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(11/11/10 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU club ice hockey team was unable to make its trip to Fargo, N.D., for its two-game series against the North Dakota State men’s ice hockey team.This wasn’t because of inclement weather up north or because the Bison had to cancel the two matches. It was because the IU ice hockey team was suspended 10 days, starting Nov. 1, for failing to follow protocol set by IU’s Club Sports Federation in regard to its open tryouts and practices at the beginning of the season.On Oct. 20, the governing body for IU ice hockey was officially informed of the infraction and the team would be suspended from Nov. 1 through Nov. 11, including all team-oriented activities, such as practice and the two games against North Dakota State. The suspension was not the result of any misconduct by any of the players on the team but instead just a bureaucratic mishap, junior assistant captain and team treasurer Kyle Yarkie said.The team had no idea the penalty was coming previous to the notification from the CSF.“We felt blindsided by the suspension,” Yarkie said. “The program has never been subject to any disciplinary action until this point. The entire organization was very disappointed by the University’s decision, but we openly admitted our mistake and are ready to move on with the season.”Autumn Johnson, assistant director for club and intramural sports at IU, said the team and its executive board was very up front and honest about the infraction.“I actually learned about it from them,” Johnson said. “But once we did find out about it, we told them ‘You do know that there has to be disciplinary action that we have to take.’”The annual activation policy set by the CSF states that in order to begin every season, there has to be paperwork that every team affiliated with IU must fill out. Team members must attend officer workshops and training workshops. They also must have a coach and the number of safety officers required for their sport before they can have tryouts or practice.“And basically, the team just started their practices before all these requirements were met,” Johnson said.With the two forfeited losses because of the suspension, the team drops to 4-11 as they take on No. 13 Iowa State on Friday and Saturday in Ames, Iowa. Although the team will be coming off two losses to No. 12 Illinois two weekends ago, along with a 10-day layoff, it will get a chance to hit the ice Friday for a morning skate. The team members hope the time off will leave them with even more drive to knock off a ranked opponent.“It’s going to be hard to turn the switch back on after a 10-day break, but we’re ready to get back on the ice,” Yarkie said. “We would rather be on our regular schedule, but the team is more anxious to play than usual — that’ll give us some jump Friday night. "We’ve beaten good teams this year, but we were inconsistent through the first stretch. This weekend will be a turning point — a good chance to take two wins from a solid team in front of their fans.”
(11/04/10 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU club ice hockey team suffered what turned into a controversial, heated loss against No. 12 Illinois on Friday, scoring the first goal and then giving up three unanswered goals to end the game.IU entered the game having split a two-game set with Illinois two weekends ago, winning the latter in a 3-2 shutout. But Friday, IU couldn’t quite compete with Illinois’ late offensive surge.The Hoosiers were first on the scoreboard when sophomore Nick Dobrez scored in the fourth minute of the second period. And for a while, the Hoosiers seemed to have control of the game, with senior goalie Daniel Abramson blocking all the shots Illinois slapped his way. But five minutes later, Abramson finally let a goal scored by Illinois’ Mike Ursitti through, and the Hoosiers seemed to lose momentum.“I think we were better prepared, having already seen them before this season,” IU coach Jan Jas said. “But I’m really more concerned about us rather than them, and once we gave up one goal, we never recovered.”The Illini started the third period off quickly with a go-ahead goal by Sam Fatigato, and the controversy then began to unfold. The already hard-hitting game with the occasional high stick or tripping penalty became even more heated when an IU player landed on top of Illini goalie Angelo Sakellaropoulos while the Hoosiers had the puck. Before they could get a goal, officials blew the whistle to stop play while the medical staff attended to the goalie.He was brought off the ice and later diagnosed with a blown-out knee, Illinois coach Chad Cassel said. But a new goalie came on for the Illini, and they quickly struck back. And hard. Only minutes later an Illinois player fell on top of Abramson while the Illini had the puck, preventing the Hoosiers from properly protecting the goal. The puck got through, a shot by Fatigato, which was his second goal of the night. But the play didn’t stop there.Abramson, in an attempt to get up, tried to shove the Illinois player off of him, sparking an altercation. Those two and an additional IU player were shoving and throwing the occasional punch inside the net, which was up against the boards. The referees finally separated the three, and after minutes of deliberation and frequent shouting between the teams, the situation was settled, and the goal counted.“I don’t know about the rule,” Jas said. “The refs can’t do anything about it. Our goalie was just laying with a player that ended up on top of him.”And even though his players’ actions were in defense of their goalie and team, Jas said he didn’t see the actions that followed the Illini’s goal as warranted.“It’s definitely not positive, and it really only becomes a distraction for our team,” Jas said. “The only time I see where fighting could be necessary is if our goalie is really getting abused out there, but Illinois was just playing good, hard hockey.”And though it seemed that the Illini might have won easily, despite an early goal by IU, Jas still felt they had a good chance to knock off their ranked opponent the following day when the two played in Indianapolis.“We’ve got to come out and play 60 minutes of good, hard hockey,” Jas said. “We need to play till the last second of the game.”But the Hoosiers failed to grab a win in the series, losing 5-4 on Saturday, moving the team’s record to 4-9. They play again Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., both at North Dakota State.
