The Year of Hibernation, album cover

Youth Lagoon is the creation of American songwriter and instrumentalist Trevor Powers. The works of the artist feature songs of the indie and lo-fi genres with ambient and dream pop influences. Youth Lagoon has been rising in the charts, reaching the number one spot on last.fm’s Best of 2011 New Discoveries artists, which is rare for artists of the electronic genre.

Youth Lagoon’s debut album, The Year of Hibernation was released on September 27, 2011. It features eight tracks along with two bonus tracks, totaling in about 40 minutes of quality music. The Year of Hibernation is not one of those albums with a few decent songs. Every single song on the album, including the two bonus tracks, is worth listening to. It boasts a spot on Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of the 2011 list, and for good reason.

The album features a uniform style in songs. Each song opens with a soft, lo-fi voice and light instrumentals, often the synth. Halfway through, the track transitions to a hearty drum beat with syncopated kicks. Together, these elements provide movement and direction. The upbeat nature of all the tracks is echoed throughout the album. While one may think that its repetitive nature may get redundant, the case is quite the contrary. Its consistency contributes to the beauty of the music.

As an electronic, lo-fi album, The Year of Hibernation displays a wide variety of instrumentation. In particular, the bonus track “Ghost to Me” covers the full range. It opens with a soft piano and an ambient voice. Later, the electronic string pluck joins in for a short interlude. After, the kick and percussion rhythms come in along with a post-rock guitar. The pit and vibe sound reverberates throughout the piece. After 2 minutes of vocal-accompanied parts, the song enters into a slow buildup of drum, piano, and other percussion lines. “Ghost of Me” ends with only a melodic line of a music box pluck.

Youth Lagoon is an artist worth listening to. With all tracks as moving as “Ghost of Me”, the album truly deserves all the positive reviews it receives.

Album cover for Lana Del Rey

Lana del Rey’s latest publicity seems to have come with a wave of success. The 25-year-old singer with full lips and a pin-up girl look is the next big thing.

In October she signed on with Interscope Records; the company’s artists consist of big-name stars such as Lady Gaga and The Black-Eyed Peas. Her album, Born to Die, has received rave reviews after its January 31st release, and she recently joined the ranks of Jessie J and Ellie Goulding for NEXT Model Management. On January 14, she performed as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

But along with del Rey’s success comes a barrage of criticism and disapproval. During her SNL performance, she sang in a pitchy, odd-sounding tenor, touching her hair frequently and spinning in circles. She was blasted by music critics, bloggers, and even NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. Many wonder if the high-profile performance was premature – Del Rey has yet to become fully integrated in the music industry, and despite the constant media coverage, her name is unrecognized by most.

At its worst, Born to Die is superfluously over-the-top, pushing too hard with its sparkly gangster princess façade. Her songs are peppered with bubbly, nonsense lyrics that seem slightly misplaced, along with elusive rap and hip hop influences, especially in “National Anthem.” But del Rey’s voice is throaty, seductive, and buttery soft, and it works for her. She may not be great live, but her songs are solid. “Dark Paradise” is a mermaid-esque ballad with flourishing instrumentals and a swooning chorus. “Million Dollar Man” is a melodious, lingering cabaret shimmy laced with harmonious vocals.

Her detractors criticize her for building up a fake celebrity persona, and in a sense, they may be right. Lana del Rey is only a stage name – she was born as Elizabeth Grant and released a debut album under that name in 2010, although the album is no longer in circulation. Despite old pictures that say otherwise, Del Rey has denied having plastic surgery. She has alluded to coming from humble roots, but her father is a wealthy domain name investor and she attended boarding school as a teenager.

But at the end of the day, Lana del Rey clearly has talent. It shouldn’t matter whether her lips are fake or if her father helped fund her music career. Her music is what matters most, and it’s definitely worth listening to.

"What a Wonderful World" Fall Preview Concert; Concert Choir

On October 19th, our well known Fountain Valley High School Vocal Music program presented their first choir concert of the year, What a Wonderful World at the Robert B. Moor Theater at Orange Coast College. Along with their special guest, the Crypt Choir from the King’s School of Canterbury, our Barons and their friends from England  sang their hearts out exquisitely and beautifully.

FVHS Troubadours

Troubadours opened with their rendition of “Singin’ in the Rain”. Soon after, Baron Choir was memorable for their humorous dance movements, which made the audience roar with laughter. Les Chanteurs were truly impressive in their song, “And Nature Smiled”, directed by Assistant Director Ms. Kikkawa, who has started her first year here at FVHS.

