Unplugged Assignment/The Day of Silence

   Basically, one of my first assignments at uni was to pledge to go without any form of 'new media' for 24 hours, and this report gives details of the painful experience...

      Just after midnight on 19/10/2010 I wasted time in any way I could; washing my hair, reading, writing this...but my bedroom remained eerily quiet. Already, I was bored, that we are not only dependant on new media for practicalities, but also constant information and entertainment. It felt similar to using no electricity because of how careful I had to be of what I did. Even getting into bed was a challenge without the light of my phone.

     When I first woke up the next day, I automatically hit my phone alarm and looked over at my wardrobe to read the reminder I had left myself about the day.

          My morning routine varied considerably; I couldn’t blare music from my iPod speakers, or turn on the radio, or turn my phone on to check my email, twitter, facebook, blog, text messages or phone calls. Getting ready was almost normal, but slightly on the quiet side with no last minute messages from friends.

          I had planned a trip to the beach with friends from my course, who were doing the same assignment, so that we could waste the silent hours together. We made sure we organised the trip days before, so that everyone knew what time to meet each other and where without the need for mobile phones on the day.

   The hardest thing for me was not being able to use my phone, which literally has everything on it. When I got my phone a few months ago I have relayed on it for everything! Ever since moving to uni about a month ago I have literally been inseparable from it because it is how I keep in touch with my family and friends back home, as well as those who have also moved away, so I already felt quite isolated.

     I figured I must have been without new media for at least twenty four hours before, perhaps when my Blackberry was being repaired, but I realised that I had passed the time by watching T.V or listening to music instead. Or perhaps during the seven weeks I have spent over seven years at a summer camp, where I feel little need for my iPod,  but then I realised I had always read Kerrang and listen to music before sleeping.

     The walk to meet my friends seemed a lot longer and colder than usual. It felt very odd having no iPod in my ears or phone in my hand telling them how late I was. Once everyone, eventually arrived, we drove to the beach, and during the very cramped journey, I craved the radio. When we sat down in a cafe I appreciated how much I usually multitask; it was so tempting to turn my phone on and quickly check my messages.

     Being at the beach with people who were undergoing the same torture made it a great deal easier to deal with. I thought about the last Facebook status I had left and the rapid phone calls and texts warning my family and friends of my absence from new media/the world for twenty four hours.

   The second cafe we stopped at was playing music as we walked in, and I have never been happier to hear the Beach Boys! During the walk I appreciated the scenery and...learnt how to skim a rock! Generally, this assignment strongly reminded me of my ‘holiday’ in Cornwall during the summer, but even then I had use of my phone and iPod.

   When I got home from the beach I became conscious of how quiet the house was without music, so to pass the time I ate. I’ve never claimed to be a great cook, but I can honestly say I have never cooked out of boredom...or done the washing for that matter! It was even an odd experience to do those things without looking at my blackberry or bringing my iPod speakers with me.

     After arriving home around 5pm and eating, I realised how tired I was.  I ended up sleeping until 10. When I woke up I could hear my housemate watching T.V.    

     I squandered the remaining hours by tidying my room, doing some more washing, and really taking my time getting ready for uni. I then got ready for bed and read downstairs for almost an hour (shock horror). I could hear cars passing, people walking past, my housemate’s T.V buzzing from upstairs, the clock ticking ever so slowly.

    When the clock hit midnight the first thing I did was go on twitter and Facebook and upload the pictures from the day, as well as check my phone messages. I know I like everything to be accessible which is certainly something new media provides me with.

    But all in all, I felt as if I could have (hypothetically) coped without new media for another day, which made me realise that I found the assignment easier than I first presumed. But it really struck me that my days are not just influenced by the media, but overbearingly controlled by it because of how much I relay on it and technology, which go hand in hand.

             I now know for myself that we use the media, especially the internet, in surplus and thrive on it daily for gaining and sharing information instantly, staying in touch and entertainment. I also know that if I had never been bought a Blackberry that I would be blissfully unaware of what I was missing and I considered that perhaps those who are isolated from the media constantly, are unaware of the media they are missing out on.  

