Archive for June, 2010
The art of storytelling in film by an auteur – a single creator – came to fruition soon after the end of World War II. Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, and Robert Altman dominated the construction and formation of their films, leaving their signature style and personal approach behind as filmic fingerprints. Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas (1990) [ READ MORE ]
Many genres of modern music can be traced back to its roots in traditional styles. Independent or “indie” music, simply defined as music separated from major label influence, has been following in the footsteps of previous styles, whether it is rock, pop, or folk. This music is easier to produce and record than ever before, [ READ MORE ]
Vampires have appeared in cinema since the advent of film; their unique blend of evil and magnetism has enticed moviegoers since the early twentieth century. Many of these vampire films are entrenched with melodramatic workings. Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles is based off of Anne Rice’s 1976 novel and carries along with it [ READ MORE ]
Mobsters are often portrayed as one-dimensional, ruthless thugs in the media. HBO’s hit drama The Sopranos changed this stereotype by adding depth and perspective to the characters, layering them with real-life problems meshed with glorified Mafioso tales. The Sopranos revolves around New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano and his two families. One includes his immediate [ READ MORE ]
In his essay, “Challenging Conventions in the Fine Art of Rap,” Richard Shusterman explores the aesthetic and credibility of rap as a fine art. “House of Flying Daggers,” performed by Wu-Tang Clan members Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, GZA, and Method Man, embodies this fine art aesthetic through lyrical genius and kung fu imagery. While [ READ MORE ]
Popular music can be viewed from many different angles. For some, it is merely a catchy tune on the radio or the fleeting soundtrack for the newest reality television show. Others, such as myself, view music as the lifeblood that pumps through society’s collective heart, bonding us in ways that at times seem beyond our [ READ MORE ]
The subculture of hipsters is bound by a particular aesthetic: artsy and ironic constructions of style and attitude with an identity that refuses to acknowledge their own hipster branding. Serving as a melting pot of other subcultures, the contemporary hipster has repeated and reused previous cultural phenomenon, but neglected to expand on these past trends. [ READ MORE ]
the current landscape To say that times have changed in the music industry over the last ten years is an understatement. Digital media has uprooted and altered the landscape where music is produced, marketed, and distributed. As in other industries in the 2000s, we have shifted from a musical economy of scarcity to one of [ READ MORE ]
Since the integration of auto-tune into popular music, the landscape for artists and engineers has changed significantly. It is no longer necessary for the performer to come back to the studio to fix a bum note. With a few clicks of a mouse, sound engineers and producers can correct the pitch of an artist’s vocals [ READ MORE ]
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