Mount Hood

Mack strikes back

By: Conner Williams
Editor-in-Chief

Alright, thrift shoppers, if you’re like me, then you stayed up late and waited until “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” dropped and then proceeded to listen to it on repeat for the next week.

Hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released their debut album “The Heist” back in 2012 when I was a pipsqueak freshman, and their follow-up came out just in time to take its place as the anthem of my senior year.

Without further adieu, I have decided to list out each track into specified categories that I think make most sense. It should be noted, however, that I have only heard the standard version of the album and not the full deluxe version, so the list below is missing the two extra tracks on the deluxe version.

Certified Bangers

With tracks like “Can’t Hold Us,” “White Walls,” and “Jimmy Iovine,” producer Ryan Lewis has proven that he is one of the best in the business at mixing up beats that bang. TUMIM is a bit more mellow, but it still has a few certified bangers.

“Downtown”: This track was released as a single back in August, and became an instant hit. The best part? It’s a song about mopeds. “Chromed out mirror, I don’t need a windshield; banana seat, a canopy on two wheels; eight hundred cash that’s a hell of a deal!”

“Light Tunnels”: As the opening track, this song sets the tone for the album, and it does just that. Macklemore calls out celebrities as he recounts his experience at the Grammy’s when he won album of the year and details what it’s been like facing the pressure of living up to the success of “The Heist.” “Watch celebrities take selfies with celebrities; it feels so make believe; they want the gossip, they want the drama; they want Britney Spears to make out with Madonna.”

“Brad Pitt’s Cousin”: There’s no doubt that Macklemore has an interesting sense of humor. With the chorus chanting “When you see me in the club; Brad Pitt, that’s my cousin; Angelina show me love,” the song still leaves me a bit confused as to where to draw the parallel between the two men (despite them both being incredibly attractive). But who cares, the song still bangs. “Every white dude in America went to the barbershop like ‘Give me that Macklemore haircut!’”

“Dance Off”: Featuring a celebrity appearance by Idris Elba (“Thor,” “Beasts of No Nation”) on the hook, this song is another Macklemore great that details just how much he loves to dance. And the bass is killer too. “I grab my ankle and pull it up; and do that thing where I move my butt; I got the juice motherfucker don’t use it up.”

Social Justice Issues:

Macklemore is fairly well-known for being a present voice of many social justice issues; “Same Love” advocated for marriage equality and became a huge hit that inspired millions around the country, and “Wings” detailed the culture around Jordan shoes and how people literally kill for them.

“White Privilege II”: This track is a nine-minute-long slap to the face for white Americans. Macklemore discusses his conflicted thoughts of taking part in a Black Lives Matter protest as he feels like he should be doing something while simultaneously feeling out of place, as well as how he used the hip-hop genre that arose from black culture to further his own agenda. “Want people to like you, want to be accepted; that’s probably why you are out here protesting; don’t think for a second you don’t have incentive.”

“Let’s Eat”: This track is all about positive body image. The message: quit worrying about eating that slice of cake. Go for it. “Supposed to be on a diet; I wanna be like Ryan; he lost 30 pounds on that paleo; but fuck it man I love fried shit!”

“Kevin”: Macklemore premiered this song at the AMAs, and it sure had an impact. A huge shot at the prescription drug industry, it discusses how Rx’s have harmed people by getting them addicted and, in some cases, killing them, all while robbing them blind. “Got anxiety, better go and give him a Xanax; focus, give him Adderall; sleep, give him Ambien; ‘til he’s walking ‘round the city looking like a mannequin!”

(Potential) Cult Hits:

Tracks like “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us” became iconic pop anthems that have a special place in everyone’s musical repertoire. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t know where the line “I’m gonna pop some tags” comes from?

“Buckshot”: I honestly don’t know what it is about this track, but it’s got me bobbing my head and dancing around my apartment like I’m possessed. There’s just something behind a song about graffiti that I find intriguing. “They hella mad, say my art is really bad for business; but I’mma paint a better world until the cans are empty.”

