Category: Reviews

  • Moose: As Advertised EP Review

    Moose: As Advertised EP Review

    “This feeling is overpowering” for Chris (AKA: Moose), and so are the sounds used on his debut EP.

    I never imagined an indie band creating an album so bad that it’s worse than Justin Bieber, but lo and behold, As Advertised did it. I’m happy his wife thinks it’s cute, but I can’t imagine lovers of the genre enjoying anything about it.

    They Might Be Giants is a strange artist to take inspiration from among other soul and folk influences. He claims that he writes indie pop/rock, but As Advertised is anything but. If I were to assign it a genre, I would say it’s some subgenre of electronic, maybe computer music.

    Even by those standards, the “instrumentals” used on this EP resemble that of a warped record or badly damaged CD. The beat sounds either rushed or dragging on top of the vocals (and I do mean on top of them — they overpower them), and his vocals sound off at times like in the track, “Old News.” His voice sounds like it would fit well in the indie/psychedelic scene, but the sounds he uses as music are too cheap and bubbly to blend together well.

    As Advertised isn’t carried by the vocals or lyrics, as hard as it tries. The aforementioned “Old News” sounds like it’s trying to be an electronic Alex Turner speak-singing over elevator music. The lyrics of “Irl” are cringe-worthy at best, littering text-speak once or twice per line, it seems. And I’m not exaggerating: “Maybe you’d LOL if I sent you a GIF.” The song has an attitude about it trying to be one of the “cool kids” and it is not subtle about it, either.

    No, the EP is carried instead by the worst possible aspect you could add to a song: samples. And his selection is strange, at best: sitcom laugh-tracks to end off “Old News,” the “You’ve got mail!” notification in “Irl,” and even monkey noises in “A Fine Specimen?!”

    I understand that this is my own opinion. People love albums that I hate. But I can’t imagine anyone loving this EP. I would love to hear what a fan has to say about it — maybe I’m missing something. The worst part? I actually think he could pull off a career in music. So pinch me and tell me it’s a dream, because I can’t stand this first EP. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever heard worse than this. And I certainly hope that I never will.

    Overall Rating: 0.0/10

  • “Sex Education”

    Last year in January a show on Netflix was released called Sex Education. The show is about a socially awkward high school student, Otis, who has no experience in “making love” but is advanced in the knowledge of the subject because his invasive mother, Jean, is a sex therapist.
    Otis is uncomfortable about the entire topic of sex yet is surrounded by it every day. People in his school found out about his mother being a sex therapist and Otis then decides to use his knowledge to gain popularity and social status a school.
    He starts an underground sex therapy clinic with a rebel girl named Maeve. Otis provides advice and correct information to lost and misinformed students, while Maeve, collects the money and scouts for people. As their business progresses, new problems arise within their personal lives.
    Otis’s best friend, Eric, becomes jealous of the newfound relationship between Otis and Maeve, Otis’ mother tries to force a relationship between them but also begins a secret relationship with a local plumber, his dad isn’t around and he is occasionally frustrated because of it. Maeve lives alone at a trailer park, her family is full of junkies and is left to fend for herself she, she begins a relationship with the most popular athlete at their school and doesn’t feel like she’s good enough, and her addicted brother returns to town and stirs things up in their business and at school.
    Overall Otis and Maeve build a strong bond throughout this time but never fully express how they feel. The new season was released recently showing the aftermath of the drama in the previous season and the supporting character’s stories and their development through the season were brought to light.
    In my opinion, this show is very informative and also controversial being that it shows an inside view of a portion of a teen’s life. The show is very relevant to teenagers and adults in this day and age showing how people of different ages, backgrounds, sexual preferences, and gender, react to certain situations and their views on the topic of sex at a young or older age.
    The show is humorous, inappropriate and relatable. Many people can relate to many emotional obstacles and struggles within the show. This show is interesting and worth watching. I would recommend this show to anyone at Poly looking for a good laugh and interesting situations.

