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(10/03/02 4:00am)
One of the UK's first-tier electronic acts is back with a stylish new album and one fewer member to deal with. Following the release of former member DJ Emerson, Rick Smith and Karl Hyde of Underworld highlight the group's talent as a duo in its album, A Hundred Days Off.\nUnderworld is renowned for its ability to produce seamless, progressive, dance anthems, and many cuts from its new album further back up this notion. The opening track, "Mo Move," picks up right where older Underworld songs like "Cowgirl" and "King of Snake" left off. It packs a low, funky bass line looping throughout the entire track as a series of Latin-influenced polyrhythms build up alongside Hyde's soothing voice.\n"Two Months Off," the first 12-inch and single release off the album, features more of the same signature bass lines and synthesizer riffs responsible for making asses shake on the dance floor the world over. It's hardly noticeable that this song is more than nine minutes long because of its frequent breakdowns and buildups. Coupled with the sultry voice of Juanita during certain sections of the song, it's no wonder "Two Months Off" is the first single from the album. It's a great track. \nUnderworld slows things down a bit in tracks like "Sola Sistim" and, most notably, "Trim," in which Hyde and Smith reveal another side of their production talents by featuring a melodious acoustic guitar and intelligently processed vocals. "Ess Gee" is simply beautiful, featuring only a dreamy electric guitar and enough ambience to fill Assembly Hall. \nFrom the get-go, it's obvious "Dinosaur Adventure 3D" is another trademark Underworld feet-stomper. This track definitely focuses its energy around the different elements of percussion. High hat and ride cymbal rhythms are constantly changing in and out of the uptempo bass beat. Even though Hyde's voice in this song goes a little overboard in terms of vocal processing (a là Cher's "Believe"), "Dinosaur Adventure" is still capable of making just about anyone sweat.\nThe only puzzling thing about A Hundred Days Off is the way in which Underworld ends the album. In the final track, "Luetin," the 4/4 beat is slowed down considerably compared to other tracks on the album. This doesn't make "Luetin" a bad track necessarily, but it does disrupt the flow of the album as a whole. I wished for just one more track that would have the power to leave me breathless to end the album, but it never came.\nDespite the minor disappointment at the end of this record, I was still very pleased with the end result. Great production. Great grooves. Even greater album.
(10/03/02 4:00am)
Snapcase, leader of the underground hardcore scene since the early '90s, attempts to reshape its thrash-core sound on its new album, End Transmission. It screams "concept album," almost literally, as front man Daryl Tabreksi's angry and foreboding lyrics guide you through the tale of a middle-class revolt in a controlling, oppressive society set 69 years in the future. \nIt's not an uncommon theme. Radiohead warned of us the ills of a technologically-controlled society in OK Computer, as did Fear Factory in žbsolete. Imagine these two albums conceived a secret love child and named it End Transmission.\nIt at first appears that Snapcase isn't going to let you down as they charge head-first into the opening track, "Coagulate," a hard, fast-paced song containing the type of guitar riffs and drum beats you would come to expect from Snapcase. Tabreski's somewhat inaudible lyrics add for good backup noise as the instruments play a larger role in the song. The band has plenty of intelligent things to say. It just needs to turn the volume down and stop yelling.\nSongs like "Believe, Revolt" and "First Word" further solidify the notion that the musicians are sticking to their straight-up formula of well-developed, rock-hard guitar and drum sections.\nSomething happens as End Transmission progresses that might shock the veteran Snapcase fan. Eerie grand-stand piano pieces appear in the form of "Cadence" and "A Synthesis of Classic Forms," and they're not half bad. It depends on whether you're willing to accept the new sound as legit Snapcase or scoff at it by labeling it too artsy. \nAs "Synthesis" unwinds into an ambient abyss, End Transmission seems to have taken a chill pill. Not so. The next song, "Aperture," leaps out from behind the spatial sound and scares the hell out of you with an amplified opening-riff. \nI have to hand it to Snapcase for developing its new sound into something more than a two-minute, head-bang anthem. End Transmission has the potential to be Snapcase's stepping-stone album into a new realm of creativity and style for the hardcore genre.
(10/03/02 12:19am)
Snapcase, leader of the underground hardcore scene since the early '90s, attempts to reshape its thrash-core sound on its new album, End Transmission. It screams "concept album," almost literally, as front man Daryl Tabreksi's angry and foreboding lyrics guide you through the tale of a middle-class revolt in a controlling, oppressive society set 69 years in the future. \nIt's not an uncommon theme. Radiohead warned of us the ills of a technologically-controlled society in OK Computer, as did Fear Factory in žbsolete. Imagine these two albums conceived a secret love child and named it End Transmission.\nIt at first appears that Snapcase isn't going to let you down as they charge head-first into the opening track, "Coagulate," a hard, fast-paced song containing the type of guitar riffs and drum beats you would come to expect from Snapcase. Tabreski's somewhat inaudible lyrics add for good backup noise as the instruments play a larger role in the song. The band has plenty of intelligent things to say. It just needs to turn the volume down and stop yelling.\nSongs like "Believe, Revolt" and "First Word" further solidify the notion that the musicians are sticking to their straight-up formula of well-developed, rock-hard guitar and drum sections.\nSomething happens as End Transmission progresses that might shock the veteran Snapcase fan. Eerie grand-stand piano pieces appear in the form of "Cadence" and "A Synthesis of Classic Forms," and they're not half bad. It depends on whether you're willing to accept the new sound as legit Snapcase or scoff at it by labeling it too artsy. \nAs "Synthesis" unwinds into an ambient abyss, End Transmission seems to have taken a chill pill. Not so. The next song, "Aperture," leaps out from behind the spatial sound and scares the hell out of you with an amplified opening-riff. \nI have to hand it to Snapcase for developing its new sound into something more than a two-minute, head-bang anthem. End Transmission has the potential to be Snapcase's stepping-stone album into a new realm of creativity and style for the hardcore genre.
