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With a house, you are usually responsible for setting up all utilities including gas, electric and water. With apartments, all utilities except the electric bill are generally included in the month’s rent.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s famed collegiate bike race carries a culture and excitement of its own, but its inspiration is easily traced to another Indiana competition of laps and wheels — the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The almost seven-hour car race, a yearly spectacle since 1911, became the framework for the University’s own yearly battle of patience and determination.Similarities
The information and contacts you need to take care of your new home's utilities.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Now you have a place of your own, you’re daydreaming of adopting a pet, but think this through before you hop into the nearest animal shelter.1. What’s your ideal pet?CatDogBirdReptileFishRodentOther2. SizeSmall — It stays in a cage or tank.Medium — It fits in your lap or your purse.Large — It defends you from intruders.3. Does your landlord allow pets?Yes, for an extra fee.No.They won’t find out ...4. Do you liveAlone?With roommates?With your significant other?With extreme allergies?5. You’re bound to leave your residence for a while. Where will your new friend stay?With you, wherever you go.With one a roommate. They don’t go anywhere.Your family is close by.You hadn’t really thought about that.6. Check if you can afford each of the following annual costs, from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals:Small dogFood $55Recurring medical $210Toys/treats $40CatFood $115Recurring medical $160Toys/treats $25Litter $165 (the box alone is $25)7. Pets are like children — they need love, exercise, attention and a little help with personal hygiene. How many hours a week are youIn class?At work?At the library?Out with friends?
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Take it from a driving student who has paid for all of three parking tickets here: It’s not worth the risk.If a spot seems too good to be true, it probably is. We’ve compiled information from IU’s Office of Parking Operations and City of Bloomington Parking Services for parking on and off campus. If all else fails, keep an eye out for signs, pavement paint or money-sucking meters.On campusPermitsMost permits in the five zones run from July through June, though summer plans are available. Know your permit’s information like the back of your hand, including expiration date and other rules.A PermitFaculty and staffAny A, C or E spotC PermitFaculty, staff and research assistantsAny C spotD PermitStudents living in a residence hallAny D space, dependent upon residence hallE PermitStudents, faculty and staffAny E spot, typically located around Memorial Stadium and behind the Cyberinfrastructure Building. Be prepared to move your car from the stadium lots for game days.F PermitStudents, faculty and staffAny non-24-hour space on weekends and from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays.No permitAny vehicle may park in any D or E space from 5 p.m. Friday to 11 p.m. Sunday. Campus spots are free on designated days listed at parking.indiana.edu.GaragesUniversity parking garages are free Saturdays and Sundays. During weekdays, you get more than 50 percent off Indiana Memorial Union lot rates if you provide a receipt as proof of purchase at the IMU.Off campusNeighborhood Parking PermitsIf your house or apartment does not include parking options, your best friend is the city residential permit. To locate your place of residence and its appropriate zone, check the map at bloomington.in.gov. Purchase your permit for $25 at City Hall, but be sure to bring copies of your current lease and vehicle registration. Each residence is allowed one visitor’s permit, also $25. All permits expire Aug. 15 every year.Downtown parkingVarious spaces throughout downtown Bloomington are available for 15-minute to 2-hour parking. Most signs say parking is free for the weekend after 5 p.m. Friday, though some spots around the square go into Saturday before the 2-hour limitation disappears.