  • “Hiccups”, a Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese fusion restaurant

    Hiccups is a restaurant located at 1946 N Lakewood Blvd Long Beach, CA 90815 which offers a wide variety of milk teas, smoothies, fruity teas, and slushies. They also have many different types of food from different Asian cultures to choose from.
    As you walk into the restaurant you would instantly notice the aesthetic interior decor they have which makes the small restaurant look pleasing to the eye. But because it is small, I imagine that when it does get crowded, the restaurant will get packed rather quickly. There are also not many tables which would make it hard for you to find a seat when it’s packed which was the problem I had when I went.
    Their service could use some work with paying more attention and interacting more with their customers and the wait time for the food to be done took longer than expected around 25 or 30 minutes.
    Their bite-sized popcorn chicken is crispy and seasoned well. Another thing when combined with the sweet and sour sauce (provided with the order) it gives the chicken a nice sweet and savory flavor.
    The Beef Pho was a little disappointing taste-wise. The beef included in the pho was well cooked and also gave a bit more flavor to the broth but the broth itself was a little bland. I also did not like the type of flavor the herbs added to it.
    The Boba Thai Tea had a great sweet taste to it just like you would expect a Thai tea to taste like and the boba had a soft texture to it which brought it all together. They did add in more ice than what I had originally asked but it was ok.
    Hiccups seems to be a nice place to meet up with friends or family to order some food. They have a good selection of drinks and a good variety of different dishes to try out. Some of the food might not appeal to everyone but they are still worth eating the others types of the other food that they offer.

  • What’s Your Ride?

    Poly seniors and juniors drive to Poly in their cars each morning in 2019. Each student has a unique car, ranging from imports to American cars. The students are between 16-18 years of age, old enough to drive on their own.
    All the cars the seniors and juniors own are mostly 99% automatic transmission. This is easier on the beginners and easier to drive on a daily.
    Some seniors and juniors have learned to drive a manual, however. “It was hard at first, but as soon as you learn it, you’ll enjoy it,” said Poly student Alex Zarate. He owns a white 1991 Honda Accord in a manual transmission with a car bra on the front and lots of modifications on it. He said Hondas are one of the most reliable cars. They are good on gas, and there’s also a lot of aftermarket potential. In Kelley’s blue book website, it has 4.5 out of five stars for reliability, so it’s one of the best cars to start out with if you’re a new driver.
    Devin Martinez owns a 1996 Toyota Supra with a manual transmission like Zarate’s Honda Accord. Instead of using a four cylinder engine, it uses a 3.0 six cylinder engine. It’s a two door coupe and is classified as a sports car in Car Gurus. Many car enthusiasts like Martinez adore the Supra because of how legendary it is and the tuner potential it has. “It’s definitely my favorite car,” said Martinez. His car has aftermarket rims, coilovers, a front lip, and an aftermarket exhaust system that makes the car louder. Since it’s a Toyota, the reliability is there, Martinez said. He wouldn’t recommend it as a first car, though, because it is expensive. He paid $39,850 for his. Not too many high schoolers have that much money yet. But if you have the money to support it, the Supra is a great car to get.
    The Honda Accord and Toyota Supra cars are both imports, which tend to be better than American cars. A study in 2014 by Toyota of Murfreesboro concluded that Ford’s highest mpg was 36.8 while Toyota’s was 44.2. But at the end of the day, it’s your choice whether you want an import or an American car. Everyone has different taste, and each car will have its ups and downs.

