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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
No Such Place is the third record from Florida's Jim White, who has found a comfortable home on Luaka Bop Records, the label run by former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. The label is best known for its roster of idiosyncratic "international" artists like Tom Zé and Zap Mama (Don't call it world music!), but Byrne has always had room for a few unique Yanks as well. And White is certainly unique.\nThe first thing you would want to call White's music is country. White finds himself in a tough place on the steady twang-rocker "Handcuffed to a Fence in Mississippi," which opens the record. His girlfriend has just chained him to said fence and drove off with his Trans Am. White is unfazed, as he drawls, Everything is peaches but the cream." But there's already something weird going on musically, probably because this and two other songs were produced by UK trip-poppers Morcheeba, whose laid-back beats-and-scratching approach underpin White's U.S. roots rock nicely. It's enough to make the record unique but not a blatant gimmick.\nThe album switches off nicely between more atmospheric songs like "Corvair" and country-rockers like "10 Miles to Go On a 9 Mile Road." All the songs give White an opportunity to showcase his laconic lyrical style. "Corvair" actually makes that infamous Midwestern image of a rusted-out car up on blocks in the front yard strangely beautiful. White also seems preoccupied with strange happenstance, like the story about a guy named Phillip who works in a gas station and hears strangers call his name all day when they ask for a "fill-up." \nThese sorts of genre-bending experiments are always risky affairs, and normally I would consider getting techno outfit Q-Burns Abstract Message within a mile of White a recipe for disaster. But somehow, he pulls it all off, celebrating the bizarre mix of styles without self-consciously drawing attention to them. As White says on "10 Miles," Sometimes you throw yourself into the sea of faith only to find the treasure lost in the shipwreck inside of you. This album is a shipwreck of sorts, but it's as beautiful as that Corvair in the front yard.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The new REM album came down the pipe Monday, and the challenge of having the review ready in 48 hours was a daunting prospect. It's a little like spending a weekend in New York and then being asked to write a comprehensive travel guide in 400 words. There's too much to take in; you can't possibly unravel the nature of the whole in such a short period. What about the historical context, my personal anecdote about Automatic for the People? (Come on, everybody has one.) Accurate analysis has to be sacrificed for superficial impressions. Nevertheless, I've been soaking in Reveal for the last two days, trying to figure out what ol' Stipey and his two remaining college buddies are getting at this time.\nThis is a band with a new lease on life. Their last album, 1998's Up, was the first without drummer Bill Berry, and was recorded under conditions so stressful they all assumed it would be their final bow at the time. (Of course, that tension worked wonders -- Up is among their best albums.) But the tour that followed made the threesome realize they still wanted to make music together. Reveal was written and recorded under happier circumstances, and quite often it shows. This is a triumphant record.\n"Good morning, how are you?" asks Michael Stipe pleasantly on opening track "The Lifting," a song that establishes the themes of escaping from emotional imprisonment that dot the record. "You've always marked these boundaries, now you're free..." someone tells him later in the same song. \nThe boundaries apply to the music as well; this is probably the most atmospheric REM album to date. Much was made of the drum machines and other electronic spaciness of Up, and if you didn't like it there you might not like it here. But it's always used to good effect, and there's a couple straight-up REM jangle anthems to keep the old fans happy, notably lead single "Imitation of Life." \nREM has been going strong for twenty years now; this is the band's twelfth album, and it stands up to earlier masterworks like 1987's Document and 1996's underrated New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Musically, they refuse to stand still, continually expanding and evolving their sound. Some listeners will prefer their earlier material, and that's fine. If you want to hear "Losing My Religion," you can find it on Out of Time. If you want to hear the new REM album, check out Reveal.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
A computer security breach in the School of Music gave hackers the opportunity to access more than 1,700 individuals' Social Security numbers, including nearly 150 IU students, University officials said Monday. The breach occurred on two School of Music Web servers which contained personal information voluntarily submitted by individuals requesting more information about the school.\nThe problem first came to the attention of School of Music technicians June 4, at which point they contacted the University IT Security Office (ITSO). They were advised by the ITSO Security Engineer that night to disconnect the affected computers from the network to prevent further tampering and protect any evidence on the machines.\nThe files on the two servers consisted primarily of pages for the School of Music Web site. But one page on the site contained a form allowing individuals requesting more information about the School of Music to submit personal information. An optional field in the form gave those people the opportunity to submit their Social Security Number. That information, including the Social Security Number, was then kept on the Web server until it was archived and wiped from the server. The last time such a cleaning took place was October 2000. Since then, about 1,900 individuals had submitted their information, of which 1,718 had included their Social Security Numbers. School of Music Dean Gwyn Richards estimated that 148 of those were IU students.\nThis incident follows a security breach in the University Bursar's office earlier this year which gave hackers access to the names and Social Security Numbers of 3,100 students. In that case, it was determined that information was downloaded to a computer in Sweden.\nIU Information Technology Policy Officer Mark Bruhn said they did not believe that the hackers broke into the School of Music servers with the intention of accessing personal information. He said the discovery of hacking tools and Internet Relay Chat programs installed on the Web servers by the hackers lead him to believe they hoped to use the servers as a "safe haven" to store their software.\n"All the evidence leads us to believe they were here to put these programs on this system," Bruhn said in a press conference Monday.\nThe intruders cleaned the server's log files following their activity. According to a final report delivered to Bruhn by UITS technicians June 8, this action made it impossible to determine whether the hackers accessed any of the personal information stored on the servers. \n"They covered their tracks very well," Bruhn said.\nThe report said the presence of the hacking tools meant it was "unlikely" that hackers accessed the files.\n"We can be fairly certain their purpose was not to get this information," Richards said.\nSchool of Music officials have already begun implementing a plan to inform the individuals whose information might have been accessed of the breach. An e-mail and letter were sent to all 1,900 potentially affected individuals Monday afternoon, and a toll-free number has been set up to field questions from those individuals. The phone service will be staffed by School of Music personnel, and will be operational from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. until June 20. The University will also reimburse individuals for the cost of obtaining a credit report up to three times during the next year.\nThe School of Music's Office of the Dean said Wednesday it had already received about two dozen e-mails in response to the notification. No one had reported any credit problems that could result from a Social Security Number theft.\n"Most of them have been 'thank yous' for letting them know," said Jennifer Naab, who works in the Dean's office. \nIndividuals with questions related to the security breach can call 1-800-937-3448 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. until June 20, or visit www.music.indiana.edu/security.html.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
