12 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(11/14/02 5:00am)
Every year moviemakers hold their breath wondering if they will get the nomination for the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Science's Oscar. The actors and screenwriters for "Femme Fatale" won't be.\nThe movie sells itself as a film noir erotic thriller. It is erotic; Rebecca Romijn-Stamos lights up the screen with sensuality. But it lacks in the thriller department. There are plot twists and turns, but they feel like riding a kiddy rollercoaster.\nA bizarre robbery gone extremely array leads Romijn-Stamos' character into hiding from her former partners in crime. From then the movie takes a surreal voyage exploring the possibilities of the road not taken. \nAlong the way she becomes the wife of a U.S. diplomat and crosses paths with the paparazzi with a heart of gold, Antonio Banderas. The plot doesn't fit tightly together and requires many leaps of faith on the part of the viewer. \nThe casting in this movie was not based on acting talent, but more on sex appeal. Not even the supporting characters do a good job selling the legitimacy of the film. The strongest point of the film is the cinematography of Brian De Palma. He does a masterful job of telling the story. Sadly, there is very little story to be told. It almost seems like a waste of De Palma's talent. \nThis is a great movie to rent on those days you feel really lonely and do not want to face the embarrassment of renting a porno. Before renting it, make sure the VCR's fast-forward button is working. You're going need it to get through all the slow bits.
(08/29/02 4:00am)
Fire and brimstone is not just the domain of Southern Baptist preachers. Before Rob Zombie, before Marilyn Manson, before the antics of all sorts of rockers, there was Black Sabbath. Sabbath is the origin of heavy metal. If James Brown is the Godfather of Soul, Sabbath is the Godfather of all of today's big metal bands, from Korn to Metallica to Def Leppard.\nToo bad the band is known today primarily for an MTV show that has everyone marveling about how normal Ozzy Osbourne (given name John) is. What do people think, that he is from Mars or something? Before MTV got its hands on him, Ozzy was the front man of Black Sabbath, the band that turned a simple thing like rock and roll into an onslaught of metal, the band your parents were afraid to admit they liked.\nThe double CD release of Past Lives, a live greatest hits album, takes the band back to the days before MTV. It takes us to the era of the rock festival -- an era of rebellion. There is no new material, just a very rare version of "Megalomania," but how many of the MTV generations of Osbourne fans know the songs that shocked the '70s at its roots? \nBecause it is a live album, Past Lives has a strange power. It has the power that comes from playing in front of supporting fans, the power of a band on top, the power and ferocity of music. \nThe riffs throughout the CD are breakneck. What else would you expect from a band that once promoted its tours by saying it was "louder than Zeppelin?" Past Lives captures Sabbath at its inglorious height.
(07/25/02 4:00am)
Two Bloomington residents, Joshua Silbert and Dylan Wissing, formed a band in 1983, which later evolved into Johnny Socko. They have been enjoying a wild ride ever since.\nSilbert and Wissing were friends before they attended the IU School of Music where Siblert studied saxophone and Wissing was a Jazz Studies major. \nSiblert says Bloomington was a great place for a band to begin. \n"It is a great place for musicians because you get the formally educated musicians and the self-taught southern Indiana rockers," Silbert says. "Interesting things happen when you mix formally educated musicians and self-taught ones."\nJohnny Socko made its debut on Halloween in 1990 with Silbert playing saxophone and Wissing behind the band on the drums. The band has evolved a lot since then, but the commitment to putting on a good live show remains its focus. \n The show is always important for a band that has been known to open for themselves as a Journey cover band or as Auto Bon Jovi, a techno tribute band to Bon Jovi. Johnny Socko has also performed songs from the "Flash Gordon" movie soundtrack on stage.\n"I think some things have stayed the same, the energy of the live show is still the same," Wissing says. "We are always trying to have a lot of energy at the show."\nSince its debut, Johnny Socko has played over 2,000 live shows and sold 20,000 copies of its four studio albums. Johnny Socko is a traveling band whose fan base has evolved with near constant touring.\n"(We are) proud to make a living as original artists, making music has been our full- time living for a decade." Wissing says.