(10/03/02 12:19am)
One of the UK's first-tier electronic acts is back with a stylish new album and one fewer member to deal with. Following the release of former member DJ Emerson, Rick Smith and Karl Hyde of Underworld highlight the group's talent as a duo in its album, A Hundred Days Off.\nUnderworld is renowned for its ability to produce seamless, progressive, dance anthems, and many cuts from its new album further back up this notion. The opening track, "Mo Move," picks up right where older Underworld songs like "Cowgirl" and "King of Snake" left off. It packs a low, funky bass line looping throughout the entire track as a series of Latin-influenced polyrhythms build up alongside Hyde's soothing voice.\n"Two Months Off," the first 12-inch and single release off the album, features more of the same signature bass lines and synthesizer riffs responsible for making asses shake on the dance floor the world over. It's hardly noticeable that this song is more than nine minutes long because of its frequent breakdowns and buildups. Coupled with the sultry voice of Juanita during certain sections of the song, it's no wonder "Two Months Off" is the first single from the album. It's a great track. \nUnderworld slows things down a bit in tracks like "Sola Sistim" and, most notably, "Trim," in which Hyde and Smith reveal another side of their production talents by featuring a melodious acoustic guitar and intelligently processed vocals. "Ess Gee" is simply beautiful, featuring only a dreamy electric guitar and enough ambience to fill Assembly Hall. \nFrom the get-go, it's obvious "Dinosaur Adventure 3D" is another trademark Underworld feet-stomper. This track definitely focuses its energy around the different elements of percussion. High hat and ride cymbal rhythms are constantly changing in and out of the uptempo bass beat. Even though Hyde's voice in this song goes a little overboard in terms of vocal processing (a là Cher's "Believe"), "Dinosaur Adventure" is still capable of making just about anyone sweat.\nThe only puzzling thing about A Hundred Days Off is the way in which Underworld ends the album. In the final track, "Luetin," the 4/4 beat is slowed down considerably compared to other tracks on the album. This doesn't make "Luetin" a bad track necessarily, but it does disrupt the flow of the album as a whole. I wished for just one more track that would have the power to leave me breathless to end the album, but it never came.\nDespite the minor disappointment at the end of this record, I was still very pleased with the end result. Great production. Great grooves. Even greater album.
(09/05/02 4:00am)
Having only two members, Local H already sets itself apart from the rest of the rock world anyway. According to lead singer/guitarist David Scott Lucas, that's not such a bad thing, either.\n"We get a lot of double-takes and odd looks when we're playing live, but those same people giving looks hopefully end up digging us by the end of the show," he says. "At the very least they'll remember who's in the band."\nRock fans will have a chance tonight to either give strange looks or bang their heads to straight-up rock music when Local H performs at the Bluebird as it gears up for its nationwide tour this fall.\n"Local H came here over the summer and the turnout was good," says Bluebird and Axis owner Dave Kubiak. "They seem to have a strong fan base, which will hopefully make for another good show."\nLocal H's fan base began building early on with the highly-successful 1996 release of As Good as Dead, after which an almost cult-like following developed. The early buzz on the loud and highly energetic rock duo found its way to Nick Riley of Stamford, Conn. Riley, who considers himself a die-hard fan, posts often on message boards about Local H. He says that As Good as Dead propelled the band's popularity to a higher level. \n"They sold something like 500,000 copies of that album, which at the time was only their second release," Riley says. "That's not bad for a sophomore effort."\nWhat specifically drew Riley to Local H was the band's overall sound.\n"I was just amazed at how much music they were able to conjure up," he says. "There are quintet rock bands out there that don't even come close to digging up as much sound as Local H does." \nWith only two members, it might seem strange that Local H has the capability to do what they do, but it's not rocket science, Lucas says.\n"In order to create the bass element in our songs, I simply have a bass pickup hooked up on my six-string guitar that picks up the low-end frequencies that a regular bass guitar would normally do," he says. "Then the bass sounds are just fed into a bass amp."\nAfter the release of Local H's previous album, Pack Up the Cats, the band took a hiatus while searching for a new record label. Universal Music Group bought out the group's old label, Island Records, the same week Cats hit stores. Record sales for that album weren't stellar, despite critical praise. \nWhen Local H's original drummer, Joe Daniels, left the band in 2000, Lucas set out to find a replacement for the other half of Local H. His search led him to Brian St. James, the drummer from a lesser-known band called Triple Fast Action.\n"He's one of my heroes and is responsible for some of the greatest rock records from back when I was a kid," Lucas says. "It was a lot of fun recording with him, and his professionalism in the studio echoes on the new album."\nSt. James can be heard on Local H's newest album, Here Comes the Zoo, released in March. Palm Pictures, Local H's new label, is headed up by ex-Island CEO Chris Blackwell. Zoo features producer Jack Douglas, a legend in the recording industry who is responsible for albums from Alice Cooper, Aerosmith and John Lennon. \nWhile the band's label may have changed, Lucas' cynical lyrics have not. Poking fun at everything from complacency in relationships to the fake-plastic workings of the record industry, Lucas makes no secret about the way he feels.\n"I don't like being taken too seriously," Lucas says. "A lot of times people would get too caught up in whether we were trying to be serious or sarcastic on our records. I'm basically just a smartass, but it's a far cry from being an asshole, I think."\nAs the group's fall tour begins, Local H looks forward to promoting its recent album and hitting the road. With a dedicated fan base rocking in its wake, it looks to be a long but rewarding experience.\n"That's our job, you know?" Lucas says jokingly. "We write songs and put out records, and then we go out to support of those records. It's a vicious cycle."\nWhile Local H may not have the media exposure it once enjoyed, the band is still going strong and looking to rock the house at the Bluebird before trekking across the country.\nLocal H performs live tonight at 10:30 p.m. at the Bluebird. Cost of admission is $10.
