Brian’s Side:

MODOC, a southern roots rock back out of Nashville, visited Tuscaloosa for the first time bringing with them some “bombastic rock to a bare-bones crowd,” as Connor Hughes, my companion on this journey that was MODOC, put it.

Indeed, Hughes had a point – a strong one at that. MODOC brought the heat to Green Bar despite almost NOBODY SHOWING UP. Come on, Tuscaloosa. This group of guys, originally from Muncie, Ind., has played for crowds large than 3000 people. We can give them the respect they deserve next time they come to the City of Champions. I’ll see to it myself.

I asked them after the show how they brought so much energy to stage without a crowd to feed off of. The guys looked at each other, looked back at me, looked at each other and responded saying, “That was only a fraction of how we usually play.”

90.7’s music staff is now dying to catch these guys on their home turf of Nashville, where not only would there be a crowd, but, hopefully, a dedicated following as they explained exists in Des Moines, Iowa. Wait, what? Yes, these guys, who reminded us of Kings of Leon, The White Stripes, Band of Skulls (whom they covered), along with a cornucopia of other power-riff-southern-blues-rock-esque bands, have a large fanbase in Iowa of all places.

You may be wondering what made MODOC so special? The lyrics? The guitar solos? Their tsunami of energy? While all of these things were impressive, I think the real jewel of MODOC is the drum and bass team, Johnny Carlson and Caleb Crockett, respectively. Apparently, their bandmates feel the same way, which is always awesome to see.

“Yeah, man! The rhythm section is too great,” said Clint Culberson, lead singer and lyricist for MODOC.

MODOC plans to return to Tuscaloosa in the near future. Hopefully they will find a better crowd, perhaps at Egan’s, the local rock-n-roll dive bar, where this style of rock is welcome and easily heard on the Strip.

Connor’s Side:

    An unassuming group of teenagers took the Green Bar Stage before MODOC destroyed it. The band Velouria is barely out of their teens, with the oldest member, Deanna Medina, clocking in at eighteen years of age. Age, however is a mere technicality. These “kids” from Birmingham, AL have the sonic prowess of a group far more seasoned than they.

I distinctly remember hearing about Velouria through some very impassioned tweets from Birmingham’s favorite online DJ, Reg of Reg’s Coffeehouse. Like a sign from above it would appear, Michael Harp, singer/guitarist/writer, appeared at the station not a fortnight later, album in hand. He left it asking to give a simple listen, and I gladly took it off his hands. After listening to the intro riff of the song “Grey Matter” I was enchanted. Giddily, I phoned up Michael only five minutes after he walked out of the station to come record a promo for the Green Bar Show.

So after a week of sitting on my hands, the night came for me to see the band. Velouria failed at only one thing, and that was to disappoint me. WU-LYF style guitars and vocal harmonies that would make the Civil Wars take a step back, this six song set solidified my fandom for th

An over the top end of the world,  raunchy R-rated comedy, and a couple of loveable celebrities  making fun of themselves and the entertainment industry; What’s not to like? Absolutely nothing and that’s the point! Based off the 2007 short-film Jay and Seth vs The Apocalypse, starring Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel respectively, this feature adaptation finds Rogen in the director’s chair for the first time and I have to say it paid off.

A pretty wide and giddy smile was perpetually grafted onto the audience’s face as soon as Rogen appears on screen to pick up his friend Jay from the LA airport for some good, wholesome, and gluten free fun.  For anyone who deems themselves as a true cinephile, this begins the kick-off to a slew of movie references, easter-eggs, and jokes that will surely be appreciated.

As things go, once everyone is partying at James Franco’s new house the world suddenly chooses to go biblically cataclysmic and all of the celebrities who didn’t get into heaven find themselves wondering what exactly happened……you know, after the majority of Hollywood stops dying.  Those few who do survive and board themselves up in Franco’s home then discover what true danger is in store for them as a series of, perhaps Freudian slips, besiege their front door.

What was really wonderful about this film was the energy given off by everyone involved. You could sense all around that everyone was having a blast and that the same energy was rubbing off onto those they were trying to entertain.  The core relationships between characters, especially that of Seth and Jay, as they all come together to solve their bombastic dilemma also adds some surprising heart to the film.

