On Nov. 3, the big-media, juggernaut Amazon announced that they had acquired the TV rights to The Lord of the Rings book series. Amazon Studios have released their own original programming since 2015 but have yet to envision a TV project so expansive in scope. The announcement was made only a few weeks after reports that Amazon had entered early negotiations with Warner Bros and the Tolkien Estate, which hold the rights to the franchise. The Lord of the Rings is not only an iconic staple of contemporary literature, but the series became a cultural phenomenon when director Peter Jackson brought the books to the big screen in the early 2000s with tremendous success. “The Lord of the … [Read more...] about “Lord of the Rings” TV Series Coming to Amazon
Building a Credit Score
On Nov. 16, Santos Manuel Student Union (SMSU) put on an event titled, "Establish a Credit History & The Wise Use of Credit". The event was designed to make students aware of how to establish a credit profile wisely and also to address the consequences of credit misuse. The speaker of the event was Lori Watrous, who is the Education and Community Outreach Coordinator with Springboard Nonprofit at Riverside, CA. Watrous works with credit.org, which is a non-profit agency established in 1974. Their mission is to improve the lives and financial well-being of individuals and families by providing quality financial education and counseling. Creating a credit profile is something that … [Read more...] about Building a Credit Score
Artist Profile: Lindsay B.
Lindsay B, a solo artist by the name of Lindsay Baffo, is a musician from LA who creates infectious garage power-pop. For Baffo, this isn't her first musical project. She had two bands prior to this, however, she decided to go solo after a friend suggested that she go by her name as a solo act, because she wrote all the songs for her previous bands. “At the time, I didn’t really want to brand myself as a singer-songwriter because I used to think it was a little corny, but after a couple years, it was something I began to think differently about. I was more comfortable with taking creative ownership, not hiding behind a band name,“ said Baffo. Music had always been part of Baffo’s life … [Read more...] about Artist Profile: Lindsay B.
The Psychedelic Laid-Back Music of Small Forward
Small Forward is a band from Los Angeles that creates breezy psychedelic rock and is the perfect soundtrack to your fall season. The group consists of Michael Stevenson, Rounak Maiti, Campbell Scott and Nick Waldram. The band started in 2013 when all four of the members met at Occidental College in LA and shared a fondness for music. Elaborating on their start, Stevenson said, “Rounak was the only one who had an 'established' SoundCloud presence of his original music that we all were really into, so I was itching to collaborate with him in some capacity. We all ended up living together at some point and the rest is written in the wind.” The band has been gaining momentum over the years … [Read more...] about The Psychedelic Laid-Back Music of Small Forward
Artist Profile: The Music of Les Son
Folk singer Les Son, of Riverisde, has just dropped his freshman album, The Trees. At a young age, Son learned the clarinet and trumpet. This progressed into him performing with the school orchestra, band, and choir. ”One of my uncles wanted to learn guitar and he was also getting into the Smashing Pumpkins," Les Son said. "He kind of forced me to learn the other parts so he could play along." This year, Son released his first album, The Trees. Due to time restrictions, he worked several months on demos for the album in the early mornings and late nights. Recorded at Son’s home, he deliberately wanted to be sparse when it came to equipment and used his iPhone 7 plus as his … [Read more...] about Artist Profile: The Music of Les Son
The Racism of Dr. Seuss
His iconic picture books have been translated into over 20 languages and spawned countless TV cartoons and films. The idea that Dr. Seuss, who is known for writing children's books, being considered racist was a shock to me and it was a complete contrast to what you usually think when you remember his work. The controversy all started when a librarian, Liz Phipps, rejected to accept several Dr. Seuss books donated by first lady Melania Trump, citing that the books were racist propaganda and contained harmful stereotypes. In another incident, several famous children's book authors, Mike Curato, Mo Willems and Lisa Yee, declined an invitation to the Literature Festival at the Dr. … [Read more...] about The Racism of Dr. Seuss
5 Films to See this Fall
With major blockbuster movies being released at the end of the year such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Thor: Ragnarok, it might be harder for lesser-known films to find an audience. Some people can also become fatigued by the countless sequels and movies based on comic books, and they may just want to see something more original or different. Here are five films to check out this fall if you're looking to expand your cinematic palette and explore worlds beyond the typical movie screen. The Killing of a Scared Deer (November 3) If you're a fan of dark, twisted comedies and have yet to see anything by director Yorgos Lanthimos, I suggest you immediately watch his films, Dogtooth and … [Read more...] about 5 Films to See this Fall
Moses Sumney Album Review: Aromanticism is one of the best albums of 2017
Establishing his position as the next up and coming artist to watch for, singer-songwriter Moses Sumney's debut is a stunner and one of the year's best. Thanks to world renown singer and songwriter Solange, Moses has gained mass attention with his latest release from Jagjaguwar Records. The record is packed with calm and cool tracks that showcase his unique falsetto vocals and cool acoustic riffs that can be heard on popular tracks like "Plastic." Sumney was born in San Bernardino, California but he moved with his family to Ghana when he was 10 years old. And it was only when Sumney moved back to California to attend UCLA that he taught himself to play guitar. I first heard his … [Read more...] about Moses Sumney Album Review: Aromanticism is one of the best albums of 2017