One of the most remarkable performances of the night was by Concert Choir, when they presented a dark yet mystifying piece, “Cloudburst”. The translation of the song was spoken to set a calm, foreboding tone. The use of exotic instruments exhibited sounds of rain and thunder which blended beautifully with the voices of the choir. A standing ovation was justified because the audience was surely impressed and entranced by the piece performed by our talented Concert Choir.

The Crypt Choir, from Canterbury, England

The Crypt Choir also exhibited a grand performance. As part of their tour, they sang with our FVHS choirs and showed us pure musical talent. It is not by their English accents, but rather their long high notes and harmony captured the audience and left them with nothing but amazement.

The Fall Preview concert ends with the a grand performance by the Crypt Choir and Concert Choir. A standing ovation was awarded, proving that Mr. Tison did a phenomenal job in preparing the choirs for their concert.

On Saturday, October 1^st, I had the opportunity to see the original pop-punk band, Blink-182. Their newest album, Neighborhoods, dropped on Tuesday, September 27^th. This is the first album the band has released in over eight years. The highly anticipated album has become a new beginning for band members, Mark Hoppus, Tom Delonge, and Travis Barker.

There were two opening bands prior to the main event, Matt & Kim and then My Chemical Romance. Matt & Kim were upbeat and punky, a perfect mixture of genres they call “destructive dance punk.” Next came My Chemical Romance. I could tell most of the crowd enjoyed them, but I found them a cheap combination of Blink and Panic! at the Disco. The voice of the lead singer, Gerard Way, was not very interesting or exciting in the least. The songs they played blended together, and didn\’t intrigue me in any way. Although I didn\’t particularly enjoy their performance, they did a good job of pumping up the crowd for Blink.

After a small intermission, darkness consumed the venue as voices of eager fans echoed throughout the building. Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus, and Travis Barker stepped out onto stage. The crowd\’s cheers were deafening as they started played their opening song, “Feeling This.” The passion from Tom Delonge\’s voice boomed through the speakers and into the hearts of everyone in the room. I could immediately tell it was going to be a great show.

Before they played the next song, Mark and Tom welcomed the concert-goers to the show and told a couple of jokes. As they spoke, you could feel the friendship between them. They loved what they were doing, and that is what made the show incredible to watch. Their connection stayed visible when they began the next song, their newest single, Up All Night. While this song is relatively new to attendees of the concert, most fans still new every word, including myself.

The band\’s performance continued to be fantastic throughout the night. Tom and Mark\’s hilarious and admittedly immature jokes kept a youthful essence throughout the night. The emotional, old songs they played made long-time fans of the band tear up.

The most emotional part of the night for me was watching Travis Barker rip up his drums. I have never seen a more talented, passionate person do what he loves. Despite the fact that I am not an aspiring drummer, I found his playing as an inspiration to work hard so I could create something beautiful with my life, as he has.

Needless to say, I was inspired by the performances of the night. Blink-182 is one of the most influential punk bands of the decade. They\’re brilliant new album and incredible live performances will keep them relevant in the music scene for years to come.

The main reason this album was so highly anticipated is because Radke has not released a record in over five years. Radke digs deep into his soul about his dark years of addiction and overcoming it. His lyrics are very straightforward, sometimes directly addressing his ex-band mates or Craig Mabbitt himself. Some lyrics are even directed towards his family, specifically his mother, who left the family early in Radke\’s childhood.

One subject Radke does tend to avoid is love. In an interview with AltPress.com he says,

“I\’ve had a really hard life, so I don\’t really write songs about love.”

Aside from Radke\’s clever and shocking lyrics, the album features a unique sound, mixing pop-rock with heavy break downs. Guitarist Jacky Vincent, drummer Ryan Seaman, bassist Mika Horiuchi, and rhythm guitarist Derek Jones work together to find a sound that is comparable to another successful band, A Day to Remember. The album\’s pop-punk influences appeal to  listeners who are used to softer music, while the breakdowns attract the metal fans.

The album\’s diversity and incredible lyrics make “The Drug in Me is You” (released July 26^th, 2011) a great debut album for a fresh new band.

The Blue Scholars (Sabzi and Geo)

by Noushin Ahdoot, staff writer

Hailing from the heart of the Northwest, Seattle natives Sabzi and Geo (short for Geologic) bring a poetic and truthful perspective to the often superficial world of hip hop music.  The group gets its name from the color of the collars of working class Americans to symbolize the group’s dedication to being a voice for those who are too often ignored.  Many of the topics covered in their songs focus on immigrant life, the northwest, and the underdog struggle.

