Yearly Archives: 2010

artists, music, youth media

Arctic Monkeys

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Arctic Monkeys by Morgan Catanzaro

My Propeller

The British alt-rock band Arctic Monkeys have finally released their third album since 2007, titled Humbug, in July of 2009.  The first single of off the album, Crying Lightning, debuted at number 12 on the UK singles Chart; far better than the bands last album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, which had two singles debut in the Top 74 respectively, although all twelve songs from that album landed on the Top 200 Charts.

Humbug takes on a new sound entirely, especially compared to Favourite Worst Nightmare, which was more of a fast-pace record. Humbug demonstrates a slower, almost soulful sound that is Brit-Indie Rock in its entirety.  Arctic Monkeys have already been celebrated as an extremely accomplished and talented group, even though they have only created three full albums and one EP, and have already taken on a risk in their second album by changing around their “sound,” it’s really no wonder that the band would go in such a different direction. And it’s that re-invention and success that got them many compliments (such as being considered equivalent or even better than Oasis and The Strokes by the UK media) and almost as much criticism. There is no doubt, however, that this album will get the band many award nominations and chart hits.

I was pretty disappointed in the music video for their second single, My Propeller. It did live up to their new Indie-Rock sound, but it was extremely boring to watch. The whole video consists of two-toned colors of cream and a dark teal, so the band members were not extremely distinguishable unless you know what instrument they play. The other half of the video, the parts that were not of the band members, are just random things like a girls eyes, lips, random hands, an eagle, etc., but all in that same boring, two-tone color. I wouldn’t recommend wasting time watching the video, but the album itself is definitely worth listening to.

artists, cast members, music, youth media

Air Concert Review

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AIR Concert Review by Diana Ciuca

What do an isosceles triangle, parallelogram, two vertical rectangles, a right triangle and a semi-circle add up to? The fantastically abstract name design (that would make your geometry teacher proud) of the French techno-pop band, AIR.

I hopped out of the car concerned that I was late. It was nine-ish. That, to me, meant that half the set was over and I would never be able to capture the full essence of AIR. I was wrong on two counts. Firstly, when I walked in the theater, people were still mingling as if the show were about to start much later. Next, in one song or two, I would be able to capture the full essence of AIR (whether that’s a good thing or not).

Similar to Ratatat and Animal Collective, AIR provides psychedelic visual effects to complement their technologically-infused melodies. Surprisingly, the venue matched this aesthetic quality of the show. This was a chill show. By no means did it require being smushed by crowd surfers or the sweaty guy next to you. Obviously the trend of more experimental technopop bands (Passion Pit, Arctic Monkeys, Band of Horses) migrating to the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami is a sign of the suitability of the venue. Yet, the venue can only go so far.

Unlike I expected, the music was not the most riveting portion of the show. Undoubtedly, the low bass reverberated through the crowd seats like a mild earthquake, but the rest of the tones were too light to be appreciated without any visual aids such as lighting effects. Nevertheless, the poetry of AIR’s works are not in their lyrics (for instance, LOVE: Love, love, love, love), but rather in their evocative combination of guitar textures with creeping sound effects. The have a quirk for artiness and abstraction, but that sometimes leads to an under-appreciated mystique. Their mixing pretentiousness should not be mistaken for a simplistic noise, yet instead should be characterized as a minimalistic harmony of keyboards and guitars.

The show was short. Too short. I was waiting for the intermission so I could quickly take a restroom break. But, all my waiting was in vain as the show ended around 10:37. Much too soon. Five minutes prior to the end I was futilely expecting a short break, but when my break finally arrived, I was disappointed. At least the duo finished with an energetic triple encore featuring their most popular song Sexy Boy. The audience members stood up, danced and jeered as energy pervade throughout the crowds and seeped into their skins.

If you desire quirky, upbeat music, look further. AIR is the definition of chill. Their laid back music borderlines boring, but can similarly spark a profound interest in the subtleties of harmony.