The album dives straight in with its opening track “It’s Working”. Upon first listen, lead singer Andrew VanWyngarden’s voice sounds similar to that of a teenage boy whose voice is infused with helium. The song gets better as it goes on and VanWyngarden sounds a little more like himself. The twanging guitars and lilting harpsichords make the song upbeat and catchy and is one of the highlights of an otherwise drab album.

Second track “Song for Dan Treacy” sounds oddly like the “Monster Mash” mixed in with a little bit of beach music. With its eerie noises in the background and creepy sounding voices piping up here and there, it makes for a rather weird song. Though MGMT is known for having eccentric songs, this one is just obnoxious.

“Someone’s Missing”, the third track of the album, gets no better. The lyrics sound like they’re being whispered until about halfway through when VanWyngarden sings of how “it feels like someone’s missing”, concluding the song with the repetition of that line over and over.

After feeble attempts at making some decent music, the album gets better with the fourth track and first single from the album, “Flash Delirium”. The song is reminiscent of the work done on their first release, Time to Pretend EP. It’s able to work in their sound from Oracular and twist it around to make it sound new and fresh for this album. Next track “I Found a Whistle” is able to maintain the good streak with “Flash Delirium”.

This song shines brightly on an album full of songs that sound like the stereotypical musings of an indie band. It’s a buoyant track full of hopeful melodies singing of finding “a whistle that works every time”. The mellow guitar combined with the high pitch synths in the background contribute to the airy tone of the song.

Unfortunately, their good streak runs out on “Siberian Breaks”; a 12 minute song that only gets more boring as it goes on. It’s like a book that drags on forever and is a pointless addition to an already subpar album.

The album is only nine tracks long and not one of the remaining three songs help to make the album any better. With titles like “Brian Eno” and “Lady Dada’s Nightmare”, the songs feel like joking B-sides that were thrown onto the album for no apparent reason other than to take up space. As far as a sophomore album goes, MGMT fell flat with this one.

In May, MGMT will be touring around the United States and Canada with a stop in Dallas on June 8^th. For the sake of those attending, one can only hope that the album will sound better live than it did on CD.

I think amnesia may be the only cure to seeing the new movie Remember Me with Robert Pattinson.

It’s not that it wasn’t a good movie. It’s that it was a bad movie, point blank, followed by an even worse ending that violates human decency on many levels.

The previews looked good, and I, who doesn’t see many movies anyway and thus have not had as many chances to be let down, learned a very valuable lesson, that was probably the only part of the ticket price that was worth it: don’t judge a movie based on its preview.

Previews are designed to be deceptive and take the best clips from the movie and make you believe that those great clips are standard for the movie, when, in fact, they are not. At all. And in context, actually aren’t as great as they seemed anyway.

I feel lied to.

I think a lot of viewers feel lied to though, which explains why the movie had a quick death; I saw in the dollar theater (another horrible deception of the night, because the ticket was actually 1.75) not three weeks after it was released—even The Last Song did better than that.

The movie was eh from the get-go. It opened with the murder of a young mother, and then fast-forwarded to a memorial of another dead person. Two deaths don’t exactly make for the romantic comedy I thought I was seeing.

Then cue the awkward romance and melodrama that ensues. I mean really, so the little sister gets her hair chopped off while she’s sleeping at a party—that doesn’t exactly merit the whole family getting together to bond and then the estranged ex-girlfriend coming back. It just took itself too seriously.

Until the end. The horrible, terrible end that offended my sensibilities and which I will completely spoil now. So after they split ends over the little girl’s hair, Tyler, Pattison’s character, takes her to school, where he vandalizes her class and is then arrested, which results in him going to his father’s office to talk to lawyers.

And then, in a scene where music is vastly overused, it is revealed that the date is September 11, 2001. And Tyler’s father’s office is in the World Trade Center.

Yes, that’s right, Tyler dies in the 9/11 attacks.

While other people in the theater cried, I got angry. I got outraged.  Because no, Summit Entertainment, you may not use an American tragedy to make your pathetic movie seem more significant, especially if you can’t even get the date of it right—because the date was listed as Monday, September 11, 2001 in them movie, but it was a Tuesday. Not only do you exploit a tragedy, but then you get it wrong?

