Longform

Phantom pop sounds are Quasi's sword

Although probably more famous for their former band associations, Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss have been steadily forging their own musical identity with Quasi. While Weiss has served time with Sleater-Kinney, and Coomes was in Heatmiser with Elliott Smith, the divorced twosome have recorded five albums together since 1996. The Sword of God, the Portland, Ore., duo's latest, continues to build on the band's previous musical themes, with enough new experiments and variations to keep things fresh.

\'Rat Race\' not trophy winner

Rat Race - R Starring: Cuba Gooding Jr., Breckin Meyer, Jon Lovitz, Whoopie Goldberg Directed by: Jerry Zucker Showing: Showplace West 12

'Scorpion' boasts comedic sting

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - PG-13 Starring: Woody Allen, Helen Hunt Directed by: Woody Allen Showing: Showplace East 11

Costello attracts new and old fans with rereleases

Catalog sales of older CD titles are continuing to dwindle as Baby Boomers finally convert their LP collection to digital. And while it's likely there will always be college freshmen lining up to buy Bob Marley's Legend, you can also expect to see an ever-widening parade of spiffy re-releases advertising remastering, repackaging and the ever-popular extra bonus tracks. Elvis Costello gets his second turn on the re-release merry-go-round starting this month. Costello's early 1977-1987 catalog was originally reissued by Rykodisc in the mid-1990s. Now, after some of his older titles are falling briefly out of print, Rhino Records is again re-releasing his first 17 albums in groups of three. Instead of releasing them in chronological order, the groups of three in question are spread out over the periods of Costello's long and diverse career.

Reaching beyond

Students strolling through Dunn Meadow next week will find a challenge awaiting them -- they'll be asked to "get disoriented." They'll find veggie burgers, punk rock and sex educators. They'll munch edamame and listen to political commentators and philosophers voice perspectives on a vast array of social issues. And they'll be forced to question their own thinking.

BloomingtonFest

Sitting in a bright orange booth at Rocket's Pizza, they discussed their goal for Labor Day Weekend: to orchestrate the biggest BloomingtonFest ever to take over the streets of a not-quite-sleepy college town. But still, this town is one that needs a kick every once in a while to get it going.

Lonesome songs strike a story

Buffalo Tom frontman Bill Janovitz has admitted his writing often revolves around themes of difference and alienation. Heck, he titled his basement recording area Lonesome Studio. Now Billy-blue is back with a second solo album. Always musically distinct from his other projects, Janovitz's solo work always takes "solo" to heart. Less overtly countrified than Lonesome Billy, Up Here mixes folk and quasi-country melancholia with a singer-songwriter's touch; one that had always been somewhat obscured by the rock guitar base of his better known band efforts.

Jay and Silent Bob light up Hollywood

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back - R Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck Directed by: Kevin Smith Showing: Showplace West 12

'Bike' musicians ride more than a decade of friendship

In kindergarten, Mike Reed met Travis Dopp. Their new friendship was not cemented by crayons and action figures, but rather by a small Matchbox car.

Recovering from the freshman 15

The freshman 15. It was more like the freshman 18 for me. I remember my shirts gradually getting tighter and sucking in my stomach to zip up my pants. I had heard people talk about the freshman 15 before, but I never thought that it could happen to me. How could it be possible to gain a seam-splitting 15 pounds?

Germany introduces new Euro

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Copies of Europe's colorful new Euro bills, each two stories high, rippled in the breeze above Frankfurt on Thursday as the European Central Bank unveiled its design for the notes that will replace 12 national currencies next year. "With the new single currency the people of Europe have one more fundamental thing in common, their money," bank President Wim Duisenberg said during a packed ceremony at Frankfurt's opera house.

Simple acts, great rewards

There's a world outside this country. No, really. While this might seem theoretical to some ethnocentric Americans, it is true. I have even confirmed it. I have jumped on a plane, flown for a long time (allowing me to catch up on watching movies) and gotten off in a land different from our own. It was exciting. It was exotic. And the food was delicious, an important part of any culture, in my book.

City to approve Buskirk funds

Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez plans to invest $1.2 million into the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, a downtown landmark that has been financially beleaguered for the past few years. The mayor proposes using tax money to pay off the theater's debt.

Security breaches cause for frustration

During the last five years, four separate security breaches have surfaced on campus, prompting many students to examine how well the University protects their personal information.

College Mall Road clogged with students

Students returning for the fall semester have clogged up city streets. The problem is particularly pronounced on College Mall Road, where the city is conducting a massive construction project slated to take 18 months.

Open house offers cultural options

Opening its doors for anyone on campus having an interest in black culture, the African American Culture Center is holding its annual open house 6 p.m. today in Ashton Center's Coulter building.

Psychology professor wins award

Professor Richard Shiffrin has been named the 2001 recipient of the David E. Rumelhart award, the equivalent of the Nobel prize for the field of psychology. He will be presented the award in recognition of his life-time accomplishments in the study of human memory.

New student trustee pledges to champion student concerns

The majority of the students at IU's campuses, according to latest IU admissions statistics, are undergraduates from the state of Indiana.

2 trade papers mired in controversy

Lions Gate willing to take risks