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(05/20/10 3:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Armed with coffee, and in one case, a date cake, Jorma Taccone, Will Forte and Ryan Phillippe, sauntered into the Indiana Memorial Union’s Distinguished Alumni Room with bags under their eyes. Taccone gazed at the portraits smothering one wall, joking, “I think they need some more white people up here,” while Phillippe looked right at me and simply said, “Your friends got us hammered last night.” It was the morning following the screening of their new movie, “MacGruber,” and their first-ever trip to Kilroy’s. After rehashing the night before, including Taccone’s ill-advised trip to Sports, the trio sat down with WEEKEND to talk about the new film, which opens tomorrow. WEEKEND: What made you decide to make “MacGruber” into a full-length movie?Taccone: It was always in our head as sort of a pipe dream every time we were writing the sketches. Then, after the Super Bowl commercial, it became a little more of a possibility. Lorne (Michaels) talked to a couple movie companies out in L.A., and as soon as we heard there was a potential opportunity, we started writing a script for it.We wrote it really fast, in about four or five weeks. The first draft was insanely long, like 175 pages, but it all came together... That was a really long answer. WEEKEND: Jorma, this was your first directorial feature. Can you talk about that experience as a whole and how it was to film in only 28 days?Taccone: I think it was intense for all of us. After the first week, we were doing six-day weeks. It got to a point where you could look at your weeks and laugh at them, be like “Whoa, we’re shooting a gun battle on Monday, some explosions on Tuesday, another gun battle.” But we got through them and had a pretty good time doing everything. WEEKEND: Ryan, you’ve worked with some pretty big-time directors (Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood). Can you compare them to Jorma?Phillippe: Well, he’s younger. (Laughter) Really, it’s so hard because each film and each experience with a filmmaker is unique. One of the coolest things, even though I joke about it, was getting to work with someone close to my age. We have a lot of the same reference points, so I connected with him as a friend better than I would with guys like that. He also has great energy, and one of the reasons I wanted to do the movie was because I knew he would bring that kind of edge and sort of take on the film, make it unique and set it apart from some of the other (“Saturday Night Live”) films in the past.WEEKEND: Will, being that you are MacGruber, did you feel like you had to carry the movie?Forte: Oh, no no no... I felt like they wanted me to do a good job. (Laughter) Really, I couldn’t believe that the three of us were entrusted with that much money. Being able to do this idea was very flattering, and I guess they were kind of forced to cast me. That would have been horrible if they had cast someone else. (Laughter)Taccone: Having the schedule that we had, everything had to work together, but without Will’s energy, it really would not have come to fruition. He gives so much to his performances. He would literally come home, and after a day of shooting, he would go run for like five miles around our neighborhood and learn his lines for the next day, which were a ton because we had such little time to shoot. WEEKEND: This movie obviously had a lot of gratuitous sex and violence. Were there any scenes in your mind that stand out as a favorite?Forte: I know one of my favorite days was shooting the guns at the end. The only bummer was that Kristen (Wiig) and Val (Kilmer) and (Boothe) Powers couldn’t be there too.Taccone: Well it’s also kinda cool that the shot when MacGruber shoots a gun for the first time was the first time Will had ever shot a gun. So it’s wild — he’s popping up shooting double Uzis for the first time.WEEKEND: How did you make a 90-minute action movie out of a 30-second “SNL” sketch?Taccone: That was actually the biggest excitement for all of us, that we had a character that we liked but there was no real plot to the sketches. It was sort of the biggest advantage that we had, that we could make up whatever we wanted. ... We knew we wanted a genre movie, like a late ’80s, early ’90s action movie, and we wanted to stick this character that we liked into that genre.Forte: And we needed at least 30 dick references.Taccone: Yes, and then we had a quota.Phillippe: A cock quota. (Laughter)WEEKEND: How did guys like (Ryan Phillippe) and Val Kilmer end up in this project? What was their pitch to you?Phillippe: I got invited to the read-through before it was a “go” movie. I think they were kind of looking for a guy who played soldiers in movies, but I was surprised to be invited. So I took the script home and laughed almost every page — I’ve always been a huge comedy fan.When we signed up, Val and I, the Internet predicted it would be the end of our careers, but as it’s turned out, it’s everything I hoped for, and it’s the film I can’t wait for my friends to see out of everything I’ve ever done, and it’s the kind of movie I’ve always loved.Forte: He has definitely the toughest role in the movie, and he’s really good at it. He really holds the whole thing together, and that’s why I call him the MVP, because he is.Taccone: We wanted some real actors so that the world surrounding MacGruber was as real as possible.Phillippe: Val started in comedy, and he was so into it. He would write Will threatening e-mails as (character Dieter Van Cunth).Taccone: He started his own Twitter as Cunth!Forte: He’s such a great actor, but he’s a great comedian as well, and I think people forget that.Phillippe: Snappy dresser, too. (Laughter)Taccone: Please quote that. And have it be the title.
