MINARET
ARTS & CULTURE ISSUE THE
CONTENTS 6 EDITOR’S NOTE 8 WHAT TO WATCH 12 WHAT’S HOT 14 FASHION PICKS 16 SUZANNE COLLINS FEEDS SCI-FI FANS WITH HUNGER GAMES
18 WHAT’S OLD IS NEW, AND
WHAT’S NEW WON’T LAST
24 3D MOVIES - RATED: B FOR BACKLASH
28 THREE FILMS YOU SHOULD READ
30 THE CLIMB FROM LOW BROW TO HIGHBROW
32 WAT TEMPLE? TAMPA’S ULTIMATE THAI OASIS
34 PLAYLISTS 36 FANG ISLAND SINKS TEETH INTO TAMPA
42 CHEAP ARTISTS GIVE
RECORDING INDUSTRY A FACELIFT
PAGE 4 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
MINARET
ISSUE 78.5 | ARTS & CULTURE | OCTOBER 2011 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR FACULTY ADVISER
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It was an October afternoon. I was in kindergarten and I had just groggily woken up from nap time. My teacher was kind enough to give us the rest of the afternoon to play, which made my 5-year-old self jump up, fist pump and do scissor kicks off my chair (I still maintain the same reaction when I have free time to this day). At this point in my academic career, I had decided I wanted to be an architect, a professional chef and the genie from Aladdin. Since as my parachute pants weren’t part of the acceptable school dress code, I assessed my other options for playtime. The kitchen was already in service by the catty Head Chef, Marissa so I took notice of several guys building their version of the Empire State building from Lincoln Logs. While I made an attempt to help, I was quickly asked not to participate in their construction project because I had “stupid ideas” (In retrospect, I still think a rooftop Skip-It lounge would have been the perfect marriage of fitness and socializing for any office building). So rather than take out my anger Godzilla style, I politely asked my teacher for some perforated computer paper and began sketching. In about 20 minutes, I had drawn Mickey Mouse four pages tall which was certain to rival anything made by Walt Disney. As I finished up the details, a boy came over and to my surprise, genuinely liked my work so much, he wanted to keep it. I couldn’t believe it. My first real attempt at drawing and someone actually liked it. So, not knowing what else to do with Mickey, I folded him up and handed him over. Within minutes, he was showing our classmates my drawing and I was quickly commissioned by another boy to draw another. Little did I realize then that in this moment my love for the arts would begin. Holidays, birthdays, even my first zoo visit will always stick out in my memory because of the fun I recall having those days. But then there are the days that seemed so ordinary when they happened, but I recognize now have changed the course of my life. We have chosen to devote this issue to highlight the arts as they continue to drive the cultural revolution of our society. The videos we make viral on YouTube, the music we record on our laptops, the shows we DVR, to the pictures we snap and share with our friends. Artists will always make their work accessible to society, but will never let culture define it.
MIKE TROBIANO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PAGE 6 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
PHOTO BY CHELSEA MICHAELSON
R ec og ni zi ng M y Lo ve of th e A rt s
MIKE TROBIANO
ON TV 10/11
CLICsKhow
To me, fall means one thing: new TV shows. Here are some shows that are definitely worth checking out.
to watc h rs traile
EVAN BIRSIC !
The Playboy Club Like any red-blooded American man, Playboy holds a special place in my heart. Since subscribing to the magazine isn’t exactly part of the college budget laid out by my parents and with The Girls Next Door no longer on air, I’ve been suffering some massive withdrawals. Thankfully NBC is giving me a new fix with its drama, The Playboy Club. Set in Chicago in 1963, the series revolves around the iconic Bunnies and the men that patron their establishment. After one of the women murders a mobster, the entire Club becomes immersed in the dangerous crime scene of 1960’s Chicago. A fastpaced drama full of sex, booze, powerful men and beautiful women, The Playboy Club is sure to be an instant hit.
from top clockwise: The Playboy Cliub, Terra Nova, The Secret Club
PAGE 8 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
The Secret Circle For whatever reason, human beings are obsessed with the supernatural and always have been. If you think back 10 years, it wouldn’t be hard to make a list of a dozen or so TV shows that center mythical creatures. As of now, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries cover the vampire craze while Teen Wolf gives television audiences their werewolf fix. This fall, The CW supplies us with my personal favorite creatures: witches. The Secret Circle explores what happens when six hormonal teenagers discover they possess immense magical powers and can essentially do whatever they want. It’s Gossip Girl meets Charmed and I’m sure to love every second of it.
Terra Nova The award for the most risky concept for a television show goes to Fox’s Terra Nova. You’d be hard pressed to find a successful prime time show about time travel. You’d be even harder pressed to find a successful prime time show about dinosaurs. Nova combines both. The year is 2149 and Earth is uninhabitable. Scientists invent a time machine to send humans to the colony called Terra Nova, located 85 million years in the past. The Shannon family are members of the eleventh pilgrimage through time to an Earth ruled by dinosaurs. With Steven Spielberg executive producing, Terra Nova will hold over anyone waiting for the next Jurassic Park movie. And let’s face it, who isn’t?
above: Up All Night; right: Person of Interest
Up All Night I friggin’ love Christina Applegate. I friggin’ love Will Arnett. I friggin’ love Maya Rudolph. Needless to say, I’m beyond excited that the three of them will be starring in the NBC comedy Up All Night. Former partygoers Chris and Regan (Arnett and Applegate) recently welcomed their first child, Amy, into the world. The show chronicles the ups and downs of being new parents trying to lead a healthy social life. Rudolph co-stars as Ava, Regan’s outrageous BFF and host of an Oprah-esque talk show. The combined comedic talents of the three leads already has me craving more and the series has just begun.
Person of Interest If there’s one thing that James Bond has taught us, it’s that a good spy thriller will never go out of style. If there’s one thing that J.J. Abrams
has taught us, it’s that J.J. Abrams is a genius when it comes to suspense. The creative mind that brought us Alias, Lost and the 2009 Star Trek movie returns to TV with Person of Interest on CBS. When a mysterious billionaire invents a program that predicts the indentity of people who will be involved in violent crimes, he hires a presumed dead ex-CIA agent to stop the crimes before they happen. Far fetched, yes. But with Abrams’ track record, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot.
ON TV 10/11
Along with the good, comes the bad. Here are some shows that should probably be cancelled before they even air.
Prime Suspect Unforgettable Women can be strong! Woman can be powerful! Woman can work in law enforcement, but only if they have some sort of unique ability that sets them apart from men! The CBS drama Unforgettable centers on Carrie Wells, a former detective who can forgive, but never forgets. Literally. Carrie has a rare condition that causes her to remember every little detail of every aspect of her life. It’s impossible for her forget anything. Except the details of her sister’s murder. The woman can remember what she ate for breakfast on May 22, 1980 but the murder of her sister happens to slip her mind. The show reeks of trying too hard.