As the dog days of summer drag on, and the infamous southern Indiana humidity rises, you may find the temptation to kick back in your La-Z-Boy, soak up the air conditioning and catch up on cable television's brain-draining smorgasbord of entertainment nearly impossible to resist. But a summer spent in Bloomington without enjoying her considerable natural resources is a summer wasted indeed, and the Parks and Recreation Department has prepared a tempting array of free entertainment that will keep your weekends booked from now until the leaves begin to turn.\nThursdays\n"Evening With the Stars" Movie Series -- 9 p.m., Bryan Park Pool\nBringing the seemingly incongruous worlds of swimming and classic cinema together, the Evening With the Stars series is held every week in Bryan Park Pool, 1100 S. Woodlawn Ave. You can take in the movie as you float, or for those who prefer to remain dry, the deck is available as well. The films are appropriate for the whole family, although some may carry a 'PG' rating. Upcoming showings include Preston Sturges' classic comedy "Sullivan's Travels" (1942) and Alfred Hitchcock's voyeuristic thriller "Rear Window" (1954). Call 349-3700 to get a complete listing of films.\nFridays\nPerforming Arts Series -- 7 - 8:30 p.m., Third Street Park.\nFor entertainment of a more musical bent, look no further than Third Street Park Fridays for an eclectic selection of live performers. This Friday (June 29), local Afropop band Afro-Hoosier International will be taking the stage. The unique group is comprised of nine members encompassing various races, both genders, and ages from 22 to 58 years old.\n"We like to play African popular music -- the kind of pop music you hear on radios and night clubs in African cities. It's dancing music," said Bob Port, a professor of linguistics and computer science at IU and a member of the group. "It represents a lot of different styles from different parts of Africa."\nFuture Friday night attractions include the Monika Herzig Acoustic Project (July 6) and Blues Underground (July 27). The summer is capped off with the Monroe County Civic Theatre's production of "The Merchant of Venice" (August 10 -11 & 17-18).\nSaturdays\n"A Fair of the Arts" -- 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., July 14, Aug. 11 and Sept. 8, Showers Common.\nThe Farmers' Market in Showers Common is already a Bloomington fixture, and on the second Saturdays of the month this summer, it will be supplemented by A Fair of the Arts, an event that allows local and area artists to showcase their work and peddle their wares. Parks Department's Community Events Specialist, Leslie Kaiser, said there will be about 24 booths and art vendors at the next fair. The arts and crafts for sale include candles, watercolor paintings, photos and mosaic work. Find the perfect knick-knack for your apartment or just take in the handiwork. Musical accompaniment July 14 will be provided by Lauren Lain Powell and Blaq Lily.\nSundays\nPerforming Arts Series -- 6:30 - 8 p.m, Ninth Street Park and Bryan Park.\nThere's another night of music on Sundays, starting in Ninth Street Park (Ninth & Fairview) for the first two weeks in July before moving to Bryan Park for the rest of the summer.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Now that The Ramones' first four albums have been given the deluxe reissue treatment, complete with bonus tracks, liner notes and all the other hoo-hah, it may be appropriate to do a little Objective Historical Comparison. Let's step into the Way-Back Machine™ and first examine an excerpt of the lyrics from Rush's bloated-beyond-belief 1976 album 2112, released just one month before The Ramones' self-titled debut.\nI stand atop a spiral stair\nAn oracle confronts me there\nHe leads me on light years away\nThrough astral nights, galactic days \nThat comes from "Oracle: The Change," the Fifth Movement of Side One's 20-minute opus (please stifle your laughter). Now, for the sake of comparison, let's look at the complete lyrics to "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," the fourth song on Side One of Ramones:\nHey, little girl\nI wanna be your boyfriend\nSweet little girl\nI wanna be your boyfriend\nDo you love me babe?\nWhat do you say?\nDo you love me babe?\nWhat can I say?\nBecause I wanna be your boyfriend.\nThe Ramones, and the New York punk scene that sprang up around them, grew out of a Newtonian reaction to the soul-crushing behemoth that was "progressive rock." The point of the Ramones was that anybody could do it, and anybody did -- get four guys together, learn two or three chords and you have a band. It wasn't a new concept -- the so-called "garage-punk" scene of the late 1960s was born out of the same philosophy and spawned such all-time classics as The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" and Count Five's "Psychotic Reaction." (For 110 songs that made The Ramones possible, the essential Nuggets boxed set is highly recommended.)\nThe album itself, 14 songs in just under 30 minutes, is a scorcher. From the opener "Blitzkrieg Bop" and its now standard chant "Hey-ho, let's go!" to the closing "Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World," the band is painted as a sort of invasion force for everyman rock and roll, albeit in the friendliest manner possible. The Ramones weren't nihilistic like the Sex Pistols or guitar wizards like Television, they just worked hard and played fast. They weren't rock gods, they were the guys next door -- I mean, Joey Ramone was ugly (Well, so were the guys from Rush, but they hid behind big smoke machines and lasers). But it didn't matter, because when he got on the stage he was simultaneously an idol and a friend to all his fans.\nAs embarrassing as it is to admit it, I never actually owned a Ramones album in high school. And yet, when I put Ramones in the CD player for the first time this week, I could sing along with every song almost instantly. There are two reasons for this, perhaps the apparent one being that the songs tend to give themselves away pretty quickly -- once Johnny found a nice chord progression he didn't seem inclined to discard it for the next two minutes. But the other reason is that I really have heard these songs before, because the Ramones are everywhere. They're an institution. They're like Motown. And the sad passing of lead singer Joey Ramone earlier this year will not diminish their legacy, because it's all still in the grooves (or 1s and 0s, as the case may be). If you've ever felt ugly, or alone, or sad, or happy, if you've ever jumped up and down at a rock concert or just by yourself in your bedroom, this album is for you. The dedication is implicit.\nOK, just for one last piece of comparison, let's look at a small portion of a song from Kula Shaker's 1999 album Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts:\nAlien identities don't hide your pretty face from me (etc…)\nYou're a wizard in a blizzard, a mystical machine gun.\nOK, I guess some things never change.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
