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(05/13/13 12:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Saturday, music fans gathered at the Bluebird Nightclub to remember the late Jason Molina.Molina, 39, died March 16 of organ failure at 39 after a decade-long battle with alcoholism, according to Rolling Stone Magazine. Secretly Canadian, the Bloomington record label that managed Molina, called him the cornerstone of its label, writing in a blog post that “his singular, stirring body of work is the foundation upon which all else has been constructed.” The label organized Saturday’s memorial show to honor him and bring those who knew him together through his music.Molina, affectionately called “Sparky” by his friends and bandmates, was described by those in attendance Saturday night as genuine, kind, generous and funny. Many of these friends travelled from far away to remember a man for whom they had great respect.Former bandmates from Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co. and other groups paid tribute to Molina through music and shared memories with the crowd during breaks. “I’m sorry we couldn’t have done this for Sparky when he was around, but it is an honor to play tonight,” said Erica Fletcher, a friend who performed with the band Oneida.Others said the atmosphere was bittersweet.“It was strange to play without him, but it felt good to play,” said Bruce Coming, Molina’s friend and former bandmate. “The music is what he lived by and it’s what brought us all together.”The portrait of Molina that emerged was of a likable, down-to-earth person who drew people to him through the connections he formed.Some drove from far away, saying it was the least they could do for a guy that touched their lives.“Jason was the funniest, kindest, most genuine, weirdest, most welcoming guy I’ve ever met,” said Matthew Barnhart, a friend who drove from Chicago to the show. “He bonded with people in a way that was truly unique.”Other friends of Molina’s agreed.“Even the most brief encounter left me with something meaningful,” Stephen Sowley, a friend, said.Jessica Scholnik met Molina after what she described as one of his more stirring performances.“I couldn’t stop crying,” she said. “His music was so effective. I went up to him and said, ‘Thank you for that,’ and he just gave me a hug and held me.”About Jason MolinaJason Molina was born in Lorain, Ohio on December 16, 1973.Inspired by Black Sabbath as a young musician, Molina started playing in heavy metal bands around Cleveland, Ohio as a teenager. Molina eventually decided to pursue a solo music career and write his own songs.His early monikers included Songs: Albian, Songs: Radix and Songs: Unitas, until he eventually landed on Songs: Ohia, which would become the moniker for his first and most successful solo endeavor.Songs: Ohia’s first, self-titled full-length album, released in 1997 by Secretly Canadian, is referred to by fans as “The Black Album."Molina’s second musical project was the band Magnolia Electric Co., formed in 2003.After a 10-year world tour stint to promote both projects, Molina was forced to take time off to deal with the effects of severe alcoholism.His final album, “Josephine,” was released in 2009 by Magnolia Electric Co., his country-rock collaboration with his fellow band mates Pete Schreiner, Mark Rice, Michael Kapinas and Jason Groth.
(04/04/13 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rick Ross came under fire recently for his lyrics in a new song in which he's featured, "U.O.E.N.O.," which seem to describe a date rape scenario. One of his lines is, “Put molly all in her champagne. She ain’t even know it. I took her home and I enjoyed that. She ain’t even know it.”During a radio interview, Ross defended his lyrics by saying it was a misunderstanding. “The term rape wasn’t used. I would never use the term rape in my records,” he said. There was a misunderstanding, but it wasn’t on the listeners’ end. It was on Ross’. Putting a chemical in a girl’s drink without her knowledge so she is too intoxicated to say no is rape. Getting a girl drunk so she is more willing to have sex with you is rape. He says he doesn’t condone rape, but he doesn’t seem to know what rape is, and he’s not the only one. This incident made me think more about how pop culture represents rape. If you’re watching an episode of “Law and Order: SVU,” you are told putting a molly in someone’s champagne without them knowing is rape. You are told sleeping with a wasted girl is rape. Rape isn’t glorified or encouraged in that context. But when you move away from cop shows and into music or representations of party life, the definition of rape changes, and the line between right and wrong blurs. Suddenly, it is OK to feed a girl drinks with the hope of taking her home with you.Think of almost every music video you’ve seen for a song about a party or a club. The guys pump the girls with drinks, and the girls leave with them. There is no disclaimer at the bottom that says, “Don’t worry, these women had been drinking but were sober enough to consent to the evening’s activities.” Songs like Trey Songz’s “Say Aah,” Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It on the Alcohol” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools” make alcohol and getting lucky synonymous, without saying “rape.” That notion is very much just a part of club culture. There is often very little discussion about what is normal and what is too far.Ross clearly crosses a line when he talks about slipping a girl something without her knowledge, but what about images from other artists that promote using alcohol to bed girls? Is that acceptable? They don’t say “rape.” They don’t condone roofies. But they still send the message that it’s OK to use a little push to get a girl to sleep with you. Rappers are entertainers, not spiritual leaders or lawmakers. Their videos and lyrics are a fantasy, not real life. But their influence in society is real, and it means they help establish societal norms and ideas of what is right and wrong. For this reason, they need to be more responsible with their messages.
