Todd Leonard

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NEWS 11/18/13 10:20am

On ‘MGMT’: Fragments of psychedelia and experimentation amount to an interesting, albeit ultimately unfulfilling, listen

By Todd Leonard

MGMT established their music as youthful and energetic electronic pop rock with their debut album, “Oracular Spectacular.”  Their popularity grew quickly with the releases of “Kids,” “Electric Feel” and “Time to Pretend.” With great anticipation surrounding their follow-up, “Congratulations,” MGMT could have gone in two distinct directions: create more of the pop electronic music that fans so admired from them, or venture into unfamiliar musical territory. Of course, they chose the latter, creating a psychedelic rock album that still managed to infuse electronic elements into it.

NEWS 10/30/13 9:14pm

On ‘Mechanical Bull’: The spark is back with Kings of Leon's sixth album

By Todd Leonard

Guitars shriek at the opening of Kings of Leon’s sixth album, “Mechanical Bull.” It’s a beckoning call of a new beginning in the band’s career, and a shedding of all of the stress and pressure that came with their generally ill-received fifth album, “Come Around Sundown,” a shocking disappointment after the huge success of their fourth album, “Only By The Night,” that propelled them into worldwide fame. The Followill brothers, Caleb, Nathan and Jared, along with cousin, Matthew, clearly had fun with “Mechanical Bull,” and it’s a great return to form for the Kings. After the rollicking opener and lead single, “Supersoaker,” the band goes into a mid-tempo, groovy track, “Rock City” that has a noticeable bounce to it that was absent from their previous two albums. Vigor and giddiness surround “Mechanical Bull,” giving it a strong youthfulness and harkening back to their first three albums, which were ridden with vivacity and sparkle. The establishment of this mood is due in large part to the first two tracks, along with the no nonsense, rapid-paced third track, “Don’t Matter.” Another song that shares this sparkle and bounce is “Family Tree.” Lead singer Caleb’s laughter at the beginning lets you know right off the bat that you’re about to have some fun, and Caleb’s vocals smooth over the rumbling drums and the sneaky guitar and bass line.  Towards the end, it devolves into hugely satisfying vocal harmonies and handclaps before soaring back into its funky raucousness with guns blazing. Along with its groovy rockers, the album has its fair share of songs that are more epic in scope. One of the strongest songs on the record, “Tonight,” maintains a steady drive until Caleb’s vocals ascend to a whole new level as guitars begin to howl and drums start to thunderously hammer.

NEWS 5/5/12 7:31pm

Exploring Asheville

By Todd Leonard

Asheville is a vibrant town that hosts a variety of things to do and places to see when visiting. You can hike the Big Fork Ridge Trail, visit the Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center and see a concert at the Grey Eagle Tavern and Music Hall all in the same day. “Asheville has a really artsy vibe,” said junior Kaitlin Briley.

NEWS 3/8/12 6:28pm

Local concert preview

By Todd Leonard

Red Hot Chili Peppers // Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro // April 4, 6 and 9 The Red Hot Chili Peppers will be in North Carolina early this April, as their tour swings through Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro.

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NEWS 04/24/2024 10:49pm
2024 Earth Week keynote speaker offers advice on coping with climate anxiety

Britt Wray, author of “Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in the Age of Climate Anxiety,” spoke to Elon University on April 24 as the 2024 keynote speaker for Earth week. Wray began by linking the idea that major fossil fuel companies, powerful lawyers and lobbyists choose to ignore damages inflicted by businesses. These efforts, according to Wray, have hindered people from taking action to stop them — which Wray deemed a global crime scene. She said by 2070, an estimated 19% of the planet will be inhabitable due to increases in global warming.

NEWS 04/24/2024 3:34pm
Office of sustainability hosts events across campus

Elon’s office of sustainability plans events throughout the year in collaboration with other student organizations, according to Kelly Harer, associate director of sustainability for education and outreach. Elon is focusing on improving sustainability efforts specifically waste reduction. A system Elon uses to measure its sustainability efforts is the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System. Based on data from Elon’s submission Feb. 11, 2022, which is valid until March 16, 2025, Elon received a silver rating, earning 59.12 points out of 100. The points are broken down in different categories across academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration and innovation and leadership.

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