Extra Credit: CD Review

For this extra credit opportunity, I decided to write a review of Daughtry's newest album "Break The Spell" which was released on November 21, 2011. Daughtry has released three albums and I own and listen to all of them frequently. As a big fan of Daughtry I really enjoy this album and I think it's one of their best. I've listened to "Break The Spell" in its entirety and I think the album is really good and very entertaining. The hit single "Crawling Back To You" is one of my favorites because the music behind the vocals is great and Chris Daughtry's leading vocals are phenomenal. The lyrics are catchy and make you just want to sing along. Another song on the album that I really enjoy and is a personal favorite is "Outta my Head." I really enjoy the different tones of his voice in the song and the music that follows. The album has twelve songs and I enjoy listening to all of them. I have attatched the link for the video to "Crawling Back To You."
http://youtu.be/g2WJ3mhjgHA

Soundtrack of My Life

1. "I Can't Wait" by Hilary Duff
I chose this song because it takes me back to my childhood when I fist started listening to newer music.This was her first song and I remember I was so exicted to run to the store and get it. I used to love this song and I remember my cousin and I dancing around and singing along. It also reminds me of my impatience, especially as a child. http://youtu.be/5aLch0e-gCw

2. "Fly" by Hilary Duff
As I have stated in previous blog posts, I was a huge Hilary Duff fan when I was younger. I still like enjoy this song though. I think this song can be inspirational to anyone at any age. The song "Fly" is about believing in yourself and "shining"or speading your wings despite what people say about you. To me it's about being confident with yourself and just letting go and taking risks because its your time. Its also about letting go of things in the past. For me this was getting over my shyness at school, especially middle school and 6th grade.
http://youtu.be/wPJ63FKpKDc

3. "Home" by Daughtry
I absolutely love this song. Whenever I am away from home I always play this song and although it makes me miss home even more its also comforting because I know home is special. Its a good reminder that you can always go home and that your family, friends, and loved ones are there for you. When this song is playing I always think of my family and how much I love them.
 http://youtu.be/7bnX-6sJZBw

4. "Photograph" by Nickelback
This song has had a recent effect on me espcially after graduating High School and not being around all my familiar friends I've had since elementary school. Now I look back at the pictures and automatically feel the emotions we felt within the picture. Funny pitures always make me laugh and when I look at pictures of people who are no longer here or who I don't see anymore, I get sad. But then I think of all the good times we had and how we have to hang out sometime soon or how much I love them.
http://youtu.be/BB0DU4DoPP4

5. "I Run To You" by Lady Antebellum
This song relates to my life as a kid and now because I do rely on people when I'm going through tough times. I go to my closest friends and my Mom for advice when I need it and they are always there for me and help me through the bad or stressful times.
http://youtu.be/Rs38lKxmtI4

6. "Stick To Your Guns" By Motley Crue
I chose this song because it relates to me and who I am today. The lyrics go, "whats right for your aint' right for everyone" and that is significant to my character because I know I have to do things for me and do things I like even if its not the popular thing to do. I am an individual and I am proud of it. I don't follow the latest fads or styles. I have always stuck to my guns.
http://youtu.be/xrrqTM-BqdY

All Shook Up and Fever

     In the epilogue of "All Shook Up" I found the information regarding Woodstock to be very interesting. It was held in August of 1969 and took place on Max Yasgur's dairy fam in Bethel, New York. I was somewhat surprised that this iconic festival took place on a farm. More than three hundred thousand people all desceded to this farm! I've been to many concerts and seen live streams of concerts and the venues are nothing like a farm. I can only imagine the events that took place in a setting like that. However, when fans want to see their favorite performers they will go anywhere to see them and with headliners such as Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix how could you not go? I can only imagine the atmosphere and crowding of the audeince.
      This generation was described as "the generation attuned to rock, pot, and sex" (All Shook Up 188). I think the early rock generation really set the tone for future rockers when it came to rock, pot, and sex. As the rock genre lives on, many of the artists get too involved in the drugs and the sex and they forget about the music and their careers end as a result of their addictions.
     In Chapter 6 of "Fever" I thought it was interesting that they compare Bruce Springsteen to Elvis by saying Springsteen is Elvis' "closest rock relative" (Fever 145) in the sense that they are icons who came from nowhere and have become American rock legends. Bruce Springsteen has had so much success and continues to be successful. I believe he played the half time show of the superbowl a couple of years ago and that is a national audience and a selective honorable event.  Not many artists are as iconic and prevalent as these two. To be considered an icon and in close comparison to Elvis is truly the real deal
     In chapter 7 of "Fever" I found it interesting that the lovey dovey songs were a constant "flux" (Fever 187) and that the partners who often sang the songs to eachother faced many obsticles and challenges as a couple. The one that stands out to me is Tina Turner and her abusive relationship. I can't imagine the things she went through and staying in an abusive relationship as she did for so long. The book also mentions that she was the first to publicly and explicitly speak out about the abuse which I find admirable on so many levels. She finally got out and she wasn't going to protect him. She stood up for herself by singing about it and turning her tragedy into a crusade for other women.
     There were many interesting facts and selections from the reading, but these are the ones that stood out to me.