(03/07/13 2:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One of the coolest things about the Bloomington hip hop scene is that it is very diverse and eclectic, but that same characteristic that makes it interesting can also be a hindrance. There isn’t a real scene or a clear collective. Instead, you have a lot of quality musicians doing hip hop their own way and carving out their own spaces. “The hip hop scene in Bloomington is a funny scene to be in because everyone is doing it, but no one knows everyone else is doing it,” local artist Jayali said. That means sometimes hip hop fans have to do a little more digging to find what they’re looking for, but when they do, they see the effort was worth it.By happenstance, I encountered a few local artists in the past week that all have something special to add to the fragmented hip hop landscape here. Rapper Jayali hosted a release party for his newest mixtape at Serendipity and kept the audience on their feet. Hip hop fusion band Three Story Hill rocked Dunnkirk after the Michigan State game with a set of flawlessly-delivered covers. And, rapper Reltalk released his project Sobr(i)ety that features nostalgic beats and a deep narrative on life’s everyday addictions.Three Story Hill is a hip hop band that blends the musicianship of an R&B set with the cadence and brash delivery of rap. One main selling point of the live show is the talented female vocalist, Peyton Raquel, whose versatility and talent is rare in amateur performances. The rap lead, Isaac Lightfoot, can morph his flow from cover to cover to fit the mood. The downside for me was that all of the songs were covers, and I didn’t get to hear what the band could do with their own talents. I can only imagine the impressive music that could come from the fusion of the band’s skills and the fresh tones of the vocalists. Although the audience missed out on original content, the fact that they perform covers makes sense. It allows them to be more bookable at places like Dunnkirk on a busy night.People are probably more likely to listen to a band with a good sound playing Biggie than a band with a good sound playing songs they don’t know.I found the originality I was looking for at local artist Jayali’s release party for his new EP “My Man Mixtape.” The opening act by vocalist AnnaMarie Hosei was a perfect set up for Jayali. She has her own bohemian timbre that is akin to a Sara Bareilles or a Colbie Caillat, but with a touch of soul. The decision to have her as a lead-in to his performance, instead of another hip hop act or someone who is solidly R&B, shows the range of influences in his music. In an interview before the show, he told me that he draws inspiration from all different types of music, from Indian bhangra and British punk to 60s soul and Nigerian music. He is not only a rapper and lyricist, but also a musician. He produces all of his own songs and works closely with the band for live performances to create a dynamic sound. Because of his ear for music and the abilities of the band, they are able to vibe off of each other and ad-lib when they get into a song. It was a meaty sound that connected to Jayali’s style. It reminded me of The Roots. The only thing that could’ve made it better would have been the infusion of a muted trumpet to add a bit of jazz. Jayali engaged the crowd and felt comfortable on stage. His look fit his music. He emerged on stage with a white button up, a wooden African medallion and curly cropped hair. He looked like an intellectual from Harlem, a poet. It is clear from his music and his attention to his craft that he is not just another guy with a cheap microphone in his dorm room that calls himself a rapper.My final encounter with local hip hop this week came through a scroll down a social media page and was completely unrelated to the other local artists I had been listening to. Reltalk lived on my floor freshman year and I noticed he had a mixtape out called Sobr(i)ety. I followed the link and found an EP that was thoughtful and expressive. If you’ve been reading my column this year, you know that one of my favorite elements of hip hop is the narrative. Reltalk tells a cohesive story throughout the EP about beats that sound like classics from the 90s. Its tone and feeling are thoroughly Midwest, with a bit of East Coast influence.Bloomington’s hip hop scene certainly doesn’t have a problem with quality or drive. I found three unrelated artists making good music over the course of a week, purely by accident. But, it does have somewhat of an issue with space.There is no rhyming in the park like New York in the 80s. There are no cyphers. This seemingly disjointed scene is missing a bonding gel that would allow for healthy competition, diversity of thought and growth amongst all of the artists. Artists like Reltalk recognize that that element is missing but see gradual progress.“I think the big thing that is lacking is an established platform for us to showcase our talent on a constant basis. If that platform were there, it would attract artists. That platform is not fully here, but things like the monthly ‘Festivus for the Rest of Us’ showcase [by Alpha Pack Records] are starting to fill that void.”
