Niagara - redveil Album Review

Dan Flavin

Music Reviewer

On Aug. 25, 16-year-old rapper redveil released his debut album “Niagara.” The project is filled with jazzy, mellow production, and complemented by redveil’s smooth deep voice and creative flows.

The debut album starts out with a great track in “Campbell.” The track’s high pitched guitar licks and driving horns are paired with multiple vocal chops to create the melody. Although the drums are very simple, it gives enough room for redveil to display his technical ability on the track. His deep voice changes flow in what seems like every line. By changing up his style it keeps the track not only interesting but also memorable. Track two is another great track titled “Weight.” The track's angelic vocal chop is layered with simple strings and trap-inspired drums. His flow on the track is more straightforward to follow the two-step high hats and punching kick. There are more highlight tracks throughout the project, for example, “Bad News” with it’s powerful drums and vocals or “Grass,” which features sparkling piano and smooth flow.

The downside of the project comes with his young age. the quality of the recordings isn’t great, but it isn’t horrible either. The whole album was mixed and mastered by Redveil. He did a good job, but not as perfect as a professional would have done. A lot of the features feel forced as well.

Overall, redveil could be a name to look out for in years to come, and a lot of years that is. At only 16 he sounds better and more mature than a lot of established artists. Despite the flaws, the young rapper redveil’s debut album “Niagra” was great and earned an 8.5/10.

 

Savage Mode ll Review

Savage Mode II Review
Dan Flavin

Best Song: Too many to list
Rating: 8/10

On Oct. 2 rapper 21 Savage and producer Metro Boomin released the sequel to their 2016 trap classic Savage Mode. The original project, known for its dark tones and menacing production, put 21 on the map and helped lift him to the mainstream name he is today.

Savage Mode II opens with narration from Morgan Freeman that will continue throughout the project. He talks about everything from collaboration to snitches.

The story of the album isn’t the number of incredible songs, it’s the lack of bad ones. Metro Boomin’s spooky production is the perfect complement to 21’s dark lyrics and it seems no matter what they do they can’t make a bad song.

The lack of misses doesn’t mean there aren’t also high points. For example “Mr. Right Now (feat. Drake)” brings not only the star power of Drake but also melodies we don’t often hear from 21 himself. Singing with heavy autotune on the chorus with the most light-hearted beat on the project creates for a different kind of vibe listeners aren’t used to with 21 and Metro. Drake's verse is as expected from one of the biggest names in all of music. They both flow well over the reversed melody and upbeat drums.

Another great song is “Many Men.” The song, inspired by 50 Cents legendary track with the same title, brings a new edge to menacing trap music. The spooky sample used only for the first 8 beats rides into the actual instrumental perfectly. The drums on the track are very simple and straightforward, but the hard-hitting kick and powerful snares bring a punch that excludes the need for much more. Metro’s ascending and descending melody brings an uneasy feel to the track.

Metro Boomin’s production throughout the project only cements his name as one of the best trap producers ever. His ability to keep his production sound simple, but secretly hid some complicated sample use and drums is so important to trap music. The simple progressions make the tracks easy to listen to, but the hard drums and pads keep people coming back.

The downfall of the project comes with how repetitive it gets. 21 Savage is a talented rapper, but his subject matter of gang violence and drug use gets old and doesn’t leave a lot of creative room for lyrical content. They did add some tracks to mix up styles, but it was still not enough to break up the monotony of the project.

Overall “Savage Mode II” was great. There are no bad tracks and also a few standouts. Metro Boomin continues to prove how talented he is and 21 keeps on improving. The project overall earns an 8/10.

Five Movies to Escape Quarantine

Olivia Harrison
Staff Writer

Quarantine is wearing on everyone, including me. By now, it’s fun to go outside and enjoy the nice weather, but what about when it rains? Well, you’re probably stuck inside the house again. Sure, you could play video games, cook, bake, hang out with siblings or FaceTime a friend, but what about watching a movie?  You may be thinking, “Okay, I’ll do that, but what should I watch?” Here are my top five movies you can watch during quarantine!!

#1. The Grand Budapest Hotel

If you’re a fan of Wes Anderson movies, you’ll definitely enjoy this one! Set in 1930’s Hungary at a resort and hotel, it stars Ralph Fiennes (from Harry Potter) and Tony Revelori (from Spiderman: Homecoming and Far from Home) as hotel concierge Gustave and lobby boy Zero. After the death of Gustave’s lover, 84-year-old matriarch Madame D, they both attend the reading of her will and find that she has left a famous painting, Boy with Apple to Gustave, much to her son, Dimitri’s delight. Gustave and Zero end up taking the painting and in order to protect it and themselves from Dimitri, they run away on a hilarious adventure. This movie is action packed, funny, historical, and will leave you on the edge of your seat for what comes next.

#2. Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2

In order to watch this series, it is recommended that you watch both in order to get the full story. The movie series is centered around Beatrix Kiddo/The Bride (played by Uma Thurman), and her adventures dealing with the Deadly Viper assassination squad and her ex-lover Bill. After finding out that the Bride is pregnant with his child, Bill crashes Beatrix’s wedding and has the other vipers attempt to assassinate her and her unborn child in the process. However, a few years later, Beatrix wakes up in a hospital, finding herself alive and plans to get revenge on those who crashed her wedding and for her supposedly unborn child. The first movie in the series plays homage to Samurai films of the 80’s while the second pays more homage to Spaghetti Westerns.

