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(09/10/08 10:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This is not your typical case of an actor pretending they can convert their skills to music. Terrence Howard can sing. Howard’s previous affiliations with music include “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp,” from “Hustle and Flow,” which won an Academy Award. However, on Shine Through It, Howard takes the R&B/Pop approach and mixes it with a more serious attitude involving love, youth and war. Howard’s self-taught skills as a pianist and guitarist really show on this album. The album’s sound ranges from sporadic brass jazz to finger-picking classic guitar with a side of violin. Shine Through It was heavily inspired by Curtis Mayfield, Duke Ellington and James Taylor, and Howard mixes them all together well. And although Howard has excellent piano and guitar skills, his voice even more stellar. He has that powerful sharpness of a true soul singer but also brings a soft touch like Marvin Gaye. The man’s got a gift.The top songs on Shine Through It are “Sanctuary,” “Mr. Johnson’s Lawn” and “Shine Through It,” which all start off the album nicely. A lot of emphasis is placed on Howard’s quiet vocal stylings in the title track, which include touching stories about the human struggle. “Mr. Johnson’s Lawn” is perhaps the most interesting song on the album. It’s dark and catchy and has truck-loads of soul while maintaining a Spanish feel. The deeper Howard digs and the louder he gets makes him sound all the much better, but the quiet moments on Shine Through It are very sexy. And this sexiness is riddled with Spanish tinged guitars, lustful background vocals and a singer who knows how to seduce women.
(09/03/08 10:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Some of the songs on North Hollywood Shootout could at best be background music at a place like Applebee’s, but the rest is garbage. Blues Traveler fails when their overly popish style becomes poorly mixed with other various genres ranging from folk to gospel. For this album, the band found some inspiration from gospel music apparently, however, they only managed to acquire the genre’s crappy lyrics. The result is the awful love ballad “Borrowed Time,” featuring lyrics that could make listeners want to slowly insert a steak knife into their thighs. Sadly, the track is nothing horrible compared to the pop-rock song “The Beacons.” Listening to it makes me want to paint my walls red with my splattered brains. Even after all the terrible music Blues Traveler brings to the ears, there is still a shimmer of hope for North Hollywood Shootout. “Forever Owed” starts the album off with a fresh synthesized beat and acoustic strumming with John Popper’s amazing voice, which usually makes up for his less-than-mediocre lyrics. The band actually does deserve some credit for this tune that is actually worth a listen. “Orange In the Sun” displays what most people like about Blues Traveler – a catchy song with a fun melody that features the classic, hot-damn harmonica solo towards the end. The music on North Hollywood Shootout might not compare to the hits “Run-Around” and “Hook” from the ‘90s, but it’s clear John Popper is the Jimi Hendrix of the harmonica.Blues Traveler started out as a jam band in the ’90s, and over the years they have consistently produced records and performed live sets despite the death of their bassist Bobby Sheehan in 1999. They have been with us for so long and still manage to be on the radio. And no matter how uneven and misguided Hollywood Shootout is, the few quality tracks remind us all why the band still has droves of fans.