  • Come One, Come All

    Come One, Come All

    On April 4, 2019 at Poly’s auditorium, Julia Gustafson’s period 4, Advanced Piano class, put on a recital of extraordinary ability. The pianist lineup began on the right foot with a rustic song titled “Arrival in the Country,” arranged by Weekly and Arganbright as performed by Gregory Chao, Justin Ramsical, Chan Thon, and Alexander Vega. This gave the audience a little taste as to what was to come. The pieces had so much variety. The songs played ranged from pieces like “Fantasy in A Minor” by Mary Leaf, and “Scherzo, Opus 129 No. 6” arranged by Phillip Keveren to pieces such as “Feelin’ Good” by Robert Vandall and “Beauty and the Beast” by Alan Menken. The recital also included a multiple instrument piece titled “Lindaraxa’s Balcony” by Walter and Carol Noona. The leader of it all, Mrs. Gustafson even joined in on the fun playing “Valse Noble” with students Abigail Menchaca and Samuel Santana. Within the mix were amazing solo performances such as the one from senior Lucia Sato, playing the classic “Deux Arabesque No.2” by Claude Debussy. She stated that she has “been lucky to be a part of the piano program for two out of the four years.” Ms. Sato also gave advice for upcoming piano students: “Keep practicing and have fun while playing piano. Also, try not to stress out during your performance because there will be many more.”

    As a fellow piano student, this allowed me to see a performance from the audience’s perspective for the first time. I can simply say that what Mrs. Gustafson, along with the hard work of the students, put together a fantastic performance. I only have three words to use to describe the performances: Sophisticated. Fun. Brilliant.

  • Get Out the U.S.

    Jordan Peele’s movie Us came out March 22, 2019. Featuring stunning performances by the entire cast, Us is a great reflection on the idea of how society treats its less fortunate and the consequences of these actions.

    That is one interpretation of the film, as there are many more. There are also many theories surrounding the events in the film.

    Warning spoilers will be present from here on, so if you have not watched it then you should get to it. On with the theories: the most interesting being that Jason is a tethered, this theory claims that Jason was switched similar to the way Adelaide was. However there are holes in this theory, mainly the timing of these events, if you want more information you can search it up.

    There is another interesting theory that encompasses Peele’s other movie Get Out with Us. This theory begs the question whether or not the movies are part of a shared universe.

    There are already many movies that have a shared universe so would it be so far fetched as to think Peele could be trying to do the same? Anyway the theory suggests that there is a connection between the sciences that created the tethered in Us and the ability of putting two consciousnesses inside a single body in Get Out.

    All we know of how the tethered in Us were created is when Red tells the family that they were created by a shadowy government organization and abandoned. This fits in with the explanation that Dean gives in Get Out when he explains the origins of his “practice.” The most fascinating theory however is that the tethered are better than “Us”.

    Throughout the movie they are seen working together collectively to achieve the goal they worked for, however the “civilized” part of society is not able to defeat them.

    The tethered were even able to accomplish the goal of Hands Across America, which famously was a failure when first conceived in 1986. This asks the question of whether or not the more civilized society deserves what they got, if they are so focused on themselves and not on the greater good of society.

  • I’ll Have a Grande

    Ariana Grande’s signature drink at Starbucks debuted and will remain on the menu permanently. Ariana is a light bubbly, sweet and strong person so I expected her drink to represent that.

    The Cloud Macchiato is everything but that. Taking into consideration her music, style, and past boyfriends, I assumed the girl had taste. This drink proved me wrong. Most of the media is complaining that her drink isn’t considered vegan, while Grande has claimed to be vegan herself. I couldn’t care less about it not being vegan. If it was vegan, that would at least be an excuse as to why it tastes so bad.

    I do not consider myself to be a coffee person, so I brought along an expert, who was in agreement with me. That drink was gross, bitter, and if you enjoy the bitter taste of actual crap, consider drinking black coffee, It’s cheaper and there are no expectations.

    3/10 will not drink again. 

  • Super Smash It UP, My Bros

    Super Smash It UP, My Bros

    Recently, from 5-8 March 2019, the Poly eSports Club hosted a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament. A game widely loved over the generations from Super Smash Bros. 64 (1999) to present. The club’s leader, Gabriel Cortes, hosted the tournament using Computer teacher Jonathan Virak’s room (416) using his monitor and projector to host 2 Nintendo switch setups.

    The prize pool was not money, but a Nintendo Switch GameCube Controller which is priced at $24.99. The tournament contained 30 people playing in a best two out of three match the first day, and best out of one the next two days.

