Issue 23 Vol.

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Holiday
I S S U E

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
6 TECH ATTACK
The new consoles of the year, the PS4 and XBox One, are great gift ideas ... but which to buy? Chase lists the pros and cons and which console is best for your particular needs.

STREET MAGAZINE
Dec 6, 2013 Issue 23 Volume 12
EDitor-In-ChieF Kelli Smith Art Director Kelli Smith CoPY EDitor Ashley Roy PhotoGraPhY Mark Doescher Emilye Lewin ContriButors Alexis Auckland Chase Cook Mel Guapo ADVertisinG RePresentatiVe Joe Wilhite PuBLisher Joe Wilhite

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ON THE SCENE

MUSIC
If youre gifted with music, spread that gift so others may receive. Luckily, Mel Guapo knows exactly how you can get started.

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ROMANCE
Heres a secret: Lordes hit song actually clues couples in on what each member of a relationship needs this holiday seasaon. As the song implies, it trumps material things.

Boyd Street Magazine P.O. Box 721494 Norman, Oklahoma 73070 Copyright Boyd Street Magazine Phone: (405) 321-2400 E-mail: joe@boydstreet.com

ON THE CORNER
Its one of my favorite times of the year! I love the holidays for a few reasons. First, when I was in school, it meant the semester was over and I had a month-long break! Second, I get to work more, which means I have more money. Third, I get to spend time with my family and friends and get to play in the snow, go ice skating and drive around to see Christmas lights. Fourth, Im starting new traditions with my own family, which I hold to my heart dearly. So I hope you have the same reasons to love the season and I hope this holiday treats you well. Dont forget to start thinking about your New Years Resolutions! xoxo,

Any articles, artwork or graphics created by Boyd Street Magazine or its contributors are sole property of Boyd Street Magazine and cannot be reproduced for any reason without permission. Any opinions expressed in Boyd Street are not necessarily that of Boyd Street management. WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA boydstreet.com

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Tech Attack Chase Cook

The PS4 and Xbox One: Which to buy?

Now that both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are out, and Christmas looms closer, those who are going to make the jump to the next generation are asking: Which console should I choose? Each system has planted its ag in its respective turf. The Xbox One is really leveraging a full multimedia system, offering TV watching, Skype and the full voice-control options of the Kinect. The PS4 has put games rst, Sony says, so the system offers in-console video streaming, an emphasis on indie games and what seems to be a stronger graphic component to squeeze the last few pixels out of non-exclusive titles. But which to pick? There are a variety of reasons to pick either system, so here is a primer based on your situation and interests. Money: If your pocket is an issue, go with the PS4. Its base price is $400 compared to the Xbox One, which clocks in at $500. The PS3 made the mistake when it was released, coming in at a price much higher than its competitor, so Sony is making a different calculation this year. If you dont want to spend the extra $100 (or you want to use the money for a retail and download game), go with the PS4. Entertainment Core: If your console is going to make the premier piece of your entertainment system, go with the Xbox One. It features voice activation out of the box (PS4 has to have the PlayStation Eye extra), the Xbox will hook up with your cable box, you can call friends and family through Skype, and it has easy ways to multitask between these options while playing games. The cable feature is interesting, as Xbox makes the statement that, during the era of Netix, Hulu Plus and other a la carte viewing options, T.V. is still relevant and something that families do in the living room. When it works well (there are reports of glitches), its an excellent addition to the consoles offerings. Games: This is a much harder way to choose the system, since both systems have offered exclusives at launch (PS4s Killzone, Knack and Xbox Ones Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Son of Rome and Forza Motorsport 5), but the reviews have been a little up and down on both systems. Honestly, this might be a wash here, which is strange to say when both consoles are video game machines. Still, its really too early to say which console to buy for the games. If I had to make a pick, Id go with the PS4 because you can stream your game play, download old PlayStation titles through the PS Store, and PS+ promises to offer great games for free each month. But really, both titles came out with some good games that leverage each systems power. This is a great time of year for gamers because there are two great systems, no matter what the fan boys say, that are offering new gaming experiences. It is important to remember what your motivations are and what you plan to use the system for when buying a console. In all honesty, if you are waiting for more games, Id say the best time to buy would be in March, once more exclusives come out and the glitches (and hardware issues!) are xed after the rst waves of consoles. But if you cant wait, just make sure you know why you buy.

On the Scene
Review: The Legenda of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Blackbird OConnells Blackbird

OConnells

Blackbird

Blackbird

(out of 5)
I nd it so hard to believe that a hero that I battled monsters with when I was three-years old still remains relevant today. Of course, thats just what Nintendo does. The company which has heralded its loving core heroes (Mario, Luigi, Link, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Kirby and Samus) through the generations continues to pump out incredible, relevant games. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is just that. Incredible. The Nintendo 3DS is beautiful, fun and brings back every Zelda memory youve ever had. The game is a sequel to A Link to the Past, but it is also so much more. Link can rent items now, which means you can explore the world at your whim, tackling dungeons with ease as you work to save Hyrule. Sometimes it feels a little easy, but the dungeons are fun and the games 3-D is astonishingly well done. The game is a love letter to fans of the series, whove gone out alone, into the danger, armed with the master sword, a boomerang and a love for adventure. I cant recommend this game enough.