“Need to Know”: Featuring a fantastic hook and verse by the increasingly popular Chance The Rapper, this track gives off a vibe of a lazy Sunday afternoon coffee shop. Gentle piano and horns serve as the background beat and almost supersede the fact that this track is about bending the truth and only revealing what one truly needs to know. Macklemore believes he is living a life that is a lie and really just looks better on the surface. “I’m really good at telling the half truth but usually only when I have to; the money doesn’t work, the chain doesn’t work; something broken in my brain got me praying in the dirt.”

Lowkey Jams:

In the midst of his speedy verses and eccentric dance themes, Macklemore likes to take it easy with a few slow jams as well.

“Growing Up”: Featuring an appearance by Ed Sheeran on the hook, this track is simply a heartfelt love letter from Macklemore to his unborn daughter. This really is a fantastic song and shows the rapper’s emotional side. “I’m gonna be there for your first breath; I don’t know if I’ll be there for your first step; I can promise you I’ll try to work less.”

“St. Ides”: While the title is a referenece to the malt liquor, it’s really about Macklemore appreciating the “non-commercial greatness of life,” as Genius.com put it. “Rollin’ round, we know where to go; argue with the homies over who’s gonna roll; bumpin’ Goodie Mob, have some food for the soul.”

“Bolo Tie”: This track shows Macklemore’s frustration with originally trying to get his music out there, and then people harassing him for new content after the hype of “The Heist” had ended. He didn’t want to put out music just for the sake of it; he wants it to be real. “Motherfucker you ain’t my accountant; you don’t know what I’m doing; focusing on what I’m giving back; man, make better music.”

“The Train”: As the final track on the album, it explores the rapper’s feelings of detachment and that he feels like he’s departing somewhere, like he’s on a train to nowhere. “Watchin’ the trees pass by at a tempo; got a round trip ticket out to limbo; and I’m getting close to my kinfolk.”

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalEIC

perfectly marvelous

By: Brianna Bonham

As a theatre geek, I went into Cabaret with very high expectations, and I was not disappointed.

The audience was met with two different seating options, as they entered the auditorium. There were wooden risers built that had a slight curve around the stage, and held seats to give the place an almost “theatre in the round” feel.

The second option was round tables around the sides and front of the stage; each table held a lamp and table number. Before the show began, the Cabaret Boys offered the tables menus with refreshments such as cookies, biscuits, sparkling water, pink lemonade, coffee, and tea. If the audience members had a couple dollars, the Cabaret Boys would take audience members’ orders and interact with them.

If you want to grab a cabaret table, get there early! I was fortunate to sit at the cabaret table four, which is right next to one reserved for an actor for a scene in the show. It was a really good way to break the fourth wall and make the audience feel involved.

The set and lighting combined made the show feel dingy, but in a good way. The air looked slightly smoky in the light and the mirrored set was stippled with rust and dirt colors to give it an older feel. Darker lighting was used during the scenes that took place in the cabaret to give the space a darker appearance.

Costumes were done very well, and all looked very time period appropriate which set the scene for much of the show. Those who had never seen the show before may have been a little shocked to see that the Kit Kat boys and girls wore minimal clothing as they danced around the stage and cabaret tables to gave the show that raunchy, nightclub feel.

The main characters all had very appropriate costumes, Emcee and Sally both sporting more colorful, extravagant clothing. Sally wears a beautiful red coat in a couple scenes that I loved, because even though we had just seen her dance onstage in lingerie, it gave her an elegant poise and class. Other characters such as Cliff and Fraulein Schneider wore more practical, simpler costumes, with less color which reflected their characters quite well.

The actors and actresses all did a marvelous job staying in character, carrying their accents, and projecting to the audience throughout the entire show. I was very impressed with the ability to hear everything they were saying consistently. There were a couple times where it was hard to catch what they were saying, but I think it was a mixture of the accents and the speed at which they were talking that caused me to miss a few seconds here and there, so keep your ears open.

I’ll admit that I was a bit nervous about Emcee going into the show, because he is so bizarre and exorbitant, and when people think of Cabaret, a lot of people can’t picture anyone else but Alan Cumming playing him. All of my fears were disbanded after the first number because Gabriel Elmore did an amazing job playing Emcee. He was so relaxed and gave the character a sense of ease as he danced eroticly with the other cast members. The Kit Kat boys and girls were an essential part to the show and provided great audience interaction, and a seedy quality to the space whenever they were on stage.

