Album Review Samples

     Favorable:                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Rob Tannenbaum                                                                                                                                                                       

November 12, 2013

After two albums that were as bland as Simon Cowell's wardrobe, Kellie Pickler turned around her career by following the bad-girl path of fellow reality-show alumna Miranda Lambert, which continues on The Woman I Am. On the ebullient breakup song "Ring for Sale," Pickler gets revenge on a cheating fiance by selling her ring. (Lambert would probably shank the jerk.) She also continues to wring vibrant drama from her crazy family; having already sung about the mother who abandoned her and her jailbird father, Pickler cowrote "Selma Drye," country's first great great-grandmother song, about a feisty ancestor who "kept a .38 Special and a can of snuff" in her kitchen apron.

4.5/5 stars

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the-woman-i-am-20131112#ixzz2lI87Y8iG 
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Favorable:

By DAVID FRICKE

November 12, 2013

This was social media in Great Britain in 1963, during the first flash flood of Beatlemania: George Harrison singing "Do You Want to Know a Secret" for Deanne and Jenny in Bedford; Paul McCartney belting "The Hippy Hippy Shake" for a student at the bassist's old grammar school in Liverpool; Ringo Starr stumbling over names on a request card from Yorkshire. That year, the Beatles ran riot over the BBC, even landing a weekly radio series of studio performances, dedications and wisecracks, Pop Go the Beatles – a vigorous innocence and outreach that propels this second culling of the group's Beeb work. The Beatles are enjoying the speed and lunacy of stardom here: tugging their roots forward in Little Richard's"Lucille" and a sparkling cover of Buddy Holly's "Words of Love" a year before they cut it for a record; going deep into their Cavern-era song bag for Chuck Berry's "I'm Talking About You" and Carl Perkins'"Glad All Over." The mounting hysteria of concerts seeps into "Misery," taped at a BBC theater in March 1963; the live audience can barely contain its screams in the middle. You also hear the distance growing: "It's amazing that you can hear us as we're in America now," Lennon cracks in a pretaped chat in early '64. There would be no more dedications to schoolgirls in Liverpool. The Beatles now belonged to the world.

4/5 stars

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/on-air-live-at-the-bbc-volume-2-20131112#ixzz2lI8p9Wzf 
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Middle Of The Road:

By Chuck Eddy

November 19, 2013

Seven years after he placed on American Idol, Chris Daughtry and his band are opening up their would-be grunge to more nuance: folk instruments and synths, smoother high notes tempering Daughtry's bellow, "boom-b'boom" vocal-bass hook lightening the gender war in "Battleships." The sound on Baptized somehow links U2 to Rascal Flatts, adding Springsteen stances in "Wild Heart." More unexpectedly, there's also a banjo shuffle where Daughtry chooses Van Halen over Van Hagar, catalogs some of his other heroes and wonders who wrote Hole's songs. "Long Live Rock & Roll," it's called – a defense, perhaps, against anybody claiming guys like him helped kill it.

3.5/5 stars

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/baptized-20131119#ixzz2lI9R09sK 
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MIddle Of The Road:

By Rob Sheffield

November 19, 2013

Phil Collins has retired, but his legacy endures in the new Hunger Games soundtrack, which channels his recipe for Eighties melodrama: synth strings, croaked vocals, crashing drums. (Even Lorde's cover of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" sounds like she'd rather be singing "Against All Odds.") Apparent Hunger Games superfan Patti Smith does better with the Katniss-worshipping "Capital Letter," and Santigold contributes a blatant cop of "I Know There's Something Going On," a 1982 hit by Abba's Frida – produced and drummed by Phil Collins. Come back, Phil. District 12 needs you.

