SEARCH RESULTS

Back to Artwork Pop Art Back to Sections Merab Fatima - Pop Art By Merab Fatima January 14, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 3

Back to Artwork Heckscher Back to Sections Heckscher - Anonymous - 1 Entry 7 April 14, 2022 Mixed Media Volume 2 Issue 6

Back to Articles Entertainment & Media Back to Sections L.W. Album Review By Charles Posada Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Original album cover by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard The sister album to K.G. Review by Charles Posada This album contains strong language and violent imagery: LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED On February 26, 2021, Australian Rock Band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard released their 17th album, L.W.: Exploration Into Microtonal Tuning Vol.3 . L.W. It is the continuation of their last album, K.G.: Exploration Into Microtonal Tuning Vol.2 which was released back on November 11, 2020. Both albums are sequels to the band’s first dive into microtonal tuning Flying Microtonal Banana: Exploration Into Microtonal Tuning Vol.1 which was released on February 24, 2017 (Along with 4 other marvelous albums). Flying Microtonal Banana took a psychedelic rock route. However, K.G. and L.W. were more of a “rainbow” stretching from Rock to Metal along with Turkish Dance music. On L.W. , the band’s music becomes more diverse and more expressive in its lyrics than ever before. Currently, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard consists of 6 members: Stu Mackenzie, (Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer, Mellotron, Flute, Bass) Ambrose Kenny Smith, (Vocals, Harmonica, Keyboards.) Joey Walker, (Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards) Cook Craig, (Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards) Michael Cavanagh, (Drums, Percussion) and Lucas Skinner (Bass, Keyboards). If Not Now, Then When? The album opens with dramatic metal riffs (a continuation of the previous/last song from K.G “Hungry Wolf Of Fate”) sounding a lot like 70’s rock band Black Sabbath in their “Sweet Leaf” era. As the final riff has been played, you may think that this is a heavy, sludgy metal song. However, that’s where you're wrong – the song is actually a journey into funk. “If Not Now, Then When?” is the band’s debut into a uniquely funk-inspired experiment. The song keeps your feet tapping with deep lyrics about the world around us, with subjects including animal extinction, technology’s advancement and danger, and the increase in global warming. As their first dive into funk music, they have proven once again that they as a band can do any genre whenever they want. O.N.E O.N.E starts with a dreamy, ghostly type of flow with a bluesy harmonica while front man Stu Mackenzie sings in a melancholy tone on “One not everywhere.” The hi-hats then start tapping while the song gets more upbeat, and suddenly it turns into a desert rock tune. The lyrics describe having a nightmare because of animal cruelty and the responsibility humans have regarding animal abuse. The instrumentation is perfectly done with some intense guitar riffs, rumbling drums, and a thunderous bassline. The song’s climax then arrives with an incredible solo by guitarist Joey Walker. It’s somewhat of a standard song when it comes to King Gizzard’s microtonal rock, but this pushes it slightly above their average microtonal rock music. Pleura Pleura sounds like a Krautrock song from the 70’s done by the band “CAN”, with repeating melodies, heavy bass and drums, guitars as backup instruments and very grungy vocals. It's not all heavy however, there are some parts where it gets to a slowed down psychedelic chorus melody. The lyrics give a bit of a throwback to their 2016 - 2017 period of Obscured Mythology: nerdy lyrics with H.P Lovecraft or Robert Graves type descriptions, contrasting with their current modern environmental/activist type messages. With this subject it talks about COVID-19 and how it can destroy the thin membranes in your lungs called pleura. The song also strongly alludes to the past and current political climates, with charged messages directed towards our former President. The Necromancer, the band argues, will greet us all as we all slowly become diseased from COVID-19. It’s dark… both lyrically and instrumentally. Easily one of their best works in recent history. Supreme Ascendancy This is a song coming straight out of a “Kill Bill” movie, filled with sounds of a haunted shrine and a beginning of a big battle with samurai swords. It's all spooky until fast-paced drums kick in and Ambrose Kenny Smith sings “How can you get away with a murder?” A provocative song with powerful anti-religious imagery, this track dives into grievances with the present state of religion in America. Static Electricity The sounds of the wild west. The dust in the wind flowing across the land, nothing but tumbleweed and lurking bandits. Suddenly, the acoustic guitars play in and all the instruments play in a menacing rhythm as if a showdown is about to happen. As the song progresses and becomes faster and more intense, you’ll almost want to ride a horse to this