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>"What is art?"According Leo Tolstoy’s definition from his essay of the same name in 1896, it is a relationship, a form of discourse. It is an expression, through various media, of one man’s emotion in an attempt to join “another or others to himself in one and the same feeling.” By critical theory, art can be defined by its medium, its creator, its contemporary history and its audience. By all definitions of elaborate family feasts, homemade first dates and thoughtfully plated six-course menus, food is art.But William Deresiewicz, essayist and critic, expresses doubt in his Oct. 26 opinion piece for the New York Times, “A Matter of Taste.”In his rejection of food as art, he acknowledges the redefinition of culture surrounding food and cooking, the reorganization of social hierarchy; a new knowledge set to be religiously valued by those “in the know,” an entirely revolutionary scene of buying local, expressing creativity more eloquently than your neighbor and rebelling against classical technique.Deresiewicz brings an insightful argument to an already crowded and creaking table. “[Foodism] is a badge of membership in the higher classes, an ideal example of ... conspicuous consumption.”We’d all be fools to deny that we can bake for bragging’s sake or tuck into a chocolate-something topped with gold flake just to say we did.We arrive in France and send back photos of buttery croissants, sipping authentic champagne while we’re at it.But what theater-lover does not also boast at intermission? What rock band could survive the modern age without head-banging Instagramers?We do this not to one-up, really, but to share. No one can experience everything with everyone, all the time, and all we know to do is communicate our joy.“A good risotto is a fine thing, but it isn’t going to give you insight into other people, allow you to see the world in a new way, or force you to take an inventory of your soul.”Deresiewicz, I have to ask: Have you ever seen “Ratatouille”?A good risotto will absolutely give me insight into the person who made it, whether in their technique, their choice of cheese and vegetables and herbs or if they’ve truly mastered that trademark creaminess.A good risotto can give me, and my stomach, rose-colored glasses for hours on end. A good risotto adds to the inventory of my soul. It becomes me, I interact with it more profoundly than I did with the Mona Lisa, and I won’t have you ruining that art for the sake of generic definitions.“It has become a matter of local and national pride, while maintaining, as culture did in the old days, a sense of deference toward the European centers and traditions...”In food’s extreme progression from classical French preparation – butter, the five mother sauces and chicken stock as the building blocks of everything – our nation has thrived.Not only in the ever-controversial foams and pasta-less raviolis of molecular gastronomy, but in the Cajun and Creole progeny of a truly French South. We took Italian inspiration from what is now pizza, stacked it higher in a thicker pan and smacked an “AMERICUH” stamp on it, but deep dish is ours.Though we’ve run out of physical frontier in which to stretch our legs, we claim new territory in our persistent rebellion against classical cuisine.But maybe we should leave Mexican food alone.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>College students keep a tight hold on their purse strings, but they certainly want to let loose when entertaining with friends and family. Putting together a simple, flavorful meal doesn’t have to break the bank, especially if seasonal produce is the star. Below is a three-course meal sampling the best of the four seasons. Try variations on the entire menu or use each season’s recipe to complement your favorite standbys.Summer Peach and Blackberry Tea with Basil Simple SyrupPeach tea and blackberry tea, loose-leaf or in bags1 cup granulated sugar½ cup water½ cup fresh basil leavesOptional: bourbon- Brew teas and refrigerate.- While the tea brews, combine sugar, water and basil leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until all sugar has dissolved and mixture coats the back of a spoon.- Cool syrup completely. Strain out basil leaves and store syrup in a resealable container in the refrigerator.- When ready to serve, pour equal amounts of peach and blackberry teas in glasses filled with ice cubes. Add basil simple syrup in place of sweetener. Garnish with extra basil leaves, fresh blackberries or half-slices of peach.- Add one or two shots of bourbon if you’re of-age.Winter Brussels Sprout, Bacon and Caramelized Red Onion Hash with Fried Eggs6-8 strips thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped1 small red onion, thinly sliced3 cloves garlic, minced2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly slicedOlive oilUnsalted butterSalt and pepper to tasteEggsOptional: 1 Tbsp. dried or 3 sprigs fresh thyme, red wine vinegar- Cook bacon in large skillet. Set bacon aside, keeping the fat in the pan over medium heat.- Add onions and sauté until soft and caramelized.- Add garlic, cooked bacon and sliced Brussels sprouts, and increase the heat. If remaining bacon fat is not enough to lightly coat the sprouts, add olive oil and butter in even amounts.- Season with salt and pepper and cook, occasionally stirring and turning sprouts until browned (the more caramelized, the better). Add thyme toward end of cooking if desired.