3.5/5 stars

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the-hunger-games-catching-fire-soundtrack-20131119#ixzz2lI9nRKRP 
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Unfavorable:

By Joe Gross

November 4, 2013

On 2011's The Path of Totality, these California nu-metal lifers threw a Hail Mary and added dubstep wub to their hell-is-all-around thud. Here, the news is guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's return after an eight-year absence, so we're back to clicking bass, Jonathan Davis' serial-killer voice and sheets of guitar. Davis' lyrics can sound, endearingly, as if he's chatting with you at a party ("Passion is sometimes a fucked-up thing for me"). "Never Never" is a power ballad, and "Love & Meth" is not as funny as one might hope, though the brilliantly titled "Paranoid and Aroused" is. How did it take them this long to call a song "Prey for Me"?

2/5 stars

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the-paradigm-shift-20131104#ixzz2lIATWLoX 
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Unfavorable:

By Mike Powell

November 1, 2013

Matt White's blandly reassuring soul pop has been featured throughout Hollywood movies and network TV, most recently on The Bachelorette. No surprise: His pose is wholesome (with a dash of danger), his storylines familiar and his problems solvable in four minutes or less. Standouts on his third album – "Around the World in 80 Days," especially – have more life than his strained falsetto might sometimes lead you to believe, but that's not saying much: Mayer Hawthorne still looks heavy metal by comparison. White's struggle is trying to sound sincere in a genre that rewards cliché. "I don't want those silly love songs," he sings. "I don't know what they will prove." Then he writes one.

2/5

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/shirley-20131101#ixzz2lIB160eg 
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Woman Sits on Man’s Face to End Altercation

Memphis woman, Harris, sits on landlord, Kellen Carroll’s, face during an argument. When approached about her late rent, the woman became violent with the man. She proceeded to choke the man. She then wrestled the man to the ground. When he tried to call for help Harris, an extremely large woman, sat upon Kellen Carroll’s face.

 

How do you feel colors affect your emotions? Do you believe brighter colors make you feel happier and darker colors make you feel gloomier or do you feel otherwise?

Parent’s limiting children’s screen time to two hours a day is not in their best interest. Parents should tell their children to shut off their screens when they feel it’s appropriate for their child, for all children are different. If a teen feels they are not satisfied with the amount of time they are allowed to use their devices, which they paid a significant amount of money for, they will sneak it. Sneaking will lead to more types of rebellion. As far as sexting and viewing of pornography after dark goes; if you cannot trust your child not to do those things the second they are out of your sight you should not have bought them a cell phone in the first place.

Gabrielle Bergeron

F Block Journalism

October 15, 2013

Data Driven Article

IOS7: Users Speak Out

            On September 18, 2013 Apple released its latest update, iOS7. This new software changed the entire layout of compatible iPods, iPads, and iPhones. The drastic change left all users with something to say. Was the new update worth all the buzz and commotion? I did a little research to find out.

            Going around the hallways and passing out surveys to people I noticed with iPhones I pooled responses from many different types of people. Some positive… others not so much. When asked how they liked the update only two fifths of those polled thought the update was positive. Many of the negative responses included the shortened battery life, “kills my battery…not worth it” said NHS student Levi Kahn. Another common complaint was the speed. Jen Kilburn explained, “The new version takes longer to load.” Similarly Ashley Cibotti was quoted saying “It makes my phone slower!” Many Norton High students were frustrated with the new update.

            Though many were unpleased there were some who were pleasantly surprised. Some of the positive feedback I received included the actual design. It was referred to as “cool” “futuristic” and “more modern” than the old update. Students also liked the new camera already having an Instagram setting so they do not have to crop parts of their pictures out. Those who like the new update feel the hype before the release was well worth it.

            However, many students still feel all the commotion for iOS7 was over the top. Things were missing explained many NHS attendants. Christine Remick explained why she felt the update needed more, “I though you would be able to take panoramic pictures.” Another student complained he thought “it would be easier to use and faster.” This complaint was shared by others as well. Over all two thirds of the students polled believe the update to be a nuisance and waste of time.

