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(09/01/10 11:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Raymond v. Raymond” was an important album for Usher, reestablishing himself in the minds of music fans everywhere after many were questioning whether or not he would be relevant again.Usher’s sequel EP, “Versus,” is slathered with that magic ingredient that helped make “Raymond” successful — musings on the single life.Finally a free man, Usher’s taking full advantage of it in “Love ’Em All,” the leadoff track that’s as blunt as it sounds: “There’s enough for me to make sure I pleasure all these girls in this club, yeah/ I’m gonna make sure it’s her, gonna do you and you and you.”Usher’s smooth, deliberate delivery allows his vocals to skate nicely over the top of samples, but he’s at his best on fast-paced club bangers like “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” with Pitbull and “Hot Tottie” with Jay-Z and Ciara, the latter track with much more bearable supporting cast than the former. Usher’s versatile performance, from his Prince-esque show on “Lingerie” to his slowest R&B flow on “There Goes My Baby,” is the highlight of the disc.Whatever the song, the common thread on “Versus” is Usher and a lot of girls. And that’s probably fine with most of the ladies.
(09/01/10 10:07pm)
Be a man and watch "Sons of Anarchy" on Tuesday nights and not "The Good Wife."
(08/25/10 11:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>David Gray’s name has always been a reflection of the most positive aspects of his music: tenderly constructed songs that evoke brilliant shades of gray even at mostly-middling tempos. The moods fell right in line as well. Melancholy never dipped to despair, nor did it rise too high.But on his newest LP, “Foundling,” we find Gray sounding as old as he ever has. Arrangements are bare boned and mostly acoustic as he labors through the shallow tones and basic patterns. Gray is something like Bob Dylan’s introspective step-brother, his croon is less concerned with the big picture than he is with basic human ironies and bittersweet tales of love. Unfortunately, these lyrics sometimes venture into triviality, through lame lyrical devices like “The Old Chair.”None of the instrumentation is as interesting or as peculiar as some of Gray’s lyrics. Nuanced workers like he tend to be particularly susceptible to monotony, and “Foundling” finds it with songs like “A New Day at Midnight” and the title track.Maybe a little too cryptic or just a little too personal, “Foundling” is quite a departure from the days of interesting arrangements found on albums like “White Ladder.”
(08/25/10 11:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The electropop on “Black City” is so strong it could get up and walk away.Strength lies in density with Matthew Dear’s new album, with throbbing pulses and glitch pieces that intertwine seamlessly at most points, like leadoff track “Gem” and “Monkey.”The album is dark, true to its title, and never gets any brighter. His vocals are eerily similar to those of Tunde Adebimpe from TV On The Radio, and both are masters at matching vocal vibes to the sound of the song. This is another remarkable part of “City”: each song is sprawling and elaborate enough on its own to stand as a project, but consistent overtones remain intact.Dear is always making left turns on every front of his career, and his versatility exemplifies itself here.
(08/05/10 7:31pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mumford & Sons. Liars. Tortoise. This summer, Bloomington has been ripe with talented musicians putting on fantastic performances in intimate venues. The shows coming in the fall, however, should prove to be just as memorable.The first show will also be one of the biggest. Kicking off the semester on Sept. 6, Vampire Weekend, the Dum Dum Girls and Beach House will be taking the stage at the IU Auditorium. Vampire Weekend is obviously the biggest headliner of the trio, coming off two consecutive critically acclaimed albums and being the heavy on its latest tour schedule.The group is currently being sued by the subject of the photo from their latest album cover, Kristen Kennis, so it should be interesting to see if the issue injects any kind of new creative energy into the group.The other two acts, the Dum Dum Girls and Beach House, have both (deservedly) garnered more attention recently, so the anticipation will be high for their shows as well.Noise pop musician Wavves will appear Sept. 14 at Rhino’s All Ages Club. Redeeming his formally erratic and immature behavior with his latest release “King of the Beach,” Nathan Williams will surely put on a great show. His penchant for creating carefree, fuzzed-out music will keep the memory of summers past alive. If the Wavves show is not enough for some concert-goers, they can hit up the No Age performance the next day at the same venue.For the 21+ crowd, The Tallest Man on Earth is playing Sept. 21 at Bluebird Nightclub. Known for his incredible deftness at finger-picking acoustic guitar, Kristian Matsson has a voice reminiscent of Bob Dylan and lyrics that stick in the mind. S. Carey, the drummer and pianist for Bon Iver’s live shows, will be opening for Matsson.Following Matsson at the Bluebird will be Yeasayer, a psychedelic worldbeat band on the local label Secretly Canadian. Having released its latest album, “Odd Blood,” in February, the band has played a stint of shows and will surely be performing with even greater intensity and talent. Its tunes lend themselves to an active concert atmosphere, and the home environment will be another awesome element.Cymbals Eat Guitars and Good Luck will be opening up for The Thermals on Oct. 4 at Rhino’s. While the trio from Portland, Ore., did not release a new album this year, there is no way its post-punk/pop sound will not translate well live.Bassnectar returns Oct. 27 to the Bluebird. Lorin Ashton’s freeform electronic project brings an incredible amount of energy to shows, and his display is usually very good as well. Last year’s show was a success, and this year’s should be no different — especially with a more intimate venue enhancing the effects of electronic shows such as this. While this by no means covers every show in Bloomington this fall, music lovers should now have a good idea of which shows not to miss.
