The things we watched, listened to and streamed when we weren't enjoying the sunshine and warm weather this weekend.
"THE OFFICE"
Last spring, I watched all of "The Office" in about one month. That was the second time I watched it all the way through and I'm currently in season five of my third go-around. If you haven't seen the show, the 20-minute episodes are perfect for a college student on the go. Plus it's on Netflix. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica. (Justin Maskulinski, assistant news editor)
"TOUCH FIVE" BY PHIL NIBLOCK
This 2013 release is one of my favorites for close listening at intense volumes (Niblock recommends and performs around 100-120 Db of intensity) or studying and reading at moderate volumes. Niblock is a pioneer in minimal/microtonal sound art. Touch Five is a collaboration/compilation album of layered loops and recorded instruments wherein Niblock explores - with other sound artists - long, almost geologically slow sounds looking closely at texture and microtonal movements. For readers looking for an immersive study or reading atmosphere in headphones or through a sound system, this album delivers plenty of opportunity. (Kyle Hayden, design editor)
"THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION"
Last Tuesday, PBS aired the documentary, "The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution," written and directed by Stanley Nelson Jr. Given the recent uproar over Beyonce's Super Bowl half-time performance, as something of an homage to the Black Panther Party, this documentary couldn't have been any timelier or needed. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover at the time said the BPP "represents the greatest threat to the internal security of the country," pledging 1969 would be the last year of the Party's existence. While this documentary doesn't seek to place the BPP on a pedestal, it does show how revolutionary they were in standing up against gun control, reaffirming urban black as beautiful and engaging with the black community through initiatives like the Free Children's Breakfast Program. (Brett Milam, online editor)
"EVERYDAY PEOPLE" BY JEFF BUCKLEY
This song is the perfect preview to the March 11 release of "You and I," a posthumous album of previously unreleased songs from the late singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley. Buckley has been my favorite artist since I listened to his most famous album, "Grace." Hearing his voice on "Everyday People" reminds of how tragic it is that someone with so much musical talent as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter passed away at such a young age. Interspersed with little scats and rhythmic taps on the guitar, this song is likely more lighthearted than the songs to be released on "You and I," but it's still as authentically Jeff Buckley as "Hallelujah." (Emily Williams, assistant news editor)
"CARNAVAL" BY MALUMA
Need a new jam for the gym, a pick-me-up song or an anthem to live by? Maluma, one of the world's most popular reggaeton singers, is for you. In his song Carnaval, he sings about living life to the fullest. The lyrics of the chorus read "no hay que sufrir, no hay que llorar. Lo malo se ira todo pasara. La vida es una y es un carnaval," which translates to "there's no need to suffer, there's no need to cry. All the bad things will pass. This is one life, and it's a carnival." My favorite line is "levanta ya tu mano que vinimos a gozar" - "lift your hands because we came to enjoy." (Grace Remington, sports editor)