\nThey are also proud of their roots as a Bloomington band. Some of their most memorable shows have been on the stage of the Bluebird. \n"The most fun show in Bloomington was last year; we were playing at the Bluebird when we recorded the show that became the first discs of our Double Live record," Wissing says. "It was amazing; we played three encores and were on stage past three in the morning." \nIn the midst of all its touring, the band has produced four studio albums, has been featured on the soundtrack to MTV's "Undressed" and released two live albums. With the latest being the 2000 release Quatro. The band is currently working with New Jersey based producer, Ken Lewis on its fifth studio album.\nLewis, the band's current producer is a veteran sound engineer. He has worked with many major recording artists ranging from Diana Ross to Public Enemy to Soul Asylum.\n"It has been an amazing experience working with him; he has 21 gold and platinum records, and four Grammy nominations." Wissing says about working with Lewis. "We can worry about being musicians and don't have to worry about producing the record. He is a sounding board for ideas and tells us what works and what doesn't. This is the most excited we have ever been as a band."\nWissing says the best part of working with a producer is having an outside, open ear for writing music.\nLewis is as excited about working with the band as the band is about working with him. \n"I think I can get them a record deal, if I didn't I wouldn't be involved with them." Lewis says. "The album should be out in late September. It will be far and away the best record they have ever done."\nLewis believes Socko achieves its own unique brand of music with its recent recordings. \n"I think they have crafted such an original sound," Lewis says. "The amount of sound these guys can produce and the berth of the style they can produce is amazing. It is a special thing and I don't think I have heard it in any other artist."\nThe band and their producer are expecting big things from there current venture, and Lewis is confident in Johnny Socko's ability. \n"This album is going to be big and as good as any big label produced album being made right now," Lewis says.\nThe album itself is a departure for the bands usual sound. \n"The style of the music is leaning a bit more rock and roll, there is a heavier side to this album," Lewis says. "The musicality is amazing with the band."\nSilbert says the new album further differentiates Socko from other bands.\n"I'm listening to the album for the first time, and I would not call us a regular rock 'n' roll band." Silbert says. "It is really dense, and takes in a lot of modern sounds and technology, but (with) some of the grooves you can tell we've been listening to music all our lives,"\nFor ten years, four albums and 2000 shows, Johnny Socko has continued to rock, and from the looks of things, the band won't soon stop.
(07/18/02 4:00am)
Steve Irwin is probably the most well-known conservationist to walk the face of the earth. Armed with a witty, fearless and charming personality, an Australian accent and his inherited zoological skills Irwin has conquered the world of animal documentaries. He and his wife, Terri, have made over 100 documentaries showing animals and conservation efforts all over the world. Because of his enormous popularity, "Crocodile Hunter" is shown almost consistently on the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet.
(06/27/02 4:00am)
Nostalgia can be a powerful force. It can be so great it causes a band of musicians to forgo most of their creative right, and try their best to remain within the lines of a famous blueprint.\nThe Dark Star Orchestra is a cover band, but unlike other cover bands they don't cover top 40 hits on the radio or play for college students on the weekend. They have built a cult following as they tour the country performing songs originally sung by the Grateful Dead.\nFour and a half years ago a \"Dead Head" was thumbing through "DeadBase," a book containing the set lists of many Grateful Dead shows. John Kadlecik, guitarist and Chicago native, decided he wanted to play a set the way the Grateful Dead would have played it.\nKadlecik gathered musicians together to play the show, told some friends and got booked for four dates at the Chicago club Martyrs. It was supposed to be a fun little project for musicians. It turned into a phenomenon. \nThey came together for a brain-storming session to plan out a few of the details. After all, they were starting a band.\nIt was in this moment the name of the band came to them -- Dark Star Orchestra. \n"The name is a derivative of a famous Grateful Dead song," says Rob Eaton, rhythm guitarist.\nCameron Blietz, the band's sound engineer says, "We are trying to recreate the work of great composers. That is where the Orchestra part comes in."\nBefore long the band had become the regular Tuesday night house band, routinely selling out the club and touring the state of Colorado. \nTheir rapid success and the staying power of such a band was a surprise, says Rob Koritz, drummer.