(08/05/10 7:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Those who chose to vacate Bloomington for the cozy confines of home, an important internship or any other reason might be surprised at what they find upon their return. The area has undergone a slew of changes, including the opening of new restaurants and other stores.Fatman’s BBQ Etc. is a new barbecue restaurant on West Third Street near Curry Pike. The menu is moderately priced and includes all the barbecue essentials, from wings to ribs. The restaurant also offers catering.Another all-American restaurant is the popular Five Guys, which recently opened on South College Mall Road in the old Big Red Liquors building. The chain has gained some popularity and also has a location at Purdue. Five Guys has a wide array of burgers and other traditional American dining staples.Bub’s Burgers & Ice Cream is a popular restaurant originally from Carmel, Ind. Similar in menu to the previous two restaurants (save the grilled Mahi Mahi), the ice cream is the main attraction here. Bub’s is tentatively set to open next week in the brick building on Morton Street, across from Showers Plaza.For those who prefer to make home-cooked meals, The Olive Leaf is a new olive oil and balsamic vinegar store that offers completely natural oils from Italy, Greece, Spain and California. The vinegars are from the Modena region of Italy. The store is in The Shoppes on College Mall Road.Serendipity, located on South College Avenue, is a new martini bar that recently opened in an area that was desperate for more bars. Its fit with the crowds of townies versus students will be interesting.Perhaps the most important and noticeable changes will be those made to campus. More than $200 million has been poured into renovations, including a razing of part of Ashton Center and the erection of Union Street Complex, the closing of the Wrubel Computing Center and a $15 million renovation to the IU Auditorium.
(08/05/10 6:43pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With fall approaching, 2010 is entering the home stretch. Sure, there are the usual aspects of life to worry about, like school, but fall also means it’s time for music enthusiasts to get prepared for what looks to be a very good run of album releases, starting with this week’s “The Suburbs” from Arcade Fire.Before the fall releases displace this year’s earlier works to the back of our consciousness, though, I wanted to look at the best music the year has brought us so far.10. “Avi Buffalo,” Avi Buffalo — Headed by a 19-year-old, Avi Buffalo has a distinct surfer-derived shoegaze sound that can be pensive, romantic or downright dirty. Lead singer Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg’s versatile vocals lead an impressive debut.9. “Kush & Orange Juice,” Wiz Khalifa — Wiz’s Internet fame was evident when “Kush & OJ” became Twitter’s top trending topic the day of the mixtape’s release. The near-adolescent star further sculpted his place in the game with this variety of off-the-wall samples, goofy swag and party life lyrics.8. “Go,” Jonsi — Jonsi is better known for his work with Sigur Ros, but his first solo venture recaptured some of the grand magic that marked Sigur Ros in the band’s earlier years. Jonsi’s penchant for careful construction and incredible instrumental variety transformed “Go” into musical artwork.7. “High Violet,” The National — The National got it right with “High Violet,” finding new ways to utilize Matt Berninger’s baritone and maintain the identity that had helped its fan base