(10/28/10 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With three wins against teams ranked in the top 25 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, the IU men’s club ice hockey team is off to a strong start, even though the club’s 4-7 record might say otherwise.The unranked Hoosiers have played eight of their first 11 games of the season against ranked opponents, including two games against the defending ACHA national champions, Lindenwood. In these eight games, the Hoosiers have managed to pull upset wins against No. 21 Western Michigan, No. 19 Westchester and No. 6 Illinois in a shootout win, along with a win against DePaul. The Hoosiers say they have started strong in hopes of matching their No. 23 ranking at the end of last season or even surpassing it.“We’ve made a lot of progress from last year,” senior Chris Benz said. “The win over Illinois opened the door for more wins against top-ranked opponents. We know we can be successful.”The 3-2 shootout win against Illinois on Oct. 16 avenged the Hoosiers’ previous losses to the Fighting Illini at the end of last season and from the previous night. It might have shown that they could compete with the nation’s best. The following weekend, IU lost twice to No. 1 Lindenwood, getting outscored by a combined 15-1.“We’ve got to work on putting all the things we do well sometimes together,” senior KC Madock said. “But until we do that for a full 60 minutes, it won’t matter.”New head coach Jan Jas is trying to do just that. During his first season as the Hoosiers’ head coach, Jas has focused on one simple message for his new players: hard work.“He’s challenged us to work as hard as we can and brought a lot of intensity and professionalism to our program,” junior Mack Shaughnessy said. “He tells us to work hard every moment of every game and every single practice.”And along with Jas being a first-year coach at IU, several of his players come from different schools and different hockey backgrounds, so the first few weeks have provided a learning curve for both himself and his team.“We’ve really had to focus on organization on the ice,” Jas said. “With me and all our new players, we need to all get on the same page, and with different backgrounds and coaches, that takes some time.”To improve on their organization and team chemistry, Jas has been stressing their one-on-one battles in practice and focusing on their defensive techniques, two areas where Jas said Lindenwood really outplayed the Hoosiers in both their games against the top-ranked opponent.“Lindenwood was really ready in every aspect,” Jas said. “They compete on a very high level and prepare on a very high level.”But sophomore Brian Bieschke said when it comes down to it, “we all practice the same amount of time, it’s just about who wants it more.”
(10/21/10 3:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When students first arrive at IU their freshmen year, they hear about how diverse the campus is; how many opportunities they have right at their feet; how they can individualize their own major or start their own club.Or change an already existing one.This year, the IU Sports Marketing Alliance instituted a name and logo change to begin a re-branding of the organization and a new committee structure to allow members to become more involved.This fall, the IUSMA began a new partnership with IU Athletics, helping the members get true hands-on experience with jobs they would do in a day-to-day sports marketing job.“It helps when they can put that on their resume,” President and junior Mike Cohen said. “This is a great opportunity for them to get experience with sales and game operations and gets them connected in case they want to pursue a career in college athletics.”When working with IU Athletics, the members participate in a Sales Academy where on Fridays members can come into the Assembly Hall Press Room and make sales calls to sell IU Athletics tickets. From these ticket sales, they get a commission in addition to real world experience. Working with IU Athletics has another side to it though. Even though the partnership was only started months ago, members of the IUSMA have already been working at IU volleyball games and running game operations.On a given night, they do anything from coming up with market plans, working the press table and reading the press release at half time.But, when it comes down to it, Cohen said the signature of the IUSMA is its networking trips, which allows select members of the group to travel to large cities across the US to meet with representatives from college and professional sports organizations as well as sports news representatives. Because the group is so diverse and from all edges of the country, Cohen said they try to spread their trips out across the U.S. so members can all get connections around where they live in case they’re interested in pursuing an internship or looking for a job close to their hometown. This year’s networking trips include visits to Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, Los Angles and a recent trip to Cincinnati.In Cincinnati, the IUSMA managed meeting with a variety of Cincinnati sports officials, including the University of Cincinnati Deputy Director of Athletics, the Cincinnati Reds public relations manager and the Reds CEO Phillip J. Castellini. They toured the Cincinnati Bengals’ stadium and locker room and saw the inside of a production truck with a Fox Sports Ohio producer and IU graduate. The day was capped off with a trip back to Great American Ballpark to watch a Reds game.Senior Cade McDonald, a first-year member of the IUSMA, said the trip alone affirmed his decision of wanting to be in the sports public relations agency in the future. “In one day, I really got a feeling for what PR really is and saw what a day-to-day job in the business would be like, and it really helped to hear it straight from an actual professional,” he said.The IUSMA will sponsor more networking trips over winter break, where students will have further opportunities to network.“In this industry, it’s all about networking connections in sports, and this is a great way to find that,” Cohen said. “It’s a signature of our club. It gives them the most enjoyment, and they derive the most benefit from these networking trips.”And it’s these opportunities, senior Caleb Keller said, that set apart these IU sports marketing students from others across the country.“The sports industry is really all about knowing people,” Keller said. “You’ve got to be able to take all the experience you can. Dress up and shake hands with professionals and hear what they have to say. “Students here can get that experience now through the IUSMA, where others graduate and then have to learn afterwards.”
