Music Review: Paramore, “After Laughter”

Music Review: Paramore, “After Laughter”

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If there’s any early 00’s pop punk band that has survived well into the next decade, it’s Paramore. While similar acts like Evanescence, Avril Lavigne, and Panic! at the Disco have largely faded into memory along with studded belts and skinny ties worn over graphic tees, Paramore has steadily built an empire of solid music and adoring fans. And that’s largely thanks to the lightning bolt of talent that is Paramore lead singer, Hayley Williams. (With her electrifying star quality, she could sing and dance her way through the dictionary and still sell out stadium tours.) Williams was just 14 when the band formed back in ‘04, and, for over a decade, she has grown-up alongside her fans – from a plucky, suburban emo kid to that cool, fun, mysterious girl you meet at a party who deleted her Facebook account, like, six years ago. Paramore was playing on the radio as their fans navigated through high school, went to college and eventually found jobs (or more likely, a slew of unpaid internships). Williams has also made herself more relevant since the pop punk craze died down by lending her vocal talent to numerous modern artists, such as when she teamed up with Chvrches (who [Fun Fact] I once ran into at an Urban Outfitters in Georgetown) on their track “Bury It.” Although Paramore’s style hasn’t changed as drastically over the years as, say, the cut and color of Williams’ hair, much less “early aughts angst” fills their albums these days. On “After Laughter,” the first album after the band’s three-year hiatus, the lyrics are still punk, but the pop is much poppier. On lead single “Hard Times,” try not to crack a smile at the playful 80’s vibe or Williams dancing, even though the lyrics she’s belting are about her own struggle with depression the previous year. The album isn’t perfect: it certainly has it’s highs (check out the video for “Told You So” with it’s serious Wes Anderson vibe) and lows (“26,” “No Friend,”) but that’s to be expected from a band of this generation, struggling to come to terms with adulthood and all it’s bumps along the way. Paramore proves that coming to terms with yourself during life’s first big challenges isn’t easy – especially if you’re the type who sits at work reminiscing about your teenage years when you’d ditch homeroom and chill with your clique at the skatepark – but we all make it through, somehow.

 

Throwback Thursday: The Beatle, “A Hard Day’s Night” Film Premiere

Throwback Thursday: The Beatle, “A Hard Day’s Night” Film Premiere

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On this day in 1964, the film “A Hard Day’s Night” starring Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon of The Beatles premiered at The Pavilion Theatre in London. The film was produced and released during the height of “Beatlemania” and was made in the style of a “mockumentary,” which followed the band as they headed to London from their hometown of Liverpool to play a show, dodging screaming hordes of fans along the way. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards – one for Best Screenplay and one for Best Score (Adaptation) – and earned an estimated $11 million worldwide. “A Hard Day’s Night” is cited as one of the most influential musical films of all time, serving as inspiration for the American television program “The Monkees.” It also catapulted the popularity of British spy-comedies of the late 1960’s, and is often viewed as a precursor to the modern music video.

5 Movies to Watch on the 4th of July

5 Movies to Watch on the 4th of July

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For Bay Area dwellers, the 4th of July is usually a disappointment: most years it’s too cold for a backyard barbeque, and good luck trying to catch a glimpse of any fireworks through the dense layer of fog that incessantly rolls in every evening during the summer. Most people who live in the Bay Area tend to skedaddle out of town for the holiday, but for those staying in chilly San Francisco today, instead of trying to make out colors through the clouds, here’s a list of movies to watch on the 4th of July while staying cozy and warm inside.

 

Forrest Gump

One of the most quoted films of all time, “Forrest Gump” is an excellent choice for The 4th of July. The film chronicles the life of a lovable Southerner, Forrest Gump (Played by Tom Hanks), and takes viewers on an American history tour that spans the second half of the Twentieth Century. Through coincidence, talent, and sheer luck, Forrest continually finds himself in the midst of history unfolding: from meeting Elvis before his big break, fighting in the Vietnam War, engaging in 1960’s counterculture and even investing in Apple Computers. The carefully curated soundtrack especially helps the film fully manifest each decade and provides a perfect anthology of American rock. With a runtime of two hours and twenty minutes, “Forrest Gump” is a great film to watch when you’ve got the entire day off to enjoy. And on the 4th of July, it’s a near-perfect, American-themed film.