(02/21/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>J Cole was billed as the rebirth of hip-hop for this generation, and though it’s still early, he has already lived up to the enormous hype. It’s been almost two years since his critically and commercially acclaimed debut album, “Cole World,” and the wait has been tough for hip-hop fans. Even if he never releases another album, his distinct style and flow added a sound to the game that hadn’t been heard from a newcomer in a long time. It’s a nostalgic sound. Not exactly new, but it’s a breath of fresh air in an industry that often feels stifled by the same old flows and puns.J Cole is both popular and respected because his appeal is mainstream, but his vibe is underground. That’s why there is always such loud buzz surrounding his new projects. His new album was slated to drop Jan. 28, but he delayed it, telling his fans in an open letter on his website, “I appreciate you giving me the time I needed to grow, experiment and find the direction for my 2nd album.” It was disappointing to music fans, but if they can wait 10 years for Jay Electronica to even cough on a microphone, they will survive this slight delay from J Cole.The anticipation is understandable, though. His style is rare in the modern industry, so once hip-hop lovers get a little taste, they started clamoring for more. And he is the only dealer they can go to for the special blend. He recognized this and offered a little crack rock to his fans this past week in the form of a free EP, “Truly Yours.” “Tonight, I want to give you a few of these songs because you deserve them,” he said in a message to fans. “Vibe out to these songs in their raw form, no polish. Just a lot of my soul.”Polished or not, the pure quality and realness in the tracks makes you want to overdose on them from the moment the EP opens with Lauryn Hill’s Zion instrumental. He tells his own stories and also authors the stories of others who don’t have a platform. A perfect example of this is his track “Crunch Time,” which discusses the realities of “the hustle.” It’s a topic that is often glamorized and exaggerated in gangster movies and rap songs, but he breaks down the day-to-day struggle and gives a song with feeling that real people can relate to.The entire EP is like a collection of short stories and hand-written letters. He has the chance to deliver an important narrative that maybe wouldn’t work within the confines of a studio album.This project speaks to the unique style of art he produces, the special thing that isn’t quite definable, the thing that makes people believe he is the renaissance of hip-hop for a generation.
(02/07/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Although since its inception hip hop has been a tough, masculine art form, female emcees have managed to carve out a space for themselves throughout its history. “Femcees” like MC Lyte, Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Peppa could be considered among the founding fathers of hip hop, making their debuts during the mid and late 80s when the genre was first starting to make a name for itself. Femcees have always added a unique flare to the art form, but where are they now? Mainstream hip hop has been missing any significant female voice for almost a decade, but there is hope that is about to change in a major way. The 90s were the golden age for femcees. They didn’t only exist in significant numbers — many dominated the game. It was the decade when more people started paying attention to female rappers and respecting them as artists who could go blow for blow with the big boys. Lauryn Hill is still considered one of the best rappers of all time. She outshined the guys in her own group, The Fugees. Who was talking about Pras? Everyone was talking about Lauryn. Where did that voice and that flow and those lyrics come from? And female artists didn’t only venture into conscious rap or feminist messages. Women like Missy Elliot and Eve made crossover hits you could dance to, in addition to their deeper tracks. Lil Kim, Foxy Brown and Trina spit gangster rap as hard and brazen as their male counterparts, sometimes with more grit. Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes added a unique flavor to one of the greatest groups of all time, TLC. Everyone asks, “Where are these femcees now? Where is the next generation?”I can’t even name 10 female rappers in the mainstream right now, much less 10 who are as culturally relevant as the 10 from the 80s and 90s I just named were. After the 90s, most femcees faded or were cut short by tragic circumstances. The female voice on the mic went silent. And then, there was Nicki Minaj. She is far from the savior of the hip hop femcee, but she was the first female to break into the mainstream in almost a decade. She is often seen as a raunchy gimmick, packaged in a Barbie suit with colorful accessories like split personalities and wide eyes, but there is more to her career than that. She may have hoed herself out to the industry in order to break in, but underneath her shallow persona is a cold flow and some depth, when she chooses to show it. Listen to “Old Nicki” from her album “Pink Friday” to hear this. More important than her songs or style or lyrics is the fact that she emerged when she did. She put femcees back in the conversation and carved out a space where more can thrive. She is not Lauryn Hill, but maybe because of her existence, there can be a Lauryn Hill-esque artist for this generation. My money is on Angel Haze. Haze, out of New York, has the coldest new sound I’ve heard in a very long time, male or female. Her honesty is almost unreal. She proves with her forceful, raw lyrics that nothing is off limits, even