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(02/14/08 5:00am)
Twelve years after the breakthrough success of its single "Popular," and 10 years after difficulties with Elektra Records cast it out of the mainstream, Nada Surf continues to crank out surprisingly strong albums for a band once dismissed as "one-hit-wonders." Following 2002's Let Go and 2005's The Weight Is A Gift, the band's latest release Lucky marks a trifecta of, perhaps unspectacular, but certainly solid and enjoyable power pop.\nEver since its move to Barsuk Records, former home to one of this decade's major indie crossover successes Death Cab For Cutie, Nada Surf has repeatedly found itself compared to its ex-labelmates. Fortunately, this comparison reflects favorably on the Surf gang. While both bands produce bittersweet, largely mid-tempo rock with sensitive-guy vocals, Nada Surf injects a bit more sunlight into the gloom surrounding its sound. Compared to the near-uniformity that often plagues Death Cab's albums, Nada Surf provides more variety, interspersing soaring electric-rock anthems such as "Whose Authority" and "Weightless," for example, with the folky, acoustic number "Here Goes Something" and the slow-dance "Are You Lightning?" \nFurthermore, Nada Surf goes beyond navel-gazing depression to offer a bit of transcendent optimism. Introductory track "See These Bones," for instance, may concern how we're all going to die someday, but it employs this toward the end of showing how our daily problems and quarrels don't really matter.\nOr take "Beautiful Beat," where the narrator is an awful mess ("sometimes all I want is another drink or another pill / if I could get anything done, maybe I'd hold still"). Nevertheless, he believes in the healing power of music and its potential to save him.\nHere at the end of the naughts, what Nada Surf has to offer is hardly revolutionary. Besides the aforementioned Death Cab, many listeners will find that Brendan Benson, Ben Lee, The Shins or (my personal favorite) Devin Davis could easily scratch the same itch. But until the authorities start putting Prozac in our water, occasional sadness will sustain a high demand for music that can provide relief -- and, better than many others, Nada Surf does just that.
(11/08/07 5:00am)
The beginning of DJ Flufftronix's fun-in-the-sun mixtape Summer Transit Insanity Mix says it all: Obscure indie quintet Fields introduces the compilation with angst-y acoustic-guitar strumming accompanied by Geto Boys' "Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster" sarcastically laid over the top. \nIt's an unexpected introduction to a dance mix, but it's the kind of quirky juxtaposition that, at the end of this 28-minute super-track, you come to expect from the Bloomington-based disc spinner.\nFlufftronix -- though his friends just call him Michael -- is one of the masterminds behind a burgeoning laptop DJ movement that's been making hips gyrate all over Bloomington. Graphic designer by day, disc jockey by night, Young Fluff is a man about town, appearing weekly at Jake's as part of party-franchise Daft Crunk (you get it) and making cameos anywhere rugs are cut. \nFluffy knows how to get his listeners moving, too. After four minutes of clowning on Summer Transit, Fluff Daddy gets down to business, moving seamlessly from a touchy-feely Peter Gabriel ballad to a synthesizer-rich re-work of Lil Mama's middle-school anthem "Lip Gloss": "My lip gloss is poppin' / My lip gloss is cool / All the boys keep jockin' / They chase me after school," the sassy jail-bait MC spits as Flufftronix deftly shifts into overdrive.\nThe rest of the mix packs equal parts bump and grind but from some unexpected (and some completely unheard of) sources. Fluff breathes new life into '80s rockers INXS, pitting their number-one hit "Need You Tonight" against some song called "Minuit Jacuzzi" by some French dance outfit named TEPR.\nThough the messengers vary from gangster rappers to rock 'n' roll icons to esoteric DJs, Fluffy's message is clear by the sixth minute of Summer Transit: "Shake shake shake shake shake / People on the dance floor sweat." Flufftronix makes it feel like July in November, packing enough heat to brave the cold and enough smirk-inspiring mash-ups to ward off seasonal depression.