#3 Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Now, this is a great movie, and has been a favorite for so many others! Based off the popular comic book series Scott Pilgrim it centers around 22 year-old Toronto bassist Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), his failing band, and his attempt to get the girl of his dreams Ramona Flowers. However, there’s a twist…he’s put on a video game-esque adventure to defeat her evil ex-boyfriends. If you are a fan of the Toronto rock music scene or indie rock, this movie brings elements of that while being filled with action, humor and a tiny bit of romance.

#4. Akira
Ever wondered what people thought of the year 2019 looked like to people in the late 80’s? Then check out the Japanese animated science fiction film Akira! Although it is animated, this is not a film meant for really young audiences, as there are some dark themes. Set in 1988, the Japanese government decides to drop an atomic bomb on Tokyo after ESP, or psychological experiments on children go wrong. 31 years later in 2019, Kaneda, a leader of a biker gang, sets off to save his friend Tetsuo from an undercover government project. Throughout the movie he battles antigovernment activists, greedy politicians and irresponsible scientists. It is interesting to compare this movie to our present day! However, it is all in Japanese though, so you will have to read subtitles

#5. Eighth Grade

For those of you who love comedy and in particular Bo Burnham’s humor, then you should watch Eighth Grade. Eighth grade centers around 13-year-old grade Kayla (Elsie Fisher), who secretly makes videos online on how to gain popularity, be confident and other traits that every teenager wants to be. However, behind the screen Kayla is a timid, shy and quiet girl who struggles a lot socially in middle school, specifically eighth grade. In her last week of middle school, we meet Kayla as she struggles being voted “Most Quiet” by her classmates to growing up with single dad Mark who tries to relate to her. This movie is perfect for those wanting a laugh, who are adolescents themselves and those in middle school. It is relatable, poignant, and humorous.

Alfredo- Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist Review: We couldn’t find a single thing wrong with this!

Dan Flavin Nathan Donohoe
Music Editors

On May 29, 37-year-old rapper Freddie Gibbs released his second collaboration album with legendary producer The Alchemist. The project titled “Alfredo” is a strong album of the year contender.
  The intro track starts off the project on a super high note. The sampled guitar lick and simple drums leave Freddie so much room to go to work on the track. He tells stories of his past and how he made it now. He does his fair share of flexing, but instead of flexing money he flexes his experience living on the streets. Freddie Gibbs is one of the best technical rappers in the game and it really shows on the track. His fast flow is still filled with powerful bars and fits perfectly to the beat. Although the track is the shortest on the project, it feels very complete and is a song to be remembered.
  Track three with RIck Ross is “Scottie Beam.” The dancing piano travels up and down octaves incredibly smooth and the simple boom bap drums fill the gaps like it was meant to be. Freddie rolls with the slower tempo and carries bar breaking flows for almost two minutes straight. The hook, although short, is very catchy. The feature Rick Ross is more known for his trap style often working with rappers like Meek Mill, but he runs the slow simple beat like it was made for his voice.
  The best track on the whole project is number 6 “Something to Rap About (feat. Tyler the Creator). The guitar and piano combo on the instrumental could be a song on its own. It creates a nostalgic vibe unmatched by any song in recent memory. On the track Freddie talks about how he is thankful for his rough past because it gave him something to rap about and therefore a career. Just as he is thankful for his past he is also hopeful he will live a full life unlike some rappers we have seen die young recently. Tyler’s verse goes for a different approach as he talks about exactly how the instrumental makes him feel. He describes the beat taking him to a lake with a boat he hasn’t bought yet. Although Tyler is not as technically talented as Freddie, he still runs his verse and creates one of the best songs of the year alongside him. Throughout his verse, he is laughing in the background and even making fun of his pronunciation at the end of the track. The real moments make the song sound real and tangible instead of sounding impossible to make.
  The whole project is amazing and we honestly couldn’t find a negative. Every track was unique, but still fit the theme of the project. The production was flawless, Freddie Gibbs’s bars were perfect, his flows were effortless, the features were great, and the mix and master was top tier. Overall, Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist is a 10/10.

Get ready for Spelunky 2

Cooper Hendricks and Colin Keyes
Staff Writers

Spelunky is getting a sequel in Spelunky 2, which has already been postponed from its originally scheduled 2019 release date.
  Spelunky was a 2D rogue-like platformer game released in 2008 by Derek Yu. The game saw massive underground success for its unforgiving difficulty and unique level design. The original game consisted of you playing as an Indiana Jonesesque character who ventures into an ancient and mysterious cave, which changed stages after every 4 levels. A player would start out in an obvious cave and then move to a jungle, a frozen tundra, a temple, and then to the final boss stage.
  The second game in the franchise, again called Spelunky, was a significant improvement with better graphics and different gadgets as well as a second ending and many new side stages. This game again was given high praise by fans and critics alike for its betterment of the original games already liked qualities. This time there was another final boss, the Devil himself and he was hidden by the most difficult stage in the game: the Underworld.
  Fans of the series were more than excited to hear that the game would be getting a sequel and awaited its release with eagerness and anticipation. The trailer showed new enemies, mounts and gadgets.
  Unfortunately, the 2019 release date that was scheduled never came to fruition and was postponed. The game has no official release date and there is no information as to how close the product is to being finished.