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Prime Suspect is NBC’s contribution to the female cop genre. Jane Timoney (Maria Bello) is a homicide detective in New York. And let me tell ya, she is one tough cookie. For whatever reason, the boys down at the station don’t respect her, even though she sees what others miss and has an almost unnatural ability to get into the minds of criminals. So to prove her worth, she sleeps with her boss and gets a promotion. Listen, I’m all for a show with a strong female lead, but this just isn’t cutting it for me. For now I’ll just stick to Police Women of Broward County.
H8R It’s no secret that reality shows are a guilty pleasure for most Americans. To hell with baseball. America’s favorite pastime is taking people with no marketable talent and slight mental issues, and turning them into celebrities. We are responsible for making Snooki a big deal. Never forget that. What Americans don’t like is mixing celebrities with normal people. That’s just yuck. So I’ll never understand why The CW thought H8R would be a good idea. H8R is a reality show that follows international superstars like Scott Disick as they attempt turn their ‘haters’ into fans. Naturally the show is hosted by Mario Lopez and surprisingly isn’t produced by Ryan Seacrest.
New Girl In terms of acting ability, Zooey Deschanel has none. Rather, she plays herself in every role she takes, which annoys me to no end. In New Girl, she plays Jess, a bubbly and quirky hipster who likes to sing. About everything. When Jess’ model boyfriend understandably cheats on her, she decides to start anew. Through Craigslist, Jess finds a new apartment but it’s inhabited by three dudes. Long story short, Jess moves in and inevitably annoys the crap out of her male cohabitants. But then the guys appreciate Jess’ off-brand peppiness and live happily ever after. The end.
Glee Though it’s not a new show, I can’t pass at an opportunity to get people to stop watching Glee. Just stop watching. Aside from being a soap box for creator Ryan Murphy, the show does nothing but perpetuate stereotypes and provide society with crappy covers of decent songs. Yes, the cast are talented vocalists, for the most part, but can you honestly say you’d miss them if they never returned to your TV screen?
this page - top to bottom: H8R, New Girl, Glee
C U LT U R E 10/11
Buy
Rent
See
Avoid
The Four Movies You Should Buy Thor
CLICK
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
MoneyBall
Abduction
WHAT’S HOT
for more n informatio
Three Video Games Coming Soon
Viral Video
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
WWE ‘12
Batman: Arkham City PAGE 12 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
Dog owners generally like to talk about their dogs, while cat owners usually go on and on about their cats. But you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who used these animals as an analogy for winning a sporting event, and did so during a press conference... until now. A portion of Coastal Carolina University head football coach David Bennett’s press conference recently went viral due to his inspirational storytelling abilities. In preparation of the team’s next game, Bennett shares a story about a neighbor’s cat making its way into the coach’s house and then becoming noisy when it failed to find a way out. The lesson? The Coastal Carolina football team doesn’t need to be like cats, but rather like dogs. I must admit, while this analogy/metaphor/other-literary-term-that-may-workhere is not the poorest I’ve heard, it’s how animated the coach becomes that is worthy of going viral. Bennett mimicks the feline’s feeble attempt to escape, going as far as to bellow “meow” multiple times during the presser. His confidence in telling the story and a thick southern accent to top it off doesn’t help his cause here, either. Bennett later confirmed that it was a true story, and the fact that the video made it across the Internet and onto ESPN means it must have been a slow news days. Yes, Coach Bennett- it surely must have been. That, and the fact that you were so immensely passionate while impersonating a cat.
FA S H I O N 10/11
Fall
FASHIONS E PURCHiteAmsSto Click the buy now
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This page - clockwise from top left: Paul Smith Mini Cooper Vegas Billfold from Bloomingdales, Blue Button Down from H+M, Nautical Icon Tie from Urban Outfitters, UO Leather Derby Shoe from Urban Outfitters. McKlein Business Case available at Macy’s, Ray-Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses, Burberry Oversize Black Chrono Dial Bracelet Watch - 42mm.
This page - clockwise from top left: Rouge pur Couture from Yves Saint Laurent, Long Jacket with Pockets from H+M, Charm Oversized Sunglasses with Script Arm Logo from Fendi, Fitted Jersey Mini Dress from H+M. Crystal Hoop Earrings from Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Miss Dior Cherle from Dior, Trompe l’oeil Laptop Case available at Urban Outfitters, Michael Women’s Chronograph Two-Tone Bracelet Watch - 36.5mm from Michael Kors
BOOKS 10/11
Suzanne Collins Feeds Sci-Fi Fans with Hunger Games New novel picks up where Potter fans were dropped off
HANNAH WEBSTER !
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hen the credits began to roll after Harry Potterr and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, I was overwhelmed by the feeling that my childhood was officially over. I, like so many other children of my generation, grew up with adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione. I eagerly looked for something new to fill the void that had been diffindo-ed into my heart and first settled with the Twilight novels. I had high hopes until it was ruined, like many great novels, by being turned into a movie. Yes, it had amazing potential, but the terrible casting and mediocre special effects had me blushing in embarrassment for the producers—and wondering if Kristen Stewart knew the difference between feeling “happy” and “sad,” because it certainly didn’t register on her face. “Twilight stinks, in my opinion,” said sophomore Liza Turrill. “It’s like an older lady’s wet dream, sparkly vampires and werewolves with no shirts. I guess Twilight is the new generation’s Harry Potter, unfortunately.” But fear not lovers of fantasy, action, science fiction and romance—something new is on its way. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins follows the story of Katniss Everdeen, a girl who lives in a post-apocalyptic society called Panem where the United States used to exist. The country is divided into 12 districts with a central city called the Capitol. To remind the districts of the Capitol’s power, each year they hold a tournament called the Hunger Games. Each district selects two tributes between ages 12 and 18 using a lottery-like system. These tributes are then sent to the Capitol to compete in a bloody fight to the death, which is aired on national television throughout the districts. Citizens are supposed to watch with excitement, like the way our society watches the Superbowl. Except instead of watching a ball being thrown around, they watch their children die. And are expected to cheer. Strong, intelligent and independent 16-year-old Katniss is chosen from District
12. Let the games begin. The story has a bit of everything. There is humor accompanied with great sadness, romance with great loss and moments of joy brought with moments of nearly absurd disturbance that left me yelling at the mute pages of my book. I spent a week holed up at home reading these novels, completely unable to put them down. Even when I did, when I finally decided I should get at least a small amount of sleep, I would lay awake for another hour just thinking about it. And I know I’m not the only one. Collins’ novel now has more than 2.9 million copies in print and is a USA Today and a New York Times best seller. And this is just the first novel, not counting Catching Fire or Mockingly, the other two books in the trilogy. With such success, naturally a movie deal comes next. Lionsgate Films eagerly snatched up the rights to The Hunger Games and named Gary Ross as the director. Freshman Jackeline Chaparro is eagerly awaiting the release of this new saga. “I’m very excited. I just hope they stick to the story line,” she said. “It may not be Harry Potter, but it will be big enough.” A trailer aired at this year’s VMAs and was found to be admittedly a little disappointing. But the ambiguity of the trailer was no doubt a tool to whet the appetite of anticipating fans all over the world. The cast list looks promising, with Jennifer Lawrence (most recently seen in X-Men: First Class) to play Katniss Everdeen. Josh Hutcherson is all grown up from The Bridge to Terabithia in time to play Peta Mellark, the other District 12 tribute and (spoiler alert!) a potential love interest, in addition to Liam Hemsworth (from The Last Song) as Gale Hawthorne. Collin’s book is an amazing production all on its own. If the producers of this film stay as true to it as possible without cutting corners, it has the potential to bring to life another world that avid readers have created in their minds. The highly anticipated end result is expected to be release on March 23, 2012. Hopefully this will be the next big feast for sci-fi and fantasy lovers everywhere.