A musical journey that has taken thousands of years is continuing this Sunday at IU. That music has followed the Silk Road, the ancient trade route linking China and Rome in an exchange of goods and cultures that has had an impact on the shape of Eurasia to this day.\nNow Sabá, a Bloomington-based ensemble featuring musicians from Turkey to New Jersey, are bringing the ancient folk music of the East to the modern-day Midwest. This Sunday IU's 2001 Summer Workshop in Slavic, East European and Central Eurasian Languages will present the Ninth Annual Central Eurasian Concert: "Silk Road: A Cultural and Musical Journey by Sabá, Breeze of the East."\n"With a vast area, you have a different mosaic of cultures. Different languages, different traditions and different beliefs," said Dr. Shahyar Daneshgar of the the huge Eurasian landmass that the Silk Road crossed. Dr. Daneshgar is a Research Associate at IU's Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center and a member of Sabá, as well as a founder of the Lotus Festival, Bloomington's perennially popular world music festival. "(The people of Eurasia) have shared a lot of common destiny, be it good or bad."\nWhen one thinks of American folk music, songs come to mind that can be no more than a few hundred years old. By contrast, the songs of Eastern folk music are many thousands of years old. These songs have been telling the stories of Eurasian peoples' triumphs and tragedies for millenia, with each generation handing down their songs and stories to the next. \n"These tunes are ancient," said Daneshgar. "They have been passed down from heart to heart for generations." \nIn fact, only relatively recently has a serious effort been made to put the music on paper. Because of the smaller intervals used in Eastern music, new methods of notation had to be devised. \nEastern music itself has had to adapt in order to remain accessible to modern audiences. Indian ragas are largely based around complex improvisational structures, much like modern jazz. But unlike a popular jazz tune like Miles Davis' "So What," these ragas could often last 8-10 hours.\n"The speed of life does not allow that long a performance anymore," said Dr. Daneshgar. Instead, "we try to give (the audience) the flavor of the music."\nSabá is the unique kind of musical ensemble that Bloomington and the IU community can allow to flourish. In addition to Daneshgar, the group features Narin Hekmat-Farrokh, Megan Weeder, Hakan Toker and Joseph Donnelly. Joining them for this concert will be vocalist Talant Mawkhanuli from East Turkistan and Dr. Thomas P. Walsh, an assistant professor of saxophone and jazz at IU's School of Music. The group includes instruments that will be familiar to Western ears, like piano, violin and accordion, in addition to non-Western instrumentation including the the saz (a long-necked lute), ney (end-blown flute) and kamancheh (spike-fiddle). Their repertoire includes folk songs from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tadjikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. All its members are IU students, faculty or graduates. Some came to Bloomington firmly grounded in traditional Western classical music, only to be exposed to the allures of Eurasian folk. \n"They fell in love with this music," said Daneshgar.\nTranscending geographical and cultural boundaries, the members of Sabá hope to use their music to "express the commonalty of human emotion through shared experience," according to their literature.\n"We're trying to expose the Bloomington community to what exists outside the community," said Daneshgar. "We are all products of culture -- we tap into these places. I guarantee in a few years, Bloomington will be on the map for its activities in world music."\nThe Ninth Annual Central Eurasian Concert: "Silk Road: A Cultural and Musical Journey by Sabá, Breeze of the East." will be held at Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union at 3 p.m. Sunday. It will be preceded by a Central Eurasian Art Exhibit at 2 p.m. The concert is free and is co-sponsored by IU's Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center, the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, the Russian and East European Institute, the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, the International Program of Indiana University and Echo World Music Institute.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
The city of Bloomington has begun enforcing a long-standing ordinance banning the posting of fliers and handbills on light poles, telephone poles and other locations around town, eliminating an inexpensive advertising method for local bands and arts events. The crackdown came as a result of complaints from area businesses who feel the fliers, particularly in the newly renovated Kirkwood Avenue area, hurt the attractiveness of the downtown shopping district.\n"We've had complaints by store owners. They were upset that the fliers were pasted to the posts. They get taken down, and the new ones come up -- it's destroying the posts," said Lynne Friedmeyer, manager of Zoning Enforcement for the Bloomington City Planning Department.\nJohn Freeman, Bloomington Director of Public Works, sends a team out every day to clean up the fliers. Since the crackdown, he's noticed a definite decrease in postings.\n"There's been a really, really noticeable decline," he said. "There were days that we were taking down hundreds of fliers -- some days recently we haven't had to take any down. People are being very cooperative, and we really appreciate that."\nSince there's no easy way to track down the bands who put the fliers up, the city has sent out warning letters to local venues. \n"I think every club got one," said Dave Kubiak, general manager of the Bluebird Nightclub, 216 N. Walnut St. "The city of Bloomington hasn't really made it clear who's ultimately going to be responsible for it -- I think it's still a gray area. We're trying to get everyone to cooperate."\nAccording to the letters, repeated violations of the ordinance will result in a $25 fine the first day the flier is up, with a $50 fine each subsequent day the flier remains. Friedmeyer says that cooperation has been prompt, and no fines have been assessed.\n"The venues have called and asked us to be understanding of their position in that they have to contact the bands and say 'Please don't put these up anymore,' -- so we've been understanding. They (the venues) have been so responsive."\nIn the meantime, venues and bands alike will be looking for alternative locations to post their fliers and promote their shows. A flier kiosk used to be located at People's Park on Kirkwood and Dunn but was removed and not replaced when the park was reopened in May.\n"We're hoping to get some kiosks...there needs to be some kiosks there," said Kubiak.\nBloomington resident Rick Olsen plays in local band Pious Companion, and also has a part ownership in several downtown venues. He claims he's definitely seen a decrease in show attendance since the flier crackdown commenced.\n"I've seen less and less attendance (at local concerts) ... people just don't know," said Olsen. "As a band and also as a venue, I'm losing money. Hopefully, they can put a flier board back at People's Park and maybe at a few intersections."\nKubiak is unsure what effect the flier ban will have on his business and others, but he's optimistic.\n"It may hurt business. I hope it doesn't. I think people find out about shows one way or another"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Police have identified a suspect in an investigation of three attempted thefts from Bloomington businesses Friday night. Prison officials recognized an image of the man caught on surveillance tape.\nThe man, described as a heavy-set, 6-foot African-American male, entered the Steak 'n Shake at 1900 N. College Ave. at about 11 p.m. Friday. Police said he ordered a Coke and then went out to the parking lot, saying he needed to go to his car to get his billfold. Upon returning, he asked the cashier on duty if he had change for a $100 bill. The cashier said he did, then proceeded to take the appropriate amount out of the drawer. At that point, the man grabbed the change from the cashier's hand and ran away.\nAbout 45 minutes later, a man of the same description entered the Bigfoot on 1100 S. Walnut St. and attempted a similar "strong-arm" maneuver, according to police. When told the store didn't have change for a hundred, the man asked if the attendant could break a $50 bill -- then a $20 bill. When the cashier said he could and opened the cash drawer, the man reached across the counter and tried to grab money directly out of the drawer. \nBut he was stopped by an anti-theft device in the drawer and ran out of the store empty-handed after he had freed his hand.