 

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

You probably watched this uplifting, 1939 film about overcoming political corruption, the goodness of humanity, and the unflappable bedrock of morality that is the American Legislative branch (*sigh*) in your 8th grade Social Studies class. The story follows a Junior Senator, Jeff Smith, who takes on a powerful and corrupt political machine, culminating in an epic, 24-hour long filibuster highlighting American ideals. This film is exactly what your therapist wants you to watch this 4th of July.  

 

Apollo 13

The 1995, major box office success directed by Ron Howard depicts the true story of the on-board explosion and subsequent emergency landing expedition of the Apollo 13 lunar mission. Starring Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell and Kevin Bacon as Jack Swigert, the film was praised for being scientifically and historically accurate. Besides the all-star cast and stellar attention to detail,  “Apollo 13” is an excellent story about the science, ingenuity, and perseverance that defined the Apollo Program and lifted the American spirit during the Cold War.

1776

This 1972 movie-musical about the events leading up to the signing of The Declaration of Independence features our Founding Fathers (Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, & Company) in neatly choreographed musical routines. Based off of the 1969 Broadway musical of the same name, “1776” borrows portions of its dialogue and song lyrics directly from the letters, diary entries, and memoirs of participants of the Second Continental Congress. Overall, the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, putting a jazzy twist on a long, tiresome debate and the birthday of American Independance.

 

Independence Day

No 4th of July movie list would be complete without “Independence Day,” the 1996 sci-fi disaster flick about aliens coming to Earth to destroy all of mankind on – you guessed it – the 4th of July. Featuring iconic performances by Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum (and an epically inspirational speech by fictional President Thomas Whitmore), it’s easy to remember that this movie was a really big deal when it first came out – from its high stakes action scenes to its cutting edge special effects (like blowing up the White House), “Independence Day” helped define the modern blockbuster heading into twenty-first century. But most importantly, “Independence Day” brought to light a Utopic vision of all of humanity putting aside their differences once and for all to seriously kick some evil alien butt.

Happy 4th of July! Do you have any favorite 4th of July movies that didn’t make the list? Tell us yours in the comments section below!

Music Review: Animal Collective, “Meeting of the Waters, EP”

Music Review: Animal Collective, “Meeting of the Waters, EP”

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Animal Collective, the experimental pop group who’ve become mainstays in summer music festival lineups over the years, has released a new 4-track EP, “Meeting of the Waters.” Recorded on the banks of the Amazon River as part of “Earth Works,” a Viceland documentary series exploring the impacts of deforestation, the EP is immersed in the natural melody of the Amazon Rainforest. Not to overwhelm the background, Avey Tare and Geologist take a step back – strumming soft and singing as if not to disturb any sleeping creatures concealed, just out-of-sight, by the dense rainforest. The 13-minute opener, “Blue Noses,” is the best example of the artists working with the noises of the Rainforest as found material, while the most upbeat track on the EP, “Man Of Oil,” features in the background excerpts of a woman speaking in a soft, indistinguishable language. The melding of the environment and raw instrumentation gives the EP an overall improvisational feel, as if you and your fellow weary travelers have set up camp for the night, and sing around the fire until daybreak.

Throwback Thursday: The Final Performance of The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Throwback Thursday: The Final Performance of The Jimi Hendrix Experience

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On this day in 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played their final public performance at the Denver Pop Festival in Colorado. The rock band, which formed in London in 1966, consisted of Jimi Hendrix as lead vocals, songwriter, and guitarist; Noel Redding as backing vocals and bassist; and Mitch Mitchell on drums. From 1966 through 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three successful studio albums, several hit singles (“Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe,” and their cover of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”) and popularized psychedelic rock, channeling the style and energy of the 1960’s counterculture. They became notorious in the US after their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967, where Hendrix ended the set by lighting his Fender Stratocaster on fire. However, relations between Hendrix and bassist Redding soon began to deteriorate, and after their appearance at the Denver Pop Festival in June of 1969, Redding left the trio. After Redding’s departure, Hendrix and Mitchell expanded the band, sometimes still referred to as The Jimi Hendrix Experience (and sometimes as Gypsy Sun and Rainbows), performing at Woodstock in August of that same year. However, more arguments and bandmate shuffling plagued the group, until Hendrix himself died of a drug overdose in September of 1970. In 1992 the Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.