(10/07/10 3:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Waves crash and break against the shore of Lake Lemon on a peaceful, sunny afternoon. Three wakeboarders zip up and down, back and forth, a wake trailing behind them wherever they go.“We don’t like waves and wake here,” IU women’s rowing coach Steve Peterson said. “We’re a smooth water sport.”Yet the women paddle through, stroke by stroke, pushing through every tiny ripple in their path. “We really need to buckle down this year and focus more on the mental factor,” junior Alex Burkle said. “We’ve really stressed this year just to have a ‘no crap’ attitude and to get things done, and it’s nice to see for a change.” The women began their season strong in The Lemonhead Regatta on Lake Lemon in Bloomington on Sept. 25 against Louisville, a team that ended last spring ranked No. 24 in the nation.IU’s Varsity 8 tied Louisville’s Varsity 8 crew — a crew that individually ranks among the top 20 in the nation every season — with a time of 17:04 at the end of the three-mile style trial race across the lake.“We’ve really been working on confidence more than anything,” Peterson said. “And success, like our tie against Louisville, really opens people’s eyes. We’ve been a good program for the past few years, but now it’s time for us to take a big step forward.”Peterson, in his eighth year at IU and a former rowing coach at George Washington University, Rutgers and the University of Rhode Island, said he has been trying to build up the program for the past few years. He not only contacts coaches and follows high school race results, but also continues to search for his squad even after they get to IU.“Every year we send out mailings to all incoming freshman girls letting them know about our team and that we still have spots available for our novice team," Peterson said. "And even after that, the girls already on the team look out during the first week of school for anyone walking around who might look like they could help us."But in the end, Peterson and the rest of the women on the team aren’t looking for individuals; they’re looking for teams, crews of five and nine girls who can work together as one crew.“This sport is not about individuals," Peterson said. "We do lots of work to get every girl to be a leader. The captains are obvious leaders. The coxswains are the quarterbacks of the crew. The seniors are the oldest and most experienced. To single out any girl as an individual would go against the nature of the sport."Peterson and the team do work and meet together, almost year-round, to get stronger, build friendships and even help within the community.The women in have participated in activities such as the Buddy Walk, the Hoosier Hills canned food drive and the CHAMPS life skills program in years past. They also do community service together once a month.“With almost 50 girls, this is such a team sport, and we have to be able to rely on each other,” Burkle said. “Being together at practice and then at football games and for meals, it just helps you get to know your teammates and how they move.”Not to say that these women don’t spend enough time together at practice. During the season they practice twice a day — except for Wednesdays and Sundays — once at 5:45 in the morning for weight lifting or running and again at 3:45 p.m. for rowing.“It’s a training sport,” junior captain Cara Donley said. “In the offseason all we do is row and try to get in as many strokes as possible. We have a hard-working group and are doing all the work we need to be, we just need to do it the right way.”Even though it’s early in the season, the team still has their sights on championships as the end result.“Everything we do is to prepare to do well at the Big Ten and to qualify for the NCAA at the end of the season,” Peterson said.But, Peterson added, the team must build more than just strength if they want to win championships.“We’re building confidence,” sophomore captain Kathryn Laine said. “We haven’t been the most successful program in the past, but once we get our confidence and swagger, we’ll be flying.”
(09/27/10 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It didn’t matter that they donned hair ties, ponytails and sparkly red headbands. It didn’t matter that it was an exhibition game or that their first regular season game was more than four months away. These girls came ready to play. The IU women’s softball team opened its fall schedule Saturday with a double-header against IUPUI at the IU Softball Field. By the end of the day, the Hoosiers had a grand slam and a home run in one inning, a transfer debut performance and most importantly, the first two wins on their fall season record.With senior Sara Olson on the mound, the women started quickly in the first game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning. But the Jaguars struck back in the top of the third with a solo home run by freshman Alicia Brewer, a graduate of Bloomington High School North. However, it would prove to be the only run either Olson or relief pitcher sophomore Jessica Dobson would need in the first game. Neither gave up another run, leading the Hoosiers to a 4-1 win. “It’s been a big thing for our whole pitching staff to not focus on the last at-bat whenever we give up a home run because it’s not important,” Olson said. “I just focus on the next pitch and the next at-bat, and I know my team has my back, my defense is there to back me up and my team can produce runs.”Olson grabbed the win while giving up four hits, only one earned run and three strikeouts and walks. Sophomore Samantha Heyman led the Hoosiers with two hits and two runs in the game one win.In the second game, Olson picked up right where she left off, only in the batter’s box. Olson knocked in four runs with a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning. Later in the frame, freshman Meaghan Murphy began her stint as a Hoosier with a two-run home run, giving the Hoosiers a 6-0 lead after one inning.And it would prove to be more than enough run support for senior Morgan Melloh, a transfer student from Fresno State Universtiy, who pitched the complete shortened five-inning game, only allowing one hit, striking out eight Jaguars in 16 batters faced and not allowing a single run in the 8-0 rout.“It was great to get out and play because every game counts out here,” Melloh said. “I felt a little nervous starting out. I wasn’t smooth and really just needed to relax out there. I think it was just the first-game jitters.”Even though the game didn’t go toward the team’s regular season record, IU coach Michelle Gardner said she saw it as a great chance to get out with competition and bring the team closer together.“It was great to get the team out there and start building our team chemistry because I think that’s a big thing, and we did it today just by being out here,” Gardner said. “These games don’t make a difference or go in the books, but they do matter to me.”
(09/15/09 12:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”Hemingway wrote that and called it his best work. You might understand his point if you consider all the implications of those six words.Who was selling them, why were they selling them, and why were they never worn? There’s something more between the words.We asked students around campus to spin this idea into their own six-word stories. Check them out and give it a try.The desperate poet dined with kings.- Nathan Brown, senior, Inside associate editorYummy. He looked up. Not mother.- CJ Lotz, junior, Inside editor-in-chief Do it! You’ve got one shot.- Ryan Lackner, freshmanHe took his time. He won.- Christian Herridge, freshman Octopus attacks man in diving suit.- Andi Bastin, juniorLiterature is life, art, expression, dreams.- Anthony Eller, senior Apple farmer said come back tomorrow.- Brad Zehr, junior, IDS managing editorComment with your six word story.
