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.