(05/19/10 10:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“MacGruber” was recently pre-screened at IU, with Jorma Taccone, Will Forte and Ryan Phillippe in attendance for an interactive Q&A following the film.The room’s energy was relentless; in fact, the only thing that drew more cheering from the audience than the movie was Forte’s presence. He turned most of the attending frat boys into schoolgirls as they flailed toward the aisles in hope of catching a high-five or handshake from the “Saturday Night Live” vet.The film itself was able to match the crowd’s intensity from the get-go, beginning with an action scene that introduces Val Kilmer as Dieter Von Cunth, a stupidly explicit sexual innuendo that replays for the duration with surprising freshness.Cunth is able to obtain a dangerous nuclear warhead, and the belief is that he will use it to strike the White House. Enter MacGruber (Forte), who is apparently a decorated war hero and explosives expert. After he accidentally kills the first team he assembles, he must lean on his ex-fiance’s friend Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig) and the up-and-coming Lt. Dixon Piper (Phillippe) for all their help in bringing down Cunth.“MacGruber” maximizes every ounce of R-rating limitations, pushing the envelope mostly through MacGruber himself. Sex, violence, and raunchy comedy litter the film from top to bottom, and an inordinate number of the jokes rely on Forte’s butt for the punch line. Is this a good thing? Cautiously, surprisingly, however definitively, yes.That is another important element of the film: Forte himself as the lead. He, along with the writers, immediately step outside the preconceived notions of the sketch to construct a believable but still appropriately ridiculous MacGruber who doesn’t totally rely on any one kind of humor, like a typical “SNL” character.The film also utilizes several cameos, and good cameos at that — not for the simple novelty of seeing a recognizable celeb in a different context. Each member of MacGruber’s initial team is a WWE wrestler, including Big Show, who has one of the film’s most shockingly hilarious moments when he shares a kiss with another guy. MacGruber decides against making him a member of the team following the incident. Amar’e Stoudemire is also in the film for a brief moment, nearly receiving a champagne glass to the head.Really, the comedy is great: expectably stupid and outlandish, but unexpectedly self-aware, never pushing tired jokes or losing its direction for the sake of entertainment. Its slightly childish but vintage slapstick approach endears itself to the viewer. Even the action sequences are hilarious; the writers and director (Taccone) never pass up an opportunity to utilize even the smallest of jokes.It’s a solid comedy debut from Taccone, who will hopefully become known as more than “the other guy from ‘Jizz In My Pants’” to mainstream audiences, and the somewhat-more-serious acting foils of Phillippe and Kilmer help hold the whole thing together.
