The Needle Drop, online resources prove to be excellent source of music

By Thomas Hair Online Copy Editor Music is infinite in the 21st century. There are infinitely many genres, infinitely many artists and infinitely many ways to access and share the music itself. Though most people have different tastes, nearly everbody likes music of some sort, whether it be hip-hop, post-rock, thrash metal, free jazz or anything else. In this day and age, when there is infinite music instantly at your fingertips via the internet, there is little excuse to continue to listen to garbage music, or even to keep listening to the same exact music over and over and over. As a self-proclaimed music enthusiast, I am constantly on the lookout for original new artists and am…

Con – state of music today

By Annie Wen Staff Writer Music is a big part of the lives of our generation. In the hallways, kids almost always have their earphones in. In the classroom, one of the most commonly asked questions is “Can we listen to music while we work?” Listening to music is a favorite pastime of kids nowadays. Music is always developing and changing with the times. New artists are always introduced, and the ones who have been in music for a long time are always coming out with new music. But lately it seems like music has lost the meaning it used to have. Everyone has a different taste in music, but this lack of real “soul”…

Proposed “Stop Online Piracy Act” could alter internet usage

By Thomas Hair Online Blog Editor When the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was introduced to the House of Representatives in late October, it immediately became a subject of intense debate and is already one of the most controversial topics of 2012. SOPA, in addition to its senate counterpart (PIPA), was proposed by Texas Republican Lamar Smith. If passed, it would give the US government power to regulate both piracy of copyrighted materials and sale of counterfeit goods. This piece of legislature would grant the federal government, and copyright holders, the ability to reprimand, black or even destroy offending websites. In short, your favorite website for illegal movies could be gone by February, along with all unauthorized music on…

Illegal downloading teen trend

By Tolu Salako Staff Writer The majority of students at Coppell High School enjoy different genres of music, whether it is alternative, rock, classical or pop. Students claim they want to support their favorite bands and artists; however, these same students would rather use websites such as LimeWire, Media Fire, or BT Junky to download their favorite songs illegally. Everyone enjoys music, and people seem to enjoy it even more when they no longer have to pay for it. Almost every teenager has illegally downloaded songs or movies, fully aware that these same songs/movies downloaded can be found on iTunes for a reasonable price. The number of students who participate in illegal downloading has seriously…

Chevelle rocks its way back to limelight with new album

By Thomas Hair Online Copy Editor The aptly titled Point #1, Chevelle’s first album, was released to moderate success in 1999, back when most members of the band were still teenagers. Chevelle, all members of the Loeffler family, initially played a balanced style of alternative metal. This style of music exploded in the late 1990s and early 2000s, dominating rock stations across the country. Along with bands like Sevendust and Taproot, Chevelle embraced this niche and hit it big with their hard-hitting sophomore release Wonder What’s Next. Over a decade later, Chevelle is one of the few bands from this scene that is still thriving. In 2009, Chevelle earned the respect of their critics with their…

Frost shows she has talent, work ethic to make it big

By Coleman Armes Staff Writer In the entertainment industry there are actors and actresses and there are also musicians. Every now and then, however, you have those talented few that can do both and at Coppell High School there just might be one of the next talented few. Students often mention how they would love to get into acting, want to be a professional music artist, or learn to play an instrument but never really try. They think a goal like that is out of reach or very slim so they give up.   This is not the case for sophomore Alyssa Frost. She knows she loves acting and music and is making sure she…

Chris Cornell releases brilliant live album

Thomas Hair Online Copy Editor The current upperclassmen will be some of the last students to pass through Coppell High School having experienced the early 1990s – a time hen the music industry was dominated by the explosion of grunge and alternative rock. These bands altered American popular music, replacing the flamboyance of 80s glam rock with a focus on genuinity and grass-roots production. Often hailed as one of the greatest rock vocalists in history, Chris Cornell was a leader of this movement as singer for the successful band Soundgarden. Cornell’s booming voice continued to fill stadiums and rock radio stations well into the 2000s as lead vocalist for super-group Audioslave (following Soundgarden’s breakup). On…

Songs for the Season

Staff Writer Dyer Whitt It wasn’t even December 1st when Michael Buble’s “Christmas” album was featured as #1 on the billboard top 200 albums. The rank has put the Grammy winning Canadian in the season’s spirit. “I feel like Christmas has come early for me…I’m really proud of this record so this is icing on the fruitcake. Thank you America and Happy Holidays,” Buble commented after his achievement. The album puts a new pop twist on popular oldies like, “Santa Baby,” “Feliz Navidad,” and “Jingle Bells.” The solid list of songs proves as a must have for not just Christmas music lovers, but also pop in general. Buble’s cover of Mariah Carrey’s “All I Want…

Annual holiday parade, tree lighting to kick off holiday season

By Thomas Hair Online Copy Editor Dozens of dazzling floats will take to the streets and people will flock to Town Center Plaza for other festivities on Saturday Dec. 3,  as Coppell officially kicks off the holiday season! This year’s edition of the annual parade will feature 37 floats and will follow its usual route travelling west on Parkway Boulevard from its intersection with Samuel Road. The theme of the parade has been announced to be “Hometown Holiday.” Citizens have been encouraged to enter homemade floats as part of this theme. Floats begin lining up at 3:00 p.m., and the parade itself begins at 6:30, after judges have analyzed the floats. About 1,500 are anticipated to be in attendance for…

New Christmas albums bring joy to the world

By Coleman Armes Staff Writer This Christmas season is a time for family, thankfulness, good food, giving, Christmas trees and of course Christmas music. Christmas music this year has had a big boost thanks to some pretty big names in the music world releasing their takes on classic Christmas tunes and releasing original songs as well in their new albums. Teen sensation, Justin Bieber, has made headlines lately for releasing his new album Under the Mistletoe. This album includes collaborations with other big music names including Usher, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, The Band Perry and Busta Rhymes. His new song Mistletoe along with the music video has become a hit as well over the…