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The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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some movies that i love and you might not but i don’t care because i love them with all my heart

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By Makena Behnke

 

some movies i like suck; some rule. it’s all a matter of opinion, okay? it’s summer, so instead of going outside and getting a tan, stay inside your little cave of a room and watch movies (most of these are on Netflix by the way). so, here we go.

  • The Craft. four girls experiment in the world of witchcraft. can they handle it, or do they go power mad? plus it has Skeet Ulrich soooo, yes.
  • Almost Famous. a 15-year-old kid goes on tour with a band in the 70s. as far as i know, this is the most realistic movie about band life on tour. also, a true story. love, peace, and joy, man.
  • 10 Things I Hate About You. despite what Leo says, it’s great. Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger? yes! also, a modern interpretation of a Shakespeare play? yes! also, set in the 90s? yes! overall, yes.
  • Hush. the horrorest of horror. not really, but it’s still good. It involves a deaf girl who lives in the middle of the forest and a murderer. the girl’s cat’s name is my favorite thing; i’m not allowed to mention it on the blog, but trust me, it’s good.
  • Peter Pan–the 2003 one specifically. the very story of Peter Pan just makes me so happy, but the actors and the way it’s executed makes me love it more.
  • Scream. so darn good. a classic. it has Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox–my favorite 90s actors. truly one of my favorite movies ever.
  • Bring It On and Bring It On: All or Nothing. i was obsessed with this for a long period of time. i probably still can remember most of the cheers (and probably most of the script), but don’t ask me to cheer; i won’t.
  • 13 Going on 30. a movie everyone should watch. although a little chick-flicky, it’s great. can a magical birthday present fast forward through seventeen years? 
  • Kong: Skull Island. i haven’t seen any other giant monkey movies, but this was on the plane, and i couldn’t sleep on the plane. so far, i’m a fan of giant monkey movies. my last two eight-hour plane rides were good movie days.

 

Warning: some movies are Rated R, so beware.

Editor: Claire Jenkins

The Under-Appreciated Art of Short Films

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By Shelby Armor

Everyone takes the time to go with a couple of friends to see the latest blockbuster that just hit theaters, but people rarely go out of their way to see a short film. The art of the short film is rarely talked about, and I can’t think of many people that rave about an amazing new short film they just saw.

I, personally, am in love with short films. The thing that I find most amazing about short films is their ability to construct an entire complex story, often times in less than ten minutes. I find that this is the particular challenge faced by short films. You have fewer than forty minutes (as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences defines it) to make your audience fall in love with your characters and feel invested in the story that you’re telling. You are creating an intricate story with just as much complexity as a full-length feature film. This is a challenge. When watching a TV show, the creators take time and slowly introduce you to characters, knowing that you’ll like them eventually. But, in a short film, you have the length of an episode to accomplish the same thing and more.

Shorts can be anything from a soul-sucking drama to a childish animation. This is what is so beautiful about them. Even in their time constraints, they have such freedom of expression. Shorts are often used to make statements, to comment on human nature, or to take a strong political stance. But, they can also be used to just make people happy and laugh.

Well known for making people happy are shorts made by Pixar. I grew up on these films. My favorite film that I must have watched one hundred times and still enjoy today is called Boundin’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WyR4AqRweY). And while this short may be very amusing, it holds a deeper message for people, telling them to love and accept themselves no matter how they look. Another one of my personal favorites as a child was For the Birds, also by Pixar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLdfpBNjdDc). This one is supposed to be pure comedy with an annoying bird being pecked at by smaller birds as they sit on a wire together.

And, if you take another example from Pixar’s Red’s Dreams (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBtIPJM2AsI), there is a much darker theme. It follows a young unicycle who is lying alone in a run-down shop, dreaming of the day he is bought and can go to the circus. All of these short films are only about five-ten minutes long, but even after not having watched the shorts in about ten years, I still remember every detail. I remember how I loved them so and first began to fall in love with the under-appreciated art of short films.  

Short films have the ability to tug at your heartstrings and lay out a grand story in less than an hour. There is such complexity to them, and they require so much skill to write, which is often not thought of when you see a short film. The ability to do what a short film does, to pull in viewers like they do within such a small time frame, is truly astonishing.