(07/30/09 12:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Is it possible not to just take a quick listen to a record called “The Satanic Satanist” and put aside all presumptions that the music might be something akin to black metal? If you’re unfamiliar with the band already, Portugal. The Man’s new album might be a pleasant surprise.The overall tone of this album is much more low-key than the band’s previous releases, but it still has the energy and delivery we’ve come to expect. Portugal has been trying on different outfits for awhile, but this record sounds as if the band has become more self-aware, and self-realization from artists always yields the best product.But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Many of the songs on “Satanist” seem like a dirtied reflection of themselves with lots of epic-sounding falsetto choruses and high-pitched harmonies. All of this could produce monotony or disinterest after only a few tracks, but the way these guys write songs will force the melodies into the dark recesses of your mind and when you wake up in the morning, all your synapses will fire simultaneously and that one synapse, the one where cheesy, catchy songs are stuck deep, well, that synapse will ignite and cause all sorts of Portugal-guitar-noodling to be sung and choruses to be wailed.And the one song guaranteed to force words out of you is “People Say.” Just listen to that song, the well-crafted verse and chorus, the Jeff Buckley- like whines and croons and the bluesy guitar solo.Some other standout tracks on this album are “Work All Day,” “The Home” and “Everyone Is Golden.”Portugal definitely has a knack for writing 1970s-esque, almost post-psychedelic era tunes. It uses effects pedals but utilizes them well. Listen for the fuzzed-out bass on a lot of the tracks or the backward guitar solo or the effected mess on “Guns and Dogs.”Portugal is also among one of many post-rock, progressive groups in which the piano/organ player has a noticeable presence. It’s a breath of fresh air and adds to the organic sound and nature of the songs.“The Satanic Satanist” is a solid album with a few hangups, but not many. It’s a sound fit perfectly for the summer; it’s playful and catchy but, most importantly, pulled off with expertise.
(07/23/09 2:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The dregs of hipsterdom were all packed tightly into Chicago’s Union Park last weekend. Fixed-gear bicycles were chained all along the park’s fence, a cloud of cigarette smoke hung in the air and the phrase “I liked their first album better” was uttered by a select few belonging to the hippest caliber.Pitchfork Music Festival took place this past weekend. Playing host to “over 40 of independent music’s best bands and artists on three stages,” according to its Web site, the festival attracted much of Chicago’s bright and beautiful youth.But, it wasn’t a certain look or attitude that would get you admitted into the festival grounds, it was simply a love for music, which is what events such as these are all about. Hip-hop artists Doom and Pharoahoe Monch performed Saturday and Sunday afternoons respectively and both put on a very solid performances. Doom was decked out in his signature gleaming silver mask and a camo outfit any Joe Blow could buy at their local hunting store. Monch took the stage the day after. When the crowd didn’t react the way he liked, he would evoke the words of hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes: “When the crowd doesn’t react the way you want, give them more energy.” And he did.“Where’s hip hop?” he screamed.“Right here,” the audience responded in accordance with his question.The Flaming Lips took the cake though for best live performance at the festival. Front man Wayne Coyne was the last of his band to take the stage, but he did so in a more fashionable way – in a humungous blowup ball, which he stood inside of and rolled over the crowd in. There was confetti permanently in the air and giant orange and yellow balloons bounced off the hands of ecstatic audience members. Girls in white latex outfits and fuzzy hats and people in frog suits danced on the sides of the stage while the Lips played songs the crowd had requested days before the festival online.Grizzly Bear and Beirut both put on solid performances and played crowd favorites while girls in the crowd swooned over all the boys in the band.Festival-goers were given the opportunity to participate in activities like setting new world records – the most David Lee Roth kicks in one minute, the most head bands placed on head and longest pronouncement of the word “Saucony.”Nothing much was disappointing with this festival except that it wasn’t more than three days. With multitudes of choices between what summer music fests to go to, this is one of the cheaper alternatives that still delivers awesome music.
(07/02/09 4:08pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tortoise is a group that defies classification and touches on almost every genre of music. They never cease to surprise and make listeners want to insert explicit words before every positive adjective that describes their sound – “They’re so f***ing amazing!”Much anticipation has amassed for their first album of new original material since April 2004: “Beacons of Ancestorship.” My hat’s off to them for producing an inspired work of dignified music in a world of contrived pop songs. While people are singing about doing the Hellen Keller, Tortoise is reaching beyond the boundaries of contemporary music. “High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In,” the eight-minute epic composition, opens the album on a very high note, literally. Droning guitar sweeps the listener into the bottoms of a bass-heavy, dub-inspired section before wooing again into another dimension of the song. A syncopated synthesizer belts out rhythms and the drums follow in its wake. “Prepare Your Coffin” is a fast-paced song with lots of guitar runs and even a few small guitar solos here and there – odd in a Tortoise song, but they make it work so well. The pairing of distorted guitars and heavy drums with a harpsichord add to the track’s greatness.The song of very bizarre titling, “Yinxianghechengqi,” is something I’ve never heard Tortoise do on any of their previous releases. It’s ambient, noisy, distorted and lo-fi. It might sound a little like if Trans Am met Fugazi, minus any vocals.“The Fall of Seven Diamonds Plus One” is a stark contrast. Remember the part in “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” when the three men are standing in a circle, preparing to draw their guns, and the camera pans in closer to each of their faces? This song could provide an appropriate backing track. Its ethereal guitar, light cymbal taps and heavy, open-sounding downbeats give this song its own sort of anxiety.The last track, “Charteroak Foundation,” is arguably one of the best tracks on the album. It’s lulling and soothing, but not in a way that makes you lose interest. The disorienting six over four rhythms brought on by the guitar and drums give the song a very strange feel. The guitar seems to pull the rest of the music toward the beginning of every phrase.Fans of Tortoise will love this album, and for those not already introduced to their growing library of music, this will be the best introductory album. Thank you, Tortoise, for making one of the best albums to be heard yet this year.
