Music Spotlight: 30 Seconds to Mars

With soaring vocals and progressive-driving guitar sounds, this band has a lot to show for themselves. You may be thinking to yoursleves:

Do they sound equally as good live in comparison to their records?

Eh, yes and no. Don't expect to hear (in their live performances) a near perfect or exact version that you would normally hear on their records. Still, all in all, they still hold up to be pretty decent in comparison to the other up and coming rising bands that don't even sound close or even near to what they record on their albums.

You may also be squinting your eyes a little tighter trying to figure out who the lead singer is. He may look familiar, because its actor, Jared Leto. Aside with his notoriety as an acclaimed actor, Jared does not milk or use his fame to promote the bands name. I honestly respect the fact that Jared is able to showcase his multiple talents. Just think of other bands that feature a celebrity: Dogstar (Keanu Reeves), 30 Odd Foot of Grunts (Russel Crow), The Bacon Brothers (Kevin Bacon).

The bands rising recognition was in thanks mostly in part due to their devoted fans. The band developed a cult-like status from the beginning in 1998 when the group came into existence. They currently have two albums to their name: 30 Seconds to Mars (2002) and Beautiful Lie (2005).

Why are they a good band?
Well, I really like Jared's vocals. I think his voice is absolutely gorgeous, especially on the song "Beautiful Lie." I also like the band's sound as well. I really like to listen to the song "Attack". It's my anthem when I'm in a slump. 30 Seconds to Mars is really great band. I wouldn't recommend them to everyone, but their definatley a band worth listening to.

Recommended Songs to listen to:
"Attack"
"Beautiful Lie"
"The Kill"
"From Yesterday"
"The Fantasy"

A Guy I’d like to be Friends with: Actor - Roberto Benigni

“Is there a quiet side to Roberto Benigni?” – Conan O’Brien

Many of you out there may ask yourselves:
Why would I want to be friends with Roberto Benigni?







He seems like an easy going guy who is enjoying and living his life day by day. I wonder what it’d be like to play hide and seek with him at Wal-Mart. He seems like a very positive and upbeat guy. I swear I have yet to see a picture of him frowning. Well, except this one:

Roberto Benigni is a very eccentric, hyper Italian man! Standing at an amazing stature of 5’5, this man has a ‘larger than life’ kind of presence. Many people may remember him, as the guy who jumped and walked through the audience to claim his Oscar for his exceptional performance in the movie, Life is Beautiful.

Wow, this has to be one of my top 15 favorite movies of all time!? It’s a very nice sentimental story about a Jewish father who is willing to take any precautions necessary to sugarcoat (from his young son) the harsh and brutal reality of the Jewish concentration camps. His sincerity and genuine attitude draws you right into the movie from the first second he’s shown in the screen. I became so attached to him in this movie, I even found myself hoping that he and his family would escape the concentration camps! Roberto wrote, directed, and starred in this light-hearted view of WWII. Even though his film delt with a very sensitive subject, he did not receive any negative reviews. After a while, seeing numerous interpretations from the same outlook about WWII may become too depressing for moviegoers to watch. His take of of the Jewish Concentration camps had a very refreshing and different viewpoint. Life is Beautiful garnered him a lot of acclaim from critics and fans alike.

He’s a celebrity in his own right in his own native country of Italy. He’s basically seen as a hero down there! He definitely has a talented acting resume that many would be jealous of. He has been featured in television, movies, and even worked in stage theatre. He’s even an improve comedian as well. He also worked with the late, great Italian director Federico Fellini. Even Fellini called Roberto a “genius!” A lot of his work features him as the clumsy and fumbling man with a big heart. Many critics sense a Charlie Chaplin influence in his style of acting. His acting seems so real, that you might actually think he’s that way in real life.

There is a quality in Roberto Benigni that is not seen in a lot of other actors. There is much more to him besides his quirky and dorkie persona. I saw him on an episode of Conan O’Brien in 2002 promoting his movie, Pinocchio. Even Conan acknowledged his hyperactive behavior. At one point in the interview, they exchanged each other’s cloths to wear which included their jackets and even their pants! I never laughed so hard; I was crying, it was that funny!

Usually I go through this phase in which I become very intrigued and obsessed by a certain actor/director. Then I’ll have to see all of their work. So far I’ve only seen him in two films, but they were both good. I know watching more of his movies will be enjoyable as well and I’m sure I will not be disappointed.