If there was one thing that might be this film’s sole weakness, is that to some it may at times feel like it’s lost itself within some mild tedium. However, this is dependent on how much you enjoy the actors onscreen and could vary if one is not the biggest fan of this style of humor. Which, as a side note, the cast had some of the most impeccable comedic timing so far this year.

At “the end” of the day, most movie-goers will find it hard not being absorbed into the screen and into these exaggerated vignettes of recognizable faces. Then once the credits hit, they will find it hard to keep from laughing all the way into the quotes the following day.

When this reboot was announced a couple of years back, many fans were excited that big name Christopher Nolan was attached to the project with Watchmen director Zack Snyder at the helm. Particularly because many fans were still sorely bitter towards Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns back in 2006 for leaving a bad taste in their mouth. Namely due to not enough action, Superman vs Lex Luthor again, and Superman becoming a father as the main complaints. To digress, I found it to be a poignant Superman tale and a nice nod to the original Reeve films, but that’s beside the point.

After attending the midnight premiere with the large swarm of fan boys and girls all buzzing with their red and blue spandex attires, I left the theater with one core thought about the film as a whole. This was a feature-length short film about the Superman film that was advertised.  Though, the audience walked away knowing this is not the end of  Superman and not because they already announced the sequel, but because it shows that there is potential to make a solid film for the last son of Krypton.

The film opens up with Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Superman’s/Kal-El father, saving his son not only from the annihilation of their home world but also from some instances of questionable acting.  With that said, I really enjoyed the amount of time that was spent on Krypton and really enjoyed seeing more of its culture. Here we have our first big taste of Snyder’s signature action which never seems to disappoint.

From there the film is told out of chronological order. Which could have been an interesting and fairly rewarding way to tell the story, if executed properly.  That’s not what the end result amounted to unfortunately. The film from then on often felt disjointed. There was something there, there was a full story but whose parts were scattered among itself.

Which, if there is one thing that I am most disappointed about, it is that the theme and tone presented by the excellent marketing was not fully realized.  Which was, “What does “Superman” even mean”?  What is this ideal of humanity and how does one live up to it?  I guess I expected a lot with The Dark Knight Trilogy team helping craft the story?

The film simply tiptoed about the theme without walking with it.  They kept telling us he was this big ideal without actually showing us how he was.  It’s the same as saying one is the best at something without backing it up with proof.  However, the reason for this could have been to simply get to the action. Which, I will not complain about because as I said Snyder’s visual action is what he is known for. This film delivered the true Superman action many were waiting for.  It was visceral and explosive. Seeing Superman fight against and punch other Kryptonians and especially the film’s antagonist, General Zod (Michael Shannon), through buildings was nothing short of spectacular!

Granted, action can only take you so far and it would have been fine as long as the emotional connection and development between characters was genuinely executed and attended to.  The problem was a lot of it felt artificial.  Subsequently subverting any and all peril.   I no longer cared what happened or what was going to happen to who and if he or she would make it out alive.  There were only one or two scenes where I felt there was a genuine connection between characters, thus allowing me to connect to them as well.  There simply needed to be more.

Given the flaws however, this was still a solid and fun Superman film and I look forward to seeing the sequel.  I just hope that the next time we fly off with the man of steel we get to see more of why in today’s world, where there is so much real evil that can’t be distinguished in black and white terms, we truly need a Superman.

Review By: Marcus Flewellen

About fifteen minutes into This is the End, the best comedy of the year so far, the end begins. Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel (played by Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel, respectively) have just left a wild, star-studded housewarming party hosted by James Franco (also playing himself). Now they’re in a convenience store looking to buy a pack of cigarettes. Suddenly, a massive earthquake hits Los Angeles. Several beams of blue light descend from above and hit all the other customers in the store, lifting them into heaven. The only people left in the store are Seth, Jay, and the crabby old store manager, who is killed almost instantly. Seth and Jay (naturally) freak out, and then run as fast as they can to Franco’s house, trying their best to dodge all the chaos that surrounds them. Buildings are falling. Demons are flying across the sky. The iconic Hollywood sign is on fire. This is hell on earth. This is the Rapture. This is the end.

