Art Student of the Week: Megan Willy by Matthew Jones
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The RetrIever Weekly 11.06.07 ARTS 15 Victory Records releases “best of” Taking Back Sunday album in desperate attempt to survive Liz Omberg it. I wish that there were new tracks riffs; along with Mark O’Connell on CONTRIBUTING WRITER on the album but since terms are so drums, it leads to a solid rock track. explosive between their former label Lyrics are a hit or miss event with this Victory Records (you know the one and the band I am surprised it was band. For some songs I caught myself with the bulldog logo) is falling apart released in the fi rst place. giving my computer a disgusted look at the seams. Their last hit bands, The Notes track list is below expec- wondering what they just said, like in Hawthorne Heights and Atreyu, have tations and includes six songs from “This Photograph is Proof (I Know You not only lost their popularity and their Where You Want to Be, released in 2004, Know)” when Lazzara sings, “Now I’m spots on ironic MTV countdowns but four songs from the more popular and lying on the table/with everything you have left the label. Hawthorne Heights more creative Tell All Your Friends from said.” Honestly, I do not remember has sued the label for publishing false 2002 and two B-sides. First of all, if the last time I was doing any thinking quotes in the bands name, hurting the you are going to make a compilation while lying on a table, but I guess what reputation of the band. So, with every- CD, it should have a selective process ever works for him. The lyrics can be thing looking down and out for Vic- of choosing the songs (the whole ‘best personal, which I admire, and usually tory, they decided the best thing was of’ thing). The CD includes the ab- are obviously from personal experi- not to discover a new alternative band, solute hits like “Cute Without the ‘E’ ence. In “Number Five With A Bul- but to produce a compilation CD of (Cut From the Team)” and “A Decade let,” that seems to be case in the verse, the most popular songs (not best Under the Infl uence,” but the album “Spend the night listening to Miles Da- songs) of their poster children and lacks a fl ow in its 46-minute span. vis/ You said it makes you want to fall last hope, Taking Back Sunday. The TBS gained the biggest notoriety and in love/ or be smart enough to keep band has since followed in the steps “break” with their 2006 release Louder your distance/ You can’t decide.” Even of others and have left the label but Now, which surprisingly has no rep- though the CD is a failed comeback for not before Victory could release Notes resentation on the album. Notes also the band who is releasing a new DVD From The Past. leaves out some crucial tracks such as later in November, the tracks still have I had heard a rumor that Taking “Set Phasers to Stun” and “Great Ro- that TBS pop-punk charm. Back Sunday was releasing a new mances of the 20th Century” which I think that if you are new to TBS album and was lucky to fi nd it on were both good enough at the time to and need a good introduction, this CD iTunes. Victory producer Tony Brum- be released as singles but apparently will do a stand up job. It gives you the mel was adamant about none of the not good enough to be included in basics and is a useful album for those bands he produced being on iTunes this album. crappy days that getting midterm because it “takes the soul out of mu- TBS has always been successful at grades back can bring. However, if sic” but when record sales dropped his matching the lead vocals of Adam Laz- you are a loyal fan and have their prior mind seemed to change. When trying zara with the back-up vocals of recent- albums then please save yourself the to fi nd information about the album I ly announced retired Fred Mascherino $17 and buy yourself something nice. was skeptical and a little sketched out (“A Decade Under the Infl uence”). In because there is no indication on the one of the B-side tracks, “The Ballad of Liz Omberg is a Contributing offi cial TBS website that this CD is be- Sal Villanueva” the band speeds up the Writer for The Retriever Weekly COURTESY WARNER BROS. RECORDS ing released. Meanwhile, the Victory tempo and Edward Reyes does an im- and can be reached for comment > Will the talented Taking Back Sunday be enough to salvage Victory Records’ stock? Records website publicizes it and sells pressive job on the guitar with catchy at [email protected]. Art Student of the Week: Megan Willy by Matthew Jones dad in the service. Because of this, ing numbers and calculations. she grew up in many places: Florida, You get the impression that Me- Pennsylvania, Washington, Massa- gan is someone who has a great work chusetts, California, and Maryland, to ethic. She mentioned how she would name a few. It wasn’t until she started rather animate than go out with peo- to attend UMBC that she realized her ple. She also claims that animators get true interest in art. As a freshman, she very little sleep because so much work didn't know what to major in until is involved to make a 30 frames-per- she took one art class and realized it second piece. Because of not always was the major for her. Even though going out, she said that she doesn’t her parents said they were support- really care what people think of her ive, she wanted to make them more and maybe that is because she doesn’t at ease by not simply majoring in art. like to keep friends very long. She said She professes that her parents are very that being in a military family, she was happy with her educational choices moving a lot and never made friends and stand behind her 100 percent. for more than two years at a time. Willy admits that when it comes to In fact, she doesn’t have friends for > Artist Megan Willy her art passion, she is not a one medi- more than two years now because “it um sort of girl; oh no, she likes to ex- is a habit: you get so used to it that it Some people might assume that a periment with all different mediums becomes your nature.” child who was raised in the military and forms of expression. Even when I She did say that she likes to “blast would be a hard-minded, very abrupt fi rst met her, I was under the immedi- music and dance around [her] room and demanding individual. That was ate impression that she was someone alone everyday.” Maybe this is what not the case for this week’s Art Stu- who wanted to push the envelope keeps her sane with her busy work- dent of the Week. Her name is Megan of creativity and originality. She said load. Megan has also shown her Willy and she is a senior who will be that her main infl uences for her art artwork in student exhibitions and graduating this fall. She is working work are her studies with cultural an- wanted it noted that on December toward a double major in Cultural thropology. She said that while most 7, at 10 a.m. in the visitor center, the COURTESY MEGAN WILLY Anthropology and Animation with a anthropologists record their fi ndings NASA Godard Space Flight Center will > Artist Megan Willy draws much of her inspiration from her studies in minor in Art History. in books, she does it through her art be displaying a fi lm project that the cultural anthropoly. Upon graduation in December, Me- work. military has been working on where gan would like to pursue her academic Megan is also a girl of artistic ex- ist that inspires them and their work, she has very rarely had a bad class- video is projected onto a sphere and career further by attending graduate perience. Over this past summer, she she doesn’t have one. She likes each room experience. She said, “It is the can be viewed at every angle. This is school with the hopes of becoming an was working with the military and and every artist and respects their teacher that makes a class good, not also being put on by the IRC. art teacher. She is looking into two was paid to animate images to help contributions. the course material.” But she didn’t schools: Cal Arts and Tisch. Her main with various military functions. She When asked about her favorite forget to mention that her least fa- goal is to have artistic freedom of ex- has also worked with the Imagining class at UMBC, Megan did not hesitate vorite class at UMBC was Astrology. Matthew Jones is a Staff Writer pression and medium. Research Center's (IRC) Fellowship to mention her introductory course to She thought it would be about the for The Retriever Weekly and can Before attending UMBC, Megan Program, “Shout.” She claims that cultural anthropology. She says that stars, but was horribly surprised that grew up in a military family with her be reached for comment at while most people have a favorite art- this was her favorite class and that it was mainly comprised of memoriz- [email protected]..