According to the Frozen Yogurt Review Blog, frozen yogurt was introduced to the world in the 1970’s. It started simply as yogurt frozen. However customers didn’t like the tartness of frozen yogurt. So in the 1980’s fro-yo companies began adding more and more sugar.

In the 1990’s yogurt companies like TCBY made it big with their soft serve ice cream wannabes. Soon the millennium came, along with the health food craze. Customers began wondering what happened to the real fro-yo.

According to Pinkberry’s website, in 2005, Pinkberry, a healthy new age yogurt with a classic twist of tart, started swirling. They suddenly boomed with success and began opening stores in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Pinkberry offered healthy fresh toppings on their live cultured treats.

Then in 2007, people finally had a craving for the 1970’s original fro-yo. States like South Carolina didn’t have Pinkberry or anything like it.

But in November of 2008, Jacob Billingsley opened up Blueberry Frog Frozen Yogurt in downtown Greenville. Blueberry Frog was the first new age fro-yo in the state of South Carolina.

Soon, in 2010 national franchises with self-serve stations and ice cream flavors opened up everywhere.

Despite the new competition, Blueberry frog opened three more locations in 2011. There are currently four locations: downtown Greenville, Fairview Road in Simpsonville, Clemson, and Five Forks. In early 2012, Billingsley plans to open a new fifth store in Easley, South Carolina.

In the spring of 2009, I walked into Blueberry frog for the first time. I was shocked that they only carried four flavors: Blueberry, Plain (which is NOT vanilla), Chocolate, and Green Tea. There was also a large variety of fresh fruit and other toppings. After sampling all the flavors, I chose blueberry yogurt with blueberries. The yogurt was creamy, smooth and tart. It was amazingly tart. I went back again and again.

In 2010, I decided to try all the new frozen yogurt places in town and was underwhelmed by them all. And, in fact, most self-serve frozen yogurt stores sell their yogurt for $.45 cents per ounce, whereas, Blueberry Frog costs $.37 cents per ounce. The price difference is shocking considering how much better and more filling Blueberry Frog is.

I recently went to the Blueberry Frogs of Greenville, Simpsonville and Five Forks.

The employees at the Blueberry Frog in downtown Greenville are very personable and nice. Billingsley actually worked in the store, serving yogurt himself before he began franchising out.

The Blueberry Frog of Greenville has 4 flavors of frozen yogurt. They always carry Plain and Chocolate. But they switch around the other 2 flavors based on the season or sales. In the past, Blueberry Frog has carried Peach, Green tea (which tastes terrible), Pomegranate, Cherry, Blueberry (their signature flavor), and Cheesecake.

The green tea flavor doesn’t even taste like tea. It is bitter, it has no punch to it at all and it leaves your mouth with a bad taste. The flavor of it is similar to chewing on black tea leaves, without sugar.

The chocolate is for kids, and people who don’t want to eat normal fro-yo. The plain is great, especially if you want to add fruits. Billingsley wrote in his recent newsletter, “The most popular flavor, their plain tart, was simply that, plain tart yogurt. As simple as that sounds, it was revolutionary in the frozen yogurt game.”

The peach flavor hits the spot in the summer because it’s chilly and juicy. I like how fruity it is, its like eating a nice ripe juicy peach. The cheesecake flavor is good for something different, but I wouldn’t eat it every day. It is much sweeter than the other flavors, so if someone wants something subtle that won’t pucker their lips, this the flavor for them. And the blueberry is always amazingly good. It isn’t the creamiest fro-yo ever but its still smooth. I wouldn’t suggest it to ice cream fans because it’s almost like eating a tart blueberry with no cream. There is nothing like it though, it is fro-yo in the most exact sense. It may be very tangy which sometimes can be a drag for those who like to eat mellow things. But for a fro-yo fan, this is the best yogurt you could find. It is fruity, smooth, tart, and packs a little punch. The pomegranate is my personal favorite. It is heavenly creamy. There is nothing in this world I love more than pomegranate fro-yo from Blueberry Frog. It is by far the smoothest, its tart but it leaves your mouth with a nice sweet flavor. It lingers in your mouth leaving a craving for more. It packs a small tangy blast and then brings a little sweetness. The way it melts is even nice, with the melting cream swirling down the spiral and into the cup. It just is pure greatness. I feel like I’m eating something from a dream.

Therefore, when I recently went, I ordered a small pomegranate with blueberries. It was tart like fro-yo is supposed to be. When the young employee swirled the fro-yo into the cup, it was dreamy. The yogurt looked perfect, it wasn’t slimy and gross but instead it came out fluffy and smooth. It was just very tangy and amazingly creamy. It was very smooth, which is the biggest difference between Blueberry Frog and its many competitors. The yogurt was flavorful even though it didn’t contain dyes or artificial flavoring.

