The James Logan Courier

By Linh-Chi Nguyen, Courier Staff Writer

The seamless blending of soul and hard-hitting rock 'n' roll is hardly ever pronounced in music today. Emerging from the post-hardcore scene, the band Emarosa produces an album nothing short of disappointing. The sextets' self-titled sophomore album integrates a more structured sound while still maintaining the melodic rhythm expressed in their first full-length album titled Relativity. With several alterations that could be made in the next album, Emarosa could definitely be one of the most diverse sounding bands known today.

A positive contribution to the band is vocalist Jonny Craig's beautifully refined voice. Craig destroys all scene cliches with his unbelievable tone Since joining in late 2007, Craig perfectly fuses his euphoric R&B sound with the addition of Emarosa's crushing guitar riffs, resonating synth and complementary drumming.

By Julie Mendoza, Courier Entertainment Editor

The Runaways was an all girl American rock band in the 1970s established by the infamous Joan Jett. After meeting music producer Kim Fowley the two recruited Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, Sandy West, and Jackie Fox into their psychedelic music experience that became a commodity throughout the country. None of the girls were even eighteen when the band was formed which greatly increased their popularity. These young ladies refused to be underestimated by intimidating artists who assumed they didn’t know how to play their instruments. Their first appearances were at house parties, where they were taught how to handle the ruckus. The Runaways rocked to music that matched their raw qualities. Their lyrics consisted of rebelling against school and parental control. Some of their particularly enjoyable hits include “Cherry Bomb” and “Queens of Noise.”

During their road to fame the girls were treated like “dogs", a term that Kim Fowley often called them by as a high form of insult. He kept their earnings, put them in cheap motels, and rarely spent money nourishing them with proper meals. It wasn’t until they were signed and well into the life of stardom did they decide to turn on him, a decision any smart and rebellious girl would make.