Rebecca LaPorte (Sally) and Janelle Rae Davis (Fraulein Schneider) both sang beautifully and gave their characters so much life, though the characters were very opposite. LaPorte belted Sally’s rebellious anthem “Don’t Tell Mama” and hit every note perfectly. Davis utilized character voice and facial movements to make her aging character believable. Her despise for Lindsay Spear’s character, the fiery red-head Fraulein Kost, is hilarious as Kost keeps sneaking sailor boys into her home.

Zachary Warner plays the likeable Cliff and was refreshing to watch on stage. His interactions with Sally, Ernest, and the other characters were very believable and added quality to the show. Taylor Mead was flawless in his portrayal of Herr Schultz, giving the mousy man a lovable light in all of his numbers and providing great comic relief overall.

I would not recommend the show to kids under 12, because it is filled with lewd humor. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and I look forward to seeing it again the second weekend.

Contact the author at bbonham15@wou.edu or on Twitter @WOUjournalphoto

“Deadpool” is Dope

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

Superheroes have been huge in movies lately. A little too huge, some might say, but they’ve been wildly successful nonetheless.

Marvel’s “Deadpool” brings a new kind of superhero to the big screen; One which comic lovers know as an “anti-hero.” For him, the lines between good and bad are very blurry. So, obviously, when I found out everyone’s favorite “Merc with a Mouth” was getting his own movie, I was skeptical and afraid we’d get a watered down version.

By far the best part of “Deadpool” was the R rating. If comic Deadpool is known for three things, it’s blood, language, and chimichangas. The R rating allowed all three of those to be expressed in full. There was no holding back in the language or the gore, so the comic Deadpool was really well portrayed on film.

Ryan Reynolds did an incredible job as Deadpool, he didn’t hold back at all in his portrayal of the character. Even under a thick red suit, Reynolds was able to bring so much emotion out of the character through his masterful use of dialogue.

“Deadpool” was also a chance that Fox took to poke fun at itself and the entire superhero genre. Deadpool makes fun of Ryan Reynolds’ “almost Deadpool” from “X-men Origins: Wolverine” and his Green Lantern. The movie also jokes about the low budget being the cause of the lack of X-Men characters and the very confusing X-Men Universe timeline.

The movie is a very easy to understand story of revenge. Set in the larger universe of the X-Men movies, the film seemed a little underwhelming in its small scale. I mean, there’s a guy named Apocalypse who’s about to try destroying the world in a few months. But at its core, “Deadpool” is a fun and entertaining debut of the beloved character on the big screen.

Comedy outweighed action in “Deadpool”. Whether it was breaking the fourth wall or one of his many one-liners, Deadpool had the audience laughing from start to finish. Comedy worked most of the time. As expected, a few one-liners fell flat, and some jokes were placed at awkward times, but “Deadpool” was still an extremely funny and entertaining movie.

A major weak point in the film was the side characters. Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead played the role of the voices of reason for Deadpool and Colossus trying to recruit him to the X-Men. The characters were undeveloped and provided nothing but some extra muscle for Deadpool and a few X-Men jokes.

The action was very fast paced and fun. I found myself wanting more of it in slower moments. The R rating allowed the action to be filled with blood and gore. The film didn’t hold back at all when it came to blood or dismemberment, and it was fantastic.

Overall, Deadpool was a fun but small film that managed to bring a fan favorite character to the big screen while parodying the entire superhero genre. The film didn’t disappoint and left me wanting more.

Kanye West: Living “The Life of Pablo”

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By:  Declan Hertel
Entertainment Editor

This may end up as my favorite Kanye album.

I dig his first three albums, but “808s and Heartbreak” is the first album of his I really, really dug, and I’ve only dug each subsequent one more and more. “The Life of Pablo” is the latest in a line of really great records. I love the gospel sound with all my heart, plus it keeps the weird industrial synths and sudden tone shifts of Yeezus, and lyrically speaking this is an album of a man struggling with his faith, his fame, his marriage, his baser urges, his fans, and his own mythology. It’s heavy and weird and—somehow—a little bit inspirational.

Look, my boy Kanye is a bit of a polarizing figure. For people who don’t listen to his music or his interviews or anything, all they’ve got is the award show outbursts and the Twitter rants. And while it’s unfair, it’s understandable. But that’s Kanye West the Public Figure.

