The dark, underground coffee shops. A stool upon a stage. A mic and a speaker with a paper in hand, reciting poems that paint vivid images and pluck at the heartstrings of the listeners. This experience is being recreated into easily accessible spoken word albums that mimic, yet don’t replicate, watching and seeing poets perform live. Shane Koyczan’s Remembrance Year is a collection of poems written from deep within his memories and the poems are backed with the instrumental talents of Short Story Long. The album is aimed at attacking abuse, both self-inflicted and from outside factors, with inspirational and courageous words.

If you have watched the Hunger Games, and you’re seeking another thrilling young adult movie, Divergent might be the choice for you. Trilogies have become increasingly popular over the last decade, but Divergent is a cut above other series such as Twilight. As the screen faded to black, I just sat there, wondering if I would be able to wait for the second installment.

I haven’t always been angry at the world. Well, maybe not the whole world; just Mandy specifically. This all started a year ago when that stuck-up device arrived. I used to be the first-rate staple, the Caesar to the classroom’s Rome. But alas, we can’t all be automatic staplers with the newest technology and all the bells and whistles.

While most of us know Netflix for it’s endless supply of movies, the on-demand media provider is now adding successful television series provider to its resume with the release of hit T.V. show Orange is the New Black. Loosely based off the novel of the same name, the show chronicles the conviction of Piper Chapman, […]

When the Olympics come around, a majority of viewers only watch the events they care about and enjoy watching. For some, they watch a sport that they used to play or an intense game that gets their adrenaline pumping just by watching it. For others, they watch to feel in the loop while around the water cooler or at the lunch table. No matter what our reasons are for watching the Olympics, the Games always seem to bring about a heightened sense of nationalism, an interest in new sports, and a newly acquired passion for athletics.

Frozen, the recent hit movie released by Disney, enthralled millions with its tale of two sisters, betrayal, and ice magic. Overall, I think Frozen is a decent movie with a few flaws, however, the public’s reaction to it is unreasonable. To me it seems that many love the movie to a point of reverence exemplified by how Frozen remained in theaters for months, while the typical movie stays in theaters six to eight weeks.

The “ideal” heat of a kiss is fueled by two things: passion and environment. Usually, the environment of an on-call room in a hospital and the passion of a surgeon don’t fit the average person’s “ideal” kiss. For characters Meredith Grey and Derick Sheperd on the hit show Grey’s Anatomy, this was more than the perfect environment and the passion you may ask? Entirely effortless.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is the second installment in the Hobbit movie trilogy which premiered on December 13, 2013. After being disappointed by the first movie nearly a year ago, I had low hopes for the sequel. Sadly my expectations proved to be mostly true.

Few movies out there truly capture my attention the entire time. It’s extremely difficult for me to get pulled into a film, but there is one very special exception.

50 years. 50 years of heroes, monsters, sinister plots, and of course, the Doctor and his Tardis. 50 years ago, a crazy idea was conceived that has continued and evolved. 50 years of Doctor Who.

Haunted houses, insane asylums, and witches, are common things in American Horror Story. For the past three seasons American Horror Story, it has not been for the fainthearted. Since the start of season one, I was hooked, I enjoy horror movies, and have been avidly watching ever since.

With Christmas just around the corner, classic Christmas movies are beginning to pop on television, families are putting colorful lights up around the house, and, best of all, that beloved Christmas music is playing everywhere we go.

After storming the charts with his flawless Take Care album, Drake sat back and made millions, but his success did not stop there. He continued the late nights in the studio, laying down sick beats and rhymes which are prevalent throughout his new album, Nothing was the Same.

Ever since childhood, the night sky has fascinated me. I have always found the planets, stars, galaxies, and vastness of outer space to be a mystery. Recently, I saw a preview for Gravity at the movies, and I knew I had to see it. Although it turned out to be a good movie, it was different from what I expected.

Summer: concerts, traveling, vacations, hanging out with friends. Summer vacation means no school, and no school means doing whatever our hearts desire. For some, doing what our hearts desired this summer was going to some of the biggest music festivals in Texas. Vans Warped tour, Free Press Summer Fest, and Austin City Limits.

Bryan/College Station: a small but steadily growing town in the heart of Texas. The adjacent towns that are known by many names, including Aggieland and the Twin Cities, hosted the biggest football game of what feels like the century, at Kyle Field, Pretty cool right? Anywhere you turned your head that weekend there was some kind of Texas A&M memorabilia, from clothing and signs in windows to flags in front of stores and the A&M army trucks driving around the streets; we were just all flaunting our pride in the face of our foe, The support for our hometown team was really amazing and incredible to see.

