CD Review By BRIANNA-GUYER Staff Reporter BGGSOO3@PSU.EDU The end of January brought a new album for the band Yellowcard, one of 2004 s most up and coming bands. After winning an MTV 2 Award during the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards for their work on their debut album, Ocean Avenue, their much anticipated second album, Lights and Sounds, was released on Jan. 25. Unfortunately, the product of their long hours in the studio doesn't quite illuminate as far as their first album did and is at times a little hard on the ears. The stereotypical "sophomore slump" seems to have set in for Yellowcard as their once unique and energetic sound has now turned into something you could hear on any radio station by any number of bands. It undeniable that their major single for the album, Lights and Sounds, has a good sound and a catchy beat but that particular sound just seems to be the only one used in the rest of the album. To be frank about it, there is nothing really exciting about this CD. To make matters even worse, the lyrics seem to be lacking in a lot of ways. When listening to the new album one can't help but to think that one of the band members has been through a bad breakup in recent months. Everything just seems so downcast and dull it seems like the life has been lost from singer and guitarist Ryan Key, guitarist Ryan Mendez, drummer Longineu Parsons 111, bassist and keyboardist Pete Mosley and, of course, violinist Sean Mackin. With so much of the sound that Yellowcard became famous for gone, it seems to sound as if the band has taken a step back instead of forward. In a lot of ways, their lack of enthusiasm and boring sound makes it feel as though the band just formed and are still trying to find their sound instead of being together for over seven years. Call it growing up, call it moving in a different direction, call it whatever you may, but it is absolutely undeniable that Yellowcard and their sound has changed a lot from their first album, Ocean Avenue, to their second, Lights and Sounds. Billboard.com's New CD Releases February 7, 2006 i' ova : .. . Beth Orton Comfort of Strangers Her first record in nearly four years, Beth Orton shakes off any remaining rave dust and instead enlists eclectic indie icon Jim O'Rourke as producer, and the result is a lovely set of pop flavored neo-folk. Aidtmodei ttl ""4 Jack Johnson and Friends Sing-a-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George On this soundtrack, Johnson is joined by a handful of musician friends. Highlights include a cover of the White Stripes' "We're Going to Be Friends" and a reworking of the "Schoolhouse Rock" staple "Three Is a Magic Number." R 1114ENT Harrisburg's crown jewe By: MICHAEL ALBRIGHT Staff Reporter MBAI33©PSU.EDU Everyone knows the choice places to be in downtown Harrisburg. Sure we know where the Hardware Bar, the Dragonfly and Eclipse nightclub are, but who knows where you can find the 30 ft Praying Mantis, the human brain on display, or the gigantic movie screen, bigger than those three hotspots combined? If you have no idea where any of these are located, then you have never had the fortune of visiting the Whitaker Center. The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is located at the corner of Market and Third Street in the heart of Strawberry Square, Harrisburg. Covering 130,000 square feet and known as "Harrisburg's Crown Jewel," the cultural center offers a wide array of constantly changing special events, performances, concerts and exhibits for all ages. Due to its variety, the Whitaker Center is the first ever complex in the country to house a science center, a performing arts center and an IMAX theater experience, all under one roof. The Whitaker center uses each of these attractions to complement the others, uniquely allowing it to use science as an entry to the arts. The Harsco Science Center at The Whitaker Center is compromised of three floors and over 240 science exhibits in nine subjects such as natural science, life science, physics, mathematics and technology. Permanent displays such as a cloud machine, which creates a cloud right before your eyes, balance, reaction, and grip tests, and even a human brain, lung and liver are available to astound the public year round. The exhibits Bodies in Motion: The Physics of Dance and Backstage Science: The Physics of Theater prepare you scientifically for the other aspects of The Whitaker Center. The Harsco Science Center also offers special limited-engagement exhibits switching out, usually every three months. Currently showing is the Backyard Monsters exposition, showing off giant, moving models of some very familiar insects, not to be viewed before bed. The science center offers something for everyone, it even has By LISA STONE Staff Reporter LCSTONE@CMAILCOM As I tried to think of new and interesting things for the Geek Corner, my short attention span (which according to Jack Thompson is due to my heathen gaming addiction) took over and moved my mouse hand, all unwillingly mind you, to check my favorite webcomics. So I could get back to playing games, my unconscious had me write up this article about webcomics for you all to enjoy. Webcomics are similar to the funnies you see in the newspapers, but they reach their audience over the internet. The art styles, story types, and quality are as varied as the people owning computers. I personally enjoy a wide variety of webcomics, and have made it a part of my daily morning ritual, giving up thirty minutes of sleep for the activity. Finding webcomics you enjoy is actually very easy. Some sites that can hook you up with webcomics are www.buzzcomix.net, www. onlinecomics.net, topwebcomics.com Webcomics are similar to comics found in a newspaper, although they reach their audience through the Internet. Photo courtesy of whitokercenter org The Whitiker Center for Science and the Arts is located at the corner of Market and Third St. in downtown Harrisburg. a section devoted to children, our scientists of tomorrow. The IMAX Theater at The Whitaker Center boasts a huge six by eight story screen that convinces you to forget that you are merely a viewer. Film scores and soundtracks are blasted through the 12,000-watt digital surround sound reaching even the farthest of the nearly 200 seats. Several different films are offered, normally over a 6-8 week period, and then changed out. The theater offers movies varying from ordinary pictures to 3D films. The film genres also vary from Harry Potter to Mysteries of the Nile, just to mention two. Double features are always offered as a package deal, enticing you to make a day of your IMAX experience. The Sunoco Performing Arts Center is a massive, acoustically perfect, modernly styled auditorium with comfortable stadium style seating for nearly 700 people, with no seat more than 65 feet