(06/14/09 10:03pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>MANCHESTER, Tenn. – There’s a 700-acre farm situated in Manchester, where for four days people gather for indulgences of every sort – music, dancing, food and drugs. This year a crowd of 90,000 people came to “the farm.”Bonnaroo is a de facto state within a state – anything goes here. Like the modern equivalent of Woodstock, lots of people come for the music while others are just looking to get their weirds out for four days of the year. Strange-looking men stride about muttering the names of drugs under their breath hoping to pander to potential customers. The music blasts into the early hours of the morning, but that doesn’t prevent people from sleeping on the muddy ground only feet away from the stage during a performance.And maybe those ground-sleepers have it right. After all, going back to your campsite means walking for what seems like miles, dodging wild-eyed people wearing masks and making way for small shuttle carts driven by a man in a green spandex body suit. Trying to find your tent is a puzzle in itself when all the tents and cars are packed together so tightly.Despite the long treks and potential hours spent looking for your campsite at night, you wake up in the morning and count the few futile hours you spent trying to rest and letting the sweat dry off your dirty skin, and you set off again to catch the first band of the day.The decisions are tough because there are nine places to see live music, and many of the performances overlap. The Beastie Boys and Phish played at the What Stage on Friday night and drew hordes of festivalgoers. The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, played the next night on the same stage and had 3 1/2 hours scheduled during which he was the only performer. While Springsteen was playing “Thunder Road” with the same gusto he had years ago, eager fans waited for hours to see Nine Inch Nails take the stage. If the crowd response was any indication, it was worth the long wait. Even at 1 a.m., the crowd writhed like worms and bounced off each other like rubber bands during the upbeat songs. Mike Epley was in the crowd and said he drove from Washington, D.C., with the sole intention of seeing Nine Inch Nails.“I’ve seen them live before,” he said. “I’ve been waiting here for like three hours.”The Mars Volta played as the sun went down earlier in the day. Their performance didn’t go flawlessly, but the music was intoxicating. Fans sang along while thrusting their fists in the air and lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala, employed his usual stage antics – crawling across the stage, gripping the microphone stand with his teeth and tossing and kicking the microphone in the air.“The Mars Volta was sick,” said Jeff Episcola, an attendee from Virginia. “I really didn’t like them before I came here, but they blew my mind.”Excellent performances aside, at Bonnaroo, the music is really only the start.You can wake up early in the morning and take a yoga class, see movies at any hour of the day, see famous stand-up comedians, listen to panel discussions on music and activism, build a hand drum, meditate or get autographs from musicians who happen to be wandering the festival grounds.Marrissa Thompson drove from Cincinnati to be at Bonnaroo. She said it was a long drive, but it was worth it.“This is actually my first music festival ever,” she said. “I’ve loved every second of it.”
(05/14/09 12:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Michael Dwayne LeMasters, one of “America’s Most Wanted” criminals, was arrested early Wednesday after a routine traffic stop to check paperwork of a semi truck at the northbound scales on Interstate 65 near Seymour, Ind.“LeMasters was wanted on multiple charges, including four counts of first-degree sexual abuse, three counts of first-degree sodomy, one count each of attempted first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree criminal mistreatment, fourth-degree felony assault and invasion of personal privacy and three related charges,” according to the “America’s Most Wanted” Web site.Master Motor Carrier Inspector Mary Eglen found LeMasters riding in the cab of the semi truck with the driver. LeMasters was wanted for 64 criminal counts by three different law agencies, according to a press release.“Eglen noticed the driver was returning from Florida and noticed he would probably be over on his paperwork,” said Sgt. Don Gregory, public information officer of the Indiana State Police, in reference to the log books drivers use to record the hours they drive. “She checked his log book and paperwork and realized he had an occupant in the vehicle with him.” The law says drivers are required to have a letter on file if their passenger is not an employee of the company for which they drive for. There was no letter and the driver’s log books were false. Eglen asked LeMasters to come into the weigh station so she could identify him, Gregory said. She called the Indiana State Police dispatch and had his information run through their database and found that he was wanted on multiple charges ranging from sodomy to criminal mistreatment to sexual assault. He was wanted by two law agencies in California and one in Oregon.When LeMasters was asked by Eglen to give his name and date of birth, he did so willingly, said Ken Summers, public information captain at the Yamhill County Sherriff’s Department in Oregon.When trooper Raymond Hunt and master trooper Kevin Riordan arrived at the scene to make the arrest, LeMasters said, “‘I know why you’re here. I’m ready,’” Gregory said. The officers were caught off guard because he had been known to carry weapons, he said.The driver said he did not know he was driving around a wanted criminal, Gregory said.“If he knew who he was driving around, then he would be assisting a wanted criminal,” he said. “The driver said he was a friend along for the ride. Then it changed a little bit. He said he was there to help him with his load. Supposedly, he was hired to move the freight in and out of the truck.”No charges are being pressed against the driver.LeMasters has been wanted in Yamhill County in Oregon since September 2008 and for many years in California, Summers said. He said LeMasters has pending charges in Yamhill County against him that he sexually abused some of his family members.He is currently being held in the Jackson County jail waiting for extradition in California or Oregon.