\nThe final incident occurred about 10 minutes later at Fast Max on 1602 S. Walnut St., police said. The man brought a bottle of wine to the counter but said he did not have any identification when asked. \nThe suspect left the store, then returned and tried to buy an ice cream sandwich. This time, when the cashier opened the drawer to make change, the suspect did make off with an undisclosed small sum of money, pushing an attendant to the ground in getting away.\nThe man got away with less than $200 between the three attempts, said Sgt. Bob Neely of the Bloomington Police Department.\nOne of the incidents was caught on a surveillance video camera, from which police believe they have identified a suspect. Neely did not identify the man but said they were looking for him now and hope to make an arrest soon, possibly within a few days.\nNeely said the suspect would face preliminary felony charges of theft, attempted theft and assault.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Students see fliers on kiosks around campus or in store windows, and may never think anything of them. But to many people, promotional fliers for local rock bands are a fine art.\nEric Weddle, a local aficionado of Bloomington's musical history, has collected some of those fliers for a gallery exhibit at the John Waldron Arts Center. He's calling it "Post No Bills," and through it he said he hopes to share his enthusiasm for the music of Bloomington's past and present.\n"There's so much history here," said Weddle of the fliers he's collected for the show.\nThe idea for "Post No Bills" came to Weddle last year, but he said he felt the time wasn't right. When the city began cracking down on event fliering this summer, the idea came up again. \nWhen the opportunity to hold the exhibition in tandem with local rock festival BloomingtonFest, occurring this weekend, presented itself, Weddle decided to go ahead with the show.\n"When the fliering ban happened, it seemed like the best time," Weddle said.\nWeddle has been collecting fliers for about five years, and portions of his collection will be included in the show. \nBut, he said, what made the show possible were the contributions from other Bloomington residents who had also been saving fliers over the years -- in some cases, for decades.\nHe found that interest in the project ran high among like-minded Bloomington music enthusiasts.\n"The response has been huge," he said. "Lots of people have had huge collections. They spent hours with me (going through fliers)."\nOne flier fan who contributed to the project is Lee Williams. \nWilliams began booking acts at Second Story Nightclub, 201 S. College Ave., in 1982. Williams spent 18 years at Second Story, a Bloomington club that showcases alternative rock, booking bands for the club and designing many of the fliers promoting the shows.\nWilliams has been a part of Bloomington's musical history during the last 20 years. For him, the fliers aren't just a document of performances of forgotten bands, they're the story of his life. \n"Everything about a flier will trigger a memory," Williams said. "Every one of these is a memory for me."\nFor Williams, fliers are integral to the survival of any local music scene.\n"They're cheap -- all you had to do was put a flier in the right place in downtown Bloomington -- it immediately creates this word-of-mouth thing that travels very quickly," he said.\nWilliams designed fliers before computer graphics and design programs made flier design quick and easy. Fliers were harder to make, but were ultimately more distinctively personal creations.\n"Those were time consuming," he said, remembering the painstaking process of designing and creating fliers by hand.\nHe said he is glad the exhibit will give people who may have never given fliers a second look a chance to see them in a more standard artistic setting.\n"People will be able to objectively get a sense of the quality of work over the last 30 years," he said. "The artistic quality in Bloomington is so high -- we're known as an arts town."\nWeddle said he hopes the show will raise appreciation of both fliers as an art form and show them a side of Bloomington they might have never otherwise known existed.\n"A lot of work goes into these fliers," he said. "Hopefully, (the show) will make people more aware of Bloomington's musical history."\n"Post No Bills" will appear in the Rosemary P. Miller Gallery of the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St., from Aug. 29 - Sept. 2. The hours are 1-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. An opening reception tonight will be held tonight from 5:30-7 p.m.
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Catalog sales of older CD titles are continuing to dwindle as Baby Boomers finally convert their LP collection to digital. And while it's likely there will always be college freshmen lining up to buy Bob Marley's Legend, you can also expect to see an ever-widening parade of spiffy re-releases advertising remastering, repackaging and the ever-popular extra bonus tracks. Elvis Costello gets his second turn on the re-release merry-go-round starting this month. \nCostello's early 1977-1987 catalog was originally reissued by Rykodisc in the mid-1990s. Now, after some of his older titles are falling briefly out of print, Rhino Records is again re-releasing his first 17 albums in groups of three. Instead of releasing them in chronological order, the groups of three in question are spread out over the periods of Costello's long and diverse career.\nCostello fans who already own these albums in other forms will have to decide if the supplementary material warrants re-purchasing them. Since Spike and All This Useless Beauty were not included in the first reissue series, these two later albums give you the most bonus bang for your buck -- each offer 17 cuts not on the original records, including demos and single B-sides. My Aim is True is another story -- its bonus disc includes only four tracks not included on Rykodisc's 1993 CD reissue.\nIn 1976, when London's punk pioneers were indulging themselves in a protracted adolescence, swearing on TV and tearing up their clothes to shock the (at the time very shockable) establishment, new husband and father Declan MacManus was squeezing onto a train every morning and riding to his job as a computer operator. Sure, the Sex Pistols might seem more angry on the surface, but the songs MacManus (the soon-to-be Elvis) was writing, for what would become his 1977 debut album, burn with a smoldering rage at the disappointments of life and love that's still startling after 25 years. By this time, Costello's gift for the clever turn of the phrase is already well-formed: see "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" ("I said I'm so happy I could die/She said 'drop dead' and left with another guy").\nThe only pieces not in place on this near-perfect debut are Costello's backing musicians. American bar band Clover (incidentally, the group who would become Huey Lewis & The News) does a serviceable job, but lacks the attitude and skill of The Attractions, the band Costello would assemble in time for 1978's This Year's Model. \nIn 1989, Costello was in the middle of a temporary split with The Attractions and recording his first album with Warner Bros., which would become Spike. The differences from My Aim is True are unmistakable -- instead of his usual small backing band, Spike boasts over two dozen contributors, including Tom Waits sidemen Marc Ribot and Michael Blair, Byrd-man Roger McGuinn and fellow Liverpudlian Paul McCartney. Consequently, the sound is much more expansive than earlier releases, and the record is very much a studio creation. And even if the late-1980s production sounds slightly dated at times (I'm not saying electric drums don't have their place, but it's not here), Costello handles the arrangements of a much larger ensemble handily -- especially considering he wouldn't learn to write or read musical notation until his collaboration with The Brodsky Quartet three years later.