Category: reviews
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Seether rocks Raleigh
This past weekend at the Ritz, Seether, along with 10 Years and Within Reason, Seether’s opening bands, rocked Raleigh to its core. Being a huge Seether fan, I had seen videos of them live…
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Unfriended uses social media in a new way
The evolution of social media has impacted more than just how people connect with each other. It’s also crawled its way into major motion pictures and television, drastically changing the way these stories are…
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Panic! at the Disco’s “Hallelujah”
Panic! at the Disco recently announced the departure of Spencer Smith, drummer, from the famous band. Following the announcement was the release of a new song, “Hallelujah” which has begun its climb to the…
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Supernatural Keeps Fighting
Supernatural is known to be a dramatic and gruesome show that toys with the emotions of its viewers. However, it recently changed directions when it took on a very real and serious topic: suicide.…
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Leesville Library trail lives up to some expectations
It has been almost a year since the completion of the paved trail by the Leesville Community Library, which provides a convenient shortcut between Whitley Drive and the Leesville school complex. Last April, I…
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The Mowgli’s album is nothing new
The Mowgli’s, an alternative rock band, released their new album Kids in Love on Tuesday, April 14. After a week the album peaked at 156 on the Billboard 200. Kids in Love included a…
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Ashley Banjo explores the life of Michael Jackson in ITV’s ‘Perspectives’
On Sunday, June 19, the fifth season of British docu-series “Perspectives” premiered on ITV with Ashley Banjo as their first guest host. Ashley Banjo, leader of the British dance crew and 2009 “Britain’s Got…
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World premiere of King Georges, standout documentary
Saturday, April 11, I attended the Full Frame Documentary FIlm Festival in Durham, NC. That night I had the pleasure of viewing the world premiere of director Erika Frankel’s documentary, King Georges. The film…
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Insurgent review
Love and war. These were the raging themes of the second book-to-film in the popular YA Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Like many superfans of the series, I was eagerly awaiting the release of…
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Furious 7 and the future of the franchise
Furious 7 and the Fast & Furious franchise are either movies that you love or hate, but if you love them then odds are you really love them. Now days after release, people are…
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Review of BASTARZ’s “Conduct Zero”
Block B is at it again with their new single “Conduct Zero,” only not the way we expected. Earlier this year, the group slowly began to release teasers for their new subunit, BASTARZ. The…
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Planet Fitness is the friendliest fitness center
As summer quickly approaches, students are working hard to get in shape for those long weekends at the beach. Due to its easy accessibility, Fitness 19 is usually the go-to fitness center for Leesville…
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Unfriended: revenge comes online
Unfriended made a startling first impression with its first trailer. Now, only a week remains before the movie makes its theater premiere next Friday, April 17. Heather Sossaman, Matthew Bohrer and Courtney Halverson star…
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On Mogwai
The rock scene, both in North Carolina and abroad, is constantly changing. Rock, being one of the larger genres of music, has constant innovation that has kept it alive for more than 50 years.…
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Kendrick Lamar releases To Pimp a Butterfly
Rapper Kendrick Lamar released his new album, To Pimp a Butterfly, on March 16, 2015. It is the third album in his discography, and his first since Good Kid, M.A.D.D. City, in 2012. The…
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Nothing disappoints in EXO’s “Call Me Baby”… except their outfits
This week, EXO released the MV for their new title track, “Call Me Baby” and the fans were not disappointed. There have been several preview tracks floating around YouTube, including a few snippets…
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Bo Burnham’s Make Happy Tour
Bo Burnham is a famous comedian and singer-songwriter who recently performed at the Carolina Theater in Durham. His “Make Happy Tour” in 2015 is wrapping up after he performed in multiple states and countries.…
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Modest Mouse “Strangers to Ourselves” Review
Indie rock band Modest Mouse can officially declare an end to their 5 year hiatus period with the release of their new album, Strangers to Ourselves, on March 17, 2015. Modest Mouse was formed…
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“Kingsman: The Secret Service” is not like other spy movies
I walked into “Kingsman: The Secret Service” unsure of what I would think. I left feeling basically the same. “Kingsman” is based on a 2012 comic books series about spies. The movie is centered…
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Boomerang by Michael Lewis
“The more complicated the times, the more crucial are those who demystify. These are really complicated times. So let’s acknowledge the endearing, enduring genius of Michael Lewis: the Explainer.” –Forbes Boomerang: Travels in…
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Musical styles converge in “FourFiveSeconds”
Collaborations between modern artists and musical “legends” always seem to produce some of the most interesting compositions. For example, take “FourFiveSeconds” by Rihanna ft. Kanye West and Paul McCartney. The artistry of each singer…
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Parks and Recreation is coming to a close
Parks and Recreation, a comedy series shown on NBC, is sadly on its seventh and final season. The show portrays the life of Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), the Regional Director of National Park Services…
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American Sniper, both fact and fiction
American Sniper, the film depicting record-breaking U.S. sniper Chris Kyle, has been attracting both critics and viewers. On its opening day, January 16, the movie raked in a whopping $30.5 million. Sniper also scored…
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“Pedestrian at Best” is far from pedestrian
“Put me on a pedestal, and I’ll only disappoint you,” belts Courtney Barnett in “Pedestrian at Best,” the first single off her long-awaited debut album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just…
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Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari has always been a band to cross genre lines. Although rooted in post-hardcore, the British group has utilized elements of electronica, and even spoken throughout their discography, to great effect; a duality…