(04/23/09 2:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>EPs are often disappointing, poor-quality B-sides, rarities and live cuts. But that is not the case with Death Cab for Cutie’s latest, “The Open Door.” The five tracks that make up this short album might not have been good enough to make it on their previous release, “Narrow Stairs,” but these tracks are definitely strong enough to stand on their own.Remnants from “Narrow Stairs” creep into this new release. “A Diamond and a Tether” includes the melancholic sounds from “The Ice is Getting Thinner” on “Stairs.”“My Mirror Speaks” could’ve made the “Stairs” cut. It echoes much of Death Cab’s earlier music, like 2001’s “The Photo Album,” which is more guitar-heavy and upbeat. “I Was Once a Loyal Lover” is another testament to Gibbard’s excellent lyricism and straightforward messages. The music is solid and well-thought-out, but don’t expect any technical displays of talent, as is the case with most of Death Cab’s songs.One letdown on this EP is the demo version of “Little Bird,” a song on “Stairs.” It’s simply Gibbard and what sounds like a mandolin, and makes me feel like its inclusion was purely for filler.In “Mirror,” Gibbard sums up the EP in just one line: “A new position for a different view, and nothing changes but the slightest hue.” If this EP is to stand on its own and not be compared to “Stairs,” consider it a new version of an old painting done with new colors, but crafted by a masterful hand.
(02/23/09 5:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Behind the bar in The Bluebird on top of a cooler full of bottles of beer, there’s an old junker of a motorcycle. Green, rusted – who knows if it even runs. “Supposedly that paid off a bar tab,” Leo Cook said, nodding toward the questionable-looking machine. He would know, too. After all, he’s been a bartender at The Bluebird for nine years. Before that, Cook was at The Uptown Cafe, the Indiana Memorial Union’s catering service and The Trojan Horse. He has 15 years of experience serving brews and beverages of all types, and now it’s starting to pay off. Last week, Cook was announced the winner of Food Network’s “The Ultimate Recipe Showdown Beverage Contest.” His prize-winning drink is the Vanilla Lemon Cookie. It’s a juxtaposition of two distinct but often paired tastes: sweet and sour. A lemon taste is the base of the drink, with 4 ounces of lemonade being the largest quantity of ingredient added. Then Leo adds 2 ounces of Stolli Vanilla Vodka, which provides the coup de grace of the subtle sweetness.Cook has a list of original drink recipes, such as this one, at home, which have all sprung from moments of creativity. “I’m always looking for inspiration,” Cook said. “I was at the ‘dirty Kroger’ downtown, and they had this old-fashioned vanilla lemonade. I thought that that sounded great.”He came up with his own recipe for a drink based on the lemonade later that night. A friend asked him to make a drink for her; he made what is now the Vanilla Lemon Cookie. She said it was great, and he’s been serving it ever since.“I sell 10 to 15 a night,” Cook said. “It definitely goes up on the weekend. It’s a very brisk seller.”The Food Network’s Web site has a video of Cook preparing the drink. Bryan Haney, a friend of Cook’s and fellow Bluebird employee, filmed the video.“I like to think I played a little part in (his winning),” Haney said with a smile.He said Cook was confident in the beginning of the filming process. They shot a total of three videos of different drink recipes, such as the Orange Fiesta and Summer Time. In the end, Haney suggested that they submit the Vanilla Lemon Cookie video.Cook said Food Network reviewed all the online video submissions and narrowed it down to the top 10. Cook said Food Network representatives made the drinks in The Food Network’s “lab” and evaluated them based on originality, flavor, appearance and availability of ingredients. Afterward, the top three videos were chosen and posted on the Internet. Based on online voting, Cook’s drink won.“It feels great to get recognition,” Cook said.In addition to the recognition, Cook won a three-day trip to Las Vegas, and his drink will be featured on the menu at TGI Friday’s, the contest sponsor. “That’s the best part,” Cook said. “That’s better than Vegas.”Ryan Vingley, Cook’s friend, was just as excited as Cook. “It’s like the little man who just works and works and works and then – Boom! – something works out for him,” he said.A few days after receiving the award, Cook said it still felt great. A dirty bar-wiping rag hung from the back of his jeans as he served the tumult of students filing in from the cold for 15-cent beer night.He blew kisses to a girl, and she blew kisses back. He smiled as he served, chatting to those he knew.Behind the bar at The Bluebird, other paraphernalia besides the motorcycle litters the walls and shelves – a bust of Elvis, a bicycle and a broken skateboard – each with its own story. And then there’s Cook, who can tell you all sorts of stories about himself – including the one about the time the limelight shone on him.
(01/29/09 1:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Arj Barker of “Flight of the Conchords” will start the first of three consecutive performances at The Funny Bone Comedy Club today. The show is only available for those 18 or older. Baker himself even questioned the appropriateness of his material. “Is it for all ages?” Barker asked. “It’s not appropriate for a person of my age to be telling these jokes.”Barker said he would describe his comedy as observational with hints of surrealism and horrible logic. He has been featured on late night talk shows such as “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, “Late Show” with David Letterman and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”Jared Thompson, owner of The Funny Bone, said he expects a large turnout.“The sorority houses are buying tickets in bulk,” Thompson said. He said he expects at least 75 percent of the turnout the club had for VH1’s “Best Week Ever” star Doug Benson, who performed at The Funny Bone at the beginning of January. Thompson said the show sold out for all five performances. Barker got his start in comedy at 19 when he decided to drop out of college and live a life of performing stand-up comedy on the road.“Not a day goes by that I don’t regret it,” Barker said. “If I stayed in school, I’d know how to spell things right and be able to count all my money.”Barker gained most of his fame from his role as “Dave” the pawn shop owner on HBO’s “Flight of The Conchords.” He also writes material for the comedy show “The Marijuana-Logues,” which features Benson.Barker said that if people are undecided about whether to attend the show, they should just stay home.“I don’t want a bunch of lukewarm people in the audience,” he said with a laugh. “As an audience member you either choose to lose or you’re in it to win it.”