Ella Yelich-O’Connor, a 16-year-old from New Zealand, also known as Lorde, is an alternative pop singer with an electric voice that makes audiences want to roll the windows down and drive fast. For much of her childhood, Lorde worked with Universal to help her develop style and which direction she was going to take her music career. At the tender age of 12, she was scouted by an A&R agent after seeing a video of her singing in a school talent show. By the age of 16, Lorde landed a record deal with T2THEJMANAGEMENT, who she also recorded her debut album with.

You’re sitting in your apartment, bored with your stagnant life. You’re on the phone with your best friend and you can’t figure out what to do. So, naturally, you decide to write a musical in three weeks and submit it to the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival. At least that’s what Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell thought to do.

What started off with a seemingly harmless haircut has spiraled into a full fledged change in character. The once sweet and innocent Miley is now more focused on partying and making a scene.

Arrow through the head? Axe to the face? Try a wire through the throat perhaps? Hope your stomach can handle it, because in this movie you get it all.

“I never meant to get us in this deep.” The opening line to The Civil Wars’ new CD, The Civil Wars, packs a powerful punch that can be viewed as the singer’s Joy Williams’ and John Paul White’s personal reflection over their past five years.

Humans have always dreamed of flying and while we have invented airplanes that is not the same as being able to fly. The closest that we will ever get to true flight is scuba diving. While diving, there are no boundaries other than the ocean floor and the surface. It is possible to go anywhere that you want to, just like flying.

42: the only retired number across the league in baseball belongs to a man who changed the entire game and sports in general.

If you’re in search of a movie that both you and your significant other would enjoy, Safe Haven might be just the right movie. This movie is not only a powerful love story but a thriller that will have you jumping out of your seat, biting your nails and crying your eyes out, all at the same time.

Tired of watching Gossip Girl reruns and boring episodes of Pretty Little Liars? This winter the CW introduced The Carrie Diaries, a prequel to the successful Sex and the City tv series.
Sex and the City targets middle aged women who could live vicariously through Samantha, Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte, as the four girls took on Manhattan in the 21st century.

What if you heard the sound of an intruder? What if you heard the cries of a victim? What if your mistake cost someone their life? These daunting questions were asked in the movie trailer for the recently released film The Call.

“Gossip girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite.” I never thought I would hear these words without laughing. I mean, Gossip Girl, really? The name sounded stupid to me every time I heard or saw it, but recently I’ve had a change of heart. Now we all have […]

Overproducing and a bombardment of synth make for an okay album, unfortunately this is the case for Tegan and Sara’s 2013 album Heartthrob; which incidentally is somewhat of a heartbreak.

“I know so many last words. But I will never know hers.” Not knowing her last words haunted Miles Halter after her disappearance.

Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead. This particular death, however, is a little more complicated than most. Murder, suspense, drama and thrills; all words I use to describe the hit series Pretty Little Liars.

I was expecting paradise, tanning on the beach, shopping and overall, a tropical adventure on my cruise to South America this holiday season. Sadly, I was less than impressed with the ports where our ship docked.

Decades of traditional TV shows have come to an end as our generation moves away from cartoons and family shows and into the world of reality TV. Reality TV seems to be all over TV station these days; serving a multitude of audiences, with shows targeting groups from middle-aged housewives to teenage mothers. The latest of these shows is Catfish.

Watching The Fall is like being a child again, reading your favorite bedtime story, complete with vivid imagery and uniquely imagined characters. However, unlike most fairy tales,this one is viewed through the imagination of a disturbed child and told by a drug addict. The movie darkens more as the movie progresses. Despite this, the movie captures a series of highly imaginative and beautiful scenes in both the real world and the storyworld, from the tragic opening scene, to the final, dramatic duel in the little girl’s imagination.

I was overjoyed when I heard that one of my favorite books, The Hobbit, was being made into a film. I got even more excited when I found out that the film would be split into three parts, allowing each movie to be more detailed. However my hopes were dashed from the opening scene.

I dreamed a dream that when one of the world’s most famous musicals came to the big screen, I would be blown away. I feel guilty for not loving the Golden Globe winning, critically acclaimed Les Miserables as much as everyone else, but it didn’t impress me much. Of course the cinematography and star studded cast were phenomenal, but for me, the story itself was problematic.

Once upon a time Snow White found her prince charming and she lived happily ever after… Except for when their wedding day was interrupted by Snow’s stepmother, the evil queen and she threatens to curse the entire land so that she’s the only one with the happy ending.

