4/5 Stars

The Clash is one of those bands whose music remains relevant to every decade and is important for the freedom to express political ideas through music. The Clash was not the first punk rock band to use music as a political strategy with equally political U2 to compete with. However, they were certainly the most effective in the delivery of their music ideas, so much so that their catchy tunes are played over and over again on classic rock radio stations. In 1982, they released their most successful album “Combat Rock.” 

To cease misconceptions, The Clash is not your parents’ typical band, reaching their height around the 80s, yet still popular with youthful generations through familiar, political themes. The Clash was known to use themes of religion, government and climate change as inspiration for their songs. The band became an inspiration for popular 90s punk bands Green Day and Rage Against the Machine.

The band broke up in 1986, but they’ve come together a few times to perform for benefit concerts and joined musician Damon Albarn on his “Gorillaz” tour.

The band was made up of English musicians Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Nicky Headon. “Combat Rock” was the last album to feature the original lineup before the band let go of Headon for excessive drug use. The album features two of The Clash’s most popular singles, “Rock the Casbah,” which is about Iran’s ban of Western music in 1979 and “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” which became the anthem of many political statements. It opens with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs and notable Spanish lyrics as backing vocals to make the song an instant classic in the rock genre. The song is also used as a pivotal plot device in season one of the Netflix show “Stranger Things.”

“Combat Rock” should not only be remembered for only two of their greatest pieces of music, as it is the other 10 songs on the record that make it a radical piece of art. Drawing on themes of religion and anti-war sentiments, the album is a motif for the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Songs such as “Straight to Hell” discuss the abandonment of children during the war and the jazzy sounding “Seann Flynn” is about a photojournalist who disappeared while reporting on the war.  

The album is often described as melancholic and a trippy, foreboding reflection of the war. The compositions of a few of the songs, “Straight to Hell” and “Red Angel Dragnet,” transport us to the sounds of the Vietnam jungle with the use of whistles and rhythmic drumming. The Clash, like The Police, was heavily influenced by reggae music. Their early music, for example, “London Calling,” has a reggae sound to it. “Combat Rock,” however very minimal, uses the reggae sound and begins to embrace more of a post-punk, experimental sound that captures the angst and frustration from the war.

On Feb. 22, the Innovative Media Research and Commercialization Center (IMRC) hosted media artist Alexis Hope from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab for a lecture on the use of hackerspaces for design purposes. The IMRC, located in Stewart Commons, hosts six presentations each semester that are free and open to anyone in the community.

“[Artists] cover a wide range of practices from 2D, photography, video, performance, sound art and social practices,” said Susan Smith, director of intermedia programs. The presentations can be viewed in person or virtually.

“Intermedia is committed to bringing a diverse roster of artist practitioners, both emerging and well-established artists, representing the gamut of creative practice,” said featured artist Alexis Hope. “Students can hear how professional artists are not only making, but supporting themselves through their work. Theories, philosophies behind the works are discussed, and students have the opportunity to talk to the artist themselves about topics of their choosing.” 

Hope has contributed to some scientific advancements in the media lab. For example, she helped contribute to the expansion of accessible scientific tools that can be easily used in typically uncooperative environments such as deep-sea surveillance and data collection. 

Hope is also a part of Lifelong Kindergarten, a research group that is built on the principle of constructivism. Lifelong Kindergarten developed the software SCRATCH, a programming language for children that uses blocks that kids can stack and create code. 

Hope’s lecture covered her thesis on the use of Hackathons to promote community innovation. Hackathons are a recent form of community gathering that was centralized to the technology industry. These gatherings occur as a weekend seminar where people from diverse organizations and institutions trade ideas or strategies to create more effective technology advancements. Technology companies would use these events to scout out potential hires or features they could use in their platform. However, Hope and her team used Hackathons to tackle an issue infrequently in the spotlight: breastfeeding. 

The idea came from her fellow student at MIT who began to express distress over the atmosphere of breast pumping in the workplace. She recognized that there was no safe space for her to pump as she would begin the painful process of breast pumping with outdated equipment on the bathroom floor. She would rather breastfeed her child, but that was not an option. Breastfeeding is not an option for 25% of moms that go back to work after maternity leave. Many women go back to work 10 days after their child is born, which many express is hard for their unhealed bodies and mental health. 