(05/19/10 9:02pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After Bloomington’s recent version of monsoon season, it appears that legitimate summer weather has finally reached us, sending the season into full swing.Music is a necessary part of every season, but in looking over some old playlists, summer seems to demand its own collection of songs. As a season, it’s different from all others in terms of our calendar and its weather (for the most part). Summer is its own beast, unique in most aspects of our lives. Why should it be any different when it comes to music?The answer, in case you hadn’t yet realized it, is that we shouldn’t. Summer songs need to evoke thoughts of the season’s most important elements: lightheartedness, sun, beaches, late nights and something that girls will like. Because, let’s face it, few people love summer more than the beach-going female population.So here’s a collection of tracks to help you kick it this summer, no matter what you’re doing or where you might be. Take it, leave it or even expound upon it, but make sure you enjoy the music as much as you should be enjoying your summer.“Party in the USA” — Miley Cyrus: Just kidding.“Animal” – Neon Trees: Following closely in the footsteps of alternative electronic pop bands like Phoenix, Neon Trees are a little rough around the edges. However, “Animal” has garnered some mainstream interest and for good reason. It’s got a little bounce, a little impatience and the perfect chorus for a song of pure enjoyment.“California Gurls” — Katy Perry: I hate to include this, but it’s clearly aimed at being a summer tune. Perry was one of the pop girls who was Gaga’d to the backburner; it’s nice to see a big follow-up.“We’re Done” — Wiz Khalifa: Wiz embodies what being young is all about: untroubled nature, reckless decision-making and, obviously, the party life. “Done” is the most explicitly catchy tune from his latest mix tape “Kush and Orange Juice” and certainly captures the summer spirit.“Ambling Alp” — Yeasayer: Kind of a wailing piece from the power pop up-and-comer Yeasayer, this song is a lot of fun, and its lyrics make it very accessible.“Office Musik” — Lil Wayne/The Office: A mash-up by fuckyeah of the theme song for “The Office” and “Hustler Musik” from Weezy’s “Tha Carter II,” it features some of Wayne’s finest, most real content over one of television’s catchiest themes that more than fits the requirement of catchy and light.“Summertime Clothes” — Animal Collective: The perfect summer song, with tantalizing waves of sound at the beginning that lead into relevant lyrics, a patient, catchy rise and a magnificent cascade downward that carries the listener right into the song.So there’s a good start. I know I don’t have to tell readers to make it a good summer in B-town.
(05/13/10 4:55pm)
Adam Lukach previews "Eclipse."
(05/06/10 5:10pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There is nothing unadventurous about B.o.B’s debut album, “B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray.” In fact, quite the opposite is true. “Adventures” impresses as an ambitious freshman effort, drawing influences from many different modern schools to create its alternative hip-hop sound.Unfortunately, its diversity can sometimes be its downfall. Too many of the tracks seem half-baked, relying on a continual catchy hook or the novelty of something different to make an impression (see: “Nothin’ On You”).Tracks like “Don’t Let Me Fall” and “The Kids” showcase impressive lyricism and flow from B.o.B; however, this kind of quality is inconsistent over the course of the album.The bottom line, unfortunately, is that “Adventures” can be rather boring. It sounds like a commercially re-glossed Kid Cudi effort. B.o.B’s willingness and insistence, even, to think outside the hip-hop box needs to be applauded, but the tracks need refinement: there are few “moments,” and many sound cyclic.The album is extremely enjoyable for a mainstream debut, but as an attempt to further hip-hop, it falls short. Crossover success is an admirable goal, but do emo melodrama with Paramore, a Vampire Weekend sample and a misguided Rivers Cuomo guest spot make a musical connoisseur? For right now, insert skepticism here.
(04/21/10 6:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore slumps are an all-too-real phenomenon in music, and following mainstream success as a psychedelic electro-rock band, MGMT seemed like a risky bet to continue that success in both the indie and commercial arenas. The band’s second studio album, “Congratulations,” has been much anticipated, but fans expecting a replication of the hits on “Oracular Spectacular” are in for a rude awakening. The group constructs an elaborate, layered work that is more deliberate and exploratory than its predecessor. Moments of the same explicit nature that “Oracular” possessed are absent. The band has traded those in for ballad-style tracks that choose to rely on changes in tone and tempo instead. Upon first observation, this doesn’t appear to be successful, but each listen helps to deconstruct this collection of dense tracks. Each one challenges the listener, often walking a fine line between muddled indecision and finite layering.The best tracks are the ones that diligently create themselves within the song, drawing listeners into the flow before rewarding them with moments of careful grandiosity whose magnitude depends on the context of the whole.Most notably, the title track sidles over simple bass and acoustic guitar lines while its most distinct characteristics are Andrew VanWyngarden’s crooning vocals and an elegant string melody. “Congratulations” gives itself up on the chorus, utilizing the melody and silence to create an internal contrast that forms its climax and redeems the latter part of the album. The other tracks work best in similar ways: “I’ve Got a Whistle” is a rise-and-fall piece whose concept drives through the lyrics. One of the faster-paced songs, “It’s Working,” becomes increasingly tangible before riding out one of the album’s catchiest sequences. “Siberian Breaks” is a difficult and elaborate song; 12 minutes of different tones and movements that lack continuity and a reason for their duration. Others are similarly confusing and are dragged down by their pacing and attempted diversity, but these still make up the minority of the album. If MGMT was torn between maintaining its commercial success and asserting its indie legitimacy, “Congratulations” is a decided movement toward the latter. It’s more of a whole and an impressively ambitious album from a group that achieved so much acclaim in its debut.