Music is considered a universal language, a force that is meant to bring people together in celebration of common achievements. Then there is the hit song Gangnam Style. Like it or not, most have heard the trademark beat of Korean Pop single PSY’s hit, and wondered what exactly the lyrics mean. So is this just a passing craze, or will Gangnam Style remain in popular culture for years to come?

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ The Heist is a collection of previously released singles and new songs by the independent rapper-producer duo, and their first album to attain mainstream success. The album benefits from a strong ensemble of guest musicians, catchy hip-hop beats, and a diverse selection of emotional themes, running the gamut from the humorous “Thrift Shop” to the political “Same Love.”

David Ayer’s newest movie End Of Watch, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña as two Los Angeles police officers, Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala. The movie follows the two cops through their careers as officers, starting off as rookies and making their first huge bust, to starting families.

As we wrap up this second semester, many of us find ourselves struggling to plan out our futures and make life altering decisions. With college looming around the corner, the decision remains, to stay or to go.

Like it or not: we’ve all heard of, and most of us have even watched TLC’s hit show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.

The reality show follows Toddlers and Tiaras star Alana Thompson in her daily life, which some regard as entertainment while others deem to be – well, repulsive. The Thompson family’s everyday activities – such as fixing roadkill for dinner, washing their hair in the sink, and playing the “guess who’s breath” game give viewers a look behind the scenes at the odd life of the young pageant queen, with a lot of laughs along the way.

Most of us have heard a car vibrating down the street with music blasting through its open windows, but how often are the lyrics of that music meaningful? For me, it’s not very often.

Be prepared to purchase tickets, grab some popcorn, and find a seat because the end of The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 2 is here. The final installment of the multi-billion dollar franchise will hit theaters nationwide Nov 16 and I plan on being one of the many in line for the midnight premiere.

Some musicals have pretty cheesy story lines but a strong soundtrack can make the movie bearable. The Labyrinth is an 80s movie that fits that description. It’s a great example of how the music can overshadow the story line.

No matter who you are and no matter what kind of situation you’re in, there are always those certain moments in life when you feel like nothing can bring you down simply because you’re with the people you love the most and feeling alive.

The Batman trilogy has been one of the few movie series this year that has kept fans desperate for the next installment. The final one goes above and beyond what’s expected from a movie, mixing intrigue, suspense, and many, many explosions, that resulted in an astonishingly good conclusion to the saga.

Vans Warped Tour, an event that makes its way around North America for two short months each year, returned again this summer. Being that it was my first year attending Warped Tour, I was a mess of excitement, nervousness and anxiousness. I came in that day not expecting the revitalization of my love for music and the emotional experiences that would come with it.

In season one of Lifetime’s hit reality series, Dance Moms, I was invited to get a front row seat in my living room to watch the most talented dance students compete all across the nation. With prestigious awards and once in a lifetime auditions that the cast of Dance Moms in Pittsburgh received, I was expected Dance Moms: Miami, the newest addition of the show, to be the same. To my surprise, my assumption was wrong.

As teenagers still living under our parents’ roof, finding a place to extend your social life online has become more and more difficult. One place where many of us decide to express our social lives is Facebook. With the accessibility of Facebook, we’re able to post statuses about our crazy weekend out with friends and pictures of us having a grand ‘ole time.

As Facebook’s popularity is sprouting and more people are creating accounts though, our privacy is going down, down, down. One specific group of people who ruins that for us. Who am I talking about? Well of course, the people we’re closest to -our very own parents.

One Direction is a British-Irish boy band from London, England that is made up of five guys: Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.

Anthony Green’s music career kick-started with the formation of his post hardcore band Saosin. Popular for their lyrical and musical composition, Saosin quickly rose to fame. The increasing fame and rising conflict over the direction the band was headed led to Green’s departure in 2004.
Green later formed his current band Circa Survive. Alongside his work with Circa Survive, Green embarked on a solo project. His first solo album Avalon was released in 2008 and peaked at number 44 on the Billboard 200.

Dubstep; One of yet another teenage trend that goes from being the hottest thing on the block to “those songs with weird beats”. Don’t get me wrong, dubstep is one of the greatest contemporary music genres of our time, but by incorporating it into practically every song that is released, its sacredness has gone to waste.

After seeing the previews for Daniel Radcliffe’s newest film, I was anticipating how scary it would be. As a horror movie fanatic, I was excited and ready to be scared.

It seems like you run into something about The Hunger Games everywhere, whether you’re on Pinterest, Facebook, or any other media site.