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WHAT’S
OLD NEW
IS
WHAT’S
,
NEW
WON’T LAST MIKEY ANGELO RUMORÉ !
T
he enterprising editors here at The Minaret asked me to think about what current musical artists are most likely to be considered “golden oldies” in the next 40 years. Well, first I pictured an 80-year-old and kickin’ Eminem, which gave me a good chuckle for a minute or two. Then my irrepressible cynicism reasserted itself. I’ve got to say that the music industry, in its current state, is not on a good track for producing many multigenerational artists. It’s never been harder to be a musician, because musicians are forced to operate within a music industry that stifles progress in an effort to make its existence necessary.
Soundgarden
Korn
PAGE 20 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
Which isn’t revolution. We showcased for more labels than I can remember. Some A+R agents seemed really hot on signing the band, others didn’t like us much and all embodied LA’s signature insincerity. Nonetheless, optimism followed us back to Tampa. When we heard nothing further from the labels, their silence was deafening. About a month later we found that one of the A+R guys that almost signed us got fired. Less than a year later, many of the people we had showcased for had been fired or moved around. So had we been signed, we would have either been tossed out along with yesterday’s trends or stuck in bureaucratic limbo. (The ultimate demise of Hat Trick Heroes took four more years: four long, hard, but fun years.) The shakeup put us in the strange position of being thankful that we had not been signed. I bring my own band into the discussion only to show that the music industry is in disarray. Labels are no longer in the business of developing young artists. The message for bands: do it yourself. What happened? The digital age happened. It destroyed the physical product that record companies rely on. William Gibson notes that “copies are no longer cheap but free and flow freely available.” He also says, “A new regime of digital technology has now disrupted all business models based on mass produced copies, including the livelihood of artists.” In response, labels turn to their “golden oldies” for help. That’s why, for the past five or so years, the top grossing tours have mostly been long-established acts: Green Day, U2, Madonna, Dave Mathew’s Band, et. al. It’s as if no new bands rise to replace them. And notice that for the last decade, rock music seems to come in contrived movements: Remember the “The” bands for the early-2000s? (The Strokes, The Hives, The Vines...) Or the explosion of pseudoemo bands like Taking Back Sunday or Hawthorne Heights? Each “movement” is short-lived precisely because it’s contrived by A+R agents searching for the next Nirvana in a desperate attempt not to get tossed aside. And it seems that labels have forgotten
PHOTO CREDITS FOUND ON PAGE 46
MUSIC 10/11
When my band, Hat Trick Heroes, showcased for major labels in Los Angeles in 2006, we felt like we were riding a wave of inevitability. Guitar Hero had just become a big hit, and record labels seemed to be going into a frenzy for rock’n’roll acts. There was suddenly money in guitar-driven rock music. Hat Trick Heroes modeled itself after guitar bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who and The Stones, and we felt good about our chances in Hollywood. We had a new manager, David, who set up the showcases. He even pulled a few strings to get us featured in a tastemaker magazine as a “hot act” to watch. A couple bands similar to us had recently gotten signed. One in particular, Wolfmother, a Black Sabbath-tinged power trio from Australia, had a connection with one of the A+R agents David had hooked us up with. We saw a trend rising, and thought ourselves lucky for seemingly playing the right kind of music at the right time. Little did we know that we weren’t latching onto an organic musical trend but entering a world of tastemakers looking to concoct the next “rock revolution” from the top down.
Nirvanna
the lessons that Nirvana and the Seattle grunge explosion should have taught them. A strong presence of independent labels made the late-80’s and early-90’s Seattle music scene special. The upstart Seattle-based label Sub Pop Records, in particular, played a pivotal role in developing many of the bands that would make 1991 “the year that punk broke”—Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney. Nirvana’s often forgotten first album, Bleach, was released by Sub Pop in 1989. A label like Sub Pop allowed Nirvana the space to develop their craft in a way major labels, in their search for instant hits, or what a later Nirvana song dubbed “radio friendly unit shifters,” would never allow time for. I suspect that a major label would have seen a record like Bleach as a failure: it’s a decent record, but a listen back reveals a distinct lack of hit potential. But Bleach acted as the stepping stone to Nevermind (1991), which, as we know, became so influential that labels are still trying to mimic its success. However, it seems that they don’t even understand how Nirvana was allowed to build into a band that could
produce an album like Nevermind. In late-80’s Seattle, lots of bands were isolated from major label orthodoxy; instead they grew out of a culture of nurturing and development. And what did we get? The last significant musical explosion. (If you want to know how utterly transformative grunge was, ask an ex-80’s hair-rocker. They’re still scarred from being made passé overnight.) Labels have protected their old, obsolete business model by enforcing outdated copyright laws; if copies are worthless, what good is a copyright? Then, they’ve begun taking cuts from areas of the artists’ income that they’ve never dipped into before: touring and merch. In 2005, Korn became the first band to relinquish a piece of touring and merchandising in exchange for money up-front when they signed with Virgin Records for $25 million. As part of the deal, Virgin took a 30 percent share in Korn’s licensing and ticket sales. For Korn, the deal minimized their risk during an uncertain period for album sales. However, it doesn’t represent a practical model for
Again, established acts are protected, at the expense of younger artists. This artistic hegemony can’t sustain itself forever.