- Fry eggs to desired doneness and serve one atop each plate of hash. Runnier yolks are ideal for mixing in with the sprouts. Drizzle a few teaspoons of red wine vinegar for more flavor.Fall Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese6-8 medium golden or purple beets, cooked and sliced6 cups arugulaGoat or bleu cheese, crumbled1/8 cup balsamic vinegar1/8 cup olive oil2 shallots, mincedCoarsely ground black pepper- Toss beets, cheese and greens in large bowl.- Whisk together balsamic, olive oil, minced shallot and black pepper. - Drizzle over salad when served.Spring Strawberry-Orange-Grapefruit Dessert ToppingStrawberries, choppedGrated orange and grapefruit peelSugarWaterFresh mint leaves- Add strawberries and grated citrus peel to a small saucepan.- Add sugar to taste, depending on the strawberries’ natural sweetness, and a few tablespoons of water.- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. If water evaporates and mixture looks dry, add more water in small amounts.- Remove from heat and cool. Mash with a fork until you reach a jam-like consistency.- Serve atop your favorite vanilla ice cream, yogurt or frozen yogurt. Garnish with fresh mint leaves to brighten the sweet fruit.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Futuristic love-struck musical.The newest work from Natasha Khan, singer-songwriter-instrumentalist of Bat for Lashes, is just as dreamy and dramatic as her last. In a start-to-finish listen, we might not know what she wants us to hear, but we certainly know what she’ll have us feel.Khan’s sailing melodies, uplifting and sweet, carry tracks like “Marilyn” and the orchestral “Lilies.” The action cuts in as punchy march beats in “A Wall” and the rather sultry “Oh Yeah.”“All Your Gold,” in its opening guitar picks and hardly conspicuous lyrics, sounds disappointingly and eerily similar to Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.”But closer “Deep Sea Diver” can so easily be imagined, unfurling behind a wavering underwater lens, with Khan “oohing” serenely above.By Rachael Stuart
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Burgers are smörgåsbords.Full, well-rounded meals. You’ve got your protein, cheese for dairy, optional lettuce and tomato as fruits and veggies, a bun, sugary ketchup. They’re every dietitian’s dream, or so I tell myself.So the challenge lies in picking and pairing sides that add to the experience. Traditional chips, french fries and coleslaw just don’t cut it anymore.Next time you throw together a side or two for your sandwich, try a spin on an old classic.FriesAnyone who’s ever been to a state fair knows potatoes aren’t the only fry-worthy snacks. Pick up an ingredient that matches your burger — be it jalapenos for southwestern flair, shiitake mushrooms for Asian flavor or avocado to match that trusty ol’ bacon cheeseburger.Batter with equal parts flour (or panko, or breadcrumbs), milk and egg and fry in canola or peanut oil. Add beer or cayenne pepper if you’re still unsatisfied.SaladsJust the word “lettuce” can steal a smile from the happiest of Hamburglars. I’ll make it easy for you: Pick a base, whether it’s rice, cooked noodles, corn, slaw or beans.Make a dressing. For creamier mixes, opt for mayonnaise, yogurt or sour cream. Lighter fare includes olive oil or vinegar and sugar.Add stuff. Finely chopped garlic, cilantro and chilies in adobo add incredible spice. Use feta cheese, Kalamata olives and tomatoes to savor the Mediterranean. Be mindful of your burger and seek to complement, not overwhelm.Fresh produceTrays of fresh grapes and dippable carrots sticks putting your guests to sleep? Remember the barbecue.Grill kabobs stuffed with cantaloupe, peaches, bell peppers, red onion and any other raw fruit or vegetable you’ve got to sear and lock in sweeter, more complex flavors. Brush with oil and herbs beforehand for more depth.Still hungry?Grab another burger, change up the toppings and forget anything you can’t eat with your hands. Burger season only lasts so long.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the smell of roasted garlic still wafting through the air above the stage, Corbin Morwick hoisted the Golden Spatula above his head as winner of the Bloomington Chefs’ Challenge.The challenge, in its sixth year at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, raised more than $23,000 for the Community Kitchen of Monroe County in an “Iron Chef”-style showdown.“We want to get every cent out of your wallet we can for the community kitchen,” said Brad Wilhelm, emcee for the event and host at the Comedy Attic. “That’s why we’re here.” Gregg “Rags” Rago, manager of Nick’s English Hut, reported to Wilhelm from the cooking floor.Wilhelm announced the secret ingredient to whistles and applause as Tim Clougher, assistant director of the community kitchen, displayed a large basket brimming with garlic bulbs.