Polo G’s “THE GOAT” has been in our heads for a week

Dan Flavin and Nathan Donohoe
Music Critics

After a breakout 2019, rapper Polo G released his sophomore album “THE GOAT.” The project is full of great storytelling, flows, and melodies that were a little unexpected.
  Polo G’s debut album “Die a Legend” was a sign that he was to be taken seriously as a new up and coming artist. The project showed signs of a lot of great things that came in the recent release.
“THE GOAT” starts out amazingly well with “Don’t Believe The Hype” the tracks mellow piano and distorted guitar complement Polo’s voice perfectly and carry the track along with his flows. Polo G has become known for his ability to tell stories of his past struggles through his lyrics. Throughout the track and the rest of the project he talks of his friends who were killed, his past legal troubles and his determination to not go back to where he came from. “Don’t Believe The Hype” is a perfect start to introduce a new and improved Polo G.
  Track two “Heartless” was released as a single in late 2019, but still fits the theme of the project perfectly.
  Track three and our personal favorite “Martin & Gina” continues the hot streak to start the project. The halftimed guitar during the intro creates an ominous tone that then does a 180 when the beat drops. The dark sounding intro is turned to a love song where he expresses a softer side that he doesn’t often show. The track’s guitar meshes with his sound perfectly and Polo G’s flow switches and melodies have kept this song stuck in our head for a week straight.
  “Flex” featuring the late Juice WRLD is the end of the hot streak to start the project. The track’s simple melody and fast paced drums make for a head bopping banger. The whole song feels like it was meant to be and Juice’s feature is thought to be the last verse he recorded before he passed away in December.
  We could write about the project’s positives all day if there was enough room, but to keep it simple songs like “21”, “I Know”, “Beautiful Pain”, and “Be Something (feat. Lil Baby)” are all incredible.
  There is truly no bad song on the whole project, but there are some weak points. Track 5 “Go Stupid (feat. Mike WiLL Made It, Stunna 4 Vegas, and NLE Choppa)” is one of those points. The track isn’t horrible, but it does not fit the project at all. It feels like it was just thrown in there to boost streams. There are also some mixing errors on the project such as on the track “Be Something (feat. Lil Baby)”. Baby’s verse sounds really quiet in the beginning then all of a sudden is louder and it sounds awkward.
  Although it is not perfect “THE GOAT” incredibly exceeded expectations. Going into the project we were expecting a few solid songs, but walked out with one of the best trap albums of the year. Polo G’s “THE GOAT” is an easy 9/10.

The Last Dance give an up close and personal look at the NBA’s greatest player and we can’t get enough!

Michael Janora and Alex Walinski
Staff Writers

The much anticipated documentary following one of the top, if not the top players to ever play basketball, Michael Jordan, was just recently released. They released two episodes a week following the build-up and fall down of the Chicago Bulls dynasty. There was a special access camera crew there for the teams last season together before the coach got fired and some players were to leave. Many people had many different feelings on the documentary, most being positive from fans and current players as they voiced their opinions on twitter. But most players that played back in the Michael Jordan era had some issues with the documentary. Some responses that were voiced were upset that the documentary showed and talked about one scene where Michael Jordan explained how he saw his teammates doing different illegal things such as drugs or other activities that he mentioned. Others that had to play against Michael Jordan said things like how they didn’t focus on the team and just focused on Jordan and portrayed him as some basketball god. Others were upset about some of the comments that Jordan made, Specifically Horace Grant, who was upset that Jordan said he thought that Grant “snitched” to the media secret things about the team to a book writer who wrote a very personal book about Jordan and the team called ”Jordan Rules” which is a name he got from the infamous Jordan rules that the Detroit Pistons had to attempt to stop or at least slow Jordan.
    The documentary followed every part of Jordan’s life from high school all the way to the NBA and most of his career there. The Chicago Bulls dynasty was the best team ever at the team and still can be argued as the top of list. The documentary was very interesting as it had a lot of never before seen footage. Also, many kids my age don’t really know about Jordans whole career and what went on during the Bulls dynasty. Many just hear about the two three-peats and how great Jordan was. This documentary showed me some very interesting information that I would have never known. Michael Jordan was loved worldwide, sometimes a little too much. Most people would think that this wouldn’t be possible, but as shown and explained, Jordan couldn’t go anywhere without cameras and fans in his face trying to get pictures or autographs from him. He would explain about how his most peaceful times were when he would sit alone in his hotel room and just think to himself and just relax. But the second he walks out of his room he would be bombarded with cameras and questions.
    But Michael Jordan’s winning and success came at a price, mostly for Jordan’s teammates. This is never talked about so without the documentary not a lot of people would have known about this whole situation. Jordan got in multiple fights with teammates at practice and there were multiple interviews of teammates saying they were scared of him. In Jordan’s eyes he saw it as the fact that winning comes at a price. He always would push his teammates to their limits and try to get the best out of them, but a lot didn’t like that because it was out of their comfort zone. Jordan explained how he thought a lot of people might not like him after the documentary is released and as he says in one of his interviews, a lot of people may have thought it was too much, “But that’s you, and you have ever won anything.”
    Another part that I found really interesting was the many issues that went on in Jordan’s career. I never knew there was a foot injury that Jordan suffered at the start of his career, and to make things worse he played on it risking his whole career while he was at the University of North Carolina taking a break from the team. If he were to get re-injured then no one would have known Michael Jordan as the greatest player of all time, but what could have been. Obviously, as he is still being talked about today that did not happen and he played out a full career with many achievements. But there were still some other times where Jordan’s character was questioned. At one point everybody thought Jordan was struggling with a gambling addiction and could have potentially been betting on games. This is still a grey area in some spots, Jordan has said he likes to bet and there were many stories where on team planes Jordan would play poker in the back of the plane with a couple teammates for absurd amounts of money. It was also said that he would put major money on his own golf matches. He said he would do this because he liked to make it more competitive. To make matters worse he was seen and recorded paying major amounts of money to a shady man that was known for betting, and some other issues. The man was later put in jail for other unrelated charges from Jordan, but this still makes Jordan’s potential gambling issue seem a little more realistic.
    Overall, we both thought it was really interesting covering the ups and downs of Michael Jordan’s career with the Bulls and what he really had to go through just living life. It showed some of the struggles with the teams front office and what their problems were. But most importantly for us it was really eye opening on how great this man really was. Stories and comments just don’t do it justice. There was time after time where Jordan would play and have an unbelievable game. The documentary didn’t even cover every great game he had and it was still amazing to see how consistently good he was. We both though the documentary was a great watch and can’t wait for there to be more documentaries about others such as Kobe Bryant or the Golden State Warriors.

