Phoenix “J-Boy”
It feels like it’s been too damn long since Phoenix has been in the spotlight. The French synthpop alternative band made rounds back in 2009 with their lauded “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” with tracks that trickled onto the mainstream like the poppy “Lisztomania” and arguably their most modest hit, “1901.” Although 2013 saw the band release their fifth studio effort, “Bankrupt!” a more experimental record, it didn’t nearly match the success of their previous effort.
Their latest single released this past week, “J-Boy,” is the first from their forthcoming album, “Ti Amo.” If there’s anything that I love about Phoenix, it’s their use of overblown synth that have become signature to their songs. Although present in “Bankrupt!” it mostly failed in having that groove that makes the listeners want to dance — something Phoenix has become known for. I’m glad that “J-Boy” succeeds in that department, because for the entirety of its four minutes, Phoenix has found a tune that breathes fresh air into the masses of today’s alternative music. The notion of “fun” in music seems to be lost among today’s alternative bands, so I’m glad to see Phoenix bring it back with finesse.
– Adrian Garcia, SSW
JelloApocalypse
JelloApocalypse is a YouTube channel that features comics and different voice actors with their own styles as opposed to just featuring the voice of creator Brendan Blabber. Among his popular series are “Welcome to. . .,” which mocks social media sites like Twitter; “So this is basically. . .,” which mocks popular cartoon shows; and “Every (blank) film in 10 words or less” that is a short but honest review of movies from studios like Disney and Dreamworks.
What makes JelloApocalypse so funny is his honesty; he doesn’t hold back on what he thinks is wrong in social media sites, movies and TV shows. Even in his “Welcome to Youtube” video he is unapologetic about mocking what is wrong with some YouTubers and the platform itself. The Tumblr video in the “Welcome to …” series looks like it is straight out of the site, with its obsession with reblogging and fandoms. The Fanfiction.net! (and Wattpad) episode of “Welcome to …” is so realistic about everything that is wrong with fanfiction sites, it almost seemed like a legit intro guide that many of those fanfiction writers must have followed.
– Martha Delgado, CW