“The frozen yogurt always feels to be surprisingly filling. So, there’s just plenty of goodness to enjoy any time of the day,” says a Senior, Priti Patel.

The décor at the Blueberry Frog downtown is new age with a twist of retro. I swear, I could hang out there for hours. The bathrooms even say “You handsome devil” and “You look gorgeous” to add humor. It indeed is a nice place to be, and it attracts me to Blueberry Frog as I walk down Main St.

The Blueberry Frog in Simpsonville is much more convenient for students from Brashier Middle College. Therefore, I visited them as well. The location is a franchise and it tends to be a little different. The Simpsonville store opened up in early 2011 at the intersection of Harrison Bridge and Fairview Road. The Blueberry Frog of Simpsonville is really cool. The counters have lights embedded under the surface and the cash register is actually an Apple Ipad system similar to the Apple store. The store keeps the green and blue of Blueberry Frog but adds a hint of orange. The store is much smaller than that off the Greenville location and the franchise owners seem to lurk around.

When I went to the Simpsonville location, they had vanilla, plain, cheesecake, chocolate and peanut butter. However, they have changed a few of them to new flavors. They currently only have one fruit flavor, cherry. I was shocked to discover that the yogurt was much stronger tasting and was in fact very smooth. Their yogurt is much sweeter than the “original,” however it was still much tangier than Yogurt Mountain’s frozen treat.

I found sitting in such a small area to be awkward at the Simpsonville location. I didn’t think the yogurt was nearly as good as Downtown’s, but I found that it was worth the money. The store space is very small and the owners seem to linger around, so I wouldn’t suggest just sitting around and hanging out there.

November 2011, brought the world a fourth Blueberry Frog. The third location opening is in Clemson and the fourth is in Five Forks. The Blueberry Frog of Five Forks is very bland and large in terms of store space. The yogurt was too soft and didn’t hold shape. Their fro-yo was tart but it was missing the creamy smooth sensation. Over time, I believe they will get better, but I won’t go back for a while.

In March 2012, Billingsley plans to open up a 5^th location in Easley, South Carolina.

Back in 2001, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney came together to become the band known as The Black Keys. Since their humble beginnings doing covers of old blues songs, The Black Keys have made a name for themselves in the world of alternative music by producing an interesting sound, mixing the both the blues and that garage band sound and vibe. Imagine the late great Ray Charles doing a show with the band The Arctic Monkeys. It’s like that. The Black Keys have been able to most show this style in their newest album: El Camino.

I started listening to this album like any rational person: at the beginning. That first song gave me goose bumps. The first song on their new album is also their first single of their new album, “Lonely Boy.” The beginning of that song told me that they had knocked it out of the park. The next song to stand out was called “Little Black Submarines.” To be honest, the first half of the song left a lot to be desired. It was one of those old timey blues acoustic pieces that I’m usually not really a fan of. I was about to skip to the next song when I got the most pleasant surprise.  At around the half-way point, I almost jumped out of my chair. They did a pump fake with this one. It switches from acoustic to an amazing electric guitar piece! Other great songs include “Gold on the Ceiling” and “Hell of a Season.”

All in all, The Black Keys pulled it off again. They continue to bring to the table music that I not only enjoy, but that also gives me new experiences. While there are songs that are similar to their style, like Lonely Boy, also there are those precious gems that literally make you do a double take at your computer or iPod to make sure you’re still listening to the same song. All in all, I give this album an A-.

Yet, I’ve seen some interesting changes in the music industry lately. Adele seems to be competing with Lady Gaga for popularity. Artists such as Ellie Goulding and LIGHTS are steadily becoming more well-known. It’s common knowledge that bands with strong female vocalists such as Evanescence and Florence & The Machine are making huge comebacks. Could it be that talent now counts in the music industry?

My hopes for the music industry rose higher last fall when I was able to listen to Florence & The Machine’s new album, Ceremonials. I’d been a fan of the band for quite a while, but hadn’t really heard much more than their three biggest hits.

However, the new album still caught and held my attention. The first song, “Only If For A Night,” didn’t feel like a song that would start an album. But in this case, it worked. The song builds you up, captures your attention, and prepares you for the rest of the album. Its whimsical harmonies, trance-inducing beats, and dreamy vocals set the tone for the whole album.

