Titus Andronicus

Nick M.

This New Jersey band takes its name from a gory Shakespeare play, a highly appropriate premise for their music.  Wild, flying tunes zoom around in one song, while a thumping drum entices one to tap his/her foot along with the music, or even air drum.  Their second album, The Monitor, is named after the first ironclad Union warship produced for the Civil War, and after buying a hard copy (support the band!) and listening through, I found that the Civil War theme recurs throughout the album, with excerpts of speeches from Abraham Lincoln in the song “A More Perfect Union” (see below).  More passages, albeit recreated, from Walt Whitman, William Lloyd Garrison, and Jefferson Davis ensue as bookends for various songs, giving the album a historic feel, although the music is far from it. 

Notable songs include “A More Perfect Union.” This opener is one of the top songs on the album.  An insanely catchy guitar riff leads the song with pounding force; Patrick Stickles (vocals, guitar, and a plethora of other skills) belts out lyrics about leaving behind New Jersey and his regret in doing so. “Four Score and Seven” - again we see the energy this album carries… along with another killer guitar riff.  “The Battle of Hampton Roads”—named for the pivotal naval battle in the Civil War—is a fourteen-minute epic, bagpipe solo and all. 

The Monitor is definitely a solid album.  With crashing cymbals and pounding beats, led by a fluctuating, distorted guitar that carries riffs above and beyond, this album is one of the best purchases I have made in a long time.  Another pleasant surprise: the booklet that comes with the album is very entertaining to read.  Also, underneath the disk is a list of “Suggested Further Reading”—about half a dozen books involving the Civil War.  You just can’t get this stuff on iTunes. 

The Social Network Review

By Nick M.

     I went to see The Social Network last weekend, and was kind of unsure of whether or not to believe the story.  Nowadays, the phrase “based on a true story” means the film’s plot is very general.  The dialogue is not going to be very accurate, as no one really keeps a record of what they say.  Therefore, the movie has to be filled with mostly fiction, which I thought, in the case of The Social Network, was done very well.  The story was a little complex, as it was basically 4 or 5 large flashbacks and a few smaller flashbacks from two different lawsuits Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg, Zombieland) was in.  The first lawsuit was between Zuckerberg and his former best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), who was suing Zuckerberg for everything Facebook was worth after—well, you’ll find out if you see the movie.  The other lawsuit was between Zuckerberg and students who claim Facebook was their idea.
    The somewhat comedic script, partnered with superb acting, really sets The Social Network apart from the films this fall.  If you want entertainment in a movie, but not in the sense of mindless explosions and carnage, definitely check out The Social Network.
    Now, about the characters.  Jesse Eisenberg portrays a sense of naïveté as Mark Zuckerberg, like he’s really not sure what reality is, but still manages to be a genius and create Facebook.  He seems to think like a computer, meaning he doesn’t appear to have a lot of common sense.  He even reminds me of Abed from NBC’s Community.
Eduardo Saverin, Mark’s “best friend,” is someone who seems to be slowly realizing that he is being left out of the loop, which makes him seem very lost and distant throughout the story.
    I think the story may be little difficult to follow for some people, but for most people, The Social Network should be just easy enough to follow to be appealing, while still sophisticated enough to be an intelligent film.  I know it was for me.


The trailer for the movie is below: