New Music: The xx

    The xx is an indie rock band from London, England, formed in 2005. It's made up of four teenagers, around 19 or 20 years old, who met in highschool. They made their debut in 2009 with an album titled xx, and Crystalised became one of their most popular songs. It's my favorite of theirs. This turned them a bit more mainstream, and they even performed at lollapalooza this summer. I still wouldn't say they're completely mainstream though. The band has a very unique style, which is really hard to describe, but most of their songs are soft and almost dream-like. It's a simple and subtle sound, but they make it work. I think it's also relaxing. Crystalised isn't one of my all-time favorite songs, but every once in a while it's really nice to hear something different. They have male and female vocals, which is a little uncommon, and towards the end they do a harmony which I think really adds to the song. Here it is:

Better Poem

Winter is that time when the days get shorter,

the weather gets colder,

snow covers the ground.

But winter is a time for fun,

skiing, sledding, skating,

or just go for a run.

Winter is a time for giving.

We should think of others,

help them keep on living.

And winter is that time when you can sit by the fire,

watch the world growing whiter,

under a blanket of snow.

Jay and Nick

     Now that we're reading The Great Gatsby in class, reading every night is a lot more enjoyable. Not only is it easier to understand than The House of the Seven Gables, but it actually has a plot. The two main characters in the story, Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, have a confusing relationship. Gatsby eventually finds out that Nick is a cousin of Daisy Buchanan, the woman Gatsby loves, but it's unclear when. If he found out after he invited Nick to the party it would prove that he actually had some interest in him, and wasn't just using him to get to Daisy. Gatsby was very friendly towards Nick; he invited him to the party even before they met. Right after they met he invited him to use his hydroplane, and other things later on. All these offers could be for either reason, or more likely a mix of the two. He does seem to have some genuine interest in Nick as a friend. He offered Nick a business proposition to make some money on the side. He said, "It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing." Nick wasn't interested. Gatsby wouldn't involve him in something like that if he was only using him to get to Daisy. At the very least it shows he trusts him.

Snowflake Battle Poem

 Slippery Slope

A Haiku

Skis glide over snow.

Speeding past the scenery.

Pristine slopes pure white.