Lucky Number 7

Submitted by Alyssa Gephart of the TJ Times:

The iPhone has been a pop culture symbol of change in the modern era, and with the new iOS 7 operating system of the device, Apple has worked to maintain this image with the development of a simpler, easier to use software. After months of waiting since the June announcement of the update, owners of the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, and now the 5C and 5S have access to the software. While owners of iPhones are mostly seen as adaptive to change, some are not. Apple's new OS, when compared to those its iOS6 predecessor, contains drastic changes. Most notable of these is the newly updated, simplistic theme of the home screen and Apple-Created apps (safari, music, weather, clock, ect.). The fresh theme of the device continues with the Control Center, a central hub of settings for the iPhone ranging from brightness control, to a calculator, to a flashlight.

Also accessible from the Control Center is the updated Photos app. The revised application allows users to choose from a variety of different camera functions, such as adding Instagram-esque filters on pictures taken right from your iPhones built in camera. The much needed overhaul of the app allows for greater ease of use, which is a central theme in all Apple updates. Music, an essential component of most portable Apple products, is not forgotten in the update’s attempt at making a simpler and easier to use device. iTunes radio is Apple's newest music-based endeavor, aimed at reducing user dependence upon third party apps such as Pandora and iHeartRadio. While sharing music via radio is prevalent in iOS 7, a new sharing technique has been pioneered by Apple. Proximity sharing, seen in the new Air Drop function, uses Bluetooth technologies to share images, videos, and messages with your contacts and other iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S owners with the touch of a button, all by an encrypted file and without the need for cellular data. Following this theme of low reliance on cellular data is the release of FaceTime Audio, a newly developed addition to the current FaceTime application. FaceTime Audio allows for voice communication over Wi-Fi to other iPhone users with FaceTime, giving consumers the ability for phone-like conversations without having to use minutes or be hassled by providers. Apps such as this which iOS 7 bring with it are the core of the update. Essentially, Apple has seen what its third party application creators have made and said "We can make it better," and they have. The changes found within the 667MB file are radically different than the previous updates to the device, bringing about a new style, new simplicity, and a new outlook for the future of the company. iOS 7 effectively made the future of Apple look ripe.

Album Review: The Carpenter by the Avett Brothers

Album Review By Sammie Garfinkel

The Carpenter Album Art
Source: theavettbrothers.com

Much awaited by devoted fans, The Carpenter comes as a relief for many as it has brought something different for listeners to expect. Those who have listened to the band from its earliest self titled EP in 2000 would confirm this album as the Avett Brothers’ smooth transformation from a somewhat bluegrass folk combo into a soft-rock sound. The band’s newest release, The Carpenter composes its known sweeter sound that listeners know from I and Love and You, but is also able to hold its long standing raw country roots within the harmonies. It is safe to say that the Avett Brothers are pushing forward into a new identity. This album is a testament that reflects the
balance between their pop ambitions and holdings with their traditional bluegrass folk recordings.

The emotionalism of this album depicts what fans love about Avett. The listeners “get took for a ride every time...” with "Down With the Shine", a harmonic confection of their classic banjo-plucking sound and notable songcraft that Avett has so effortlessly created. Life later takes the form of a polite composition of compelling lyrics and a solemn feeling.

Simply put, the theme of death is prominent throughout the Avett Brothers’ work, but is emphasized in this album with a daunting fear. There is also a palpable conflict between good and evil that serves as the somber reminder of the darkness in man.

Scott Avett recently told Rolling Stone, ”I don’t know if the closeness to our hearts that some of these songs have will translate to the people. But I know how impactful and how heavy it is for us.” As a devoted listener, I feel a strong connection at all of their music, but this album especially. There is a sobering truth in the song "February Seven" that encompasses why I love Avett so much: “There's no fortune at the end of the road that has no end, There's no returning to the spoils Once you've spoiled the thought of them, There's no falling back to sleep Once you've woken from the dream, Now I'm rested and I'm ready, I'm rested and I'm ready to begin....”

Sammie Garfinkel is a WYEP 91.3FM intern, as well as a Re(imagine) Media contributor. 

Album Reviews are submitted by the Re(imagine) team to the blog on an individual basis. For more information, or to join the Re(imagine) media team, please email Matthew Spangler at matthew@wyep.org