You can read her article, “On My Tippy Toes”, here

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-capcap/on-my-tippy-toes_b_1194979.html?ref=tw

Since their last album release, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, in 2008, Coldplay has come out with a new style in their music unlike anything they have done before.   Since its release in October, the Mylo Xyloto has already sold many copies worldwide and topped charts everywhere. In this album, Coldplay experiments making music with synthesizers and a different style to appeal to a variety of people. Containing elements of genres such as pop, Mylo Xyloto is different than Coldplay’s past releases and is definitely unique.

The album begins with a 42 second introduction titled “Mylo Xyloto”, composed of many sounds including stringed instruments and bells. The short introduction leads into the next song, “Hurts Like Heaven,” a fun, upbeat song with explosions of synths and guitar solos. “Hurts Like Heaven” is a great track to begin Coldplay’s album, giving fans an idea of what their experimental album may sound like.

“Paradise” is the third track of the album and is also the second released single from the album. “Paradise” is a captivating song made up of strings, piano, guitar, and Chris Martin’s calm vocals accompanied by a booming bass, drum beats, and synth effects that sounds similar to pop mainstream music.

The album’s third released single and the fourth track, “Charlie Brown,” returns the music to an upbeat pace with catchy guitar riffs and the pop-rock feel of Coldplay.

“Major Minus”, played with guitars and serious vocals, is a notable song that stands out from the rest of the album, due to its serious and dark tone.  It is certainly an interesting change in style and is a great addition to the album.

Influenced by the pop, electronic, and R&B genres, the song “Princess of China” also stands out. One factor that distinguishes this song from the rest is the vocals of Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. “Princess of China” features a wide variety of sounds including a large amount of synthesizers and the amazing vocals of Rihanna and Chris Martin. This song presents the idea that artist from two different genres can join together and can also create a great song.

Overall, Mylo Xyloto is an great album with many notable tracks from Coldplay with a new interesting style.

I like this girl A LOT. We’ve now just started to become close friends, but she’s:

A.) Not interested in a relationship at the moment because she’s “too busy with her schedule” and she’s “afraid of hurting innocent guys.” Those are her exact words, by the way.

B.) Has way too many guys who already want her even though she doesn’t even realize it herself. It’s a whole lot of competition. She’s totally oblivious to it. Either that, or she chooses not to take notice because she might think that if she ignores it, then the problem might go away…? I don’t know. Girls are so confusing.

I’m not much of a catch and I think she’s out of my league, but I really, really like her. I’m not the most handsome or the most charming guy out there and the odds are definitely not in my favor, but I know I can make her happy. She says that because of her past relationships, she feels that she won’t make a good girlfriend, but I’m willing to be patient so she can get it right. It’s just that I can’t seem to get close to her because of all these guys wanting to catch her eye and because the idea of having a boyfriend can’t even cross her mind. What do I do? I feel like if I don’t act fast, someone is bound to catch her eye and I’d lose my chances and be put in the friends’ zone forever. HELP ME.

Sincerely,

Nice Guys Finish Last

Dear Nice Guy,

Before we say anything, we want to take a moment to bow down to you. Because you, my friend, have some serious guts to chase a girl when it seems like the whole world is against you. And good lord, from what we know, you are a catch, because a dude who chases the girl he wants despite all these drawbacks because he knows he can make her happy is a dude worth giving a chance. We applaud you sir. Bravo.

From after much contemplating, we have 3 options you can take: wait it out, go for it, or stand and watch. Not to alarm you, but Mars and I did have a hard time finding the answer to this problem, because usually, there’s a happy medium between choices. However, this is one of those “can’t have your cake and eat it too” situations; it’s either you go for her now, later, or not at all. Seeing that you like her with that much passion, we believe you’re capable of being her knight in shining armor, the dude with the sword who can pummel through the dragons and high towers to get your damsel in distress.

You could wait it out until she is ready, but really, girls are completely unpredictable. If she sees you waiting for her, it could show that you’re willing to be a patient boyfriend when she is ready for a relationship. However, there’s also the chance that you’d wait to long and your life would be full with “what-ifs”. Honestly, a life wondering is a life wasted. But if you want to play everything safe, be our guest and wait it out for her.