(08/06/08 10:42pm)
Artist: Jimmy Cliff
(08/06/08 10:30pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s a warm Chicago summer day at Ravinia and the crushing sound of plastic roller-coolers on the pavement fills the air. Soon, the 6:30 p.m. train whistles through to unleash busloads of drunk people who are more than amped to see some old-fashioned Hootie & the Blowfish.Ravinia, located in Highland Park just north of Chicago, is one of the only venues in America that allows people to bring in outside food and drink, lawn chairs, candles, blankets and pretty much anything else. And, according to Ravinia.org, Ravinia is the oldest outdoor music festival in North America.Walking in, I pass two security guards making love to their triple-scoop ice-cream cones. The only thing cops worry about here is people smoking outside the designated area. The lawn is peppered with food caterers, business outings, family reunions and the occasional kid blowing bubbles. It's huge and spread out but people still pack it close within inches. This is the biggest show the band played all summer. In the 15 years that 60-year-old Lowell Plavic has been a lawn security guard at Ravinia, the “higher ups” have never published a number to how many people the venue holds, (for revenue purposes I suppose). “Hootie brings in more of a younger crowd; a week ago we had John Hiatt which was also a big sell out,” Plavic said. “We also get a lot from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and jazz.”I figured they would play all their popular songs, which they did and sounded great, but to be honest their stage theatrics were a tad too country for my taste. However, I believe Hootie & the Blowfish have incorporated the perfect dose of country into rock music. It’s kind of like horseradish; just by itself it sucks, brings nothing to the table and makes you want to vomit (country). But if you take the smallest, tiniest amount and apply it to sushi (rock) then wondrous things can happen. I guess that’s what I think when I think of Hootie – sushi and horseradish. On top of two encores, Hootie also covered Led Zeppelin’s “Hey Hey What Can I Do,” R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” (one of their band members was in REM) and Oasis’ “Champagne Supernova.”Once the show ended I found a group of people probably in their 40s and 50s. The man I interviewed was K. Johnson and this was his third time at Ravinia this year. “None of us here are Hootie fans,” Johnson said. “I’m just here for Ravinia and friends. We all live in different cities, every year we go to Ravinia together. Two of us got here at 4:30…” Another man threw in, “The rest of us beamed in at 6:30, it was more like a Jim-Beamed in (laughs).”
(07/30/08 11:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>My expectations are never too high when a band that once was famous reunites to form a new album 10 years later. That being said, I had unreachable expectations for the ’90s band Candlebox and nearly sprayed my shorts when they released a single back in May. I love Into the Sun and I don’t have a lot of good reasons why, other than nostalgia.Into the Sun is one of those albums that you listen to and think “Hey that doesn’t sound half-bad, in fact it’s pretty good,” then it gets lost in your iTunes/LimeWire download history or somewhere in your car. But maybe that’s what Into the Sun is good for, a quick good listen if anything at all. I can’t give Candlebox a bad review; these songs deserve the respect I feel they aren’t getting from Billboard, Pitchfork, the radio, etc. The most interesting and unexpected track on the album is by far “Breathe Me In.” The low-pitched piano, electric guitar and drum beat makes me consider “Breathe Me In” as Candlebox’s version of Zeppelin’s “No Quarter.” So far “Miss You” has been by one of the most popular songs on iTunes, but I feel like nearly every song could equally be the hit single because none of them sound too alike. “Lover Come Back to Me” was produced very well and should also be recognized for it’s classic ’90s sound that complements Kevin Martin’s voice.The weaker songs on the album are too fast-paced and try to be more than they are like “Stand” and “Bitches Brewin (Amended).” The slower, rock ballads are the ones that score big on this album; sped up songs with over-the-top guitars usually don’t cut it in my book. My best explanation to why nobody is bouncing off the walls like they ought to for Candlebox is because it has been a decade since their last release. And people have grown accustomed to the way new rock music sounds like these days.It’s kind of like how no one cares to notice The Rolling Stone’s 2005 album Shine a Light, until they’re told Martin Scorsese finally got down on his knees to produce it. Where’s the love for Candlebox Scorsese? Fear not Candlebox, even if you have long lost your original grunge rock fanbase in Seattle years ago, somebody still loves you. They gave us “Far Behind” for Christ sakes.
(06/19/08 1:45am)
(06/04/08 8:03pm)
It’s easy to be hard on Spiritualized, but I will try to refrain. The album is honestly not bad, but it just took some time to grow on me.
(05/22/08 12:43am)
This week's hottest jams.