M OV I E S 10/11
Wolfmother
PAGE 22 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
developing artists and actually takes away from the one still-profitable aspect of being a musician: the live show. Again, established acts are protected, at the expense of younger artists. This artistic hegemony can’t sustain itself forever. Eventually, the old label model will completely give way. The cracks have longsince been apparent. A few years after the LA showcase fiasco, Hat Trick Heroes briefly signed with Combustion Music, a publishing company in Nashville, Tn. Combustion dealt mostly in country music publishing, a still profitable musical enterprise. One of their biggest artists was Carrie Underwood; every time you hear “Jesus Take the Wheel” on the radio, Combustion makes a buck. But they had also gotten into the business of developing a few rock bands, their biggest success story being Kings of Leon. The entirety of Kings of Leon’s first album, Youth and Young Manhood, was co-written by Angelo Petraglia, a Combustion songwriter. Kings of Leon has blossomed into a worldwide smash, and it didn’t happen overnight, as the saying goes. Now, big company buyouts of smaller enterprises like Combustion threatens this niche, too. The music industry’s model is terminal. It’s time to think about what should replace it. Or we could imagine an elderly Lil Wayne. I’m sure his tattoos will look funny with his shriveled skin hanging down his bony arms. As will those ridiculous tear-drop tattoos under his eyes, which will probably stretch-out to look more like beached whales than tears. Except the cheap laughs will subside. And by the time Lil Wayne’s skin hangs, the music industry that pumps out “golden oldies” may no longer be with us.
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M OV I E S 10/11
S E I S V E I O V MO DM 33D r o f r o f B : D ATTE RRA H S H A S L A K L C K AC BBA You and your significant other are trying to make a final decision on a night out for dinner and a movie. Both film fans, the discrepancy isn’t over which movie to spend money on. Transformers: Dark of the Moon is what you’ve decided on seeing, but your special someone is willing to fork over more money to see it in 3D, while you have other thoughts. “I hate 3D,” said Victoria Feliciano, a film enthusiast who deals with disputes like these on a regular basis with her husband, Anthony. “Mainly because it gives me a headache, and unless you have continuous 3D gags, your eyes get adjusted to it after a few minutes, so you can’t even really tell.” Anthony ultimately wins the dispute after 45 minutes of debating, and the couple spends $35 to see the the latest installment of Transformers in an extra dimension. Though Feliciano describes her husband as a fan of 3D just as long
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as one scene includes a “3D gag,” she says that after seeing Transformers, he admits to it not being worth the extra cash. So is the life of some moviegoers, those who are left in a debacle when the more convenient movie time happens to be showing in their least favorite format-` 3D. As production studios have been releasing more and more films in 3D over the past few years, resentment towards these movies has risen. “I know that in the last, say, six months to maybe even a little longer, there’s been a bit of backlash against the 3D,” said Joe Bardi, Associate Editor and movie critic for the monthly Tampa-based publication, Creative Loafing. What defines a trend is its tendency to wither away over time. And while it may be too soon to tell, Michael Zeolla, a development executive at Intrepid Pictures, based in Santa Monica, Ca., said that he doesn’t foresee the backlash subsiding anytime soon. “Backlash of 3D will most likely always be here. It is what it is at this point, and if someone doesn’t like it now, they’re not going to like it a year from now,” Zeolla wrote via e-mail, adding that the people in favor of 3D versus the critics of 3D are probably split down the middle at this point. Lowell Harris, an adjunct professor in the communication department at the University of Tampa and the faculty advisor for the film and studio association at the University of South Florida, explained that 3D was once a novelty
PHOTO CREDITS FOUND ON PAGE 46
! DA NI EL FE IN G O LD
when first introduced to the public in the early 1950s. Now, he said, with 3D being so prevalent not only in theaters but with new television sets and Blu-Rays, the special quality is lost. “Today, it is a gimmick. It is a way to say, ‘gee, look, we’ve got something new!’ It is not a necessity,” Harris said. “It’s grabbing at something, anything, to get people back into the theaters.” With admission to some theaters reaching as much as $10 for a regularly formatted film, the additional three or four dollars tagged to the price of a 3D movie may be reason enough for backlash. In a struggling economy, asking audiences to spend extra discretionary income on a film is a tough sell, especially for movies that are released to widely negative reviews; box office numbers, while not conclusive, do support this notion. For instance, recently released and critically scorned 3D films such as Conan the Barbarian and Shark Night 3D opened nationwide to a weak $10 million and $8.4 million, respectively. And those box office flops are the ones ruining the general perception of 3D’s use in films, according to Harris. “Remember Gresham’s Law—bad money always drives out the good money—and it’s the same here,” he explained. “The bad films often will affect [the good films] because they’re taking space in the theater.” However, it’s not as if summer blockbusters and critically acclaimed films aren’t taking part in the 3D surge. Movies like Thor and 2010 Academy Award Winner Alice in Wonderland include 3D as well. Though credited as excellent films, some audience members may not be able to see past the negative 3D moniker. Feliciano, for one, appreciates the filmmaking process of a movie like Thor, but feels cheated when she pays extra to see it in 3D and leaves the theater unsatisfied. “I think that real film directors might put one or two 3D gags, but for the most part, they’re just making a movie” she said. “I basically paid [more for] the price of a ticket to see a 3D movie with nothing special in it.”
Piranha is one of several movies to be released in theaters over the past couple years which heavily relied on using an extra dimension to sell more tickets.
There are a variety of perspectives and angles to view the backlash, and yet average moviegoers aren’t the only ones involved. Film critics are also among those who are strongly against 3D. The way critics review movies has been altered, as now the added dimension means adding an aspect to their critique. Arguably the most well-known movie critic in America, Roger Ebert is first in line to express
M OV I E S 10/11
Avatar, which was nominated for Best Picture at the 2010 Academy Awards, is known for its beautiful aesthetics and groundbreaking 3D.
his resentment for 3D’s role in film. In an Harris doesn’t happen to care for 3D article written for Newsweek titled “Why either when he goes to the theater. He I hate 3-D”, Ebert lists and explains nine feels it’s unnecessary altogether. reasons why audience members should All the same, Zeolla believes that join him in his hatred, among them, “it while the backlash may never subside, adds nothing to the experience” and, “it critics will have to adjust to 3D. He can be a distraction.” acknowledged that the resentment In addition, the lack comes from varying of brightness in 3D films reasons—among them, has posed a problem. inflated prices and the “Today, it is a While 3D movies are realization that it’s being marketed as such, many gimmick. It is a way used as a gimmick—but are actually not filmed says as a fan of horror to say, ‘gee, look, in 3D, but rather in films, he happens to we’ve got something enjoy the use of 3D. 2D—then converted in postproduction for the “As a moviegoer, new!’ It is not a big screen. This often I personally enjoy 3D necessity.” causes the picture to films for the visual be dark and of lesser aspect of it,” he said. quality. Bardi explained “I’m also an avid horror that this lower quality movie fan, and any film image affects films where blood and guts shown in both 3D and 2D. are being thrown at me in 3D is right up “Theater owners are turning down the my alley.” bulbs on their 3D projectors and then Personal opinions aside, the reality is leaving them down for 2D movies, which that a 3D film can be seen in theaters on means that not only are the 3D movies a weekly basis. Backlash or not, there is projecting dark, but the 2D movies are no end to 3D in sight—especially with now projecting dark as well, so it’s kind of the sequel of Avatar, the world’s all-time ruining everything.” leader in box office gross (close to $3 Personally, Bardi said he dislikes billion) and a movie which heavily relied the 3D unless it is being used with the on 3D for its success, set to be released intention of improving the filmmaking. in 2014.