Sophomore in high school, Lizzie Hanson, was born and raised in Norton, Massachusetts. She has lived in her house in the Norton estates for her entire life. In her house lives Lizzie’s mother, father, brother, and sister. "My life pretty much revolves around dance," she dances “five or six days” every week Lizzie explained. She dances at Art in Motion of Norton "I am also an assistant dance teacher there." Dance allowed Lizzie “to go to Myrtle Beach on vacation. That was my favorite vacation.” Lizzie said. Dinner is Lizzie's favorite meal. Lizzie states;, "Even though dinner is my favorite meal, I like bagels the best." 

Gabrielle Bergeron

Mr. Kefor

Journalism F Block

Rolling Stones Magazine Cover

Rolling Stone Scandal

            Tragedy struck Boston, Massachusetts on April 15^th, 2013. Two brothers, Dzhokhor and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, set off two bombs at the Boston Marathon. These bombed killed three and maimed about two hundred and sixty four others. Tamerlan was killed after the bombing while brother Dzhokhor (also known as Jahar) was publicized on the cover of Rolling Stones Magazine. Despite the fact that Rolling Stone wrongly romanticizes Jahar’s portrait on the cover, the article was filled with new and informative incite to the bombers life.

            Though I believe publishing articles of the bombers wrong doing and spreading knowledge of the tragedy is imperative; it could have been executed in more efficient/ less offence ways. Rolling Stone should not have used a picture that portrayed Jahar with such innocence. Using such a photo made Rolling Stone appear ignorant. Instead of glorifying the terrorist by putting him on the front cover of an entertainment magazine they should have put the focus on those who really matter, such as the victims and their families. Those who were hurt or have loved ones who were injured or killed in the bombing deserve a front cover not a cold blooded killer.

            Massachusetts State Police officer Sgt. Sean Murphy correctly accused Rolling Stone Magazine of “glamorizing the face of terror.” (The New York Times) Out of anger at the Rolling Stones Magazine Sgt. Sean Murphy released a confidential photo of Jahar on the night he was arraigned in Watertown. The photo depicted Jahar weak, bloody, with sniper lasers darting in on him. As Sgt. Sean Murphy and many others believe he should always be remember. Exactly the opposite of how Rolling Stone featured him on the cover.

            Though the cover was disgraceful, wrong, and disrespectful to victims and family members the article was worth reading. It provided many insightful trips into Jahar’s seemingly normal past. Jahar went to a private high school and was very active in the schools wrestling program. Jahar’s wrestling coach, Coach Payack, recalls when his son called to tell him “suspect number two” was Jahar, “it was beyond shocking. It was like an alternative reality.” He found it hard to believe Jahar, “a kid that we mentored and loved like a son could have been responsible for all this death.” Coach Payack told writers of Rolling Stone. He fully believed Jarah was a great kid before all of this. Coach Payack knew Jahar had a slightly different up bringing than most but he could have never guessed it could lead to this much death and distruction.

            How could no one have known such horrible people were mixed into our everyday American society? How could we let such terrible people slip through the cracks? Well, Rolling Stone points out how deceptive Jahar was. He had almost everyone around believing he was a normal teenage kid who smoked a lot of pot and listened to a lot of music. Many were told Jarah Tsarnaev never voiced his political or religious views. However, Rolling Stone informs us Jahar had told a friend, when talking about the devastating attacks on September 11^th, 2001, “well, you’re not going to like my view.” As far as Jahar that is one of the only accounts we have of him speaking out against America. Tamerlan on the other hand was on both Russian and American watch lists.

            Rolling Stone Magazine made a detrimental mistake. Many people refused to buy the magazine, cancelled their subscription, or even refused to sell the magazine. If Rolling Stone had just changed the cover photo to a more accurate match to Jahar’s evil personality people may not have been so angry. Though the photo was disgraceful, humiliating, and disrespectful the article published to go along with it was very informative and worth the read.