grow to already impressive numbers. Single “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is one of my favorite songs of the year.6. “Plastic Beach,” Gorillaz — For a collection of virtual characters, Gorillaz can really make music. Using well-placed guest spots from names like Snoop Dogg and Lou Reed, the album has a clear core feel that manifests itself in different ways on every track. Some are elaborate, some are incredibly simple — but in its entirety, the album is a marvel.5. “Congratulations,” MGMT — An album I still take a lot of heat for enjoying, MGMT’s follow-up to “Oracular Spectacular” was incredibly different from its predecessor. It was far more deliberate, more experimental and much less catchy than the debut. However, the duo made it work, creating great continuity and a challenging collection of music and lyrics.4. “Crazy for You,” Best Coast — It might seem a little early to have this album so high on the list, but the singles from this album have long been available, composing almost the majority of what is a very short album. Another case of less-is-more, Best Coast’s lo-fi West Coast sound coupled with some disarmingly blunt love lyrics is a breath of fresh air and then some.3. “Thank Me Later,” Drake — Somehow, “Thank Me Later” has lived up to the hype, attaining both commercial and critical success despite spacious beats and at times one of the slower flows we’ve ever heard. The guests are well-placed, but what really stands out is how Drake has grown into the shoes Weezy left behind for him.2. “Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty,” Big Boi — Finally stepping out of the Outkast spotlight and into his own, Big Boi shows that he can stand toe-to-toe with his counterpart — and for that matter, to any other in the game — with this collection of buoyant beats that only serve as superfluous reinforcement for some very impressive, all-encompassing lyrical material.1. “This is Happening,” LCD Soundsystem — After “Sound of Silver,” it was hard to imagine that James Murphy’s alleged swan song could live up to that legacy. But the perpetually uncomfortable lead man recreated the same everyman magic in his lyrics and what some might call an improved collection of dance-derived melodies. “This is Happening” resonates as very real and beautiful and just might prove to be 2010’s crown jewel.
(07/29/10 11:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rick Ross has always sounded (and looked) larger than life. However,
there always seemed to be something missing — something diminutive that
made his swagger pale in comparison to the likes of Jay-Z or Kanye West.On
“Teflon Don,” which quite possibly might be Ross’ best album to date,
he has finally found a way to create an environment for himself to
thrive. He lets others do some of the heavy lifting, laying off hooks
he might have smothered before in favor of big names like Erykah Badu
and Drake.
Those might sound like contradictory ideas, but less is more in Ross’
case. His wit is more apparent, and he flows better than ever, rather
than the buoyant shouting that has marked his tunes in the past.On
tracks like “Live Fast, Die Young” and “Free Mason,” he is perfectly
complemented by Kanye and Jay-Z, respectively, both with refined beats
and a collaborative contrast that increases Ross’ qualities instead of
diminishing them.
“Teflon Don” stands as a surprisingly strong release from an
oft-overlooked artist in the hip-hop industry. Time will tell if that
helps “The Boss” break into the mainstream consciousness.
(07/28/10 10:07pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though the World Cup has come and gone, soccer is still the thing to do during the summer at Woodlawn Field. Pickup games at Woodlawn have been an annual summer tradition, but this summer’s games have become especially popular.Around 7 p.m. nearly every day of the week, groups of 15 to 40 people congregate at the field on the corner of 10th Street and Woodlawn Avenue to engage in the other kind of football, sometimes playing for as long as three hours.Clara Garcia, a Spanish teacher at Bloomington High School North, said her two sons, Diego and Pablo, have been playing soccer since they were little. The constant crowds at the field brought them out to play as well, despite their age, she said.“They’re 12 and 10 and really love to play,” Garcia said. “They’re smaller, but we’re still waiting for the 12-year-old to have a growth spurt, and then maybe he can match up better.” Her brother Carlos plays in the games as well.The games have even grown off the field. Their Facebook group, “Woodlawn Soccer,” was started recently and has a handful of members inviting people to come out and play, sometimes adding weather forecasts to the wall.Understanding all of soccer’s rules and regulations isn’t a necessity. The style of these games isn’t much different than a game of pick-up basketball. Infractions such as hand balls or a foul are rarely called except in the most blatant instances, while offsides is entirely nonexistent.Depending on the number of players on a given day, they might divide themselves into several separate teams or just rotate in. On days with several teams, games are usually played to two goals or around ten minutes, whichever comes first.“It’s kind of an interesting culture they have. Rather than just play on two separate fields they all usually just play on this one in a big group,” said senior Chris Reissaus.Reissaus said there are the usual minor tiffs, but nothing bad.“There are certain kids who like to get into it a little, but it’s never escalated to anything big at all,” he said.The skill sets of the players range from limited to very good. While most will tell you that they played high school soccer, some of the players are first-timers to the game.Senior Jake Sheff said he never played soccer until he arrived at IU as a freshman.“I had never played until I was on an intramural team my freshman year,” he said. “Now I play regularly up there, so it doesn’t matter how good you are.”Reissaus said this is his fourth consecutive summer he’s spent time in Bloomington. The games have always been there, he said, but not like this summer.“There are painted lines for the first time, so we do corner kicks now. We haven’t had those in the past,” said Reissaus. “There’s been a solid group of regulars this year.”Sheff, who has been playing at Woodlawn since last fall, echoed that sentiment.“I would say (the World Cup) definitely helped turnout,” Sheff said. “I remember one afternoon after the US played, that was the most people I’ve ever seen up there at one time.”
(07/15/10 12:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Talk about getting too big for your mom jeans. In “Weeds”’ fifth season, the enormous and rather unnatural growth spurt the show underwent left Nancy married to a crooked politician with a new child, while her older ones had grown into a drug dealer and a murderer.While these plot developments were certainly exhilarating, the show seemed to lose its sense of identity. What was so critical to the flow of the show in the first few seasons was the suburb of Agrestic, the problems it presented and Nancy being an iced-coffee-touting wolf in sheep’s clothing. It was a show about a soccer mom who sold drugs.No more.Suddenly viewers have a monolith of a plot on their hands, side characters who have lost their identity and no ending in sight for the madness. The problem hasn’t been that the show outgrew Agrestic, but the magnitude of each turn the writers took. Nancy obviously got in over her head, but her ensuing solutions to each insane problem simply invited more chaos — it was like burning down a house to fix a leaky pipe.This unfortunately took away from the memorable Season 5 guest spot by Alanis Morissette, who was very good as Andy’s tough love romantic interest.This season will (mercifully) be the last for Elizabeth Perkins’ character, Celia, who perfectly personified how out-of-hand the show has gotten the last couple seasons. She was once again the vehicle for the most insane parts of the madness, while her unbelievable relationships with the rest of the characters made her scenes almost completely unwatchable.There’s not been much other talk, other than the return of Morissette and the arrival of new mainstay Linda Hamilton as a friend to Nancy in Seattle. Apparently that’s where the show is headed next, where Nancy can make a new start selling the same old drugs. If this is a sign that Jenji Kohan is reeling things in a little bit, that might be a sign of good times for the series.
(07/15/10 12:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>AMC’s newest attempt at a television masterpiece is called “Rubicon.” Though it’s not set to premiere until August 1, the pilot episode aired after this year’s season finale of “Breaking Bad,” and it did not disappoint.The premise is this: A hyper-smart intelligence analyst uncovers a pattern that troubles him, revealing it to his superiors to no avail. However, when his boss attempts to meet him to talk, his train is mysteriously derailed. Further digging leads Will Travers, the analyst, to believe he may have uncovered a large-scale, worldwide conspiracy in his own office.What was interesting about the pilot was how little actually happened. There were a couple deaths and a lot of intriguing questions raised, but the writers gave only as many answers as they had to, instead opting for immense, curious ambiguity to hook the viewers.Rooted in slow-moving ’70s film, the tone was mostly ominous and the colors mostly drab. James Badge Dale’s post-“Pacific” performance as Travers was dead on, capturing the dangerous complexity of his job at the think tank and his character’s all-encompassing uncertainty to a tee.Pacing has always been a strength of both of AMC’s already critically acclaimed dramas “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad,” and it looks to be one of “Rubicon”’s as well. Like all good mystery and conspiracy thrillers, the action is hardly imminent, with a lot of room between.What also makes “Rubicon” more intriguing and sets it apart from its two siblings is its less reality-based concept. However implausible, the other series remain possible and grounded. This, on the other hand, has more potential for the grandiose and spectacular.All signs point to another successful drama for the station, which would make it three-for-three now in original programming. If the series can continue to match its intensity and meticulously elaborate on some very interesting relationships, it will have strong characters and an incredible story to follow.