(09/05/02 3:32am)
Having only two members, Local H already sets itself apart from the rest of the rock world anyway. According to lead singer/guitarist David Scott Lucas, that's not such a bad thing, either.\n"We get a lot of double-takes and odd looks when we're playing live, but those same people giving looks hopefully end up digging us by the end of the show," he says. "At the very least they'll remember who's in the band."\nRock fans will have a chance tonight to either give strange looks or bang their heads to straight-up rock music when Local H performs at the Bluebird as it gears up for its nationwide tour this fall.\n"Local H came here over the summer and the turnout was good," says Bluebird and Axis owner Dave Kubiak. "They seem to have a strong fan base, which will hopefully make for another good show."\nLocal H's fan base began building early on with the highly-successful 1996 release of As Good as Dead, after which an almost cult-like following developed. The early buzz on the loud and highly energetic rock duo found its way to Nick Riley of Stamford, Conn. Riley, who considers himself a die-hard fan, posts often on message boards about Local H. He says that As Good as Dead propelled the band's popularity to a higher level. \n"They sold something like 500,000 copies of that album, which at the time was only their second release," Riley says. "That's not bad for a sophomore effort."\nWhat specifically drew Riley to Local H was the band's overall sound.\n"I was just amazed at how much music they were able to conjure up," he says. "There are quintet rock bands out there that don't even come close to digging up as much sound as Local H does." \nWith only two members, it might seem strange that Local H has the capability to do what they do, but it's not rocket science, Lucas says.\n"In order to create the bass element in our songs, I simply have a bass pickup hooked up on my six-string guitar that picks up the low-end frequencies that a regular bass guitar would normally do," he says. "Then the bass sounds are just fed into a bass amp."\nAfter the release of Local H's previous album, Pack Up the Cats, the band took a hiatus while searching for a new record label. Universal Music Group bought out the group's old label, Island Records, the same week Cats hit stores. Record sales for that album weren't stellar, despite critical praise. \nWhen Local H's original drummer, Joe Daniels, left the band in 2000, Lucas set out to find a replacement for the other half of Local H. His search led him to Brian St. James, the drummer from a lesser-known band called Triple Fast Action.\n"He's one of my heroes and is responsible for some of the greatest rock records from back when I was a kid," Lucas says. "It was a lot of fun recording with him, and his professionalism in the studio echoes on the new album."\nSt. James can be heard on Local H's newest album, Here Comes the Zoo, released in March. Palm Pictures, Local H's new label, is headed up by ex-Island CEO Chris Blackwell. Zoo features producer Jack Douglas, a legend in the recording industry who is responsible for albums from Alice Cooper, Aerosmith and John Lennon. \nWhile the band's label may have changed, Lucas' cynical lyrics have not. Poking fun at everything from complacency in relationships to the fake-plastic workings of the record industry, Lucas makes no secret about the way he feels.\n"I don't like being taken too seriously," Lucas says. "A lot of times people would get too caught up in whether we were trying to be serious or sarcastic on our records. I'm basically just a smartass, but it's a far cry from being an asshole, I think."\nAs the group's fall tour begins, Local H looks forward to promoting its recent album and hitting the road. With a dedicated fan base rocking in its wake, it looks to be a long but rewarding experience.\n"That's our job, you know?" Lucas says jokingly. "We write songs and put out records, and then we go out to support of those records. It's a vicious cycle."\nWhile Local H may not have the media exposure it once enjoyed, the band is still going strong and looking to rock the house at the Bluebird before trekking across the country.\nLocal H performs live tonight at 10:30 p.m. at the Bluebird. Cost of admission is $10.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
I knew they would get her at some point. It was just a matter of how and at what age. For a while I thought she would overcome it and see through her misdirected affliction. But alas, it's too late. My little sister loves O-Town.\nThe more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Here we have my 16-year-old sister, Amy: Newly elected president of her junior class for next year (nice going Amy), owner of a 3.7 GPA, and one hell of a decent right leg when it comes to soccer. And sadly, she's a child of pop culture's ever-growing fanatic family -- a family parented, at least in her case, by the good folks at ABC and Disney.\nSee where I'm going with this? \nAs you might or might not know, O-Town got its start on the ABC program, "Making the Band," a captivating tale of five young men and their journey through the corporate entertainment world on their way to teeny-pop glory. I don't know whether it's their sassy good looks or those oh-so-rad hair styles, but girls (like my sister) really dig these guys. \n"They're way better than N'Sync," she once boasted. \nUh oh. \nAfter the show's first season and their first album (both of which my sister was deeply engrossed in), O-Town made its way onto to MTV. It was really all downhill for Amy at that point. \nLucky for her, I was never around to hear O-Town in the morning while getting ready for school. I was getting up at Wright Quad by that time, and I'll be damned if I ever heard O-Town blaring at 7 a.m. on my floor (not unless you wanted your robe stolen off the wall the next time you took a shower). Anyway, when I did first come to the realization she was an O-Town fan I did what any other concerned older brother would do. I freaked out. \n"They're all that is evil in music!" I desperately pleaded with her.\n"I don't care Andy. It's good music," she would always reply.\nEvery time she stubbornly uttered those words, my hope for her dwindled. I thought she knew better. One would think that growing up in a house where your older brother was listening to albums like Dookie and Evil Empire at 16, that there would be a natural progression of intelligent musical taste passed down to the sister. But when she's listening to processed, poppy albums like O-Town's at this stage in her listening career, she's on a crash course toward becoming either a stewardess or the next girl to stand outside TRL studios in nothing but a towel for a chance to meet O-Town. I'm sorry if I've offended any O-Town-loving stewardesses, by the way.\nDon't get me wrong, I've jammed to my fair share of ugly pop as a kid. Before every soccer game my senior year in high school, I would listen to Creed's My Own Prison to get my testosterone pumping before the whistle blew. What was I thinking?! And don't tell anyone, but I once even owned a Blackstreet album.\nThe important thing is that I have matured (musically) through the years. Bands like Creed -- and certainly not O-Town -- never grace my stereo or CD player, and they never will. I was one of the lucky ones. I escaped pop drudgery to a musical realm void of clichés and reality television programming-turned popular boy band.\nAs for Amy, I'm not sure her escape from what she loves is so definite. Maybe one day she'll stumble across OK Computer and think, "Gee, O-Town really sucks compared to this." \nBut if not, I'll live. Just know this, Amy, I'm never letting you touch the CD player at family reunions and parties, okay?
