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Travie McCoy’s LAZARUS

{ June 8, 2010 @ 11:27 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Travie McCoy's LAZARUS out today June 8, 2010

Today Travie’s long awaited solo album has come out titled Lazarus. I’ve been waiting for months for this LP and it’s fantastic! I’d been downloading his singles one by one as they came out and after hearing the full album today I was very pleased. Travie has a lot of potential and I’m really hoping I can still see him this Saturday along with Cobra Starship and 3OH!3 at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park NJ.

Let’s start the album off with its opening song ‘Dr. Feel Good’. It sets a fun tone for the album with Cee-Lo singing the chorus as Travie spits his rhymes. As I closed my eyes and listened to this track I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed with the rest of the songs.

The singles ‘Superbad’ ‘Need You’ ‘We’ll Be Alright’ and ‘Billionaire’ are Amazing, especially Superbad with it’s Linkin Park meets Gym Class Heroes sound and it really makes you want to be motivated! Need You is particularly important to the album because it describes Travie’s moving on from his last relationship showing that he needs time to become who he truly is again. I like these two tracks in particular because they show off Travie’s singing abilities and vocal range! I had no idea he could sing and it was really refreshing!

Also notable on the album were his catchy songs like ‘After Midnight’ with it’s rock and almost r&b sound. I fell in love with this track because it was easy to bop my head to.

The Manual with T-Pain and Young Cash is a classic r&b and rap song, with T-Pain’s autotuned vocals alongside Travie’s rapping. Another T-Pain appearance is made on ‘Ms. Tattoo Girl’ where it’s along the same vein and I could easily hear this among others on this album on the radio.

Akidagain uses that children’s choir to give it a more wholesome feel, many songs uses these choirs to rocket to the charts and become famous. This rap track has an easy flow to it, making it a chill song to listen to.

Which leaves Critical (feat. Tim William) and Don’t Pretend (feat. Colin Munroe) these tracks vary from each other, Critical expressing Travie’s need to break out of his funk and Don’t Pretend bringing the sound back down to mellow with it’s R&b, soul sound to it.

These tracks were done out of order but I loved each one! I can’t wait to throw this album into the Jag and drive into the sunset…or rush hour track on 287 South heading to RU.

Don’t forget to check out Travie’s LAZARUS especially Superbad, Need You, After Midnight and Dr. Feel Good! Really the album shiners!

xo

Tomorrow I’m going to give ‘Take A Vacation’ by The Young Veins a listen, it’s out today btw!

Announcement!

{ June 8, 2010 @ 11:07 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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I will no longer be posting class blogs in here, for I fear some of the topics won’t appeal to everyone. So this’ll just be about my life, nothing too ‘oh my god shut up’ just you know on what’s going on, music, if a class topic arises that’s interesting…etc. I hope that’s okay, and I hope people will continue to read…then again I haven’t even told my friends about this yet. Working on that!

Swan Song

{ June 8, 2010 @ 11:03 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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These days it’s much easier to persuade one person that it is a whole group – and that makes sense seeing as more than one person will be buying or using a product. Which is why it was so important for Delta to hawk their newest line of traveling, Song. Delta Song was launched in 2003 and had a more hip and upbeat theme, flight attendants had to have a bubbly personality, be current with the times and fit the lifestyle of its passengers. This should have been overwhelmingly successful, yet their were faults to the airline. They were trying to hard to garner a new generation of flyers but too much money was invested into it and there were some great concepts, like the brightly colored planes and the Kate Spade uniforms. Andy Spade helped with the selection of themes, commercials and advertising.

I personally have flown on Delta song, and I loved it! It really was targeted to young women (although we weren’t the only ones). It was neat, I remember the brightly colored seats, each with different colors of oranges, pinks, blues and greens, they had neat TV screens on the backs of each seat and had a plethora of shows to offer, even in-plane games. It was a real kick when we were kids, however, I only got to fly with Song a handful of times before it was ultimately canned after Delta filed bankruptcy. I thought that Delta was clever to branch out and try and persuade a new generation of people to see Song as a hip culture rather than a standard airline. The documentary outlined the company to a T, showing me all the ways that Song could have succeeded. Although cheaper and hipper, people like what they like, normal and safe ideas – perhaps one day, sometime soon we’ll be ready for another version of Song.