PAGE 26 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
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OPINION
You should
READ
An in-depth look at what made the book but didn’t make the movie adaptation. ALYSIA SAWCHYN !
10/11
Though it is considered a classic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory doesn’t live up to the precedent set by Roald Dahl’s book.
It’s often assumed that an original work trumps its remake- whether it be a sequel to a movie or a movie to a book. But that isn’t always the case. Here’s a breakdown of some of the classic book/movie combos. PAGE 28 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ROALD DAHL
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory MEL STUART
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of the best examples of a book that when made into a movie misses so much, regardless of the director or cast’s efforts. Even though Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Willy Wonka
was sweetly outlandish and the Chocolate Room was truly a bit of pure imagination, both failed to bring to life the descriptiveness of Dahl’s writing. A chocolate waterfall and a field of edible grass and flowers is always better and more magical in one’s mind than seen on screen. The movie also leaves out parts of the Oompa Loompa’s songs and some of my favorite rooms in Wonka’s factory. In the book, the songs are witty and rather pointed criticisms of the characters and their parents, and you are almost
forced to pay attention to what they have to say, rather than be distracted by little, orange people. The most notable room that the film leaves out is the one that contains the ‘Square Candies that Look Round.’ They are square candies that physically turn and look around when the door to the room is opened. How magical is that? Indulge in pure imagination and read the book.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass LEWIS CARROLL
Alice in Wonderland TIM BURTON First of all, let’s be clear that Tim Burton’s film is a very loose adaptation of Carroll’s books. The title Alice Returns to Wonderland would be much more fitting (but less marketable). The film describes what seems to be Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass she is no longer a child, and most of the characters remember her from the “first time” that she went through the rabbit hole, though she doesn’t really recognize them. And allow me to stress something: there is no, I repeat no, climactic dance scene in any of the books. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are both filled with quirky characters, and regardless of how short of a time Alice spends with them, they are described in charming detail. Burton’s film skimps on the creatures, and they appear only in passing, losing most of their appeal.
Tim Burton reinvents characters in his 2010 rendition of Alice in Wonderland.
Instead, Burton focuses on the Mad Hatter, who is nowhere near as maniacal as the movie trailers made him appear to be. Carroll’s books are whimsical and dreamlike where Burton’s film is hallucinatory. While it retains some of the books’ important characters, it misses out on the small details that make Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass the classics that they are. Suppress the guinea pigs! And read the books!
A Clockwork Orange ANTHONY BURGESS
A Clockwork Orange STANLEY KUBRICK This is one of the few comparisons in which it is actually debatable if the film is better than the book. This probably has a great deal to do with the fact that Stanley Kubrick is an
amazing director working with an already wonderful novel. Another reason why the film is so good is that it runs remarkably true to the book. Kubrick sticks to the plot line for the most part, except for a pesky omitted chapter which was not included in the book’s original United States publication, and keeps the majority of the “Nadsat,” the Russian and rhyme based slang words which Burgess created. And while some details of the book are lost in the movie (as they always are), other details are added. For instance, Alex bellowing out ‘Singing in the Rain’ during the gang-rape scene and the song giving him away later on is horrifying in a wonderful way, but is not in the book. So I suppose in this instance, I’m calling a draw. The book is awesome and so is the movie. Listen to the angel trumpets and devil trombones, you’re invited. Read the one and watch the other. But, as always, make sure you read the book first.
OPINION
from
10/11
Rich Solomon !
I watch Glee. I admit it. I watch it every week; I know the names of the characters, who is dating who, I even have every song on my iPod. I use excuses like, “My girlfriend makes me watch it,” “I just watch it because that one chick is hot” or “Yeah, my niece had it on and asked me to sit with her.” But the truth is that I am a Gleek. And I don’t have a niece. The problem is that our generation has no guide for what to like and what not to. There’s no style guide telling us what’s considered high quality taste, nothing for us to compare our interests to and say, “Yes, I have excellent taste.” So in lieu of anything official, I’ll breakdown just what is high taste and low taste. Because admitting that you like Glee is like admitting that you like Robert Downey Jr. prerehab. It’s like admitting that Spiderman 3 was your favorite of the franchise, that Nickelodeon is PAGE 30 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
better now than it was in ‘90 and that “Natty Ice” is the only beer you drink. It’s the equivalent of saying, “I have bad taste.” And in a way, that makes you more interesting. Because our generation is allowed to like terrible things, and we’re allowed to like awesome things. But we can’t like anything in between. The in between is boring. It’s plain. It’s picking vanilla when there are other flavors around like, “intense-sex,” “mindblowing chocolate” and “puppycute.” Who picks vanilla when you could have sex instead? Boring people, that’s who. The middlebrow. The average. And being plain nowadays is worse than being weird. At least liking Glee gets attention, but saying you like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia says nothing about you as a person. It’s too boring. Glee might be an awful show, and I might be embarrassed when I play it in my car, but it gives me the opportunity to talk about musicals, about The Rolling Stones, about how my high school didn’t have cheerleaders wearing their uniforms every day, and why not? It has some famous actors, some not famous actors. It has a charm anyone can appeal to. It’s an alright show with occasional funny moments. If you like it,
you’re boring. You’re easily tricked by sitcom gimmicks. You’re lame. It’s unacceptable, really. To be that normal. You can talk for hours about Glee regardless of whether you love it or hate it. But It’s Always Sunny gives no such luxury. It’s not a conversation piece. It doesn’t add to who you are. It doesn’t even deserve to be one of your Facebook likes. It’s like saying you like hair. So do most people. But you know what? To hell with it. I like vanilla ice cream. I like It’s Always Sunny. In fact, later on I’m going to eat vanilla ice cream and watch TV and then I might just go bed to early. Boring? Sure. Middlebrow? Absolutely. I might go play some Green Day while reading a Dan Brown novel. These things are plain, they’re boring, and they say nothing about my personality. They’re middlebrow. But how can we compare Dan Brown to It’s Always Sunny? We can’t. Sure, they’re both middlebrow, but even middlebrow has a hierarchy. It’s Always Sunny is trashy middlebrow. It’s so low in middlebrow it’s almost lowbrow. Dan Brown novels, on the other hand, might not be a lot of mental exercise, but the very act of reading and
ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN ACRI AND ERIN SWARTHWOURT
Preferences classified into three social classes
wondering who the perpetrator is put it at high middlebrow. Granted, neither say anything about who you are, but at least Angels & Demons requires a little more thought than an episode of It’s Always Sunny titled, “Who Pooped the Bed?” I’m not trying to rip on Dan Brown or Green Day. It takes a lot to be high middlebrow. Writing a book, making a successful album, it’s not easy. The point here, though, is that Dan Brown, vanilla ice cream, water, these are things that everyone enjoys. It’s easy to own up to liking things like water or It’s Always Sunny. But if Glee is lowbrow and Green Day is middlebrow, then what’s highbrow? It’s not necessarily something expensive, or even something rare. Highbrow is probably the most difficult to classify. Highbrow would be a classic car (but one that doesn’t make you look like a tool) or drinking Guinness when everyone else is ordering Shock Top. And highbrow implies a certain amount of knowledge too. If The King’s Speech is your favorite movie over the last Pirates of the Caribbean installment, it’s probably because of the acting and excellent directing. It’s highbrow because it’s refined, it’s full of tiny little things that add to the overall package. Highbrow is something that says, “I’m a classic, I’m interesting, I’m complex.” It’s a documentary on Earth, a playlist full of Rush, a Kurt Vonnegut book. It’s a conversation piece, a telling character trait. Highbrow is an aspiration. One that, all too often, I don’t quite meet. Because as much as I love reading Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle and listening to the Beatles’ Rubber Soul album, I can’t miss a Glee episode.