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Little 500 week is well underway, and as always, it has brought a few visitors to town. Tonight at 7 p.m., Zeta Beta Tau fraternity will play host to rap artist Fabolous, along with special guest Holistic, for an evening of lyrical flow and steady hip-hop beats. \nTickets for the event are $20 and can be purchased by any student at the ZBT house, located at 1500 N. Jordan Ave. All profits generated from ticket sales will go to the Big Brother/ Big Sister organization in Bloomington. ZBT issued 2,500 tickets for sale, and ZBT's Social Chairman Steve Gold said they are going fast.\n"We keep selling more and more tickets as the show draws nearer, so by the end of the day I expect us to be in good shape," Gold said.\nFabolous has gained notable success on both MTV and BET for his single, "Youngin' (Holla back)" and last summer's party favorite, "Superwoman pt. II," a collaboration with female hip-hopper Lil' Mo. He also worked alongside artists Nate Dogg, Timbaland and Jagged Edge on his debut album, "Ghetto Fabolous." \nWith Fabolous' commercial success on the rise, Gold said he felt the rap artist was a perfect candidate to show IU students a great time during Little 500 Week.\n"Fabolous is big time. He's on regular rotation at MTV, he's got a hit record and he's coming to IU to show everyone a good time," Gold said. "We couldn't be happier." \nIt also did not hurt that ZBT had a connection with Kathy Jones, a vice president of an up-and-coming record label in New York City called Threat Entertainment. Jones assisted the ZBT event planning committee by establishing contact with Fabolous and setting up a budget with which they could work. \nAfter his show at 6 p.m., Fabolous will take his entourage to Axis Nightclub to perform an after-hours party in front of a 21-and-older audience only. Cost for admission at Axis tonight is $5 without a ZBT ticket stub and only $1 with one. A spokesperson from Axis expects "a big post-show turnout."\nStudent anticipation seems enthusiastic for tonight's show.\nFor Sigma Pi member Joshua Kirk, the Fabolous show is what Little 500 week is all about. \n"Last year Nelly came for Little 500 week, so maybe with Fabolous coming this year we might be seeing the start of a hip-hop tradition during Little 500," Kirk said.\nKirk, however, won't be attending the show.\n"Yeah, I wish," he said. "I'm broke!"\nSophomore and Kappa Delta member Tara Davis said she will be front and center for tonight's show. \n"I can't think of a better way to start the weekend than by going to see Fabolous tonight," she said, excitement apparent in her voice. "Once he sings 'Holla Back,' Little 500 week will be in full force for me"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
(04/24/02 4:00am)
(04/18/02 4:47am)
Northern Florida isn't known for much. But can you blame it? Referred to as the "blackwater region of florida," it is a land with an alligator population almost as large as its human population -- densely occupied by miles of swamps and marshes which host the region's alligator community. It is here the feet-stomping, chair-rocking sounds of Mofro originated. And Monday night at the Bluebird Nightclub, they treated fans to an hour and a half of southern-fried blues, soul and funk.\nIf there's a way to combine and perfect front-porch blues with southern-style soul, Mofro figured it out a long time ago. Throughout the entire show, I kept having to remind myself I was still at the Bluebird and not at a smoky bar in St. Augustine, Fla., recanting alligator tales with the locals. The band's subtle Southern authenticity existed somewhere between lead singer John JJ Grey's home-made rocking chair and guitarist Daryl Hance's camouflage baseball cap. \nMofro's performance saw Grey hunched over in his rocking chair like a wise old story teller recanting tales of life on the bayou while an excellent rhythm section followed his lead. Nathan Shepherd's bluesy electric piano riffs highlighted Grey's vocals on "Air," a song I consider far superior to any Beck or Kenny Wayne Shepherd attempt to combine blues and soul together and do it well. \nBeyond Mofro's bass-style of blues and soul, they also throw in an extra-funky (and extra-southern) sound indicative of their regional culture. Bassist Fabrice Quentin fueled the funk of the song "Nare Sugar" as he plucked away at his punchy bass line. The song included a jazzy saxophone back-drop by Shepard as well. \n"How Junior Got His Head Put Out" was an unusually upbeat and positive-sounding song considering its melancholy implications toward suicide. Who knew mental health problems could sound so good? \nBut Mofro's performance lacked a little in sound distribution. Often I felt the keyboards or drums (played by Tim Stombaugh) were a little overpowering. This kept Hance's guitar at bay for a good portion of the show. I admit that when I strained to listen for the guitar it sounded good, but I shouldn't have to strain my ears to identify a particular musical section in the first place.\nAside from the minor setback of sharing the soundboard ineffectively, Mofro put on a very laid-back yet emotional set of Blackwater bayou blues. If you ever happen to find yourself driving through the northern part of Florida during the wee hours of the night on your way to South Beach, I recommend Mofro's music to you. Hopefully, it will make the drive more tolerable, but at the very least it will make you feel like a full-blooded Blackwater native. \nMofro is currently on tour in support of their album, Blackwater.