The Last Dance celebrates the dynasty of the chicago Bulls and the greatness of Michael Jordan

Will Kelley
Staff Writer
                   
Over the past five weeks, sports fans have been blessed with a 10-part documentary about the legendary Michael Jordan and the 1990’s Chicago Bulls dynasty. The documentary was filled with behind the scenes footage from the 1998 season, which head coach Phil Jackson referred to as “The Last Dance.” The documentary goes in depth of what times were really like being around the Chicago Bulls, who many consider to be the best basketball team ever. Jordan was the focal point of the documentary, but along with him his teammates Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman were both heavily covered throughout the series. Pippen and Rodman played a complementary role to Jordan, as they were both extremely talented within their own skill sets. The documentary showcases the highlights of being on Bulls during that time, but also the many troubles they had to go through to get where they wanted to be.
  General manager Jerry Krause is considered to be one of the greatest to ever manage a team, but he is heavily criticized for the way he treated his players. Krause received a lot of the blame when it came to the troubles the Bulls had, as some of the players including Jordan and Pippen were not very fond of the way he ran the organization. Head coach Phil Jackson was as smart as they come, as he was there when the Bulls won all six of the championships. The Bulls captured the 1998 NBA title, which completed their second three peat. After that season, the Bulls went into a full rebuild mode as Jordan entered retirement, Pippen was traded, and Rodman was released. Since then, Chicago has shown glimpses of being great like they once were, but nothing close to what Jordan and the rest of that Bulls team was able to accomplish.

Bannerlord could be great...once it’s out of early access

Cooper Hendricks
Staff Writers

The Mount and Blade franchise saw a new release on March 30, in the early access game M&B: Bannerlord.
  The last installment in the series was Warband which came out in March of 2010 and was adored by fans and still frequently played even a decade later.
  Bannerlord was going to take the same game play from the first game and improve the graphics and overall quality of game play. Bannerlord delivers on that promise… kind of. First off, the game has been in development for almost seven years! You’d expect that the game would be finished, but of course like almost all other games that are released these days, it comes out in early access. Then comes the play-ability, which on my end was near impossible to do, even with all settings on low and all effects disabled.
  Of course, while I waited for the game to actually function correctly, I was mesmerized by the impressive world map, brand new factions, and actual plot line. Unlike the first game, which dropped you into the thick of it with very little purpose or direction, Bannerlord drops you into the thick of it with just a hint more purpose and direction with actual characters and unique faction leaders that have motivations which, coming from Warband, is leaps and bounds ahead of
  Recent updates have made the game playable and added hundreds more items and made the game run much smoother, but the rocky start to its journey left many players and fans wondering if Bannerlord will enjoy the same longevity its predecessor had.

The Return of 6ix9ine

Roberto Escamilla and Kel MacDowell
Staff Writers

To some, this has been a long-awaited return. To others, this was a time they hoped would never come. Daniel Hernandez, more commonly known as 6ix9ine, was allowed to serve the rest of his sentence at home by Judge Paul Engelmayer. He was officially released on April 2, he was let out due to concerns that he would contract COVID-19 and is more at risk since he has asthma. It wasn’t an easy process being able to get him out as Judge Engelmayer requested that the Bureau of Prisons approve the request.
  6ix9ine, however, has wasted no time when it comes to making headlines. Almost immediately following his release he was drawing attention as he started making abnormally large purchases. He purchased multiple luxury vehicles including a Lamborghini Aventador, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes Benz G-Wagon and a new Range Rover. His shopping spree didn’t end there, he was also reported buying a Richard Mille watch and a personalized, diamond-encrusted chain and pendant modeled after the shark, Bruce, from Finding Nemo. The piece is as ridiculous as 6ix9ine’s story, the chain and pendant are comprised of 3 kilos of gold and around 135 carats in diamonds. Jeweler, Jimmy Phan, hails it as some of his best work.
  Tekashi also decided to alert the public that on May 8, he was going to be hosting an Instagram Live right after debuting his brand-new song, “GOOBA.” The Instagram Live marked his first ever public appearance since being released from prison. The song was so highly anticipated that it crashed the YouTube site. His Instagram Live was also record breaking. The previous record for most viewers at once was held by fellow rapper, Tory Lanez. Lanez had the record set at a little over 300,000 viewers with Drake featuring. When 6ix9ine started his own Live, he wasn’t even on the screen yet and had already broken the record within seconds. He ended his Live with a whopping two million people watching at one time.
  As successful as he’s been, he doesn’t do it without his fair share of controversy. He’s had issues with Snoop Dogg, Billboard, and surprisingly his neighbor in a way. The issues with Snoop Dogg started when 6ix9ine posted saying Snoop had allegedly cooperated with the police about Suge Knight. Snoop responded with insults. The insults have been flying back and forth, 6ix9ine has even accused Snoop of infidelity.
  Billboard is another fight Tekashi has had. After the release of “GOOBA,” he has been fighting for the #1 spot on the Billboard song charts. He was in the running against some of the world’s biggest singers, Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. He claims that Billboard has cheated him out of millions of streams. On top of that, he says somebody in the organization has, against the rules, bought streams and manipulated the charts. 60,000 streams came out of nowhere and boosted Ariana Grande from the #5 spot all the way up to #1.
  One of the less covered stories has to do with his relationship with his neighbors. A teenage girl noticed her neighbor, 6ix9ine, posing for photos with a stack of money and the new shark chain. The girl posted it immediately to Tik Tok and it went viral. Fans stormed the house and 6ix9ine had to relocate.
  It’s safe to say that Tekashi’s reign of terror upon the internet is certainly not over. Despite some people saying his career would not be able to resume after his reputation as a “snitch.” The number of views for his music video as of May 19, 11 days after initial release, is just under 200 million views. Tekashi is here to stay.

