Tag Archives: paige thompson

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Thompson’s shopping guide

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By Paige Thompson

When walking through any mall one will see the usual Forever 21, Old Navy, Pac Sun and more.  But all of these stores are lacking one thing: uniqueness.

The bad thing about always shopping at these same stores is that there is a greater chance for someone else to have that same great top or the same cute necklace. Sick of never finding anything truly unique? This is when I turn to the eccentric shops on and off-line.

For local shops, I recommend a handful of places:  For those who love a laid-back, cool bohemian environment, spend a day on Bardstown Road.  They have an endless supply of uniqueness to go around.  My personal favorites include Cherry Bomb and Dot Fox, but other great places include Hey Tiger, Discoveries, and Why? Louisville, where you can get witty, Louisville themed t-shirts.  Cherry Bomb carries clothing that is both vintage and new, as well as clothing items from American Apparel. They also carry many handmaid pieces of jewelry, coin purses, headbands, bows, and soaps.  Dot Fox, while similar to Cherry Bomb, is different in it’s own way.  They carry mostly new items from brands that no one has really heard of.  Their prices are fairly high, but if you love adorable outfits it is the place to go.

A little closer to home, I recommend the Dandy Lion.  A little shop in downtown New Albany they offer a large variety of cute vintage clothing, to handmade jewelry and bags as well as prints of various artwork by local artists.

Since our side of the river is lacking in unique, cute shops, I turn to thrift stores.  For this there is Goodwill, where you never know what you will find.  They have everything from that awesome old camera you have been looking everywhere for to that perfectly imperfect ugly sweater that is sure to make you stand out.

For those who don’t feel like going out and dealing with the traffic due to the bridge closure, I recommend the greatest thing ever invented: the Internet.

The Internet is the best place to find unique clothes, accessories, bags, shoes, anything.  Urban Outfitters may not be ideal, but since we do not have one down here, there is a smaller chance that someone around here will have the same thing.

My favorite place to shop online is Etsy.  It is a website with a ton of online stores, full of mainly handmade or vintage clothing and jewelry.  However, they have a bunch of other things too such as furniture, stationery, and even Harry Potter themed items for the Harry Potter aficionado like myself.

Etsy is one of the best places to find jewelry because there are so many different stores and types to choose from.  You can even shop local online shops on the site.  It is also easy to search for anything you might want.  Type “French” into the search bar and you will be faced with pages and pages of French-themed clothing, jewelry, notebooks, and even t-shirts.

So next time you’re out, you’ll be guaranteed not to be wearing the same shirt as anyone else. Have your own unique style courtesy of unique on and off-line shops…and Goodwill.

Claire DeFrancisci, Features

Highlander Outfitters store aims to dress students in school spirit attire

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[slideshow]

By Bekah Landers, Paige Thompson, and Claire Defrancisci

The Highlander Outfitters may be one of the most under-the-radar aspects of FC. Located in the spine, the Highlander Outfitters store is full of merchandise to fulfill students’ school spirit needs.

FC’s business management class, taught by Chris Street, is in very high demand. With a maximum enrollment capacity of 28, Street accepted 35 students into the class. The class, which meets fourth period, operates the store.

“[The class] teaches them how a business operates, how to work with coworkers and classmates. They exhibit a lot of individual personality,” said Street. Being in business management means that students will be getting the hands-on experience of having their own business by working at Highlander Outfitters.

Students working at the store say they are learning real-world skills. “It will prepare someone to be financially capable of owning their own business,” said sophomore Amy McCormick.

Business management is also a way for students to acquire a more in-depth understanding of financing.

“We pretty much sell the merchandise, take inventory, learn about finance and how to handle a business,” said McCormick.

It is evident in the amount of money that the store makes that the students’ hard work is paying off.

“The store makes a lot of revenue. We made $25,000 last year,” said junior Hannah Merk.

Highlander Outfitters sells a variety of merchandise supporting FC. The prices range from a $5 water bottle to a $40 windbreaker.

“Crew neck sweatshirts are my favorite item because they’re cozy and don’t choke you,” said McCormick.

The Outfitters store offers sweatshirts, sweatpants, T-shirts, crew neck shirts, hoodies, jackets, polos, and much more. In the upcoming weeks the Outfitters store may also offer a new drawstring backpack.