(04/10/02 4:39am)
On most nights at Bluebird Nightclub, common attire ranges somewhere between baseball caps and loose-fitting jeans. But Monday night these were exchanged for cowboy hats and Wrangler jeans as The Bluebird hosted Bloomington's own Crooked County and nationally-known recording artist Dale Watson, accompanied with his band, The Lone Stars.\nDespite any grievances or prior prejudice I have towards country music, I will always tip my hat, so to speak, to those who simply know how to have a good time on stage. And as the twangy guitars and swooning vocals echoed throughout the stage that night, I knew both bands were having a great time along with the enthusiastic crowd.\nAs opening band Crooked County took the stage, one couldn't help but notice the five-piece band had two different drummers. Alongside were Merrie Sloan on vocals/stand up bass and Jason and Toby Purnell on guitars, the band had a very interesting makeup. \nCrooked County's style ranged from the sort of up-tempo bluegrass that made even the Dukes of Hazard want to get down to the standard achy-breaky love ballads commonly found in country music. Jason Purnell's electric lead guitar paved the way on several songs including the crowd favorite, "High on the Heart." Rhythm guitarist Toby Purnell (who could stand in as an Alan Jackson look-alike any day of the week) offered a strong presence vocally throughout the evening as well. \nBefore their last song of the evening, bassist Merrie Sloan explained to the crowd that this would be their last show for a while. \n"I have to go have a baby! What can you do?" she asked.\nAt that point, Crooked County broke into the classic Neil Diamond hit, "Ring of Fire." Numerous yelps and yee-haws erupted from the crowd during the cover song as drummers Mark Minnick and Travis Olsson erupted into a five minute double drum solo that closed out their set.\nUp next was honky-tonk veteran Dale Watson along with his live band The Lone Stars, who were just voted Austin Texas' best band for the second year in a row. I'm not exactly sure how much sense the band's name makes (How can more than one star be lone?), but they certainly proved why they are Austin's best.\nWatson's deep country-fried voice swooned the crowd from the very get-go. I kept thinking how similar his voice was to Johnny Cash's. Four songs into his set, Watson told the crowd the next one was off the first of two Johnny Cash tribute albums. Go figure.\nMost of Watson's set consisted of requests yelled out from the audience, which he had no trouble remembering or performing. With such a laid back and free-flowing demeanor about him, Watson made it seem as if he was playing in your living room. Highlights included a toast from Watson and the crowd before he and The Lone Stars delved into long-time country great Waylon Jennings', "I've always been a little crazy."\nIt was also quite enjoyable watching Watson take a rather large shot of whiskey midway through his set after it was handed to him upon his request by a Bluebird employee. \n"The pipes are well oiled now!" he yelled out after downing the drink.\nFor my first time at a country and bluegrass show at The Bluebird, I must say I felt a little out of place. But after both bands concluded that night, my uneasiness turned into feelings that could have only been the result of the the laid back, good ole' sounds of the south.
(04/08/02 4:59am)
The dimly-lit red lights surrounding the stage at Bluebird Nightclub on Thursday night glistened off the foreheads of rock quartet Rearview Mirror as it prepared to delve into its 11-song set of driving hard rock for a crowd of less than 50 people.\n"Welcome, everyone," lead singer Adam Ptacek said with a sarcastic grin, just prior to the opening of his band's hour-long performance.\nBut despite a small showing from the Bluebird crowd, Rearview Mirror performed as if it was in an arena-sized venue filled to capacity. Three songs into its performance, it was clear the Northeast Iowa band was fully aware of the essentials needed for a solid hard rock set.\nGuitarist Matt Olson's smooth blend of heavy, power chord-driven riffs and Foo Fighter-esque note progression paved the way in the song "Slave," while Jason Ptacek's (Adam's brother) bass lines added for an excellent rhythm section.\nMidway through the performance, the band belted out "In the beginning," the first single off its new album All Lights Off, scheduled for release in June. Steve Lillywhite, whose resume includes work with both U2 and the Dave Matthews Band, produced the seven-song EP on his new label, Gobbstopper Records.\nAdam Ptacek's moody lyricism, combined with his ability to sing like Staind's Aaron Lewis and scream like Tool's Maynard James Keenan, really gave "In the beginning" a big boost.\nAs Rearview Mirror continued to blast its way though its set, I noticed how well the band merged different styles of rock into its music. By fusing both melodic guitar work and the hard, aggressive edge of rock, Rearview Mirror establishes a very accessible sound that could easily be heard on any local rock station.\nIn dark and emotional "City Walls," Adam Ptacek lay hunched on the ground, microphone held closely to his face while his wavy brown hair hung over his eyes. But as soon as drummer T.J. Kammer came crashing in on the drums, he was up again, slamming his feet on the stage as his bandmates rocked out with him.\nThe more I looked at frontman Adam Ptacek, the more I kept thinking of Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. Both Ptacek's singing style and body movements echoed an Eddie Vedder not seen since the early '90s. Interestingly enough, after a little research I discovered Rearview Mirror's name came from a Pearl Jam song. It's true that there are more mainstream bands who have taken the same approach to their frontman persona. But in Rearview Mirror's case, it seems more refreshing to hear it knowing the guys are in this for the music.\nIn a music world where there are almost too many rock bands making records that all sound the same, it's nice to listen to a band like Rearview Mirror. The pure emotion and fresh energy it brings to the table gives them a lot of hope for the future.\nFor more info on the band, its lyrics and their touring info, check out their Web site at www.rvmonline.com.
