Arts - The Spectrum

Rihanna’s 8th studio album is the pop star’s most conceptual album to date. But, despite its creative stretches, it is without a doubt Rihanna’s most complete pop album yet.

ARTS

Rihanna's ANTI has no opposition

By DARLENE BRUMFIELD | Feb. 16, 2016

Rihanna’s eighth studio album entitled ANTI reminds audiences everywhere why she’s such a bad gal.

This year the biggest winners from the awards show were Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd.

ARTS

And the Grammy for Most Drama goes to…

By MAX KALNITZ | Feb. 16, 2016

Taylor Swift gave the world all the drama it needed for the night when she called out Kanye West in her Album of the Year acceptance speech Monday, in retaliation to the rapper’s claim in a song that he made Swift famous.

The highly anticipated Marvel anti-hero movie saw a successful opening weekend, turning Valentine’s weekend red.

ARTS

'Deadpool' is witty and sustainably funny

By KENNETH KASHIF THOMAS | Feb. 14, 2016

The prospect of new superhero movies is far from new and getting routine to a degree, one of the many topics the red-suited, immortal “Deadpool” addresses.

Steak and Cake Record's fifth anniversary was celebrated this Saturday at Curly’s with a concert of many local Buffalo bands. Red Heat (pictured) was one of the bands who performed for the anniversary show.

ARTS

Happy Birthday, Steak and Cake Records

By GRACE TRIMPER | Feb. 14, 2016

Hannah O’Rourke, a SUNY Buffalo State graphic design student, said she couldn’t believe how much talent was in one basement. O’Rouke, along with other music lovers and friends and family of local musicians filtered in and out of West Side basement venue Curly’s Saturday night to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Brandon Schlia’s Buffalo-based independent music label, Steak and Cake Records, as well as Schlia’s 31st birthday.

The Writer’s Guild, a new club formed on UB, was founded to help develop the skills of anyone who is interested in writing fiction.

ARTS

Brand new Writer’s Guild aims to fill gap in club diversity

By Delmarie Lewis | Feb. 14, 2016

For Dan McKeon and his friends, there was something missing in the roster sheet of UB’s clubs. Among the plethora of on-campus organizations, McKeon did not see one that catered to those who want to write fiction. So he and his friends decided to create a club of their own.

Product placement is much more prevalent than most people think. From James Bond movies to Super Bowl speeches, product placement is everywhere.

ARTS

Product placement on the rise

By Luke Heuskin | Feb. 14, 2016

Peyton Manning’s post-Super Bowl 50 interviews treated Americans to more than the trivia of what the Broncos’ quarterback’s favorite brew is. Manning left no doubt that Budweiser – and none other than Budweiser – was the best way for the nation to go on celebrating his team’s victory, as he twice stated in postgame interviews that he would be drinking that brand of beer after the big win.

Steak and Cake Records, a local record label started by Brandon Schlia, will be hosting its 5th anniversary concert series at Curly’s on Saturday.

ARTS

Q&A: Steak and Cake Records turns 5

By GRACE TRIMPER | Feb. 11, 2016

Started in 2011, Steak and Cake has spent the past five years producing local indie, alternative and even hip-hop groups, including Schlia’s own rock band Red Heat. His Bandcamp page has a discography of almost 100 different projects and collaborations with musicians from across the City of Buffalo and beyond.

Future’s promotional mixtape for Evol, Purple Reign, was released on Jan. 17. The drug-addled rapper’s mixtape sounds like a cut of all the songs that didn’t make it on to Evol but it still is classic Future: hard beats and heavy hooks.

ARTS

Future reigns in wicked start to the year

By DARLENE BRUMFIELD | Feb. 11, 2016

Purple Reign’s track list includes “Super Future” delivering another masterpiece, without the need for featuring artists. The frenzy and increasing popularity Future has acquired can also be a result of his exclusion of featuring other artists – solely sticking to his grassroots of providing hard, gritty lyricism, with memorable ad-libs.

The upcoming Grammy Awards are being aired Feb. 15. Despite the Oscar’s current hype in the media, the Grammy Awards are always one of the biggest award shows in the world.

ARTS

UB students discuss upcoming Grammy’s

By DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA | Feb. 11, 2016

With all of the controversy surrounding this year’s Oscar nominees with the lack of diversity in the nominees, it can be easy to forget that the Grammy’s are right around the corner. On Feb.

Young Buffalo artists will be showcasing their talent and signature style referencing “Young British Artists” through BT&G. This is a free gallery for young Buffalo artists, including UB students, to show their unique work.

ARTS

February’s free time to-do list around Buffalo

By EVAN GRISLEY | Feb. 9, 2016

Cold, blustery February weather makes you want to stay in bed, but in a city like Buffalo that has to deal with plenty of snow and cold, there is still a lot going on.