(11/08/07 5:00am)
If a movie's status as an epic were determined by its number of characters, plotlines and pop-philosophy themes, "Spider-Man 3" would be one of the greatest movies ever made.\nAnd indeed the movie's makers seem to suffer from this delusion, believing that the more material a movie takes on, the more brain activity its audience will have to involve in watching it.\nBut what actually happens is that it creates so many isolated lines of thought that when the end of the movie tries to spin them into a cohesive web, it doesn't quite work. By then, so many characters, plotlines and themes have remained undeveloped that it's hard to remember what was going on the last time they were involved, 45 minutes ago.\nPeter Parker, a.k.a., Spider-Man (Tobey McGuire) thinks everything is finally going his way. Spider-Man is all over newspaper and magazine fronts, his girlfriend Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) has made it as a Broadway singer and his best-friend-turned-enemy Harry Osborn (James Franco) loses his memory in a fight and forgets he had been trying to kill Spider-Man. \nThen, before he knows it, Spider-Man has been overtaken by an aggression-hungry symbiote, Mary Jane gets fired and breaks up with Peter for being insensitive about it, Harry gets his memory back, a new journalist at Peter's paper the Daily Bugle named Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) one-ups Peter's photography and an escaped convict gets stuck in a particle accelerator and turns into a city-destroying sandman.\nGet all that? \nThe movie's attempts to philosophize add to the confusion. \nWhile its main theme is clearly free will vs. predestination, it spends the vast majority of screen time exploring sub-themes that don't quite tie into the main one: the critic vs. the everyman, the free man's prejudice against the imprisoned man, forgiveness, the mystique of love and how biology can overwhelm character. \n"Spider-Man 3," does, however, have its antidotes. Peter's anorexic-looking neighbor Ursula (Mageina Tovah), who is always baking in the kitchen, serves up several laughs. And the symbiote that induces Peter briefly to become a badass also apparently induces him to look like he just dropped out of a goth-rock band.\nAnd, despite being hard to follow, the movie rarely gets boring. It keeps a steady pace, and its characters are lively, if flat.\nThe special features are pretty good. They contain separate commentaries by the director/cast and filmmakers, and there's an impressive gallery of pictures, some of which show how they did the special effects. They also have a music video for the Snow Patrol song "Signal Fire," which isn't bad if you're into Snow Patrol and cute children.\nHad it narrowed its focus, "Spider-Man 3" could have come closer to that epic it was trying to be.
(11/08/07 5:00am)
After the disappointment that was "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s," the series regrouped and released what is without a doubt the best game in the series thus far.\nThe most noticeable new feature is the battle mode. The mode allows players to face off against each other using attacks such as broken strings and increased difficulty. In career mode, players must battle real guitar heroes such as Slash, Tom Morello and Bret Michaels. It's a nice addition to the career mode, but they are incredibly hard to beat in battle mode.\nAnother addition is the new online feature that, when combined with the new co-player career mode, allows two online players to play the entire career-mode song \nlist together.\nBut the thing that will make this game a huge hit is the amazing song list that Neversoft was able to line up for "Guitar Hero III." The game includes some of the greatest guitar riffs ever played, including "Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream and "The Seeker" by The Who. Besides these classic rock gems, players can also thrash to "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse, "One" by Metallica, "School's Out" by Alice Cooper and "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses.\nThe playlist is great compared to previous games in the series, but it still has room for improvement. The title of the game is "Legends of Rock," but it has no Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix or George Harrison contributions. Although "Sunshine of Your Love" marked Cream's second appearance in the series (the first was "Crossroads" on the first "Guitar Hero"), it would have been nice to see a solo Eric Clapton performance such as "Cocaine."\nFor a game that is supposed to be filled with "legends," only three guitarists -- Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Keith Richards -- out of the top 10 of Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists even made it into the game.\nThis was Neversoft's debut as the new developer for the "Guitar Hero" brand after Harmonix, which developed the previous games, departed to start work on "Rock Band," and Neversoft's final product is better than anything Harmonix was able to do with the series. But there is still room for improvement, specifically securing "Stairway to Heaven" and other songs from the real legends of rock.
(11/08/07 5:00am)
The past year or so has been fairly active in terms of local bands producing and releasing their music and hosting CD release shows to celebrate their achievements. Here's a rundown of the best CD release shows in Bloomington in the past year.