Take a tour today and mention you saw us in Boyd Street! Like us on Facebook The Renaissance At Norman www.livebyou.com

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Music Mel Guapo

MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE (OR A JOYLESS NOISEJUST MAKE A NOISE)

Bring the gift of music to life this holiday season

On the Scene
Blackbird The Garage OConnells

OConnells

OConnells

McNellies

When my editor here at Boyd Street magazine asked me to write about how to give locally this holiday season, I had conicting emotions. As a rule, I dont like to follow rules. I believe that rules were made to be broken. But when breaking rules becomes a rule, sometimes following the rules becomes radicaldo you get me? The truth is that I love music more than anything. I love all the kinds of music and I think that the world needs more and more of it, and I think that our world here in Norman in particular would benet from more musicas much music as possible, all the music possible. Some people will say youre either born with the gift of music or youre not. This is a common misconception. It is one that I bought into for a long time myself, which is why I became a successful music critic instead of pursuing my dream of making the music that I could only write about. But Ive slowly come to the realization that not only is everyone born with his or her own sound of music, but that it needs to be brought into this world and made a reality. In short, everybody should start a band. Whether its a band of one or a band of many, starting a band isnt easy and maintaining a band is even harder. Maybe you want to start a band, or maybe you know someone who does. Give the gift of music this holiday season, to yourself or someone else, and start a band. Youll not only be giving back to the community, as all of these involve stimulating the local economy, but youll also be stimulating the local economy of your soul. The obviously place to start is by gearing up. Norman Music on Gray between Webster and University has a great selection of new and used music gear. Even if you dont play an instrument already, go there and let something speak to you. It will whisper your name; it will say sweet things to you about what a good time you could have together. If theres nothing there, try Gilliam Music next to

Hastings. Or try Hastings. They have starter gear; work your way up. Music is not about how good the instrument is, its about how good you are at touching it, so get to touching something fast because thats how you learn. Scour the pawnshops if you have to. Then head to Guestroom Records on Main Street next to McNellies. Buy some records or tapes or CDs. Put a record on and start making noise along with the music. Figure out how to make your instrument t in to the music. Discover what space your sound can ll. Experiment with making noise, nd out all the different ways your instrument can make noise and then you will begin to understand how to make your instrument say things like feelings without using words. You can make music on your own, but youll get much more out of it by sharing the passion with others. The best venues in the city are The Opolis on Crawford between Main and Gray and The Deli on Campus Corner. Spend time on the scene. Meet people. Learn new things. Finally, save some money and book time at one of Normans many thriving recording studios, such as Blackwatch Studios and Breathing Rhythm Studios near downtown, or Bell Labs on the outskirts of the city. Most likely you wont make a hit, but youre not in it to make hits, youre in it to make noise. So get started. Make a noise. Everybody start a band. Thats my Christmas wish. Be sure to pick up this years Fowler VW Christmas Record from Blackwatch Studios, Jingle Beats and Holly-Tonk at the annual Christmas party at Stash on Main at downtown Artwalk, Second Friday in December. The party and the record are both free, as always! Fowlervwchristmas.com
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Romance Alexis Auckland

Hold or Fold
I get obsessed with songs and my latest object of infatuation is Royals by Lorde. Yeah, its been around awhile, but Ive recently grown to really care about it in the same way you might hang out with someone for years, only to wake up one random morning and realize youre crushing hard. With Royals, Im pretty sure its the lyrics that have me sprung. Could be the melody too. The whole thing works so well, its hard to pinpoint the detonator. Its refreshing to hear something with a deep beat and club swell thats not focused on ass, cash or clout. Royals lyrics are delicious and take things back to basics, which is a great Christmas message. This season, let this tune inspire you to get away from the usual gifts, and hook your lover up with the best present of allhomage. Royals lyrics: Ive never seen a diamond in the esh I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies And Im not proud of my address, In a torn-up town, no postcode envy But every songs like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin in the bathroom Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin the hotel room, We dont care, were driving Cadillacs in our dreams. But everybodys like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece. Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash. We dont care. We arent caught up in your love affair. And well never be royals. It dont run in our blood, That kind of luxe just aint for us. We crave a different kind of buzz. Let me be your ruler, You can call me queen Bee And baby Ill rule, Ill rule, Ill rule, Ill rule. Let me live that fantasy. Take the words how you want, but possibly they mean obtaining the expensive objects and lifestyles we crave due to societal messages are only one way to get excited. There are a million others one of which is feeling like you rule. This Christmas, treat your lover to a different avored buzz. Put a smile on their face by trying a new method to happiness. Give a gift that cant be purchased. Use emotion to make your sweetheart feel like royalty. Men, put your woman on a pedestal. Make her your queen. Give her a list of things you adore about her, pointing out the less obvious layers of her personality that make her supreme. Lay her down to her favorite music. Rub her body. Pay attention. Complete the fantasy of her being the focus of your world for a short while and the only object of your fascination. Most women irt with some variation of this idea. Bring it to fruition. Women, feed your mans ego. Tell him why hes so much better than the rest. Show him by giving him what he wants and playing into his wishes with tireless affection, if even for an hour. Shock him by planning an activity he would never guess or by encouraging him to attend something he loves but you dont. In a lot of relationships, activities end up rotating around the chick. We plan more. We voice more, so men stop going to shoot pool with the boys or trying to form a garage band. I promise their teenage dreams and aspirations havent disappeared, just their will to chase those activities.

W
Love Have You Bafed?
Drop me your situation. Lay down your good, bad and fugly tales from the dating crypt. This is your chance to ask anonymous advice on how to handle the stage 5 cling-on, killer crush, friends disapproval, infamous commitment phobe or any awkward love debacle. Im ready to be brutally honest, if youre ready to hear the hard truth. Write to boydstreetromance@gmail.com.

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