the pain of a rough childhood and sexual abuse.She is not just heartbreak and hard knocks, either. Her flow and style are versatile, with great mainstream potential. In “Cleaning Out My Closet” she rips open her chest on the mic, but on the same EP she assassinates other artists in a braggadocio track, “Gossip Folk,” which remixes the old Missy Elliot, Timbaland-produced beat. She also ventures into love songs that resound with a dramatic honesty but avoid sappiness. Haze chooses beats that can draw and keep an audience, then shocks them with words no one else is saying. If she continues in this vein, she could prove to be very important to a generation. And, if you just came to dance, she has fun tracks like “New York,” which is ridiculously catchy.Angel Haze is my favorite because of her style and lyrical prowess, and because she exudes the soul of old hip hop. But there are a number of femcees adding to the genre in other ways. Azealia Banks, also from New York, sells herself as a fun pretty-girl with strong crossover and pop appeal. She reminds me of Trina because of her vocal tone and vulgar lyrics, but she has her own unique style, often utilizing techno flavor and avant-garde production.Syd tha Kyd has gained prominence as a producer with cult rap groups Odd Future Wolfgang Kill Them All and subgroup The Internet. She could soon pull a Missy Elliot and “hit us with the hee.” We see other gritty femcees, like Reema Major, with street style and East Coast sound gaining influence. They’re counterbalanced by emerging pop rappers like Lola Monroe, who is cut from the same cloth as Nicki Minaj. New artist Runaway Bella manages to find a median between those two. She isn’t a socially conscious rapper by any means but avoids being a packaged Barbie. In her new video for “Kick Flows” she is sexy but tough. Her flow is smooth, with an urban vibe. In 2012, XXL featured a female artist on its Freshman Class cover for the first time. That artist, Iggy Azalea, represents another new trend: white females venturing into hip hop and being taken seriously as artists. The reemergence and future success of the femcee in the mainstream will not be the result of any one artist’s work. This rebirth will occur because of the space that is created by the few femcees tough enough to break into the modern rap game. The first breakthrough had to come, initially, from a moneymaking, record-label-friendly gimmick artist like Nicki Minaj, but the future looks much brighter than pink hair and space suits. There is a new class of femcees, all young and hungry, ready to shake up the game and go blow for blow with the boys.
(01/24/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One of the biggest complaints about today’s mainstream rap from hip hop heads is that it is shallow and has strayed too far from its roots.These complaints stem from the fact that there are fewer and fewer mainstream rappers talking about real issues and delivering lyrics with substance. There’s a case to be made.Of all the songs on the Billboard Rap 100 right now, only two have an actual storytelling element, and even those are still party songs, given the beats and hooks.The others are about the same old thing— bitches (not to be confused with women), the club, alcohol, being high on something, designer clothes, chains, and expensive cars. Although I see the reasons for the critique of mainstream rap by hip-hop heads, their assumption that party rap is not part of real hip-hop does not ring true. Hip-hop does not have a singular origin. It is more the product of a bunch of jumbled ideas and motives. Some of it was influenced by poets and spoken word artists like Gil-Scott Herron and his groundbreaking piece, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” Some of it was influenced by the Five Percenters and their spread of Black Nationalism through complex wordplay. But other parts of it developed from kids experimenting with new sounds so they would have something to dance to at house parties. Party rap is very much a part of the fabric of hip hop, and shouldn’t be completely discounted. The problem arises when the only rap in the mainstream is party rap, selling images of ignorance, decadence, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, and misogyny. One thing we can agree upon about the roots of hip hop is that it was a vehicle for black self-expression in a system that didn’t allow for it. Urban youth created their own sounds, spread their original ideas, and reported on the world around them as it looked from their view. When that element of self-expression is lost and artists are only parroting what other artists say because the model makes money, the art of it is lost. Lauryn Hill rhymes in “Superstar” from her album Miseducation, “Hip-hop started out in the heart, now everybody’s trying to chart […] Music is supposed to inspire. How come we ain’t getting no higher?” She laments that the business of music has ruined the music itself, and it isn’t serving its original purpose, which is to be innovative, and to inspire those who listen to it.Hip-hop is one of the few areas of pop culture dominated by people of color. Mainstream rap artists are the ones who form the Black narrative in America and represent the community in broader society. Rappers have a larger audience than Toni Morrison, Spike Lee, and W.E.B. Du Bois will likely ever have, and they choose to use this platform to tell stories about “Big Booty Hos.” There is a place for ignorant party music with no substance. No one wants to dance to a Talib Kweli song at KOK. However, the party music should not take up so much of the mainstream that real music with a substantive message is completely pushed out.