Their first self-titled album nationally released in 2005 includes the song such as “No Rest for the Weary,”  an anthem for hard times.  The song contains lyrics such as “Class is in session ’til the teacher gets a pink slip/So keep marching ’til your feet split open/No rest for the weary Blue Scholars keep going.”  The Blue Scholars send an encouraging yet realistic message to listeners.  A more poetic song, “Sagaba,” is very spiritual and personal narrative of struggle.  Geo also known as Prometheus Brown is a well known MC and spoken word poet who grew up in the home of Filipino imigrants.  While the lyrics of the Blue Scholars songs can stand alone as poetry, the beats produced by DJ/producer Sabzi, a Persian American, are as equally awe-inspiring.  Their sophomore album, Bayani (which means “heroes of the people”), drew from many of their personal and cultural influences. Listening to the Blue Scholars is like getting a taste of the world from a slice of apple pie.  Geo narrates the struggle at home as Sabzi’s beats thump with enchanting old world influences.  Whether compelled by an unjust law or by the greats of Northwestern basketball, “It all revolves around using everything at our disposal to be good storytellers” says Sabzi.

After a four-year hiatus, the Blue Scholars are back with a new album called Cinematroplis which focuses on the duo’s infatuation with film.  One of the newest tracks from the new album to be release called “John Delorean” is inspired by a Blue Scholar childhood favorite, “Back to the Future.”  In the song Geo recounts his journey to the past and future as Sabzi’s new harsher, futuristic, and catchy sound plays.  The song maintains the groups commitment to creating a better future with lyrics such as “everybody is climbing on a hover-board home, and nobody is starving in a former war zone.”

In true Blue Scholar nature, the group has decided to “sign to the people” instead of signing to a large record label.  Cinematroplis was funded 249% through their Kick-start campaign with fan donations.  This way, the Blue scholars stay true to their roots.  Watch out for the release of Cinematropolis June 14th and various short films inspired by the album.

Probably best known for their song “Ocean Avenue”, Yellowcard is an alternative rock band that recently released their fifth full-length album, When You\’re Through Thinking Say Yes, on March 22. The album represented the band\’s return from a two-year hiatus that was announced in April 2008. They began working on their current album in the beginning of 2010, describing their break as: “a pause that\’s revived the band\’s passion for their music.”

The current members of Yellowcard include guitarist and vocalist Ryan Key, violinist and vocalist Sean Mackin, drummer Longineu Parsons, guitarist Ryan Mendez, and bassist Sean O\’Donnell. (Key, Mackin, and Parsons are the only members who were part of the band when it was formed in 1997). Concerning their teamwork on their new album, Mackin says on Yellowcard\’s website that it is “a great reflection on Yellowcard\’s body of work. It highlights the best of what we\’re all good at. The songwriting was really focused and we all complimented each others talents.”

Overall, When You\’re Through Thinking Say Yes is upbeat and energetic. Most of the songs seem like typical alternative rock songs, but “For You and Your Denial,” “Hang You Up,” and “Sing For Me” are distinct exceptions. “For You and Your Denial” features a violin, the use of which enhances the otherwise traditional electric-guitar sound. It turns the melody into something intriguing and different. “Hang You Up” has a bit of a softer feel than some of the other songs on the album. The guitar is used less in this song, making it not as much of a hard-edged track. The violin is again incorporated into the song beautifully. “Sing For Me” is another slower, more ballad-like track. The lines of this song are considered short, yet meaningful and heartfelt.

Yellowcard\’s new album is a must to listen to if you are a fan of the band and is also an excellent choice for fans of alternative music. If you don\’t want to listen to the whole album, “For You and Your Denial,” “Hang You Up,” and “Sing For Me” are highlights worth checking out.

By: Pretty Nguyen

For the opening of the Microsoft store in Costa Mesa, the store held a Selena Gomez concert. The event was held on Saturday, March 26, 2011 in the South Coast Plaza parking lot. Those with the official wristbands were allowed to view the concert.  Wristbands were given out on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at the Microsoft Store at 10 am. Many fans rushed to line up as early as 5 am for the event.

Even though the event started at 2 pm,some fans arrived at 12 pm to take pictures at the red carpet. Others came early to stand in the front row for the concert. While standing in line, Microsoft Store workers handed out water bottles and health bars. Even though maneuvering through the long walk through to get to the stage was tedious, there was security at the end to ensure that everyone was safe.

As Selena Gomez came out on the stage at 2:10 pm, fans started screaming and waving at her. The concert started off with “Falling Down.” When finished, Selena asked the crowd which song she should sing next. Even though most fans screamed “Naturally,” Selena couldn’t hear at all and decided to perform “Off the Chain” instead.