(07/08/10 12:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A decade removed from the Napster saga, the music industry is still reeling from the phenomenon it launched.File sharing has ravaged music and several other industries, the RIAA alleges. Be it Napster, Audiogalaxy or Kazaa, many different peer-to-peer services have been shut down because of the copyright infringement caused by free sharing.Truly, the ethics of file sharing have never been agreed upon within the music industry. Artists like LL Cool J and Lily Allen have vehemently spoken out against it, though Allen’s stance in her MySpace blog post from last fall was noncommittal.“If this sounds like I’m siding with the record bosses, I’m not,” Allen wrote. “They’ve been naive and complacent about new technology — and they’ve spent all the money they’ve earned on their own fat salaries, not industry development.”She brings up a common argument in favor of file sharing — that the lack of progression and innovation by record labels and artists within the industry has more to do with the recent decline than illegal downloads do.Prior to iTunes, Napster was certainly the biggest non-artist phenomenon to hit music in a very long time. Since then, there has still been very little done outside of Steve Jobs’ corporation — that is, aside from the attacks the RIAA has launched against illegal downloaders.In a situation dubbed RIAA v. The People, the organization launched lawsuits against hundreds in the early part of the decade, suing them for thousands in damages to the industry. Later, they would begin to send warning letters first, following stinging criticism from Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., that questioned the “bullying” techniques of the RIAA. Today, letters are not always part of the process.On college campuses, the RIAA has been able to reach agreements with many ISPs, mostly the universities themselves, to try to curb file sharing. Many times the schools take their own actions against the practice — IU enforces fines and a temporary loss of University Internet access if caught.Still, some artists in the industry are making it difficult to combat the practice. Radiohead has volunteered support for file sharing, and its last album, “In Rainbows,” was famously first released by the band themselves on their website, allowing customers to name their own price.Murray Chalmers, the spokesman for the group, said at the time that many fans were still ordering the physical “disc-box” of the album and that in context, very few fans had tried to pay nothing for the album.Allen pointed out in her blog post that artists such as these have years of commercial success to fall back on when they offer this kind of support, but long-term sales reports of “In Rainbows” suggest Radiohead lost little, if anything, in terms of dividends from the album.Others may suggest that it is the lesser-known artists who suffer, but supporters will again argue that file sharing can help these groups gain exposure.“I’m never going to buy a small band’s album if I’m not sure how good it’s going to be,” senior Tom Adams said. “But I’ll listen and possibly see them in concert or buy merchandise if I like what I hear.”Again, the future of the industry seems to depend on BitTorrent trackers and web-based torrent indexes, services that decentralize the sharing of music to the users, making it more difficult to press charges and increasingly efficient to be able to share music.Due to the constantly evolving nature of technology as a whole and an inability to thoroughly fight file sharing based on sheer numbers alone, it would seem the onus is on the music industry to evolve and find other ways to create an income away from record sales. Artists have already found ways to minimize both their cut of and dependence on sales, while services such as Grooveshark have made online streaming easier than ever in the hope for legal alternatives.Public Enemy leader Chuck D told Wired that he believes in and supports file sharing’s continued existence in the industry.“I’ve been spending most of my career ducking lawyers, accountants and business executives who have basically been more blasphemous than file sharers and P2P. I trust the consumer more than I trust the people who have been at the helm of these companies.”