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest project, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, follows the tumultuous misadventures of trappers in the rough wilderness as they face Indian attacks, blizzards and many, many gun fights.

ARTS

Will Leo’s change of pace in 'The Revenant''bring him his first Oscar?

By EVAN GRISLEY | Feb. 9, 2016

Film: “The Revenant” Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu Studio: FOX Studios Release date: Jan. 8

Max Collins, a Buffalo native studying as an MFA candidate for the University at Buffalo’s art department, is currently being featured in the BT&C gallery as a part of the Fresh: Series 1 installation downtown. THe series is centered around young, promising Buffalo artists and will be available to view until Feb. 27.

ARTS

UB graduate student premieres 'wheat-pasting' art work in downtown gallery

By MAX KALNITZ | Feb. 9, 2016

Max Collins is a traditional photojournalist who broke away from the one-dimensional aspects of photography to turn to a new passion, which combines his love for nature and his photographic trade into a different abstract art form using, of all things: white office paper.

Pusha T’s newest album Darkest Before Dawn made a splash in the heavily saturated rap-market last month. His album is a precursor for his upcoming project King Push.

ARTS

‘Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude’ has something to prove

By ALEXANDER BLUM | Feb. 9, 2016

Album:Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude Artist:Pusha T Label:G.O.O.D.

Matt Fraction’s Sex Criminals series is a monthly publication centered around two characters with the ability to freeze time when they orgasm. Follow the adventures of these sexual time-travellers in their award-winning comic about sex.

ARTS

Sex Criminals comics pull off wild concept with skill and humor

By DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA | Feb. 8, 2016

Title: Sex Criminals Writer: Matt Fraction Artist: Chip Zdarsky Release Date: Ongoing Grade: A+ When Suzie and Jon have sex, time stands still.

Here is The Spectrum’s annual sex playlist, R&B-themed. This year we filled the playlist with all of our favorite R&B late night jams.

ARTS

The Spectrum’s sex playlist: R&B edition

By BRIAN WINDSCHITL | Feb. 7, 2016

The past year has been killer for R&B music. From the The Weeknd’s domination of the charts to the inventive FKA twigs, the scene is bursting with promising new talent. For The Spectrum’s annual sex playlist, we decided to pick out some of our favorite R&B songs that are good for late nights.

Artist Cole Pawlowski has been working on an experimental series of paintings that use bodily fluids to prompt self-reflection on how we conceive of our sexuality.

ARTS

UB student Cole Pawlowski’s work turns to the human body for inspiration

By Luke Heuskin | Feb. 7, 2016

Artist Cole Pawlowksi has been channeling his creative muse since childhood, but the sophomore psychology major’s work has recently taken an experimental turn. In late 2014, he began work on a sex-themed series starting with the piece “37 Ejaculations: With Pollock in Mind.” “Yes, it is exactly what you think it is,” Pawlowski said.

ARTS

Sia’s This is Acting proves to be a successful mix

By FRANCESCA HARVEY | Feb. 4, 2016

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler released her seventh studio album on Jan. 29, 2016. When she’s not writing for other pop stars, she’s making music for herself.

Jimmy Hawkins, aka Rook Hawkins, dreams of making a more innovative Buffalo dance community for his son, so that his son can have the same opportunities he has had. He wants to create an all-inclusive community where the focus isn’t on the competition, rather, universal positivity and improvement.

ARTS

Local dancer Rook Hawkins looks to break down barriers

By BRIAN WINDSCHITL | Feb. 3, 2016

Jimmy Hawkins, or “Rook Hawkins” as he is commonly known in the dance world, is a 27-year-old dancer known in the Buffalo community for hosting dance events. He is trying to bring about a cultural and mental shift in the dance world.

Located behind McKinley Mall on McKinley Parkway in Buffalo, the Dipson McKinley 6 appears to be putting moviegoers to sleep with their new renovations.

ARTS

Dipson McKinley 6 proves worthy in comfort and price

By DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA | Feb. 2, 2016

Over the next several weeks, The Spectrum will be reviewing several local theaters in the Buffalo area and evaluating them on ticket prices, concessions, atmosphere, comfort and technical aspects so moviegoers can decide which theater to frequent as spring movies hit the big screen.

OPINION

J. Cole, your favorite 'woke' rapper, is probably a misogynist

By JAMES BATTLE | Feb. 2, 2016

It seems that the focus of social consciousness in rap is around black men, with women and people who identify as LGBT excluded and often attacked. Unfortunately this isn’t just a problem within rap. This has been a quite common belief regarding movements such as #BlackLivesMatter for quite some time.