Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon, Author at Study Breaks

The Sum of Their Parts

With their new album, 'Vacation in Hell,' dropping April 6, The Flatbush Zombies offer a solution to hip-hop’s problem with carbon-copy personas.…

March 1, 2018

Is Spotify Evil for Musical Artists?

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Having an abundance of music at your fingertips has never been easier, but is Spotify evil when it comes to paying the artists?…

January 24, 2018

Fans of ‘The Fantastic Mr. Fox,’ Rejoice

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Wes Anderson’s newest release, ‘Isle of Dogs,’ promises to cash in on a Wes-Anderson truism: that the director was born to make stop-motion-animation films.…

January 12, 2018

If You’re a Good Liar, These Board Games Were Made for You

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Board games can be fun, but they can also be nerve-wracking and mind-numbing when it involves elements of lying and betrayal.…

December 23, 2017

A Beginner’s Guide to Freestyle Rap

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

There are only two rules: Don't eat spaghetti beforehand and leave your sweater at home.…

December 21, 2017

3 Reasons Why ‘American Vandal’ Should Be on Your Must-Watch List

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

The mockumentary "American Vandal" has received high praise from viewers and it's most definitely worth watching at least the pilot of the series.…

December 12, 2017

Out of the Blu: The LA Rapper Returns

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Blu rejoins his old producing partner Exile to release his new album “In The Beginning: Before The Heavens.”…

November 21, 2017

From Struggles to Successes: A Carnegie Mellon Student’s Story

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Getting into college is hard enough, but this Carnegie Mellon student overcame more obstacles than the average applicant.…

November 18, 2017

The 4 Electronic/Hip-Hop Collaborations You Need to Hear

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

These four songs showcase collaborations between successful electronic artists and rappers that perfectly combine the strengths of the two genres.…

November 9, 2017

The Man on the Maschine

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Self-taught producer and YouTube savant Andrew Chellman has brought a decidedly futuristic sound to Carnegie Mellon.…

November 2, 2017

The 4 Most Insufferable Geniuses on TV

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Did your favorite half-man half-asshole make the list?…

October 21, 2017

What Defines Corny Rap?

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

These are the four rappers who are commonly called out as corny and why people perceive them as so.…

October 8, 2017

Bees? Waxes Kinetic

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Composed of five jazz enthusiasts at Shenandoah University, the Virginia band comes alive onstage with energetic, improvisational brilliance.…

October 1, 2017

Logan Lucky: A Lesson in Mismarketing

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Unlike most films, the latest work from Steven Soderbergh undersold and over-delivered.…

September 21, 2017

The Return of Iron Solomon

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

After a years-long sabbatical, battle-rap legend Aaron Solomon has returned to the scene to prove that he’s still one of the greatest to ever spit.…

September 18, 2017

Bojack Horseman Finally Takes Its Characters in New Directions

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

The flaws of 'Bojack Horseman' and how Season 4 avoids them.…

September 16, 2017

Baltimore’s Mothpuppy Is Drawn to a Peculiar Type of Light

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

The group takes full advantage of lead singer Morgan Murphy’s dense lyricism and fluttering falsetto.…

September 1, 2017

The Life and Death of Capital STEEZ

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

The influential, spiritual and ultimately suicidal founder of Pro Era will have an album of his unfinished work posthumously released on the five-year anniversary of his death.…

August 23, 2017

4 Bands That Are Trailblazing a Funkier Type of Trip Hop

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Gramatik, Exmag, GriZ and The Floozies all prove, in their own distinct ways, that hip-hop beats and electronic sensibilities belong together.…

August 14, 2017

The Magic Behind the Cult B-Movie ‘The Room’

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

The ‘Citizen Kane’ of bad movies, which is the subject of an upcoming James Franco homage, has elevated its mysterious creator to ironic heights.…

August 8, 2017

Through Educational Theater, Cynthia Davis Finds Her Path

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

The UMBC student discovered her passion for theater while performing educational plays for kids, where she teaches lessons about race and tolerance in ways that children can understand.…

August 8, 2017

In Its Portrayal of ‘Nerd Culture,’ ‘Silicon Valley’ Trounces ‘Big Bang Theory’

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

The two shows ostensibly focus on exploring the same quirky demographic, but the HBO program appears wildly more realistic for two key reasons.…

August 3, 2017

Noname, a Rising Chicago Rapper, Does Gender Her Way

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Where other female rappers have broken into the male-dominated world of hip-hop by out-manning their competition, Noname flips the script, delivering soft, dense lines of poetry.…

August 1, 2017

The Ebb and Flow of Oceanline

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

The indie rock group has battled against the realities of distance to produce their signature emotive sound.…

August 1, 2017

‘Baywatch,’ Misguidedly, Copies and Pastes the ‘21 Jump Street’ Formula

Christian Zeitler, Carnegie Mellon

Both films employed a heavy dose of self-referential satire, but the sex-appeal premise of the original ‘Baywatch’ clashes with the revamp’s style of tongue in cheek.…

June 29, 2017