wonderful Spaghetti Western style song with Eastern Turkish style sound. You may assume the song is about something political or environmental. That’s not the case in this one, though, as it talks about a reoccurring character in the band’s discography called Han Tyumi: A curious cyborg who seeks to return to his human self and to seek knowledge of the universe. This marks an unexpected return of the band’s nerdy Sci Fi type lyrics and every King Gizzard fan’s favorite character. East West Link This is the Boogie of the album and almost like the younger brother of “Static Electricity.” It sounds nearly identical to “Static Electricity,” only a bit groovier and faster. This song would definitely be in a Quentin Tarantino movie if he ever made a spaghetti western film, the protagonist and his crew on their way to rob a train filled with a gold. The title and lyrics refer to the “East West Link Project” which was very controversial in Australia. The proposal consisted of building a giant road that connected the east and west part of Australia, potentially damaging the region’s wildlife. The project was cancelled due to lack of convenient transportation and excessive monetary expenses. As the band is from Australia, it’s only reasonable for them to write a boogie rock song about it. Ataraxia Written by Joe Walker, this is probably the only real menacing song on the whole album. This slow song with a heavy Nirvana/Foo Fighters inspired riff feels like it wants to explore but it never does. The vocals are quiet and whispering - almost like ghosts formed a rock band. The song becomes boring at some points, but it makes up with heavy drums and roaring guitar. The song juxtaposes lyrical, mental peace with the instruments dying to explode like a timebomb. This song isn’t the worst they have done. But it certainly could have been improved here and there with maybe more easy-to-listen-to vocals. See Me The keyboards, percussion, and vocals steal the show in the catchiest song in the album. Sounding like a random ringtone with dramatic arrangement, the song has lyrics talking about society being blind to the mess we have made around our planet that is supposed to be our home. The vocals almost sound like Stu Mackenzie about to cry or being very dramatic about the mess we can create. K.G.L.W (Outro) At last, the grand finale. What will it be? Rock? Funk? A genre we have yet to hear? No. instead, the band’s heaviest metal song ever to be composed finishes the album. With inspirations from bands like Sleep and TOOL, K.G.L.W is the ultimate song of the whole album. Chanting vocals repeating the letters “K G L W”. Heavy bass, roaring guitars, and menacing drums give the whole thing its glow. K.G.L.W (Outro) is the older and superior sister to K.G’s version of K.G.L.W. which was more of a warmup session of microtonal tuning unlike L.W’s version of K.G.L.W which feels more like an anthem. The song reaches to the album’s highest climax and ends beautifully with a howl from Stu Mackenzie. What happens after that? Will the next album be yet again another exploration into microtonal tuning? Perhaps something they have not done before? We can only wait and found out what the band has planned for their 18th album… OUTRO A wonderful album overall. Perhaps even better than their previous album “K.G.,” the collection’s occasional rough edges are almost unnoticeable from many of the best highlights this album gives. Even if this album was a horrible take, it was made during a time of pandemic and limited access to sessions, so who would be able to blame them? This album was a perfect second half of the band’s name as well as an improvement of the band's creativity. As of right now, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard promises to release 3 albums (maybe more) during 2021. The wizards never rest showing no signs of stopping on being one of the most creative modern bands out there. L.W: 8/10 Sources: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - L.W. Lyrics and Tracklist | Genius BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Beauty in Nature Back to Sections Nora Rivera - Beauty in Nature By Nora Rivera February 10, 2022 Photography Volume 2 Issue 4

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Women Who Have Dominated the Grammys By Isabella Menjivar Volume 1 Issue 6 March 18, 2021 Original artwork by Isabella Menjivar Alison Krauss - She currently holds the record for female artist with the most Grammy awards. Her astounding number of awards comes from her work in Country music. In 2019, she was awarded a National Medal of Arts. Some of her well-known songs include “When You Say Nothing at All”, “Gone Gone Gone”, and “Paper Airplane”. Beyonce - After becoming a solo artist, she’s gone on to win 22 Grammy awards. Her 2017 Grammy performance sent an inspiring message of honoring women was a showstopper. Aside from the breathtaking visuals, at the performance she balanced on a floating chair while pregnant. Beyonce also holds the Grammy record for most nominations. Whitney Houston - With 6 Grammy awards and 25 nominations, the legendary singer’s most famous win was her song “I Will Always Love You” being awarded record of the year. Whitney’s powerhouse voice is unforgettable, and her performance at the 36th Grammy Awards featured fireworks, and her vocals were astounding. Taylor Swift - Her Grammy performances that feature incredible music, scenery, and background dancers are what makes her on the list to perform at the 2021 Grammys. Taylor’s 10 Grammy awards and 41 nominations are all products of her relatable music. Many different people make up her fan base because she has written country, pop, and indie music. Taylor is currently re-recording old music to officially hold rights to her records, all written by herself. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections "Right Lucy" By Victoria Niksa Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by FreePik 6:32 It was a chilly Halloween night. Lucy had been invited by her friends to a costume party, which she was at. Everybody had been ignoring her. She wondered if it was because she was dressed as a witch, and everyone thought she was cursed or cruel. It turns out her assumption was false. A girl dressed as an angel, who was also being ostracized, invited Lucy to go on a walk. “Hey, you wanna ditch this party? Everyone seems to be ignoring us here anyway,” the girl whispered. “Oh, uh sure,” Lucy was hesitant to answer. She knew better than to go around places with a stranger. “I’m Julie, by the way. I know we haven’t met or spoken before,” the girl said. 6:48 The two had been walking around the neighborhood for about 7 minutes. Then they came across a playground. “Ooh! Maybe we should go on the swings!” Lucy suggested. “Yeah! That seems like a nice idea!” Julie replied. 7:02 The two began to grow close in those few minutes since they’d met each other. “This is like the place in horror movies where teens jump, scared by some creepy monster. Maybe we should go,” Lucy warned. “Yeah, maybe we should....” Julie paused, looking at the bushes. Listening carefully, they heard a rustle in the bushes. They both looked over in the direction of the sound. “What was that…?!” Lucy whispered. “I’ll go check it out…” Julie said with a nervous tone. When Julie was slowly walking towards the bushes, she noticed Lucy close behind her. “If we go down, we go down together,” Julie whispered. Lucy had jolted awake. “W-what… It was all… a dream?” 7:13 As Lucy sat in the corner, still in shock, she noticed a girl walking her way. She was dressed as an angel. “Hey, wanna go for a walk or something? You look a little lonely,” she asked. Lucy stared at the girl in front of her. She was about to ask her name until… “I’m Julie,” the girl said, before Lucy could ask. Lucy looked at her in disbelief. It was like she could read her mind. She couldn’t believe what she heard next. “I know. You had that dream too... Right, Lucy? ” BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Nightmare on Main Street Back to Sections Nightmare on Main Street- Madisen Dubose Madisen Dubose November 6, 2023 Digital Art Volume 4 Issue 1

Back to Articles Science & Technology Back to Sections The Sasquatch: Fact or Fake? By Matteo Somma Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Image provided by Patterson-Gilmlin For centuries there have been countless sightings of the Sasquatch, more commonly referred to as Bigfoot, due to its large foot size. Over 10,000 “witnesses” claimed to have seen a tall, hairy figure walking on two legs. The species Sasquatch in question has been spotted everywhere from all the way north in Alaska to the swamps of Florida. Whether it be a person dressed up for attention or a failed science experiment, one thing’s for sure: there’s something out there. The common name Sasquatch comes from the primitive ages of the Native People. Sasquatch is believed to be a simplified version of the Salish word Sasq’sts meaning “wild man” or “hairy man”. The Salish people, known as the Sta’ailes, claimed to have a close spiritual bond with the Sasquatch. The Sasquatch can be described as tall and hairy. But if you look deeper into the Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot, and other similar creatures that all fall under the Sasquatch profile, you can see a common theme among all of them; muscular and slim. Unlike bears, the Sasquatch is very muscular and thin. Also unlike bears, the Sasquatch towers at an outstanding 9 feet tall and is rarely seen on all four legs, rather standing on its hind legs like humans. The Sasquatch is also reported to have ape-like footprints similar to humans but substantially larger. In the United States, only one state out of fifty has yet to report a Sasquatch sighting and that would be Hawaii. The Sasquatch has been reported in countries all over the world such as Russia, Switzerland, Canada, and Indonesia. While not all descriptions match North America's description, they all fall under the same category or tall, muscular, hairy, and walking upright. One of many theories on the Sasquatch is that it is a group of Neanderthals that never died off or developed into modern-day human beings. A prime piece of evidence for this is Zana. Zana was a female Sasquatch/Neanderthal that was captured in the Russian wilderness in the 19th century. After the