(11/08/07 5:00am)
The Delicious -- "Dearest Duchess" \nHalf spelling bee and half narrative, "Dearest Duchess" features subdued harmonies, a jazzy keyboard break and a loose feel that leaves you wondering whether or not you should dance, nod your head or perform some other spastic motion. Mmm ... Delicious!
(11/08/07 5:00am)
After more than a decade since its original airtime, the entire one-season series of "My So-Called Life" is out in its own boxed set. As a rule, TV shows about high school have nothing to do with the reality of adolescence. But this series poignantly depicts all the emotions a teenage girl goes through. It's about hating your parents and falling in love for the first time. It's about dying your hair and popping zits. It's all about hormones, heartache and hilarity. \nAnd no one can better capture all of this than Claire Danes, as the series' protagonist Angela Chase. Like another excellent coming-of-age series "The Wonder Years," the story is narrated through its protagonist. Angela, however, is more of a precocious introvert who tries to find some meaning in her life. Although she is intellectually and emotionally mature, she possesses a naive nature. The pilot kicks off with her decision to no longer blend in with the crowd. She dyes her hair red and changes her scene. And throughout the short-lived series, she is constantly trying to find herself. \nThe characters in her life are not snippets of stereotypical high schoolers but perfect examples of the people who change your life. A pre- "Requiem For A Dream"-and-30 Seconds to Mars Jared Leto plays the wounded object of Angela's affection Jordan Catalano. The show also presents the difficulty parents must face in raising a teenage daughter while dealing with their own lives. And Wilson Cruz is groundbreaking in depicting one of the first openly gay characters on television, the sympathetic Rickie Vasquez.\n"My So-Called Life" is also a rare cultural portrayal of growing up in the mid-'90s. The series is set in suburban Pittsburgh at a time when artists such as the Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana were on top, while flannel was a fashion staple. And let's not forget it was during the Clinton era.\nLike most shows that have as much substance as "My So-Called Life," the show was cancelled after 19 episodes. The show itself was ahead of its time and, like its protagonist, too mature for the mainstream. This is a common occurrence for similar TV shows, such as "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared." Even the plethora of in-depth special features is rare for a DVD box set. At least this important TV show is finally receiving the treatment it deserves.
(11/08/07 5:00am)
For every light, there must be darkness. For every peak, there must be a valley. For every best, there must be a worst.\nAnd the Best of Bloomington is no exception. So, here, I give you the darker side of our fair city, those moments and places in dear old Bloomingburg that we wish we could forget -- the Worst of Bloomington:\nWorst Annual Event -- Move-in week. As much as IU hypes Orientation, the actual move-in day becomes a god-awful mix of crammed elevators, sweaty parents and some grandpa driving the wrong damn way on Third Street. (Furthermore, "Orientation"? I'm not one to pull the race card often, but come on. Would you have "Western Europation"?)
(11/08/07 5:00am)
"Super Mario Galaxy":
(10/25/07 4:00am)
"Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock":
(10/11/07 4:00am)
Dashboard Confessional burst onto the mainstream music scene in late 2001 with "Screaming Infidelities" and helped usher in the emo movement. At that time, Dashboard wasn't much more than Chris Carrabba and an acoustic guitar. Since then, it has matured into a full band that churns out adult-contemporary radio hits, including last year's "Stolen." Many of the band's oldest fans pleaded for Carrabba to return to his intimate acoustic roots, and early this year he did just that by secretly recording The Shade of Poison Trees. While the entire band plays on Shade, it's definitely a retro release. Whether or not it's enjoyable depends on which Dashboard the listener prefers. \nIf you're looking for classic Dashboard, "Little Bombs" and "Keep Watch for the Mines" are the best songs to begin with. Each has the acoustic vigor that quickly transports the listener back to 2002. Carrabba plays the guitar so hard his fingers could be bleeding at the end, and his vocals soar higher than most of the songs from Dusk and Summer.\nHowever, some of the songs that try to recapture the magic fail miserably. "Fever Dreams" has good guitar work, but half-assed lyrics such as "Fever dreams / They can only haunt you / 'Til the fever breaks," make you want to hit skip instantly. "Matters of Blood and Connection" is a two-and-a-half minute diatribe about rich kids, which raises the question of whether Carrabba has really grown up at all. \nOddly, the song that strays away from the rest, "The Rush," is the strongest on the record. Don Gilmore's production allows every little twitch and twinkle to be heard, and the entire band shines because of it. When Carrabba gushes "And I'll know I'm alive / Give me some teeth / Give me something/ Unforgettable" for the last minute of the song, you can easily picture it playing at the end of any MTV show about bleached blondes near the beach, but it also demonstrates that there's a reason Dashboard is a full band now: They're better that way.\nThe Shade of Poison Trees will be heralded by people in their early 20s because it will remind them of the time they listened to "Screaming Infidelities" after their crush wouldn't dance with them in eighth grade. And while there are a handful of tracks here that do allow for some reminiscing, the record as a whole is a cheap step backward that exists only so Carrabba can immaturely whine instead of write good songs. Maybe Dusk and Summer wasn't his best effort, but at least it showed a maturation process that Shade completely negates. It's time that Carrabba and his fans grew up.