Needless to say, I was less than happy with the film, for many reasons. If the bad beginning, bad acting, bad writing, bad plot and bad drama were not enough, the bad ending was more than enough reason to forget this film.

Photo provided by IMDB

In the sixth grade, I made a joking remark that one day I would rule the world. Except sixth graders apparently don’t understand jokes—or, worse, my jokes—so I was labeled as the girl who wanted to take over the world.

That epithet stuck.

So, six years later, I’m still known as the girl who wants to take over the world. Just to set the record straight, I don’t. However, if I did, I would make some major fashion changes that probably wouldn’t look very good (not that fashion of the ‘80s looked notoriously great anyway) and call it fashion for the unfashionable. Or the lazy.

Shoulder pads

Shoulder pads make people look weird. However, they make everyone look about the same amount of weird, because you can easily add on to shoulders, but the opposite doesn’t hold true. Shoulder pads are like the communists of fashion, in that they make everyone equal, and therefore would make everyone happy. Especially me, with my self-consciousness of my own broad shoulders.

Nike shorts

Nike shorts shouldn’t be fashionable; they don’t cover you up when it’s cold, which is an important consideration in this school, where some students have to take desperate measures to combat hypothermia. Senior Sarah Omar keeps a snuggie in her history class, for one.

Besides, they only look good on certain people. Aka, people who don’t have thunder-thighs. Aka, people who aren’t me.

Au Naturale make-up

As a general rule, make up does not need to be excessive anyway, unless you’re going for the ever-popular harlequin look. However, I think we should take it one step further: no make-up at all. Because then girls get to sleep in an extra five to 15 minutes in the morning, save money, and reduce animal testing on superfluous products. Plus, if women no longer felt compelled to wear make-up, there would be no more incidents of trying to apply mascara while driving, and thus and crashing.

 Harry Potter paraphenelia

When I see people wearing shirts with Harry Potter references, it makes me happy, and my happiness as a function of Harry Potter shirts is one of no decreasing marginal utility. Plus, unlike black Twilight shirts, Harry Potter shirts come in an array of colors. And sometimes say funny things. And sometimes show Robert Pattinson when he wasn’t absolutely disgusting.

And yes, this is highly personal. Can I help it if I love Harry Potter, though?

Photograhpic by Ellen Cameron

Seniors Frances Ruiz, Katie Quill, Renne Rohani, Natalie Hill, Loren Hughes and Rebecca Fowler pose with their senior overalls. They are one of many members of The Sidekick that will be finishing their senior year and heading off to college. Photo courtesy Katie Quill.

Ashleigh Heaton
Entertainment Editor

“We still hear stories about old Sidekickers who graduated way long ago – I just wonder, once we’re gone, what will people say about us?”

These were the words of a rather nostalgic Allie Perison, senior and co-editor-in-chief of The Sidekick. Though it may not be clear which stories will be told the most, the 2010 senior members of The Sidekick will be revered for years to come.

One of the largest milestones this senior class  leaves behind is the newest branch of The Sidekick, www.coppellstudentmedia.com, escalating the high school paper into the modern journalistic world – on top of their work on the print edition of the paper, which has been recognized nationally for its professionalism and achievements. The real-world experience the paper has given them has helped shape their futures, even if it isn’t in the journalistic field.

“My favorite part of being on Sidekick is just, for lack of a better term, doing stuff – you get up, you go out and interview people, or you might be designing pages or doing something creative,” senior features editor Chris Nguyen said. “It’s the idea of doing something that I like – you put in an input, and there is an output for it other than a grade. It’s tangible, it’s physical.”

                 In addition to providing opportunities to develop their journalistic skills, the paper has also had an impact on the personal lives of these seniors – experiences which will carry them throughout their lives.

“I feel like I have a sense of purpose, as cheesy as that sounds,” centerspread editor senior Natalie Hill said. “The Sidekick prepares you for so much beyond high school – it gives you that personable experience.”

As editors, these seniors have gone above and beyond expectations – from skipping lunches and coming afterschool to finish page layout, to shifting through the endless amounts of articles begging to be edited, their blood, sweat, and tears have shaped the newspaper Coppell knows today. However, the connections they made along the way made their accomplishments that much sweeter.