Russian government captured Zana, they kept her in a cage for the rest of her life and experimented on her. Recently a British scientist who goes by Bryan Skyes (a professor at Oxford University) has taken DNA and silica samples of the descendants of Zana, and his findings were remarkable. He found that Zana was a Sub-Sahara African that was probably once a slave during the ruling of the Ottomans. He also found tracings of Neanderthal in their DNA, more than the average human would have, at least. Billions of dollars have been put into proving the Sasquatch’s existing but almost all have come to a dead end. So that question lies on you, is the Sasquatch a fact or a fake? BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Who Am I Back to Sections Anonymous - Who Am I? - 9 By Anonymous November 19, 2021 Volume 2 Issue 2

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Water God and Child By Alanna Tieschmaker Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by Pleasanton Glass Kai’s spring was his safe place. His spring had remained undiscovered and untouched for centuries; He was happy for it to remain that way. He’s seen the carnage that followed humans like moths to a flame. He’s seen what they did to the waters, polluting them with their machines and litter. Furthermore, they never seemed to care about the damage they caused. They remained ignorant of the consequences of their actions. It saddened Kai to see the effects on ocean life. When he visited other rivers and lakes, he could hear the cries of the sea animals, suffering in the once clear, now murky waters. And so, to stop the ache that came from his helplessness, he ventured out of his spring less and less. In only a century, he stopped leaving his spring entirely. The guilt rose every decade or so, but he couldn’t stand to hear the desperate praying to end the pain they were in. No, it was best to stay here where humans were not. Sure, he hadn’t left his abode for centuries, but he knew humans. They were selfish and benighted. They would never change; That, he was sure of. -~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- Kedrick was bored. This was not a huge surprise, as there was never anything for him to do. Mom and Dad never wanted to play with him. Whenever he asked, Mom would say "Later" in her upset voice. When she first told him that, he had believed her. Dad would always give him the same look every time. It was a look that said, "How many times will you ask this question?" The last time he asked, his dad became angry and told him that he didn't want to play at all. He stopped asking after that. The kids in his village never wanted to play either. He tried to ask them, but the girls would laugh at him, and the boys pushed him. Other times, they would pretend he wasn't there at all. So, in conclusion, there was nothing to do! Kedrick was on his bed when it happened. Looking out the window of his room, something caught his eye. There was a pretty bird in the tree! Instead of the dull down that was usually found on birds, it was a bright blue! Kedrick jumped down from his bed and sped out the door. Sadly, as he got closer, the bird startled and flew into the woods. Kedrick, who had been chasing after the bird, skidded to a stop at the forest's edge. He's never been in it; no one has. His mom always told him to stay away from the woods and never enter them. Remembering that information almost made Kedrick turn away. But then the memory of the last denial from his mom hit him. A bitterness flared inside the small child, and he decided if his mom didn't listen to him, he wouldn't listen to her just this once. With a nod, Kedrick entered the woods. -~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-10 minutes later~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-    Kedrick was absolutely lost. He had run in the direction the pretty bird had gone, but then there was a squirrel that he just had to hold, and then there was something shiny at the base of that tree and… Looking around, he saw nothing but trees, trees, and more trees. Where should he go? He decided to choose a direction and just walk in that direction. He looked at the shiny thing tree (He couldn’t figure out what the shiny thing was) and decided to turn right from it. He walked and looked around with wonder and awe as he saw many animals. The thicket seemed to creep in the longer he ambled. Eventually, he came up to a cliff wall and decided to take a break. He felt like he had been walking for hours! He sat down against the wall and leaned back. The cliff face was surprisingly comfortable and … soft? Intrigued, Kedrick leaned back more and suddenly fell through the wall. Surprised, he couldn’t protect his head and hit it hard against the ground. -~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- There was something in his spring. When the barrier was disrupted, he felt something made its way through. It couldn’t be an animal; no animals would have a problem with the barrier. And it couldn’t be another deity; most of them were gone and the ones left wouldn’t want to visit him. Which only left one dreaded option… a human. There was a human in his spring! BACK TO TOP