(08/30/07 4:00am)
f you're reading this, you're obviously interested in student media at IU. I'm sure you'll be thrilled to know that in addition to a stellar student newspaper, IU has a student radio station, WIUX, which broadcasts on 99.1FM and on the Web at wiux.org. The Indiana Daily Student and WIUX have been working together for the better part of a year; but if you're new or haven't been paying attention, I'm going to give you the skinny on what we actually do at WIUX.\nWIUX is entirely operated by IU students. As such, it has always been our priority to not only provide opportunities for our staff, but to provide entertainment, information, events and content you won't find elsewhere in Bloomington. We have programming that highlights a large variety of music styles and artists that you won't usually find on the radio dial. We also have news programming that focuses on issues concerning our community. In addition, our sports department broadcasts IU sports you can't hear anywhere else. WIUX also hosts all-ages and free events on campus and around Bloomington.\nWe exist for you. Our aim is to be in tune with you so you'll stay tuned to us. The IDS and WIUX are looking forward to another great school year and more chances to entertain, enlighten, and interact with our fellow students and the community. Don't touch that dial -- You won't want to miss what we have in store for you this year!
(08/30/07 4:00am)
Eisley -- "Go Away"\nMost people have been at this point in their college careers. Whether looking to find some distance from overbearing parents, high-school drama, or, in this case, ex-lovers, now is the time to figure out who you are, and sometimes that means telling someone, "Go away, leave me on my own."
(08/30/07 4:00am)
1. Justice -- †\n2. Tegan and Sara -- The Con\n3. Billie Holiday -- Remixed and Reimagined\n4. The Budos Band -- The Budos Band II\n5. Ryan Adams -- Easy Tiger
(08/30/07 4:00am)
After more than a year of solo artist-dom, Jenny Lewis reunited with her indie-pop band mates to release Under the Blacklight, their first album under a major record label, which is the first of many problems. Fans were spoiled by Lewis' 2006 solo album, Rabbit Fur Coat -- with her soulful voice and powerful lyrics -- so it seems Under the Blacklight is far too polished and overwhelming for her sweet vocals. \nIt's overloaded with funky electronic additions, distracting from the sheer emotion that echoes in Lewis' voice and lyrics both in her solo album and past Rilo Kiley albums. The band's 2004 album, More Adventurous, seemed to flow perfectly between the tracks, with Lewis' voice shining through, evoking every emotion humanly possible -- a large detail that is missing from the latest release. The lyrics leave little to interpretation and, simply put, Under the Blacklight is too black and white -- excuse the pun. Many of the songs have recurring themes of prostitution, the hard life and even pedophilia (ahem: "He was deep like a graveyard. She was ripe as a peach. And how could he have known that she was only 15?" from the aptly titled "15"). \nThere are a few strong tracks, including the deceptively bouncy and cheerful "Breakin' Up," about seeing the light at the end of a relationship, while simultaneously referring to a bad cell-phone reception. "Silver Lining" is upbeat and one of the better Lewis vocals, with the chilling line "I never felt so wicked, as when I willed our love to die." The first single "The Moneymaker" is a cool-sounding song that essentially repeats itself over and over again, but is quite catchy. \nThat's another thing: the repetition. Almost every song repeats the chorus over and over again -- there are less lyrics and more chorus. Not to mention the three separate songs that mention graveyards and "Dejalo" -- a Latin-inspired, fast tune that doesn't seem to fit anywhere into the Rilo Kiley spectrum. \nThis is not to say Under the Blacklight is a bad album. It's more of an acquired taste. Even though Blacklight obscures Lewis' raw voice with lavish production, it's brave and exciting for the band to explore new territories. There is a reason the band's so beloved by its fans: simplicity. Under the Blacklight is a little too complicated.