Oasis might reunite!

Olivia Harrison
Staff Writer

When most people think of English rock bands, their first thought is the Beatles but what about that 90’s English rock band Oasis? Didn’t they break up in 2009 and don’t Liam and Noel hate each other? Well, Oasis fans you’re in luck because after 11 years, Oasis is FINALLY getting back together.  Formed in Manchester, England in 1991, by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher they became a huge  success! They are known for popular songs such as Don’t Look Back in Anger, Wonderwall

wall, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, and Champagne Supernova, Oasis has been loved by fans worldwide, and it was sad to hear they were splitting up.

  However, there might be a chance that they could be getting back together. The Brit pop band last performed together in 2009, but Liam Gallagher hinted that maybe in 2022, Oasis would be getting together. On Twitter Liam tweeted, “I intend to retire as solo artist after album no. 3 as I have just had a call from my brother begging me to start Oasis again in 2022 if you believe in life after love c’mon you know LG x”. Noel responded back from an unknown source (I assume Twitter)  saying that  “It’s strange behaviour for someone who is gagging for me to pick up the phone and say let’s do it,”He’d put his whole life on hold to get Oasis back together.”But every tweet he sends out, it’s another nail in the coffin of that idea.”
  This is not the first rumored Oasis reunion from Liam. In 2018, Liam reached out to his brother on Twitter saying,  “Earth to noel listen up kid I hear you’re doing gigs... now that’s the BeZarist thing you’ve done yet I forgive you now let’s get the BIG O back together… LG x.” Noel dismissed the claims of a comeback, stating that he would “never” reform his old band and instead focusing on his own project Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds (In my opinion, they are not my cup of tea as I saw them live and I’d rather see Oasis back together but to each his own).
  But, earlier in 2015, when questioned by Chris Moyles on Radio X, Noel stated, “Not in the near future one should never say never, especially  when you’re waving a cheque for a quarter of a billion in The Sun!” There was no further clarification of what this meant but it might be a hint for a reunion. After all, their second hit album’s current sales were 4.3 million worldwide, which is a lot of money for them! Furthermore, as of yesterday, amidst the Coronavirus lock down, Noel found an old Oasis demo of their song Don’t Stop. It is now available to listen on Spotify, and other music streaming services. The future of Oasis is unknown for right now, but hopefully the brothers can stop their 11 year long feud and get back together for the fans. Or, they might just “[Don’t] Look Back in Anger” and move on from Oasis like they have. The world may never know.

Add Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats “UNLOCKED” to your playlist as it makes for good listening while fans are on lockdown...a solid 9/10

Dan Flavin and Nate Donohoe
Music Editors

On Feb. 7 rapper Denzel Curry and producer Kenny Beats released their collaboration album “UNLOCKED”. The project was released along with a short animated film featuring all the songs.
  The eight track project may be short, but it makes up for its length in quality. After an introduction track with old vocal samples and drum chops, Denzel takes the spotlight. In track two “Take_It_Back_v2” we are introduced to Denzel’s insane talent and Kenny’s unorthodox production. Kenny Beats was once a EDM producer and is now known as one of the best producers in the rap community. He is known for his ability to flip samples (to turn one sound into a totally different sound). The drums on the track start very simple, but turn more complex as the melody switches. At the beginning of the track the melody is just a repeated beep along with some ambient noise. The second half of the track features another recurring sound on the project, pitched vocals. Making the vocals either deeper or lower than they were recorded can create an otherworldly effect that matches the random sounds and samples perfectly.
  Track 4 “Pyro (leak 2019)” is another great track. The reversed melody creates an ambient environment that juxtaposes the drums that are straightforward and hard hitting. Denzel is flawless throughout the track. He has great lyrics, great punchlines, catchy flows, and perfect delivery.
  The best track on the project is “DIET_” . Kenny Beats decided to skip the main melody and instead used a toned percussion sample and sound effects. The other drums on the track are simple but great. Denzel takes the listener through a story just witht the tone of his voice. He starts out quiet sounding almost confused but slowly as he gets into it gets louder and louder until in the chorus when he is full on screaming. The energy he brings takes the energy from the beat to the next level. The track is an all-time great Denzel song and definitely the best on the project.
  The only downfall of the album was that there isn’t enough of it. Everysong is unique, which is something that isn’t very common in today’s music. The project may be a bit hard for new listeners to get into because of its crazy beats and complex flows, but we 100% recommend this album. Even the tracks we didn’t highlight are great. Overall, the project is a 9/10.