FOOD
tampa’s ultimate thai oasis
10/11
MELISSA SANTELL ! “How spicy you like?” said an elder Thai woman from behind the Phat Thai counter, a phrase visitors appreciate when visiting the Sunday Market at the Wat Mongkolratanaram Temple. Located on the Palm River, the golden gilding of the Wat Temple gleams brightly in its subtle location. Under the palm trees, picnic tables along the river are filled with people enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Open to the public seven days a week, Wat Temple is predominately known for its Sunday Market. Each Saturday, female Buddhist volunteers prepare cuisine at their own expense, to sell in exchange for donations. “If you do good, everything will always be good for you,” said CJ Chombri, a volunteer at the temple. Cars spilled into the crowded parking lot last Sunday as traffic directors greeted guests upon arrival. Lured by the smell of fresh Thai cuisine, hungry customers let their noses decide what to devour first. For a small donation, visitors are awarded with gracious portions of authentic food. Some items, like the chicken egg rolls, only cost $1. Boiling woks containing fried bananas, sweet potatoes and taro root bubbled wildly and caught the attention of bystanders. Once crisp, the fried goods were packaged in brown paper bags at the price of $3. Gallons of white batter were poured into large griddles forming gooey coconut custard balls, while curries and rice were scooped into Styrofoam containers on the opposite end of the market. “I love to come here on Sundays,” Ryan Gentilucci said. “The food is inexpensive and I like
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knowing my money is supporting a good cause.” Anxious lines formed for “Guiteow” noodle soup, with the choice of beef or chicken broth and two different noodles, similar to fettucini and angel hair pasta. An assembly line of volunteers put the finishing touches on the soup and requested $5 upon completion. Flower cookies, sweet mango sticky rice and Che, a bowl of coconut milk containing crunchy water chestnuts, cubed agar and taro with slices of jackfruit, were a few of many desserts available. Ranging from $1 to $5, the table of sweets was bare before the market came to a close. By the river, people stood as smoke billowed over their heads and waited in front of the grill for chicken on a stick. Fresh produce and flowerpots were also for sale, kept in the shade to preserve their liveliness. Members of the temple donate homegrown produce each week, and a majority is used in food preparation for the event, said one of the volunteers. Donations collected at the temple contribute to multiple causes. Last week, a portion of money collected was dedicated to a seawall being built on the river. Running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays, the market isn’t the only Sunday activity at the temple. Religious services including chanting, meditating and sermon are held from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. inside the temple. Before attending the Theravada Buddhist sanctuary, guests are asked to respect several customs. It is crucial to refrain from pointing your feet at Buddha statues or monks, as this is a sign of disrespect. Also, it’s imperative to remove shoes before entering the temple.
Located on the Palm River, the Wat Temple is the perfect spot for great Thai food, namely on Sunday when its market is open.
WANT MORE? VISIT wattampainenglish.com
MUSIC 10/11
PLAYLISTS A compiled list of tracks taken out of context
Songs About Food That are Really About Sex Laffy Taffy - D4L Lollipop - Lil Wayne My Bubble Gum - Rasheeda Juicy Fruit - Mtume Chocolate - Kylie Minogue Candy Shop - 50 Cent Candyman - Christina Augilera The Lemon Song - Led Zepplin Peaches and Cream - Beck Milkshake - Kelis Cherry Pie - Warrant
Songs You Sang as a Kid Before You Knew the Real Meaning 2 Become 1 - Spice Girls Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice Feeling This - Blink 182 Genie In a Bottle - Christina Aguleria Stacy’s Mom- Fountain’s of Wayne Mr. Brightside - The Killers My Dad’s Gone Crazy - Eminem What’s Your Fantasy - Ludacris I do - 3LW Can I Get a... - Jay Z
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Songs You Never Want to Hear Coming From Your Parent’s Bedroom
Songs You Think WIll Trick Your Friends Into Thinking You’re a Hipster
Motivation - Kelly Rowland My D*** - Mickey Avalon Might Like You Better - Amanda Blank Let’s Get It On - Marvin Gaye Wait (The Whisper Song) - Yin Yang Twins What’s Your Fantasy - Ludacris Bed - J. Holiday Buttons - Pussycat Dolls Neighbors Know My Name - Trey Songz Take You Down - Chris Brown My Neck My back - Khia Inside of You - Infant Sorrow
Skinny Love- Bon Iver Drumming Song- Florence + the Machine Helena Beat- Foster the People Daylight- Matt & Kim Time to Pretend- MGMT Animal- Miike Snow Sleepyhead- Passion Pit Young Folks- Peter Bjorn & John We Used to Wait- Arcade Fire Soul Meets Body- Death Cab for Cutie
Songs That Make You Cry Spontaneously Bad Romance - Lady Gaga Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen Weird Al Yankovic - Fat I Believe in a Thing Called Love The Darkness Y.M.C.A. - Village People Tik Tok - Ke$ha mmmBop - Hanson Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band Livin’ La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin
Songs You Can Never Get Out of Your Head It’s A Small World - Disney Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani My Sharona - The Knack It’s Tricky - Run D.M.C. Jump Around - House of Pain Uptown Girl - Billy Joel Macarena - Los Del Rio Dancing Queen - Abba Wannabe - The Spice Girls Hot in Herre - Nelly
MUSIC 10/11
FANG ISLAND SIN KS TE ET H IN TO TA MPA AMA NDA SIER ADZK I !
MUSIC
There has come a time when we’ve all wanted our own musical score to accompany our lives. The mundane being jazzed up by our theme song. Epic encounters backed by frenzied guitar riffs, video game-esque music mashing all climaxing into a heart-wrenching crescendo. If there ever was a band that could be the soundtrack to your life, Fang Island would be it.