(08/23/07 4:00am)
It's perhaps reckless to willfully inflate a movie rating for the sake of posterity, but should "The Lookout" ever be compared to overvalued plot-benders like 2000's "Memento," a little falsification is merited. Both movies make use of traumatic brain injury as narrative motive and both received critical acclaim, but "The Lookout" is a far more supreme instance of how the filmmaker's toolbox can be used to evoke danger, depth and hope.\nAt its most basic level, "The Lookout" is a modern film noir with the semi-amnesiac Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) falling naively into the ruthless world of an asthmatic felon (Matthew Goode). On the homestead, we find Chris' blind roommate (Jeff Daniels) and Chris's emotionally inept parents. Carla Gugino and Isla Fisher also make interesting, de-sexualized appearances as the film's muted heroines.\nIt's perhaps a sign of the film's humanity that all of its characters are plagued by the choices and physical limitations that beset us all. Not for one instance is the audience made to decide between the absolutes of good and evil, about which will prevail. And like most true character studies, it's hard to break "The Lookout" down into any obvious film formula.\nDramatic suspense, in thrillers or otherwise, is often assessed from the perspective of the audience, but "The Lookout" hones in on its characters. This dedication, if not made blindly clear by the movie itself, is evidenced by the excellent DVD extras. In addition to revelations about technique, the filmmakers also divulge the gradual germination behind "The Lookout" (the script sat unmade for years). Indeed, this slow-cook shows.
(08/23/07 4:00am)
Surprise, surprise. If you're the typical WEEKEND reader, you're very surprised and maybe disappointed to be back at school for yet another semester. To keep you on the up-and-up, WEEKEND will be packed with surprises for the next 16 weeks.\nHere's a sneak peak: WEEKEND will go plane-jumping, party-crashing and movie-watching for your reading pleasure. There will, of course, be the classic features about booze and bars, and your picks will line the pages in November for the annual Best of Bloomington awards. \nNext, your dreams will come true because Halloween is coming early this year, but expect more trick than treat. Rob Zombie's rendition of the cult classic "Halloween" will be on the silver screen at the end of this month. \nI wouldn't dare leave you hanging without teasing your mind with Pure Romance; C'mon, I know you were thinking about it. Sex will look so damn sexy on the pages of WEEKEND.\nWe will keep you up-to-date with the latest college entertainment in our 20-page collection of high times, low times and above all, good times.
(08/23/07 4:00am)
While you have been settling into Bloomington and getting ready for the new semester, the WEEKEND reviews staff has been hard at work deciphering what you should and should not pay attention to on the entertainment front.\nMy goals for this semester's reviews are consistency and good writing. All the reviewers know their audience, and we truly write just for you. We know that everyone has different entertainment tastes and one review will never satisfy the masses. If we get something wrong, I want to hear about it. E-mail all your gripes to WEEKEND@idsnews.com. Hell, if we ever get our new Web site running, you can post your complaints there. You can even take a stab at reviewing.\nI am forever looking for new additions to the reviews staff. If you have good taste and like to write, send a 450- to 500-word review of something (anything!) to me at bhettman@indiana.edu and we'll go from there. I am currently organizing a workshop for all reviewers that will take place in the next couple weeks. Check out WEEKEND in the upcoming weeks for more information.\nWEEKEND is the fun read on campus every Thursday. We're working hard to keep it that way.
(08/23/07 4:00am)
The line:\n"First of all, for me personally, I am going to get more balls. So, I'm looking forward to that. I am getting more balls, trust me."
(08/23/07 4:00am)
Life outlook\n"Just enjoy life. The people and the places."