 

P.S. I highly recommend watching the Pixar short film collection, as they are all really amazing. Two really good ones to check out are Geri’s Game (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IYRC7g2ICg) and Lifted (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVLoc6FrLi0). Another one of my favorites (not from Pixar) is The Present (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjqiU5FgsYc). Happy short film watching!

 

Editor: Brennan Nick

Everything Sucks: Reflecting the Unfortunate Reality of LGBT+ Representation

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By Shelby Armor

Everything Sucks is an eight-episode TV show that hit Netflix on February 16, 2018. Now, first things first, I have to state how much I adore this show. It is set in the 1990’s, and beautifully mixes 90’s culture with teen angst. The show itself has a sort of otherworldly vibe, as part of the main plot actually focuses on an alien/space romance adventure. The show follows Boring High freshman Luke (Jahi Winston), who is trying to navigate the ups and downs of high school, while also dealing with having a crush on the principal’s daughter, Kate. Kate (Peyton Kennedy) is grappling with her own problems. She is coming to terms with her sexuality in a less than accepting environment.

Just a few weeks ago, Netflix cancelled the show. However upsetting it was, it was not surprising. One of the main points of the entire show was Kate finding out that she is a lesbian, and unlike much representation in TV shows, it was done correctly. When encountering lesbian characters, there are many tropes that almost every single character falls into. The lesbian will either be killed (the “kill-the-lesbian trope”), pushed to the sideline and never given an important role, or given a sad ending. But Everything Sucks didn’t do that. They didn’t ignore the situation. In fact, they decided to put Kate at the forefront of the show. They didn’t see the need to get rid of her character, and they gave her a lovely and healthy relationship that didn’t end poorly.

But, the unfortunate reality we’re facing is that this exact plotline is the reason that the show didn’t survive. Everything Sucks found appeal with LGBT+ audiences but was unable to gain mass appeal. We’re in a world where people are pushing for greater LGBT+ representation in film and TV. But, the reality is that a queer character is only helpful if they’re on the sideline. Shows like Supergirl have a lesbian character as a supporting character, which directly helped their ratings. They keep the character present enough so they’re there but don’t really make them overly prominent. When faced with a show that puts an LGBT+ character at the forefront, mass appeal is quickly lost, which is exactly what happened with Everything Sucks. Kate was crucial to the overall plot of the show, and her accepting herself and finding out about her sexuality was seen as amazing for LGBT+ audiences, but, again, it leads to the loss of mass appeal.

Everything Sucks is an amazing show that deserves loads of praise. However, LGBT+ representation ultimately brought them down. They are not the only show to encounter this fate, as the Netflix Original Gypsy was cancelled, which had two women in a relationship at the forefront of the show.  So, while LGBT+ representation in TV is making a rise, sadly, shows are still unable to sustain themselves with an LGBT+ character in a leading role.

Editor: AJ Patencio

A List of Calming Songs

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By Claire Jenkins

Have you ever been in a mood that isn’t happy but isn’t sad and you can’t find the proper playlist to match your mellow mood? There are a lot of amazing artists out there with perfect mellow music that you may have never heard of. There are plenty of bands and artists out there with songs you could possibly enjoy. Below is a list of songs by less mainstream artists that fit the calming category perfectly.

 

Morning Breeze – Juke Ross

River – Leon Bridges

Alps – Novo Amor

Youth – Haux

Colouring – Kevin Garrett

Settle Down – Ziggy Alberts

I’ll Be Good – Jaymes Young

Saturn – Sleeping At Last

Bones – Dotan

Breathe – Luke Cusato

New Recording 135 – LEO

Berlin – RY X

It’s Alright – Fractures

The Story Never Ends – Lauv

You There – Aquilo

Anchor – Novo Amor

 

Did these songs fit your mood? Which was your favorite? Leave your answer in the comments below!

