Longform

Kracker’s back and ready to party

By Danielle Rindler · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9:15 p.m.

While some might have forgotten about Uncle Kracker in the four years since his last album, “72 and Sunny,” his newest, “Happy Hour,” could make us glad he’s back.

No chemistry happening

By Thomas Miller · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9:12 p.m.

“Love Happens” is a chemistry-free romantic comedy about a self-help guru who needs to deal with the death of his wife, apparently by hooking up with Jennifer Aniston.

Surprisingly delicious

By Brent Williamson · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9:10 p.m.

Looking for something fun and filling at the theater? You won’t do much better than “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”

Miners give loud sound the shaft

By Megan Clayton · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9:07 p.m.

For their sixth album, the Early Day Miners offer up waves of guitar chords riding in a void of ambient electronic noise. Some cleaner riffs and solos dot the tracks, and there’s grittier handling on, “How to Fall,” but overall it’s clear why the Miners tag themselves “shoegaze.”

‘Jennifer’ isn’t hot

By Brian Welk · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9:06 p.m.

It’s hard to imagine that Diablo Cody would ever write something as goofy and grotesque as “Jennifer’s Body.”

An unhealthy plan

Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9:06 p.m.

WE SAY The Baucus health care plan has holes, but at least he stepped up to the plate.

TV Surveillance

By Cory Barker · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9:03 p.m.

By this week, most of the season’s new programs will have aired at least one episode. We watched a number of them, but a pilot episode can only tell us so much. Some programs get much, much better after the pilot. Others ... not so much. Never one to avoid making premature judgments, I will go out on a limb and say the following four shows are the ones we will hear about for the rest of the year – and even further into the future.

‘Going green’ shouldn’t be blue

By Kristi Lafree · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9:03 p.m.

“Going green” shouldn’t be a token phrase of the left – it should be a token phrase of all the people, regardless of political affiliation, who recognize the importance of personal responsibility.

Deceitful Damon delves deep into delusion

By Doug Evans · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9:01 p.m.

Mark Whitacre was the highest-ranking executive to become an informant against his own company. For his role as the agricultural businessman turned whistle-blower, Matt Damon gained 30 pounds, which is ironic considering the character he portrays carries twice that amount in emotional baggage.

Misaligned motives

By Jordan Jacobs · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 9 p.m.

Now, compare this to the mission statement of IU; “... to create, disseminate, preserve, and apply knowledge,” and you will see precisely what type of problem valuing sports more than school creates. It is nothing else but a near complete abandonment of educational prerogatives.

Refrain Yourself

By Kelsey McArdle · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 8:58 p.m.

If you know anything about me, you know I have a profound obsession. It’s not entirely original, and in fact, it’s one I’m forced to share with an inordinate amount of the world’s population.I absolutely love the Beatles.

Not coming to a theater near you

By Matt Straw · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 8:57 p.m.

It is patently offensive that as we enter the 21st century, a majority of Americans would not hesitate to believe in a “magic” Jesus (sorry, Sarah Silverman), yet the idea of believing the data of a scientist with facts and evidence that a group of birds over long periods of time evolve is somehow blasphemous and ridiculous.

South Africa

By Thomas Miller · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 8:56 p.m.

For BLK JKS – pronounced “black jacks” – this year’s Lotus Fest is a homecoming away from home. The band hails from Johannesburg, but when it came time to record their Secretly Canadian debut last winter, they packed up their things and headed to Russian Recording in Bloomington.

Sweden

Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 8:52 p.m.

Swedish instrumental folk trio Vasen will take the stage at Lotus Fest on Thursday, continuing what has become a tradition in Bloomington. Vasen’s fans half-jokingly proposed that a street in town be named for the band, leading them to title their newest album “Vasen Street.”

Mongolian folk comes to America

By Megan Clayton · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 8:50 p.m.

Before Hanggai formed in 2005, lead man Ilchi was bored with the music he was making. He’d been in a punk band for a few years, but just didn’t have the heart for that type of sound anymore.

Los de Abajo can’t be kept down

By Megan Clayton · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 8:48 p.m.

The founding members of Los de Abajo met nearly two decades ago when they were attending secondary school in Mexico City. In 1992 they played their first show together at the National Autonomous University of Mexico for the country’s Sept. 16 Independence Day celebration.“We began to play music as a friendly game, but now has become our way of life,” said singer and saxophonist Mauricio “Osito” Diaz. “We realized that we made ourselves feel good, and we can do the same for others.”

France

Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 8:45 p.m.

It’s easy to classify the French quartet Watcha Clan as world music, but to founding member, chief songwriter and sampler Suprême Clem, that’s oversimplifying it. “World music is not a museum. It should be modernized so all generations can listen to it,” he said.

Local band, Mid-East inspiration

By Megan Clayton · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 8:40 p.m.

Salaam front woman Dena El Saffir was first exposed to Middle Eastern music as a child growing up in an Iraqi-American household outside Chicago. Trained in violin since the age of 6, El Saffir started to envision honing an Arabic sound as a teenager. Her group Salaam, which means “peace” in Arabic, was founded in 1993 while El Saffir was studying classical music at IU.The band is still based out of Bloomington and includes six other instrumentalists, including El Saffir’s brother Amir and her husband, Tim Moore. El Saffir said working with her family has only brought the band benefits.

Panelists to discuss diversity tomorrow

Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 4:55 p.m.

Jacob Levin, a columnist at the IDS, will be on a panel to discuss issues of diversity, identity and cultural awareness tomorrow with Eric Love, IU’s director of diversity education.

College Football Hall of Fame leaving South Bend for Atlanta

By Tom Coyne · Wednesday, Sept. 23,2009 4:47 p.m.

SOUTH BEND — The College Football Hall of Fame, which never managed to attract the number of visitors its organizers hoped for after moving it to South Bend in 1995, is being moved to Atlanta to bring it more exposure, organizers told the city.

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