(05/08/08 8:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With quality synths, dark beats and darker spits, the Roots get back to what hip-hop and rap originally set out to achieve. Rap used to be about standing up for something real and screaming it from the top of a building. Jewelry, alcohol, drugs, sex and mindless violence have taken hold of mainstream rap these days. Rising Down is a breath of fresh activism ranging from global warming to corruption. “Rising Down” is The Roots’ 10th album, and arguably their best yet. Their album title comes from William T. Vollmann’s book “Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Violence, Freedom and Urgent Means.” Similar to their album “Tipping Point”, a takeoff from Malcom Gladwell’s book “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.” Every song on this album is solid. The Roots did not just produce an album with one hit; they produced an album with 13 slam-dunk hits that flow flawlessly together. Much adieu has to be given to the several guest artists featured on the album including Common, Mos Def, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw . With lyrics like “My mother had an abortion with the wrong child” their voice is hard-hitting and moves quick to the next swing. It’s hard to pick out a top song to discuss, but the song Rising Up is very well produced with spacey background vocals and a strong chorus from Dice Raw. I have always considered The Roots to have exceptional instrumental talent, intelligence and wit within their lyrics. But I am taken aback with this album. In fact, I am blown away. The Roots let you know that they worked extremely hard to produce this album,even having some controversy with band members and with their record label. This is only their second album with the Def Jam label. The first track is a recording of them arguing over something and leads into the song “Rising Down.” And note, the best way to listen to this album is to put on them big headphones, blast the volume and let The Roots take you into one of the most ecstatic rap albums of this year.
(05/08/08 4:49pm)
Alex Benson grades this week’s hottest tracks.
(04/02/08 10:00pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Don’t even consider buying this album if you’re looking for some good blues; you won’t find it here. The album should not have a home in the blues section of any store. Eric Bibb may have deep blues roots, but the final product is a folkish-blues-gospel blend that lacks a lot of the intense passion blues is known for. It can be hard to find some good blues these days; the genre that created rock and ’n’ roll receives little attention.The album, though, is not that bad. Gospel goers, Bible Belters and Bibb fans should be pleased. But I think most would agree that this album does not surpass the work done on A Ship Called Love. The album, Get On Board, which was released March 11th, tries to serve a purpose. Bibb’s lyrics in the song “Get On Board” express the idea of getting on board a love train. The song “Step by Step” is dedicated to the late Dr. King, and “Stayed On Freedom” honors the civil rights movement. Basically what Eric is trying to do is inspire peace among a nation that has fallen on hard times. It’s a respectable cause, but his political and religious agenda seeps into the album and contaminates it. Putting the music first would have served Bibb well. This has nothing to do with my religious or political opinion, but it’s a matter of the way the music sounds. By all means, write music about God and country and freedom, just don’t make it cheesy or unoriginal. On many tracks throughout the album the lyrics disagree with the instrumentals, raucous when they should be soft, cloying when they should be powerful. I feel Bibb could achieve much more through his album if he were not tied back by trying to stay true to his blues/gospel roots and instead just sang simpler words with greater emphasis on his brilliant guitar playing. Bibb can be a great blues singer at times on the album. “Pockets” is a great, simple blues song and is the best on the album standing next to “Step by Step.” Much attention is given to the opener “Spirit I Am,” which is a powerful and catchy song backed by strong back up vocals. All in all, I’m not a big fan of Bibb’s happy-blues style, but at least someone is still trying to make blues music.
(03/07/08 1:52am)
Classical guitar isn’t only defined as classical music or as rock music, but as a genre that has created a home for itself. \nThe art form has a home here in Bloomington with the Bloomington Classical Guitar Society.\nThe Bloomington Classical Guitar Society promotes this unique genre of music through bringing in big names for concerts and hosting music recitals and guitar seminars. \nMark Bisesi, president of the Bloomington Classical Guitar Society, said the society was founded in 2002 by a group of amateur guitarists in the community and other local professionals who wanted to create a home for classical guitarists. \nThe society will also perform in nursing homes and other various background settings, Bisesi said. \n“Many classical guitarists spend hours practicing by themselves, and opportunities to perform are limited, and the society gives people a chance,” Bisesi said, also adding, “most of our concerts offer a masters class to people in the community and for anybody who wants to join.”\nWith nylon strings and a complete devotion to every note, classical guitar performances can be just as inspiring as any rock or orchestra concert. \n“The classical guitar’s repertoire is very influenced by classical music historically,” Bisesi said. \nClassical guitar also can have a niche in rock music as well. Finger-style songs (playing without a pick) such as “Ocean” by John Butler Trio and “#3” by Ben Harper can be considered to have classical guitar roots. \nThe softer nylon strings and the wider neck of the classical guitar allow for more fluid movement along the neck. \n“The classical guitar is more suitable for finger style while acoustic guitar is more of an instrument suitable for strumming,” said Petar Jankovic, guitar professor and coordinator of IU’s Guitar Department. \nJankovic also compared playing classical guitar to being similar to playing a classical piano. Jankovic said classical guitar is seen as a popular instrument used in popular, traditional and classical music in South America and Spain. \nGrowing up in Serbia, Jankovic had formal music training at a very early age. \n“If you go to music school and you want to be cool, you study guitar,” he said. “They teach you instrumentals just like any other instrument, and all these methods are based on classical music.” \nJankovic is currently touring the United States playing classical guitar. His tour schedule is booked up to March 2009. \nThe IU Guitar Department attracts 250 to 300 students per semester, and 20 to 25 of them are in the classical guitar program as opposed to the general guitar class, Jankovic said. \nFreshman Steve Green has played acoustic guitar for five years and in the past year has picked up the classical technique. \n“Lately, I have preferred classical guitar over acoustic,” he said. “It focuses more on the guitar itself, whereas acoustic brings in other instruments to the scene.”\nFor more info on classical guitar and upcoming concerts, log on to www.bloomingtonclassicalguitarsociety.org.