(01/14/09 3:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I was in Guatemala for the entirety of winter break, and the moment I exited the airport there something seemed different.The crowd surrounding the exit gates of the airport was punctuated with women in traditional dress. These women wear their art, and they’re more than likely on their feet selling their work while balancing a bundle of it on top of their heads.The women’s outfits consist mainly of a blouse, a belt and a skirt of sorts. They’re always colorfully dressed. Westerners are concerned with matching their clothes, not wearing certain colors after certain holidays, not wearing polka dots with stripes, etc. In Guatemala, this concept is nonexistent.Traditional women’s clothing has stripes within stripes, colors encircling other colors and patterns in larger patterns. Pastels are rare. My eye was more attracted to the vibrant colors. Reds blazed hotter than the hottest coals; the blues were brighter than the clearest skies above Lake Atitlan in Guatemala; the greens were richer than the feathers of the quetzal, Guatemala’s national bird; the purples were the most royal-looking purples to be found in Central America.The textiles these magnificent women don are usually handmade on looms and stitched together by hand. It’s quite impressive to see the dexterity of the women’s nimble hands and fingers while they stitch and weave.Even after the rainy season in Guatemala, flowers are still in abundance. Floral patterns are commonly found on women’s blouses in addition to all the colors. These can be intricate, hand-stitched flowers or machine-made duplications. Sometimes the women look like walking bouquets.Unfortunately, the men have mostly adopted Western dress and style, therefore losing touch with their native culture.The men in rural parts of the country might not be so Western in dress, but maybe a little “Yeehaw! Giddy-up!” in appearance.They typically wear blue jeans, boots, a ten-gallon hat, a belt buckle and a button-down shirt, which is tucked in for that gentlemanly cowboy look. Not so artsy. A select few men do wear traditional clothing similar to that of the women – vibrant colors and appealing patterns – but their clothes lack the large amount of color in comparison to the women’s. Where they lack color, they make it up with modernization. Even traditional male garments still somewhat resemble Western styles.The best place to find these walking works of art is in the market areas of the country. I took a microvan to Chichicastenango, a Guatemalan city known for its humongous markets, and beheld an eye-boggling array of decked-out women. The booths in Chichi were filled, literally, from floor to ceiling with handmade textiles and clothes. At times, I became so taken with observing my surroundings that I would trip or bump into people. It was eye candy, and it tasted of vibrancy.
(04/16/08 4:13pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When explaining music to others, I have always found it difficult trying to decide how to define a band that’s just a few degrees left of normal. Mahjongg has not made this task any easier.With a variety of eclectic influences such as dub-reggae, ’80s dance, indie rock and everything but the kitchen sink, these guys make a lot of noise. And they do it all with a modest setup of a keyboard, bass, guitar, a sampler and two drum sets. Kontpab, released in January, is a trip through a jungle of sound, weaving radio dials, ray guns, teenage drug use and the mid-to-late ’80s into its dense, diverse auditory experience.“Tell the Police the Truth” is a head-bopping, heavy dance song with hard-to-identify percussion/static noise in the background. The polyrhythmic structure behind the beat itself sounds as if it comes from a toy space gun. A far cry from “Police” is “Those Birds Are Bats.” This track sounds a lot like, I hate to say it, but, The Strokes. The distorted vocals and a drumbeat that a 6-year-old could play are what gave it away. It’s an oversimplified version of the overall project Mahjongg seeks to complete on this record, but it’s still pretty catchy.Songs like “Pontiac” and “Wipe Out” are some of the most interesting tracks Mahjongg offers up. Mahjongg’s vastness and eclectic tastes arise in earnest here. Both tracks are laden with heavy percussion use, polyrhythms and syncopation. If indie kids from Congo and Jamaica went 20 years back in time and drank a lot of cheap wine, these tracks would probably be the final product.Doing this record justice is a pretty hefty task. If you’re a music fan at all, I suggest you get your hands on this record. It’s good to know that people still dare to step outside of convention and make the leap of faith to wherever the hell Mahjongg went.
(03/26/08 7:32pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Since 1987, the Swedish band Meshuggah has been inducting their listeners into some of the most intense, surreal and brash soundscapes to be concocted from a standard five-piece-band line-up. Their new album Obzen is no exception to the attributes that diehard fans have come to admire in this prestigious band.Drummer Thomas Haake said he wanted this album to be a return to the band’s roots, which means heavier, faster, louder and somewhat more straightforward than their previous album Catch Thirty Three. But don’t worry; the distinctive polyrhythms and intense syncopations are still here.A return to Meshuggah’s past can be found in the song “Bleed.” It’s reminiscent of a lot of speed metal and thrash metal. The chug-a-lug guitars and double-bass drumming are in sync for the majority of the song, making this one of the most intense Meshuggah songs to date.The album’s opener “Combustion” sounds like a track off the band’s 1998 album Chaosphere. “Combustion” proceeds in a straightforward fashion, as far as Meshuggah tunes go, and the meter of the entire song is in four.“Pravus” sounds a little like what Dillinger Escape Plan would sound like if you slowed them down to half-speed. Actually, it’s similar to what instrumental band Behold...The Arctopus would sound like with a lead singer. Don’t try deciphering this song, though. Side effects would include head-splitting migraines, bleeding ears and feelings of musical incompetence.The coup de grace “Dancers to a Discordant System” is a 10-minute-long epic with all the confections of a typical Meshuggah song. The intro begins with a moaning guitar and is eventually overtaken by a spastic, machine-like riff which becomes a main theme throughout the entire piece.The title of this album and the concept behind it sum up exactly what Meshuggah seems to aim for with their music. Haake said that the title comes from “mankind finding calm and inner peace and peace of mind through the obscene.”