“We all go through all the stress, all the low points, all the doubting, when at the same time, we have so much fun,” senior co-editor-in-chief Daphne Chen said. “It’s not like a regular classroom – we get to know each other better than just on a surface level, because we’ve been through stuff together. It goes beyond the writing.”

Another quality of these seniors is their endearing sense of humor, lovingly referred to as “shenanigans”. From sports editor senior Blake Seitz hiding his portfolio in the ceiling panels (only to forget which one he placed it above), to attempting to steal a giant stuffed koala bear from a certain CHS media department, to even keeping an end-of-year Copter tournament alive (in which members play an online helicopter game for the highest score), these members know how to mix work and play.

“No one understands our inside jokes or why Copter is this prevailing thing,” senior opinions editor Angela Almeida said. “To be on the paper, you have to have a certain degree of quirkiness. We’re all weird, but it’s functional – it’s in this dysfunction that we all make sense of it.”

For some seniors, such as Chen, Seitz, Perison, Hill and Almeida, The Sidekick has kept them together for four years – from journalism class freshman year to being senior editors together in 2010. However, some seniors joined the newspaper team later on, including senior photo editor Katie Quill. The experience has not only given her a niche in a big high school, but also a group of friends she will never forget.

“For me, coming in so late, the newspaper gave me a place to land,” Quill said. “I’m so proud of this paper and what photography has done for me. There are so many good things about it, and I feel so lucky because it kind of just fell into my lap.”

Though The Sidekick entails hours of work in regards to reporting, writing and, in the case of editors, page designing, it has also been a second home to these seniors, helping them navigate through the high school experience.

“When I think high school, I think of The Sidekick,” Perison said. “All these other classes came and went, but Sidekick was here four years – it was always here. I feel like it’s been a friend to me, in a sense – it’ been this consistent thing in my life, and it’s kind of weird to leave it behind because I feel like I’m leaving it just like I’m leaving my family and good friends.”

Though these seniors will be greatly missed, it has come time for them to spread their wings and fly off toward a bright future.

“There comes a time where you don’t want to see kids graduate, but there’s only so much you can do at a high school,” The Sidekick adviser Chase Wofford said. “It’s good to say, ‘OK, they’re ready to go and do bigger and better things.’ They’ve reached their potential here, so now it’s time to take it to the next level. I can’t thank them enough – it’s been fun. I’ll miss them.”

The achievements, personalities and antics of the senior class of 2010 will live on in the newsroom in room D115 – but the experience has also changed these seniors.

“There will be a D115-shaped hole in my heart whenever I leave CHS,” Seitz said.

Staff Writer

Growing up in the middle of nowhere (Tyler, TX) has a profound effect on an adolescent’s idea of “fun”; trust me, I was that kid. But I have to say that spending the entirety of my elementary school years without cable or anything that remotely resembled a computer was helpful in the sense that I developed a life love for books.

Because I spent so much time by myself (my closest sibling being  four years younger than me) I forged an emotional attachment to the books my childhood was based on. Although it sounds silly, whenever I needed a companion, I simply turned to Nancy Drew or Harry Potter for an escape from my rather lonely world.

But upon the switch from private to public schools, I found that my love for reading was not found on the same level as most of my peers. Not everyone spent a good 10 minutes sobbing when they read that Sirius Black died or even when Old Yeller got rabies.  As I grew older, this discrepancy became more and more apparent.

Not to say that I blame my peers for being impacted by the world they are surrounded by. With recent developments in technology, the pull of books finds itself weakened by the temptations movies, video games and the internet present. However, for those like me, the allure of books still holds a strong and prominent place in their hearts and minds.

Take for example senior Rachel Cummins.

Although she was not able to read until the third grade, her late development seemed to inspire a deep love for reading that she still possesses today.

“Whenever I’m upset or stressed out I read,” Cummins said. “All I have to do is pick up a book and the stress goes away. [Reading] keeps me sane.”