(02/21/08 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Every bit an independent-minded foreign film, “The Double Life of Veronique” radiates what much of the American cinema fails to produce: originality. I wouldn’t even know how to classify the film – it touches the genres of romance, science fiction and even heart-pounding thriller. The most prominent technique in the film is its lack of dialogue, which amplifies the film to a level untouched by most directors and screenwriters. Body language and cinematography have a distinguished role throughout the film, and both of these elements are performed flawlessly to their highest potential."Double Life" is worth seeing for more than just formal concerns, though. Consider the music. I am in no way a big fan of opera or orchestra for the most part; I just don’t get it. But the music by composer Zbigniew Preisner in the concert scene sent chills up my spine. I have never heard an opera or orchestra performance as dark and twisted as the one depicted in the film. The music plays a continuous role in the movie’s plot. Additionally, Irene Jacob’s beautiful face and goddess-like body constantly demonstrate how the film’s embrace of visual language makes up for the entire film being in French and Polish with English subtitles. Without spoiling, the film does ask you to buy into the phenomenon of two seemingly identical women living similar lives – hence the title “The Double Life of Veronique.” The film does, though, at times become confusing because of this supernatural element and because it doesn’t follow the linear pattern Hollywood movies do. Krzysztof Kieslowski, the writer and director of “The Double Life of Veronique,” is a giant in European cinema, and the extras DVD lets you pick apart his brain. The extras acknowledge Kieslowski’s political and cinematic voice, serving as a tribute to his death in 1988. The special features also include an interview of Zbigniew Preisner and cinematographer Slawomir Idziak, whose work gives “Double Life” its visceral details. Kieslowski’s film isn’t easy to wrap your head around, but its weird, engrossing journey is well worth its difficulty.
(02/01/08 10:57am)
It has been 30 years since the blizzard of ’78 paralyzed the IU campus for three days. During that time, all public schools were closed, all but one highway was closed, airports left travelers stranded, babies were being delivered on snowmobiles, a curfew was set in place and looters would risk being shot, according to Indianapolis Star headlines from the time.\nJanuary 25-27, 1978 saw a record snow in Indiana of 15.5 inches of snowfall and maximum snow amounts reaching 20 inches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Web site. IU was shut down for three days and class was cancelled that Thursday and Friday.\n“Most students settled in for two days of card playing, TV watching and drinking,” an article in the ’77-’78 Arbutus yearbook said. “Some even risked ‘life and limb’ to get to a liquor store rather than face the prospect of a dry weekend.”\nThe National Oceanic and Atmospherics Administration compared the ’78 blizzard to “The Perfect Storm,” in which two low pressure systems merged together to form an enormously sized storm.\nA 1978 IU staff bulletin stated that the chancellor, dean or vice president could close campus if they thought the weather would jeopardize lives. Robert O’Neil, vice president in 1978, said in an excerpt from the ’77-’78 yearbook that he would rather not cancel classes.\n“Unexpected cancellations like this are extremely disruptive to the campus calendar, and it is my feeling that we should have classes if at all possible,” he said. “On the other hand, it’s ridiculous to hold classes and jeopardize people’s lives.”\nIn response to what it would take for IU to close down, Dean of Students Dick McKaig said the University will close if officials feel conditions are severe.\n“Generally speaking, the University will receive a statement from local law enforcement who issues a warning that streets are not safe,” he said. He added an example would be a temperature below -30 degrees. This was the case Jan. 18-19, 1994 when IU shut down due to -34 degree temperatures.\nChancellor Ken Gros Louis described the difficulty in getting a residential campus to close down. Because students typically walk to class from places on or near campus, road conditions don’t affect them.\n“Whereas it is not rare for a non-residential campus to close down due to bad road or highway conditions,” he said. “Typically, in the most serious state of emergency, no vehicles can be on the street and people can be arrested if they go out.”