Happy Valentine’s Day

The Wizard of Oz, a classic American cultural entity, is cherished by children and adults across the country–and messing with something so treasured is always a risk.

Still, the risk paid off for the Fine Arts department over the weekend as they performed their interpretation of The Wizard of Oz to an audience that was left both delighted and fulfilled.

The Twilight Saga has become one of the most well-known phenomenons among pre-teens since it’s big-screen premiere on November 21, 2008. Since then, it’s been difficult to go a day without hearing the names Edward Cullen, Bella Swan and Jacob Black. Yet, these people are insane to believe that Twilight is on the same level as one of the greatest book/movie adaptions of all time – Harry Potter.

You’d think these kids were just like anyone else in the world. They learn. They play. They engage in intimate conversations. They grow up and share feelings and emotions with each other.

I walked into a field of beautiful flowers waiting for him to appear. I had seen him before. He was tall and had gorgeous hair that was at least three feet high…and he sparkled. Maybe that’s what made him look so greasy and in need of a shower.

In 2006, after several failed attempts at a band, Pierce the Veil was formed by brothers Mike and Vic Fuentes along with Jaime Preciado and Tony Perry. Over the last few years, the band has gained a lot of positive attention by being featured in Warped Tour and countless articles and interviews. They are known […]

The start of a new year brings many new things and making new years resolutions is one of those new things that excites people.

In high school, teenagers frequently feel as though it’s impossible to uphold a perfect life. They look at each other and wonder how some teens can have it all together, considering how tough high school is. What they may not realize is that things aren’t always perfect beneath the surface.

The Elder Scrolls franchise has been around for years, but only in recent years has it gained national acclaim and a larger base of players. The last two installments of the series were somewhat popular, but Skyrim represents the birth of a new generation of players who are ready to enjoy one of the best games created in the last decade.

These are the famous words the frequently criticized last queen of France, Marie Antoinette. In history classes, we are simply taught that she was an ignorant and wasteful ruler with a poor understanding of the lives of commoners in France. What about her side of the story?

As teenagers, our mind is a constant whirlwind of what to do and how to entertain ourselves. One thing that always seems to be the solution to this frequent problem is music. If you have not already noticed, most of the time you are hanging out with your usual clan, chances are you guys will be listening to the new “hot jam” or a legendary classic.

Though many of us find music as an ordinary enjoyment, I feel that we don’t have a variety to listen to. For most people, their music source is normally the radio. As for the radio, there are more ‘cons’ than ‘pros’ when you listen to it.

Think about one of the greatest bands in the world coming out with a new album after three years. A band with fifty million albums sold worldwide changing the way the world views alternative music and millions of fans having no idea what to expect other than pure greatness.

Star Wars: some people love it, some hate it. There usually is no middle ground. I am one of those people who is madly in love with it, which is why, when I heard that the complete saga was going to be released on blu ray with 40 hours of unseen footage, I freaked out.

Walking down a hallway filled with strangers, figuring out who to sit with at lunch, trying to fit in with the right crowd. Sound familiar?

Paranormal Activity 3 hit theaters October 21st as the third and last installment of the Paranormal Activity Series that debuted back in 2007.

As the holiday season approaches, so does the annual Feast of Carols performance by the choir. In its 28th year, the show remains popular and continues to sell out performances.

“Relevé! Plié! Jeté!” If these commands sound the least bit familiar, consider tuning into Lifetime’s new hit TV series, Dance Moms. On the show, hysterical mother’s live their lives to watch their extremely talented daughters practice and compete in dances of all genres throughout the nation.

As the clock struck midnight on August 8th, I found myself rushing to iTunes to purchase the most glorious album since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I am speaking of Watch the Throne, of course. Two of the most talented hip hop artist of our generation are compiled into a single album to produce the most powerful music my ears have ever heard.

Like the majority of books with film adaptations, Twilight doesn’t convey the same meaning in film form.

MTV’s new series Awkward, is uncomfortable for any one, but for the star of the show, Jenna Hamilton, this is a part of her everyday life at high school.

The Lying Game, ABC Family’s newest show airs Tuesday at 7:00 P.M., is a hit. Though the show is very popular, after watching the first 5 episodes of ABC family’s latest teen drama, I’ve found that it seems to be just like another hit series: Pretty Little Liars.

Being a fan of horror movies, I was very excited to see the movie Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. I had seen many previews to the movie, and I was patiently waiting until the premiere, yet after seeing it, I was a little disappointed.

In the world of fantasy books, the Dresden Files stand above the rest for a plethora of reasons. The Dresden Files are based in Chicago around the wizard Harry Dresden.