Cummins is one of the many seniors opting to take the Advanced Reading course offered by our school which helps students realize and further their knowledge of literature. This year, English teacher Michael Vergien introduced literary analysis as a part of A.R. curriculum, compelling students to take a deeper look into the 1,000 pages they are required to read each six weeks.

As seniors prepare for college and juniors get ready for the summer required reading, the tools Advanced Reading supplies its students with will prove infinitely helpful in the months and years to come.

Senior Krysia Garcia is one of Mr. Vergien’s A.R. students who appreciate the introduction to types of literary analysis, including psychoanalysis.

“It was relevant because with Freud’s psycholoanlaytic theories you get a deeper look at the characters and their reasons for their actions,” Garcia said.

Garcia shares the same passion for literature I am possessed by, as evident through her love of the Harry Potter series and remorse at majoring in pharmacy instead of her true passion, writing.

“I’m considering majoring in pharmacy, mainly due to the financial support [it offers],” Garcia said. “It’s not my passion. Sometimes I think about [my decision] and I get sad because people see me reading all the time or say I should go into writing, but I’m not brave enough.”

Although Garcia is conflicted about her major, her open love for books and writing (she is a member of the creative writing club and a student in Matthew Bowden’s creative writing course) will always play a prominent role in her life, and I think I can say the same about mine.

Staff Writer

After listening to the first album released by Swedish artist The Tallest Man on Earth, I felt the world shift beneath my feet. Shallow Grave quite literally rocked my world and the latest addition, The Wild Hunt, is no exception.

Such talent is hard to come by when all the awards are doled out to artists with the most expensive recording studios and the best labels. Perhaps this is why The Tallest Man on Earth (Kristian Matsson) has quickly risen as one of my favorite artists. His honest and metaphorical lyrics are a breath of fresh air in a world filled with catchy rhymes and beats.

In his first album, Shallow Graves, Matsson explored the depths of his talent with his strangely scratchy crooning accompanied by an acoustic guitar and open lyrics. As with most second albums, while TMoE fans will not be disappointed, the change of labels (with his current record label Dead Ocean) affected his product. In The Wild Hunt, more instruments are introduced to the tracks, such as the piano present in “Kids on the Run.”

However, this change is one that was readily welcomed by fans and critiques. While his first album received an 8.3 rating on Pitchfork.com, The Wild Hunt received an 8.5 and the title of “Best New Music,” a title rarely bestowed on Pitchfork.

In addition to instruments, Matsson has included some personal songs on this album as evidenced through his lyrics and testimonies on their behalf. For example, while attending his concert in early May, Matsson informed the crowd that the song ‘You’re Going Back’ is about his best friend. Also “Love is All” appears to have some personal ties.

The tracks only add to the love Matsson has instilled in his fans. By opening himself to his fans, his fans only love him more – a fact that has been proved throughout decades of music. Additionally, the inclusion of emotion in his lyrics makes it easier for his songs to relate to, which, of course, gives fans an outlet for attachment.

Perhaps the best feature of Matsson’s newest album is his continued sense of self. While most beginning artists often feel the need to create a totally different product when the produce a second album, Matsson has avoided this misconception by creating the same honest, beautifully sincere songs he charmed us with the first time around.

Matsson introduced me to a side of folk I had not heard, but had always wanted to hear. While some dislike his gravelly voice, I find it charming and believe it only adds to his style of music. Seeing him in concert was truthfully one of the greatest experiences I have ever participated in and I look forward to being able to partake of it again.

I would recommend this album to those who enjoyed Shallow Graves, and for those who are looking for something new to add to their music library, especially if they are interested in folk music. Also, if you are ever presented with the opportunity to see Matsson in concert, I would highly suggest going. His stage presence and awareness of his audience make for an amazing concert experience that I feel obliged to offer a money-back guarantee on, and the same goes for his newest release, The Wild Hunt.

Original Video – More videos at TinyPic

Staff Writer

MTV is placing the fate of it’s prestigious award show in the hands of viewers yet again as the golden popcorn begins to make its way to the red carpet for the 2010 season.

This star-studded event will be hosted by comedian Aziz Ansari, known for his role on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” and on his Comedy Central special “Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening.” Ansari will be keeping it interesting between awards as he entertains the audience with his talent in standup comedy.