I recommend listening to “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and “The Life of Pablo” to get a good idea of who Kanye West the Man is. I get this vibe from much of this album, and some of the tracks on “Fantasy” and “Yeezus,” that he is uncomfortably with finding himself happy.

He’s married to a woman who loves him and has guided him through his darkest times, not to mention mothered his children, and yet he still dreams of the destructive rock star life. He’s one of the biggest names in music, but can’t allow himself to take a break from work to tend to the rest of his life. On “Wolves,” the beautiful and haunting closing track of the album proper, he worries that his deceased mother would disapprove of his life and art, that he’s “too wild.”

He is a man deeply troubled by a great many things (not the least of which is his ego, which he freely admits), and his level of unabashed honesty on “Pablo” makes it really easy to empathize with a man who should be, by all rights, impossible to relate to.

Currently “The Life of Pablo” is only available on Tidal because who the hell knows, but just snag dat free trial, and I would be really, really surprised if it never found its way to a real release.

Incomplete and Miscellaneous Thoughts I Wrote While Listening to this Album Stoned:

Ultralight Beam:
Oh man when the gospel backing comes in, blew my damn mind for a second. Chance the Rapper’s verse is dooooope. Apparently this was why the album’s release was delayed initially, I can see why.

Father, Stretch My Hands Pts 1-2

Damn Yeezy getting weird again. Dude’s got a hell of a relationship with his family. His flow on Part 2 makes me uncomfortable and I loooove it

Feedback:
Man what a cool song. Savage feedback-y synths warm my soul parts

Low Lights:
More weirdness. Love the gospel influence. Ye did say this was a gospel record, dude wasn’t lyin’.

Highlights:
Oh man that first hook is giving me flashbacks to Daft Punk’s “Discovery.” Love it.

Freestyle 4:
This song strikes me as uncomfortably honest. So dope.
I Love Kanye:

Heheheheh Yeezy knows what’s up, love the self-awareness of closing with “I love you like Kanye loves Kanye”.

Waves:
The almost-namesake song. Comes in SUPER HEAVY after “I Love Kanye”

FML:
This song is fascinating, trying to give up the rock star life he worked so hard for so that he can be good to his family. Way dark and a bit spacey

Wolves:
Ugh this song breaks my heart. I hope he “fixes” it like he said he was gonna. I miss Sia and the other dude.

Sing Hallelujah for the Old Machine

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By: Darien Campo 
Staff Writer

Three Blind Wolves is a three-piece indie rock band that hails from Glasgow, Scotland. Though they’ve not been active long, they have quickly proven themselves to be a stellar group that is well worth listening to. Their unique sound, self-described as “folk-tinged psychedelic blues-rock,” is brought to life in their first full-length album “Sing Hallelujah for the Old Machine.”

Released in 2013 under Scottish indie label Instinctive Raccoon, “Sing Hallelujah for the Old Machine” is a piece brimming with a tremendous amount of power and emotion.

The tracks are a fantastic blend of driving guitar rock, backed by a complex orchestra of instruments. Mandolins, slide guitars, and horns fill out the sound on this album, bringing a very country/folk feel to the music. Almost like The Decemberists meets Arcade Fire.

Listeners are served with a wide array of arrangements on “Sing Hallelujah.” From songs like “Parade,” which pound the crunching guitar and hit us with a rousing chorus, to songs like “When the Garden Gets Near,” which features no more than Ross Clark and his acoustic guitar. And even with the diversity in dynamics, all of the songs seem equally compelling.

The album spans 11 tracks of raw humanity, poured out into your headphones. We’ve all listened to sad music, but you’ve probably never heard it sung like Ross Clark.

Clark’s vocals soar from soft whispers, mumbled into the microphone, all the way to roaring screams of power. Clark’s lyrics weave a gorgeous tapestry of wanting. Each song is a thread through different aspects of loss and loneliness, all penned by Clark himself.

“Sing Hallelujah for the Old Machine” is less about wallowing in our own sadness, and more about rejoicing in it. These songs almost seem to celebrate our human ability to experience such emotional pain. It brings a delightful edge to what could have just been a series of sad songs.

On the album’s single, “Parade,” Clark said: “Times are hard just now. You’ve got to keep yourself moving on.”

