November 22, 2013 | www.bupipedream.com
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RELEASE
50th Anniversary of Dr. Who
Nov. 23 is a day that will go down in history. One of England’s most renowned cultural icons, One Direction, announced an entire day in its own honor for the release of their third album, “Midnight Memories.” All eyes will be on Harry, Liam, Zayn and the other two. No show about an eccentric time-traveling alien that’s coincidentally celebrating its 50th birthday on the same day will be able to compete. So to help keep things fair, here are some reasons why you should be excited for the 50th anniversary of “Doctor Who.” 1. Doctor-on-doctor action Isn’t it always fun to watch a crazy person argue with himself or herself? That’s actually a big part of the anniversary. The special Day of the Doctor will have the Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith, team up with his previous incarnation, the Tenth Doctor, played by David Tennant. Although they played the same character, each actor
brings an entirely different personality to the role. When the past and current doctors collide, it reaches a level of self-deprecation few could dream of. Everything from catchphrases to TARDIS interiors will be insulted. There’s even a new incarnation of the Doctor, played by John Hurt, whom the other two doctors refuse
to talk to. What better way to relate to an alien that’s lived for hundreds of years than knowing he also has to deal with an elderly, drunken relative around Thanksgiving? 2. Your friends won’t talk about “Doctor Who” as much If you haven’t been caught in a conversation with a diehard Whovian yet, consider yourself lucky. Many fans can’t contain themselves as the 50th anniversary approaches. This is not in a figurative sense either. If “Doctor Who” fans don’t openly fantasize about David Tennant’s hair once every 24 hours, they’ll become a danger to themselves and consider publishing their opinions on Tumblr. And 16-year-old girls will rip them to shreds in between writing fan fictions. There will be no mercy. Because of this, Whovians can become a mix of both confusion and annoyance to those around them who don’t watch the show. You get it,
bow ties are cool, and they’ve made their point already. Why won’t they just move on … Oh god, why are they talking about fezzes now… Fortunately, once the 50th anniversary comes and goes, you won’t have to worry about that so much. The fuel for the flames will be depleted. After about a week, they’ll all go back to complaining about why it’s taking so long to make the new season of “Sherlock.” 3. David Tennant is back! Honestly, this should be the only reason that counts. David Tennant, as mentioned before, is the man who played the previous incarnation of the Doctor from 2005-2010. He’s responsible for bringing many fans into the series. He brought the charm, charisma and bulging eyes of someone tweaking out on meth. It was, surprisingly, a much-needed addition to the series. He has been widely
regarded as one of the best actors for the role. His return is another chance to enjoy him and his hair. It’s just so fluffy. Like, goddamn, if you could run your hands through that beautiful mane, all the wisdom of the world would be at your fingertips, and everything would seem French as you screamed “Allons-y” at the top of your lungs. But it’s important to move on from that. 4. All the great new snacks you can make In an effort to celebrate, BBC has released recipes based off the series, which include mini Dalek cakes. The Daleks have been known to wipe out billions of lives for the sake of becoming the superior race, but don’t let that stop you from exterminating your hunger in the form of chocolate death. There’s also a recipe for fish
Photos Prov ided by BB C One
Liam O’Malley | Contributing Writer
Although they played the same character, each actor brings an entirely different personality to the role. fingers and custard. The odd pair was used as a joke on the show, but now the disgust can be genuine and in your own home.
Music from around the world under one roof The Music Alliance Pact is an global music blog for anyone looking for some new tunes Nathan Partridge | Staff Writer Have you ever wondered what good music is coming out of Japan these days? Or have you pondered what those metalhead Estonians are cooking up in Europe’s Baltic northeast? Have you even given any thought to the goings-on in Indonesia’s underground indie scene? The Music Alliance Pact is here to quench that thirst for new, global music. MAP, which celebrated its fifth anniversary last month, is an online
Have you pondered what those metalhead Estonians are cooking up in Europe’s Baltic northeast?
gathering of multinational and multilingual music blogs that releases a monthly playlist of songs selected by each blog to represent different countries’ new music. The project has grown immensely in its five years, from 12 participating blogs in the first edition in October 2008 to 35 in October 2013. Every blog represents a different country, and every continent besides Antarctica is represented. Release spoke with Jason Cranwell, MAP founder and editor of The Pop Cop, the collection’s Scottish contributor, about the project’s history, successes and where he hopes to take MAP in the future. MAP began as many ideas do: with the recognition of an issue and the realization that there is a better way to go about it. Cranwell began to notice just how much time he spent sifting through the hordes of music blogs searching for quality new music, and how much more difficult the task became when he factored in his interest in music from
other countries, many of which featured languages that he did not even understand. “Since there was -and still is- such an intimidating volume of new music out there, trying to discover which of it was actually worth listening to was a challenge in itself,” Cranwell wrote in an email. “You only have to look at the success of bands such as Sigur Rós to realize there is so much great music out there that doesn’t come from the over-exposed territories of the UK and North America, so I thought MAP would be the perfect way to unite a global audience.” The idea struck him: Why not take some of the greatest music bloggers from all over the world and get them together, in one place, to share their country’s best new music with readers and listeners of all different nationalities and backgrounds? Cranwell began enlisting some of his favorite music bloggers to join him and found that virtually everyone who heard his idea latched on immediately.
“In terms of putting it together for the first edition in October 2008, I simply emailed blogs that had the traits I was looking for in a MAP blog … explained the concept of the project and asked if they wanted to get involved. Pretty much all my first choices said ‘yes,’” Cranwell wrote. Organizing MAP is an understandably daunting task. Every blog chooses its own song for a given month’s edition and provides a short description of the piece and artist in English, but once they have finished and send it in, responsibility lies solely with Cranwell. “I set the deadlines and guidelines; I error-check, proof-read and edit every submission,” Cranwell wrote. “I liaise with all of the MAP bloggers, both collectively and individually, to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible; [and] I identify and recruit new members.” The success of the project can be seen in its growth. Regardless of readership, which is high due to the popularity
of the participating blogs, the project itself has grown to almost three times the size of its first edition. This month’s edition of MAP features a diverse array of music typical of its recent playlists, including songs in English (sung mostly by non-native speakers from Asia, Europe and beyond), Spanish, Portuguese and even Indonesian, as well as instrumentals ranging from subtle acoustic atmospherics to post-hardcore. That means that readers of The Pop Cop or any of the other participating blogs are discovering more good music from more countries and in more languages, which is exactly what the project was created to do. “I am very proud of what MAP achieves,” Cranwell wrote. “It uses the principles of internet teamwork and global collaboration to increase the exposure of some of the best up-and-coming artists out there, while offering blog readers one of the most diverse, free-to-download compilations to be found on the net every month.”
MAP has grown so much more than expected that it is sometimes hard for Cranwell to keep up. While he has entertained thoughts of a MAP festival or tour, at the moment he is happy to continue doing what has made MAP a resounding success and what has pleased independent music fans from around the world. MAP provides a great service to the modern, globalized world: It breaks down some of the last barriers that separate us in a hyper-connected world and allows us to come together and celebrate the things that make us, our countries and our cultures unique. In a world where cultural differences have historically been dividers, it turns the equation on its head, for the better. MAP is published on all participating blogs on the 15th of every month, with links to each blogger accompanying their respective song selection for the month. Readers can find this month’s edition of MAP on Cranwell’s blog, The Pop Cop.