Delta Song Airliner

Media Effects on Our Generation

{ June 8, 2010 @ 1:22 am } · { Uncategorized }
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There’s nothing better than watching your favorite movie with your favorite soda, sitting in your favorite pajama pants and texting your friends about the latest drama on The Jersey Shore. But how does this all relate to you? Well let’s add some things up, your favorite movie was pumped relentlessly all over the world with advertisements and alluring trailers, your favorite soda is drank by celebrities in the commercials that convince you it’s delicious (even though those celebs probably don’t even eat), your pajama pants you saw in a magazine spread for a celebrity’s pajama party and Jersey Shore is self explanatory. Whatever we see on TV or the computer, hear on the radio, read in the paper we must go out and buy. There’s nothing easier than just using your senses to spend all your money.

Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship wearing friend and label owner Pete Wentz's clothing line Clandestine Industries

I am a victim of all of the above, I have

about a trillion band husband’s under the Fueled By Ramen record label, if Ryland Blackinton loves X-drink and his favorite movie is X chances are I’ll probably check them out. If Pete Wentz tells me to go out and buy so and so’s new album, I’ll definitely give them a listen, hell he has a clothing line Clandestine that he has all his friends and employees wear (I have a majority of that line, trust me, my closet weeps every time something new comes out.) It’s impossible not to be swayed by your idols because they set the current trends. Lady Gaga wears the most outrageous outfits and other artists copy her, her music is featured on the hit show Glee, she’s all over the TV and radio, the internet and on stage. You can’t escape her and if she wants you to buy her music, chances are – you will.

Travie wearing Clandestine Industries

You want what you want, your eyes are bigger than your wallet and you don’t want to be unhappy right? What if I told you Barack Obama went to this specific restaurant every night and he swore by their Shrimp Scampi, would you consider checking it out? Michelle Obama wears affordable clothing to promote her image of the All American Woman who understands all classes of the country. It’s a smart move, relating to people who can’t afford her lifestyle. Hell not many can. What most people don’t realize is that celebrities can’t afford half the things they wear, hold, use, eat etc they’re given to them as shameless promotion. But why do celebs care, the get free stuff!

It’s easy to decide to do something because someone else does it. Why be individualistic when it’s safer to just follow the pack.

I tend to do things based on what I see or what looks most appealing, I’m not saying I’m a pack leader and setting new trends all the time. I mean quite the contrary, think about all the things I’ve said up above. If Fall Out Boy tells me to go buy something I might just do it. I’m a sucker for band related things, that’s one of my main vices.

Like the commercials where they get celebrities to use their products because they know people want what the stars have. If you watch music videos you can Almost Always see product placement, like bands watching or recording the show through a Nokia phone or Christina Aguilera’s Not Myself Tonight where she plugs her own perfume (I thought that was incredibly tacky). Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy Buy!

Above Fall Out Boy’s video for ‘Thnks Fr Th Mmrs’ has product placement from Nokia and TAG body spray.

What RU Wearing?

{ June 8, 2010 @ 12:51 am } · { Uncategorized }
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It’s all too easy to get suckered into a marketing scheme and to spend money on frivolous articles of clothing etc. Like you actually need that pair of  jeans that’ll go out of style in a few months. I must admit I am one of those girls that sees a model wearing something and sometimes I just have to get it – the internet makes it extremely easy to buy clothes and with websites having clothing advertisements in their margins it’s even Easier to find your way onto their sites. But why do we fall victim to this shameless ploy to buy clothing? I mean all we really need is a shirt, a pair of pants and some shoes…but there are so many jackets and belts, purses and sunglasses! How can you resist a dress that Katy Perry or Sienna Miller has worn and what about America’s Next Top Model? They plug clothing from affordable retailers more than ever.

Retail giants are banking on kids watching tv or surfing the web and falling upon their advertisements and it’s WORKING. I’m a celebrity gossip junkie and Perez Hilton has clothing advertisements running down the margins of his page, sometimes I get distracted by the clothes!

Ads seen on the margins of Perez's site

There are other ways to convince teens to shop, like Target with their brightly colored TV ads and the usage of current top hits on the radio. Combining hip colors, music and eye catching clothes, they must be rolling in the cash because what teen can pass up affordable clothing when it’s being thrown in their faces?

When I shop I go all out, granted I have a full wallet (and god knows that doesn’t happen enough), if I see something I’ve seen in a fashion mag or a replica of it you know it’s going to end up in my closet.

I wish we weren’t preyed upon so heavily but our generation is easily swayed and will do anything to look cool and fit in. Here’s another example, those silly animal bracelets, ‘Silly Bands’ I’d never really heard of them until I saw my vet technicians playing with their dinosaur and farm animal shaped rubber bands. How idiotic do we have to be to buy RUBBER BANDS that are shaped like animals? Now I went to investigate, bought a pack of dinosaur rubber bands and took a few out…and then I asked myself how are people falling over themselves to buy these things and why are they selling out?