Opinionator #2

For this assignment, I decided to write about the planned strike by California State University staff. These professors and staff of the California Faculty Assosiation are picketing because they weren't paid their guaranteed raises. The CSU Administration claims they are unable to pay their faculty because of budget cuts and say that is money they just don't have.

I think the CSU faculty has a right to be upset and strike because they are the educators of the people of the future. As college students, we depend on them to give us the best education possible. They should be rewarded for their hard work and dedication. While the education budget has been cut, tuition is on the rise and the money going towards the CSU system and the schools should be put to good use. The size of classes are rising and the professors are being asked to teach more students in a bigger class and aren't being compensated.  In an article from MercuryNews.com professor Wei Ming Dariotis stated,""We're basically being asked to do more work for less pay," in regards to the increased workload of the professors with larger classes.

I think that the CSU faculty should be given their raises because they are well deserved. I think the importance of educators is often overlooked in this country and they aren't as appreciated as they should be. As a college student, I appreciate the efforts of not only my college professors here at SJSU, but also my teachers from elementary school through High School. Those teachers were just as important and had just as much impact on my education. They were the ones who encouraged me and my fellow classmates to pursue a higher education. Overall, I think the strike is warranted and I'm hoping it is effective in the sense that the CSU Administration grants them their raise.

"Freestyle Music List"

5 of my favorite country songs
Most of my blogs have mostly rock songs, but I am also a fan of some country artists including Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum . Here are 5 of my favorite songs by these two artists.

1. "Need you Now" by Lady Antebellum
I love this song and I can listen to it over and over again. I love the vocals and the music behind the song.
http://youtu.be/eM213aMKTHg

2. "All American Girl" by Carrie Underwood
I am a big fan of Carrie Underwood and I have seen her in concert. Her voice is amazing and I think this song is fun, cute, and sweet. I also think the video is cute and entertaining.
http://youtu.be/m36xv75MJ4U

3. "We Owned the Night" by Lady Antebellum
This song is from their new album and it is one of my favorite songs from the album. This song is more fast paced than "Need you Now" and it's a fun song. I really like the music and lyrics of the song.
http://youtu.be/oFdCaopnKe4

4."Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood
This is from her debut album and it's one of my all time favorites by her. The song is fun and has upbeat music. The video is also very entertaining and funny.
http://youtu.be/WaSy8yy-mr8

5. "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood
In the video's they treat this song as the prequel to "Before he cheats." This song is also very entertaining and has an upbeat tone. The lyrics and video are comical and fun. Just another one of my favorites from Carrie Underwood.
http://youtu.be/f27zNlmRMWU

Opinionator #1

The current media issue I decided to blog about is Occupy Oakland and the violent protests. The purpose of this local movement is to liberate the city of Oakland and occupy everything from which they have been excluded. This protest includes mass rallies and marches throughout the city. These protests have not been peaceful as they have resulted in many arrests and even led to the Police using smoke grenades. The police were forced to get involved and break up the camps which led to several arrests. It was also said that there were reports of sexual assault, fighting, public drinking, as well as other complications at the camp sites.

The news of these incidents of Occupy Oakland are reoccurring on the News and in the papers. I have seen many news reports on TV regarding this movement and how the police became involved and how it all turned violent.  I’ve seen interviews of participants of the protest and they have reacted very negatively towards these situations and the police involvement.

It doesn’t surprise me that the Occupy Oakland movement has turned violent and resulted in police involvement because a lot of people are involved that don’t really care about the movement and those are the people who ruin it for others. The movement was supposed to be a good thing and make a statement, but instead it’s just making the city of Oakland and the residents of Oakland look bad because of all the arrests being made and the actions the police are needing to take. The media also just choses to report on the negative side of the protest as well because that is all you hear about for the most part. The protests were supposed to be peaceful, but have turned violent. I think the movement as a whole is important when making a statement, but I think the protesters need to be respectful of police and abide by the rules.

Music Memories #2

For this assignment, I interviewed my grandmother who is 74 years old. When she was a teenager and a young adult, she loved to listen to Perry Como. He was her favorite musician in the 40's and she heard his music on the radio. As she got older she told me she enjoyed listening to Elvis Presley because she loved his voice and the rock genre. She didn't attend any concerts when she was a teenager; she just listened to their music on the radio. Her tastes haven't really changed. She has always enjoyed listening to light rock music. Some of her favorite bands now include, The Beatles, The Eagles, and Journey. I think my Grandma and my tastes are very similar because we both like The Beatles, The Eagles, and Journey. In fact, the first concert I ever went to was a Journey concert with my parents. We both like rock music. I think both of our music tastes have stayed the same once we became teenagers because ever since she was a teen, she continued to listen to rock music. I don't see my tastes changing any time soon because I love everything about classic rock and even some newer rock bands. I also think I was turned onto this music by my parents and even my grandma because of the influence of being exposed to it at a young age. I have liked other genres of music such as pop, but as I got older and since I was about 14 or 15, I have consistently listened to rock music. My grandma's taste in music hasn't changed as she has always enjoyed listening to rock music.