(04/14/10 9:39pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Welcome back hip-hop, I saved your life.”From “Dr. Carter” on his “Tha Carter III,” personifying hip-hop from the music he loves into the genre he saved is one of Lil Wayne’s favorite tricks. But did this modern musical damsel really need saving? The debate about whether hip-hop is dead has raged for years, but the never-ending nature of the argument suggests the genre remains alive and kicking.Traditionalists have difficulty coming to terms with new trends and styles, while young crowds are equally challenged when it comes to accessing Wu-Tang Clan or Nas.The most noticeable changes in the music have come lyrically. Words were the essential element of rap when the coded allusions, street jargon and storytelling abilities of ’90s emcees such as Notorious B.I.G. dominated the landscape. Beats seem to be today’s hip-hop hallmark. Production has always been an absolutely integral part of the genre, but the average modern listener is more and more interested in the catchiness and dance-ability of the song.Jay-Z embodies this issue. Hova’s newest works stand in stark contrast to his “Reasonable Doubt” days. His songs are faster and more mainstream, and it’s been to his detriment. Even his lyrics are inherently diminished; the background he has as a crack dealer and self-made man of the streets fails to resonate with today’s generation.Outkast was one of the earliest groups to see the writing on the wall, making the genre more accessible than it had ever been even early in the decade. Many of their lyrics were rooted in traditional hip-hop, but they were also off-the-wall in ways we hadn’t seen before. More importantly, they drew their influences from all ends of the spectrum.Kanye West revitalized old sampling traditions while also exploring personal testimony as lyrical material in ways few had before. He even has ventured into experimental territory with “808s & Heartbreak,” a work Jay-Z said inspired him to do the same.Whatever might be in store for hip-hop, its truest statesman, Jay-Z, has said it’s the genre’s job to challenge itself, citing influences such as Grizzly Bear and connecting with other communities as essential to its continued growth. And while Lil Wayne might not have saved hip-hop, much of the burden of its future undeniably rests on the shoulders of artists such as him and Kanye, for better or for worse.
(04/14/10 7:16pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Women and Country” marks Jakob Dylan’s second album in his solo music career, which has thus far been unimpressive and simply another odd chapter in what has been a bizarre journey of ups and downs for the ultimate prodigal son. T-Bone Burnett produces this lackluster album and polishes it finely. The detail is immaculate and mostly superior to the content and direction of the whole. Dylan sacrifices his ambition and concept for a flat-lining sound that plays more like a lazy collection of ideas than anything remotely prodigious or pointed. The constant monotony of Dylan’s vocals on every track is underwhelming to the point of frustration because the guy possesses the golden pipes his father never did but apparently refuses to use them here in 2010. It’s unfortunate that such a deeply seated human concept falls so flat, and it’s equally baffling why it does when Dylan concocted it himself.
Burnett follows up his last effort, the “Crazy Heart” soundtrack, with
another strong execution of his production. It’s the most obvious
salvation on an otherwise lackluster album.