(03/27/02 5:00am)
I knew they would get her at some point. It was just a matter of how and at what age. For a while I thought she would overcome it and see through her misdirected affliction. But alas, it's too late. My little sister loves O-Town.\nThe more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Here we have my 16-year-old sister, Amy: Newly elected president of her junior class for next year (nice going Amy), owner of a 3.7 GPA, and one hell of a decent right leg when it comes to soccer. And sadly, she's a child of pop culture's ever-growing fanatic family -- a family parented, at least in her case, by the good folks at ABC and Disney.\nSee where I'm going with this? \nAs you might or might not know, O-Town got its start on the ABC program, "Making the Band," a captivating tale of five young men and their journey through the corporate entertainment world on their way to teeny-pop glory. I don't know whether it's their sassy good looks or those oh-so-rad hair styles, but girls (like my sister) really dig these guys. \n"They're way better than N'Sync," she once boasted. \nUh oh. \nAfter the show's first season and their first album (both of which my sister was deeply engrossed in), O-Town made its way onto to MTV. It was really all downhill for Amy at that point. \nLucky for her, I was never around to hear O-Town in the morning while getting ready for school. I was getting up at Wright Quad by that time, and I'll be damned if I ever heard O-Town blaring at 7 a.m. on my floor (not unless you wanted your robe stolen off the wall the next time you took a shower). Anyway, when I did first come to the realization she was an O-Town fan I did what any other concerned older brother would do. I freaked out. \n"They're all that is evil in music!" I desperately pleaded with her.\n"I don't care Andy. It's good music," she would always reply.\nEvery time she stubbornly uttered those words, my hope for her dwindled. I thought she knew better. One would think that growing up in a house where your older brother was listening to albums like Dookie and Evil Empire at 16, that there would be a natural progression of intelligent musical taste passed down to the sister. But when she's listening to processed, poppy albums like O-Town's at this stage in her listening career, she's on a crash course toward becoming either a stewardess or the next girl to stand outside TRL studios in nothing but a towel for a chance to meet O-Town. I'm sorry if I've offended any O-Town-loving stewardesses, by the way.\nDon't get me wrong, I've jammed to my fair share of ugly pop as a kid. Before every soccer game my senior year in high school, I would listen to Creed's My Own Prison to get my testosterone pumping before the whistle blew. What was I thinking?! And don't tell anyone, but I once even owned a Blackstreet album.\nThe important thing is that I have matured (musically) through the years. Bands like Creed -- and certainly not O-Town -- never grace my stereo or CD player, and they never will. I was one of the lucky ones. I escaped pop drudgery to a musical realm void of clichés and reality television programming-turned popular boy band.\nAs for Amy, I'm not sure her escape from what she loves is so definite. Maybe one day she'll stumble across OK Computer and think, "Gee, O-Town really sucks compared to this." \nBut if not, I'll live. Just know this, Amy, I'm never letting you touch the CD player at family reunions and parties, okay?
(03/26/02 7:50am)
As people gathered in the Education Gallery of the John Waldron Arts Center Friday for an exhibition of student photography, junior Kim Davis was somewhere getting her head shaved.\n"I ended up missing the entire opening because of the head-shaving," Davis said in reference to her work with the Riley Children's Hospital and her newfound baldness. Her hair will be used to make wigs for those who have lost their own hair through chemotherapy.\nThough Davis was not present to show off her photographs, other student photographers from Collins Living-Learning Center were there to display their work for the crowd.\nAs part of a year-long collaboration with professional photographer and Collins Arts Coordinator Yara Clüver, several Collins residents took the opportunity to showcase their work from throughout the year at IU. A gathering of about 30 people looked on and observed students' work as Clüver made her way through the crowd, taking pictures of the opening.\n"Although the students received help from me throughout the year, they largely worked independently amongst themselves," Cluver said, "So it's nice to see all of their hard work take shape here."\nResidents of Collins have a plethora of tools at their disposal when working with photography. Included is a fully equipped dark lab used for film developing and processing. And despite the fact that many of the students showcasing their work Friday used their own cameras, Collins offers both manual and digital still cameras for student use.\nSenior and Collins resident Andrea Hartz, who was among those presenting selections of her work Friday, said a place like Collins is essential to the art lover. \n"When I was looking into places to live, Collins definitely caught my eye because they had a darkroom available for people who have a passion for photography," Hartz said.\nThe black and white photos on display at the John Waldron Arts Center had a range of subject matter. Davis' photos included a shot of the end of a pine tree set against the backdrop of the Jordan River outside the IMU and also both the female and male body under shadow. \nJunior Lori Osting contributed a photograph of several children riding their tricycles, and Hartz showcased a close-up of a hand playing a piano.\n"I love the fact that Collins makes it so easy for residents to get involved in the arts," Davis said, "I can't tell you the number of hours I spent in the dark room working on my photos. And it was great because I could work on my projects at three or four in the morning, where the dark room in the Fine Arts Building closes at midnight."\nThe students' photographs are on display at the John Waldron Arts Center until March 30.
(03/21/02 10:07pm)