 

Editor: AJ Patencio

Shows to Binge Over

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By Blogger Reviewer Claire Jenkins

Quarter 4 will be over before we know it. Summer will be here, and there will be many hours in a day to kill. Why use your precious time to do something productive and be a part of the society around you when you can sit at home on the comfort of your couch and binge some Netflix shows! Below is a list of my personal favorite binge-worthy shows on Netflix.

Jane the Virgin 

The title sounds a little off putting, and that might be why it took me so long to watch it, but it’s honestly one of my favorite shows. It has twists, turns, murders, love, and very diverse characters. It’s about a woman named Jane and her family showing how they handle everything life throws at them. It never gets tiring, and there’s something for everyone. I would 12/10 recommend.

New Girl

This show is stupid, but I love it. A girl moves in with three roommates and has a blast. There’s quick one liners and love triangles for hours. It’s an excellent time waster.

Friends

Yes, this show is overplayed on Nick at Night, but there is nothing more satisfying than sprinting through 10 seasons in one week. There’s about 85 hours worth of pure gold, and if you plant yourself on the couch with the proper snacks and only stop for bathroom breaks, you’ll have it done in no time! You can do it if you try (seriously, someone please try; I honestly want to know how it goes).

Wynonna Earp

Wyatt Earp’s great granddaughter kills demons in Purgatory. WATCH IT! DON’T QUESTION ME, JUST WATCH IT!

One Day at a Time

One Day at a Time is a revamp of the old sitcom with the same name. It’s about a Cuban family in America, with an abundance of strong female characters. The show is basically a liberal free-for-all. This has Rita Moreno in it (from West Side Story and everything). Watch it. It’s not your parents’ One Day at a Time.

Editor: Bella Bier

Fictional Deaths I Still Haven’t Gotten Over (Spoilers Ahead: Really)

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By Peter Kadel

Let’s face it, reading/watching/enjoying works of fiction (i.e: books, movies, and videogames) is really fun and helps all sorts of people get away from the everyday and helps them escape occasional sadness. But sometimes… grief follows us into the realm of fiction as creators of fiction rob us of our favorite characters–giving us emotional scars from which we will never recover. In honor of these fallen fictional figures, here is a list of fictional deaths I still haven’t gotten over. (In no particular order).

* SPOILERS AHEAD * * SPOILERS AHEAD ** SPOILERS AHEAD *

Wash (Firefly/Serenity): The short lived sci-fi hit Firefly and its cinema followup Serenity followed a crew of misfits who were all lovable in their own way. But the character that stole hearts was the pilot Wash. The wise cracking, Hawaiian-shirt wearing, moral center of the team was brutally killed in the movie Serenity, and this loss has scarred me forever. He was the character I wanted to be in real life. Not only was the Firefly series ended too quickly, so was Wash.

Wolverine (Logan/Death of Wolverine): Everyone’s favorite X-man. The hardcore healing mutant with unbreakable bones and claws. Most of his fans thought he would never die, after all that was his main ability. So imagine my surprise when he died TWICE, once in the comic universe and once in the cinematic universe. I had to witness the death of my favorite superhero ever TWICE: first when he was encased in metal as he reflected on all he had done and was finally content after a life of sadness; and a second time when he died holding the hand of his daughter fulfilling the prophecy that he would die with his heart in his hand. I cried both times. So needless to say, I’m still upset about it.

Han Solo (Star Wars: The Force Awakens): I think it is safe to say that this one made everyone cry, to see our favorite bold and brash smuggler gutted by his bratty Sith lord son was an emotional hell that no one deserved. He deserved better. And Chewy’s reaction to watching his longtime pal Han fall into the abyss of Starkiller Base (“BBBrrrrwwwrrroooo”) was truly heart wrenching and, yes, I cried when it happened.

(The West Wing): The are too many deceased characters to list from this show. The show’s creator Aaron Sorkin seems to delight in toying with the audience’s emotions. The saddest death was that of a staple character, Leo McGarry, who was killed off in the final season because the actor passed away. Leo was everyone’s grouchy yet endearing older relative, and the way he cares about his coworkers made him even more lovable.