“Garlic makes the world go ’round,” Rago said with a smile.Groups of friends and family donned “We <3 Seth’s Meat” and “Vote for Corbo” T-shirts to show support for the underdogs. Morwick, executive chef of One World Catering, competed against Seth Elgar, executive chef of Upland Brewing Co., and last year’s winner, chef Damian Esposito of the Indiana Memorial Union.Growlers of dry beans sat on a table in the lobby, allowing attendees to pay $1 to add beans and vote for their favorite chef to win the People’s Choice award, which Morwick also won.“I loved Corbin’s stuff,” said Esther Smail, an attendee who won an auction for a guest seat with the judges.She tasted each of the dishes and shared commentary with the celebrity judges.As in the Food Network show, the Chef’s Challenge recruited three judges to determine a winner: Charlotte Zietlow, cofounder of Goods for Cooks, Michael Cassady of Michael’s Uptown Café, and Alan Simmerman, Bloomingfoods fresh foods manager and winner of the 2008 competition.One of Morwick’s defining dishes was a bowl of handmade tagliatelle, a flat noodle similar to fettucine, which Cassady dubbed a “severely gutsy move.”“That pasta was just amazing,” Smail said. “It was like the pasta was very delicate, and it was very nice that he served that first.”Bloomingfoods Market and Deli contributed most of the pantry foods, while local farmers furnished produce, proteins and other necessities. But garlic was still the key ingredient.“My gosh ... Garlic is such a challenge, but it’s the best food in the world as far as I’m concerned,” Zietlow said during judging. “I think the garlic is really the chefs’ challenge.”The money raised through ticket sales and auctions will benefit Backpack Buddies, a system that provides a backpack full of food to low-income children and their families on Fridays, and a collaboration with the Area 10 Agency on Aging to deliver meals to the home-bound elderly.“They’re important because they’re the two groups of the population that are most at risk for being hungry,” Clougher said.A brochure for the event said 61 percent of community kitchen patrons are children, and 15 percent are senior citizens. The brochure also said the $25 ticket price provided 13 meals to those in need.In less than three hours, the Bloomington community raised enough to feed almost 12,000 people, all while enjoying the sights, smells and tastes of the local talent.“We get to see some of the possibilities of eating really good food, which I like a lot,” Zietlow said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Move over, fat pumpkin. Apple cider is here.September ushers in the cooler breezes and crackling bonfires of autumn, and after just a few weeks, leaves aren’t the only things changing. After abysmal growing conditions this spring and summer, Indiana apple crops are failing. This makes the fruit and its versatility all the more special.I have no problem finding pumpkin — I see you, latte lovers — which is usually a yearlong commodity. Let’s celebrate what’s truly rare this year and brew a batch of spiced apple cider, unmatched in its sweet and savory applications.For a local sample of the season, head to the closest apple orchards, like Musgrave Orchard in Bloomington or the Apple Works Orchard in Trafalgar, Ind. Most grocery stores also carry jugs of apple cider.For a quick glaze to drizzle over molasses cookies or liven up an unfortunate pumpkin loaf, whisk one part mulled cider and two parts powdered sugar.Craving an earthy roast chicken? Marinate and baste the bird with your mulled cider, making sure to add lemon juice and season with two bay leaves, cracked black pepper and salt.You’ll need comforting flavors to fold into those mashed potatoes and smear on doughy dinner rolls. Compound butter is a much-needed surprise in the colder months.Soften two sticks of unsalted butter, combine with 1/8 to 1/4 cup cider and 1 tsp. ground nutmeg, then refrigerate to set. Tell me you can be this creative with a burly orange squash.This fall, dare to do something different, whether for baked goods or soothing beverages. Leave the pumpkins for the trick-or-treaters.Mulled apple cider1 gallon apple cider, or unsweetened apple juice2 Tbsp. whole cloves1 Tbsp. whole allspice1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced1 stick cinnamon1 to 2 Tbsp. kosher saltCombine in a large stockpot and boil for five minutes, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve it strained and hot with a thin slice of lemon zest.Note: For the over 21 crowd, add one or two shots of spiced rum to your mug. If you’re short on time, you can pour the spice blend into a coffee filter and add apple cider to the reservoir of a coffee machine (adjusting measurements accordingly), then auto-brew away.