from the stage. The center sees a wide variety of performers from all types of interests. Such big name performances in the past have included BB King, The Beach Boys, Paula Poundstone, Wayne Brady and Allison Krauss among others. The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, and various ballet troupes and circuses also provide regular performances. In addition to these performances, the e e k These sites provide links to hundreds of webcomics and also a voting feature, allowing readers to vote for their favorite webcomics. Some of the leaders on these types of sites are Twisted Kaiju Theater (neomonsterisland.com), Earthsong (earthsongsaga.com), and Misfile (misfile.com). Many webcomic artists will also link each other, so that is yet another way to find new comics to enjoy. Some webcomics have become so popular that they remove themselves from these lists so that other comics have a chance to gain the attention they deserve. Examples of these comics include VG Cats (vgcats. com), Real Life (reallifecomics. com), Dominic Deegan (dominic deegan.com), Mac Hall (mac hall. com), Penny Arcade (penny arcade.com), Something Positive (somethingpositive.net), and PvP (pvponline.com). These are some of the most well-known webcomics out there today. While they are by no means the only ones you should look at, they are an excellent place to start. and www I will put out this warning though: most webcomics are Sunoco Performing Arts Center is also home to eight Resident Companies, offering many events throughout the calendar year. As well as the main attractions, The Whitaker Center houses a second underground stage, a green room, dressing rooms for performers and laboratories and classrooms designed for field trips and home schooling. The center also offers a huge store, appropriately named "Wonders," which coerces customers to take the excitement home with them. Various concessions to keep you going to the next exhibit and a Starbucks coffee shop offers exiting patrons a pick me up after a long day of fun and learning. The Whitaker Center provides a year round, all day experience for all ages, but also provides many unique, eclectic one-time performances that everyone can enjoy. The Whitaker Center proves the cliché recited by your grade school teachers over and over again, only this time it's true, that learning can be fun. geared towards an adult audience. If you are excessively squeamish or easily offended, webcomics may not be for you. Many of them have sexual overtones and portray violence. The majority of the time they are in good taste, or if it is not, the entire comic is like that and they duly warn you on the FAQ page. Most webcomic artists and writers are active members of the geek community. There is a specialized political element to the comics in some cases because of that. People such as Jack Thompson (a lawyer who campaigns against gaming on the grounds that games are responsible for violent behavior and that it is his holy quest to rid the world of games) and other villains of the gaming, anime, and other geek interest groups are often times actively fought and mocked by some webcomics. This is usually only something that is picked up on if you are a frequenter of a comic's forums, avid reader of the news posts, or from some other non-webcomic source of gaming info. Conventions are an area where the efforts of webcomic creators are gaining recognition. Events such as Otakon, Katsucon, Connecticon, and Anime Express often have webcomic artists and writers as guests. They normally have a panel or two dedicated exclusively to webcomics and the artists have booths in the dealers rooms to sell merchandise. Each year it seems more webcomics are invited as guests to these types THE CAPITAL TIMES February 6, 2006 comin Space Station 3D Mystery of the Nile Harsco Science Center Backyard Monsters: The World of insects Sunoco Performance Theatre Tickets are available online or by calling 717/214-ARTS 4 • 'te o° ., • • t • Crooked Still February 10 STAGE TWO, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $l6, $l4 and $l2 Rick Wakeman of Yes March 1 7:30 p.m Tickets are $35 and $29 rner imr Webcomics have become extremely popular. Many have internet com munities and others have even been published in books. of conventions, a sure indicator that they are gaining popularity with the masses. Another very interesting phenomenon that has been occurring with webcomics is the publishing of books. Comics such as Dominic Deegan, Real Life, Mac Hall, and Misfile have published books available to purchase. Others such as Earth Song are currently working on preparing books for publishing. If you are fortunate enough to attend a convention with the creators of the comic, many of them will even humor the little fanboy/fangirl in you and sign it. Many of these webcomics have internet communities which have formed around them, allowing people to make net pals. Several sites have forums they host and monitor, and some even have mailing lists. On the Dark Iron server of World of Warcrafi, the battle between PvP and Penny Arcade (a friendly competition of course) has taken a new twist. Many times convention goers will arrange to hold a meeting of fans of a specific comment, allowing them to Events & Shows: IMAX Theatre Through Feb 17 ~. w.Y;~,t,~; ... Through May 21 • • s•.; Glenn Miller Orchestra February 27 3 p.m. Tickets are $2B Russian American Kids Circus Tickets are $2O adult and $lO child meet others with similar interests. So as you can see, wehcomics have an effect greater than just a momentary laugh from reading them. Webcomics have gone from an internet hobby to a lifestyle for some. They who make their living at least in part from donations and profits from advertising and merchandise sales. Webcomics are new, with views of it varying from "If you can, do it," to "That is not what wehcomics are supposed to be." While the future of this trend is unclear, it is still an impressive feat to be able to gain so many readers that a one dollar donation from each would equal a salary better than what most recent college graduates make. So, hopefully this has given you a taste of the wide and wonderful world of wehcomics. Try heading over to one of the sites mentioned in this article and see if you like what you see. Keep an open mind, have a little bit of patience, and I would he willing to bet that you can find something you like. Give it a try and remember to set your alarm clock for a half hour earlier than normal! ) , 11 1 ' • V )!‘ Bugs! 3D 1, 1 • • t , COM was ""ft Smokey Joe's Cafe February 17-19 8 p.m. Fri & Sat 7:30 p.m. Wed, Thurs, and Sun • .04:1 4 I March 4 1 p.m.and 7 p.m Atia. ceNrEsr MIN THE CRYsTAL DAu A&Aw j EN? , .• You 100 ME A vJITCI3 - Sibte TREM,Yav 'YEW Z wmr fffem RE-A•TrAcI+EDFI„
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