Caught the One Direction Infection?

By Brianna Walker
     Step aside Bieber, for five new male singers have taken your place. One Direction, a UK boy band, has been taking over the US by force. The group was brought together first by the popular show “X-Factor”. The members include: Niall Horan (an adorable Irish boy from Mullingar), Zayn Malik (a “Bradford Bad-boy”), Liam Payne (also known as the big brother of the group from West Midlands), Harry Styles (a British heart-throb from Cheshire), and last, but definitely not least, Louis Tomlinson (a goofy, lovely boy from Doncaster). These boys are extremely talented, and have proven that on their tour with the well-known, Nickelodeon-themed band, Big Time Rush.
     One Direction Infection, as it’s known by Directioners (fans of the boy band), has swept the U.S. Tickets for their current U.S. tour sold out in less than 24 hours, which is pretty impressive. Also, One Direction will be going on a world tour, performing in countries such as Australia. One Direction is getting so popular that, recently, band member Harry Styles recently posted a picture of a billboard advertising that One Direction will be performing at Madison Square Garden. Big artists such as Justin Bieber, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Green Day, Taylor Swift (who sold out the Garden in 59 seconds), and more have all performed there at least once, so this will be a huge step in the boys' careers. 
     Some critics of One Direction say that they are only a trend, so they will not last long. Others say that One Direction will last, since they not only look the part, but they can act it. From the way things are going now, I can say that we will be continuing to hear about this boy band for a very long time.
      Who knows, you may even might catch the One Direction Infection.

R.I.P. MCA

By Michael Gritzbach
     On May 4th Adam Yauch, aka MCA, of the Beastie Boys passed away due to cancer of the salivary gland. Along with Michael Diamond (Mike D), Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock), and Michael Schwartzr (Mix Master Mike), Yauch collected a total of 27 Nominations (10 Grammy Nominations, 8 Mtv Music Video Nomination, and 9 Mtv Europe Music Video Awards). The Beastie Boys sold 22 million albums in the U.S. and over 40 million worldwide, becoming the biggest selling rap group since 1991. The group brought a rap/rock fusion, bridging a musical gap, similar to the works of another popular rap group, RUN DMC. Yauch, a success in his own right, also went on to start the Milarepa fund, which is a non-profit organization which raises money and raises awareness for the Tibetan independence movement.