Blade II: The Soundtrack\nVarious Artists\nImmportal Records\nAt some point, we all knew it was going to happen: A movie soundtrack that attempts to fuse hip-hop lyrics into songs already bubbling over with programmed techno loops. Blade II: the Soundtrack is that very disc, and its poor attempt to mesh these two very different genres of music into a cohesive album fails. When separate, hip-hop and techno (and I use techno in the broad sense of the word) are fun to listen to. On this particular soundtrack, there is an admirable mix of mainstream hip-hop artists such as Redman and Mystikal combined with more old-schoolers like Mos Def and The Roots. \nThere's an equally talented line-up from the electronic standpoint of the album as well. UK deejays such as Basement Jaxx and Roni Size (among others) are listed side by side with techno big wigs like BT and The Crystal Method.\nBut when trying to create tracks combining two talented artists from two very different music genres, things can (and in this case, do) go wrong. \nTake the song "Cowboy," a collaboration between UK dance giant Fatboy Slim and rapper of Ruff Ryder fame, Eve. Here's a track with a very decent beat laid down by Slim, but it is totally side-stepped by Eve's mindless opening lyric, "Where my niggas at? / What! / Where my thugs at? / What! / Where my niggas getting sacks?" \nHmm… where's your talent at, Eve?\nThis sort of musical oddity continues throughout the entire album with a very peculiar flow; if there's a beat in a certain track you can find remotely appealing, it's almost a surefire bet the song will fail to deliver from a lyrical standpoint.\nOther disappointing examples of the hip-hop/techno confusion include "Right Here Right Now" by Paul Oakenfold and Ice Cube. Any Oakenfold fan will find this track a little strange because it lacks any element of his style whatsoever -- only a heavy, guitar riff loops through the song while Ice Cube raps about how mean and tough he is.\nThe opening title track composed by Marco Beltrami and Danny Saber is one of the few bright spots. But the only reason it's a bright spot in the first place is because there is no inane babbling from "John Q. Rapper" found anywhere on the track. \nRedman and Gorillaz put together the only successful convergence of electronica and hip-hop with their track, "Gorillaz On My Mind," a kooky yet intelligent little number that involves both Redman and Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn basically grunting like apes… go figure. \n
(03/21/02 5:00am)
Blade II: The Soundtrack\nVarious Artists\nImmportal Records\nAt some point, we all knew it was going to happen: A movie soundtrack that attempts to fuse hip-hop lyrics into songs already bubbling over with programmed techno loops. Blade II: the Soundtrack is that very disc, and its poor attempt to mesh these two very different genres of music into a cohesive album fails. When separate, hip-hop and techno (and I use techno in the broad sense of the word) are fun to listen to. On this particular soundtrack, there is an admirable mix of mainstream hip-hop artists such as Redman and Mystikal combined with more old-schoolers like Mos Def and The Roots. \nThere's an equally talented line-up from the electronic standpoint of the album as well. UK deejays such as Basement Jaxx and Roni Size (among others) are listed side by side with techno big wigs like BT and The Crystal Method.\nBut when trying to create tracks combining two talented artists from two very different music genres, things can (and in this case, do) go wrong. \nTake the song "Cowboy," a collaboration between UK dance giant Fatboy Slim and rapper of Ruff Ryder fame, Eve. Here's a track with a very decent beat laid down by Slim, but it is totally side-stepped by Eve's mindless opening lyric, "Where my niggas at? / What! / Where my thugs at? / What! / Where my niggas getting sacks?" \nHmm… where's your talent at, Eve?\nThis sort of musical oddity continues throughout the entire album with a very peculiar flow; if there's a beat in a certain track you can find remotely appealing, it's almost a surefire bet the song will fail to deliver from a lyrical standpoint.\nOther disappointing examples of the hip-hop/techno confusion include "Right Here Right Now" by Paul Oakenfold and Ice Cube. Any Oakenfold fan will find this track a little strange because it lacks any element of his style whatsoever -- only a heavy, guitar riff loops through the song while Ice Cube raps about how mean and tough he is.\nThe opening title track composed by Marco Beltrami and Danny Saber is one of the few bright spots. But the only reason it's a bright spot in the first place is because there is no inane babbling from "John Q. Rapper" found anywhere on the track. \nRedman and Gorillaz put together the only successful convergence of electronica and hip-hop with their track, "Gorillaz On My Mind," a kooky yet intelligent little number that involves both Redman and Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn basically grunting like apes… go figure. \n
(03/04/02 6:23am)
The frigid, dry air outside the entrance to club Space 101 on Friday night didn't keep many smokers outside for long. Others rushed up the stairs and paid the entrance fee to join over 200 of their fellow electronic music fans for the intense beats brought to them by the Bloomington Bass Syndicate and their event, "The Syndicate Strikes Back."\nOn the bill for Friday's show included two talented performers from Great Britain who made their U.S. debut here. GAIN Record's DJ Wrisk and MC Bubbla brought their smooth, dark blend of U.K. jungle to Indiana to a very enthusiastic main room crowd. "Jungle is orgasmic!" screamed sophomore Dawn Cambell as the two were well into their hour and a half-long set.\nIn the second room, DJ Chase of Bloomington offered up his turn-table trickery and break-beat style of electronica to the smaller crowd of about 30 people. Chase's skills set up a very warm and friendly vibe which remained in the second room for the rest of the night.\nVirulent, a techno DJ from Lafayette, kept things moving in the main room as he pummeled the crowd with a steady 4x4 beat that resonated throughout the entire room.\nAs people in the main room stomped and yelled in approval during the evening, two giant video screens provided by Bloomington resident "Dr. Mindbender" and an accompanying blue laser lit the stage for an eerie glow.\nSecond headliner and Negative Records artist Rob F., a Washington, D.C. native, took to the decks at 2:30 a.m. after a brief pause in sound stopped by a noise complaint under investigation by the police. As a result of the complaint, Rob F. was unable to turn up the power of Space 101's eight-cabinet sub-woofers. Twenty minutes into his set of intelligent and moody drum and bass he stopped, citing his frustration that the sound could not get any louder.\n"I can't hear anything on the mixer, there's just not enough juice going through it," he said.\nBut after a second brief gap in music in the main room, the Bloomington Bass Syndicate promoters felt secure enough in turning up the volume once again. This allowed Rob F. to perform drum and bass the way it was intended, loud and heavy.\nAfter being complimented by a crowd member on the return of Space's sound system, Bloomington Bass Syndicate member and promoter Chris Hall smiled and yelled, "It had to be done."\nWhen the drum beats began to pulsate with more power and intensity at Space 101, a large portion of the crowd returned to the dance floor and partied well into the early morning hours.