    The room was filled to the brim each day with spectators and players alike to watch the phenomenal event. This event was a first of its kind and players were hungry for the win. As the dust settled, each set ended with a fist bump or handshake to keep good sportsmanship, but at the end of it all, who was left?

    It was semi-finals and the two giants of the tourney where Matthew “Matt” Mercado and Michael “MikeDuu” Duu. Michael Duu showed up to show out on the first two days with his Falco stringing together multiple hits and spikes to utterly destroy his opponent.

    Players from the corner of the room witnessed how both prospects tore through their brackets, ending up in the semi-finals. Duu favoring to play King K. Rool for his super-armor and heavy punishes. While Mercado stuck to his trusty Donkey Kong for its punishes and spikes. And in the best of such a match, it is very hard to predict a winner.

    In he end, it was Mercado who stood atop the mountain triumphant ending the last stock with a winded up super punch.

    With the grand finals ahead it was Gabino “Gambino” Diaz with his Little Mac against Matthew “Matt” Mercado, a classic Donkey Kong v.s Little Mac matchup. In a surprising turn of events, Gambino turns the tides and takes a clean 2 stock upset. Gabino wins it all, the honor and the nifty controller at the end of the day.

    We hope to see more come out of the eSports Club and their semi-annual Smash tournament. Join president Gabriel Cortes in the Jackrabbits eSports Club every other Wednesday in room 416 during lunch.

  • Shop With Friends

    Shop With Friends

    Like every year, a plethora of high schoolers emerge with their own personal clothing brands. Here to set himself apart from the rest is senior Dakota Song, creator of the upcoming streetwear brand, Shop With Friends.

    “Before, I used to overthink and complicate the concepts surrounding my past clothing brands. Shop With Friends presents itself naturally as it represents my personal creative outlet. It’s hard to put a definition of what Shop With Friends means, since I want to avoid putting restrictions on the brands potential and what it can be,” said Song when defining what his brand means to him. Song already has reputable experience in the streetwear industry as he’s worked with other local streetwear brands, being a photographer and media outputter as well as videographer. Song also trained as a creative director while being an intern.

    “My brand is going to feature the essentialized hoodie and everyday T-shirt. Shop With Friends is definitely out-there in terms of color and style, so you have to be comfortable with dressing it,” said Song. Shop With Friends showcases bright and vivid color ways that’s going to revolutionize the way people think of dark and obscure winter clothing.

    From genuine heat press to multi-stitched embroidery, Shop With Friends proves that high school streetwear brands can still exhibit quality. For more information and updates, follow the brand via Instagram @shopwfriends.

  • Meet the Addams Family

    Meet the Addams Family

    As you know, The Addams Family Musical took place in the auditorium on February 22, 23, and 24. The showing I reviewed took place on Friday 22 at 6:30 PM .

    For those who don’t know what The Addams Family is about, it’s based off of a family consisting of: a father named Gomez (played by Andy Martinez), mother named Morticia (played by Aiyanna Johns), and their children Wednesday and Pugsley (played by Amanda Angeles and Gabby Kaiser), along with a few family members in the household.

    Such as Grandma (played by Mika Dyo), Lurch (played by Chase McPherson), and Fester (Ben Rifkin). The play centers on this odd family and their peculiar home life, considered normal to them, but weird to outsiders.

    A new family called the Beinekes, visit the Addams family due to their son, Lucas (played by Caleb Marsh) being involved with Wednesday, romantically. Their romance seems to be a complication between the two families. Overall the play had a focus on love, which is fitting for the month of February.

    On opening night, a line of people stood to buy their tickets. As people entered the first thing noticed while entering is the orchestra. The play started with the curtains opening and the cast emerging from behind. The cast started with the opening song “When You’re an Addams” along with Gomez and Morticia dancing, with the family members doing solos and dancing as well.

    Emerging from within the side doors, actors dressed as ghost flooded into the audience up onto stage. They were considered the Ancestors and often showed up a lot throughout the production, such as changing the scenes and often being in the background of scenes.