Games Workshop offers a Grimdark universe

Cooper Hendricks and Colin Keyes
Staff Writers

The UK based company, Games Workshop, well known for its tabletop war-games like Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar, announces that it will be making several different shows set in the Warhammer 40,000 or 40k universe.
  However, it’s very likely that most people haven’t heard of Warhammer 40k and there is a reason. 40k is gritty, brutal and dark, or the way the fans describe it, Grimdark. In fact the opening title of any and every piece of 40k media is foreboding and consistent: “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.”
  So what is Warhammer 40k and what are these shows going to be about? It’s complicated, too complicated to explain all of it in this article, but here’s the short answer. Some 20,000 years from now in the future, humanity has spread across the stars and built a grand empire. However, for many reasons this empire collapsed, attacked by their robotic servants, alien races who were once considered allies and the demons and armies of the Warp also known as Chaos, or layman’s terms space hell.
  Humanity falls and worlds are cut off from each other, unable to speak. The once technologically advanced empire crumbles into individual worlds with thousands of different beliefs and cultures.
  On Earth, now called Terra, a figure known only as the Emperor of Man unites the fractured states of Terra under one banner, The Imperium of Man. Which is anti-religion, superstition and prefers the use of logic and reason. The Emperor unifies Terra and then creates these demigod-like humans which are called Primarchs. He creates 20 of these demigod-like humans using advanced gene-tech. However, the forces of Chaos scatter the gestation pods of the Primarchs across the galaxy on a plethora of different worlds, in an attempt to stop the Emperor from raising the Primarchs as the generals of his armies like he wanted to.
  To help the Emperor reclaim his “sons,” he creates the Adeptus Astartes or Space Marines made from the primarchs gene-seed and organized into legions. He sets out through the stars on what he calls the Great Crusade and retrieves his sons one by one.
  After about 250 years of crusading, the Emperor’s favored primarch son, Horus falls to the forces of Chaos and starts a war to destroy everything that his father’s empire stood for. Horus brings eight of his brothers to his side and they clash against the nine remaining legions and their respective primarchs. This event, known as the Horus Heresy leaves the once proud Imperium in ruins. The Emperor was mortally wounded and interred on a device called the Golden Throne where he remains to the present, kept alive only by the constant sacrifice of people with psychic powers known as psykers. The primarchs who remained, slowly disappeared, leaving the Imperium even lower, sinking into zealotry and superstition, the antithesis of what he wanted. The Emperor is even worshiped as a god.
  That brings us to the current story, to the 41st millenium, 10,000 years after the Emperor is put onto the Golden Throne and all of his loyal sons are gone. The Imperium is a cruel place, where your life is only worth your capability in war. Individuality means nothing, losses of life number in the hundreds of thousands every day, and those are considered low numbers. You’re just as likely to be killed by your own side as your enemy if you’re not a devout worshipper of the Emperor.
  The TV shows that will come out of this universe are numerous and will cover many different groups and their trials and tribulations through this universe.
  The first is Eisenhorn, which is about an inquisitor by the same name. He’s a part of the Ordo Xenos, which is a department of the Imperial Inquisition that hunts aliens. The show will cover the adventures of Gregor Eisenhorn and his posse as they try to stop the enemies of the Imperium.
  There will also be some animated series coming out as well covering several different novels that take place in the 40k setting. Most will follow the Imperium of Man as they’re considered the universe’s de facto good guys. Some will follow the traitor legions who fell to chaos and their travels through the warp and fringes of the known galaxy.
  Either way, all of these stories should be a blast and allow a whole slew of new people to get involved in the rich lore of Warhammer 40k, in a more palatable and understandable medium.

He wasn’t even 20: Rapper Pop Smoke Shot and Killed

Brendan O’Boyle
Staff Writer

Tragedy has struck the music community as news spread that popular rapper Pop Smoke had been shot and killed during a home invasion. After the rapper returned to the house he was staying at in Hollywood, four men broke into his home, robbed him, and then shot the 20-year-old rapper. A police investigation is underway and they are trying to determine whether or not this was a random robbery or if the rapper was targeted.
  Pop Smoke, born Bashar Barakah Jackson, was looked at as being at the forefront of New York City’s drill scene. His first song to blow up was called “Welcome to the Party” and was released in 2019. Since that song, he has collaborated with many popular artists like Travis Scott, Quavo, and Gunna.
  He was always looked at as an innovator of his genre, and after his death many other celebrities and musicians shared their dismay about the incident. Quavo took to Instagram to share his thoughts. He said Popsmoke was always “very talented, humble, respectful, and appreciative.” 50 Cent also shared his thoughts on social media. He tweeted “R.I.P. to my man Pop Smoke. No sympathy for winners. God bless him.”

Young Thug “So Much Fun” Review

Dan Flavin

Staff Writer

Young Thug has gained a legendary status in hip hop over the recent years. He is seen as a creator of the mumble rap style and popularized the high pitched auto tune singing. The album has such a positive vibe that radiates through all the tracks.