Co-written and co-directed by Rogen and his frequent writing partner Evan Goldberg, This is the End is a rare horror comedy that manages to blend both genres seamlessly; the film manages to be incredibly hilarious and truly terrifying, sometimes in the same scene. The film reminded me of the 2004 cult classic Shaun of the Dead, another successful comedy/horror mash-up. If you love Shaun, you’ll love this film too.

Every actor in the film is playing a heightened version of their public personas: Rogen is the foulmouthed stoner he plays in all of his films; Baruchel is a nerdy hipster who’s anti-Hollywood; Franco is a sexually ambiguous narcissist, etc. When Seth and Jay get back to Franco’s house, they arrive just in time to witness their friends – and most of young Hollywood – die comically gruesome deaths. (Michael Cera, Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling and Rihanna are among the unlucky.) When it’s all said and done, only Rogen, Baruchel, Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson (The Office) are alive. They decide to hide from the apocalypse in Franco’s gaudy mansion and wait for help to arrive.

From there, the film evolves into a six-actor play. As the actors wait for someone to rescue them, they smoke weed, make a sequel to Pineapple Express, make fun of each other, drive each other insane. Rogen, Baruchel, Franco, Hill, McBride and Robinson are all clearly having a blast here making fun of themselves, each other and some of their previous films, and the script – smartly – pulls no punches. (Am I the only person who liked The Green Hornet?)

The film’s not perfect. There are way too many gross-out gags involving bodily fluids here. I know that lowbrow humor is a staple of these types of films, but it’s completely unnecessary and comes across as incredibly lazy. There’s too much great material here for Rogen and Goldberg to feel like they have to use lowest common denominator humor.  The ending – the final five minutes or so — is also a bit of a disappointment.

But when This is the End is firing on all cylinders – which is for most of the film’s 105-minute running time – it’s smarter, funnier and sharper than any other comedy in recent memory. I rarely ask for a sequel, but I really want to see This is the End 2. Or Pineapple Express 2: Blood Red.

Review by: Harrison DeFalco

Apparently there is this new trend going on in Hollywood right now. It involves turning memes, apps, and now search engines into feature length entertainment. I don’t know about any of the students currently roaming the UA campus this summer but I for one find myself thinking, “How can such things add up to become worthwhile cinema?”

Well The Internship showed me how as it pushed all the answers and potential to the side for a couple of pop-culture references sprinkled on top of a story I could have found prepackaged by the Pillsbury Doughboy at Publix. However, the Pillsbury brand has been conquered and replaced by Google’s and this is only the first step towards their quest of world domination.

Because when I say that this film portrays Google as the pinnacle of human achievement, I mean it. I left the theater thinking how nice our new overlords will be. So if the cost of my freedom is a never ending pool of pudding and a nap pod I think would probably be alright. (Sentence sponsored by Google.)

The film opens with old-schoolers Nick (Owen Wilson) and Billy (Vince Vaughn) who have just lost their jobs as watch salesmen because, as their boss John Goodman puts it, “Who needs watches anymore? People have their phones!” Thereby cluing them and especially us, the audience, in that they are obsolete and out of date.

Unfortunately the film then feels the need to keep giving us that same clue in inconsistent ways. For example they are able to make a reference to The Hunger Games, which by all records is pretty recent, but they are unable to figure out who the X-Men are spite them being around since….well….since the two of them were born. Of course, I might just be feeling a little more sensitive being a comic-book lover, who knows?

So these two old dudes embark on a journey to be updated. Thus thrusting their charm into an online interview that finagles them the end all, be all…..an internship at Google where a group of misfits, love, whacky antics, and that one guy from The Social Network await them.

The Internship had a perfect opportunity to explore the generational divide between the young and old and how both struggle in today’s corporate-America world. Granted, the film disappointingly brushed all that none-sense off. Which is really a huge shame. Largely due to the fact the film inherently raises relevant issues that would be perfect for a genre like comedy to tackle head on.