    The most shocking detail is Wednesday changing from her usually mean demeanor to a more softer approach due to being in love. Of course the family find it strange as to Wednesday wanting things to be normal, when if fact there’s nothing normal about the Addams. The Beinekes as well question Lucas on how he found his partner and find their encounter strange.

    Secrets were kept and differences made, these were almost enough to split the families as they venture on their own paths, reflecting on their struggles. But by the end of the play, all was resolved and both families were able to coexist as one.

  • Poetry is a Grand Slam!

    Taking place at the Poly Playhouse on January 11, 2019 at 6:30 PM, students recited their own original poetry while getting rewarded for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. The prizes given where the money made with ticket sales  One of the contestants was senior Josalynn Bass, with her poem “Ana”. As she recited her poem it almost seemed as if this Ana was based on  an actual person, but nearing the end of it, the meaning started changing from a person to anorexia. Bass states, that at first she had written and intended on performing  another poem entirely, until she later changed her mind. In fact, the poem she performed was written “last minute” but was proven to be the right choice according to Bass. Her inspiration for “Ana” was based off of personal experience, but she also in part wanted her poem to have the ability to be able to resonate with the audience. She had hoped that after being heard, her poem might “relate with somebody else”, as it is a topic that is often not “talked about a lot”, since representation is not shown.

    Junior, Hannah Gardiner was also present, during the event, in reciting her poem “Normal”. Similar to the kind of twist “Ana” gave, the message it conveyed was one of how someone may look “straight” and be expected to act as such, but not exactly be straight. Atopic that is close to Gardiners heart, being so vulnerable on stage was a choice she made, when it would’ve been so easy to simply follow the prompt. Slam Poetry was an assignment given to the students, a part of Drama, as an assignment and Gardiner had the choice between “writing something for credit” or “actually putting [my] emotion into it”. Gardiner also used her personal experience as an inspiration when writing her poem. As for writing the poem, it took her “less than a minute” to come up with an idea of what kind of poem she wanted, versus finalizing her idea took “weeks”. Even the night before Poetry Slam, Gardiner was still “changing things” and was not as satisfied with the final product but liked “how it turned out”.

    Although everyone who showed up put their emotions out for all to see and recited their exceptional pieces, only three students walked away with prize money given to those who donated upon entering the slam. The third place prize went to freshman Ee’gypt Wilson who had not done an event like this before, but felt that she needed to get her feelings across, “I was worried about people seeing me be vulnerable on stage.” She doesn’t regret putting herself out there and was rewarded for doing so. Junior, Amber Payan expressed her anger and intense sadness for all the women who spoke out sexual assault this past year. She expressed her hatred towards abusers, and her empathy for survivors. Her passion  awarded her the second place prize. The winner of the poetry slam was junior Angelina Taylor, who spoke about her identity, as a black young American. She gained the audiences support and praise with every line she spoke. The crowd was filled with snaps, applause, and words that showcased their approval. Overall the poetry slam was a success, everyone gave their best effort, they went home proud, knowing that they had put themselves out there and were praised for it.

     

  • Bird Box Review

    Last month, on December 13, 2018 a new movie called Bird Box was released on Netflix, and it was a huge hit. Almost everyone was talking about this movie and boosting it up because it was “so good,” according to many.

    In the movie, a mysterious force takes over the human population and no one really knows what it is, only that if you see it, you will die. Now, the remaining survivors must avoid coming in contact with this force that takes the form of their worst fears.

    Malorie Hayes, played by Sandra Bullock, sets out to find a new safe place for her and her two children where she can start all over. She faces challenges on her journey through the woods and a river because she’s blindfolded throughout the whole trip… The movie has been compared to A Quiet Place but I don’t find much correlation between the two.

    Overall, the movie was good like people had told me before I had watched it, but I don’t think it reached the expectations of many, including myself because, personally, I expected a bit more since people kept “hyping” it up. See it if you want to, but don’t expect too much or you might be disappointed.