\n"We didn't plan on it. It's a testament to how powerful the music is," Koritz says.\nThe band's reputation began to grow. People wanted to hear the music. \nJeff Zuckerman, former IU student and Clear Channel Entertainment talent buyer says, "Fans of the Grateful Dead enjoy hearing the music regardless if it's the original members or not."\nThe Dark Star Orchestra brings the music of the Grateful Dead to a new audience, Kortiz says.\n"It's a chance for young people to experience the Dead. We love this music and people want to hear it in its purest form," he says, as he describes why people would come and see his band play covers of the famous San Francisco jam band's music.\nJeff Cosby, resident of Indianapolis, has been to 85 Grateful Dead shows and two Dark Star Orchestra shows.\n"I think the main appeal of the band is they not only duplicate the music, but they duplicate the aura," he says. "When you close your eyes, you can sense a spirit that was present then and is present now."\nRon Powell, Bloomington resident, echoed Cosby's sentiment.\n"You close your eyes and they sound identical," Powell says.\nThe band tours longer than the average touring band. Because their music has already been recorded, there is no need to enter the studio to produce new music, Koritz says. The saved time allows the band to spend more time on the road, bringing the experience and feel of a Grateful Dead concert to a new generation. \nThey have developed a cult following the same way the Grateful Dead did when they were touring during the '70s, '80s and '90s.\nMany people see the music as a chance to let go of the pressures of the modern world, at least for a short time. \nSavannah, a member of the band's entourage, says, "They are carrying on what needs to be carried on -- people need to dance."\nAndrew Dofner, aka "Tiny," the band's former road manager and current truck driver, says, "It's all about taking people back. It is about people being able to release, a chance to cut loose and shake their bones."\nMembers of the Dark Star Orchestra idolize the original members of the Grateful Dead as their musical heroes. This has lead to several memorable shows when the members of the Dead share the stage with the Dark Star Orchestra. \n"(It was) the most surreal experience," Koritz says. "I've seen them play before, but it was special getting to watch them from behind. It was like playing basketball with Michael Jordan."\nPlaying with Dead members gave sound engineer Blietz the chance to fulfill one of his dreams. \n"I still haven't come down," Blietz says. "I've been dreaming about working with Bob Weir since 1981, when I saw my first show."\nAs long as there are still people who want to lose themselves in the sounds and vibe of the Grateful Dead, there will still be a band truckin' round the country playing tribute to the very much alive spirit of the Dead.
(06/20/02 7:56pm)
(06/20/02 4:00am)
(06/06/02 4:00am)
(05/30/02 4:00am)
Music evolves.\nIn many cases bands evolve to find a niche and an audience. \nFor the past fifteen years, Fredie Shaw Anderson and his band Roses for Kitty, has evolved in the Bloomington music scene. A graduate of the IU School of Music, Anderson lives in Bloomington, but travels the midwest honing his trade and displaying his talent. The band recently released their second album Zinc Heart, and in conjunction with the release the band held parties at Vertigo and the Bluebird to celebrate. \nIn those years, Anderson has learned to deal with the loss of bandmates. His band has lost musicians to death, graduation and even freak occurrences such as a horn player fracturing bones in his heart before a concert. Before the release of their self-titled debut album, Roses for Kitty's long time keyboardist, Tom Moeller, passed away.\nCathy Sue Kern, the band's stage manager, has been friends with Anderson for over a decade. She has seen the evolution of the band and musicians first hand. \n"Horn players don't tend to stick around Bloomington," Kern said. Most musicians around town tend to graduate from the School of Music and then move on, she said.\nAnderson is the front man, songwriter and lead guitarist of Roses for Kitty. The band contains a consistent core of drums, lead guitar and bass. Many of the songs feature guest artists who play different and more exotic instruments.\nKern has used his skills and experience to teach other musicians.\n"Fredie helps make young kids into performers," Kern said. "I have seen him take kids that were green and pull the best out of them."\nAnderson believes one advantage of the Bloomington music scene is the School of Music. \n"The wonderful thing about the music school is that you can get subs any time you need them," he said.\nHaving such a loosely organized band structure means many talented musicians have played with the band. Josh Wall, the band's drummer, has been with Roses for Kitty for the last year and a half. \n"I've always enjoyed making music, and I have enjoyed just playing," Wall said.