(04/14/10 7:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The only thing more WTF-worthy than David Byrne and Fatboy Slim collaborating on the musical-like “Here Lies Love” might be their concept: a bizarre celebration of the legacy of Imelda Marcos, wife of infamous Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The double album features 22 guests, all prominent and celebrated females, from Cyndi Lauper to Kate Pierson of the B52’s. Often the novelty undermines the talent on something like this with so much star power. However, most songs are paired so appropriately with their featured artists that it works wonderfully. Homework necessitates itself here, as the album’s female centerpiece is as unfamiliar as she is complicated. However, neither collaborator asserts themselves. The point was not to create “Rockefeller Skank” mashed with “Psycho Killer,” but an attempt to think outside the box erased the best qualities of both artists. Too often it plays like a magical Disney soundtrack, but the album’s quality is difficult to mistake. Unfortunately, solidity is not what you look for in an effort as off-the-wall as this.
(04/07/10 4:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Wu Massacre,” the new collaboration from Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, flies in with exactly the kind of frenzied pacing expected from Wu-Tang Clan’s three most successful members.The first two tracks revisit old numbers from Raekwon and Method Man, respectively, reprising their old roles on “Criminology 2.5” and “Meth vs. Chef Part II.”Not one track is out of place here; the influence of classic Wu producers like RZA and Mathematics riddles “Massacre.” The three Staten Island emcees bring the heat in their seemingly nonsensical street jargon, weaving tales of everything from sultry female friends to drug heists seamlessly into their stream-of-consciousness flow that never wavers in its intensity.The lead single “Our Dreams” features a soulful ’70s Michael Jackson sample (quintessential RZA) and some playfully sentimental romance, even from Ghostface.Checking in at just over a half-hour in runtime, “Massacre” plays almost like a series of premium promotional cuts, furious and unrelenting before winding down into “It’s the Wu Shit” at its conclusion.It’s a more polished and well-conceived effort, though the guest spots are forgettable and Ghost, Meth, and Rae combine for maybe 20 verses between them. However, it’s a strong production in the classic Wu-Tang tradition and accomplishes virtually everything it attempts.
(04/04/10 7:43pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Using Facebook is simple. One registers and has millions of other users to communicate with right at his fingertips.However, the relative ease of the social networking site has become a significant problem for a much more complex undertaking: marriage. The temptation and subsequent risks caused by the social networking giant are testing marriages nationwide.“The issue is really so gigantic it’s unbelievable,” said Jason Krafsky, a marriage blogger and author.Krafsky penned an upcoming book, “Facebook And Your Marriage,” with his wife Kelli when the two of them realized how little information there was about the problems the site could cause for married couples available online. The three stories on his blog about the topic have been his three most-read stories of all time.Dr. David Crane, a Bloomington physician and attorney who specializes in psychiatry, said he’s seen a growing number of cases where couples have cited Facebook as a problem.“I’ve seen a lot of different cases, more often than not people contacting old flames to chat,” he said. “They’re fantasizing about the past and Facebook allows that feeling to expand.”According to analytics company iStrategyLabs, the number of users on Facebook between the ages of 35 and 54 has increased by 190.2 percent within the past year, totaling more than 20 million adults, many of whom are entirely new to social networking.Krafsky said the real problem is a lack of understanding about Facebook. He said people are quick to share and learn with others, not realizing how well they can really get to know someone.“People don’t realize what they’re doing,” he said. “An affair is a four- to six-step process, and by contacting someone on Facebook a person may have just taken the first two steps without even realizing it.”Krafsky retells a story about a friend who contacted him about a woman who rekindled an old flame and left her husband and children after being married for 20 years. Another man left his marriage and then tried to return home after five days, but his wife did not take him back.“What may have only been a chance encounter on the street is now more; it doesn’t just happen and end,” Krafsky said. “Facebook always has updates and it surrounds you with them.”Krafsky said people like this feeling of excitement from an old flame of the past, and nurturing that excitement is what gets them into trouble.Trey Morgan is a Texas minister and blogger who has a wife and four boys. Morgan is on Facebook and sees many problems with it through his church.“It’s just like planting a seed. You find someone you get close to and it escalates,” he said.A self-described family man above all else, Morgan has been married for 21 years and takes steps with his wife to minimize their own opportunities for problems.The two have complete access to one another’s Facebook accounts, which helps to increase accountability, the main problem in Morgan’s eyes.“You’re finding that it’s more about not being open with your spouse,” he said.Krafsky said setting up boundaries is the most important step a couple can take. He published a list of one dozen rules on his blog with “do’s” and “don’ts” of married Facebooking.“We got here because we came to understand the potential threat and the consequences,” Krafsky said. “And that makes us prepared.”Both Krafsky and Morgan, however, are quick to point out the positive qualities in the site as well.“Facebook is one of the most amazing Web sites I’ve ever been on,” Krafsky said. “I keep in touch with people I never would have otherwise, but I’m informed about what I’m doing.”Morgan echoes the sentiment, pointing out what a wonderful site Facebook is for friends, but he never forgets the temptations.“People do things they would never do if that wasn’t private or that person lived in the same town,” he said.There is growing awareness about problems related to married Facebooking, as indicated by books like Krafsky’s, but the issue is still running rampant.“It’s one of the biggest problems I see and it’s only getting bigger,” Crane said.
