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Hasidic artist proves to be indestructible

Matisyahu, a Hasidic Jewish reggae rapper, is easily the most intriguing artist to hit mainstream airwaves in years. Often described as Bob Marley reggae meets Sublime, dub-ska-punk meets hip-hop meets Phish inspired jam; Matisyahu's sound is a fusion of genres which is finding welcome ears in pop audiences across the country. A bona fide teenage hippie by 14, Matisyahu (aka Matthew Miller) was more interested in music than the classroom, eventually dropping out of high school to follow Phish on a national tour.

Space Jam

"Hey man, it's gonna be a great show. Just let yourself go and get lost in the music. Take an amazing journey! Woo hoo!" Okay, that might be a little exaggerated, but I've heard something along those lines more than once among a crowd at a jam band concert. Yes, hippies live for such events. But they're not the issue, often being disproportionately mixed together with jam band music. There's more to the recipe. Ever since the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers Band became jam band pioneers in the late 1960s, live performances have stood as the cornerstone of the movement. Record sales were marginal compared to the amount of ticket sales. Although album releases were frequent, instead of waiting a year or two for another vinyl, fans salivated at the word of a concert at a nearby venue.

Grad students protest health insurance cuts

The chants of about 30 IU graduate students echoed down Kirkwood Avenue Wednesday morning as members of the IU Graduate Employees Organization protested cuts in their health benefits. The students gathered at the Sample Gates, holding signs and repeating chants like "They say cutbacks -- we say fight back!" Meanwhile, inside Bryan Hall, administrators and student representatives discussed which specific cuts would be made for graduate employee health plans. "We're here to protest the administration's decision not to fully fund the increases in our health care coverage, and that's leaving us with either increased costs or cuts to our benefits," said Elizabeth Rytting, a graduate student and internal communications officer of the GEO steering committee. "One way or another, it's going to come out of our pockets."

SIDEWALK RUNWAY

Bloomington...and all that jazz

The lights dim and a sea of colored luminescent lights flood the busied café. The musicians take stage -- rhythm in the back and horns, trumpet and saxophone up front. The ensemble rustles its music then turns to the sax player who begins to snap his fingers. The room is silent save the uniform tapping of the feet to the recognized beat. The foot is understood. After the count off, the horns blare and the players begin to craft their musical art. For the players in The Mike Epstein Quintet, a local IU student jazz combo, this musical ritual embodies their typical Friday night.

The infractions

Kelvin Sampson might have carried some extra baggage on his flight to Bloomington. The former University of Oklahoma men's basketball coach -- expected to be announced as IU's coach soon -- could be cited for inappropriate recruiting at OU as soon as April, according to The Associated Press. The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions meets April 21 in Park City, Utah. It could cite the OU athletic administration as having lacked institutional control.

You got Punk'd

A fan spat onto the lead singer of The Methadones from the balcony of Uncle Fester's, located on Kirkwood Avenue. "That's not cool," the singer said, glaring at the fan. "Keep playing you pussy. It's a punk show," another fan retorted. The singer threw water, the fan threw beer and the singer leaped onto a speaker, launching himself into the balcony to fight. The fight was broken up and the singer came back down and finished the set. It sounds typical for a punk night, but its founder, Josh Johnson, insists it's the only real incident they've had.

Fast Cash

Books. Clothes. Late night pizza runs. And in some cases, tuition. These are but a few of the expenditures college students face. According to a recent National Retail Foundation survey, college kids annually pump over $26 billion into the economy -- with each student spending $666 on back-to-school supplies every year. For some, having an extra money supply in the reserves is critical for making a college education possible. And for everyone, a little extra cash can always make the weekends more fun.

All About Me:

An Indiana native and business major in finance, junior Betsy Henke was voted IUSA President in March 2006. Although she has "no future in politics," Henke says the job "just kind of fell into my lap." She has worked a lot with other divisions of IUSA, such as the student organization funding. Henke hopes to use her previous experience and contacts she made to make this a productive year for IUSA. "I'm honored for this. I'm really excited because we have a good team. People want to be involved and that's important to help cover more ground."

Space Jam

"Hey man, it's gonna be a great show. Just let yourself go and get lost in the music. Take an amazing journey! Woo hoo!" Okay, that might be a little exaggerated, but I've heard something along those lines more than once among a crowd at a jam band concert. Yes, hippies live for such events. But they're not the issue, often being disproportionately mixed together with jam band music. There's more to the recipe. Ever since the Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers Band became jam band pioneers in the late 1960s, live performances have stood as the cornerstone of the movement. Record sales were marginal compared to the amount of ticket sales. Although album releases were frequent, instead of waiting a year or two for another vinyl, fans salivated at the word of a concert at a nearby venue.

Soderbergh's finest hour

Back in 2000, director Steven Soderbergh had the year of his life. Snagging Best Picture Oscar nods for "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich," Soderbergh earned two Best Director nods in the same year -- an accomplishment not seen since Frank Lloyd back in 1929. Ultimately he won for "Traffic" and we still remember it over that year's big winner, Ridley Scott's "Gladiator." Penned by writer Stephen Gaghan (writer/director of 2005's "Syriana") with inspiration gained from the British mini-series "Traffik," "Traffic" carries a heavy message on a topic we're all familiar with: drugs. From the West Coast to the U.S.-Mexican border and way over in Washington D.C., a massive portrait is painted on how drugs can factor into almost anything and, ultimately, do harm to us all.