(03/01/02 3:58am)
Queen of the Damned Soundtrack\nVarious Artists\nWarner Bros. Records\nSo what's worse? Another movie about vampires, or another soundtrack from a motion picture about vampires? I'm not sure yet because I haven't seen the movie. But at least I can tell you how much the soundtrack sucks. \nFor starters, if you like listening to Jonathan Davis side projects involving other members of Korn and Limp Bizkit, then you're in for a treat. Secondly, if you enjoy listening to songs containing any of the following words: pain, blood, death, sickness, trapped, or (insert profanity here), then you're really in for a treat. Sit tight. \nQueen of the Damned contains five songs written and co-produced by Jonathan Davis and John Gibbs of Oingo-Boingo fame. Lending vocal talents for each Davis-produced track are Wayne Static of Static-X, David Draiman of Disturbed, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson and Jay Gordan of Orgy. \nWayne Static moans: "You think you're smart, you're not. It's plain to see, that you want me to fall off. It's killing me," in the lead track, "Not Meant for Me." What's worse than the song's melancholy lyrics is the fact that the guitar riffs echo brilliant Korn albums from days gone by such as Life is Peachy and Follow the Leader. Come on, Jonathan, can't you offer a little more creativity than just old Korn guitar licks? \nThe same sentiment exists, unfortunately, for the other four songs Davis produced. Despite an impressive bass line delivered by Sam Rivers of Limp Bizkit in the track "System," Chester Bennington of Linkin Park kills the momentum of the rhythm as soon as he screams out the greatest clichéd vampire lyric ever, "Why won't you die? Your blood in mine. We'll be fine. Then your body will be mine." This isn't exactly what I call brilliant lyricism, Jonathan.\nThe sun does shine on a few selected tracks that have nothing at all to do with Jonathan Davis. Chino Moreno and the boys from The Deftones make an appearance midway through the soundtrack on "Change (In the House of Flies)," released off their latest album, White Pony. Tricky, the long time trip-hop producer from the UK, delivers the best song on the album. "Excess" is an up-beat psychedelic romp through programmed drum loops and voice samples that really give the song a lot of bite. Instead of spending $15 on this album, here's what I recommend: Go back through your old Korn and Deftones albums and listen to those instead. That way, you won't have to discover (as I did) what a botched attempt at vampire rock sounds like. \n
(03/01/02 2:05am)
In the film "Being John Malkovich," John Cusack finds a way to communicate his love for his sultry co-worker by manipulating real-life actor John Malkovich's body to do or say anything he wants. To put it simply, Cusack expressed his feelings through a different medium of communication; puppetry.\nBlair Thomas and Michael Zerang, two of Chicago's foremost pioneers of theater and music, are out to accomplish the same thing… and it's happening at IU. No, they won't be entering a tiny door that leads them into the mind of a famous actor. But they hope they will open your eyes and your mind to the intricacy of their unique talents. \nTonight at the Willkie Auditorium, Thomas and Zerang will perform their collaborative piece, "108 Ways to Nirvana;" a dark and mysterious journey through the minds of Thomas and Zerang involving both live puppetry and improvisational percussion. Presented by Beyond the Pale Productions, a Bloomington group dedicated to the advancement of experimental music, "108 Ways to Nirvana" has been raising eyebrows and intellectualism throughout the Midwest art community. \n"We had to turn away 100 people when we brought Blair and Michael to Bloomington last year," says Jessica Baldanzi, spokeswoman for Beyond the Pale Productions.\n"There was no anticipation on how exited people would get about it, so we promised to bring them back this year," Baldanzi adds. "And now we're making good on that promise."\nZerang shares the same sentiments. \n"I have a great desire to come back to Bloomington because I know there's a great audience down there," he says.\nThomas says he thinks cities like Bloomington are hungry for contemporary work, and what he and Zerang are bringing is a new field in contemporary puppetry. "If the audience has never seen good contemporary puppetry, they're going to be surprised," he says.\nDefined as a work in progress by both Thomas and Zerang, "108 Ways" is presented in three parts, each lasting about 30 minutes. The number 108 is derived from the Buddhist counting reference point of "108," because there are 108 beads on a Buddhist meditation necklace. The idea and state of Nirvana is nothing to new to Thomas, a Buddhist himself. Thomas says "108 Ways" reflects his interests to develop a spiritual practice into the dimension of puppet theater.\nZerang performs "#12: The Third Pythia of Flin Flon" solo, using only a suspended cymbal and four different drum sticks and mallets to produce sound. \nThe next segment, entitled, "#27: The Blackbird," features Thomas maneuvering his way around the stage while unraveling a scroll-like storyboard against a backdrop of flames, and at the same time creating a shadow-puppet bird. This piece includes excerpts from Wallace Stevens' poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." \nIn "#36: Buster Keaton and the Buddha," Thomas' 4-foot handmade puppet (a Japanese style puppet called a Bunraku) enters a dream descent into his own psyche as he searches for the self. Thomas and Zerang will team up to manipulate both the puppet and Zerang's arsenal of sound, including a small horn section, bells and a built-in drum as well as pre-recorded sounds.\n"There's something that flows through all of the pieces, so by the end of the show, instead of seeing three distinctive works, you've seen one whole unified evening," Zerang says.\nPerhaps the most interesting aspect of the entire performance is the stage itself. Designed by Thomas, the stage measures approximately 5 feet in length and stands at around 10 feet tall. Based on a traditional religious Eastern European puppet theater called vertap, the stage consists of two levels, a heaven and a hell. \n"It's designed to be an instrument itself, and on some level, as active as a puppet," Thomas says. "Michael and I conceived it as an instrument that could contain the whole world (of the puppet), so all the sounds, tricks and gadgetry is contained in the stage."\nThere is a paradoxical dynamic between the audience and the puppet/puppeteer in theatric puppetry. On the one hand, there is the creation of illusion of the puppet itself acting as its own being. Conversely, there exists an idea to expose this illusion to the audience through the puppeteer via the puppeteer's own hand movements. In Thomas and Zerang's case, they are out to expose and create the illusion at the same time.\n"People, children as well as adults, are willing to make a contract with the puppet, which is to believe in its life it's presuming to have," Thomas says. "They can grant it that when they see it move."\nFor Zerang, improvisation during his performance is essential. And with that, the idea of improvising percussion lends itself to a freer range of expression. \nThomas sees his role from a different perspective. Instead of looking at his performance as just the manipulation of a puppet, Thomas compares what he does to that of playing a musical instrument (as does Zerang). But unlike Zerang, Thomas is devoted to the ideas of technique and precision when on stage. "It's like all the movements that I give to the puppet are musical phrases themselves," Thomas says. "It creates this sort of lyricism that transcends through what the puppet does."\nWhat Thomas and Zerang are out to accomplish isn't just to perform contemporary puppetry and improvisational percussion. "We, as artists, are here to serve humanity," Zerang says. \nIt's that kind of thinking which Thomas and Zerang say they hope will inspire audiences to think beyond first impressions and pre-conceived ideas, and to progress towards a more collective state of understanding in the world of art. \nThe show starts at 8:30 p.m. tonight at the Willkie Auditorium. Tickets are $12 at the door and $10 in advance available at TD's CDs & LPs. Call 332-7677 or log onto www.beyondthepale.org for more info.