(03/31/10 7:09pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though Snoop Dogg’s latest effort, “Malice in Wonderland,” might have been one of his least successful LPs in terms of chart success, it was certainly an improvement on some of his unfocused recent albums.So Snoop Dogg enthusiasts can be excited over the album’s re-release, “More Malice,” which includes several remixes and a music movie of sorts starring Snoop as a superhero.Thankfully for us, Snoop is right at home doing what he does best. His flow is pointed and unwavering, exactly his best style. Many of the beats are simple and throbbing, relying more on Snoops rhythm and rhymes to drive the songs.Most of the songs are solid — but nothing flashy. His collaborations with Jay-Z, Soulja Boy and Bun B hit the mark in both continuity and construction, but “That Tree” with Kid Cudi feels indecisive, leaving Snoop sounding out of place.Overall, the DVD actually adds a nice, clever touch and the album is solid from top to bottom, but nothing too special.
(03/24/10 6:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The name “Plastic Beach” is superficial, granting a synthetic quality to one of nature’s most serene settings. Fortunately, there is nothing superficial or manufactured about Gorillaz’s newest album.The most impressive element of “Beach” is the plethora of styles and sounds the band is able to capture from track to track, all while maintaining a sense of identity in terms of the album’s overall feeling. A beach is a place of relaxation and at its essence, this “Plastic Beach” is marked by similar elements, methodical tempos and level backdrops that keep the album calm.A vast array of sounds insulates this pillar of composure; virtually every track could stand alone if necessary, and each one fulfills its niche. “Beach” contains something for everyone: “White Flag” is a bizarre, peaceful rap of surrender while “Melancholy Hill” fashions a dreamy conflicting world of doldrums and romance.The lyrics and track-by-track instrumentation match up like a game of “Memory,” coinciding appropriately and fitting together in a way that just works even in the most peculiar attempts at contrast.Music’s best hip-hop crossover group does it again, combining diverse guests with a diverse sound to create an album with a recognizable core sound that is entirely nondiscriminatory in its influences. The band’s maturation and progress is evident; “Plastic Beach” is quite a listen.