“‘Inventing the future’ is the motto for MIT’s media lab, so why are women and children left in the past?” Hope said. 

It was with this idea in mind that Hope and her team, with the help of a post that went viral and the emails of thousands of moms, that they contacted local organizations to create a Hackathon that was a safe and open space where women could share their ideas for a more effective way of breast pumping and dissolve the stigma of the post-pregnancy experience in the workforce. 

“Solutions for the problems came from the community,” Hope said. “People can be experts on their own problems and the solutions that surround them.” 

The Hackathon proved to be successful and occurred yearly after the first meeting in 2018. Women not only found ways to create changes to the breast pump itself, but found ways for women in socio-economic hardships a safe way to feed their children. For instance, a woman from New Orleans created a disaster relief kit that allowed for women affected by natural disasters to pump safely. She raised enough funds to create a prototype and marketed it to the Red Cross. From there, the kit was distributed to clinics around the New Orleans area. 

The Hackathon, however, is still a new platform. There have not been many other organizations or institutions that have used it to bring awareness to these problems like Hope has. But in recent years, Hope has seen Hackathon growing in popularity. 

“Who’s in the room [at a Hackathon] really changes what is addressed at one,” Hope said.

“We publicize the event schedule on our university website and always run on the digital sign at the football field,” Smith said. “Access to virtual events can be had by emailing umaineintermedia@maine.edu.”

For more information on upcoming events, visit the IMRC website at https://imrccenter.umaine.edu/.

During these cold Maine months, there has been one dish that’s given me warmth and comfort; pad thai, a staple dish found in any Thai restaurant that never disappoints. Pad thai serves as an instant serotonin boost on those dreary winter days, warming the body and soothinge the heart with each indulgent bite. Pad thai never gets old. It can be eaten on a daily basis and it will remain the same wonderful splash of flavor with each serving. 

Pad thai is a light stir fry noodle dish that consists of rice noodles dressed in a tangy, yet sweet “pad thai” sauce. The sauce consists of garlic and onions combined with a fish sauce and a pinch of palm sugar to produce the sweetness found in the dish. Many Thai restaurants will advertise the dish with little to no spice, but the heat of the dish can be increased upon the customer’s request. Finally, with some crushed peanuts and a squeeze of lime, the dish can be served with your choice of meat that the restaurant provides or the equally tasty vegetable option. It is a delicious option for vegetarian and gluten free diets that can also be modified to accommodate other allergies.

I have had the pleasure of enjoying a few of the Thai restaurants that surround the Bangor and Orono area, and I am happy to report that while each restaurant serves this dish in its own way, they never stray away from the proper pad thai dish. 

Here are a few of the restaurants in the Bangor or Orono area that have quality pad thai if you’re looking to try some: 

Thai Orchid: 5/5

This is the go-to spot for when the pad thai craving hits. It’s only a 20 minute walk from the University of Maine campus, and well worth it for their delicious pad thai. The chicken pad thai is more savory than sweet, which is perfect if paired with a boba tea. They give you a perfect portion of noodles that can be finished in one sitting and leaves you in a good mood. No need to worry about over-eating here.

MamaDs: 4/5

MamaDs has definitely the most authentic pad thai in the Bangor area. It is a perfect balance of flavors, and the crunchy bean sprouts complement the dish’s overall appeal. The portion size is huge. There will be leftovers. However, the 20 minute drive into Bangor from UMaine knocks MamaDs one star lower than Thai Orchid. Food-wise, it is as good as Thai Orchid.

Thai Etc: 3.5/5

Thai Etc has a large menu, so its pad thai is very simple. It was very sweet for the amount of food you get, and could have used some onions or spice to balance it out. It’s good, but similarly to MamaDs, it is a bit of a trip away from campus. 

Pad thai typically has a higher price tag than other go-to takeout, so it is not the most conducive to a college student’s budget. However, the quality of the dish, and the portion sizes each restaurant serves, makes up for the price and is worth trying at least once. 

5/5 Stars

Massachusetts-based indie rock band Vundabar was created in 2013. The two founders, lyricist, guitarist and lead singer Brandon Hagen and drummer Drew MacDonald, formed Vundabar while in high school. They were soon joined by bassist Zac Abramo. To date, they have released four albums: “Antics,” “Gawk,” “Smell Smoke” and “Either Light.”

