PUSH” by NOEL

PUSH NOEL

BY CARTER STARKEY

There is a very common feeling that I kind of hate. That feeling of trying to start something new, only to end up abandoning it, having it collect dust in the corner of your room, or buried somewhere deep on your hard drive. Deep inside, we all think that maybe someday we’ll dig that stuff back up, and put our minds into making something we are proud of. Noel Miller (or simply NOEL) did just that. His father bought a bunch of musical instruments in the 80s only for them to end up in storage, so NOEL took them and made this—his fi rst solo project—“PUSH.”

Fans may know NOEL from the semi-satirical rap group Tiny Meat Gang. This time, NOEL went solo on a quick fi ve tracks over 10 minutes with one real goal: to prove that he is serious. NOEL has the fan base and has already found success, but “PUSH” is his attempt to show that he’s not satisfi ed with the funny stuff .

The music is as captivating as the story. NOEL brings well-crafted bars over top of low-key instrumental beats that can shift gears in a second. As a show of pure talent, NOEL even directed the music video accompanying “Lennon’s Ghost” and “Crow,” featuring visions of NOEL fl oating off the ground or hanging from the top of a speeding car.

NOEL could be seen as a continuation of the trend of other creatives moving into music. NOEL even references Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino on track 1, “Lennon’s Ghost,” who is the most prominent example of this trend. It isn’t lost on anyone, least of all NOEL, that the transition between passions is another opportunity to see what you’ve got, to prove that you’re up to whatever challenges are in front of you. 26

Blood of Zeus Don’t Watch Unless You’re Bored

BY SAGRARIO TORRES FLORES

Upon hearing that Netfl ix had a “Greek Anime,” I was intrigued. The idea was creative—bringing two diff erent cultures into one for entertainment. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Going in, I intended to focus on the cultural overlap, but was distracted by the sloppiness of the introduction.

The fi rst episode dives into the action, but it was more overwhelming than it was exciting; I had trouble distinguishing who was who and the timeline of events. Halfway through, I couldn’t remember if I had seen these characters before or if everyone just looked the same.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to analyze what I watch. The thing is, this episode demanded more attention than I was willing to give to an introductory episode.

Maybe I’m too critical, but it took a lot of willpower for me to watch the second and third episodes. However, I wanted to give it a fair shot. From what I’ve seen, the episodes and events that follow are predictable, but become more interesting. I’ll give this show credit where it’s due—as I followed the story of Heron, the illegitimate son of Zeus, I expected the storyline to stay focused on his growth after realizing and accepting his parentage, but was pleasantly surprised to see the show follow a jealous Hera and a not-so-slick Zeus.

The drama that ensues is enough to make you lightheartedly raise an eyebrow; it makes you care enough to get a gist of what’s going on, but not enough to make you feel anything for the characters.

The little investment I have in the characters and what happens to them makes this show good background noise when working or a fun piece to critique when you’re bored.