You could also just forget about her. It’s not something we suggest you do, but if you believe that she might not be worth it in the end, no one is stopping you from what you think is right. Ask yourself this before you consider this path: if you thought she could be worth it a few weeks ago, what makes you think you’re worth a good boyfriend if you didn’t even try?

Your last option is to give it your all and chase her down. Out of all these three options, this one is the most nerve-racking and most difficult to accomplish…which is why we strongly suggest you do it. Of course, there’s always the chance of rejection, but rather you be rejected and recover in the future than wonder your whole life what would have been different if you just went with it. We’re not saying you will get rejected, we’re just saying it’s easier on the mind if you got rejected. What’s there to lose? We’re young. We’ll live through things like this.

We know this is easier said than done, just like everything else in life, but don’t rush! Just pretend the competition isn’t even there (again, easier said than done). The more rushed you feel, the more rushed your actions will be, and that is definitely not the best way to get a girl. In fact, it might even scare her off because you might be too forward with her. You say that she doesn’t even want a relationship in the first place. If this is true, then there isn’t even any need to rush because it’s not like she’s looking for a man anyway. That way, you can take all the time you need to plan and take things as slow as you need to.

It’s probably true that it’s not really gentleman-like or chivalrous to wait until she’s ready. However, this doesn’t stop you from getting closer to her as a friend. And when the time comes that she is ready, you’ll be ready too because of the advantage of already being her friend.

Whatever you chose to do, we leave you with one last piece of golden advice: don’t regret (yes, this too is easier said than done). Take time to really think about what you want to do, and just push through it. Life is too short to do things half-heartedly.

Good Luck!

Venus and Mars

Want to get advice from Venus and Mars? Email your burdens to vfttsubmissions@gmail.com with the subject as “Dear Venus and Mars”. All submissions will be guaranteed anonymous. Pinky promise.

     Robert Downey Jr. is back as Sherlock Holmes and bigger than ever. With his colleague Jude Law as Dr. Watson, they set off to solve one last case involving Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris). This exciting crime thriller will keep you on the edge of your seats as you yourself try to unravel the complicated twists and turns of Holmes and Watson’s adventure. With more action and mysteries than the first, you’ll never want to stop watching, let alone have it end. All of Sherlock’s witty tricks will never let you stop laughing long enough to take that next bite of popcorn. Professor Moriarty keeps you wondering time and time again as he puts the two detectives in numerous challenging situations. This sequel is better than the first with more of everything you want in a great action packed crime thriller. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is one of the best movies of the year, with a great cast and amazing story. This movie will leave you begging for more and will make you want to watch it over and over again. This is a movie everybody should see; it is worth every penny and you will not be disappointed.

How would you deal with a busy boyfriend? Even though I am very involved at school and have a busy schedule myself, I seem to be able to find the time for a relationship. However that doesn’t seem to hold true for my other half. He’s involved in a lot of sports, so he’s tired after practice. That’s understandable. But it doesn’t even seem like he’s trying to stay up 30 minutes after practice, or a couple of hours on the weekend. I feel like this issue is definitely hurting our relationship.

Thanks in advance.

~ Waiting Alone

Dear Waiting,

Ah, the sad realities of high school life. We can see why you’re struggling. What you’re dealing with isn’t something a teen couple today can really prepare for. Life can just be a jerk sometimes, and you and your boo-thang are just going to have to tough it out. Harsh, yes, but just imagine how much stronger your relationship with him will be after the waiting. Patience, baby girl. Patience.

Just after reading your issue, we can tell that you’re a very supportive girlfriend. Totally mature, we must say. We just want to let you know that you’re doing the right thing letting your boyfriend do what he’s passionate about. And we salute you and all the damsels in distress who are waiting for the right thing to happen even though they’re doing the right thing anyway. And it sucks, we know. Neither of you deserve it.

And that’s the sad thing. It’s no one’s fault. We respect you for saving time for your significant other, something that has become a challenge to teens with a busy schedule. But the thing is, he should be able to do the same. The secret to a successful relationship is when both individuals give and take the same amount of effort into the relationship that their partner is giving and taking. We’re not saying that we have no respect for the tiresome work that the athletes have to endure, but students who sign up for four or five clubs, take on extra classes, tackle piles of homework, volunteer, keep in touch with their family and friends, have time for proper hygiene, remember to smile from time to time, deal with teenage drama and hormones, and still have the sanity to keep themselves together is like running a full-fledged marathon every single day of their lives. In short, almost everyone’s got it bad, but the balance is off. He’s not putting in as much effort as you are even though you’re just as busy as he is. You did your waiting. You were supportive. You deserve attention. And if he’s too busy to at least go out once every two weeks or sit down and chat, then he’s too busy for a relationship. That’s on him, not you.