Chak (Guardians of the Flame: The Silver Crown): Now most of you have probably never heard of this book series, so let me explain. A group of college students are playing a tabletop RPG similar to D&D and they get transported into the game world which turns out to have a huge slave trade which the students vow to dismantle. One of the first slaves freed by the group is a man named Chak. He was a wisecracking swordsman who becomes a key member of the team until his untimely death in the third book of the series. Chak gave himself in a heroic act of self sacrifice to save his friends. Chak easily has the most entertaining characteristics, and his enduring sense of humor made him lovable. His death hit me so hard that I stopped reading the series after I finished the book.

While there are dozens of other deaths I’m still grieving, I’m pretty sure I’m not emotionally capable of listing all of them, so if there are any you think I should have included, let me know in the comments!

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Underseen and Underrated Films, Volume Two

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By Leo Milmet, The Bird on Fire Resident Film Critic

 

I had several other ideas for my previous post “Underseen and Underrated Films,” from various decades, so I retroactively (after submitting it to my editor) titled that post “Volume One” and this “Volume Two.”  This time, however, the decade in which a film is released means nothing. These are simply some extra films that I love just as much as the others that were left out in order to follow my original rule of “one per decade.” Hope you enjoy.–Leo

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (dir. Robert Wiene, 1920): A beautiful, German, monster-horror-silent film that exudes pure artistry and pure terror at the same time. A fascinating and expressionistic masterpiece.         

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (dir. Frank Capra, 1939): An all-time American classic about a  layman who is chosen to become part of the Senate.

The Third Man (dir. Carol Reed, 1949): A masterful noir thriller. Joseph Cotten stars as Holly Martins, a pulp author who goes to visit his old friend Harry Lime in postwar Vienna, only to realize Harry is dead. Obsessed with understanding the circumstances surrounding Harry’s passing, he is led into a confusing web of contradicting stories about the victim.

The Night of the Hunter (dir. Charles Laughton, 1955): Despite initial failure, this ingeniously directed, incredibly suspenseful thrill ride is one of my favorite films of all time. Robert Mitchum stars as Reverend Harry Powell, a murderous and fanatical priest in prison for car theft when he meets a man who admits he has stolen and hidden $10,000. How far will Powell go to get his hands on the loot?

A Man Escaped (dir. Robert Bresson, 1956): A brilliant exercise in sound editing and mixing. The simple (but wonderfully executed) plot concerns the escape of a prisoner of war in World War II.

Network (dir. Sidney Lumet, 1976): A poignant political satire of insane proportions. Featuring Peter Finch in one of the greatest performances of all time.

Blue Velvet (dir. David Lynch, 1986): A twisted psychological thriller about a happy little suburban town and its deep, dark underbelly.

Clerks (dir. Kevin Smith, 1994): This low-budget, black-and-white comedy depicts the type of people who’d nonchalantly ring you up at a convenience store and then feel entitled to mock you just after you leave. Clerks is one of the best of its type because while it cracks its sometimes-funny and always overly sophomoric jokes, it entices you to latch on to its realistic, relatable and (surprisingly) intelligently drawn characters in a way that few comedies of its type can accomplish. Personally, I don’t watch this movie just to laugh, and that might be the biggest compliment I can give it.

Dark City (dir. Alex Proyas, 1998): This fascinating story, a visionary blending of science fiction and film-noir, is executed with beautifully bleak cinematography and production design. If you like film-noir or science fiction, this is an absolute must-see, even according to Roger Ebert, who named it his #1 film of 1998. Also, if you’ve never heard of this film, don’t look it up, just sit back and watch it one day, as the risk of spoiling one of the film’s many wonderful twists and turns is too high.

My Friend Dahmer (dir. Marc Meyers, 2017): This “horrifying coming-of-age story”  (the words of the director, Marc Meyers) concerning the teenage life of the infamous real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is one of my absolute favorite films of last year. Its well-written script is brilliantly executed, managing to be at once chilling, hilarious, and emotional without ever missing a beat.

Editor: Claire Jenkins

Underseen and Underrated Films, Volume One:

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By Leo Milmet, Bird on Fire Resident Film Critic

 

Many films each year fly under the radar of most audiences. Also, even more great films get less popular as time goes on. This eventually adds up to quite a few films that many people love, but that even more people never get to see.