(07/01/10 12:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Redemption only creates its opportunities after disappointment. Fortunately for Sarah Pease, she was able to seize one of those chances with her fourth-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Sunday at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.This was the second consecutive fourth-place finish for the IU senior, who also placed fourth at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships, after which she said she had really been after a top-three finish.However, this fourth-place finish had a much different meaning this time. It made her the top-finishing collegiate runner at the meet as she was defeated by only three professionals.“I just didn’t finish well the last lap at Nationals,” Pease said after the race. “So I wanted to make sure this time I was passing people and not falling back.”Pease finished in 10:07.34, just 0.17 seconds ahead of this year’s Big Ten and NCAA Champion in the event, Bridget Franek of Penn State.“As the Big Ten and NCAA champ, [Franek] was a big target for all of the runners,” IU coach Ron Helmer said. “In beating her, Sarah became the top college finisher, and that’s pretty cool.”With a fifth year of eligibility remaining, Pease will return next year and potentially vie for a national championship in the event.Freshman Kelsie Ahbe also captured a top-five finish in the junior pole vault, taking second place. Her finish qualified her for the IAAF Junior World Championships.Her vault of 4.05 meters (13-3.5) was bested only by freshman Shade Weygandt of Texas Tech at 4.28 meters (14-00.5). They were the only two vaulters to clear 13 feet at the meet. Ahbe’s second-place finish marks the highest place at this meet for any athlete under Helmer.Helmer said it was a great opportunity for Ahbe to wear the U.S. jersey and compete against more of the best in the world.“It’s great for our program but also great for her to have that experience,” he said.The IAAF World Junior Championships will be held July 19-25 in Canada.Other highlights included senior Jeff Coover, who finished his IU career in a three-way tie for seventh place in the senior pole vault, clearing 5.35 meters (17-6.5). Sophomore Andrew Poore ran 8:58.25 in the two-heat preliminaries for the 3,000-meter steeplechase and finished 15th, barely missing out on one of the top 14 qualifying spots. Junior De’Sean Turner’s time, of 9:08.22, also in the steeplechase, was good for 20th place.In the high jump, senior Ashley Rhoades took eighth place with a clearance of 1.80 meters (5-10.75), and also in the field events, junior Faith Sherrill finished tenth in the shot put with her heave of 16.56 meters (54-4) just 5.5 inches out of seventh place. Unfortunately, not all news was good for the Hoosiers at USA’s. Senior Molly Beckwith, following a second-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, was knocked down in her preliminary heat of the 800-meter run. A coaches protest was rejected, and Beckwith finished in a time of 2:15.89, good for 28th place. Junior Lindsey Hartman finished 25th in the same event, clocking a time of 2:10.77.One more narrow miss for the Hoosiers was from freshman Courtney Woodard, who finished just 59 points outside the top 10 in the junior heptathlon with a score of 4,649.
(06/30/10 11:09pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There aren’t many days in the year that utilize exploding balls of colored fire, so it’s important to get one’s fill of the great invention known as fireworks on the Fourth of July. While there is obvious fun in backyard celebrations, sometimes it’s cooler (and easier) to enjoy someone else’s hard work at a professional fireworks show.There are several renowned Midwest celebrations with great fireworks displays, or in some cases just a great Fourth of July environment.The annual Red, White and BOOM festival is held in Columbus, Ohio, and is considered the premier set of Fourth of July festivities in the Midwest. It offers live music, food, a holiday parade and, of course, fireworks that last almost half an hour.The festival has approximately 500,000 attendees and takes place Friday on the downtown riverfront of Columbus. Other activities span the day’s duration, but the fireworks don’t start until 10 p.m. Even after the fireworks, musical entertainment continues into the night.Chicago’s Navy Pier has an impressive fireworks show on the holiday itself. Unfortunately, the great display that usually accompanies the Taste of Chicago in Grant Park was cancelled this year, making the Navy Pier’s pyrotechnics the city’s one and only. The pier (and the city for that matter) has entertainment and performers throughout the day, and the fireworks begin around 9 p.m.While the Big Bang Fireworks have already taken place at Summerfest, the Milwaukee music festival has fireworks scheduled for both July 3 and 4. Though they might not be up to par with Red, White and BOOM or Navy Pier, the obvious larger draw is the music and the crowds. Those dates are the festival’s final and two of its biggest nights, with performers including Rush and Modest Mouse occupying different stages July 3 and Carrie Underwood and Counting Crows doing the same July 4. Tickets are $15 for a more well-rounded entertainment experience.The last option is to create your own entertainment for the Fourth. Fortunately, Indiana is kind enough to grace its residents with fireworks purchasing power, with countless warehouses, side-of-the-road stands and small shops littering the state this time of year. It’s best to head into one of the warehouse stores, where the staffs tend to be bigger, with a better knowledge of the products and willingness to help in general. These stores also likely have some pretty solid rewards for buying certain amounts of fireworks. Most importantly, be safe no matter how you’re enjoying your holiday, and remember to coordinate your time zones correctly if you’re on the go.