(01/24/13 3:49am)
One of the biggest complaints about today’s mainstream rap from the
underground scene and hip hop heads is that it is shallow and has
strayed too far from its roots.
(01/10/13 2:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained opens with a brutal depiction of slavery: a group of enslaved black men shackled together, shuffling through freezing conditions barefoot, irons scraping their ankles raw while white slavers look down at them from horseback. Tarantino could have started with a merciless whipping scene, or a branding, or a thumbscrew, but he instead chose to begin with a more subtle brutality. Although the movie is indeed a “Spaghetti Western,” it was made with the utmost respect for the victims of slavery. He artfully resisted gore in the opening in the interest of sensitivity, although he made up for it in the rest of the movie, in typical Tarantino style. The film could be called nothing less than a shoot ’em up. The level of gore and action, which Tarantino is known for, may have been what caused so much controversy before the film was even released. People were preemptively offended, afraid Tarantino’s signature exaggerated style would be insensitive to the history of slavery and be offensive to black Americans. Director Spike Lee publicly boycotted the film and tweeted, “American Slavery was not a Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It was a Holocaust. My ancestors are slaves. Stolen from Africa. I will honor them.” Although I respect Spike Lee, I completely disagree with his reasoning. To me, it honors the victims of slavery and their predecessors to tell their story in innovative ways and carve out a place for the slave narrative in pop culture, a narrative that revolves around an empowered Jamie Foxx. Although a white character initially helps him, Django is the one with the power and the agency in the story, not his white counterparts. Moreover, through Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal of an evil house slave, Tarantino demonstrates his grasp of the complexity of racial roles in slavery. The story is not just black and white, literally and figuratively.Django is not a film about the plight of the poor defenseless black slave. The slaves are victimized in awful ways, but that is not the focus. Instead, we are given a hero, a cowboy in Foxx’s excellent depiction of Django. It is clear he takes the role and the idea very seriously, but he is authentic because he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He is natural as Django. Leading lady Kerry Washington is perfect as the damsel in distress waiting for her knight. She sells entire scenes with just the emotion in her face and eyes. Their on-screen chemistry ties everything together impeccably.Tarantino’s latest film is an essential piece in the American film canon on slavery. Slavery should not be something we learn about during one month in the year. Its implications in society today must be discussed. Tarantino provokes this necessary awareness and discussion with this film. He stays true to the facts of slavery in America but adds depth and story that is often missing from previous portrayals.
(10/03/12 9:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>P!nk’s badass rebellion, colored hair, tattoos and lyrics about navigating a world we don’t understand resonated deeply when we were moody teenagers and preteens.Now, on her seventh album “The Truth About Love,” she’s grown up like we have. She delivers truths about the real world that speak to us as adults still trying to figure it all out.This album is a raw, unfiltered view of what love in real life looks like. She sings with her edgy bravado about the fluid line between love and hate in a long, complicated relationship.It’s a true love story, with all of the tears, alcohol and profanities of the real world. What has set P!nk apart from other artists since the beginning of her career is her ability to express emotions we try to put into words and can’t. When she opens her mouth to sing, she also fearlessly opens the window to parts of herself most people try to hide from public view. She perfectly balances vulnerability and toughness in this album and also manages to have fun with tracks like “Slut Like You.”She experiments with new styles but stays true to the pink-haired badass we fell in love with in our angsty years. In a world of Carly Rae Jepsen, “The Truth About Love” is a refreshing gem. By Erin Carson
(06/20/12 10:52pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Who was your favorite action hero when you were a kid? If you were a “normal” guy, you can probably name three, easily. They inspired you, made some of your weaknesses seem like strengths, taught bravery and made you feel invincible. If you were a “normal” girl, you’re probably still racking your brain and only coming up with a Powerpuff Girl or two. The first female action hero for kids in recent memory hits theaters Friday, June 22, courtesy of Pixar and Disney. Girls will get a female warrior to look up to — one who’s not just another princess. “Brave” features Merida, a far-from-refined ginger who is better at archery than all the boys. But is this reason enough to be hopeful for the future of female heroes?Strength, courage, individuality, invincibility and bravery are still lacking in many conventional female leads. If women do possess these characteristics, like Pocahontas or Ariel, they end up relying on a guy to rescue them or get them out of hot water. Female leads — and especially princesses — always end up in over their heads and have to recognize their own incompetence. Or they only show courage and tenacity when fighting for love.As much as we pretend to have grown as a society, our pop culture is still gender biased. Even with heroines like Lara Croft and Zoe Saldana’s Colombiana, who are tough and skilled, we still see women objectified and painted as sex objects. Why do women always have to fight crime in bras and shorts? That’s a little impractical, right? The message is that we can only be tough if we are gorgeous at the same time, and we have to prove ourselves 10 times over just to be allowed to play with the boys. Even with this poor history of female portrayals in popular media, some are hopeful for the future. Yes, with “Brave,” girls get their hero. One.That doesn’t mean the industry is going to change overnight or that we’ve reached a feminist pinnacle. Women in TV commercials are still constantly in bikinis for no apparent reason. They never seem to age over 30, except when a housewife is showing America how great Swiffers are. Lately, we’ve seen more strong female leads in movies and TV shows. The alumnae of “Saturday Night Live” are making their mark with hits like “30 Rock,” “Parks and Rec” and “Bridesmaids,” but that can hardly be called progress. It’s a drop in the bucket. Lucille Ball had her own show more than 60 years ago, and mainstream women’s roles are just now changing into something more than buffoons who need Rickys to clean up their messes.“Brave” is definitely a step in the right direction, but a tough-girl role model shouldn’t be a novelty, just like “the first Black Disney princess” shouldn’t be a token event. We need more female leads, more Black leads that aren’t recreations of stereotypes, more Latinos in positive roles and more examples of what female empowerment can look like in dominant culture.