 

Here are a few of my favorite films from each decade of film’s popularity that seem to have been forgotten or overlooked by the newest generation of film buffs. The two recent films I included (In Bruges and Silence) are films that are incredible but don’t seem to have been given their due by the masses, despite heavy critical acclaim.

 

Lesser-known films you should put on your viewing list include . . .

Safety Last! (dir. Harold Lloyd, 1923): A great silent comedy that is most impressive in that its influential humor and great story hold up remarkably well.

M (dir. Fritz Lang, 1931): One of the original film-noirs. A brilliant German crime film about a child murderer whose disturbing crimes lead him to be chased not only by the police, but by the Mafia as well. The film was incredibly progressive and daring for its time, and is just as bold and innovative today as it must have been in 1931.

Shadow of a Doubt (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1943): As paranoid as Rear Window, as suspenseful as Psycho. Hitchcock’s favorite film of his own, and for good reason.

Paths of Glory (dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1957): An emotionally stunning war film concerning the lack of warmth in a cold, inhumane system. Includes one of the greatest final scenes of all time.

Night of the Living Dead (dir. George A. Romero, 1968): The original zombie film. A dark and bleak low-budget horror classic.

The Last Picture Show (dir. Peter Bogdanovich, 1971): The best ensemble film about small-town life.

Rain Man  (dir. Barry Levinson, 1988): A sensitive and subtle road-trip dramedy of brotherly bonding featuring two of the best performances of the 1980s. A popular film in its time (it won Best Picture at the Academy Awards), but a film one rarely hears about today.

Ed Wood (dir. Tim Burton, 1994): A fittingly strange film about the misfits of ‘50s Hollywood and the fantastically terrible films they produced. Martin Landau’s portrayal of Bela Lugosi hits and exceeds the mark of true excellence. For cult film lovers like me, this one’s an absolute treat, and one of my favorite films of all time.

In Bruges (dir. Martin McDonagh, 2008): A great character-based dark comedy that creates pure hilarity out of very disturbing content and doesn’t miss a beat. The first feature film of Martin McDonagh, whose amazing filmmaking is now earning him serious Oscar buzz for his new film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Silence (dir. Martin Scorsese, 2016): A powerful, emotionally draining masterpiece about the strength and will of faith and of the human spirit.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick

OSCARS 2018: PREDICTIONS, PICKS, etc.

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 By Leo Milmet, Resident Film Critic and Academy Awards Guru

Yay! That one weekend where everyone suddenly becomes a huge film buff like me is almost upon us! The Oscars are coming up this weekend!

Here is my list of predictions, wishes, and personal picks.

The following list will be divided into the Oscar nomination categories. I will write “Will Win,” “Should Win,” and “My Picks” next to the contenders:

*“Will Win” = the film/person that is likely to win the award;

*“Should Win” = who deserves to win;

*“My Picks” = my personal picks for that category.

 

BEST PICTURE:

Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick: The Big Sick

 

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Will Win: Gary Oldman–The Darkest Hour

Should Win: Gary Oldman–Darkest Hour

My Pick: Gary Oldman

 

BEST ACTRESS:

Will Win: Frances McDormand–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Saoirse Ronan–Lady Bird

My Pick: Saoirse Ronan

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Will Win: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

My Pick: Sam Rockwell–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Will Win: Allison Janney–I, Tonya

Should Win: Allison Janney–I, Tonya

My Pick: Allison Janney

 

BEST DIRECTOR:

Will Win: Guillermo del Toro–The Shape of Water

Should Win: Greta Gerwig–Lady Bird

My Pick: Martin McDonagh–Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 

BEST ANIMATED FILM:

Will Win: Coco

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

Will Win: Faces Places

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Will Win: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Should Win: The Big Sick–Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani

My Pick: The Big Sick

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Will Win: Call Me By Your Name–James Ivory

Should Win: The Disaster Artist–Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

My Pick: My Friend Dahmer – Marc Meyers

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Will Win: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