It’s far too easy to buy things these days, paychecks go right back into other people’s banks because of our insecurities and desires to wear what everyone else is weari- oh wow look what Rihanna’s wearing, where did she get that leopard print top…?

Freedom of Speech

{ June 3, 2010 @ 5:58 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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I’m a 20-year-old girl living in the US, I love to sing along badly to my iPod, gossip with my friends and write. I’m just your average Caucasian, seemingly Christian, upper class chick with strong opinions. And I ask myself, AeR what do you have to lose in this country? Not much, huh? But that’s where I was wrong, there are certain things I can do and certain things I can’t. I can’t run around screaming that Obama is the antichrist on the White House lawn, now can I? Not that I would, but my freedom of speech is at risk. Which is why I take to the internet to speak my mind. The internet offers so many forums for me to speak on, I have facebook where I do care what my friends think of me so I try and post tasteful statuses, my twitter where anything goes and my livejournal personal diary. Each site offers me a new way to speak my mind without getting caught and crucified, this works for me because I have a lot to say even if I am misinformed about things at times. Up until recently I always thought we were allowed to have free speech, not once did I put two and two together and realize that censorship and free speech go hand in hand.

I’ve been censored a few times in my life and I’d like to share those personal experiences. My best friend and I tried to start a Gay Straight Alliance with our gay friend Andrea, my Episcopalian school promptly shut us down, when we tried to commemorate Transgender Day Of Remembrance, I had my stickers, sashes and flyers taken away. I felt strongly about these issues because I had a trans friend who was struggling and I wanted to get the word out there that they were indeed people too! I realized later after I graduated that my school’s excuse of ‘it’d upset the church’ was false when I was informed that the Episcopalian faith has had two gay ministers. Silly right? I was censored in my own school where intellectuality and free thoughts and speech were encouraged, but I guess that comes with the territory of private schools.

In college I’ve been pleased to see that my speech has yet to be censored and that I’ve been able to say literally whatever I’ve wanted to…then again I don’t say defaming things often, if at all. It makes me wonder how the citizens of the US would take to being their own gatekeepers, would the country run amok with no boundaries or would the government watch as things got more constricted with less speaking boundaries. The public can be very critical of themselves and others so when the government monitors phone calls, trolls the internet and seeks out groups that cause trouble through free speech maybe they’re doing us a favor?

Like I said, I’m just your average Caucasian, seemingly Christian but definitely Agnostic, upper class chick with strong opinions. Through this class I’m learning about what can be said and what can’t, how big corporations can threaten, bribe and shut down people for exercising their free speech, stage fake interviews, sue people for false statements. I can’t imagine being in a position where I said something bad and had the Tobacco Industry shining a bring spotlight on me as I sat on a stool with a ‘Pariah’ sign around my neck. If I’m careful about what I say I can get by in life just fine, although it’s a shame I can’t say whatever I want without consequences because there’s always someone monitoring what’s being said whether or not we realize it.

Hi Big Brother!

Censorship - taken from IFEX Campaigns

AeR’s many, many ramblings.

{ June 3, 2010 @ 3:40 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Not much to say in this post! The focus of this particular blog is on my Intro to Media Systems Processes class at Rutgers University. Rutgers is awesome, I’m going to be a junior and I’m really stoked! This blog will be dealing with current events, the occasional politics and our culture.

I must admit I’m not very up to date with politics, in fact I voted for Obama based on what I saw from his speeches and that he was a young guy…but I never really checked out his policies. I think it may be safe to say that I’m not one of his biggest fans.

My family’s republican and I don’t know where I stand, sometimes I think I’m democrat sometimes I think I’m independent…other times I’ve been told I’m a staunch republican. But it’s all up to me, I’m young and this class will help me get educated about political standings.

Going off on a tangent because I tend to do that, I’m from New Jersey but I lived my entire life in Florida, summering in Cape Cod each summer. I guess you can say I’m all over the map, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. One thing’s for sure though, I’m a Jersey girl at heart! ❤

I’m an only child, and I just got two teacup yorkies on Friday named Big Show and Emi Yuki and I love them very much. I love going out with my friends and shopping, surfing the internet (god I’m an addict!), talking on the phone, driving, and enjoying life and college. I can never think of what my likes and dislikes are so this will have to suffice.

This is only a preface to what’s going on inside my head when I’m blogging for my class. I’m creative and zany, happy and outgoing, and I’m most definitely an internet cupcake.

Check back here later for my first class posting about Free Speech!

p.s.

Chuuuu

Cupcake meets the infamous electric mouse