(06/23/10 7:00pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s not often that the third movie in a trilogy can be arguably the best, but add “Toy Story 3” to a prestigious list that includes such movies as “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” and “The Return of the King.”Even bearing in mind how great the first two installments of Pixar’s flagship franchise are, the latest (and apparently last) installment of the adventures of sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear takes all the fun of its predecessors and adds the powerful emotional punch that the studio has been honing during the last decade with films like “Ratatouille” and “Up.”In “Toy Story 3,” the franchise’s main human character, Andy, is preparing to go off to college, and he has to decide what to do with all of his old toys. After a misunderstanding, they end up at Sunnyside, an ostensibly paradisiacal daycare center with a plush bear dictator who runs the place like Guantanamo Bay when the staff goes home.Through a series of misadventures, Andy’s old toys, and by extension, the audience, are forced to cope with the fact that he’s ready to move on. Two pivotal scenes in the final reel — one taking place in a garbage incinerator, the other in a little girl’s front yard — are bound to inspire teary eyes and heavy hearts.Pixar has proven once again that kid’s movies don’t have to insult the audience or pander to the lowest common denominator. With almost a total lack of toilet humor and gratuitous injuries to the private parts, “Toy Story 3” is another entry in the production company’s illustrious canon that will entertain children and adults with equal effectiveness, and for generations to come. One can only hope Dreamworks is taking notes.
(06/23/10 6:47pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>However self-congratulating, there’s a certain element of clairvoyance in the title “Thank Me Later,” Drake’s recently released, critically acclaimed debut album. Surveying today’s hip-hop landscape might leave one feeling troubled: the cabinet of young talent is all but barren, and most of the game’s veterans are either indisposed or outdated. “Thank Me Later” stands as the most anticipated hip-hop album since perhaps Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III,” and it’s certainly been a success in every facet, asserting Drake as a superstar and suggesting he’s part of the long-term future of the genre.As of now, Drake has vaulted himself into the upper echelon of discussion, especially when it comes to rappers who have been producing material. T.I. has been incarcerated, along with Lil Wayne and Gucci Mane. Eminem seems like nothing but a jaded has-been since his return from retirement. So who does that leave? Jay-Z? Ludacris? Certainly, but those artists, with all due respect, simply don’t take the kinds of risks or possess the same brand name they did in their younger days. After seeing Jay-Z perform, it’s impossible to say he’s past his prime, but “The Blueprint 3” pales in comparison to “The Blueprint” in every critical facet.Hip-hop certainly isn’t dead, but a changing of the guard might indeed be under way.GQ ran a story in 2009 claiming that Drake, Kid Cudi and Wale had killed hip-hop’s “gangster culture” and that the three emcees were indeed the future of the industry. True, gangster culture is all but dead. Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre represent today’s link with 1990s rap culture, and between the three, street cred is at an all-time low, thanks to 40/40 Clubs, reality TV shows and Dr. Pepper commercials, respectively.Members of the Wu-Tang Clan seem to be the only devout traditionalists left in the game, with artists like Ghostface Killah and Raekwon still making relatively hardcore hip-hop that has become supremely popular in the circles of hip-hop enthusiasts and indie rockers. Their material has remained largely unchanged, and the commercial spotlight continues to be a place of apathy.Now, the question persists: Are these artists indeed the future? If this culture is mostly dead, it also marks a drying of the well, the place all early artists went for material and collaboration, friendly or otherwise. The door is now open for players like Kid Cudi or Wiz Khalifa, known more for their loner stoner charm, female musings and the party life. What remains to be seen is the shelf life of their music. The (lyrical) conversation has obviously changed, now more personal than ever and less cultural. This kind of material has worked for decades in other genres, but it has never before been the focus of most hip-hop (with the obvious exception of Kanye West).Thus, Drake’s debut represents a starting point — the first album of this “neo hip-hop” that had both high expectations and critical and commercial success. He’s opened the door that artists like Kanye first unveiled; now it’s up to Cudi, Wale and the like to walk through it and once again recreate the genre like in the mid-’90s. If all goes well, both in the imminent and unforeseeable future, thanks will be coming Drake’s way for a long time.