After performing “Off the Chain,” Selena asked the audience how they were all doing. Fans responded with screams and yells. Selena laughed at someone’s poster that said, “I won’t kiss and tell Justin.” Then,she performed “Naturally” , the song that everyone was eager to hear. Selena said this was the song that she gave credit to mostly her music to. Selena encouraged everyone to be dancing to the song which the audience did.

After finishing performing “Naturally,” Selena Gomez gave a sincere thanks for her fans. She was grateful for all her fans who mean the whole world to her. Even though “Magic” was the last song she performed, Selena gave it her best. Everyone sang along to the catchy lyrics. Selena then gave the audience a turn to sing out loud to some of the lyrics. Selena only performed 6 songs: Falling Down, A Year Without Rain, Who Says, Off the Chain,Naturally, and Magic.Even though the concert lasted about 45 minutes, the concert was fun paced and worthwhile to go to.

Each band performed three songs of their choice. Within intervals, DJ Twigz remixed contemporary popular songs such as “Nothin\’ On You” By Bruno Mars and “No Hands” by Waka Flocka Flame.

The first act up was Under1Sky from Sunny Hills High School, displaying an acoustic guitar and soft female singer – her voice was great if only I was able to hear it louder.

The Pedestrians came in next from El Dorado High School – rocking in with a bass, two electric guitars, and a gutsy male singer. The lead singer was inept in sound and low in annunciation – any strong male vibrato was sorely lacking.

And although the solo electric guitarist was skillful, the notes that were played were all repetitive and I saw no certain “flare,” or amazement. Overall, I felt impressed, but it definitely wasn\’t love.

The third band was, Steeze the Day, consisting of three guitarists and a male singer, all from our very own Fountain Valley High. The guitar soloist was good, with a unique bass solo and a stylish guitar solo. It was a bummer that one of the guitarist\’s amplifier broke in the middle of the act.

(Fun fact: Steeze the Day has also performed in Battle of the Bands and FNL\’s Talent Show and many other events.)

And last but not least, FVHS\’ own Karma Wormhole duet – blended a plethora of instruments: electric guitar, drums, violin, bass, keyboard, and acoustic guitar. Unfortunately, the acoustic guitar, sounding more like a ukulele, stuck out like a sore thumb amid the other striking instrument.

Once all was said and sung, it was The Pedestrians who came in first, bringing home a $100 gift card from Guitar Center.

My own opinions are probably disillusioned by my lack of knowledge of the other bands, not to mention my own overzealous school pride. Go Barons!

The show ended with a bang with two rockin\’ bands: The Aloha Radio and The Colourist. The Aloha Radio took after its namesake with a funky and fresh style, though their live performances did not come to par with their recorded album. Nonetheless, I could\’ve seen myself dancing along to the beat had I not already been so tired.

The Colourist displayed their own vintage indie-rock colors with a male and female duet and a good ol\’ cow bell. The Colourist is new on the scene, but I have a sneaking feeling we\’ll be seeing a lot more of them.
Stupendous music, an energized crowd, and a strong panel of judges put down any gaffes in the minds of the audience – and even some in my mind. From hip hop to indie rock, the Rock ‘N\’ Runway show had everyone of all music preferences swaying their hands and jumping to the beat. Rockin\’: Check.

On March 2, 2011, Avril Lavigne\’s fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, was released. Avril hasn’t produced anything since her last album, The Best Damn Thing, four years ago. Goodbye Lullaby was pushed back several times because Avril Lavigne\’s record company wanted an upbeat album for mainstream radio. However, Lavigne wanted to take a serious approach.

The album\’s tone is more grown up than Avril’s previous albums. Her inspiration seems to come from her recent divorce with ex-husband Deryck Whibley. Most of the songs focus on sadness and regret, while trying to move on with life. The songs are accompanied by acoustic instruments, such as the piano and guitar, giving the songs a softer tone.

The lead single for the album “What the Hell” was released on January 10, 2011. This quick paced, upbeat song is about breaking out of the goody two shoes role and having fun. “What the Hell” is the least personal on the album and similar to her previous pop rock songs. The song is has semblance to her previous single “Girlfriend,” with a preppy tone and catchy lyrics.

Thes last song on the album, “Goodbye”, talks about the end of a relationship, but her continual love for the person. Lavinge said that the song was the most emotional on the album. It was her inspiration for the album title.

While this album may be more serious and reminiscent of her old album’s tone, Avril Lavigne still has the lyrics to prove what a great song writer she is. The lyrics reflect her thoughts and emotions that she has continually shown in her songs. Fans of her will be happy to listen to the album’s genuine songs.