I've recently invested in a monthly subscription to Netflix, which gives me access to almost any DVD ever produced. While browsing through the enormous selection, I came across the British teen drama series, "Skins". I added the entire first season to my queue, curious to see the differences and similarities between American and British prime time soap operas.
A couple of days ago, all three discs arrived in the mail. I sat down to watch one and ended up seeing the entire series in one night. "Skins" is quirkier and more clever then American television made for teens. It is comparable to Degrassi, the Canadian drama that runs in America on The N network, in that it deals with heavy topics relatable to teenagers. However, the series picks and chooses just how seriously they are taken. For example, drinking, drug use, sex and general debauchery are a given amongst the ensemble cast. The wildest parties I have ever witnessed have taken place in "Skins", with most of the characters waking up on Saturday mornings piled on top of each other, covered in food and vomit. When 16 year old Michelle breaks up with her boyfriend, she heads to the local pub to nurse a drink. On an American show, drinking and drug use might be seen as dangerous and would be addressed as so by the TV parents. In "Skins", the parents are alright with their kids drinking, probably because of the younger drinking age in England.
The best part about "Skins" is that it showcases an excellent ensemble cast. Dev Patel, star of the recent hit "Slumdog Millionaire" stars as a hard-partying Muslim boy with strict parents. Nicholas Hoult, the adorable dork from 2002's "About a Boy" stars as the show's manipulative an conniving male lead, Tony Stonem.

I'm not really one for chick flicks, but it was student discount night at AMC and He's Just Not That Into You was the only movie my friend wanted to see. I'm also not one for preconceived notions, so I went along with her. Who knew, maybe I'd love it! Unfortunately, I just wasn't that into it.
Sorry to say, I don't often see mainstream movies. Not to sound like a snob or anything, but I usually stick to the independents, mostly because I'd rather see a drama then the same old rom-com I've seen a million times before. He's Just Not That Into fits right into that category. The script was pretty boring and predictable, but the worst part was that it had no depth. It glazed over the neuroses of the main characters, barely touching on their problems. As viewers, we know little about these characters, other than we are supposed to root for them. After all, they're all cute and funny! The characters who were supposed to be "deeper", such as Jennifer Connelly's Janine and Scarlett Johannsen's Anna, just came off as annoying. Predictably, and annoyingly, Anna states at the end of the movie that she's going to go off on a journey of self-discovery to India. But probably, we all already knew that anyway.

Walking down the street in Chicago every day, I am constantly accosted by the same plain sweatshirt with a white zipper. You know the one I'm talking about-the Unisex Flex Fleece Hoodie by American Apparel that comes in a multitude of colors. However, it's not just a Chicago thing. I really have been seeing them everywhere lately, from the quintessential college town of Bloomington, IN to the fashionable Avenue de Victor Hugo in Paris.
Personally, I don't see the appeal. American Apparel produces the same styles of basic clothing over and over again. The colors are plain and the material used is cheap. The items are priced high, with hooded sweatshirts going for about $40 each. This is supposedly because the clothing is made here in America with sweatshop free labor. While this sentiment doesn't necessarily entice me to pay $24 for an plain t-shirt, then the sleazy and grotesque models used in the ads are certainly enough to keep me away from the store altogether.
Another problem I have with American Apparel is that it is becoming incredibly universally recognized. While watching the recent film about an impoverished woman, "Wendy and Lucy", I was disappointed to see that Michelle Williams' character wore an American Apparel hoodie throughout the movie. If Wendy was so poor, how did she cough up the $40 to buy the sweatshirt? I'm guessing the sweatshirt was just supposed to serve as a plain, drab prop, but it ruined the movie for me in a way.
As American Apparel slowly takes over the world with its polyester t-shirts (probably, in a few the government will socialize the apparel industry and we'll all be wearing them as uniforms), I choose to not jump on the band wagon. The clothes are boring, the colors are off, and the fabric used is cheap and sleazy. What's to like?

Sophomore Slump for The Fray

People like to dog on The Fray for a variety of reasons. For starters, their hit single "How to Save a Life" off their debut album of the same name was featured on the popular ABC drama Gray's Anatomy. In addition to selling out, the band never really had any street cred to begin with. The Fray was extremely under the radar during its first couple years of existence, and did not gain popularity until Epic Records A&R man Mike Flynn read an article on the band in a local Denver paper. They were signed soon after that, and went on tour with Ben Folds and Weezer before headlining their own shows. In other words, The Fray is so not indie.
What I loved about How to Save a Life was that it was full of fresh, infectious, piano-rock songs. Some may argue differently, but The Fray has its own distinct sound. The songs on How to Save a Life are all heavily piano based with catchy hooks, lyrics, and melodies. Most on the album are perfect radio songs. Normally I don't listen to the radio, simply because I don't always like what's popular at the moment. However, The Fray is one exception. It is incredibly hard to create an album that is both pleasing to the masses and a new, exciting sound. With How to Save a Life, the Fray accomplished this.
I was highly anticipating the the February 3rd release of The Fray's sophomore album, The Fray. Perhaps this is partially because I am now somewhat personally invested in their success; the studio in which How to Save a Life was recorded is a mere hour away from my home in Indianapolis, and a good friend of mine records with his band in the same studio. Hearing people dismiss The Fray as boring and unoriginal is almost a little insulting to me. Unfortunately, after listening to the new album, I must say that I am disappointed. The songs are not as explosive as the debut, with the exception of the first single, "You Found Me" and a few other random songs off the album. However, even "You Found Me" is a major disappointment. While the music itself is reminiscent of the previous album, the lyrics are incredibly impersonal and dull and the chorus is so repetitive that the song gets old fast. "Syndicate" is really the only song I enjoyed off the album, as it possessed a catchy melody and interesting lyrics.
While I was disappointed with this new album, I have not lost all hope for The Fray. Sophomore slumps are common, and I have faith that there will be more good things to come from the band.