At parties, me and my good friends would stand around and get excited after a couple beers and we would stand in a circle and all high-five each other and we would call it a circle clap. When MySpace first came out, we wanted to make a band page we decided to just throw that up there ‘everyone high-fiving everyone’ and it kind of ended up sticking...I think it describes it accurately.
Fang Island, a self-proclaimed instrumental band from Rhode Island began at the Rhode Island School of Design featuring guitarists/ vocalists Jason Bartell, Nicholas Andrew Sadler and Chris Georges, and drummer Marc St. Sauveur.
How would you describe your sound if it were an ice cream flavor?
The Minaret got to speak with Georges before the band’s first ever Florida show, supporting the Joy Formidable on Sept. 25 at the Orpheum. The Minaret: How did Fang Island Come Together? Chris Georges: I started the band when I was in college, initially to fulfill a class credit. We decided to take a class called Rock Band class. We just recorded an album and then it started to get more serious and we started playing outside of school events and then became a band.
Did art school have an influence over your music? Art school just gave us the freedom to do whatever we wanted to kind of f*** off and be creative so it kind of lends itself to that. We wanted to make fun music because there’s really nothing else to do.
You’ve described your sound on MySpace as everyone high-fiving everyone. Can you explain that analogy a little bit?
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Oh I’m into this. If I had to describe our sound as an ice cream flavor, I would say it would be every flavor ever piled on top of itself reaching out into infinity. It’d be really creamy.
Why make instrumental music? Originally we wanted to be instrumental because we couldn’t sing, we didn’t know how to sing. And we were nervous about singing so we would sing together because it would make us feel more comfortable if we just chant all together. Slowly we became more interested in writing and performing music. We wanted to expand our horizons and our skills so we decided to try to start learning how to sing and practicing singing. The new album’s going to have a lot more singing, but we’re still going to have some instrumentals. I really like instrumentals because it allows the listener to kind of make what they will of the song mixed with their own scenario to it, or create their own story instead of actually dictating it to you through the lyrics. After people listened to the record, people started creating all these stories about what our music is about and that was pretty excellent. Anything from the guy getting the girl to unicorns fighting over rainbows, all sorts of really interesting stories came out. That made me really excited about instrumental music.
PHOTO CREDITS FOUND ON PAGE 46
10/11
(Left to right) Marc St. Sauveur (drums), Jason Bartell (guitar and vocals), Nicholas Andrew Sadler (guitar, keys, vocals), Chris Georges (guitar and vocals)
Who’s listening?
Who are your influences?
Who listens to Fang Island? Everyone! It’s for everyone. Everyone high-fiving everyone. We have young kids, babies coming to our shows in our t-shirts and stuff to older folks who are interested in progressive rock from back in the 70s and then lots of kids. Everyone is super-nice and always try to come out after we play. We do our merch and stuff so we end up meeting a lot of people. It’s a good crowd, everyone’s positive, fun and down to high-five us. It’s great.
We all come from very different tastes in music, we all have very diverse tastes. Our drummer Mark is really interested in metal. I think Nick is interested in death metal as well he grew up on that. Jason is into Weezer and all sorts of rock-n-roll. We’re all into all sorts of 70s rock-n-roll, Thin Lizzy, progressive rock. We all listen to all sorts of fun party music with mostly a lot of electronic party music and Andrew W.K. was a big inspiration for us. We listen to too much music. We’re all over the board. We’re big music lovers.
What was your first show like? The first show we played in my living room for our first CD release and we had some beers, made friendship bracelets for everyone that came, and it was fun. We played like four songs and it was great.
MUSIC 10/11
How are you feeling about your Tampa show? We’ve never played in Florida before so we’re really excited to get down there. It’s our first time being there. We’re excited to be doing it with the Joy Formidable as well. I think it’s going to be fun. We’ve toured in the south a lot; for some reason our tour never ends up in Florida.
In your music videos, a lot of special effects and strange objects are used. Can you talk a little bit about your process for each one? “The Careful Crossers” video was a lot of fun, it was really last minute. We just wanted to make a video and we had some friends over, and it ended up just being kind of like a party and we filmed the party. It was just kind of off-the-cuff and interesting what happened got a lot of lights made it real crazy. Some of the other ones, the Daisy one, our buddy Carlos he trained some dancers to dance to our song. We were kind of hidden in there. We’re in masks. I think that one was more based on “Point Break.” The ones we have right now are presummer. I think we’re trying to do some new ones for the new album. Definitely want to blow up a guitar for one of them. That’s my dream. We need some more pyrotechnics, we need more fire.
Do you have any words of wisdom for college musicians trying to get their start? Just keep playing, tour, keep practicing your trade. Enjoy school because school is awesome. You get to f*** off for four years and that’s pretty incredible, and just keep playing and play loud and if you’re passionate about it it will show and people will find you.
WANT MORE? VISIT blog.theminaret online.com
PAGE 40 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
MUSIC 10/11
MILES PARKS !
Chris Perry is 21. He’s been playing guitar for eight years and he’s taken music classes at the University of Tampa. He’s played in bands as well as written his own music for solo endeavors. Last year, he decided to take it upon himself to write, record and distribute a solo E.P. Recording at a studio proved too expensive for Perry, so he recorded the four-song CD entitled Ready to Fly on his Mac computer using Garageband, a basic recording program. Perry’s budget and expenditures were comparable to many young musicians trying to record their own music; barely enough to get by, and not nearly enough to professionally record. “I’ve got twenty dollars to my name,” croons Perry over his acoustic guitar on the first track of Ready to Fly. “And I’ll blow it all on beer.” Since the “Great Recession” began in the PAGE 42 | THEMINARETONLINE.COM
early 2000s, the music industry has changed dramatically. From the illegal downloading of songs through Limewire, Mediafire and torrents, to free releases of whole albums (Radiohead’s In Rainbows, Angels and Airwaves’ LOVE, Prince’s Planet Earth), the industry is starting to come to terms with the fact that consumers can’t and don’t want to spend the way they used to. That fact is starting to seep behind the scenes. When Perry goes to write a song or E.P., the thought of a studio doesn’t even cross his mind. “The bottom line is you need money to record nowadays,” Perry said. “That’s a fact. A sad fact.” That doesn’t mean studios are charging exorbitant amounts for recording time. Pricing has stayed relatively consistent. It’s just a drop in available funds. Dr. Bradford Blackburn, assistant professor of music technology at UT, explains that there are a number of reasons studios can range from $20-an-hour to upwards of hundreds of dollars-an-hour. The first and foremost is simply how functional the studio is. If it’s built correctly, it has walls insulated from the outside, windows with air pockets between the panes, a floating floor (on springs or some other
Chris Perry, 21, uses Apple’s Garageband software to help him make it as a musician.