I mean why not?! With many true old-schoolers like Billy and Nick losing their jobs and succumbing to poverty because they’re being replaced more and more by our Millennial’s digital landscape; we should root for characters like these who choose to dive headfirst into the ever growing Internet culture. Which, if this film succeeds at nothing else, at least anyone who enjoys the Vaughn and Wilson duo will be able to bask in awe at their ability to create magic out of back and forth banter.

Let’s not ignore the Millennial aspect with those swarming interns at Google either. The job market isn’t so nice for the young tech savvies and creative thinkers as of late. It’s actually kind of stark with only the select few being able to secure themselves financially where they can even make ends meet. The rest don’t get such happy endings and will continue to struggle. Don’t worry though, the movie will ignore those guys because it would bum the mood. At least they have Quidditch! No better way to change the mood than redirect our attention, right?

I am not saying that the film should have been a constant lecture made about our current times with simply one or two jokes that only a hand full of people got. No, that would be counterproductive and often we go to the movies to escape. Nonetheless, comedy is a cathartic device that allows us to confront certain things that otherwise make us uncomfortable or want to forget.  More people are willing to listen when they are laughing and want to talk less when they are too scared to listen. The Internship swindled itself of the chance to become something more. That is about as much as one can truly say about this hour and a half long Google advertisement. 

By Camille Corbett, Host of Femme Fatale

The third season finale of the riveting HBO series, Game of Thrones has set up it’s fantastical world for yet another massive showdown. While there have been numerous tensions throughout the season where situations have come to a head, such as the infamous “Red Wedding,”there still seems to be a hint of foreboding as to what will occur next in Martin’s tumultuous universe.

The ending scene of this episode, shows Danenerys Targaryen, being lauded as “mother” to a people she has freed in her seemingly never-ending campaign to regain her birthright, the Iron Throne. This episode evokes the question, “Has Danenerys lost sight of her vision?” For freeing people across the sea from the kingdom she is trying to reclaim isn’t exactly the most pragmatic tactic. Especially because in order to do she she forfeited obtaining free ships from the slave holders. So I would speculate that Danenerys is about to feel the repercussions of straying from her vision of obtaining her rightful place as Queen of the Iron Throne. On the bright side, her CGI dragons do seem to be getting larger. So that may also be a sign that things are about to get intense in the Targaryen department.

In addition, poor Tyrion Lannister seems to be pretty down on his luck. His new child-wife won’t stop weeping, his marriage still hasn’t been consummated, his drinking is exacerbating, and to top it off his concubine, Shae, isn’t very happy that her job is to take care of her lover’s mistress. However, Lord Varys does hint towards his potential once he gets over his little rough patch, citing him as a possible solution to the chaos that is breaking lose all over Westeros. It is interesting to note that Varys views Tyrion’s mistress as a possible hinderance and attempts to bribe her away from court. It seems that Martin is hinting that Tyrion will never be great if he doesn’t forego his endless quest for love. Tyrion is being viewed more and more as a tragic hero whose major flaw seems to be trusting the opposite sex. However, love (or his lack of love) also seems to give Tyrion a more pronounced perspective on the world which these characters are living in. This episode leaves us with the question of whether Tyrion will rise to the occasion, or fall off the deep end and drink himself to death.

Jon Snow also seems to have been in a sticky situation this season, and was finally able to relieve himself of it…with a few strings attached. While he was finally able to return to his brothers in the Night Watch, after his escapades with Wildings, during his adventures as an infiltrator for the Wildings he fell in loven with Ygritte. Who gave him a piece of her mind when she caught him in his final betrayal to the Wilding people in this episode, by shooting him with two non-fatal arrow shots. Luckily he is able to return, worse for the wear back to the Night’s Watch. This story stinks of something unfinished. Jon Snow is going to eventually have to answer to why he broke his vow as a member of the Night’s Watch and had relations with a woman…if he lives to tell the tale. In addition, I doubt that this is the last we shall see of Ygritte. For you know what they say about a woman scorned… Either way, if Jon Snow lives past his affliction, he is in some major trouble.