\nAnderson has all his performance music written on sheet music. He goes to the trouble because he likes to be able to find artists to play with while traveling. While written music is restrictive to some performers, Anderson has taken this into account, and during live shows allows guest musicians an extensive amount of time for individual expression during the numerous solo times allotted. \n"You cannot really give that much structure to rock 'n' roll, it's a feeling," Anderson said about the problem of playing scripted music.\nThough Roses for Kitty plays rock 'n' roll, the band's music does not fit neatly into any one genre. "Fredie is an artist," Kern said. "He is not trying to go in a certain direction. He simply wants to entertain people."\nThe band's desire to play to a different audience leads to a lot of traveling in search of venues to play. They play shows at bars and at parks running the gamut between diverse audiences. \n"Playing is a high for me that I can't get anywhere else," Wall said.\nThe music the band plays has also evolved through the years and across albums. On the Roses for Kitty album, reggae is a major genre that comes through in the music. \nThe influences on the newly released Zinc Heart are harder to pin down. Each song seems to be an experiment in a new style and genre, and the one common denominator on most of the songs is Anderson's voice. Two of the pieces are entirely instrumental.\nAnderson's goal whenever the band starts recording is to produce an album that fits together as a story. On Zinc Heart, the story is about love relationships. The band explores the full range of emotions associated with love, and the songs progress in the natural evolution of a relationship.\nIf this record was produced in the hey-days of vinyl it would definitely have a B-side. The second part of the album deals with death, and the mood of the music becomes much more somber.\nBy design, Anderson has put the album together that way. \n"In the middle of the album you get to transition pieces," Anderson said. "They allow the listener to decompress after experiencing the emotions of the songs."\nBloomington has produced scores of bands, but the very nature of a college town dictates that many of these bands do not last longer then four years. Anderson has found a way to deal with the constant migration of artists from the scene, and he has managed to develop a niche in the music and heart of Bloomington.
(10/05/00 4:00am)
The summers are long and rather boring in Bloomington. Not too many people are around, and if you are not 21 or do not have a fake, your options are limited. The only way to survive is to be very creative and be willing to try new experiences. \nNot too many people throw keggers during the summer because they know not many people are going to show up. But I was crafty enough to find a few, and I was able to learn from them. \nWhat I learned in going to some of these parties is that live music adds a certain flavor to parties, and fraternities are not the only legitimate host for bands and musicians. \nTwo parties from the summer come to mind because they were binary opposites in terms of band style and themes that parties can follow. One showed that a good band could be the catalyst for an extremely good time and how a bad band can have the party's host running for cover. \nOne thing to remember when having a band over is if the band is related to one of the hosts and they are using the party as a practice session, be wary. Plus, there are differences between classic rock and classic metal, and unless you think Iron Maiden are demigods, you do not want a classic metal band.\nLesson learned: If you are going to have a band play at your place, go over the set with them. Find out what they are going to play. It's your party, and if they play music you don't like, then why go to the trouble of having a band?\nLegend has it that the School of Music's students are extremely talented musicians, and they are looking for every opportunity to prove themselves. So let's use them for a hedonistic benefit.\nOne of my close friends gave them an opportunity to play at his place, and as far as I remember, all who were involved had a good time. The host invited some graduate music students to play a jazz set at his apartment during the summer.\nTalentwise, these musicians far outrank any other bands. The party evolved from being just a party to being a private concert for all lucky enough to attend. The overall feeling was that of a 1920s speakeasy.\nMoral of the story: If you are tired of the college kegger party, invite some jazz musicians to play at your place. Have some close friends over, relax and enjoy the music.\nIf you have anything you want to tell me, my e-mail address is ychami@indiana.edu.\nFinally, let us all remember a good man that just passed, and I was lucky enough to know. Coach Pete, we love you and miss you.
