
The movie, while primarily about Tupac's life and death, also incorporates some of the people who played a large role in one or both, such as his mother, rival rapper Biggie Smalls, and the CEO of Death Row Records. It is told primarily from a third person point of view, but incorporates first-person when the subject of an interview describes a part of the story.
It also has a dark, mysterious mood to it and follows the format of an action/spy movie. It incorporates cinematic aspects characteristic of spy movies such as a split screen with a timer shown to depict what is happening at a certain time before the tragedy occurs. The lighting is very moody during the interviews, and the dramatic re-enactments all take place at night, which give the film a dark feel. The music used consists primarily of hip-hop beats.
The dramatic re-enactments use actors to portray the people who were actually present during the events described in the documentary. Using pictures and actual footage from said events as a reference point, the filmmakers recreate the scenes as closely as possible using sets, and costumes.
Overall, 2 Pac - Final 24 is a very well-made film and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in hip-hop history. It is also very engaging, more so than most documentaries, because of the murder mystery format. The only thing I didn't like about the film was that all of the people interviewed were close to Tupac, resulting in a slightly biased image of the rapper.
The movie:
Friday, October 12, 2012
They're Still With Us (I'm With You Review)
I've been a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers since I was 8 years old. At the time, of course, I didn't really understand their music, which is, in general, not something an 8 year old should be listening to. So, as you can imagine, I was extremely exited when I learned that they were coming out with a new album called I'm With You. The Peppers went on hiatus after releasing their 2006 album Stadium Arcadium, which resulted in roomers of retirement. No one took these roomers seriously, however. As bassist "Flea" put it, "the Chili Peppers never went away."
For a band that's been around so long, and kept most of it's core members the whole time, it's impressive how good they still sound. I could not find a single track on I'm With You that I didn't like. I was also impressed with how well Josh Klinghoffer's style meshed with the traditional funk/hard rock/punk style that the Chili Peppers are known for. Klinghoffer was confirmed as a permanent replacement for long-time guitarist John Frusciante. While many fans were upset to see John go, Josh's style provides a different yet interesting effect on the music. Where Frusciante was known for his psychedelic riffs, Josh does a good job of keeping a good background rhythm that complements Flea's bass riffs very well.
Overall I'd have to say that I'm With You is one of my favorite albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It has less of a hard rock feel to it and draws more influence from funk, which is an interesting but not unwelcome change from the traditional Chili Peppers sound. The only album that I think tops I'm With You is Californication, which was and still is a gem.
For a band that's been around so long, and kept most of it's core members the whole time, it's impressive how good they still sound. I could not find a single track on I'm With You that I didn't like. I was also impressed with how well Josh Klinghoffer's style meshed with the traditional funk/hard rock/punk style that the Chili Peppers are known for. Klinghoffer was confirmed as a permanent replacement for long-time guitarist John Frusciante. While many fans were upset to see John go, Josh's style provides a different yet interesting effect on the music. Where Frusciante was known for his psychedelic riffs, Josh does a good job of keeping a good background rhythm that complements Flea's bass riffs very well.
Overall I'd have to say that I'm With You is one of my favorite albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It has less of a hard rock feel to it and draws more influence from funk, which is an interesting but not unwelcome change from the traditional Chili Peppers sound. The only album that I think tops I'm With You is Californication, which was and still is a gem.
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