Lights - Siberia - Lights Music

Siberia is the second studio album by Canadian musician Lights, released on October 4, 2011. It was preceded by the first single off of the album, “Toes”. Artists making guest appearances on the album include Canadian electronic band, Holy Fuck, and rapper Shad. Lights indicated a dubstep influence on the album, stating “I don't think I've incorporated it totally, but there's a lot of dubstep in there. I've been listening to Skream, Benga and all the stuff they did with Magnetic Man and Skrillex too. The heavy beats and the sparseness, it hit me in a really special way.”

While this album might be heavier and might feel like a departure from the poppier feel of her first studio album, The Listening, from the first song out off the album, “Everybody Breaks a Glass” (ft. Holy Fuck and Shad), Lights assures fans it isn’t, “I've led off with the most extreme one. I mean there are songs on the record that are much grittier and much darker, but there’s poppier moments too. I've put one of the most different ones out first.”

This album is definitely worth your hard-earned dollars. It might be different from what you’re used to from Lights but a good always artist always changes their sounds, if they didn’t then it’d be incredibly boring and safe.

Fun fact: “Day One”, the final song on Siberia, was the last 9 minutes of Lights’ and Holy Fuck’s first ‘jam’ session, completely live electronics.

My favourites: “Cactus in the Valley” and “Flux and Flow” (ft. Shad).

(Quotes source: NME)

-mm

My Chemical Romance, Neon Trees and The Architects / MacEwan Hall / Calgary, Canada / April 6, 2011

April sixth was the day that Crash Queens, Motor babies, and Killjoys alike gathered. Even though the show was in Calgary there were people from Vancouver, Winnipeg, and everywhere else just to see their favourite band perform.

The fans, also known as the MCRmy, bonded and cards were handed out for lead singer, Gerard Way’s birthday just three days later. 

The last time My Chemical Romance graced Calgary with their presence, it was nearly four years ago with their Black Parade World Tour.  They played the Saddledome and it was a theatrics filled show with all the pyro you could imagine.

This time around they opted for the small and intimate venue, MacEwan Hall for their World Contamination Tour.  The hall was the perfect place to have the show because the new album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys had an apocalyptic theme to it. The venue had an industrial feel to it that fit the theme perfectly.

The first band to perform was The Architects. Formerly known as The Gadjits, this band opened the show with a bang. The Architects brought a heavier sound the table than one would have expected for the first warm-up act. They had excellent stage presence and seemed to really enjoy being there.  They had a surprising punk sound and the crowd seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.

The next band was Neon Trees known for their hit song, Animal.  Even though this was an MCR show, the fans were really into Neon Tree’s act.  Lead vocalist, Tyler was strutting around on stage and the guitarist’s were showing people what they could do, feeding off the crowd’s energy.  The band had a female drummer, Elaine, and she was mesmerizing to watch. Sitting quietly in the background, she let her sticks show us just how talented she was. The anchor of any good band is its drummer, and she did her job extremely well.

After a daring thirty minute set change, Look Alive, Sunshine started to play over the speakers as the band took the stage. They started off with Na Na Na. The show was an amazing and during it the crowd was sent into a fit of dancing, fist pumping, crying, and singing it for the world.  During Planetary (GO!), a song that has been known to send fans into a frenzy, the MCRmy was jumping and dancing as if they couldn’t get enough. The crowd’s energy was infectious and it even got non-fans screaming and singing along.

It seemed that for every song off their new album, My Chemical Romance treated the crowd to an old favourite. They played Famous Last Words, one of their biggest hits, and the crowd roared “I am not afraid to keep on living” as if their lives really did depend on it.

Lead singer, Gerard Way asking to see which audience members were experiencing their first MCR show and thanking the older fans for being nice to the new ones, stomping his booted foot on the elitism experienced at many other shows; rhythm guitarist, Frank Iero, known for his excessive movement on stage was more laid back; lead guitarist, Ray Toro, who is an amazing guitarist often being compared to Slash.  The star of the show though had to be bassist Mikey Way. Mikey, known for his shyness and tending to stay at the back of the stage was up front and center. During the final song The Kids from Yesterday, Mikey got a solo staying on stage with tour drummer, Mike Pedicone. He made eye contact with the crowd and showed everyone the rockstar he truly is.

My Chemical Romance’s North American tour will continue until late May before the band will depart for a short run of European festival shows.

- mm

Stay Beautiful

I have Scoliosis. It’s where your spine curves. I’ve had it my whole life. I’ve gotten more than twenty surgeries because of it. It makes me look like a hunchback. I’ve been fortunate, until now, to go to school with the kindest people. People that don’t make fun of me for my disability. People that don’t judge a book by its cover.

I entered high school last year a bit nervous but grade ten went by fine and this year I’m in grade eleven. This year was the first I’ve been bullied about my disability. I was called a hunchback by someone who doesn’t know anything about me. Someone who doesn’t even know my name.

I didn’t know about this until last night. I cried for two hours straight last night and this morning I confronted the person who denied it. Bullies do that, they always deny what they’ve said. It could be worse though. He could’ve called me a hunchback to my face.

My school has about 1,700 students. There are tons of kids with disabilities. You’d think they’d be used to it by now, seeing as they’ve been going to school for seven months now. I guess not.

I used to be the little girl who wondered why she didn’t have any real friends. I was the little girl who never had a proper childhood because she was in and out of hospitals. Even now my self esteem isn’t the highest. Hearing that someone could be so cruel broke me. Every day I have to see the scars that litter my back. Every day I have to deal with what I have.

Bullying is not funny. Bullies do not have a happy ending. They end up alone when high school ends, all their friends having matured.  Bullies end up sad, lonely people while the victims of their abuse go do something amazing. The victims find a way to change the world.

For those who have been bullied about their looks or anything else about them, remember this. Don’t let anybody tell you who you have to be and what you have to look like. You’re beautiful just the way you are. Stay beautiful and keep it ugly.

- mm