(06/13/12 8:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“No Church in the Wild” by Jay-Z and Kanye West is one of those shining moments of artistic expression and stellar videography in commercial hip-hop.The video opens with a single protester hurling a Molotov cocktail at an eager line of police. That spark ignites the enraged mob behind him, and the fire spreads. A battle royal between rioting protesters and the law ensues.The scenes look ripped from the headlines and recall images from Greece, England and the Middle East from the last year. Windows are smashed. Mobs of citizens seem to lose their minds. Armed government squads go to war against their own people.Beyond the familiar scenes of protest, frustration, outrage and chaos, there is a deeper meaning, a larger battle between the people’s unbridled passions and the status quo that tries to constrain them. When viewed in context with the song’s lyrics, it delivers the message that in the wild or in moments of chaos there is no morality or salvation, just the savagery of human nature.By Erin Carson
(06/07/12 12:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>New song “Lots” by Dan Deacon is a little annoying and repetitive, but I have to admit it’s still oddly catchy. I can’t understand a word, and the middle sounds like a fuzzy dubbed bootleg, but Deacon’s clear musical talent still shines through in the song’s subtleties. He uses sound in a way that only a complex musical mind could, and he blends seemingly conflicting elements to create music where there shouldn’t be. This is the type of song that ends up on a car commercial and makes hipsters cry. Until then, though, they can enjoy the strange electronic music their parents don’t understand and pride themselves in the fact that their musical palate is unique and eclectic. I won’t be blasting this from my car speakers any time soon, but I didn’t hate it.By Erin Carson
(05/24/12 12:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If you can make it through the first 60 excruciating minutes of “Battleship,” the last 30 minutes are actually pretty good. The beginning is slow, unnecessarily slow, and at one point I felt my eyelids getting heavy. The writers and director tried so hard to avoid making a great action movie with no plot that they ended up going too far in the opposite direction. The film is essentially 30 minutes of a great action with no plot, preceded by boring plot and no action. Rihanna’s acting chops are surprisingly decent, which is a plus for her fans, but it doesn’t save the movie. Don’t waste your money to see this in the theater. Wait until it’s a dollar at Redbox and fast-forward until you see big explosions. The rest of the movie, loosely based on the equally boring Hasbro game of the same name, is pointless. Things blow up and your American pride might swell, but not before you’re bored and wishing you’d gone to see something else.By Erin Carson
(04/26/12 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Earning an estimated $33 million, the black rom-com with little mainstream buzz topped the box office this past weekend. “Think Like a Man” was witty and hilarious, and few moments passed between outbursts of laughter from the audience. The film follows the flawed dating lives of six singles who use Steve Harvey’s self-help book, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,” as their dating bible. The audience delights in watching the plan fail, proving there are no real rules in love. In his first standout role, Kevin Hart was consistently funny without being over the top. He anchors the ensemble cast as a recently divorced friend. He has been through the hell of dating and settling down and is always there to give his own sage advice. What sets the movie apart from other rom-coms is its brand of relatable, down-to-earth people. It plays on single-life stereotypes while staying conversational and light.