The answer to this is simple. Say it out loud. Tell him up front how you feel. Be gentle, of course, but be firm and don’t hold back. Explain why this relationship isn’t really going as great as you wanted it to be, and suggest a solution. A simple “Let’s catch Paranormal Activity 3 on Saturday” or “Wanna chill at the park?” can spark warm memories. Of course, this doesn’t have to happen every single day, but at least once in a while. Even the littlest things can fill in this gap you have, like spending a few moments with him before he goes to practice or sending him cheesy candy grams (if he’s that mushy type of guy). Whatever you two decide to do, keep in mind that it’s never, ever easy. If it were easy, all chick flicks would suck and Jack from The Titanic would have lived.

Of course, there’s always other options. You could take a break from each other. Now before you get offended about even bringing this up, hear us out. We’re totally not questioning your feelings for each other. Not at all. In fact, you waiting and supporting your boyfriend just proves how legit your feelings are for each other. However, if you really, truly feel that he can’t handle a relationship right now, then you could take a break from each other so each person can get things sorted out. After that, you two can try out a relationship again. In our opinion, we think you should try getting your old spark back before taking a break. If that doesn’t work out, then by all means, take a break from each other and try again later.

And with that, we have one last piece of wisdom to share. Relationships are like a good song on the radio. You fall in love every time you listen to it, but when it gets overplayed, it just sounds like a broken record. Sometimes, you just have to stop listening to it. But after a while, you seem to miss it, to want it, to remember the good feelings you had with it, and finally, fall back in love with it once more.

Good Luck,

Venus and Mars

Want to get advice from Venus and Mars? Email your burdens to vfttsubmissions@gmail.com with the subject as “Dear Venus and Mars”. All submissions will be guaranteed anonymous.

After a college romance is split across two continents, the couple becomes estranged and is faced with the temptations of an offset relationship. The two must seek out “patience” in order to maintain their love for each other. This film may remind us that despite the dismal curves life throws at us, there is always hope to be found for those who wait.

Major contributing factors to the film’s award at the 27^th Sundance Film Festival include technical brilliance of cinematographer John Guleserian and the splendid performance provided by composer/pianist Dustin O’Halloran. Not to mention leading actress Felicity Jones for her Special Jury Prize award winning performance. This Production will surely excite you with wonder and awe upon reveling its riveting tale. Though it may be a bit mature for most, it is recommended for sophisticated movie goers who might enjoy a good romance from a new perspective.

Hold On ‘Til The Night, Greyson’s recent album, features a wide variety of songs from slow teenage love to fast tempoed joyful songs. Waiting Outside the Lines is an incredibly powerful song that really got me thinking. The lyrics in this song are in no way meaningless. There is definitely heart in the structure of this song. Unfriend You in some ways is a sad song, but you get caught up in the awesome violin work in the background that you forget about the melancholy lyrics. Home is in Your Eyes is another emotionally strong song. The vocals in the song really help show off Greyson’s talent. Hold on ’til the Night is one of those songs you want to hear over and over again. I fell hard for this song because it expresses such deep lyrics and wonderful instrumentals. Heart like Stone overall is a good song, but I don’t believe it is as strong as all the other songs. After hearing Hold on ’til the Night then listening to Heart like Stone, it did not quite reach the bar that Hold on ’til the Night set. Little London Girl is a very lovable song because of its upbeat happy tune, but why a London girl? What’s wrong with Americans? Cheyenne is another one of my favorite songs because of the fact that I finally found a song with a strong bass line. The lyrics again were straight from the artist’s soul. Summertrain is a very interesting and unique song. At first impression, I felt it was a little weird, but I soon realized this was only because it was different from any song I have heard. This weirdness of the song changed very soon. I now love the song. (Change is usually a good thing!) Stranded is another favorite on this album. It automatically put me in a happy mood after listening to a sadder song.  Take a Look at Me Now blew me away right away! I adored the awesome instrument blend. This song got an 11 out of 10 for me.

This album is definitely something to put on your Christmas list!