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One of the most beloved brainchilds of the Disney-Pixar matchup, “Finding Nemo” has reached impressive 3-D depth. It’s about time.The highly detailed water world surrounding Nemo’s journey already draws viewers old and young to share the experience. Realistic animation makes us want to dive right in either as Marlin (Brooks), the dad who can’t let go, or Nemo (Gould), the kid anxious to see the sea for himself. Others might prefer the forgetful fancies of Dori (DeGeneres).Simple elements rendered in 3-D, from the sea “manemone” tentacles to the shiny gills on a clown fish’s side, pull us further into the reef. Even the tiniest light-reflecting particle floating aimlessly through the background becomes as mystifying as stars in the night sky.Viewers get a first-person view of a frightening flight with hungry seagulls and the fish tank-dwellers’ planned escape through the dentist’s office window.And don’t miss the new “Toy Story” short airing at the beginning. With all its flashing lights and thumping bass, “Partysaurus Rex” is just as engaging as the tale to follow.By Rachael Stuart
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What happens when lust and drug-addled stream of consciousness take a back seat?For Minus the Bear, unease, love and unanswerable questions take the wheel.“Infinity Overhead,” a deviation from the indie/math rock band’s norm, favors the softer curves, weaving and collapsing the lives of two lovers in opening crash track “Steel and Blood.”No longer is lead vocalist Jake Snider singing of inebriated highs and never-ending nights. He’s detailing a bitter breakup in “Toska” and sinking in its isolation in “Listing.”And, perhaps for the first time, he questions who’s really in control of the chaos with “Heaven Is a Ghost Town” and “Zeros.”“Infinity Overhead” is the textbook summation of all the infinite fear and hopeless weight still towering when we push aside the smoke and mirrors. And yet it climbs with textured guitar and carefully measured beats to brand it, unquestionably, MTB.By Rachael Stuart
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Think only soybeans and corn grow in Indiana? An upcoming WTIU documentary begs to differ.The station takes viewers behind the scenes of local wine production during its Sunday premiere of “Hoosier Hospitality: Wine,” a documentary on Indiana’s wine industry.“We’re at 63 wineries,” said Jeanette Merritt, marketing director for the Indiana Wine Grape Council at Purdue University and one of the experts in the film. “We might be at 70 before the year is over.”Merritt is joined in the documentary by Purdue faculty and IWGC members Bruce Bordelon, professor of viticulture, or grape growing, and Christian Butzke, professor of enology, wine making.The hour-long program follows the history of how Indiana can claim to be “the birthplace of America’s commercial wine industry,” according to a WTIU press release.Viewers will learn about the life of a wine grape, from its time in the vineyards to fermentation, blending and bottling. Tours of six Indiana wineries, including Bloomington’s Oliver Winery, will explain the process.“Oliver Winery is our state’s oldest and largest winery, and they really have set the standard for how our other wineries are in the industry,” Merritt said.Oliver won the Governor’s Cup — an award for the best Indiana winery of the year — at this year’s Indy International Wine Competition.The documentary takes an insider’s peek at the competition, which is judged by the IWGC and is the third-largest wine competition in the U.S., according to the release. River City Winery of New Albany, Ind., won Wine of the Year for its 2011 Vignoles, a white grape variety that bested nearly 3,000 other wines from around the world.“It’s the first time that an Indiana wine has won wine of the world,” Merritt said. “We’ve had others come close.”Richard Vine, wine columnist for Bloom Magazine and associate professor of food science at Purdue, spoke with the documentary’s producers about the ever-growing industry. “A lot of Hoosiers will testify that Indiana wine wasn’t the best 20 years ago,” Vine said. “Now, they’re winning medals all the time.”Perhaps the most notable change through the years was the declaration of Indiana’s signature varietal — the Traminette, a white wine known for floral and fruity aromas.Merritt said the Traminette grape was very successful in statewide growing experiments and that it represented the state well. The documentary will further examine the IWGC’s role in selecting grape varieties best suited for a vineyard’s growing conditions, according to the release. Merritt added that, contrary to what one might think, wine grapes benefit from the current drought.“Grapes don’t need as much water as corn and soybeans, so they can survive a little bit better,” she said. “Any soil that won’t grow corn very well will grow grapes very well.”Tune into WTIU at 8:30 p.m. Sunday to learn more about Indiana’s grape-growing industry, wine festivals and wine trails and how our wineries measure against the competition.