Although the final decision is made by Street, student input on designs is highly important. Street said they try to offer new products every semester.

“There isn’t a lot of advertising going on; we attend all sporting events and extracurricular activities to get the products out there as much as possible,” said Street.

Students, parents, and faculty interested in merchandise can stop by the Highlander Outfitters every Thursday and Friday during lunch and at all sporting events. In addition, Street said the Highlander Outfitters will soon be on Facebook as well.

Columns, Forum

Modern music lacks talent

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By Paige Thompson

Back in the 1960’s and 70’s, it took a lot to get into the music industry. It used to be that people would look for talent and originality in the bands and musicians they would sign. The classic rock ‘n roll music we know today was the only music teens our age would listen to. But anyone can break into the business these days.

Take American Idol for example, the contestants in previous seasons have not even had to win to get a record deal. Some of the castoffs have been more successful than the actual season winner before. Has the music industry become desperate?

Music companies are looking for anyone that people will listen to on the radio. They can be just the normal person, with an average voice, who doesn’t write their own music, and people will fall in love with their music because of their “story,” and how they are just “your average Joe.” That is all fine and dandy, but now they just want to sell something instead of caring about how their artists actually sound.

But what ever happened to talent? There are a great deal of talented musicians and bands out there, but I am talking about the radio. Our radio stations like 99.7 and 98.9 play all of the music many people listen to. Ke$ha, for example, writes a lot of her own music, and I do like that,  but does that really matter if she can’t sing? All Ke$ha is a girl in a trash bag, prancing around the stage, talking in weird voices. She never even sounds like she is singing.  I thought that a musician had to be able to sing.

The music industry has changed drastically. I know I was not alive, or even a thought, in the 60’s and 70’s, so what do I know about the music industry then? Well I have heard a lot from my dad, who was there, and I listen to a great deal of classic rock. The industry wasn’t commercialized back then like it is today. You would pay a whopping fifteen dollars for a concert ticket, and t-shirts would not be the thirty-five dollars you see at concerts today.

Today everything is materialistic with music. In the 70’s, there were not Led Zeppelin barbie dolls or huge televised competitions to find the “next great artist.”  Music was just music, and the industry was not full of commercialization like it is now. The way the music industry is now just goes to show just how much it has changed. I love the music I listen to so much because it isn’t commercialized. I like not hearing about it every day on TV or the radio, and I like not going to Target and seeing my favorite band plastered all over t-shirts and magazines. 

I find it hard to be able to like someone so much, for such a long time when everyone else does and when they play that person’s music all the time. I avoid the radio as often as I can because I am afraid that if I do, I will hear Lady Gaga too much and I will not like her anymore. Sure, Lady Gaga can be commercialized as well, but at least she is talented. She has the ability to write good pop songs, she went to Tisch School of the Arts at NYU at age seventeen, and learned piano by ear at age four. 

The music from the 50’s-80’s was so great because most of the bands and musicians were talented back then. They did not seem like they were concerned with being super famous or rich. But while there is still going to be commercialized music in the music world, I can only hope this dies down and the days of future music become more like the days of past music.

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New year, new music

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New year, new music

By Paige Thompson

With the end of a year comes the beginning of another and I tend to start it by finding new music.  One group, recently introduced to me by my sister, is The Like: An all-girl alternative band from Los Angeles. They put a lot of personality into their music and have a modern look and sound that makes them different from any other all-girl band out there.
 
Analternative/folk group from England, Noah and The Whale is also a new band to me.  I had put some of their music on my iPod a few months back, but did not really listen to them much because I was stuck on other music. But last month I listened to their album “The First Days of Spring,” a concept album written about singer/songwriter Laura Marling.  It also has a film to accompany it, written and directed by the groups singer and guitarist Charlie Fink.
 
I have been listening to a lot of older music as well, and I have had Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” album on repeat for weeks now. “Blue” is my personal favorite. She has such an interesting voice and she is a timeless artist. Her lyrics are deep and they really speak to you. This album, and most of Mitchell’s songs, can really get me through nearly any situation.
 