form of sound absorption surface), a specially the help of prerecorded instruments and tracks, designed air conditioning unit and a good you can use Garageband to “make” songs electrical system. All of this helps in reducing without ever learning or writing a note in your sound distortion, something that can ruin a life. Blackburn explains the program is both a recording. blessing and a curse. “The list goes on and on in what you’re going “A lot of people gravitate towards to spend to make a recording studio top notch,” Garageband because if they’re not schooled as Blackburn said. “With that said, many people are musicians or they don’t have the training, they opting not to record in a studio, because a studio can make stuff instantly that sounds interesting, has to pass that expense onto clients.” just by using the pre-recorded loops that are in The biggest difference the program and that’s fine,” between now and past said with a wry smile. “I thought I could’ve Blackburn economic lulls, is that musicians “But it’s not a whole lot different made our record for as collage as a form of art.” without a well-funded budget have alternatives. Since “Basically you’re taking $2,000 instead recording began, the transition something that already exists, of $70,000 but that from analog to digital in the that someone else created 90s, cheaper and better quality and then just pasting it up on was the good old ways to record sound have your locker door and calling become more readily available. days of waste and it a work of art. I submit that In October of 2010, Hypebot. excess things are that’s actually not really art, but com conducted a survey of the recycling.” different now.” most used recording programs. Steve Connolly is chief Apple’s Garageband came in engineer and producer of seventh, but first for products Zen Recording Studios in that retail for under $100. Clearwater, Fla. Before starting his own studio, The appeal for Garageband is simple, Connolly played in a band called The Headlights explained Dr. Blackburn. It’s a software that lets and toured with Roger McGuinn of The Byrds. you do basic recording tasks without getting too He’s seen the recording industry from both complicated or bogged down with theory. With sides; first as a musician struggling to get heard
MUSIC 10/11
by a mass audience and second as a studio producer for acts such as Ronny Elliot, The Ditchflowers and The Almost. It’s interesting to hear how one fueled the other. “That whole experience was the catalyst to start my own studio,” Connelly said of his band experience and trying to record in a major studio, through email. “I thought I could’ve made our record for $2,000 instead of $70,000-but that was the good old days of waste and excess things are different now.” Although he recognizes the hardships musicians face, he can’t help but be a bit perturbed when artists come into the studio expecting a finished product quickly. Recording just one song can take many hours if not many days. Artists with a tight budget, if they do decide to record at all, try to get as much done in as little time as possible. “What happens is people try to get more for less,” Connolly added. “Thus shortchanging themselves on a quality level. “Few spend enough time on a project to really flesh it out, a bit of what I call “American Idol Syndrome” has started to seep in. Folks think you walk in, plug in, step up to a mic and make magic that I then capture and out pops a gold record.
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“That’s possible, but usually it takes a lot of hard work and long hours to achieve.” The recording process can be summed up in three stages. Tracking, which is the use of microphones and recording software to actually take in and save the sound for the song or sound bite; Mixing, the use of software to mesh many different sound tracks into one blended and equal clip; And mastering, the most arduous of the three, the perfectionist stage. Anything wrong in the original two stages that wasn’t caught or fixed is worked on during mastering. Many techniques can be used to master a track, but it takes a certain finesse to find a medium between fixing and tampering. Connelly and Dr. Blackburn agree that studios are slowly finding a new niche if not becoming totally obsolete. Musicians like Perry, even if they aren’t getting studio quality material, are making the sacrifice to save a bit of cash. Some studios are shutting down and some, like Connolly’s, are run independently by people who aren’t making the kind of income normally associated with record executives. The music industry is changing fast, and that means everybody. As rewards for musicians not on the big stage get back to love and away from money, it’s interesting to think of the people who are sticking it out and recording on their laptops. And the ones who are doing it all for the passion. “This is truly a labor of love,” Connolly said. “You work every waking hour for what amounts to poverty level recompense. You have to deal with the fragile psyche of the fickle artist; play psychologist camp counselortake out the trash and clean the bathroom. And somehow make people sound better than they thought they would…I’m afraid recording and the music business in general may succumb to further dumbing down of Western culture, but I always see a few new bright lights on the scene. “They take the circumstances of the day and find creative, do-it-yourself ways of keeping it evolving and using the new tools to create something that wasn’t there before.”
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CRE D IT S A LIST OF WEBSITES AND PHOTO CREDIT FOR CLOTHING ITEMS SEEN ON PAGES 14-15. “PAUL SMITH MINI COOPER VEGAS BILLFOLD”, BURBERRY “OVERSIZE BLACK CHRONO DIAL BRACELET WATCH, 42MM”, RAY-BAN “WAYFARER SUNGLASSES” available at BloomingDales.com. SHIRT “SHIRT WITH THREAD IN A CONTRASTING COLOR ON THE BUTTONS” available by HM.com. “NAUTICAL ICON TIE”, “UO LEATHER DERBY SHOE” available by UrbanOutfitters.com. MCKLEIN BUSINESS CASE, “HYDE PARK LAPTOP FRIENDLY BRIEF” available at Macys.com FENDI “CHARM OVERSIZED SUNGLASSES WITH SCRIPT ARM LOGO”, LAUREN BY RALPH LAUREN “CRYSTAL HOOP EARRINGS”, YVES SAINT LAURENT ROUGE PUR COUTURE, DIOR “MISS DIOR CHERLE”, MICHAEL KORS “MICHAEL WOMEN’S CHRONOGRAPH
TWO-TONE BRACELET WATCH, 36.5MM” available at BloomingDales.com. DRESS “FITTED JERSEY MINI DRESS”, BLAZER “LONG JACKET WITH A CHEST POCKET, TICKET POCKET, AND FRONT POCKETS. LINED” available by HM.com. “TROMPE L’OEIL LAPTOP CASE” available at UrbanOutfitters.com “3D Movies- Rated B: for Backlash” - “Piranha_3D_movie_ image” by Sweetie187 via flickr.com. “Fang Island Sinks Their Teeth into Tampa” - Photos courtesy of David Clifford “What’s Old is New, & What’s New Won’t Last:” “Soundgarden” by Drake Ielane via flickr.com, “Korn” by ish_ via flickr.com, “Nirvana” by Serjao Caralho via flickr. com, “Wolfmother” by Amauri Aguiar via flickr.com.
Monday: NFL Ticket bucket beer 5 for $10.00 Tuesday: Student night: $6.00 cheese pizza w/ purchase of 2 beverages Wednesday: $.50 cent wings or Italian sausage night $2.00 pints Thursday: Tropical Thursdays: 2-4-1 Friday: TGIF… 4-6pm .50cent drafts (min 2)….. $2.00 wells 6-8pm Free appetizer w/ purchase of any draft beer Saturday: College Games on 12-1:30 ..50 draft domestic (min 2) 2-close $6 cheese pizza w/ purchase of 2 beverages Sunday: NFL Sunday Ticket Playing your favorite teams: on 12-1:30 .50 draft domestic (min 2) 2-close $6 cheese pizza w/ purchase of 2 beverages
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