Sweeping across TikTok, Vundabar has been gaining more attention these past few months. Their song “Alien Blues” has increased in popularity on Spotify with over four million streams to date, a sharp rise from their 100,000 streams in 2018.

In February of 2020, a month before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Vundabar released their newest album: “Either Light.” This hauntingly beautiful composition of what can best be described as complete nonsense was the foundation of my sanity during lockdown. A softer shift from their more punk influenced albums, “Either Light” helps listeners find themselves after a period of isolation. “Either Light” is a perfect album to listen to when in need of comfort and relaxation.

Hagen is no stranger to the motif of death, a theme that permeates his songs, and he carefully encapsulates grief and mourning into many of the band’s compositions. Hagen’s voice is the shovel that digs up hidden pain with each note.

Hagan’s lyrics can be deeply meaningful. The song “Out of It” concludes with a struggle many may have experienced during the lockdown, where Hagan screams the lyrics “can you get me out of it?” Likewise, Hagan’s lyrics can be quite silly, yet they work. In the song “Burned Off,” you can hear the lyrics “inertia crocodile.” I have no clue what that means, but it does not distract from the overall effect of the song.

In “Wax Face,” the song begins with an acapella guitar in the minor key that creates feelings of hope in the midst of despair. It slowly builds to the climax where the other members join in. Not all songs are depressing, though. “Montage Music” is a chaotic, good-feeling song that is the light at the end of a dark tunnel. The musicians’ chemistry is a sure sign that this band will be around for a long time.

The only potential pitfall of their music is that they are not mainstream, which isn’t a bad thing. They are weird, silly musicians that care about creating music. Additionally, if you’re ever in the mood for a laugh, their low budget music videos are a perfect mix of chaos and beautiful music.

I hope their new popularity does not affect their presence. I fell in love with this band the moment I first heard them. I knew their popularity would be inevitable. Vundabar’s potential can easily reshape the indie music genre.

Their new album “Devil For The Fire” will be released on Feb. 11. Three songs have been pre-released: “Aphasia,” “Ringing Bell” and “Devil For The Fire.” They can be found on any music streaming platform.

4.5/5 Stars

The 1999 film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s critically acclaimed novel “Fight Club” remains a timeless representation of the pressures that society places on struggling individuals. Director David Fincher manages to keep the 2 hour and 19 minute feature entertaining and gripping by keeping the audience on the edge of their seat, leaving them feeling just as disassociated as the film’s main character. Edward Norton’s disoriented, insomniac narrator acts as a foil to Brad Pitt’s psychotic anarchist character Tyler Durden as the two tackle what masculinity means to them in a society fixated on the epitome of the ideal man. 

What makes “Fight Club” a compelling and entertaining film is its use of cinematic techniques. There is something about Norton’s lack of emotion while he narrates that illustrates the themes of isolation and aimlessness that piece together the scenes of the movie. These themes, alongside Fincher’s expert foreshadowing, end with an unsatisfying ending that will leave viewers thinking about the plot for days. 

At moments, we see Norton addressing the audience directly, but as the movie progresses, he completely forgets the audience exists as he becomes more fixated on his world than ours. 

It is understandable how “Fight Club” was the most talked about movie of its time. In addition to its rewatchability, it is a film that remains relevant in today’s society, with its plot addressing the treatment of mental illness as well as addiction and poverty. 

With a title like “Fight Club,” this movie does not hold back on violence. Other than the beginning, one of the characters is always sporting a shiner with a bandage on their nose or covered in blood from events prior to the scenes. The acting really adds to the illusion of violence, with actors like Norton making the audience really think they’re throwing punches or in genuine pain.

This film is rated R and I would not recommend watching with anyone of an immature audience, or likewise, your parents. However, it is a perfect film to watch on your own, especially when you feel particularly angry at society. Additionally, if you would like to watch recently passed musician Meat Loaf take a few jabs at Norton, or you’re just there for Pitt’s stellar performance, “Fight Club” is well worth your time. If for any reason you find yourself watching this movie, you’ll be left viewing the world around you differently than you had before.