Florence Welch’s powerhouse voice seems more natural throughout this album. While the band’s first album, Lungs, had more of an alternative rock edge to it, Ceremonials feels much more calm and laid-back. Instead of singing catchy little songs like “Kiss With A Fist” (I love that song, but come on, she’s done so much better), Welch belts out truly powerful songs such as “What The Water Gave Me” and “Heartlines” (two of my personal favorites). Songs such as these reminded me of “Cosmic Love”, one of my favorite songs from Florence & The Machine’s debut album.

Ceremonials has its fair share in both powerful ballads and slower, more laid-back melodies. However, three of the most powerful songs are at the beginning, which makes the rest of the album seem to drag. I’d recommend listening to this album on shuffle instead of listening to every single track in order. That way, you’ll more than likely get an even mix of songs.

All in all, Ceremonials is an excellent album; it’s truly a unique gem. Florence Welch’s raw talent shines brighter than ever. I predict even more success for this alternative rock goddess – but I also have a feeling that she’ll start a solo career eventually. With all of that talent, it would be more than easy for her to ditch her band in order to compete with artists such as Adele, Ellie Goulding, and the like. (But who says she should?)

Click here to check out Florence & The Machine’s website and their new album Ceremonials.

“I was really surprised when I tasted it,” says Sophomore Jacob Helvey, “I didn’t think that it was going to be this good.”

Some of the other burger combinations make for great eats if you’re not brave enough to try the Stone. The Earle burger is a classic mushroom and swiss, and the Cleveland burger is stuffed with Monterey jack cheese. When I finally was able to get downtown one weekend with a friend, of course Grille 33 was the place that we were going to go to. Because I had already tried the Stone on a previous visit there, I let my friend Jacob get it and decided to go big. I chose the Poinsett burger, a burger that has bacon, egg, and cheese on it, and I also got sweet potato fries. I also decided to get the Bad Dawg, a deep fried, bacon wrapped hotdog with chili, onions Jalapenos, and cheese. While the hotdog came with normal fries, Jacob got the onion rings so we could try a little bit of everything. When our food came, I immediately went for the Poinsett, which was incredible, with the crunch of the bacon, and the great taste of egg. And under all that, you can still taste the meat. Though I don’t know of many places that serve sweet potato fries, Grille 33 has some of the best. The crunchy and slightly salty outside soon gives way to the sweet inside. They taste great with ketchup, but just as good by themselves. The hotdog was so loaded with chili and other toppings that I had to eat the entire thing with a fork. Just like the burger, you can still taste the main ingredient even under all that topping. The melted cheese on top was excellent, and the chili tasted excellent. The Bacon around the dog was crunchy and gave the hot dog a great taste. The regular fries were good, but nowhere near as good as the sweet potato fries or the onion rings. The onion rings were super crunchy and tender.  Unlike most onion rings, you don’t accidently pull out the entire onion part when you take your first bite. The onion is tender and breaks easily. The Stone was just as incredible, and when I go again, that will be the burger for me

“I’m definitely going to go back sometime,” says Helvey. “It’s a great place to eat downtown.”

We got up to the front after about twenty minutes, but it was well worth it. We got a two-for-one deal with the ticket prices, so the money spent on the tickets went a lot farther, and then we were off! We drove along a dirt road filled with lights and set ups, one in the shape of an elaborate castle, and several wrapped around the trees, and then stopped to buy animal food. The adventure was about to begin!

By now, we had crammed two people hanging out each door of the mini-van, had the trunk open, the windows down, and the heat on high. We drove through an area marked by a snowflake and a Christmas present, and were almost there.

We got to the Enchanted Deer Forest in just a few minutes and it was absolutely breathtaking. There were probably over a thousand deer, at least three zebra, about ten cows, and a Hollywild specialty resident, the Zedonk (a combination of a zebra and a donkey). Brashier Junior Kara Beverly was hanging out the back of the van, begging every animal in sight to come and eat her food. Greenville Tech Sophomore Will Kelly sat on the roof, and Brashier Sophomore Mary Alice Shultz was sitting in the car, watching all the animals, laughing with us all, and tossing bits of bagels and crackers at the animals. Beverly and I were throwing crackers like Frisbees, desperate to get the cows and zebra’s attention. She practically screamed with joy when she got to touch the zebra, saying that to do so was her life’s dream.

At one point, we went through a bit of a crisis with missing phones, all of which were accounted for by the end of the trip. Phones are a complicated thing to bring, because they are so easily lost and there are over a hundred acres of the Enchanted Deer Forest where it could easily be lost and never retrieved.

Eventually, after staring at the lights, throwing food at the animals, and nearly getting stuck in a mud puddle, we decided to leave the Enchanted Deer Forest for Santa’s Village, the baby animal petting zoo area.

