Today, May 3rd, was immortalized in Goya’s famed work, The Third of May 1808. The work depicts the horrors of war wrought by Napoleon’s troops on the people of Spain during the Peninsular War. The work was completed in 1814 and is located at the Prado in Madrid.
Stream the Gatsby Soundtrack
If ever there was a time Jack White and Lana del rey would share a record track list… it is now. The Great Gatsby soundtrack is officially available for streaming on npr.org. It’s dark and saturated and sexy and infinitely entertaining - everything we hope the film to be.
If you aren’t already excited about the movie (or the soundtrack) you should be. You will love it if you love any of the following:
- Jay Z
- the 1920’s
- hip hop
- music about excess
- music about anxiety
- music about the anxiety of excess
~ Catherine
Today is the first of May, a month celebrated throughout the history of art for its vibrancy and fertility. Here is the illustration of the month of May in the Limbourg brothers’ Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. It dates to the early 15th century and is a great example of French medieval manuscript illumination.
In 2003, Amanda Peyton bought a poster from a British website for $100 for her college dorm room. She later found out that the work is actually by Banksy, the renowned graffiti artist. Other copies of the work, “Bomb Love,” have sold for nearly $16,000.
How to Survive Finals: A Mini-Playlist
Yes. It’s almost upon us. The dreaded ten-day period of thousand-word essays, final projects, and three-hour life-sucking exams is finally here with all its fanfare of doom and gloom. But actually, let’s substitute that morbid music with something to kick the study habits into overdrive.
1. The Format: “The First Single”
Nate Ruess was in this band. For those of you who don’t know who that is, he’s the pop mastermind behind the decapitalized and punctuated fun. Except this is actually tolerable, an indie-pop gem. Forget ‘We Are Young.’ This is ten years old, but it could debut as your new summer anthem.
2. Wolfmother: “Vagabond”
This song was in some movie called (100) Nights of Winter or something. (500) Days of Summer is indeed THE perfect rom-com, and the soundtrack is delightful. This last track from the Australian’s jock-rock revival’s debut is more folksy than full-force, and perfect for a second-wind.
3. M83: “Midnight City”
I wasn’t too thrilled with Warm Bodies but this song showed up in a really awkward shower scene (no, seriously). My girlfriend was trying to restrain me and I hopped up and practically screamed “I KNOW THIS SONG!!!!” These fifteen-year old kids wheeled around and sneered. One of them was wearing a classy Cookie Monster snapback. Kids these days. The song’s rad, the story wasn’t.
4. OK Go: “Get Over It”
OK Go is best known for their crazy music videos: the treadmill dance and the Notre Dame marching band come to mind. Before their more inventive filmography, the band were a superb power-pop band a little more direct than let’s say, Interpol. This song is anthemic and loud, bombastic and catchy as it gets. Catch a wave as you’re riding out the lined-paper storm.
5. 30 Seconds to Mars: “Kings & Queens (Radio Version)”
A tweet from one of my brother’s old classmates proclaimed that 30 Seconds to Mars was the alternative-rock Nickelback. I beg to differ. Off the undeniably supercharged This Is War, this first single is movie soundtrack gold — and should be played at the very end of your exam schedule to emphasize that you’re done, so overdone in fact you could be a dining-hall cheeseburger.
I’ll stop now.
— James
Hoo is ready for the release of Gatsby on May 10th? The better question is: Hoo isn’t? Check out the new song “Together” by The xx coming out on the soundtrack curated by Jay Z. The soundtrack might be the coolest thing since the Django soundtrack.
Other stand-outs of the soundtrack (so far) include Lana Del Rey’s Young and Beautiful, featured on the most recently released Trailer - the sultry malaise of Del Rey’s voice, which a lot of music critics insult for seeming insincere or exorbitant, seems to exist if for nothing else - solely for this production
- Catherine
In weird TV news of the day, Duck Dynasty stars Willie and Korie Robertson will be attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a far cry from their usual hillbilly surroundings. The Robertsons will attend as guests of CBN News.
-Katie
Meet Emma Louise, an extremely talented, albeit relatively unknown, Australian singer/songwriter. Her ethereal vocals are the defining element of a sound which is both escapist and organic. She recently released her first full length album, Vs. Head Vs. Heart, which is available on iTunes Australia (and hopefully soon in the US). Her album is a polished, synth layered masterpiece but I would recommend checking out her Youtube channel to really hear Emma Louise in her natural element: creating beautiful, emotional music with just her voice and a piano or guitar.
Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Emmalouise4music
-Colleen
Museum curating landed #57 on Career Cast’s Top 200 Jobs of 2013—not bad considering surgeons came in at #51 and psychologists placed 58th.
Look at how other careers fared here: http://www.careercast.com/content/top-200-jobs-2013-41-60
Photo of National Gallery courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Exclusive for this year’s Record Store Day (this past Saturday), New Found Glory adds a notch to their varied belt of a discography with Mania, an exclusive vinyl pressing of six Ramones covers. It’s fun, loud, and awesome, and I’m glad Melody Supreme had this in stock!
— James