(01/23/08 4:10pm)
It’s 6:35 p.m. Monday at the Teter Formal Lounge, and still nobody has arrived to attend the 6:30 p.m. Martin Luther King Experience. The event leaders, community educator Ashley Green and resident assistant LaDortha Mitchell, resorted to pulling people out of the hallways to attend.\nHowever, the small turnout was made up for by intimate conversation dealing with issues such as race, discrimination, ignorance and stereotypes. For sophomore Green and senior Mitchell, it was the first time running the event. \n“(Racism is) not overt, it’s covert,” Mitchell said. “So just look around.”\nStudents were first placed in a situation where a name tag was taped on their backs. On the name tag was a person’s profile, for example, a 42 year-old white business owner. Based on their description, they were told by others to move to the front or back of the bus, which was created by an arrangement of couches and chairs in the lounge. The purpose of the situation was to replicate the bus boycott days.\nThe somewhat awkward bus scenario that students were put through was joined by some joke-cracking and laughter that covered the animosity that once prevailed in the times of the bus boycott. However, high moods dissimilated as the booming voice of Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech played through a \nstereo.\nThe greater portion of the event was reserved for discussion, where Green would ask a controversial question to the group, who would then answer and debate.\nAlthough numerous people missed out on Monday evening’s discussion, the small group that attended benefitted more from the personal conversation that sprouted.\n“A lot of racism comes from ignorance, and if we can have more programs like this we can help people better understand (however) it’s a slow process,” said sophomore Brittney Paulk.
(01/16/08 5:12am)
The first rule of IU’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club has nothing to do with the club’s secrecy. Rather, it focuses on brotherhood and camaraderie. \n“There’s no fights in (this) fight club,” Head Instructor Paul Hogan said.\nThe Jiu Jitsu club meets three times each week to teach and practice martial arts techniques. The club gives members of all ages, sexes and experience levels what it believes to be lifelong skills.\n“I hope to do Jiu Jitsu for as long as I can until I either get too old or too injured,” instructor Evan Mannweiler said.\nEach training session begins with a vigorous warm-up, which typically lasts 30 minutes. Afterward, members go right into the body of the two-hour session, which consists of elaborate holds and escapes the instructor demonstrates. The last 30 minutes of the session are reserved for sparring.\nJiu Jitsu, unlike many other martial art forms, teaches virtually no punches or kicks. \n“Jiu Jitsu consists of primarily all ground techniques because 90 percent of all fights will eventually end up on the ground,” Hogan said.\nBecause of that, many club members find Jiu Jitsu to be one of the most practical combat techniques.\n“Because Jiu Jitsu primarily consists of joint locks and chokes that are given on the ground, the techniques are transferable for defense against sexual assault,” said sophomore Jonathon Burkert.\nBesides club training, the group is involved in other events.\n“The club will usually host a tournament once a year, but many members compete in tournaments outside of the club,” Hogan said. “Caique (Carlos Elias), who holds a sixth-degree black belt, will also visit the club from his Jiu Jitsu academy in California and hold fighting seminars.”\nThrough the club, members receive an intense cardiovascular workout, learn how to properly defend themselves and meet and interact with a group of welcoming people. \nMannweiler, a sophomore, has been practicing Jiu Jitsu since high school and has made himself well-known in the martial arts community. He’s also a substitute teacher for one of the Jiu Jitsu classes on campus. \nThe club meets from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturdays in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation room 095.