MTV Movie Award categories include Best Kiss, Best Fight, Best Villain, Best Female Breakout star, Best Male Breakout star, Best Female Performance, Best Male Performance, Best Comedic Performance, Global Superstar and Best Movie.

Along with being educated on the best movies of the season, there are sure to be no moments short of interesting on stage in Los Angeles at this highly anticipated event.

First, Sarah Jessica Parker gave a new meaning to ‘fashonista’ as she changed outfits 12 times during her hosting of the 2000 awards. Next, Madonna and Britney Spears shared the legendary on stage kiss in 2003 and then Bruno bombarded Eminem at last year’s show. Moments at the MTV Movie Awards have been known to go down in pop culture history – something viewers will not want to miss out on.

“[The Madonna and Britney] kiss was a dumb stunt solely intended to garner attention,” senior Zack Zoda said. “I wasn’t offended by it and it gave them a serious career boost.”

The MTV Awards seem to consistently grace the same people and some of these frequent winners have stareed in box office hits this past year, setting them up for yet another win. 11 time winner Jim Carrey preformed spectacularly in the 2009 version of A Christmas Carol, playing eight different roles in one movie. Likewise, five time winner producer Peter Jackson produced the Academy Awards Nominated film The Lovely Bones and high rated District 9 last year.

It was announced on May 4 that Christina Aguilera will perform her newest pop single “Not Myself Tonight” on stage, just two days before the release of her new album Bionic. Although no other performers have been announced, MTV has promised viewers a night of star studded presenters and the recently released list lives up to expectations. Among the presenters are The Hangover star Bradley Cooper, Olympic snowboarder Shaun White and High School Musical stars Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron.

“I’m really surprised Shaun White is presenting but that’s really cool,” senior Bryce Middleton said. “I watched him religiously during the Olympics and I’m a huge fan.” 

May 11 marked the release of the official 2010 nominees. Will the Twilight vampires dominate again with the release of New Moon? Will this year’s Best WTF Moment be able to top Amy Poehler’s Baby Mama performance? It is in your hands as you can click onto the MTV Movie Awards Web site and cast your vote for the remainder of the month. Tune in to the awards to see which movies, actors, directors and performances will be going down in movie history on June 6 at 8 p.m.

Staff Writer and KCBY Member

Although it is often overlooked, Dallas and its surrounding area is swarming with local venues playing local and not-so-local bands on a daily basis.

Thanks to my handy-dandy local concerts app which I recently downloaded onto my iPhone, I have become increasingly aware of the concerts I could and should be attending, especially in the upcoming months.

For example, on May 24, indie lovers all over the Metroplex will unite to attend the Of Montreal concert that will take place at the famous Granada Theater.  Junior Jack Ficklen is one of the many fans who will be cheering as the five-some from Georgia takes the stage Monday night.

“The Granada is the best [venue],” Ficklen said.

One of the untold and interesting things about this venue is its historic value. Located on Greenville Avenue, the theater has been open since 1946 and still hosts a majority of its original art, deco murals and crown molding. While the architecture is hardly the best part of the Granada, it certainly adds to its unique charm.  

“[The Granada] just feels homey,” sophomore Emily Hazlehurst said.

Another interesting venue in Dallas is The Door, which replaced the Gypsy Tea Room almost five years ago. The Door has been active in Deep Ellum for the past 12 years and continues to feature Metroplex artists, such as CHS student band The Brighter, formerly For The Record whose members are Thomas Ratcliff,

                Perhaps the best feature of The Door is its ‘all ages’ mandate on all of its concerts and CD releases which allows young students to begin their own musical journey and immerse themselves in the musical culture that thrives on an often low-key basis all around Dallas, as I did my freshman year. The Door also creates interest in Deep Ellum, the renovated warehouse district renowned for its eclectic occupants and ‘Greenwich Village’ feel.

                Another upcoming concert sure to be swarming with indie kiddos is MGMT, often referred to as Management, who will be performing June 8 at the House of Blues in Dallas. This dynamic synth-pop band created waves in the music industry with their first album, Oracular Spectacular, which was released in the fall of 2007.