(06/18/10 3:26pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>People say Jay-Z has a presence.The explanation of that declaration is simple: The man just has some intangible quality about him that commands the attention of a room and inspires awe from everyone. I’d seen a show of his before and heard it talked about, but Saturday night at Bonnaroo, I truly experienced it.Hova was big time, performing in front of a packed house. After opening with “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” featuring Stevie Wonder, he proceeded to absolutely own the set. He regularly interacted with the crowd, calling for action and even challenging himself after a lukewarm reception to one of his tracks.He utilized several new beats behind old lyrics, including “Heart of the City” over U2’s “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” and “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” over “ABC” from the Jackson 5, among others. The live band simply added to these newfangled tracks, helping with the live vibe and adding a more real dimension to the performance.It seems redundant to say, but he just knew how to put on a performance. He switched up his lyrics on several occasions to comment on current events and remixed his own set list when he didn’t think the audience was feeling it. I heard several people exchanging phrases like “best show I’ve ever seen” or just “holy shit.” Even my friends (not hip-hop heads) thought it was an awesome set. It was the truth, and it could be said 99 different ways.
(06/17/10 4:00am)
WEEKEND’s Adam Lukach tries to soak in as much Bonnaroo as he can.
(06/03/10 5:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If you’re like me, you find yourself nearly a month deep into summer — still no job and quickly running out of money because the combination of few obligations and sheer boredom equates to a very thin wallet.So again, if you’re like me, you’re looking for something else to do these days. Bloomington is, after all, more than just the IU campus, so there must be some other things to do that townies are sick of but the rest of us might be able to embrace.Hickory Ridge Firetower: The Firetower is a little outside Bloomington, located in the Charles C. Deam Wilderness Area. It’s been there since 1936, when it was used to spot fire outbreaks. Standing 110 feet tall, the steel structure is hard to miss and has some surprisingly beautiful views of the central Indiana landscape.Third Street Park shows: The Third Street Park, pretty self-explanatory in terms of location, has some free summer shows. Located between S. Lincoln and S. Washington streets, the shows feature some plays and musicians. The area also has restrooms, a playground, playing fields and Wi-Fi available for purchase.Lake Monroe: There are a slew of things to do down on Lake Monroe, with fishing and boating available. The cutouts are fun, and there is lodging available at the Fourwinds Hotel and golf at Eagle Pointe. The point is, there’s a lot to do out at the lake, from free to expensive, depending on your style.Cascades Park: Cascades Park has two sections, upper and lower. The lower section features a playground, volleyball courts and a couple of shelters, among other things, while the upper is mostly a golf course with some park. On one of the Cascades’ back trails, there is a (small) waterfall. Hopefully this is helpful. Summer can really cause things to slow down sometimes, but these ideas might be a nice change of pace.
(05/26/10 9:03pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Not what you might expect from a summer music “festival,” Summerfest, located in Milwaukee, spans 11 days, 11 stages and 700 different performances, allowing for single-day selectively in this musical extravaganza.Summerfest runs from June 24 to July 4 and is a surprisingly good deal. Tickets are $15 on weekends and even less during the week for the entire day. The Marcus Amphitheater is the main venue and requires extra costs; however, there are always good enough acts on the ground stages to enjoy if you’re not willing to drop extra coin.You certainly won’t be meandering around the same kind of drugged-out utopia at a festival like Bonnaroo, but the environment has a lighthearted feel and intimate ground stages (if you get there early enough). The festival is also located right on a lakefront, making for some scenic and pleasant downtime prior to evening acts.The biggest shows range from country (Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum) to mainstream chart toppers (Usher) to vintage rock (Eric Clapton and Tom Petty). Throw in a few indie-ish acts like Passion Pit, Modest Mouse and The Hold Steady, and Summerfest should have something for everyone at a smaller price than big fests. Each day has at least three solid acts on different stages, so pick a day and enjoy.