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Fall Out Boy’s “American Beauty/American Psycho” review
After releasing multiple new songs when fans least expected it, Fall Out Boy finally released their new album “American Beauty/American Psycho” on Jan 20. The highly anticipated album has 11 new songs including the…
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A very “popular” musical
The musical The New York Times called “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” traveled to the Durham Performing Arts Center. Wicked, the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, premiered at the DPAC January 7; showings…
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Supernatural seasons 10 and 11
Supernatural is a fictional horror and drama show that has just been picked up again by the CW Network for an eleventh season. The show began in 2005 and was projected to end after…
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Into the Woods has something for everyone
Movie, for example. It was only fitting that Into the Woods end the year with one last well-orchestrated bang. Into the Woods, based on the Stephen Sondheim musical of the same name, follows a…
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Frozen on Ice was nICE
For the first time in forever, Frozen came to Raleigh, much to the delight of little kids and their parents. Disney on Ice Presents Frozen was held in the PNC Arena for a week.…
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The Review: The Interview reviewed
2003 — photos of Barbara Streisand’s Malibu home are published on the internet. Streisand, through a lawsuit, attempted to suppress the images; however, ironically this led to the pictures gaining viral attention. This phenomenon…
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The Imitation Game’s brilliance is impossible to imitate
Every year, the Christmas season is met with a massive release of movies. The majority are nominated for Golden Globes and considered for Oscars. The shining star among them is the biopic of English…
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Play Review: Ira David Wood III’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ 40th Anniversary
The 40th performance of Ira David Wood III’s “A Christmas Carol” opened Wednesday, December 10, at the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts in Downtown Raleigh. Wood is the founder and Executive Director of…
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Don’t judge a meal by its garnish: Garland review
Though Garland is situated among many of Raleigh’s best restaurants and bars, it is easily lost in the crowd. Much like the name implies, Garland’s overwhelming motif is decoration–the restaurant’s decor, decorative garnishes, elaborate…
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Fried chicken in Downtown Raleigh
One block downtown, one dish, three restaurants, three ways: fried chicken has been a staple of the South since the beginning, and the progressive side of Raleigh is shaking it up. The Raleigh…
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Book Review: My Abandonment
My Abandonment, by Peter Rock, is a novel about a young homeless girl named Caroline living in a national park with her father. They are discovered, causing policemen and wildlife officers apprehend them and…
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Pink Floyd releases final album: a review
On November 7, 2014, Pink Floyd released what will likely be the last album the group ever puts on the shelves, The Endless River. The band has swapped out, fired, and made up with…
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Mockingjay catches fire
The new movie The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 has taken over the box office, earning over $123 million after playing in theaters for less than three days. There is no doubt that…
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Dance Ensemble concert review
On Thursday, Nov 13, friends and family of the Dance Ensemble (DE) filled the auditorium to watch them perform one of their dance concerts. The hour-long concert was filled with beautiful dances choreographed by…
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Small Treasures
The North Carolina Museum of Art is holding a unique and interesting exhibit, Small Treasures. The exhibit attracts many art enthusiasts from all over the state to view these small paintings.The exhibit shows off…
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Supernatural is back in action for season 10
Supernatural, a horror based television show played on the CW channel, is moving on to its tenth season. The show follows two brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), who travel across…
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Modern Family Review
Every Wednesday, I was always excited to watch Modern Family to see what comical conundrum the family would get themselves into. This past week was no different. The episode 5 that aired on October…
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Another child star resurfaces
2013 and 2014 have held a notable reputation for reintroducing Disney child stars to their former relevance. Last year, it was Miley Cyrus with “We Can’t Stop,” and now it’s Nick Jonas with “Jealous.”…
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Solo Cinema: Big Hero 6
Sitting in a movie theatre alone at 10 p.m. on a Friday night can be quite cathartic. Surrounded by a total of six other people who, for some reason, seemed to repel each other…
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Backyard Burgers Review
Backyard Burgers is a semi-fast food restaurant on the corner of Leesville Road and Strickland Road. The menu at Backyard Burgers is filled with a variety of burgers as well as hot dogs, chicken…
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“The Outsiders” Review
The interesting thing about old literature is the tendency of the seas of time to wash away the drab selections from our memories, leaving only the beautiful and polished gems. A book as good…
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Gmail adding new service
Gmail is easily one of the most popular free-email clients in the world. This success is largely in-part due to Google championing motto of simplicity and connectedness. For the first time in ten years,…
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What’s so great about streaming music?
Whether we listen to it while we do our homework or to help us fall asleep at night, music is undoubtedly a very prominent part of our daily lives. The only downside to this…
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American Horror Story returns with “Freak Show”
A murder house, an insane asylum, a boarding school of witches and now, a circus of freaks. “American Horror Story” is back and better than ever. After a highly successful season last year, FX…
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1989: pop’s newest guilty pleasure
For many jaded millennials and older adults alike, the release of Taylor Swift’s fifth album, 1989, on Monday has become just another 13-track album full of hardly insightful glimpses into the world of a…