Since then the members, Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden, have been promoting their 2007 release and constructing their newest album, Congratulations, which came out in April. The album has received positive reviews since its release and the concert is sure to create a positive feeling for the band in the Metroplex.

One other venue worth visiting in the Metroplex is Palladium Ballroom located near the Dallas Convention Center. The Ballroom features a variety of artists including the ultra famous such as Drake and Cobra Starship and low-key indie bands such as The Silversun Pickups. All of its upcoming shows can be found on their calendar, which is easily accessed through their user-friendly Web site.

If you’re not up to making the journey out to Dallas however, take Interstate 35 north to Denton and check out Hailey’s Club, one of the premiere live music venues in North Texas. In 2004 Hailey’s won the “Best of Dallas” award for the best live music venue thanks to their attention to detail, especially when it comes to the bands that they host.  

Not unlike the Cambridge Room at the House of Blues, Hailey’s offers music fans a personal, up-close experience with performing artists. Although Hailey’s doesn’t tend to host anyone from America’s Top 40, the amount of underground indie bands who perform there more than make up for the lack of “trendy” music. Also, Denton’s well-respected up-and coming music scene means that excellent local bands also perform at Hailey’s from time to time.

So there you have it CHS. While Coppell can be rather dull during the summer, I encourage you to break out of the city limits and explore some new concert venues that are sure to rock your world.

For any information on the venues you’ve read about, click their names to link to their websites: The Granada Theater, The Door, House of Blues and Hailey’s.

Original Video – More videos at TinyPic

Video courtesy of Monica Moran

Video by Jonathan Domingo

Original Video – More videos at TinyPic

Blues, indie, and R & B have seen an excellent year for music so far and it’s getting better. Several upcoming releases have brought much excitement to the music listening populace. Here are a few of the albums that we are looking forward to with some commentary from the people that enjoy them.  

                After almost four years of touring and preparations for a new album, Band of Horses has finally released its latest album, Infinite Arms. The album’s release date was May 18, 2010 and was produced by Phil Ek who also produced the bands previous two albums.

 Billboard considers the album consistent when it comes to the vocals of lead singer Ben Bridewell, but the production of the album as “impressive” and adding “gorgeous melodies” that don’t take away from the original nature of the band. This year sees Band of Horses playing many festivals such as Austin City Limits(October 8-10) and the Leeds  festival (August 27^th-29^th) in England.

                “I like their combination of folk music and rock and their singer’s voice compliments their harmony. What they do, they do really well” junior John Pankonien said.  

                If there’s any artist on this list to watch out for, it’s Janelle Monae. Known for her tuxedo wearing and pompadour hairstyle, Monae has quickly established herself as an artist with her new album, The ArchAndroid, released May 19. This album is the second of two albums Monae has released and features artists ranging from Big Boi to of Montreal.

Paste Magazine view the album as a “fantastic hip-hop, psychedelic, neo-soul, dance and orchestral “album.  Who knows what the future holds for the 24 year old singer and songwriter, but one thing’s for sure, she’s definitely someone you want to keep on your radar.

                The National have been making music since 1999. However, only since the release of its 2005 album Alligator has it received mass critical acclaim. Their brand of brooding slowly unfolding songs has resonated with many. Its new release High Violet has been around since May 10 and actually debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.

Since its profile has increased, The National has even performed on such note-worthy television shows such as Later with Jools Holland and “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Of course, with songs as moving as “Terrible Love” and “Bloodbuzz Ohio”, High Violet is an album that will not be going away anytime soon.

“Their somber, melodic, baritone vocals lift otherwise ordinary instrumentals into a sublime state”  junior Dmitri Potemkin said.

                The Black Keys are a band in a state of constant re-invention. From having 2008’s Attack and Release produced by DangerMouse to the 2009 collaboration with several rappers called Blackroc, it is a band embracing experimentation. Which is what makes its new album Brothers so interesting since it is a straight back to basics blues rocker. The simple combination of guitar and drums make tracks like “Tighten Up”(the first single from the album) stand out and overwhelm the listener.

                “They are one of the few remaining groups that utilizes blues driven techniques in popular music and they make a lot of noise for two people . “ senior Zach Cruess said