(09/28/00 4:00am)
I have been to a lot of parties at IU that would have been phenomenal if the music played had come from a bigger selection.\nPicture this scene with me. Lots of people are there, and the music is loud. Most of the people are trying to dance and have a good time, but the only CD the host owns is a bootlegged copy of Nelly's Country Grammar album. You can only grind to the same song a set number of times in one night.\nA lot of parties at IU fail because of the host's poor music selection. So do yourself a favor and hire a DJ to take care of everything music-related at the party. It will eliminate a lot of your stress and encourage a lot more of your friends to show up. Having a DJ advertises the party - they might invite friends, too. Everyone involved will have much more fun than they would if the party was relying on your roommate's outdated CD collection.\nEverybody can get a DJ. It is not that hard to find one. One of your neighbors, a roommate with a lot of MP3s on his or her computer or even one of the aspiring professional DJs at IU will suffice.\nHiring a DJ instantly brings credibility to the party. It becomes a mini-club, not just a bunch of college students who have had too much to drink. Most DJs have their own equipment, too, so the sound system they bring will probably be better then the rickety one in the basement.\nSome serious DJs also have light shows. It might make hiring them a little more expensive, but having the lights they bring is well worth a few more bucks.\nI would suggest hiring a DJ, especially if it is a theme party. Let them know this, and they can help in keeping with the theme by having music that fits. Playing Fred Durst's music at a Hawaiian party might not be the best of ideas.\nAt IU, there are clubs for everything. There is even one for aspiring DJs on campus. Disk Jockey and Electronic Musicians (DJEMA) is an interest group of aspiring DJs on campus. They maintain an extensive Web site at www.indiana.edu/~djema..\nThe site has links to many local DJs. The difference between hip-hop DJs and techno heads is clear, so you can get what you want.\nDJs are not that expensive. If you have friends that DJ, you might be able to convince one to do it for free. If not, price will depend on how established the DJ is, the size of the collection and the equipment that they bring with.\n"Most DJs run from $30-$50 an hour. So it turns out to be $150-$300 for the whole gig," says junior Raygar Khailany of DJ TEQS. "We have over 10,000 songs that people can come up and request; it's just more fun with a DJ."\nOnce again, let me know what you think about partying. My e-mail address is ychami@indiana.edu. Also, the Big Ten football season starts for real Saturday, so go out there and support the Hoosiers as they play the Hawkeyes.
(09/14/00 4:00am)
The madness has left me. No more talk about partying during the day. We are going back to a world when all partying is nocturnal. I mean if it is a hardcore party, it could start during the day. But as we all know, the cool people arrive fashionably late.\nSo what parties are we going to be fashionably late to this weekend? Why not have a party themed after a certain decade? We have all been to a psychedelic \'60s party; a trippy \'70s party and some of us have been partying since the \'80s. Now because we are in the 21st century we have another decade to exploit. Now that we are in the \'00s we can safely party through the \'90s.\nThe others decades are easy. The \'60s had hippies and free love. At a \'70s party, Afros and discos would rule. During the \'80s bad hair, music and yuppies. \nWhat do we have to work with during the \'90s? They are several ways that the \'90s were unique. In the spirit of it being the last decade of the millennium, we could go space age. This party would have techno music blasting so loud your kidneys hurt. People will be dancing wildly out of rhythm and out of step, so you might want to wear protective gear. The big rave-production companies do not always put on the best raves, so your home might be the best place to house a stellar rave.\nTo have the full experience of the rave, hire a DJ. It is possible to hire a DJ with his/her equipment for well under $50. If you wanted to go all out with lights and a long set you can pay upwards of $500 for a night. A good benchmark is if you spend more than $100 you should have a decent DJ with a decent light show, especially if it is a young college student that would like the chance to build up their experience. Going all out would be easy, too; it would involve some cool lighting and a few streamers.\nThe \'90s were not all techno-oriented. For a long time during the decade, grunge was the biggest craze. Grunge influenced everything from lifestyle to fashion. Dig through your old clothes and find your flannels and boots. Let\'s get back to our Gen-X selves and remember our fallen leader, Kurt Cobain.\nThe perfect Gen-X party needs to be hosted in a dirty basement or garage with a concrete floor to add degrees of authenticity. This type of party needs a garage cover band. Playing pre-recorded music would be evil. The Seattle music genre was supposed to be played live for maximum effect. The live format also leaves out the greedy record bigwigs who zeroed in on an art form they could exploit. \nWith all that said, the ultimate \'90s party still has to be the \'Gangster Jam.\' The inspiration for this party is the Dr. Dre song "Ain't Nothing but a G Thang." Think about it, this gives you a chance to find your beat down yellow Timberlands and the old pair of jeans that are 10 sizes too large. Forget about getting a keg, filling a fridge with 40s will suffice. Just be very careful not to play Eminem songs, as the flavor should be one of Ice Cube, Domino, Eazy E, Warren G and Snoop Doggy Dogg. \nThe \'90s were only nine months ago; hopefully we can all remember the parties we went to when we lived in the \'90s. They were a good time for many; let's see if we can recreate that good time for all.\nOnce again, I urge you to contact me if you have any cool party ideas that you would like to let the world know about. My e-mail address is ychami@indiana.edu. And finally let me say my piece and give a shout out to the football team. Go down to Lexington and kick some Wildcat butt.