If you’re looking for a new rising band to keep an eye on, it’d be hard for me to find a better recommendation than Three Blind Wolves, and their album “Sing Hallelujah for the Old Machine.”

Guns and Gore: New Doom Releasing This Year

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

When gamers hear the name Bethesda, they may be too focused on some of their newer material like “Fallout” or “Skyrim” to remember the roots of the company, a huge part of the early gaming industry: “Doom.”

The original “Doom” was first released in 1993 and shocked the gaming industry with its graphic and bloody gameplay. Since its release, “Doom” has had numerous sequels, remasters, and a film. The newest “Doom” will be released this May.

“Doom” follows a Space Marine working for the Union Aerospace Corporation who fights hordes of demons and undead. The original “Doom” was one of the first ever first person shooters and paved the way for current first person shooter games.

The newest Doom was announced at E3 2015, executive producer Marty Stratton promised “badass demons, big effing guns, and moving really fast” as the game’s key principles.

“Doom 3” was released in 2004 and pushed the boundaries for violence in games, just as every installment of “Doom” had done in the past. The newest “Doom” is no different; the newly released campaign trailer shows off the game’s action with chainsaws, dismemberment, and buckets of blood. It’s safe to say that those with weak stomachs should stay far away.

From the trailer, the new “Doom” is looking to be one of the most violent games ever created. The studio is shying away from the horror aspects of “Doom 3,” and jumping right into the fast-paced, gory goodness of the original.

Doom will be released on May 13 for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and is up for pre-order now.

Hooray for Hollywood: “Hail, Caesar!” Review

By: Declan Hertel
Entertainment Editor

There is a subgenre of movies that I started to enjoy with “The Big Lebowski,” began to love with 2014’s “Inherent Vice,” and have truly begun to appreciate with “Hail, Caesar!,” the latest offering from near-legendary filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen: comedic neo-noir that is light on plot and heavy on mood.

In these films, what is happening is not nearly as important as the world it’s happening in and the people it’s happening to. The mood is what matters, character is what matters, and the meandering, disjointed plotline (or more appropriately, plot-dots (coined it)) becomes secondary.

I have to admit, I didn’t expect this at all from the Coen Brothers, two of my favorite filmmakers ever. Even the aforementioned “Lebowski,” which shows elements of plot-dot structure, still has a clearly visible and comprehensible progression of events, or as much of one as a noir can have. Noir has never been a genre known for easy-to-follow, A-B-C plotting, but these particular sorts of noir films take the inherent complexity and winding stories of the genre to their logical conclusion.

But just because I didn’t expect it doesn’t mean I didn’t love it. A sunny, comedic neo-noir taking place during the Golden Age of Hollywood, starring an astounding number of supremely talented actors, as created by the Coen Bros? It sure feels like someone asked me what I would really, really dig in a movie, although I don’t remember such an incident.

There are no real standout performances in “Hail, Caesar!” because literally everyone in the film is fantastic and clearly having the time of their lives playing these larger-than-life Hollywood types. Although, one performance that does rise above is Alden Ehrenreich as Hobie Doyle, a slightly dim, yet earnest and kindhearted star of many silly cowboy flicks.

Ehrenreich is a relatively unknown name in Hollywood at the moment, but I hope that this movie puts him on the map for real. Every moment he’s onscreen is an absolute joy and his adorable rapport with Veronica Osorio’s character in the middle third of the movie melted my heart (speaking of unknowns, I would also love to see Osorio get more work).

The best thing about this movie is that it not only takes its setting from the Hollywood Golden Age, but it also plays like a movie from the era. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe, but it’s at least partially due to about half the cast getting at least one moment to be the undisputed star of the picture. It harkens back to when times were perpetually trying and movies were about entertainment: escapism. Before “intellectual” movies, before cinema was an “art,” and film was trying to find what it was. And it was entertaining. That’s what “Hail, Caesar!” is; it’s entertainment of the purest form.

I won’t pretend to know what the motivation behind “Hail, Caesar!” was for the Coen brothers. But as it is, it is a wonderfully fun piece of entertainment that doesn’t have any illusions of being something “greater.” It comes in, makes you all happy and fuzzy, and leaves. And sometimes, a film doesn’t need to do anything else.