Of course we have to talk about  Lord Ramsey Snow, who has tortured poor Theon Greyjoy in unimaginable ways and amputated parts of him that would make your mother blush. Absolutely everyone is craving for his story. We know he sick, we know he wants, power, but what’s his story? Why is he so sick and why does he crave power? Hopefully these questions will be answered soon enough. In addition, it seems that Theon Greyjoy’s sister is going to rescue him against the wishes of her father. It is up to next season for us to see whether or not she succeeds in those endeavors. And if she doesn’t, will Ramsey Snow treat her with the same hospitality as he did her brother?

Stannis Baratheon’s story line is probably the most boring one of them all, but in this finale, things happened to get a little hairy. Stannis captured his brother’s last surviving illegitimate child, Gendry, in an attempt to do some sick god of light ritual with his red witch lover. Luckily, he was able to escape on a boat thanks to the help of Stannis’s hand. So now that Gendry knows his lineage, will he attempt for more noble endeavors and join the fight for the Iron Throne, or will it cause him to lie farther in the shadow? Once agin, we shall see in the upcoming season. Likewise, now that Stannis’s last hope is dashed, can he finally be killed off? Because his storyline is horrifically tiresome and awkward.

Cersei and Jaime have been reunited. However, their meeting was awkward and it is uncertain if they will continue their incestuous relationship, or attempt to be normal human beings who do not fornicate with their siblings. It can be certain that the lost of Jaime’s hand has humbled him and in turn perhaps made him less attractive to his malevolent sister who seems to take great pleasure in arrogance. Once again, it is one of those things, we must wait for the next season to see. However it goes, this storyline is going to get much spicier.

My favorite storyline, Arya Stark’s was one of the few with no questions to be had, but rather a sense of inevitability. Arya has teamed up with the Hound in this season and on this episode, had her last transition to a full blown killer by killing a grown man with a knife she stole from the Hound. The only questions I have about Arya is how violent will she be getting and whether or not her new vocation as killer will be fatale to her own life. As a feminist, I get great joy out of Arya’s story, especially in comparison to her sister, Sansa, who just cries a lot and whines about how short her new husband is.

Overall, this episode was a great ending to the season. It left viewers on the precipice of change and hints towards a grand or fatal future for most of the characters. Needless to say, I expect the first episode of the next season to be action packed and filled with answers.

This weeks Album cover of the Week comes from the American Rock band Vampire Weekend’s third studio album ” Modern Vampires of the City.”

“We Can’t Stop” single art

Review by Camille Corbett, Host of Femme Fatale

As an eighteen year old feminist who was obsessively devoted to Disney Channel as a child, I can say without too much hesitance and shame that I am  a HUGE Miley Cyrus fan. However, after listening to her newest single “We Can’t Stop,” I have begun to wonder if my verging on idolatry of Cyrus is coming to an end.

This single was at best, mediocre. It was oddly reminiscent of Rihanna, however, it lacked the soulful and exotic qualities that Rihanna’s voice brings to her songs. It seems that the single “We Can’t Stop” is in an awkward middle ground between her fluffy pop sounding single “Party in the USA” and  the raunchy r&b sound of Rihanna.

Overall it was an unimpressive song that I know will get stuck in my head, for although it was a weak effort stylistically, it still somehow managed to be catchy. Which in my opinion is just downright inhumane. Isn’t it bad enough, Miley, that you’ve disappointed some loyal fans, without having to curse them with an infectious song that reminds them how you’ve failed to find a sound that would legitimately please them?

However, I still do remain a loyal fan of Cyrus. For who know, the entire album might be better than this faulty r&b hodgepodge of a pop song. For I do like how she is using edgier lyrics in her music now. It fits her new glamour-ridden bad girl image better. I also do like how she stuck to a party anthem, for as we all know, that is where she really excels. So although this song was a weak attempt to make her fans fall into an even deeper obsession with her, it will do…for now. Just know Miley, that your loyal fans are awaiting bigger and better things from you.

Listen to the We Can’t Stop and see if you enjoy it. Comment below your feelings towards Miley Cyrus’s new  single.