\nLyrically, all of Costello's young self-righteous anger is still present on Spike, but tempered with an older man's worldview. His focus is now directed to external injustice instead of personal, like on the death penalty protest "Let Him Dangle," or "Tramp the Dirt Down," the most vitriolic anti-Thatcher anthem since Morrissey's "Margaret on the Guillotine." The dense arrangements and sometimes oblique lyrics ultimately make this record one of Elvis's less immediately accessible -- so it's especially ironic that upon its release, Spike became Costello's best-selling album to date, sales spurred almost entirely by the success of the single "Veronica," co-penned with Paul McCartney. The highlight of Spike's bonus disc are the demos Costello recorded for the album. Stripped down to voice, guitar and basic percussion, the songs reveal new facets not immediately apparent in their dense studio constructions. \nThe final album in the first trilogy of re-issues is also the most recent, 1996's All This Useless Beauty. The sound owes less to the band's earlier amphetamine-and-alcohol fueled rock than the sophisticated pop Costello would make two years later with Burt Bacharach (on 1998's Painted With Memory, not included in this reissue program). The album sees Costello the songwriter's continuing shift toward melancholy over anger-- Consisting mostly of songs written by Costello for other performers, All This Useless Beauty contains some of Costellos' greatest ballads and is helped by crystal-clear production from former Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick. Beauty is truly the lost gem of the Costello catalog -- underpromoted at the time of release, its initial sales were almost nil. Hopefully the re-release of this future classic will inspire some newfound appreciation. Beauty's bonus disc collects some excellent scattered B-sides, demos and non-album tracks that trainspotting Elvis fans will be glad to have in one place.\nIf you're a fan of rock, pop or just enjoy great music and have yet to acquaint yourself with Elvis (don't worry -- I was once one of the unwashed as well), these three albums will serve as a great introduction. Just be careful if you get hooked -- the next three don't hit the shelves until October.
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A full slate of nationally known entertainers, including Counting Crows and Ani DiFranco, highlight the fall's Indiana Memorial Union Board-sponsored events. \nTickets for some of the shows go on sale this week, which include popular music and comedy acts.\nThe performers were chosen with the students' interests in mind, said Andy Proctor, Union Board concerts director.\n"All the students pay activity fees," he said. "It's been one of my objectives to have something for everybody."\nThe first event of the fall will be a performance by comedian Dave Chappelle at the IU Auditorium Sept. 27. Chappelle's film credits include the 1998 comedy "Half-Baked," which he wrote, produced and starred in, as well as "The Nutty Professor" (1996) and "You've Got Mail" (1998). \nOn Sept. 29, Latin rock band Ozomatli will come to Alumni Hall for a free concert for IU students. Hailing from Southern California, Ozomatli is coming to Bloomington as part of a fall tour in support of its second album Embrace the Chaos, scheduled for release Sept. 11. Students attending may bring one guest per student ID to the show.\nOctober's events include a return to campus by college mainstay Ani DiFranco. She will play the IU Auditorium Oct. 20, supported by Bitch & Animal, an act on DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records. The folk-rocker last came to Bloomington in 1999. DiFranco has toured continuously since breaking into the coffeehouse circuit in the late 1980s.\n"When I started, I never had a rock star, or even a folk singer dream. Music was just something I did. And really, it still is," she told London-based The Independent in April.\nProctor described DiFranco as a performer "in tune with the college scene."\n"She has a phenomenal show," he said.\nThe comedy of the Second City touring company will come to Alumni Hall Oct. 23. Established in Chicago in the late 1950s, the sketch comedy and improv group has gained a reputation as the training ground for the comedic stars of the future. Its alumni include Joan Rivers, John Belushi and Bill Murray.\nPlatinum-selling rock group Counting Crows will come to the IU Auditorium Oct. 30 as a stop on its fall tour. The group rose to prominence after the release of its best-selling debut album August and Everything After, in 1993. Its most recent release was 1999's This Desert Life.\n"We wanted to have one big show that had mass appeal and was both critically acclaimed and very popular," Proctor said. "We're very excited about being on their fall tour."\nThe final performance of the fall semester will take place at the IU Auditorium Nov. 4. "All Over Blues" features The Muddy Waters Tribute Band and guitarist Chris Thomas King. King has released eight solo albums since 1986's debut "The Beginning," reaching an even-wider audience in his role as Tommy in the 2000 film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"\nIU's largest student programming board, the UB receives a portion of the IU student activity fee.\n"We basically are charged with bringing entertainment and events to campus that students will enjoy," said Union Board President and senior Vaughn Allen.
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As inevitable as the changing of the seasons and the return of students to campus, a Bloomington tradition will enter its 15th year this weekend.\nHoosierFest, Bloomington's long-running outdoor music festival, is coming back to Kirkwood Avenue this Saturday for a full day of music, food and dancing in the streets. \nBeginning at 2 p.m., admission is $5, with children 12 and under admitted free.\nTalisha Coppock has been co-director of HoosierFest since its inception 15 years ago. Over the years, she's watched the event develop into its modern incarnation.\n"I think we've really focused on what the event is about," she said. "It's a welcome back, it's a kickoff for the fall season."\nCoppock said she thinks moving HoosierFest closer to campus has made it a more student-friendly event. \nThe first HoosierFests were held at the Showers Plaza downtown before being moved to its current home on Kirkwood Avenue in the late 1990s.\nSuzanne Phillips has been HoosierFest's other co-director since it began. She said she is looking forward to a construction-free festival this year.\n"Last year, the renovation was almost done," she said. "But People's Park was pretty much a construction zone. (This year) it looks so much nicer."\n"The area is beautiful. It's very comfortable and the landscaping is beautiful," Coppock said.\nThe festival will take advantage of the recently re-opened People's Park with booths from local merchants, food and a henna tattoo artist.\nBut the centerpiece of HoosierFest is always the music.\n"Over the years, it has changed, but we still try and provide a venue for local bands to perform," Phillips said.\nLive music will be featured all day -- the lineup focuses on local acts in the afternoon.\n"You try to book stuff that caters to all ages during the day," said Dave Kubiak, manager of the Bluebird Nightclub, 216 N. Walnut St. \nKubiak was in charge of booking the musical acts for HoosierFest.\n"You try to find out who's available -- you're working within a budget, so you try to get the best available band," Kubiak said.\nThe afternoon lineup includes Crooked County, Bloomington's own bluegrass turned country-rock band. Signed with Arizona-based Rustic Records, the band released their newest album Drunkard's Lament in May, and have made frequent stops in Bloomington all year, including a performance as part of Live From Bloomington. \nThe Dynamics and Bahama Llama will round out the afternoon's musical entertainment.\nThe evening features acts from further afield, including King Konga, Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise and DJ Logic & Project Logic. Born in Alabama in 1950, Bradley was singing on the streets of Detroit in 1994 when he was discovered by a trio of young musicians looking for a singer. The group have since released two records, most recently 2000's Time to Discover, scoring opening slots with the Dave Matthews Band and Widespread Panic. DJ Logic and his rotating ensemble Project Logic are coming off a stint on former Grateful Dead member Bob Weir's So Many Roads Tour.