  There are many commendable tracks on this album, but some of the best are “What’s the Move (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)” and “Hot (feat. Gunna)”. “What’s the Move” opens with an ambient synth and bird chirps. Young Thug’s unique voice works perfectly with the intro and carries throughout the chorus. Lil Uzi, a longtime friend of Young Thug, performs a great verse. It has a solid flow and a nice catchy melody. Overall the track is really good. The bright happy feel makes it a great listen. Another top tier track is “Hot (feat. Gunna)”. “Hot” has everything a song in 2019 needs. It has the high energy beat, it has the hard drop, and it has a catchy chorus. Gunna takes over the song thanks to his chorus and great verse. The beat produced by Wheezy is unlike any trap beat we’ve ever heard. The triumphant horns paired with the harsh trap drums creates for a great, unique track.

  A few tracks however are not good at all. For example, “Sup Mate (feat. Future)” is just straight up bad. The track has nothing to it, most of Young Thug’s verse is random noises and the beat is nothing special. The other issue is that a lot of tracks are very similar. Most of them have very similar beats and vocal style. 

  However, the overall album is one of Thug’s best and the numbers show. “So Much Fun” sold 131,000 first week, by far Young Thugs highest first week total. Most of the tracks are good and the album as a whole is very solid. We rate Young Thug’s “So Much Fun” a 7.5/10.

2019 Choir Concert

Meryl Callaway

Staff Writer

The high school choirs and orchestra are celebrating yet another successful Winter Concert. The concert, lead by Mr. Bateman, the choir director, and Mr. Wehr, the orchestra director, was held in the Buck Theatre on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 17. After months of hard work and practice, the students beautifully executed a stellar performance, featuring solos from Grace Farina, Lydia Eastburn, Eva Houlton, Noelle Grand, Felix Mendelssohn, Henry Chouteau, Alina Childers, Shannon Joshi, and Leo Cronise-Mead. 

The concert began with the concert choir, performing songs such as “Meant to Be,” “Anthem” from Chess, “Hine Ma Tov,” and “Last Christmas.” As the evening progressed, Chamber Choir and Madrigal Choir took to the stage, performing “Like as the Hart Desireth the Waterbrooks,” “Al Shlosha,” and “Still, Still, Still.” Next, the Chamber Choir performed “Russian Picnic” and then the student soloists lit up the auditorium with “Table Music.”

After the choirs finished their ensemble, it was the orchestra’s turn to take to the stage. Beginning with the Concert Orchestra, they played songs such as “Waltz No. 2,” “Silent Night,” and “Danse Bacchanale.” After the Concert Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra performed “Concerto for 2 Cellos in G minor.” Finally, the night ended with a bang when the choirs and orchestra teamed together to perform picks from Elijah. In the finale, all three choirs and the orchestra joined to perform “He, Watching Over Israel,” leaving a powerful impression on the audience. The performers left the stage as parents, teachers, and peers stood for a standing ovation.

iPhone Evolution Over The Decade

Jackson Cane

Staff Writer

 From the dawn of smartphones, Apple has led the industry in ideas and creations that have massly evolved from what they were ten years ago. The design, display, hardware, and memory have all changed by improvements from year to year. As Apple’s start was from computers and not phones, through the 2010’s, iPhones were seen to be their leading contribution to the growing tech around the world. Amongst numerous releases and life changing improvements for the time, this past decade proved Apple to be ahead of the curve.

  June 24, 2010, Apple released the iPhone 4. Broadening expansions from the past year of the 3GS, the iPhone four consisted of 512 MB of memory, a retina display, and the first ever front facing camera. This specific feature of Apple’s fourth generation has shifted the world in ways to take pictures that some might say they couldn’t live without today. The first weekend of release had over 1.7 million phones sold.

  October 14, 2011, the iPhone 4S was brought out, and also was a stepping stone in technology we see today. Apple upgraded the camera to eight megapixels from five while also offering a 64 GB storage. Along with storage being doubled, the camera would now be capable of filming in 1080p, a huge movement towards pocket filming and videography that has evolved greatly today. Lastly, Siri. Apple’s first introduction of Siri can be seen as a staple in the voice activated technology and software humans experience first hand today with Amazon’s Alexa telling them the weather or to set a timer. As the upgrades striked the human eye, Apple was now gathering way larger attention, selling four million of these the first weekend. 

  September 21, 2012, Apple’s fifth generation took a different turn in regards to what was new. As the memory had now risen to one GB, this wasn’t what everyone was actually looking at. The iPhone five introduced LTE connectivity instead of 3G. The internet is now being exposed to greater amounts of people. Also for a change, the Iphone five was the first iPhone with the lightning cable, leaving the old charger in the dark and making a sleeker design. Lastly, the iPhone five expanded the screen size to four inches, being the first expansion in screen size from their devices prior, the start to a “growing” idea. There were five million units sold within the weekend of this release. 

  September 20, 2013, things got colorful for Apple. Both the iPhone 5C and 5S had released both offering different options, something Apple soon adapted to doing. The iPhone 5C was the cheaper option: 32 GB max storage, four inch display, and now 5 colors to choose from in a plastic casing. On the other hand, the 5S was everything the 5C didn't have to offer. Apple's first ever M7 motion coprocessor, helping save battery and eventually introduce new ideas, touch ID, slow motion video, and dual flash. Combined the iPhone 5S and 5C sold over nine million units in the first weekend.