(03/03/08 3:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>John Darnielle’s project The Mountain Goats has been around since the early ’90s and has churned out a constant flow of records since its beginning. Heretic Pride marks its 15th release, and it’s not a far departure from what they do best: simplistic folk-rock that’s lo-fi but high quality, with emotionally driven, smart lyrics.Heretic Pride is a solid acoustic rock album, but one of the biggest faux pas an artist could do is create the same work of art twice. Unfortunately, that’s just the case here; many songs on this album repeat themselves, messages repeat themselves and guitar riffs repeat themselves. Listen to the first five seconds of “Sax Rohmer #1,” “Autoclave,” “In the Craters on the Moon” and “How To Embrace a Swamp Creature,” and you’ll hear the exact same guitar rhythm that continues through the majority of the song. One of these four would’ve sufficed. “Sax” is still a darn good song. The lyrics are outright picturesque and create vivid scenes, while the music serves as the score for a movie.“San Bernadino” is a step removed from “Sax.” Its guitar, violin and vocals all blended into a cheery mix. This song accomplishes exactly what it needs to, giving a descriptive account of travel. From early morning to late at night, the lyrics describe the emotions and motions of traveling. The guitar even lends itself to sounding like all the little yellow lines in the middle of the road passing by.“Lovecraft in Brooklyn,” sort of like sub-par poetry set to music, is descriptive but somewhat unoriginal. It’s also one of the more rocking songs on the album and at a little more than the mid-point, there’s some interesting guitar work and violin swells.“Marduk T-Shirt Men’s Room Incident” is a little more introspective and melancholy than any of the other songs on Heretic Pride. Female voices provide backup vocals in the chorus, which mix well with the mood. The chorus itself says to “stay weightless, formless, blameless and nameless” which is something The Mountain Goats won’t do.
(02/20/08 9:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jazz veteran Herbie Hancock thanked the Academy for, "courageously breaking the mold,” a little more than a week ago as he blocked the undeserving Amy Winehouse from getting her greasy, cocaine-covered fingers on the Album of the Year award. Aging jazz artists such as Hancock are often swept under the rug and struggle to stay afloat in the changing tide of music, while untalented, contemporary musicians receive constant radio airplay.But, as with any endeavor, one must humbly start somewhere. In 1960, when Hancock was a mere 20 years old, jazz-trumpet pioneer Donald Byrd recruited Hancock to join his group. Through this hook-up, Hancock met Blue Note Records co-founder Alfred Lion and in 1963, released his first solo album Takin’ Off. Subsequently, that same year, Hancock received a call from the already well-respected band leader/trumpeter Miles Davis. This endeavor furthered Hancock’s career and was probably what many would consider the event that led him to his throne among exalted jazz greats such as Davis, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Thelonious Monk and others.Hancock quit the group in 1968 but continued to make appearances on Davis’ albums. In 1973, Hancock founded his new group The Headhunters, and together, they recorded a milestone of jazz-fusion music Head Hunters. The album included a remake of “Watermelon Man” from Hancock’s Takin’ Off, which wasn’t too well-received by jazz critics since it was such a far cry from the original, traditional jazz tune. Despite its nontraditional sound, Head Hunters was the first jazz album ever to go platinum. This album was Hancock’s statement to the jazz world that crossing boundaries and mixing genres was not only perfectly acceptable, but also necessary in order for jazz to survive. He appeared on what is considered the first fusion album ever, Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, which he recorded with Davis in 1969.Head Hunters hints at Hancock’s early interest in electronic music. He uses synthesizers and the distinctive clavinet – a hybrid between a keyboard and an electric guitar. All of this interest in fusion and electronic music can be traced back to the time Hancock spent in college, when he double-majored in music and electronic engineering.The all-too-familiar bass lines of “Chameleon,” the first track on Head Hunters, provide me with some of the most intoxicating feelings of groove and downright funk ever available. Drummer Harvey Mason lays down one of the most solid drum tracks of the era, which makes me – a drummer for more than a decade now – wish I had the immense amount of groove that lies in his pinky toe. Hancock unleashes on the clavinet, playing staccato rhythms and wailing solos so awe-inspiring that inattentiveness isn’t conceivable. Good things come to those who wait, or at least, those who wait until about the eight-minute mark of the track when Hancock uses the synthesizer to create some ethereal sounds for him to solo over. At the same time, the bass line changes, and the drums get a little more syncopated. If your head isn’t bobbing, you’d better have a neck brace on.The third song “Sly” is a tribute to funk-man Sly Stone. The cycles of syncopated rhythms and hits in this song hold the listener’s attention for about the first two minutes before the song explodes into a spaced-out swell of noises for a few bars. This breakdown is immediately followed by a fast-paced and a quite funky section of solos. Bennie Maupin plays an amazing, frantic-sounding solo, which tends not to stray far from the upper register of his saxophone. Hancock rips through his solo with the level of mastery that can only be expected of him. It’s long, but never redundant or boring. This man should write a book on how to solo in fusion music. Herbie Hancock should not be forgotten by anyone who considers themselves a fan of music. Making Head Hunters, a milestone in fusion jazz, would be enough to canonize him, but he’s played it all, from jazz to R&B to blues to rock to electronic to drum ’n’ bass, and he’s won 12 Grammy awards total. He has done everything under the sun a musician would want to accomplish in a lifetime. Come on, give it up for Mr. Hancock.