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Björk's iconic image is intrinsic to her art. Prominently featured on the cover of all her albums and most of her singles and videos, the way she presents herself on the outside packaging is usually a good clue to what's going on inside. \nCompare the cyber-kabuki queen of 1997's Homogenic with the reclining, vulnerable Björk on the cover of her new album Vespertine and you'll get the idea. Homogenic's Atari bleeps and bloops, skittering beats and taut string quartets have been replaced with a more delicate, flowing musical texture that is not as immediately arresting as some of her earlier work, but rewards repeated listening.\nVespertine's song titles and lyrics seem preoccupied with escape and desire for emotional safety ("Hidden Place," "Cocoon") -- again, the temptation to contrast the mood with Homogenic's far more aggressive "Hunter" and "Bachelorette" is irresistible. On "Undo," she flatly states, "Surrender/Give yourself in/You're trying too hard." Presumably, some of these songs came out of the emotionally draining experience of filming her lead role in "Dancer in the Dark," her first -- and apparently last -- film.\nBjörk has always chosen her collaborators well, and Vespertine is no exception. San Francisco's resident avant-garde techno duo Matmos help out on the electronic end, while harpist Zeena Parkins and string arranger Vince Mendoza give the tracks a lush, layered feel. But the most innovative instrumentation on Vespertine is the music box, arranged by Björk and "adapted to music box" by Jack Perron. Their delicate sounds anchor the middle of the record, giving songs like "Pagan Poetry" a crystalline grace that's undeniably Björk.\nIt's hard to tell after a dozen listens what Vespertine will sound like a year from now, but unlike some electronic-based pop, Björk's records tend to get better with age. Vespertine is not a landmark like Homogenic, but judged on its own merits, it's a thing of rare beauty.
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When Professor of Theatre and Drama George Pinney went to bed Saturday night, he was almost sure he had won an Emmy.\nThe Academy of Television Arts and Sciences had nominated Pinney and fellow choreographers Jon Vanderkolff and Jim Moore for an Emmy in Outstanding Choreography for "Blast!," the brass, percussion and dancing extravaganza that has its roots in Bloomington and has gone to London, Broadway and now the small screen, courtesy of PBS.\nThe award was announced Saturday night at the Creative Arts Awards, a ceremony held separately from the main Emmy broadcast this Sunday. The Creative Arts ceremony was given a delayed broadcast on cable channel E! Sunday night, and will be rebroadcast Friday at 10 a.m.\nWithout a live broadcast to watch, Vanderkolff had to check the Emmys Web site to learn they had received the award.\n"Jon called and said 'George, I think we won,'" Pinney said.\nPinney was excited, but he wasn't completely convinced.\n"I went on the Web this morning to double-check," he said Sunday. "It's a huge honor. I guess I never expected to win. This is a huge, huge, big deal."\nBloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm said this is a nice way for Pinney to be recognized.\n"We're very happy for him and delighted he's on the faculty in Bloomington," Brehm said.\nThis is not the first national award for "Blast!" The show's Broadway production, which opened in April, earned two Tony nominations this summer; one for Best Choreography, which it lost to "The Producers," and a Special Theatrical Event award, granted to "Blast!" by the nominating committee.\nThe genesis of "Blast!" was Star of Indiana, a drum corps founded in Bloomington in 1984 by Bill Cook, president of medical equipment manufacturer Cook Group Incorporated. The young corps won the Drum Corps International World Championships in 1991, and a year later Cook contacted Pinney about spinning off Star of Indiana into a stage production -- the production that would be "Blast!" It took a few years to get off the ground, but once it got going, there was no stopping "Blast!"\n"Nothing has ever been staged like this before," said Jim Mason, former Star of Indiana director and the producer and artistic director of "Blast!", in an interview on the "Blast!" Web site. \n"We're truly creating a new musical genre with "Blast!" he said. "Being able to shrink what Star of Indiana did on a football pitch to a theater, and stage it with the bold, theatrical lighting, set design and sound enhancement that a modern theater has, is really a challenge. \n"But it's one we're very excited about attempting."\nThe TV production was filmed in London last year and edited together from live performances and additional footage.\nVanderkolff had no doubts "Blast!" would go as far as it has. \n"You've got to have dreams," he said. "You have to believe in it that much. I knew that people would really enjoy it."\nPinney also had a feeling "Blast!" would be a success.\n"It was always my gut feeling that "Blast!" was something very very special."\nVanderkolff and Pinney haven't had time to celebrate yet -- they spent the weekend in St. Louis, where "Blast!" opened its first full-size national tour Friday night.\nWith a production on Broadway, a national tour getting under way, and a video of the now Emmy-winning TV production for sale, the feeling in the "Blast!" camp is that the sky's the limit. The next stop could be back overseas.\n"There's been a lot of international interest in this show," Vanderkolff said. "Who knows how this will spin off."\nVanderkolff hasn't heard yet when he's getting his trophy, but he's ready for it.\n"I'm going to put it on the old mantle," he said.\n
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Lee Williams is exhausted. After months of planning the Eighth Annual Lotus World Music and Arts Festival, booking bands, arranging venues and transportation and ticket sales, his efforts were jeopardized when four terrorist hijackings grounded flights nationwide last week.\nFor a world music festival that is largely comprised of artists traveling from overseas, that's a problem. But by Sunday, Williams, the festival's executive director, was laughing. The show is going on.\nBands have canceled and the schedule has changed, but the Lotus Festival will kick off tonight and 25 of the 32 original artists are still expected to play at the five-day event. \nWilliams said he is amazed at the dedication of the performers, many of whom had to go to a great deal of trouble to make it to Bloomington.\n"That's the human spirit that you hear about," Williams said. "These are vivid examples of what people will do under extraordinary circumstances to continue on with life. People will rise above these kinds of tragic events."\nThe hardest-hit events scheduled are the special Wednesday and Thursday night concerts. Tonight's kick-off concert will now feature Habib Koite and his band, Bamada from Mali. Koite was on tour in the U.S. when the attacks hit last Tuesday and was able to get to Bloomington in time for the show. \nThe original lineup of Paris Combo (from France) and the Gangbe Brass Band (from Africa) were unable to travel overseas. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door.\nThe Celtic concert originally scheduled for Thursday night has been canceled. Several of the featured artists, and the emcee, National Public Radio host Fiona Ritchie, were unable to travel to the United States. Refunds will be available at the Buskirk-Chumley Thursday night from 5-8 p.m. Still scheduled for Thursday night is "Storm Over Asia," a 1928 silent film with live accompaniment by Tuvan band Yat-Kha.\nThe bulk of the festival -- Friday and Saturday's artist showcase concerts -- have also been altered by transportation problems. Williams has been rescheduling the acts as he determines who is available and said he hopes to have a revised schedule ready by tonight's first concert.\nThe festival has proven resilient, despite last week's emotional and logistical headaches. Williams attributes the success to the dedication of the performers and Lotus' volunteer staff.\n"There are so many great people in this organization; all the volunteers are excited," he said. "Everyone has so much energy and commitment to the project and we have so much positive spirit. \nI can't wait to experience the joy of all these people coming downtown and celebrating life and music. We're going to have a great festival and we're just going to focus on what we have."\nSee Thursday's IDS Weekend for more info on Lotus Festival.