But all good things must end. And the end of one good thing marked the beginning of another. We pulled into the parking lot for Santa’s Village, climbed out of the car, and did everything we could in twenty minutes. We went off in pairs, Schultz and Kelly, Beverly and I, and headed in separate directions. Beverly and I went straight for the baby animals, determined to pet the baby goats, the llamas, the ponies, and the extremely fuzzy baby bison.

We quickly discovered that the baby animals believe that anything that comes into their enclosure is a baby bottle, full of hot milk on the cold days. And so, when we stuck our fingers into the pens, the goats came right up and started sucking on our fingers. It was hilarious, and absolutely adorable. Beverly and I fed one of the ponies who was currently not being forced to carry around squealing little kids, and then we had to head back. We caught up with Schultz and Kelly, who had gone to the little candy store, seen the animals, and came back sucking on push-pops.

We all headed back to my mom’s car, and climbed in, mixed the hot chocolate up and had more mood music playing. It was 10:30PM by the time we got out, and headed for home. We had to drive through a nativity scene, where we saw the Ten Commandments. We’d seen a goat just wandering around right before then, and Beverly instantly said, “We should’ve kidnapped that loose goat!”

“’Thou shalt not steal!’” Schultz exclaimed, laughing and pointing at the signs.

“See, this is why I shouldn’t get a car; I would totally jack a goat!” Beverly exclaimed as we drove through the nativity at the very end.

Visit the site to find hours and make plans to go! Go to http://hollywild.com/

“When I heard [the book] was out, I was excited,” says Junior Scottie Wood.

The series, which was originally supposed to only have 3 books, has grown and matured since the first book was published. Characters have grown and changed, new characters have come in and left their mark on the story, and the overall mood of the entire series has a darker feel. This growth in the story’s developments has left people pondering how the story is going to end.

“I think that in the end, a lot of people are going to die,” says Wood “the story might end well, but it will be sad.”

So after 8 years of waiting, readers will finally know the end of the story. But if the story is over, it is possible author Christopher Paolini could write something else. And if he were to write another series, thousands of Eragon fans might pick it up, to see if it has the same elements that made this series so great.

“I usually don’t read a book just because it’s by an author;” says Wood “I really look for stories content first to see if it’s any good.”

My fears were put to rest with the song “Made of Stone,” “Swimming Home,” and “My Heart is Broken.” While those were the softer songs that I liked to sing along with, I also found the songs like “Erase This” and “Never Go Back” to be amazing. However, my favorite song from their new album remains “Sick”. It’s so different from their prior lyrics, but the way the beat thrums in my chest and makes me want to jump around and dance like a fool, definitely mark this as a highlight of the band.

For almost ten years, the band Evanescence has been writing, recording and producing emotional and fun songs. Since their unofficial album Origin was recorded, the band has been developing their style, working around hardships, and even losing a member. Lead singer Amy Lee’s unique vocals and style has been one of the selling points of Evanescence. However, the band has played together through the thick and thin, with the turmoil of possibly breaking up, getting back together, and all the perks and problems of fame.

After the band released the album The Open Door, many fans went through a scare of the band breaking up and not producing anymore songs. But the fans won! The band got back together (though if though broke up or not is mostly speculation) and produced the instant hit single Together Again. Less than a year later, their newest album came out, and fans cheered for the self-titled album.

While many people say that losing lead guitarist Ben Moody took away from the band, I disagree. The band is not one-toned, and their news songs “What You Want” and “Lost in Paradise” prove the range of style the band still maintains. I read one interview for MTV where Amy Lee talked about focusing more on where she was as an adult, and about what her life is like now with this album. It was more of a group effort this time around, with all of the band members contributing to the song writing.

 “What You Want”, “My Heart Is Broken” and “Lost in Paradise” are the singles from the alum, which debuted as number one on the Billboard 200 (and different Billboards) chart with well over 100,000 copies sold. Clearly Evanescence hasn’t lost their edge.

Wolf Gang just released their first full album in Great Britain, Suego Faults, in July of 2011. This album includes countless enticing tracks such as ‘Lions in Cages’, ‘Stay and Defend’, ‘Dancing with the Devil’ and their current hit single ‘The King and All of His Men.’ The band also has music videos out for ‘Lions in Cages’, ‘Dancing with the Devil’, and ‘The King and All of His Men.’ More recently, the band has been featured on U.S. Indie and Alt. Rock radio stations, boosting their popularity in the States.

I really enjoyed this album a lot. I am sort of ADD when it comes to music, skipping a song in the first 10 seconds if it doesn’t catch and hold my attention. I am proud to say that I listened to this album all the way through, from start to finish without skipping anything. I believe that an album really has something if it can make a listener listen to it from the first second of the first song to the last second of the last song, and I believe that Suego Faults has that something.

