Arts & Culture

PROFILE | Pulling Punches

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On April 16, I had the opportunity to sit down with Pulling Punches for an interview. Pulling Punches consists of keyboardist Andrew Sposato ’27, guitarist Derek Block ’27, rhythm guitarist Lucas Mitchell ’27, bassist Lynden Cellini ’27, drummer Sam Cook ’25 and vocalist Stella Crawford ’27 — a big group, yes, and I was lucky enough to speak with five out of the six of them. What made this interview especially interesting was that the band has recently undergone a rebrand; once known as Compost, Pulling Punches is redefining itself — and its music. Courtesy of Derek Block

The band recently released their first original song as Pulling Punches, “Can You See This Through?” — a catchy, all-encompassing Smashing Pumpkins-esque track. Mitchell described this as an inspirational shift from songs like Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out” and Blur’s “Song 2” to a more alternative sound, or as he puts it, a “more bombastic” sound.

Arts & Culture

SOLAR FLARE | Songs for Grinding Out an Essay

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I know what you’re thinking: “A playlist to write an essay to? Did they run out of ideas already?” Fear not. I just happen to be a part of a niche group of people who enjoy listening to words while typing other words. Something about having a beat makes me more productive, and I know that there are others out there who feel the same way. I dedicate this playlist to you all.

Arts & Culture

“Yes, And?”: Ariana Grande is Unapologetically Herself in ‘Eternal Sunshine’

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It’s probable that at some point in the last few months, you’ve read or heard something about Ariana Grande’s controversial personal life. It’s also probable that you’ve listened to her cannonball of a response in the form of “yes, and?”, the first single from her album eternal sunshine. While I certainly have opinions on the topic, that’s not what I’m here to talk about. In eternal sunshine and eternal sunshine (slightly deluxe), Grande presents us with an eclectic collection of songs that provide a peek into her seemingly tumultuous world, running the gamut from sultry to heartbreaking. Starting off on a more pensive note in “intro (end of the world),” Grande sings “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship / Aren’t you really supposed to know that shit?”, revealing to us that she does, in fact, have relationship anxiety just like the rest of us.

Arts & Culture

Kelsea Ballerini Has Rolled Up the Welcome Mat for the Second Time, and It’s Even Better Now

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In 2023, country-pop standout Kelsea Ballerini surprise-released a six-song EP entitled Rolling Up the Welcome Mat centered around her very public divorce from Morgan Evans (ironic, since the EP was released on Valentine’s Day). This release was accompanied by a twenty-minute short film that depicted her experience song by song. On Aug. 1, 2023 she revealed to fans that she would be releasing an extended version of the EP, and on Aug. 11 Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) hit all platforms. I don’t ordinarily consider myself a country music fan, but I was absolutely blown away by the nuance, lyricism and just plain talent Ballerini exhibited in the original EP and short film as well as the extended version.

Arts & Culture

Joe Gatto: That Funny Guy from Staten Island

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On Friday, Dec. 1, comedian Joe Gatto graced the stage of the State Theatre of Ithaca. That’s right, Joe Gatto formerly of the show Impractical Jokers, which famously advertises to contain “scenes of graphic stupidity among four lifelong friends who compete to embarrass each other,” has visited Ithaca on his Night of Comedy tour. Although Gatto left Impractical Jokers in 2021, the show is still his most well-known work. I have been an Impractical Jokers fan for many years, so it was hard for me to imagine how Gatto would perform on his own, without the other members of the Tenderloins comedy troupe: Sal Vulcano, James “Murr” Murray and Brian “Q” Quinn.

Arts & Culture

The Rolling Stones Prove that (Hackney) Diamonds Truly Are Forever

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On Friday, Oct. 20, the Rolling Stones released their 24th album, Hackney Diamonds. This was their first album release in 18 years, and it included two songs recorded in 2019 with the Stones’ late drummer Charlie Watts, who died in 2021 at 80 years old. According to NPR, Watts had chosen Steve Jordan as his replacement should the need arise. In much of the lead-up to the record’s release, however, many seemed less concerned with the new percussionist and the content of Hackney Diamonds, but rather with the band members’ ages: Mick Jagger being 80, Keith Richards being 79 and Ronnie Wood being 76. 

Arts & Culture

Olivia Rodrigo Is Not “The Next Taylor Swift”

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Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo often make headlines, but now more than ever, the two of them seem to be a major topic of conversation. Taylor Swift’s burgeoning relationship with Travis Kelce has been talked about non-stop in the media, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is already reaching record-breaking ticket sales and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is set to be released at the end of this month. Olivia Rodrigo has largely been talked about in regards to the release of her sophomore album, GUTS, and the announcement of the accompanying world tour.