For years, Britney Spears has had an incredible impact on pop music and culture. She has managed to sell over 100 million albums during her career, and is a pop legend who has been on top of the world for over her entire career.

It’s August 30th and Beirut fans all over the world are rushing to their local record store to purchase the small brown Indie album with “The Rip Tide” written on the middle of it.

When is the last time you saw a music video on MTV?

No, I’m not talking about those 20 second clips of songs in between endless reality shows; I’m talking about a real music video.

Despite my love of the popular T.V. show, Glee: The 3D Concert Movie left me disappointed and yearning for the elements that make the sitcom great. As one of the biggest “gleeks” I know, I was pumped to hear Glee was coming to the big screen. I’ve been watching the show from the beginning, and […]

While some people were jumping into bed at 10PM, many others across the world were in their seats at a local theatre awaiting the end of an era. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise, was released at midnight on July 15, 2011. The long awaited finale was expected to be big and thanks to many adoring fans it lived up to that prediction.

When 2011 began, there was an expectation that new and better entertainment would come out. One of this year’s new releases, The Adjustment Bureau is a movie that can easily confuse, though it still has good features.

We all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, the tale of a girl in a red cloak who was to take a basket to her grandmother, but ended up being a nice snack for a hungry wolf. This year, a new and slightly twisted version of Little Red Riding Hood came out in theatres.

This spring, one of Alex Flinn’s best-selling novels, Beastly, made its way to the big screen.

Fake hair, airbrushed make-up, spray tans, and glitter. Beautiful girls cross the stage with hopes of taking home a huge crown. These girls are pageant queens, only, they’re not your average Miss America—they’re toddlers.

On the TV show Toddlers & Tiaras, TLC gives America an inside look at the cutthroat adolescent pageant world. Girls and boys as young as six months old participate in the competitions and prepare with unimaginable measures.

Frequently on the New York Times Best-Sellers list, the Witch and Wizard series, by James Patterson is a great read for your down time, while not caught up in the heavy school work demanded by the spring semester.

The book is a tale of two ordinary teenagers, Whisty and Whit Allgood, who are kidnapped by members of the world’s new government, the New Order, to find out they are considered very “dangerous”, and are witches and wizards.

ABC’s newest show, No Ordinary Family, the Powell family is transformed into a family with extraordinary capabilities when an unexpected turn of events occurs.

The Green Hornet, one of the first blockbuster movies of 2011, arrived in theaters January 14 starring Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz.

Are you in the mood for music different from what’s playing on the radio? Try Regina Spektor. Not only does Spektor go against the mainstream of music, but she sounds good doing so.

Boy bands like *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys have been replaced with the likes of Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. While both artists have appeal, the music industry, as a whole, has lost its taste for high quality music.

CSI: Miami is now in its ninth season, after it originally premiered in 2002 as a spin-off from the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Compared to other spin-offs, this has been the most popular with viewers and is my personal favorite.

MTV viewers will know Diggy Simmons as the son of RUN-DMC superstar Joseph Simmons, but these days, the fifteen year old is making a name for himself as a rapping, internet superstar.

The long-awaited final installment of the Harry Potter series hit theaters on Nov. 19. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I continues to tell the story of the three young wizards our generation has come to know and love.

As more and more movies come out each week, I’ve noticed that they don’t compare to movies from the past. There are some movies that are really good, but most of them are a waste of time and money.

Paranormal Activity, for example, was a movie that got a lot of hype, but it just put me to sleep. If you want to go see a good movie, just rent one, because there doesn’t seem to be a lot of good ones in the theaters.

Christmas is almost here, and that means presents, putting up the lovely Christmas tree, eating, and of course spending time with your family and friends. As Christmas comes closer and closer, the time for those classic Christmas movies to come on television is just around the corner.

Teen pregnancy is on the rise, but a show first played in 2009 showed America the lives of girls who were 16 and Pregnant.

By watching the show, viewers are exposed to the difficulties and obstacles that teen mothers face. The show ended its 2nd season in April, and season three began on October 21.

Ever since May 2009, people across America have gotten to know the members of the show-choir “New Directions”. With star bound Rachel Berry, mean-spirited cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, handicapped Artie Abrams, and many others, the award-winning television show Glee, is full of surprises.

Pretty Little Liars, a best selling book by Sara Shepards, jumped to the small screen this year when it turned into a popular television series on ABC Family.

If you’re a big gamer, or just a nerd like me, chances are you’ve heard about “that one zombie movie” that came out in September. Yes, Resident Evil, the infamous video game turned movie hit the big screen with Resident Evil: Afterlife.