(03/23/10 7:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This past Saturday I attended the Jay-Z concert at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, or “Naptown” as Jigga so affectionately referred to it. After a take-it-or-leave-it performance from Trey Songz to open, Jay-Z took the stage and rocked the mic for the rest of the night.While much of the crowd thought Jeezy was going to play before Jay, he surprised us and came out after Trey Songz. The curtains hiding his set on the stage unfolded and the intro for “Run This Town” announced the arrival of the 21st century’s greatest MC as the man himself levitated out of the floor on a platform before bursting into the first verse of “Run This Town,” a much better live song than I anticipated. And it was definitely much better than hearing it at a stupid party in some dude’s basement.He opened the first concert with mostly “BP3” stuff, including “On to the Next One” and “D.O.A.” I wasn’t a huge fan of “BP3” as an album, but he certainly killed those songs live. The thing that most immediately startled me about Hova was his energy; he just has this nuanced way about him that immediately commands the attention of the entire room and so adeptly keeps it on himself. Before playing “U Don’t Know,” he brought out Memphis Bleek who basically was there to be a complement to Jay and emphasize certain elements of the different tracks. His best moment came during the second verse of “99 Problems” when Bleek played the part of the cop in Jay’s story and their rapping banter had great chemistry.Memphis Bleek was just one of four guests Jay-Z featured that night. He brought out Trey Songz for the hooks in “Heart of the City” and “Already Home.” The two of them absolutely rocked “City,” one of my favs, and Jay had a very interactive finish to “Home” that allowed the crowd to emphasize the recurring call of “already” in the final verse. Jeezy took over for Jay for a little while after the two did “Real As It Gets” and Jay returned so the two could perform “My President is Black.” Jay then took over for the rest of the show, much of which was one long medley of fan favorites, including “Big Pimpin’” and “Can I Get A…” As much as he played the crowd, at one point even clarifying himself to say, “My bad, all the pretty ladies make some noise,” the crowd of about 15,000 was electric. Hova seemed to be impressed: “I didn’t know there was so much love for us in Indiana.”My only personal gripe with the show was Jay vetoing “Dead Presidents II,” saying it was “too dark” for the ladies. From the beginning to the end of the encore with “Encore,” I thought the now 40 year old legend was really at his best. Your dude added a little something new to almost every joint, had clever transitions from song to song, and a pretty good lineup of guests to top it all off. His set and setlist were solid; the show as a whole really exceeded my expectations for an Indianapolis show. Let’s hope he makes good on his word and returns to the Midwest sometime soon.Check out setlist.fm for the complete track list.
(03/15/10 10:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If there is one thing that Ted Leo’s newest LP, “Brutalist Bricks” clarifies, it is that the man can still bring it. Leo has never been one to back down from provocative testimony or a high-strung sound, and “Brick” revitalizes only the best Leo memories.The album’s backbone is one of high-energy guitar riffs and vocals that rely heavily on the punk influences that typify the early workings of the Pharmacists. “The Might Sparrow” launches the album off the ground to passionate heights from which it doesn’t return. Leo’s ubiquitous passion is only outdone by the Pharmacists’ most diverse collection of instrumentation in a great while.Two tracks that do not work however, are “Mourning in America” and “Tuberculoids Arrive in Hop.” The former showcases Leo’s attempt at some more serious, difficult vocals with deeper tonal depth. What results is a mish-mash of uncertain sounds that never quite get on track. The latter is simply all over the place; the listener is as uncertain what to make of the tune as the song itself is.Overall however, “Bricks” rides an overwhelming wave of musical nostalgia, erasing the slight recent missteps and gallantly reasserting Leo as an artist. While it might not be a crowning achievement, it is the kind of strong showing that many artists fail to produce at such a stage in their careers.
(03/15/10 10:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The name “Plastic Beach” is superficial, granting a synthetic quality to one of nature’s most serene settings. Fortunately there is nothing superficial or manufactured about Gorillaz’ newest album.Really the most impressive element of “Beach” is the plethora of styles and sounds the band is able to capture from track to track, all while maintaining a sense of identity in terms of the album’s overall feeling. A beach is a place of relaxation and at its essence, this “Plastic Beach” is marked by similar elements, methodical tempos and level backdrops that keep the album calm.A vast array of sounds insulates this pillar of composure, virtually every track could stand alone if necessary and each one fulfills its niche. “Beach” contains something for everyone: “White Flag” is a bizarre, peaceful rap of surrender while “Melancholy Hill” fashions a dreamy conflicting world of doldrums romance.The lyrics and track-by-track instrumentation match up like a game of “Memory,” coinciding appropriately and fitting together in a way that just works even in the most peculiar attempts at contrast.Music’s best hip-hop crossover group does it again, combining diverse guests with a diverse sound to create an album with a recognizable core sound that is entirely nondiscriminatory in its influences. The band’s maturation and progress is evident; “Plastic Beach” is quite a listen.