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Floating assertively into its own cloudy, indefinable genre, electronic duo Purity Ring’s debut album turns musical narrative toward the uncanny.Through R&B and hip-hop sensibilities verging on the best approach to dubstep, vocalist Megan James spins fantasy against lyrics oriented within the physical and organic realm.Tracks “Belispeak” and “Shuck” speak to the scenery surrounding a naive tribe girl navigating an unpredictable wilderness. “Ungirthed” and “Grandloves” express a rapid impatience to emerge from innocence, unscathed and with truth intact.Instrumentalist Corin Roddick manipulates James’ small vocals to a nearly ghoulish depth, weaving staggered percussion and bass on dreamy tracks like “Cartographist” to make distorted grammar creepily familiar.Between the album’s pensive highs and lows, we’ll find solace in the pure girl’s most imaginative and innocent intentions.By Rachael Stuart
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Survival,” the rock anthem single from Muse’s upcoming album “The 2nd Law,” has been chosen as the official song of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and rightfully so. The track opens soft and angelic, a narrative arc borrowed from the likes of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and quite a few Electric Light Orchestra masterpieces. Innocent piano and heart-tugging strings recall the slow-mo and straining muscles of “Chariots of Fire.”Frontman Matt Bellamy probably reaches the highest note of his entire career as he declares, “Yes, I’m gonna WIIIIINNN.” Three parts guitar solo and throbbing bass and one part vengeful lyrics, it’s not your typical Muse. It’s not exactly an exciting taste of what’s to come, either. But it’s certainly a blood-pumping, motivating anthem, especially if paired with glorified montages of dripping sweat and hard-earned finish lines.By Rachael Stuart
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following on the energetic heels of debut full-length “Up From Below” is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ “Here,” a folksy foray into the commune-flavored world of love and higher powers. The album softly pulses rather than bumps, striking a chord reminiscent of an empty church on a rainy day. Instead of longingly hopeful tracks like “Home” and “40 Day Dream,” we hear saving-grace tales in “Dear Believer” and “One Love to Another.” The group still incorporates its many voices and instruments to a clear and surprising degree. “That’s What’s Up” seems to be the only lively track on the album, and it’s safe to say we’ve had enough of lead singers Alex Ebert and Jade Castrinos crooning surprise-attack affection at one another. In any case, the sounds of revelry, salvation and belonging that cap the group’s previous journey are undeniable. “Here” is a fitting, if sleepy, sequel. By Rachael Stuart
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Actor-writer Jason Segel and director Nicholas Stoller (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) reteam for this story about a couple’s long, arduous journey down the aisle.Successful chef Tom (Segel) proposes to his girlfriend of one year, Violet (Emily Blunt), on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco. But as the two start planning a wedding, life unsurprisingly interrupts.Tom gives up his career and moves with his fiancée to a cold, dreary town in Michigan to support her blossoming career. Their initial adjustment to and sarcastic comments about their new lives are cute and witty, but the film soon takes a turn for the depressing.Tom and Violet continually push the wedding date further back, and the pace drags right along with the misery of not knowing whether they’ll ever tie the knot.Segel and Blunt’s sputtering on-screen chemistry doesn’t help much, either.At slightly more than two hours long, this rom-com still delivers an unclear message. Should we feel refreshed and optimistic about our relationships, or disheartened and unsure?By Rachael Stuart
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Blues-rock quartet Alabama Shakes grew roots in 2009 in an Athens, Ala., high school. It’s no surprise, then, that the band’s debut album mixes muted guitar, giddy licks and a sexy reverb to a familiar theme: young love. Frontwoman Brittany Howard’s raspy vocals float between rough lows and innocent highs, pulling at the strings of an idea most of us won’t soon forget.The shortest track at 1:45, “Goin’ to the Party” is easily the best of the album, conjuring images of underage drinking, rebellion and curfews.The title track turns the album’s mood on its head, dragging with it tear-stained and unrequited love. “Be Mine” is close behind, wrapping passionate lyrics around memories of shielded affection. “If they want to fight, they done started fuckin’ with the wrong heart.”Falling shy of 40 minutes, this soulful narrative feels too short and sweet to come full circle. But isn’t that exactly how we’d like to remember it all?