(04/24/12 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Women have made a number of gains in breaking glass ceilings in the past few decades, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they still made less than 83 percent of what men made in 2011, and they still face many barriers in the workplace that their male counterparts don’t face.Monday evening, a panel of five women in media careers spoke to an audience about the role of women in the media and the hurdles they have to overcome to prove themselves. Some talked about being called names such as “sweetheart” or “princess” by coworkers and sources, as well as having to work harder and smarter to prove their worth. Others discussed trying to juggle family and a career in a way they claimed most men don’t have to. One of the main objectives of the panel discussion focused on biases these women still face in 2012, ones that are not unique to media careers.The women discussed how the ideal woman on camera is becoming younger and how her clothes are shrinking. “They want a newer, fresher look,” Ruthanne Gordon, a reporter for WISH TV, said to the audience.Meanwhile, Cheryl Jackson, a freelancer for CNN, gave a warning. “If you don’t break in (the industry) on your merit, you’re in trouble,” she said. “If you’re a young, pretty girl, be smart. You can only get so far with pretty.”The group also highlighted instances that suggested the gender gap is not closed, especially when it comes to balancing love, marriage, family and a career.Ashley Morelock, a producer for Fox 59, said journalism becomes one's life and that certain individuals don’t always have time to settle down. After seeing many of her friends in other careers marry during the past year, she realized she didn’t want to give her entire life to journalism and miss out on other things. She said she is changing careers at the end of her contract.“My job is my boyfriend,” joked Carrie Ritchie, a reporter for the Indianapolis Star. The veterans with children discussed how they managed to do both, even though the work environment didn’t always make it easy. Mary Beth Schneider, another reporter for the Indianapolis Star, said that years ago, when she was starting her family, she and another female coworker offered to share a beat and time-share so they could manage time at work and time at home with their young children. She said it was a golden offer for the boss because someone would always be on the beat with no conflicts. While one was working, the other would be in charge of the children and vice versa, like a co-op. They were denied. Arrangements like that are starting to creep into the corporate world, but it is still rare to find workplaces so accommodating for working mothers.The women summed up the talk with a dose of reality but also hope for young women looking to make a name in their work lives and overcome the gender-specific hurdles. Jackson said it’s “difficult but doable” and ended with a reminder.“We’re always proving something,” she said
(04/05/12 1:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All-American Rejects’ new album, “Kids in the Street,” is more mature than the group’s last project, released in 2009, but maintains all the elements of a high-school soundtrack: heartbroken one day, angsty the next, fun-loving five minutes later.If the group has a niche, it is writing dysfunctional love songs, such as “Bleed into Your Mind,” and “I’m young and carefree” songs, such as the titular track, “Kids in the Street.” The allure of the group’s sound is that all the songs make you want to scream along with the radio, and you’re having fun even if you’re singing about heartache and life’s hiccups.Almost all of us have had bad days or encountered people we couldn’t quite get past, even though we wanted to, and the All-American Rejects deliver 43 minutes to bitch about all of it with loud bass loud and squealing guitar.
(03/01/12 12:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“With great power comes great responsibility.” Maybe that’s a lesson Tyler Perry is finally learning. He has been criticized throughout the years for perpetuating negative black stereotypes, even though he has the money and media influence to break them. In his latest movie, “Good Deeds,” he has created a film that is socially important and practically race-neutral.The main characters are all minorities, but the story wouldn’t change much if they weren’t. At my screening, there wasn’t a question of whether the audience was laughing with or at the black community, as there was with his Madea series.The storyline and acting were both on point, and Perry himself delivered a powerful performance as Wesley Deeds, a privileged heir to a great company and legacy. The characters are multi-dimensional with inner and outer struggles the audience can relate to regardless of race or class.It likely won’t be nominated for an Oscar, but it is an important film that makes a good attempt at being post-racial. With more money and creative control, perhaps Perry is finally able to make the types of films he wanted to make all along.
(12/08/11 12:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Trey Songz has always had a smooth voice and popularity with the ladies, but he’s come a long way since his boyish cornrows in the “Gotta Make It” days. Now, he’s a worldwide sex symbol who has come into his own and might very well be the Marvin Gaye of our generation with songs like “Love Faces” and “I Invented Sex.” His new EP, “Inevitable,” contains only five songs, but it does a lot with them. Particularly, it begins to move away from his typical love (or making-love) songs and sounds more like a compilation of hooks from rap songs. It’s unclear if this is just a fun project that allows him to explore other styles he’s dropping to fill the gap before his new album or if this is a preview of the new direction he’s taking his music. For fans’ sakes, I hope it’s not the latter. His voice sounds clean and alluring as usual, and the beats are nice, but the lyrics are weak and too contoured to the mainstream in many cases. It lacks the passion and pleasure we’re used to from Trey. There’s no doubt that “Outside” is a love song, but it shows him trying to talk a girl into having sex with him outside. How romantic? The only true love song on the EP that sounds uniquely Trey is “Sex Ain’t Better Than Love.” It has the technical complexity and powerful vocals we’ve grown to expect from him and that sappy “perfect for a road trip with my love” feeling.