Wolf Gang’s Suego Faults consists of ten songs, all in the two to three minute range. The whole album has their slow songs and fast songs, like any new album. However, they all contain that Pop/New Wave tone. Their music is certainly a nice change from some of the more hard rock or punk that usually plays on the radio.

The album, Suego Faults, is currently only available in Britain, however Wolf Gang does have an Extended Play or, EP, released in the States, which is avalible on iTunes.

And now I’m happy to say that this October, Coldplay released their fifth album, Mylo Xyloto.  Coldplay fans rejoice!  But of course, if you are an avid Coldplay fan, you probably knew that already.  As a fan myself, I was very excited to hear about their new album.  I listened to song previews and watched music videos as they were released.  (And now, whenever I hear the word “Paradise”, I think of Chris Martin in an elephant suit.  Follow this link to see what I mean.)  But would this album be similar to Viva La Vida and Coldplay’s other albums, or simply reminiscent?  Would the band channel their mellow punk roots, or turn in a different direction?

The answer?  Both.  Slower songs such as “Us Against the World” and “U.F.O.” remind me of earlier more mellow songs such as “Sparks.”  One of my personal favorites, “Major Minus”, reminds me of “Violet Hill.”  However, the entire album is drastically different from their previous albums.  Even the physical CD is different- it’s rainbow unlike their other CDs which are mostly black.  In terms of sound, Mylo Xyloto is very positive.  Songs like “Paradise”, “Charlie Brown”, and  “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” are just a few of the upbeat songs on the album.

The only song that I was unsure of at first was “Princess of China.”  This song features a duet of Chris Martin and Rihanna.  I thought that featuring Rihanna in this song was a gimmick-y move on Coldplay’s part, but this isn’t the first time Coldplay has collaborated with another artist.  The song “Lost+” featured a rap by Jay-z during its guitar solo.  Though gimmick-y, Coldplay made a smart move in working with Rihanna.  Both Coldplay and Rihanna fans alike will love this song; it reflects the sound of both artists.  Also, the sound of their voices singing together is growing on me.

In my opinion, I feel that Mylo Xyloto is a great album.  I was afraid Coldplay wouldn’t be able to top Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, but I think they just did.  Mylo Xyloto is a huge leap from their first album Parachutes because of its positive sound.  The album has a little something for everyone.  My word of warning?  If you like depressing music, or if you simply don’t like alternative, you probably won’t like this album.

Foster the People is often compared to other alternative bands such as the Parisian foursome Phoenix, but their upbeat and infectious sound as well as their not-so-humble beginning makes me want to compare them more to bands like Passion Pit or MGMT.   Most who know Foster the People only really know them for their incredibly successful single “Pumped Up Kicks.”  This eerily jaunty tune is what has earned the band much of its fame.  Though immensely popular when it came out, I didn’t care for the song.  Assuming that all of Foster the People’s music sounded like “Pumped Up Kicks”, I passed up the band and forgot about them for most of the summer.

Later on, I heard another song of theirs called “Helena Beat”, and I was astounded.  “Helena Beat” is the opposite extreme of “Pumped Up Kicks.”  While “Pumped Up Kicks” features a lax beat, altered vocals, and moderate synthesizer, “Helena Beat” is upbeat, showcases Mark Foster’s natural voice, and is heavy on the synth.  It’s a song that you can’t help but move to; it takes you over. 

So, in the end, I broke down and bought the album.  And I have to say, it’s one of the best I’ve ever bought.  Totally worth the $13.99 I spent.  The album begins with the fast-paced “Helena Beat”, follows with the slow “Pumped Up Kicks”, then works its way through a mix of more perky and quirky songs.  In my opinion, this album reaches out to tug on every emotional chord: happiness, fear, anger, confidence, sadness, and love.  For example, “Call It What You Want” is the anthem for anyone who has ever been labeled or has felt out of place.  “Waste” is a strangely touching love song (which, by the way, gets me every time).  And my other favorite, “Houdini”, is an encouraging dance-worthy song with disco elements.

All in all, Torches is an awesome album.  The songs are mostly positive, whether it be through their lighthearted tunes or optimistic lyrics.  It’s the perfect pick-me-up album.  My only word of warning would be for those who aren’t too crazy for alternative, dance-pop, or synthesizer.  As I’ve said before, they can be heavy on the synth.  If that’s not your musical preference, you may not want to buy the album, but instead listen to a sample first.  Follow this link to their website to listen to the album.

As for Mark Foster and his band, I can only see great things.  Foster the People is definitely a group to keep on the radar.