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 11/26/2024 3:44pm
Elon uses peer institution as a benchmark, has one mutual peer

Elon has 15 peer institutions and 47 colleges and universities chose Elon as one of its peers, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Yet, none of Elon’s peers deemed Elon as one its peers, as of data from IPEDS for 2022-23. Many colleges and universities have not updated their peer institutions since then, with the exception of Furman University, where Elon is now one of its peers, according to its website. Elon selected its peers in 2022, Jason Husser, chair of Elon’s Long Range Planning Committee, said.

SPORTS 11/26/2024 11:48am
Elon University men’s basketball coach returns to alma mater, captures historic victory

When Elon University men’s basketball head coach Billy Taylor arrived at Purcell Pavilion for the team’s Nov. 22 matchup against Notre Dame, he led the team through the back garage door — walking through the tunnel like all visiting teams do when they come to play the Fighting Irish. But as Taylor walked through the tunnel, he noticed his old locker room on his right — the locker room that had held his jersey, shoes and all the gear he needed for the four years he spent playing for the Irish in the 1990s.

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