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Next week, IU students will have the opportunity to donate meal points to charity through the "Miss a Meal" program. \nBut it might not be as much as they think.\nThe program, which runs next week from Monday through Wednesday, gives students at the dining halls the choice of deducting $7.50 in meal points when they swipe their ID.\nOf that, 40 percent, or $3 of the $7.50, goes to the American Red Cross to aid in relief efforts for the victims of terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. \nThe remaining 60 percent stays with Residential Programs and Services to cover overhead costs.\nResidence Halls Association and the IU Student Association organized this "Miss a Meal" opportunity.\nRHA President Ken Minami said the small percentage that goes to charity makes "Miss a Meal" less effective.\n"I hate it. That's why I think 'Miss a Meal' is a bad program," said Minami.\nIUSA President Jake Oakman said he feels the program still has value.\n"(60 percent) is pretty high, but 40 percent is better than nothing," Oakman, a senior, said. "In a situation like this, you take what you can get."\nThe money that goes to RPS pays for "fixed costs," said RPS Dining Services Director Sandra Fowler.\n"All the money is allocated except for the food costs," she said. "You still have to pay the staff."\nFowler said she wants students to be aware how the $7.50 is divided.\n"I've always been concerned about that -- students are often misled in the "Miss a Meal" program," Fowler said. "That's the responsibility of the charity."\n"Miss a Meal" has been used before at IU, including in 1999, when donations went to the American Red Cross to aid relief efforts in Kosovo.\nSenior Rachel Radom helped organize "Miss a Meal" two years ago. She estimated the 1999 program raised about $1,700. But she was similarly disappointed with the amount taken by RPS.\n"It came as a surprise at first, when I heard (the percentages)," Radom said. "But I think the generosity of students helped."\nRepresentatives of IUSA and RHA will be posted at cash registers in the dining halls next week to explain the program to customers. When students swipe their cards, they can choose to donate the $7.50. Donations can be made once a day each day the program runs.\n"Hopefully, this is a once in a lifetime event," Oakman said, of the necessity for the donations.\nRHA and IUSA originally planned to start the program Monday, but it was delayed a week by RHA.\n"Basically, we weren't able to throw it together in time to make it effective," Minami said.\nMinami said the week's delay will allow organizers to get volunteers and advertisements placed and make sure as many students as possible know about the program.\nIn the old program, students actually gave up a meal -- this time, the meal points are deducted from the account.\n"(The students) still eat," Fowler said. "They'll just spend points on something else besides food. The rest of our overhead costs will continue."\nDespite his concerns, Minami believes the program will be successful.\n"I think the turnout is going to be really great," he said. "This affects people so much -- people really are concerned and really are proactive"
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Just a few weeks ago, the Jazz Fables celebrated its 12th anniversary. This week, its celebrating another birthday.\nTonight, the weekly jazz series at Bear's Place, 1316 E. Third St., will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the birth of jazz legend John Coltrane. The saxophonist, who was born Sept. 23, 1926, and died when he was 40, will be remembered in a special concert featuring assistant music professor Tom Walsh on saxophone, associated music professor Pat Harbison on trumpet and visiting assistant music professor Luke Gillespie on piano.\n"Coltrane's music is some of the most powerful and most popular jazz from small groups of the 1950s," said David Miller, trumpet player and founder of Jazz Fables. "It continues to be a part of the idiom that all jazz players must come to grips with."\nMiller said Jazz Fables has tried to observe Coltrane's birthday every year since the series began in 1989. He said playing with musicians like Walsh and Harbison, who have been long-term participants in Jazz Fables, gives the ensemble a special advantage when approaching Coltrane's songbook.\n"When I get together with this group of players, our ability to draw upon our past experience allows us to change the concert order of tunes every time we do it," he said. "We don't repeat a lot of tunes from the previous performance."\n"Because we do different things every year, we'll have some tunes that are a little more unusual.\nWe have a mix of well known and obscure tunes. A lot of the things we're doing this time are pretty well known."\nWalsh said the importance of Coltrane's music cannot be overstated.\n"John Coltrane's influence is still felt today," he said. "He's a musician among jazz musicians who changed the style of the music. He established a new style in jazz -- he was a unique voice and has influenced nearly every jazz musician."\nMiller said those influences are so deep-rooted that they enhance the performers' ability to interpret Coltrane's music.\n"All the players in the band are stylistically comfortable with his range of styles," he said. "These (styles) are things that are part of all of our internalized concepts that we've developed through the years as players.\n"It's an exciting thing -- when you play Coltrane's music, it has the ability to inspire in players the ability to be very expressive and also a chance to revisit things that we've internalized."\nDespite his short life, John Coltrane managed to play with many of the great jazz musicians of his day and leave his mark on the genre. Coming up in the 1940s as a sideman in various bands, he ended up in a big band fronted by Dizzy Gillespie, where he recorded his first solo in 1951. \nIn the 1950s, he played with Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, including an appearance on Davis' landmark 1959 album "Kind of Blue." \nThe 1960s saw Coltrane emerge from the shadow of his legendary associates, releasing such jazz classics as "My Favorite Things" and "A Love Supreme." He died suddenly of liver cancer in 1967, leaving behind an influence that is still felt today.