  September 19, 2014, Apple released the iPhone sixThe House Impeachment

 with their first “plus” model of a phone. Both normal size and plus featured retina HD display with optical image stabilization. Along with that, the first every 128 GB option was available for storage. The iPhone six Plus was .2 mm thicker (7.3mm) and .8 inches larger in display (5.5’’), other than that, they brought the same specs to the table. Plus or regular, Apple sold a combined ten million phones upon the first weekend of the release.

  September 19, 2015, just one year after the 6, the iPhone 6S came to life, also with a plus model. With 3D touch, a 12 megapixel camera, and memory of two GB, the 6S absolutely stood on its older sibling from a year ago. Although featuring the same sizes in both versions, now this phone was built with 7000 series aluminum to prevent bending from the past model. This phone clocking in 13 million buys within the first weekend. 

  March 31, 2016, in comparison to the 5C, the iPhone SE was launched. Having all the same internal specs as the 6S, the SE lacked the same design. It was released to be a more affordable option and did well for Apple. 

  September 16, 2016, the iPhone seven was released. From this point on, Apple was booming in sales from the SE and this new generation, ultimately taking the lead in the smartphone industry across the globe. The iPhone seven  and seven Plus, were Apple’s first phones with a dual camera leading to new possibilities picture wise; improved zoom feature, portrait mode, and even a software update for people with the plus regarding the depth of field in the camera. Also expanding in storage with a max 256 GB option.  On the flip side, the seven was the first iPhone without a headphone jack. This created tons of controversy in the tech world and was seen differently from iPhone users who loved the ability to charge and have headphones in.

  iPhone user Dan Flavin said, “It was beat for a little bit during the transition but now I never even think about it because it is so normal, I think the public panic about it was not called for.” 

  Included in the purchase of this phone was a pair of EarPods and an adapter to be used with any headphones, yet plugging in to the lighting port, not a jack. Amongst this release, AirPods were announced. The wireless earbuds that have undoubtedly changed the ease of listening to music, speaking on the phone, and dealing with a wire. With this creation, it leads consumers to intreggied in how now they can charge their phone and listen to music at the same time.

  As New Hope Solebury student Ian Mendola says, “I think that Airpods have revolutionized the convenience of listening to music by packing such a powerful sound system into a tiny plastic shell. I can just pop them right into my ears wherever and start playing music by tapping and interacting with it. The simplicity of the device changed the way many listen to music, especially our generation ”. 

  September 22, 2017, the new iPhone eight was dropped with various new design and display features, broadening the ways you can crack your phone. The eight and eight plus featured an all glass back cover, bringing front the creation of wireless charging. While this feature may seem out of reach and a luxury to iPhone users, the phone’s exterior design did look largely more clean and proper than from previous phones. Along with the outer design, the iPhone eight offered a “true-tone display,” a feature that automatically reduces blue-light exposure and improves the viewing experience. Like almost every other new generation, the eight saw some improvements photo wise and brought upgraded tools for editing and manipulating photos.

  November 3, 2017, the iPhone remarkably switched its appearance both size wise and given display. The original iPhone X came in one screen size of 5.8 inches and with no home button, leaving users to swipe around to navigate efficiently. The iPhone X also featured a glass back, but this time with a vertical dual camera, and an extra front-facing camera for detailed portrait selfies. The phone also featured an empowering 21 hour battery life, almost doubling what the eight had to offer at around 13. With this being just the start to an untraditional look for iPhones, it has shifted the look amongst all smartphones today in comparison.

  September 21, 2018, the upgraded iPhone X came to life, the XS and XS Max. With subtle, yet great features both on the exterior and interior of it, the iPhone XS included Super Retina HD Display and included the A12 bionic processing chip. This chip increased the rate at which things could be done while at the same time decreasing battery drain. The XS was the same 5.8 inches as the X, however the Max grew to a whopping 6.5 inches. These phones set intentions high for what was next on Apples agenda, and what possibly they could do more.

  October 26, 2018, while being announced in September with the XS, the XR didn’t release until a month later. The XR was the cheaper version of the new models releasing due to what it lacked in comparison. They were smaller than the XS and XS Max, featured a single rear camera, and lacked in detail with a Liquid Retina HD Display instead of Super. All in all it was something people waiting on upon the release of the XS knowing it was just a tad worse, a lot cheaper, and featured six colors to choose from. 

  September 20, 2019, the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max released, debatably being the top smartphone release of 2019. Being the least expensive of the mix was the 11. The 11 included a 6.1 inch Liquid Retina display with six palette colors to choose from. The most noticeable and shocking addition being the camera. Two 12 megapixel lenses offering a wide and ultra wide angle option for taking photos or videos. The iPhone 11 Pro on the other hand is to this day, Apple highest quality iPhone. With a 5.8 inch Super Retina XDR Display and three 12 megapixel HDR camera lenses, offering what most see in a DSLR camera; a wide, ultra wide, and telephoto lenses. With mostly the exact same features as the 11 Pro is the Max version. Offering a 6.5 inch display, same lenses, and Retina display.  

  With a decade of history in the past for Apple, only some know what’s to come for the next one. Looking back on Apples creations with how they revolutionized the world we live in today, it can only make sense for it to look brighter in the future and see more progression for generations to come. From something less than four inches to ultimately building a 512 GB pocket computer or professional camera, Apple has evolved in time at the same rate digitally as the rest of the world.