Is it just me, or is Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road” simply impossible to get out of one’s head during weeks like these?! Well, either way, keep a kleenex handy, as, sadly, it’s just about time for our own dramatic farewell. Last year, upon receiving an email asking me to write for The Cornell Daily Sun, my initial thought was, “That’s sweet, but probably not going to happen.” I’d heard great things about the paper, but couldn’t claim to be an avid reader. Now, reflecting upon the experience one year later, the supporting fans, angry blogs and occasional “LOL”s all add up to an overall very pleasant surprise. ...Read More

Over Madonna’s 25-year career, it’s always been nearly impossible to separate her music from her image; the two reflect each other so much that it’s often difficult to discern which came first. This tendency worried me, as the garishly horrific — and eerily pornographic — cover to Hard Candy suggested that the singer’s new album would be an equally atrocious listening experience. Thankfully, Madonna — for the most part — breaks from her image-equals-music tradition, as Hard Candy is a relentlessly modern, savvy collection of hip-pop that gleams with sleek, silky R&B and disco influences....Read More

Thanks everyone, for all the submissions this week and the past two years. It’s been fun! Blonde: [sniffs] What is that? Brunette: Are you kidding? You know that smell. I know that smell. Blonde: [sniffs again] I can’t quite put my finger on it. Brunette: Honey, it was all over you last night, and you know it. Ho Plaza always smells like cum in the springtime! — Ho Plaza Chick: Ugh! I hate Ho Plaza this time of year! Dude: Why? Chick: It makes me feel really bad…guilty. Dude: Because it reminds you of how much you like the cock? Chick: And I can’t escape it! -Ho Plaza Sorority Girl: Jenna, this is my sister! Jenna B: ... Oh, your biological sister?! Hi! — Outside Ruloff's ...Read More

The Kooks lead singer, Luke Pritchard, might have slipped into a bit of a depression over a girl, but resisting the uppers was a great decision. This broken heart has written an album full of depressing lyrics that, somehow, doesn’t dishearten the listener. ...Read More

While I was in Los Angeles, Dana Brunetti — producer of the recent hit film 21 and head honcho at Kevin Spacey’s Trigger Street Productions — sat down with me to talk about their site, Triggerstreet.com, and how Hollywood interfaces with filmmakers through the internet. [Editor's Note: This is an extended version of the interview that appeared in the print edition of the May 1st, 2008 issue of The Cornell Daily Sun.] Matt Palmer: What’s the story behind Triggerstreet.com? ...Read More

Delightfully boisterous, the Brooklyn-via-Philadelphia band Santogold focuses a dizzying array of reggae-dub, groovy surf rock and buoyant pop melodies into a truly promising debut album. Led by front-woman Santi White’s shape-shifting vocals and bandmate John Hill’s scorching synthesizer play, Santogold does not linger in any single genre of music for too long — a scheme that works to stellar effect. ...Read More

Since this is probably going to be the last you hear from me for a while, I better give you some good scents for the summer. Eternity by Calvin Klein is a light, fresh and nonchalant cologne that is inoffensive and conservative. Even though this CK is as old as I am, it’s still modern and popular today because of its green, soapy and carefree nature — perfect for relaxing summer picnics on newly cut grass. For the ladies, I would recommend a fairly popular Estee Lauder release named Pleasures Intense. Everyone here is still young enough to flaunt it and that’s what Pleasures Intense does. It has some fragrant florals along with soft, quiet musks that will be perfect for a fun and flirty summer fling, whatever that might entail. ...Read More

One of the best things about the hip-hop duo Atmosphere is how articulate rapper Slug is. One of the worst things about When Life Gives You Lemons is how an army of overpowering instrumentals, led by louder-than-necessary snapping snare drums, negates whatever advantages clear vocals usually bring to an Atmosphere track. With the music out in front of the vocals, otherwise noteworthy beats grow mundane, rarely changing, which further diminishes the listening experience. Adding to the monotony of the album, most songs carry a dark, ominous tone; songs simply mesh into each other. The album lacks strong distinction among the individual tracks. ...Read More

Arsis have been the darlings of the brutal death metal underground since their dazzling 2004 debut, A Celebration of Guilt, which proved that Americans can incorporate beautiful melodies into a raging tornado of tremolo guitar riffs and blast beats even better than European contemporaries. Now Arsis has returned for their third album, We are the Nightmare, with a brand new lineup. After the disappointment of the last album, United in Regret, founding member Jim Malone decided to start writing catchy melodies again — Nightmare is definitely a heavy album, but when it’s not busy reaching in and tearing the listener’s spine out of his or her nose, the tear-dropping sense of melody from Celebration returns. ...Read More