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A decision by the Indiana Court of Appeals Monday might clear the way for a trial to determine whether IU violated state law when it fired former men's basketball coach Bob Knight. \nThe court decided 2-1 not to rule whether IU acted improperly when it fired Knight. The case, filed by a group of Hoosier basketball fans, will be sent back to the court where the appeal originated.\nRoy Graham, co-counsel for the plaintiffs, said he was satisfied with the decision.\n"We are pleased with the ruling from the court of appeals," he said. "We can now proceed to trial, unless we win our new motion for summary judgment based on scores of admissions by IU."\nBut a University representative said IU disagreed with the ruling.\n"We're disappointed in the decision by the court of appeals," said George Vlahakis, a spokesman for IU. "We will move forward at the trial court level. We're confident that we will prevail on the merits of the case."\nGojko Kasich, co-counsel for the plaintiffs, said he thinks the decision bodes well for his clients.\n"My interpretation is, for what it's worth, if the court is going to agree with IU, then I think they would have ruled in IU's favor," he said. "They would like to hear more facts."\nThe Knight supporters, who filed the lawsuit last October, allege Brand violated Indiana's Open Door Laws when he fired Knight in September 2000. Knight is now men's basketball head coach at Texas Tech University. Brand consulted with two groups of four trustees before firing the coach.\nThe board of trustees has maintained they did not violate Indiana's Open Door Law in the decision to fire Knight because they met in two small groups that did not constitute a quorum. Kasich said recent rulings in other states fail to support the claim.\nIn August, Special Judge Cecile Blau granted the IU board of trustees' appeal. The appeal cited privacy concerns that if records concerning Knight were released in the course of a trial, confidential and embarrassing information about Knight and IU officials could become public.\nIn an affidavit filed earlier this month, Knight waived his own confidentiality rights to his employment records.\nKasich said case law backs up his assertion that Brand's meetings with the trustees violates state law.\n"We've suggested that rulings in at least six -- maybe more -- states show you can violate Open Door Laws with serial meetings."\nKasich said if the court finds serial meetings do not violate the law, Indiana would be "the first state to go ahead and do that."\n"I'm kind of intrigued to see how (IU) pulls that one off," he said.\nKasich said the next step would be to proceed with discovery. He said he e-mailed the IU counsel Tuesday to inquire what dates IU officials would be available to be deposed.\n"The Open Door Law is something everybody has to follow," said Kasich. "To allow agencies to skirt on the open door law ... is ludicrous. I think it's a very important case"
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Love is Here\nStarsailor\nCapitol Records\nWith the release of Love is Here, the cynic in me wants to declare Starsailor "this year's Coldplay," just as last year the cynic in me wanted to declare Coldplay "this year's Travis." The similarities are there, to be sure -- sensitive British guitar bands heavy on tunes and melodrama, light on innovation. But where Travis trades on their everyman affability and Coldplay gets by with singer Chris Martin's doe-eyed innocence, Starsailor brews a blend of sexual frustration and 20-something angst all their own -- one that won't set the world on fire, but makes for a satisfying listen all the same.\nAlbum opener "Tie Up My Hands" kicks off the theme of romantic dissatisfaction that permeates the record, as well as the tried-and-true musical template of gentle, strummy verses and grandiose choruses. "I wanna love you, but my hands are tied," complains singer James Walsh. "I need to be alone while I suffer," he says later on "Way to Fall." If love is here, it's certainly hiding itself pretty well.\nWalsh's lyrical self-obsession would probably wear thin after a while if it wasn't wrapped up in such gorgeous instrumental texture. "I need to be loved," he cloyingly reminds us on "Good Souls," as if we hadn't figured it out 10 songs% into the album. But another monster chorus bails him out just as listeners roll their eyes and say, "tell us something we don't know."\nProducer Steve Osborne avoids the sharp edges he's brought to other Brit-guitar ensembles like Suede and Placebo, focusing on the sweeping arrangements and "big" moments that give the album its punch. Some listeners might find that the formula adhered to by Starsailor is wearing a bit thin -- if you don't have time for the good-but-not-great, then you won't miss much by passing them up. But for Anglophiles looking to warm up their winter,Love is Here can be an inviting musical blanket.\n
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Gosford Park - R\nStarring: Michael Gambon, Kristin Scott Thomas\nDirected by: Robert Altman\nShowing: Showplace East 11\nRobert Altman has been a filmmaker for 50-some years now, and a potent force in American cinema for at least 30. The latest from this 76-year-old plays to his strengths while simultaneously expanding his horizons -- one of the few giants from '70s cinema still striving for new ideas.\n"Gosford Park" boasts a huge cast of respected actors -- this time, it's a mostly British ensemble that includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Helen Mirren, Derek Jacobi, Emily Watson and Stephen Fry. The action takes place over a weekend at a rural British estate in the 1930s, as an array of snobby British nobles gather for a shooting party. Like many of Altman's films, the opening scenes are a confusing, occasionally frustrating mish-mash as the gigantic cast is introduced -- and like most of Altman's films, he amazingly manages to extract order from the chaos. We slowly learn about each character and their complicated relationships with each other, and through some miracle, it all makes sense.\nWhat "Gosford Park" does so well is show the two sides of upper-class life in England at the time -- the masters and their servants. The film is often hilarious, but at the same time is sensitive to the tensions between the two classes. Each side is a world unto itself, and Altman parallels them nicely. (Even the credits divide the cast into "upstairs" and "downstairs.") The guests' maids and valets all refer to each other by the names of their masters, as if by virtue of their class they have no right to names of their own. This class consciousness could have allowed the movie to quickly slip into a one-sided portrayal of servants oppressed by their privileged masters, but Julian Fellowes' screenplay refuses to make sweeping generalizations. Although the upper classes often seem shallow compared to their counterparts, each character is presented as multi-faceted and human.\nThe plot thickens when one of the hosts is murdered, prompting Stephen Fry's hilarious turn as an incompetent police inspector. There's a plethora of suspects and motives, and by the end it's at least partially sorted out, although Altman leaves enough ambiguity to keep the audience from being absolutely certain. In the end, "whodunit" isn't as important as how the characters' reactions illustrate their personalities and relationships with each other. It's this kind of attention and respect for its characters (and by extension, its audience) that makes "Gosford Park" so satisfying.\n