Finding new music is one of my hobbies. When I want new music to listen to, I use a variety of sources such as family and friends, Facebook, and Paste Magazine to name a few. One way that is helpful to find new music is by browsing my iPod. Occasionally, I find music that I forgot I had, or never got a chance to listen to. I find that listening to the soundtrack of some of my favorite movies can lead me to new artists. Another great way is to share with friends. I love to have my friends make me mix CD’s of their favorite music, especially if we have similar taste in music because there will be a greater chance they will introduce me to a great new artist in a genre that I love.
 
I try to branch out and try new music. Lately, I have been enjoying artists like Kanye West, who’s latest album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” is one of my favorite albums of 2010. Though I am not always the biggest fan of hip-hop/rap music, West’s album is different. It features different artists, such as Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj, and Kid Cudi, and it tells a story through the music video for “Runaway,” in which West uses bits of every song on the album throughout the video.
 
I anticipate a great year for music. A new year means a fresh start. This also gives many artists another chance to redeem themselves. In 2010, Katy Perry redeemed herself for me with her new album. I hated her last album. It was repetitive and all of her songs sounded the same to me. But her new CD, “Teenage Dream” has caught my attention a little with catchy tunes like “Teenage Dream” and “Firework.” Both of these songs are definitely guilty pleasures.Though I do not tend to like much pop music, I do like it when a pop artist can make a solid good pop album like both of Lady Gaga’s albums “The Fame,” “The Fame Monster,” and Perry’s album “Teenage Dream.” 
 
Along with the start of 2011, artists are going to be releasing new tracks and albums. Recently, The Decemberists have released their new album “The King is Dead,” and I am still listening to it, trying to see how much I like it. It will be hard for them to top “The Hazards of Love” CD.
 
Albums that I am looking forward to are Devotchka’s “100 Lovers,” Adele’s “21,” and new material by Fiona Apple, Fleet Foxes, Franz Ferdinand, Lady Gaga, and many more. Hopefully 2011 is going to be a great year for music.
 
In 2011, I plan on discovering even more music than I usually do. I love the idea of having another whole year ahead to find new music and listen to awesome new releases from artists that I already love.

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Columnist shares her Winter playlist

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Paige Thompson,

Photographer and Columnist

Winter playlist:

“Holiday” – Vampire Weekend
“Two Weeks” – Grizzly Bear
“Sprout and the Bean” – Joanna Newsom
“The Story I Heard” – Blind Pilot
“Strange Times” – The Black Keys
“Godly Intersex” – Of Montreal
“Oslo in the Summertime” – Of Montreal
“Cigarettes in the Theatre” – Two Door Cinema Club
“What you Know” – Two Door Cinema Club
“You’re Not Stubborn” – Two Door Cinema Club
“Sad Sad City” – Ghostland Observatory
“Here Comes Your Man” – The Pixies
“Young Folks” – Peter, Bjorn & John
“Empty”- Ray LaMontagne
“All I Want” – Joni Mitchell
“The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders (Part 1: The Great Frontier-Part 2: Come to Me Only With Playthings Now) ” – Sufjan Stevens
“All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands” – Sufjan Stevens
“Pink Moon” – Nick Drake
“From the Morning” – Nick Drake
“Woods”- Bon Iver
“Blood Bank” – Bon Iver
“Blindsided” – Bon Iver
“The Only One” – The Black Keys
“Know your Onion!” – The Shins
“How It Ends” – DeVotchKa
“Sprawl 2 (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” – Arcade Fire
“Brackett, WI” – Bon Iver
“Finch on Saturday” – Horse Feathers
“Falling Through the Roof” – Horse Feathers
“In the Hot, Hot Rays” – Fleet Foxes
“Quiet Houses” – Fleet Foxes
“Ragged Wood” – Fleet Foxes
“Two Towns from Me” – Blind Pilot
“Your Head is On Fire” – Broken Bells
“Here Comes My Baby” – Cat Stevens
“This is Not A Test” – She & Him
“On the Bus Mall” – The Decemberists
“Blue Skies” – Ella Fitzgerald
“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” – Ella Fitzgerald
“Mack the Knife (Berlin 1960)” – Ella Fitzgerald
“Blister in the Sun” – Violent Femmes