(10/06/11 1:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bobcat Goldthwait is a cult classic hero as the man responsible for the now-famous line from “Blow”: “I can’t feel my face,” and for his role in the “Police Academy” series. His character in “Police Academy,” Zed, was a screaming, childish nutcase who acted out with tantrums. Now, a decade and a half on from his “Police Academy” days, he is focused more on writing, directing and stand-up comedy. His most popular directorial effort “World’s Greatest Dad” featured Robin Williams and propelled him back into pop culture. He now mostly makes a living doing stand-up, and he says he prefers being behind the camera to acting.Goldthwait chatted with WEEKEND about new projects, his evolving stand-up style and his upcoming performances at the Comedy Attic on Oct. 7 and 8. WEEKEND You went from being in cult classics to receiving a lot of recognition and praise at Sundance. What was that transition like? Bobcat Goldthwait It’s a little surreal to go from being the dude from “Police Academy” to a Sundance film director. I still make my living doing stand-up comedy. The movies I make aren’t blockbusters. I just make small, personal movies.WKND What style is your comedy? BG Some of it’s personal stories and some of it’s me going on stage and just talking about pop culture. My stand-up has always been evolving over the years, because when I first started, it would be a little more abstract, where I didn’t have any jokes. I would just go on stage and cry and read a Dear John letter. But now, it’s more about who I am. WKND When are you happiest? BG I’m not happy when I’m just doing the same thing over and over again. I’m very happy when I’m making something and trying something different. WKND What do you like about performing in Bloomington? BG I like Bloomington a lot. The people are really nice and that club is a great club. WKND What’s your demographic and how has it changed over time? BG My demographic got old. When I started, I would look out and see a bunch of young people and I’d be relieved, and now I’m like, “Oh, shit.” WKND What’s your favorite part of being on the road? BG Waffle House? I don’t know. When I meet other comedians that are on the road, and I get along with, and that are funny, or when I get to see old friends — that’s my favorite part. WKND Tell me about your latest projects and how they’re different from what you’ve done in the past. BG “God Bless America” — it’s similar in tone to “World’s Greatest Dad.” It’s a movie about a guy who’s suicidal, but instead of committing suicide, he drives 400 miles to kill the girl from “My Super Sweet 16.” I hope people take it as a satire. WKND What’s next for you? BG I’ve been trying to get this musical going, based on a Kinks album from the ’70s called “Schoolboys in Disgrace.” I continually write screenplays. I’m sure me and Robin Williams will do another movie together. Maybe (I’ll do) a horror picture or monster movie next. WKND What do you love most about what you do? BG I don’t have to punch a clock, and I don’t have to wear a tie. WKND I’ve got to ask: the line in “Blow,” did you think it would explode like it did? BG That was an ad-lib. It’s pretty funny that that line had a life of its own. WKND Do you prefer writing and directing or being in the limelight? BG I would much rather be behind the camera than in front of it. I retired from acting at about the same time they stopped hiring me, so it worked out pretty well.
(10/05/11 9:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>From the moment J. Cole was signed to Roc Nation/Columbia and appeared as Jay-Z’s protégé, the buzz surrounding him has been enormous. The waiting and uncertainty made his debut even more highly anticipated.On his debut album “Cole World: The Sideline Story,” he lives up to the hype. His lines are crisp, truthful, well-articulated and crafted in such a way that his key demographic feels and lives the music.Cole treats fans to a loaded album with 16 tracks, two bonuses and high-profile guest spots.The verses are of the usual high quality fans have come to expect from Cole. They center around real-life issues like unwanted pregnancy, the struggle to make something from nothing, high crime rates in poor areas and, of course, complicated relationships. There are also a few party tracks, like “Can’t Get Enough” featuring Trey Songz.He doesn’t rely on synthesized techno beats and auto-tune to hide ignorant lyrics and a lack of substance. He spits clean, edgy words over simple drums, throbbing bass lines and colorful instrumentals. His tone is gritty and forceful and pulls the listener into his story. The only regretful part of the album is the lack of those stylistic breaks that melodic hooks provide. Most of the hooks are “sung” by Cole, who realizes that he is not a singer. The album could have used a strong R&B presence from commanding female vocalists like Keri Hilson, Adele or Lauryn Hill. Even powerful samples from old R&B songs like Kanye West used to implement would have made the album.Overall, it was a great debut and few fans seemed disappointed, but with better hooks, it could have been epic.