(03/10/10 8:21pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For a band that has suffered a significant number of letdowns over the course of recent years, Rogue Wave’s newest album showers us with lively melodies and ambitious jubilance.“Permalight” definitely sounds lighter than previous efforts, though contrasting song titles like “We Will Make A Song Destroy” and “Per Anger” fill the latter half of the album, where things slow down a little bit.For the most part, the sound of the album is embodied within the first two songs. “Solitary Gun” and “Good Morning (The Future)” strike a balance somewhere between The Decemberists and Hellogoodbye. There are indie lyricism and basics, but dance- and pop-heavy influences make “Permalight” more accessible.However, the album falls short in the big play. No tracks besides “Good Morning (The Future)” help carry the album. The redemptive solidity of the whole keeps “Permalight” from being a flop but foils any aspirations of a groundbreaking new style.
(03/10/10 7:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s not often that an album can maintain the kind of beauty that jj’s “jj N° 3” manages against a backdrop of dark lyrics and perpetually moving arrangements. But the newest album from the Swedish duo is as much a trip as it is an album, each song cascading into the next in perfect contrast and harmony.The influences and sounds on “jj N° 3” are far-reaching and suitably eclectic. Its introductory track is a cover of Lil Wayne’s chorus from The Game’s “My Life,” while the following “And Now” snaps the listener back with tropical violins and drum line.Thanks to more continuity than earlier efforts, “3” is also able to make each track rightfully unique while still attaining the consistency in terms of resonance.Undulations in tone are fluent and churning; they drive the album as much as Elin Kastlander’s angelic vocals. With such a barren underpinning, every moment, movement and instrument are meticulously placed, never interrupting but assisting the natural flow of the album.Thoroughly diverse and captivating, “3” is another impressive album from this enigmatic group.
(02/25/10 12:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A story surfaced last week about two of the music industry’s newest divas, Ke$ha and Adam Lambert, hitting the town for the evening and making out by the end of it. If spontaneous lip-locking is Hollywood’s new black (see: Meryl Streep-Sandra Bullock), then it appears Bloomington has decided it prefers white.“At Home” is officially the best place to make out, according to residents. As sophomore Kirsten Powell put it upon learning the results, “Yikes, B-Town.”As home to a school that loves to flaunt its reputation for big-time partying and social fearlessness, this is quite a disappointing answer. Home is quiet, laid-back and private, not exactly the three adjectives one might use when describing the IU student body.“People are probably just afraid of bothering others with PDA,” said senior Bri Blohm.Powell points to another possible explanation for the results: “People who don’t make out at home probably just didn’t vote. They’re probably making out somewhere cool.”But when asked where these cool places might be, students were at a loss.“Maybe in those woods behind Ballantine,” said junior Raphael Krauter. “But I can’t really think of anything else.”“People need to be more creative,” Powell said.The logistics of PDA might also be a contributing factor.“You know the girl can kind of be like a grenade: You don’t really know what’s going to happen,” said Krauter. “But when you’re at home, there’s less chance for embarrassment, more potential to take it to the next level.”“Home is nice sometimes, but come on people,” said Powell. “It’s the least exciting place to make out.”So for those looking for a more exciting approach, the acceptability of public make-out sessions seems key.“If you’ve got a hot girl, then I say just go for it,” said Krauter. “In front of the library, at the bus stop, wherever. That’s fine.”Blohm echoed his sentiment: "If they’re an attractive couple, then it’s cute. Or if it’s cold. Then it’s totally justified.”
(02/24/10 4:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While it might not be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, “Return of the Wu and Friends” is not what it appears to be either. Produced by longtime Wu collaborator Mathematics, “Return” is neither a comeback effort, as the title implies, nor is it entirely fresh.More than half of “Return” is recycled efforts rather than reinterpreted ones. Lifting beats and tracks from sources ranging from Masta Killa’s “Made in Brooklyn” to even his own previous efforts, Mathematics’ implications of “exclusivity” on certain tracks resonate as a lie and could polarize the truest fans, exactly the people these types of releases aim to please.That’s the unfortunate truth of the impression “Return” gives, because the greatness of Wu-Tang is on full display in the lyrics. At times its swagger is almost jubilant and, as always, wonderfully condescending.But for the most part, “Return”’s facade renders it hollow. Even some of the production Mathematics does offer seems lazy but hides under the guise of the Wu’s raw style.