Film Illuminated on DVD

"Everything Is Illuminated" is a wonder of a film, and it achieves something so rare that it is hard to believe it comes from a first-time director/screenwriter. Its achievement lies in its uncanny ability to evolve from a quirky, hilarious road picture into a solemn and poetic meditation. The central theme is remembrance, involving one of the most horrific events of the 20th century: the extermination of the European Jewish community in World War II. Acclaimed actor Liev Schreiber ("The Hurricane") adapted the autobiographical novel by Jonathan Safran Foer for the screen and finally got it produced by Warner Independent Pictures after a couple years of shopping for a financier.

This is one filet of a film brotha

Having never endured the divorce of my parents, I'm not sure I could ever truly empathize with the kids in Noah Baumbach's "The Squid and the Whale," but that fact in no way dulled the impact the film had on me. Produced by Wes Anderson, "Squid" factors in all the subtle dark humor, and a bit of the intricate set decoration, of "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "Rushmore" while at the same time feeling, unlike Anderson's directorial triumphs, wholly organic and unrehearsed. It's 1986, Park Slope, Brooklyn, and 16-year-old Walt (Jesse Eisenberg, autobiographically modeled after Baumbach himself) and 12-year-old Frank (Owen Kline, son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates) must deal with their parents Bernard (Jeff Daniels) and Joan's (Laura Linney) divorce.

Fascinating biopic hits DVD

Many times, when renting a film based on hype or awards season, the viewing ends in disappointment: the acting is not as great as its accolades suggest, the story is not as interesting or the plot is not as driven. "Capote" is certainly not one of these films. While watching this movie it is easy to understand why "Capote" found such incredible critical success and garnered so many awards for Phillip Seymour Hoffman who nails the role of his life. The film begins slowly, but once the plot gets rolling it is impossible to look away. And while the beginning may be a little slow paced, the writing is sensational and witty enough to keep any viewer intrigued.

IDS CLASSIC ALBUMS

For the last decade, audiences have been mesmerized by what most consider the forefather of instrumental hip-hop, DJ Shadow's 1996 masterpiece Endtroducing. It's the kind of album you fall in love with while driving through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, its soundscapes larger than the panorama ahead, its vibe more modern than the sun setting behind the pines. Endtroducing has the uncanny ability to take the listener on a voyage to, as one trademark sample states, "the inner juices of human beings."

Hasidic artist proves to be indestructible

Matisyahu, a Hasidic Jewish reggae rapper, is easily the most intriguing artist to hit mainstream airwaves in years. Often described as Bob Marley reggae meets Sublime, dub-ska-punk meets hip-hop meets Phish inspired jam; Matisyahu's sound is a fusion of genres which is finding welcome ears in pop audiences across the country. A bona fide teenage hippie by 14, Matisyahu (aka Matthew Miller) was more interested in music than the classroom, eventually dropping out of high school to follow Phish on a national tour.

'Fab Four' bore

You have to give Stereolab credit for one thing: they stick to their guns. The "groop," as they're called, are famous for blending '50s and '60s pop with subtle shades of electronica and cleaner-than-clean sonic polish. In Fab Four Suture, Stereolab doesn't break any new ground, but for some people, that is more than enough. If you like adding variety to your days-long shuffled playlist, there's no other band out there quite like Stereolab. As background music, Fab Four Suture (or any of the groop's records) can make any party a little bit groovier. But if you're looking for a record to slip into your car's stereo, this album will probably get boring.

Album features 'both sides' of Ben

With the attraction of purchasing or pirating music online, the album as a work of art has begun to fade away, and the double album is becoming almost as rare as vinyl. Maybe that's what makes Both Sides of the Gun, Ben Harper's follow up to 2003's Diamonds on the Inside, so refreshing. Like most double albums, it could fit on one disc. However, the album works best as two halves. Gun showcases the Harper that his fans have grown to love as well as a new Harper. "Morning Yearning" fills the role of opening track beautifully.

An open invitation from his Purpleness

No matter how often the media poke fun at his bizarre and reclusive lifestyle or how many times Dave Chappelle ranks on his quirky, sexual purpleness, Prince is still one hell of a talented musician. Which is why listening to 3121, the newest addition to the artist formally known as the artist formally known as Prince's repertoire, is so disappointing. Following in the footsteps of 2004's Musicology, a highly successful, but fairly mediocre album, Prince attempts to return to the '80s synth-pop rhythms and sounds that made him exclaim, "Baby I'm a star," and mixes things up with a bit of hip-hop and Latin instrumental flavor.

Who let this dog out?

If you make out with your spouse who's trapped in an animal's body, is it still considered beastiality? Apparently not in this update of the old Disney "Shaggy Dog" films. Tim Allen plays a busy father too obsessed with his career as a Los Angeles deputy District Attorney to be concerned with his wife ("Sex and the City's" Kristin Davis), son (Disney slave Spencer Breslin) and daughter (an overacting and annoying Zena Grey). But faith intervenes when a genetically altered canine bites Allen, transforming him into a dog and allowing him to see the errors of his ways.