The bolded sentence in the first paragraph was stolen from me xD
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/students-brave-24hour-technology-fast-2117482.html

You Me At Six - Hold Me Down (11/01/2010 Virgin Records)

    

     You Me At Six, a five-piece pop-punk band from Weybridge, England, manage to exceed expectations through this second studio album ‘Hold Me Down.’ Although some have labelled their debut ‘Take off Your Colours’ as simply another demo, I personally found it incredible. There has been a slight change in the band’s overall sound for this album, owing to their extreme success over the past few years.  Countless sell-out shows, matched with thousands of loyal fans have created a more mature, skilful band. This collection of twelve tracks truly reflects the band’s growth and adaptation, both as individual musicians and collectively.

 

     This is You Me At Six’s first major label debut, and expectations were high, yet as the band have progressed into more mainstream,  melodic musicians, their general success has been flourishing indefinitely. No doubt, supporting the likes of Fall Out Boy and Paramore on tour has assisted them in clambering further up the often generic pop-punk ladder.

    Polished, well-produced and punchy, ‘Hold Me Down’, begins with surround-sound police sirens and develops into a full- blown reverberation, immediately portraying that You Me At Six have discovered more of an individual sound.   ‘Underdog’, which was independently released as a single in February this year, bestows an apathetic judgement on a non-specified negative occurrence ‘...just look at the mess you made...’ , which allows listeners to affix the sentiment of the song to their personal familiarities . Despite the constant inclusion of idioms, for instance, ‘revenge loves company, three makes it a crowd...’ the song remains both catchy and engaging. Although, as typical of all pop-punk bands, the overriding topic of lyrics appears to be failing relationships, in which girls are either wholly impossibly unattainable, untrustworthy, or malicious creatures, denoted by lyrics such as ‘...Safer to hate her/than love her and lose her...’, extracted from fifth track ‘Safer To Hate Her.’ This is, no doubt, influenced by their own experiences.

        You Me At Six cannot be criticised for being generic, because although very American-influenced, the boys provide character to each track, which is encouraged by the album being entirely written by the band members themselves.  It is fair to say, this second album is somewhat darker, mainly in lyrical approach, than their previous work, but this makes certain that ‘Hold Me Down’ is set apart from You Me At Six’s debut ‘Take Off Your Colours’. Lead vocalist Josh Franceschi is a brilliant lyricist; his rare ability of expressing his emotions in an honest, witty and occasionally tongue-in-cheek form.  Jaunty tracks such as ‘Contagious Chemistry’ and ‘There’s No Such Thing...’ evoke typical teenage reactions to disloyalty ‘dearest enemy...’ whereas  penultimate track ‘Trophy Eyes’ intensifies the album’s personal quality, sparking many a music fan into realising people experience similar struggles to one another ‘...Shine so bright, behind those lies...’ Something this album incorporates in abundance
is the unbeatable element of honesty found in You Me At Six's lyrics. 

          Bulky riffs and chanty choruses make up the majority of the CD, which is deliberately blended in with more gentle, melodramatic ballads such as track 4, ‘Stay With Me’ and the final track ‘Fireworks’, which both brings a breathtaking components to the album. ‘Fireworks’ conveys emotional and sincere lyrics broadcast beautifully by the awesome vocal capabilities of the band’s frontman, twenty year old Franceschi. The track also provides a soft and steady finale, including lyrics with which any living teenager can utterly associate with, ‘’Cause I don’t know who I am...’ , terminating  an often stunningly-deafening sequence of tracks.

     Overall, the album appears carefully constructed, yet harsh criticisms constantly remain likely. As more alternative and indie music reaches the peaks of pop charts, there is, therefore, an improved likelihood of a band like You Me At Six gaining the success they deserve for their solid graft. Yet to become both accepted and unique, remains a continual challenge that so far, the band have administered admirably.

5/5

    So I've just started studying English at Bournemouth University, which going pretty well so far. I moved out of my home in London almost a month ago and now live in Bournemouth itself. Moving out for the first time, and almost starting your life all over again in a new place with new people can be daunting at the best of times, but settling in has actually been easier than I first thought.

     Basically, I'll be using this blog to write gig, album and possibly film reviews, as well as a copy of anything I write for the uni magazine or newspaper. The only thing I'm good at is writing, and the only things I'm incredibly passionate about are film and music (and Ewan McGregor, but let's not got there!),  so I know my fate lies somewhere within the three.


     I had a mini crisis just before moving to uni, because I realised I didn't want to write formal or factual journalism, but after talking things through with my mum I understood that I simply need to do what I love, which is what I intend to do after my degree (if I pass it, that is!) and practice before I finish my degree.


    :)