My Pick: Blade Runner 2049–Roger Deakins

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

Will Win: Phantom Thread–Mark Bridges

Should Win: Phantom Thread–Mark Bridges

My Pick: Baby Driver–Courtney Hoffman

 

BEST FILM EDITING:

Will Win: Baby Driver–Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos

Should Win: Baby Driver–Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos

My Pick: Baby Driver

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

Will Win: A Fantastic Woman

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

Will Win: Edith + Eddie

 

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

Will Win: Darkest Hour–David Malinowski, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Lucy Sibbick

Should Win: Darkest Hour–David Malinowski, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Lucy Sibbick

My Pick: Darkest Hour

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

Will Win: The Shape of Water–Alexandre Desplat

Should Win: Phantom Thread–Jonny Greenwood

My Pick: Darkest Hour–Dario Marianelli

 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

Will Win: The Shape of Water–Production Design: Paul Denham Austerberry; Set

Decoration: Shane Vieau and Jeffrey A. Melvin

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049–Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration:

Alessandra Querzola

My Pick: The Shape of Water

 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Will Win: Blade Runner 2049–John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd

Nefzer

Should Win: Blade Runner 2049

My Pick: Blade Runner 2049

 

SOUND EDITING:

Will Win: Dunkirk–Alex Gibson, Richard King

Should Win: Baby Driver–Julian Slater

My Pick: Baby Driver

 

SOUND MIXING:

Will Win: Baby Driver–Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin

Should Win: Baby Driver – Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagi

My Pick: Baby Driver

 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT:

Will Win: DeKalb Elementary

Should Win: DeKalb Elementary

 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT:

Will Win: Lou

Should Win: Lou

 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

Will Win: “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman–Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

 

Editor: Renée Vazquez

Fusion Music: Fusic

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By Peter Kadel, Burgeoning Music Editor

America has historically been a place where cultures mix and blend to create new types of food, dance, literature, art, and music–a giant mixing bowl where people can embrace and experience other cultures. The blending of cultures is what will bring us closer together as a nation. One example of this culture-blend occurs in Fusion or Alternative Music. Here are three examples of some awesome Fusion Music.

A Tribe Called Red (genre–Pow Wow EDM): These Canadian DJs combine the music of Pow Wow’s from various Indian nations with electronic dance music to make a less repetitive, soothing sound. The group frequently collaborates with other DJs and Native American musicians to create a diverse body of work. There are more electric songs like “Electric Pow Wow Drum,” “Indian City,” and “Stadium Pow Wow.” Others like “We are Halluci Nation” and “I Feel” take a political stance and force us to confront the decades of mistreatment of Native Americans. It can’t be denied that the U.S and the various indigenous nations have a troubled and violent history and this genre could be the beginning of a new era in which culture can mix and blend instead of adhering to strict separation under the guise of avoiding cultural appropriation.

Dropkick Murphys (Irish Rock AKA Celtic Punk): Now, I may be biased because this is one of my favorite bands and one of my favorite genres, so be aware of that. This genre combines two styles that sound great on their own. The rich acoustic sound and meaningful lyrics of traditional Irish song combined with the speed, energy, and emotion of rock and punk music creates a strong emotional music. While some rock and punk bands rely only on anger to fuel their music, bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly (another Celtic punk band) speak to a broader range of human emotion. The sound of the genre itself, while not as unique as A Tribe Called Red, is distinct and entertaining. Celtic punk bands often gain popularity on Saint Patrick’s day when everyone is feeling a little extra Irish.

Native Howl (Thrash Grass): This pairing definitely seems like the strangest, least appealing mash up, but, as a lover of Bluegrass, I can say that a combination between Bluegrass and Thrash Metal is a fantastic union that is equally angry and folksy and all parts enjoyable. This genre is a good example of opposites attracting and playing off of each others’ strengths and covering their weaknesses. As Bluegrass relies heavily on acoustics and lyrics it can sound repetitive and all the songs can meld together. While metal has a fantastic energy and the songs are unique, the lyrics can often be lacking with similar phrases being used again and again. While Thrash Grass isn’t perfect, it is an entertaining fusion.

 

Editor: Brennan Nick